commentopia What the World Is Saying A SERVICE BRINGING YOU THE BEST READERS' COMMENTS FROM TOP NEWS SOURCES ON THE WEB NATIONAL WEEKLY ARCHIVES JULY - SEPTEMBER 2009
[RETURN TO commentopia HOME PAGE]
SEPTEMBER 28, 2009 - OCTOBER 4, 2009
NATIONAL
I'm not a cursing woman but now would be a good time to start. I'm so sick of hearing and reading these stories about people dying so senselessly. It has to stop. I don't know where we begin to fix this problem. Personally, I think it starts in the home. We need to put our families back together so our children will know where to go to find the love we're all desparately searching for. We need "big mama" back on the front porch watching over the neighbor's kid. Let's put down the cell phones, MP3/I-Pods, video games, etc and get in touch with each other again. Our children are crying out for help and we're leaving them out in the cold without a hand to hold onto. God bless the family of young man Albert. Heaven's angel is back home. Read the article THE ROOT/16-year-old honor student Derrion Albert beaten to death outside Chicago rec center <> The kid killed was an honors student. The other kids on the block were gang members in a violent mood. Is this where we applaud diversity? Is this where we sing praises for "we are all the same", ghosts in the machine kind of thing or is this where maybe those few bad apples pay dearly for their crimes and in the future the community polices it's own? Where is the outrage from Sharpton, Jackson and the media for this kind of behavior, this murder? Imus repeats something from a gang song and get's canned! The outrage goes on for weeks!!!! An honors student gets killed at a bus stop and there are arrests but where is the national outrage!!!! Read the article DAILY BEAST/ Video of teen beating released
ROMAN POLANSKI — FURORE OVER DIRECTOR'S CUT AND RUN CASE
I feel no pity at all for an adult who violates the innocence of a thirteen-year-old girl. I do not care in the least how famous or creative a movie director the offender is, nor do I a care whether the offender had painful experiences in his youth; if anything, his experiences should have taught him to respect a child's innocence. Read the article NEW YORK TIMES/Polanski's arrest could lead to his extradition. <> WaPo columnist Anne Applebaum, in an op/ed piece today, characterized the detention of Polanski on an international warrant as a fugitive from justice as a result of his flight following his guilty plea for drugging and raping a 13 year old girl as "outrageous." Read the article WASHINGTON POST/Polanski's attorney says he will fight extradition to U.S. <> Ms Gailey has chosen to act in a brave and immensely generous way, showing great dignity and compassion - more, one could argue, than was ever shown to her. I note the guidance that has been given on another thread on the use of certain words. So, simply, this, from a letter by Ms Gailey in 2003
She was 13. She's now an adult, married, with kids, and happy in her life. Yes, she deserves to be heard. But should justice depend on the attitude of the victim? No - we should not depend on victims for compassion or use their anger as an excuse for vengeance - it should depend on the nature of the crime. And passage of time may heal the wounds of the victim but does not erase the original act. Read the article U.K. GUARDIAN/Those who arrested Roman Polanski have ignored his victim <> I have no sympathy for him regarding the act (and being punished for it), but if he made a plea deal in good faith and then got jerked (as has been recounted a zillion times in the press), it should come out and he should serve a sentence based on that deal. He fled because he knew he wasn't going to get what he bargained for. Of course, whether or not he had any right to bargain in the first place is a whole different story... I tend to think not, but I'm in favor of letting the law decide, not mob vengeance. Read the article NEW YORK TIMES/Polanski's arrest could lead to his extradition.
When our representatives create and pass legislation that they haven’t even read – that impoverishes my daughter’s generation. When Democrat Congressmen say offhandedly that most of what is done in Washington is not authorized by the Constitution and not flinch. When Congressional Republicans gorge themselves on pork in exchange for their votes and yet try to position themselves as somehow different. When public opposition to policies of the administration is belittled, demonized and dismissed by the heads of the House and Senate. When the President refuses to be interviewed on the largest drawing cable news network he is trying to disengage from a sizable segment of the voters in this country. When this and more is happening, it is time to act boldly and challenge politicians of both parties recommit to acting within the bounds of the Constitution and on behalf of the nation as a whole – not partisan slices. Beck is exposing the corruption and hidden agendas of both sides – and using the politicians’ own words as evidence. That is riling a bunch of people used to media being passive and subservient — good! [ROLLING STONE/The Beck doctrine]
Regardless of what actually happened, if you need to pretend or not pretend to throw a frog in boiling water to make your point, you are obviously operating on the fringe of sanity. Beck a few months back poured “gasoline” (water) on a volunteer and held a lit match over him to make a similar point. Beck is not about informing people. He is about appealing to fear and rage in a desperate attempt to advance his, and Fox’s extreme right wing agenda and oppose President Obama and the Democrats with anything they can find or make up. When watching an op/ed on Fox, one needs to ask oneself, “Did I just learn something, or was I just manipulated through emotion?” The fringe right is fond of calling up ghosts of Nazi tactics. Read up on the manipulation of emotion as a tactic of Nazi propaganda after a 10 minute hate session with Beck. [CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR/Glenn Beck boils cute little frog -- or did he?]
There is no secret to Fox news or any other Murdoch owned media he has been very open about his philosophy. Rupert Murdoch is one of the best employers a reporter can have. You have a job for life as long as you put the Murdoch conservative slant on and sensationalize the tidbits. If you don't you are gone in a heartbeat. This is not done for political gain it is done for profit. He has proven this model is a moneymaker with his English and Australian newspapers. Again he has never hidden those facts. Financially he is one of my heroes. [USA TODAY/City council officially declares no tie to "Glenn Beck" Day.] <> I'm sorry, but Glenn Beck is a moron, and I say that as a Republican. You need only look at his recent statement that John McCain would have been worse than Barack Obama as President to see what I mean. The man just doesn't think. The idea that John McCain would have been as fiscally freewheeling as the current administration is absurd. But Beck thrives on absurdity, and that's the main problem -- and the problem for conservatism writ large, since he's now regarded as such as an important voice within the movement. If we were simply an entertainer, it would be one thing, but he isn't. He's enamored far too many people with his illogical, hysterical, post-modernist style of conservatism: Rabid emotionalism is the order of the day, critical thought is a sign of snobbish elitism, and anyone who doesn't toe his line on any issue is brings us ten steps closer to the apocalypse. If the Republican Party wants to understand why they have lost ground among voters who should be squarely in their column (white collar suburbanites, young professionals, suburbs like Northern Virginia, metro Philly, Denver, etc.), they need look no further. If only we could bring William F. Buckley back from the dead, and give popular conservatism a much-needed dose of cerebral legitimacy. [HUMAN EVENTS/Why the Left hates Glenn Beck] <> For those too young to vote before the last election just Wiki or Google Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. Better still look up Gonzo Journalism. Could Rolling Stone today hire someone like HST? Doubt it. RS is too slick, corporate and very establishment now. Irony is there is nobody on the national stage of news/commentary today that is more Gonzo than Beck. So out of a nation of 300 million+ less than two percent tune in to watch Beck. If ya can’t dig it then live with it. If you can’t live with it then drink a tall glass of get over it. [ROLLING STONE/The Beck doctrine] U.S. AND CLIMATE CHANGE -- LOOKING FOR BALANCE AT HOME AND ABROAD
Yesterday I was hiking at Harriman State Park, some 30 minutes north of the Manhattan Washington Bridge. The sky was clear, visibility 100 miles, jet airplanes from Europe to California clearly visible, and drinking water from the many streams better than French imported soda waters. The previous 4 months I spent time in the Middle East, India, West Africa, and Vietnam. The quality of air and surface waters there were poisonous, treated wastewater plants were running out of filters,energy and disposal areas, and cattle in agricultural areas were suffocating from plastic garbage. And the US, right here in Manhattan, is considered by some 100 UN reps as the bad guy?! Give me a break. [NEW YORK TIMES/U.S. and China vow action on climate threat but cite needs ] <> "The journey is hard, and we don't have much time left to make it," Obama said. "Our generation's response to this challenge will be judged by history." [NPR/Obama 'determined to act' on climate change.] <> I'm a meteorologist and I can tell you that the professional community is split on the climate change issue. While we generally agree that the long term warming trend continues and that humans have a hand in this warming, the forecast and impacts of this warming are almost completely beyond our ability to project accurately. Many of the forecasts and speculated impacts are downright laughable to the skeptical scientists. [WALL STREET JOURNAL/U.S. determined to act on climate, despite doubts and difficulties.] <> I don't know for sure whether climate change is happening or not, because I'm no scientist. But I'll tell you what I do know. I've grown fond of breathing clean air as well as drinking clean water and eating uncontaminated food. I remember what our lakes, rivers and streams looked like in the 1960s. And how filthy with smog our city skies were too. So I'm willing to err on the side of caution here. Real or not, climate change is as good as any heading under which to stop polluting the planet. <> The saddest aspect of all of this is that it will probably take some sort of cataclysmic disaster to truly grab our attention to the fact that we need to act. And, by then, it will probably already be too late. I'm not being cynical, just realistic. [DAILY KOS/"Determined to act"] <>
If this country is truly ready to move forward, we should be bombarded with quotes like this from great visionaries from our past. [DAILY KOS/"Determined to act"] SEPTEMBER 21, 2009 - SEPTEMBER 27, 2009 NATIONAL THE ACORN VIDEOS --- A COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION'S PROBLEMS GROW
What is shocking is how everyday, “ho-hum”, this matter of underage prostitution, and law avoidance is to these Acorn workers in five Acorn offices whether they are on the East or West Coast. You would think if this kind of advice was not normal for Acorn offices that after Hannah and James went to the first or second office, the Acorn phone tree would be abuzz about the two crazily dressed kids that were in the office today trying to get info about starting an underage prostitution house. But no, this was no big deal. [BIG GOVERNMENT.COM/Acorn Video: Sex scandal in San Diego]
<> "Pimpin' is a black man's game, and if you gonna be a white pimp boy, you need to be the Eminem of pimpin'. And son you are a far cry from that. Now get your narrow asses out of here." That's what I wanted the old girl in Brooklyn to say. I was born in Brooklyn and live about 10 blocks from Acorn. Nevins Street, in close proximity to the Fulton Mall, various courthouses, jails, parole offices, human resources offices, has more than it's share of rough and tumble individuals passing through. I would have hoped that workers there would be a whole lot more streetwise than these two seemed to be. The general consensus here seems to be here is that they are part of some massive left wing criminal conspiracy? To do what exactly? Integrate pimping? Bring brothels to residential neighborhoods? Replenish/Upgrade the community ho stock? Where is the payoff? At odds here for me is the fact that they seemed neither shocked or criminally adept. In other words they acted as if they are asked to help facilitate an illegal endeavor routinely and that they have never been asked this before.
[BIG GOVERNMENT.COM/Acorn Video: Sex scandal in San Diego] <> After reading this report, one is left to believe that this is a "conservative" attack on ACORN. The correct perspective to take is that this is not "small potatoes" or a "conservative issue", as commented on earlier, but that this is a countrywide culture of abuse that ACORN is apparently guilty of encouraging. This is not a race issue. The promotion of underage prostitution, child trafficking, tax fraud (just to name the top 3) is NOT a "small potatoes" issue and should be vigorously investigated. ABC News and other network news organizations seem to happy ignore these types of stories (and more will surface) and are guilty of poor journalism; this is "inverse propaganda" - the less a story is mentioned, the more likely it will "go away" and the less those tied to this organization will suffer. I am grateful that my tax dollars will no longer go to a group that does not investigate its employees and their behavior. [ABC NEWS/White House calls Acorn employees behavior "unacceptable.'] <> I am an extremely liberal Democrat, and I don't know a thing about ACORN, but on the basis of those tapes, we should probably suspend ACORN funding and investigate them within an inch of their puppy dog. I trust Henry Cisneros and Kathy Townsend, but they are still too close to a self-audit for the public to be comfortable. I think we need the Attorney General's office in on it. Now, that being said, we still need to see the virgin tapes, not the edited and doctored tapes, so we can see exactly what was really said, not snippets taken out of context. After all, the tapes were made by an ultra-conservative attack group. It is probable the tapes were made more inflammatory by editing. Even if they were, the employees on the tapes should still be flogged, fired, and defenestrated. [WASHINGTON POST/Acorn to review employees conduct after hidden camera videos] <> Wow — Halliburton, KBR, Dynacorp, and the company formerly known as Blackwater — have not only participated in illegal activities, but have lost BILLIONS of dollars. And nary a peep from the Republicans, let alone the Democrats. There were a few bad nuts in Acorn and they go after the entire organization but leave the very, very rich defense industry alone. How the media cannot connect the dots to the absolute hypocrisy when covering this issue is beyond me. Instead, they inflate the accusations without explaining that these “investigative reporters” had to go to several ACORN facilities just to get their results and the employees were consequently fired. Has anyone got fired over the 8 billion dollars that went missing in Iraq? NO! Sure wish the press would start putting this in perspective and quit shielding not only the GOP, but the Dems for their utter hypocritical stance on this issue. [NEW YORK TIMES/House and Senate take aim at Acorn.] <> I would much rather see a temporary hold on funding until an investigation could be undertaken and corrections be made. Acorn Housing staff were instrumental in helping me restructure my mortgage. I suspect that they are doing a lot of good, and to paint the entire organization with this brush seems exceedingly unfair. While I am firmly in the middle class, I’m sure the majority of the people Acorn helps are lower income. People who have no one to stand up for them. As was said above, how fast did politicos distance themselves from Halliburton or Blackwater in comparison to how quickly they’re dumping Acorn. Shameful. [NEW YORK TIMES/House and Senate take aim at Acorn.] SEPTEMBER 14, 2009 - SEPTEMBER 20, 2009 NATIONAL PRESIDENT CARTER ON RACE AND THE ROOTS OF DISRESPECT
I’m glad someone of prominence is finally bringing this up. Accuse me of playing the race card if you want, but I’ve paid attention to politics for a long time, and I have never seen the kind of disrespect shown to Obama shown to any other president. I have never seen people who disagree with policy proposals become so enraged, and even openly carry guns to protests that have nothing to do with gun control. I have seen misinformation and propaganda before, but I have never seen people so eager to accept it. I’ve never before heard anyone say, “he not MY president.” You may be someone who respectfully disagrees with Obama on legitimate grounds, but I guarantee you are standing next to someone in the crowd who would never ever agree with Obama on anything, or even accept that he is president, simply because he is Black. People are afraid that their America, their way of life, is being destroyed by Obama. But if you look out your window or front door instead of at your computer screen you will find the America is just the same great place is has always been. [WALL STREET JOURNAL- WASHINGTON WIRE/Carter adds his voice to race debate after Wilson's Outburst.] <> Was Wilson's behavior disgraceful? Definitely. But an act of racism? Seems like this has become a popular tactic in response to any opposition to the President's policies. Reminds me somewhat of the Bush administration, trying to tell us that we must accept the Patriot Act and follow-on legislation, along with the wars in the Middle East, otherwise we're un-American and not patriotic. Complete nonsense. Reprimand Wilson for his behavior, but don't fall for these diversionary tactics. Debate the topic at hand. [MCCLATCHY/Elephant in the room:Race also present in rebuke of Wilson] <> Carter is merely calling a spade a spade. My parents, who are liberal and live in the northeast, recently attended a party with their long-time conservative friends. It wasn't long before their friends were accusing the President of catering to welfare recipients and calling him the N word, while making blanket statements like "I think we're headed for socialism." These are the words of supposedly educated people with diverse friends and colleagues, yet they would never admit they are racist. [BBC NEWS/is Carter right to label Obama row "racist"] <> My spouse and I gasped when we read Maureen Dowd's article. (Boy, Oh, Boy) That silent word "boy" after Joe Wilson's two words was indeed there. I have been saddened by the manipulation of the older white voters...tapping into their cultural upbringing and race-based fears. They claim that they are angry at Washington...fearful that the younger generation won't have it as good. This is such bunk! As a fifty-something, my retirement is being affected by their attitude and biases. We need the change, particularly in healthcare. Within six months after my spouse underwent cancer surgery and chemo, our health insurance rates doubled. Sure, there are choices of other insurers, but with our pre-existing conditions, we are being priced out of coverage. Seniors have no clue what it is like to have a mortgage greater than the value of their home, insurance premiums equal to a mortgage payment, college costs, and inflated food costs for a family. I listen to my millionaire father-in-law (angry, white and lived in the south), who enjoys Medicare coverage, defending the status quo. Step aside and let's clean up the mess left by the previous Republican administration. BTW I am a registered Republican. [DAILY BEAST/Carter: Wilson Outburst Racist.]
<> The word racist and racism means very little today. I was a young boy in the 60’s and witnessed racism, saw its ugly results and as a region of the country saw us grow and learn and leave it behind. Pockets reappear here and probably all over the world, because it’s an excuse for personal failure. 70’s & 80’s brought about real change and by the 90’s all vestiges of white and black separation were obliterated from our schools, workplaces and public and most private venues. We probably have more mixed marriages and color blind families here in the south Louisiana than anywhere else in the country. The turn of the century brought about the election of a Black President; we broke through another ceiling. Now you see black politicians caught stealing from the public till and they shout racism, it's not. You see a girl not making the cheerleader squad and they shout racism, it's not. You see a criminal committing a crime and they shout racism, it's not. You see kids fighting on a bus and they shout racism, it's not. You see a US Rep shouting liar to a President and they shout racism, it's not. When I hear people use racism as a form of argument, I know the argument is weak. When I see someone drag a black man from behind a pickup truck and they shout racism, I know it is! But the word just has been used too much and has no meaning anymore, Sad, when you cry wolf for the attention so many times, nobody reacts when the wolf really shows up. [KANSAS CITY STAR/Carter's cry of racism is right] <> As a former Equal Opportunity NCO in the Army it has been my experience that most people have no idea what they are doing or what they say is racist. That goes for all ethnicities by the way. [WASHINGTON POST/Reactions to Carter statements swift and varied.] HEALTH CARE -- TAKING THE PULSE OF THE GREAT DEBATE
I think healthy debate is great. Having said that, there is a common thread with the nay-sayers, on this issue and others. Where is your alternative? Assume the goal is not to have people uninsured - where do you get the revenue to care for them? Uninsured is not the equivalent of 'I can't pay anything'. Is it better to include this revenue in a universal health care system OR do you just want these folks to utilize the ER as a primary care physician. Who pays the latter now? Or even worse - maybe they just don't get a flu shot and end up in the desk next to your child in school. We all pay one way or another. And here is a stark reality... Even if you have insurance, that surgery you have is paid in part by healthy people paying premiums that don't get care. How can the greatest country on the planet not make sure it's citizens have basic health care? How great is that?! [ABC NEWS/Obama's health cared speech met with praise,skepticism] <> You will no doubt see based on my response that I am a conservative but please don't confuse that to mean a Republican, or Democrat, or whatever. Yes it was a great speech but he threw a bone to just about every group who has ever had an opinion on Health anything. We have heard talk before of his plan but we have not seen anything other than talking points. [DAILY BEAST/""The Time for Games is Over.] <> I think the issue on healthcare reform has become a 'has' vs. 'have not' debate. All my life I have been a fiscal conservative, and have lived as a minimalist; mostly turning my back to consumerism. However, I have a family now; a wife and a one- year-old son. The healthcare my work provides is absolutely terrible - it covers nothing aside from emergencies, and even then you have to pay $5 grand out of pocket before benefits kick in (per person). This plan is also expensive, but if I had opted for the higher premium plan, we would have had to alter our life completely and forego our mortgage payments, which leaves me in a position of choice - a home or healthcare. I am a 'have not', and I think the healthcare system does need reform. One line of Obama's speech really struck a cord with me; he said "I don't want to run the healthcare companies, I just want to hold them accountable." Healthcare corporations need to be held accountable for their actions, as well as the price of the premiums they charge their customers. If anything needs to happen to healthcare, it's an across-the-board standardization of healthcare policies. [NPR/Democrats recharged, republicans unmoved by Obama.] <> I admit it. I have excellent “gold plated”medical insurance for my wife and myself. I can see any specialist for any reason (or no reason) at any time, as many times as I wish. All hospitalization, surgery, MRI, etc.are paid in full. The administration of my policy has been efficient and I’m very satisfied. So let me say this as plainly as possible. I do NOT want change in my coverage! I worked quite hard arranging my life so that I would have adequate insurance coverage (31 yrs. as a faculty member at the largest east coast health science university and recently retired). If the “public option” comes to pass, it will eventually lead a “single payer” or some variation thereof and I’ll be forced into some lowest common denominator policy with treatment at the local clinic by a foreign trained “family practice” doctor. Furthermore, my taxes will increase significantly to provide medical welfare for those that have chosen, for whatever reason, not to provide for themselves. No thank you. Fortunately, I can reduce my earned income and use less highly taxed financial instruments to supplement my income, thereby starving President Obama’s socialist medical welfare beast. [NEW YORK TIMES/Live blogging the president's speech] <> Too much spread on this health insurance loaf. The thing is, when me or mine are sick we want to be able to go to a hospital and get affordable and good treatment. It's no telling, but insurance companies have made the situation worse by billing excessively for insignificant services, and raking in millions from unsuspecting people. It's payback time. [DALLAS MORNING NEWS/More than 1 in 4 in Texas lack health insurance.] <> Consider the following from USA Today, January 17, 2008: "Over the course of the next two decades, an average of 10,000 baby boomers per day will reach retirement age. Their retirement will cause a surge in federal spending." Also weighing in on this subject, David Walker, U.S. Comptroller General, said the following: A tsunami is building and ready to hit future generations, but this one wont be set off by earthquakes or other natural disasters. Instead, it will be a fiscal calamity created by the failure of government and business leaders to deal with the financial drain of millions of retiring baby boomers. If the current system of private health insurance is not seriously and quickly revamped, the entire platform will eventually crash without a public option. Additionally, there are not enough emerging physicians & health care professionals, teaching institutions and hospitals in the infrastructure to accommodate a burgeoning, aging US population. A public option will happen in America. How soon remains to be seen. [U.K.GUARDIAN/You life: Republican Joe Wilson's outburst at Obama health speech.] <> Until you have been in the ICU spending $5-10K daily keeping a 95 year old alive who has no chance of leaving the hospital because "the family wants everything done and threaten to sue", you can't begin to understand how difficult this issue is. Happens thousands of times a day in ICU's all over the country. The Drs. rate of pay is about $75 a day for ICU care from medicare. No doctor in their right mine does ICU and end of life care for money. We do it because that is our job. The public's expectations are framed by "ER" and we operate out of fear of lawsuit. The standard for doctor's is perfection. No one can die but everyone will. Complex issue and very emotional. Everyone wants to cut cost as long as it doesn't effect their grandma. A lot like nuclear power, "great idea,just don't build it near me. [NEWSWEEK/The case for killing granny.] <> First of all, my condolences to the author on the loss of his mother. Second, shame on Newsweek for turning what should have been a vehicle for reasonable discussion into yet another rabid online shouting match filled with misconceptions and outright lies. As a RN for 33 years, I can testify to the fact that healthcare in this country has been rationed for at least that long. And my experience as a nurse and a patient has shown me that one must be extremely outspoken, bordering on aggressive, to have your wishes respected when it comes to healthcare. Yes, there are "miracles" and we are always happy to see them. But there are far more cases of people being forced to live long months in pain because someone in the medical community or a well-meaning family member insists on doing unnecessary things. [NEWSWEEK/The case for killing granny.
SEPTEMBER 7, 2009 - SEPTEMBER 13, 2009 NATIONAL 9/11 -- NEVER FORGET, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER
I will never forget 9/11/01. I'm a truck driver and was making a delivery to a Sears store in Brooklyn N.Y. that day. As i was switching trailers and getting my paper work signed by the Sears employee, he just stood there looking towards the city, of which this loading dock had a beautiful view. For several seconds, he was frozen, then screamed. I turned and looked. We both just cried as the second plane hit. I was there for 8 hours as they shut down all highways leading out. I just stared in disbelief and listened to the radio. Still too this day I see that second plane hitting. Never forget America. Never [FOX NEWS/We will never forget] <> On this day in NYC, it's appropriately rainy & dreary - as if the angels cry. We're on our way to a memorial mass for my brother-in-law, who was only 24 when he was taken from us in 2001. We were kids (I was only 21) & he was my friend as well as my brother-in- law. I had just started working downtown while attending school and I'll never forget what I witnessed that day. PLEASE remember with pride those that were taken from us - never forget them - but honor them with respect towards each other, at least on this day. Blessed Be All! [HUFFINGTON POST/On 9/11, day or mourning becomes day of service] I take with me three things from those days.
1) The courage and the sense of duty that had those firefighters going up into the building when everyone else was trying to get out. That is dedication and bravery of such a high accord that I cannot even comprehend it. [NEW YORK TIMES/Remembering a future that many feared.]
BOB HERBERT ON "PROBLEM AMERICA"
The phrase “nervous breakdown” is an inexact diagnosis and the collection of ills described here by Mr. Herbert defies a single diagnosis, also. But behind many of the symptoms he cites, I discern a failure of empathy. Those of us with work would rather not try to imagine the situation of those without work. Those of us with health insurance would rather not consider the plight of those without insurance—or those who discover themselves under insured during a medical crisis. Those who do not fight our distant wars cannot understand the many sacrifices of those who do. Real healing, the return to functionality, can occur only when we become willing to care for the well-being of others as we care for our own well-being. This is not socialism; this is human decency. [NEW YORK TIMES/It's Time to Get Help.] <> For many years, under many administrations, we have been told one single "big lie": We can have everything without paying for it. From the LBJ Great Society / Vietnam War combination (no need to choose between guns and butter), through Reaganomics (lower taxes = higher government income), Clintonian economics (the dot com bubble), and Bush the Younger (go shopping or the terrorists win), we have been involved in a non-stop process of deferring any consequences into the future. [NEW YORK TIMES/It's Time to Get Help.] <> The cry of "Communist" or "Socialist" makes as much sense as the cry of "Witch" in 17th century Massachusetts. [NEW YORK TIMES/It's Time to Get Help.]
TALKING POINTS: PRESIDENT OBAMA IN THE CLASSROOM
Is it any wonder, given the Balkanized nature of the American Education system, that the people who run the system in the various districts and the people who have some influence at state level feel free to apply their agenda? Most of the nation didn't much like President G.W. Bush, but we tried to have respect for the office and the Constitution (more, I'm afraid, than the gentleman in question did. [DAILY BEAST/School won't air president's speech] <> I am a teacher at the school that the president is giving his speech at and you all have lost the plot. So keyed up over politics you all are that you forget the whole picture and point of things; the kids. Never has a group of kids been so excited for a speech and assembly. Never have they been more excited. I'm not too sure when an innocent speech, and watch, it will be innocent, with a message of working hard and achieving what you can in education, became indoctrination? It is only indoctrination to the GOP who have shamefully spun this to be as such. They consider it indoctrination because they need a scapegoat to explain the massive losses that they are experiencing. No one can relate to the GOP's message anymore so it must be Obama and his indoctrination. Please. Never before has a group of children been more deserving of a visit and supportive message as these children. The truth is, no one can relate to the GOP and more and more so, no one can relate to the Dems. The GOP should, if they were smart, be condemning any GOP member publicly spinning this as a bad thing. A supportive message to the future of this country about the importance of education, check the international rankings of our educational system versus others to understand why this message is important, is a noble and great thing. To think otherwise is to be blind to the fact that more and more children do not finish high school as they feel it is not important. The future of this country depends upon every next generation. The generation in charge is failing the future generation with pointless arguing. As for the favored comparisons to Hitler...ignorance abounds. Read a book for your place is not in politics, nor any other discussion pertaining to it. [FOXNEWS/White House dismisses furore over Obama speech to students. <> At first I kept an open mind about the president speaking to our school children. Politics aside there is nothing wrong with this. When my husband and I learned that there was a lesson plan attached my curiosity peeked! We did not care for the plans contents pointing to how children can help the president. Help the president with what? With emotions running high regarding this president I was not comfortable with the assignment. My children thought they would have an extra long weekend. Nope! The best lesson our children are learning is that yes we the people can change something we are not in agreement with. Parents are the best teachers to their children and with loud voices we spoke. The "lesson plan" has been changed to reflect the president's comments about working hard and staying in school. My children know how we feel about the current administration. To those keeping their children home I encourage you to send your children to school. I am no longer worried about the speech. When you think about it the grade schoolers tune out after 30 seconds, middle schoolers are worried about lunch, and high schoolers are checking each other out. [FOX NEWS NATION/Backlash mounts against Obama school address] <> So moving here and getting indoctrinated into the Buckeye Nation is okay. Taking time out of school for Fair day is okay. But allowing kids to thoughtfully listen to the democratically elected leader of the US is not? And the lesson plan questions are just like those of a book club. They are for guiding discussion. Something we have apparently forgotten how to do. I will tape it for my kids and we will watch it together and they will form their own opinion. I've raised them to be thoughtful and question authority. They want to stay home that day and watch it live. Pretty ironic that they "stay in school" message will only be heard out of school that day in our public school system. [COLUMBUS DISPATCH/Angry parents get schools to shun Obama speech] <> I have no issue with Mr. Obama wanting to speak to America's schoolchildren. In principle, having the leader of a nation address the children of that nation is a fine thing. I do have concerns about the way his surrogates rolled this speech out, and with the way some school districts and individual teachers will use the event in ways that I think are counter to the goals and aims of a free society. [RIGHT WING NEWS/ Obama's school speech: Why people are concerned.] <> Earlier this evening, I saw a disabled women loudly booed at a town hall because she said she was worried about losing her house due to medical expenses. Now, I read that some supporters of the GOP object to President Obama giving a speech to the nation's children that basically asks them to work hard in school and stay in school. I am sixty years old and I have never felt that I am a stranger living in a strange land, until now. What's up with America? [NEW YORK TIMES/Some parents oppose Obama school speech]
CALIFORNIA STATION FIRE -- FIGHTING AN INFERNO FOOT BY FOOT
It's really amazing to read all the cynical posts about California with this blaming attitude about how we're doing this to ourselves. I've lived in Los Angeles all my life and have witnessed many fire seasons, a regular part of our ecosystem. There is no question that the drought and 106 degree weather has created a perfect storm for a fire like this. I live in the foothills and a few blocks from an evacuation area. It's been very stressful and it is a beautiful thing to see a community come together, signs hanging over the freeway overpasses cheering the firefighters on, restaurants hanging signs to offer free food to our firefighters, everyone connecting and talking to one another. Like any community and neighborhood we live here because we love it....we have families and hopefully work and deep connections that makes this our home. And I love California....in spite of all her difficulties right now...there isn't a place I'd rather live. [HUFFINGTON POST/Deadly wildfire surges closer to Los Angeles.]
<> This fire is having an awful toll on larger critters who cannot escape. Some of the smaller critters are able to burrow into the earth, many however are not. This is the first fire I've covered in southern California that has not been driven by the Santa Anna's-- this sucker is being fueled by the drought and climate change. Is this a glimpse at the future? [LOS ANGELES TIMES/Angeles National Forest fire takes toll on wildlife.] <> Two years ago my home was threatened by the Ranch Fire and our ranch (about 600 acres) was destroyed but thanks to the incredible efforts of firefighters, our house itself was saved. I understand the concern and stress involved in evacuating without knowing if you'll see your home again and the frustration of not being able to bring everything with you. But we never hesitated when they said to leave. As devastating as it would have been if my house had burned, it would have been worse to have a firefighter die trying to save it or us. No possession is worth the life of another person.
[LOS ANGELES TIMES/Fire grows to more than 122,000 acres;officials hope for improved conditions.] AUGUST 31 , 2009 - SEPTEMBER 6, 2009 NATIONAL SENATOR EDWARD KENNEDY — A LION OF THE SENATE AT REST
It's been said the measure of a man is not how many times he falls down, but how many times he gets back up. In that alone, Senator Kennedy is unmatched. [NEW YORK TIMES/Edward Kennedy, Senate stalwart dies] <> As a staffer who served on the Senate Judiciary Committee several years ago, I can't say that I agreed with Senator Kennedy on much of anything. I fought him and his staff on many occasions but I always respected his convictions in truly fighting with vigor and impressive oratorical skills for what he believed in. He also represented a more respectful time in Congressional politics where members of opposing parties could be close friends and courteous of others viewpoints even in the face of deep policy differences. The Lion of the Senate will be sorely missed. [WASHINGTON POST/Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy dies at 77 from brain cancer] <> The hate and disrespect by so many is very disturbing. What has our nation become when there is no room, no discussion of thoughts and ideas other than our own? What has caused all this anger, lack of compassion?
[WASHINGTON POST/Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy dies at 77 from brain cancer]
The case can be made that Ted Kennedy was the single most accomplished legislator in American history. He authored or sponsored over 2500 pieces of legislation, and virtually every major legislative act of the past 45 years in the fields of labor, civil rights, the environment, etc. bears his mark. He may have had his ideological opponents, but even his most vociferous adversaries would have to admit that his record as a Senator is unrivalled in the post-war years - perhaps in the history of the Republic. If that is what is meant by "significant", there is really nothing to discuss. President John Kennedy occupies a special, virtually unique place in American history, largely because of the sense of unrealized potential his political life left us. And Bobby Kennedy's legacy is one of late-blooming idealism at a time of frightening domestic turmoil and great, great sadness at his senseless death. But, again, Ted Kennedy's record of actual, concrete accomplishment is what makes him the most "significant" of the three brothers. [U.K.TIMES/The most significant Kennedy?] <> I have no love for Ted but I think this a fitting symbol of both the man, the family, and the deep connections both have to this country for him to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. It is fitting in a generation where so few of Joe's sons were able to reach old age other than Ted his natural death is a fitting closing chapter for the Golden Age of Kennedy Family. And the Work Joe did to to create a better life for his children. [DAILY BEAST/Ted will be buried with brothers <> After my husband died on 9/11, Senator Kennedy, never having heard of me before, called my house, not once, but twice because I wasn't home the first time. I will never forget his compassionate voice on the other end of the phone -- he said he was calling not just as my Senator, but as a family man who understood loss and tragedy. He wanted to extend his condolences and offer assistance to my family. He encouraged me to reach out to his office if we needed anything at all. For 8 years he has been there for the 9/11 families. Each anniversary we would receive a personal letter from him, reassuring us that he had not forgotten. I sent him a note wishing him well several months ago, and he responded to it with a note back. Each time I saw him I always re-introduced myself, and he always said it wasn't necessary, that he knew who I was. He would ask how I was doing, how the kids were, and if we needed anything. He was truly a Godsend to us and the entire Commonwealth. His quiet generosity and consideration for others is inspiring. He makes you want to reach out to others the way he reached out to us. My heart goes out to Mrs. Kennedy, his children, and Caroline who has lost the man who was like a father to her. I send hugs and wishes of strength to Mrs. Kennedy. [THE BOSTON CHANNEL/Share your condolences, thoughts, about Senator Kennedy] C.I.A AND TERROR SUSPECTS: A NATIONAL DEBATE ON TORTURE
How could any American think that torture yields any valid information or that it "makes us safer"? I grew up believing that our country was a moral leader, and Americans I knew were proud that we did not resort to the barbarism of dictatorships or communists? It makes me shudder to read posts by those who think we should resort to torture - which isn't effective at anything except alienating the world and destroying our moral credibility. THAT is UnAmerican. [NEW YORK TIMES/C.I.A. abuse cases detailed in report on detainees] <> I guess that ignorance really is bliss. We all saw the toll of 9-11, and I am not speaking of the buildings. What if it was your town next? "Brutal"? Please. Brutal is the Taliban and Al Qaeda cutting off heads with a dull 4-inch blade. Been there, seen that. To lead someone who has been directly involved in a terrorist act to believe that their family is in danger of abuse is not anywhere near the same as cutting their head off with a dull knife. To those who say that we should be above that, I say you do not understand what you are talking about. If your sensibilities are offended, go take a look at the bodies the terrorists have left in their wake and perhaps you will see that "simulated drowning", fake deaths, and suggestive remarks are justified in preventing further attacks. Get down off your high horse and get your hands dirty, then you will understand that what it takes to clean it up is justified. [NEW YORK TIMES/C .I.A abuse cases detailed in report on detainees] <> What we have heard is that many within the CIA were very much concerned that what they were being asked to do was illegal. The morale of the agency was already down because they believed that many of the techniques used were illegal and that they might find themselves before a war crimes court because of it. This now brings back the morale of the agents who did the right thing and were concerned over the take over of the agency by amateurs and party fanatics. Those who were concerned are now justified in those concerns. Cheney can talk till he is blue in the face but he will never be able to prove torture worked, because it does not. The best intel we received was received through normal interrogation techniques and that info dried up as soon as torture was used. This move will make us stronger as a nation and we will keep the high moral ground which we lost over the last 8 years and is essential to have as a world leader. [CNN NEWS/Cheney takes swipe at Obama over prosecutor] <> I am a retired military colonel who simply does not believe Dick Cheney. That said, all of this will come down to our typical "left versus right" arguments. And that is sad. The Bush Administration could have done better and it knew so at the time. Professionals from the FBI were already able to conduct lawful interrogations of suspected terrorists and get most information we needed. Further, the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld-Gonzalez policy of using unlawful interrogation techniques only means that our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines will be subjected to similar means in the future, and we will have no legal nor moral grounds to protest such treatment. We are the United States and we could have done better. [CNN NEWS/Cheney takes swipe at Obama over prosecutor] <> In the first week of my second tour in Iraq, we were accompanying the platoon we were relieving on patrol to learn the AO. We were driving down a busy road some will know as 'Irish." Not much was happening. Suddenly the world shook. A small white and orange car ran across the path of an Iraqi police SUV, Ford Explorer in the opposite lane. It detonated. As we quickly secured the area, and began rescue attempts, the Iraqi police in the vehicle constantly screamed as they burned to death. I took part in a large battalion raid on a small section of SW Baghdad. My platoon was tasked with finding a "Headhunter." The man was known to be a kidnapper for profit. We proceeded to the house our intel indicated we could find this man. He was not there. Fortunately, the man's extended family was impressed enough by our polite questions to indicate where the man could be found. A small basement apartment in a house around the corner. The apartment consisted of two rooms without windows and a toilet/hole in the ground. The first room had a bed, a TV, a VCR and two videotapes. The second room, without windows, was covered in blood stains. The man was captured without incident. The videotapes were of a beheading and a porn. [USA TODAY/Cia report spurs review of interrogations]
AUGUST 24 , 2009 - AUGUST 30, 2009 NATIONAL "HAWAII 5-0" — MIXED SENTIMENTS ON STATEHOOD ANNIVERSARY
I am of Hawaiian heritage. I am also a proud American. Even though statehood sealed a relationship of American interference and dominance in Hawaii, it has been a good thing. The infrastructure of the islands since being a territory has changed dramatically. Statehood has allowed Hawaii's people to partake in the American experience which in one word can be called opportunity. Labeling indigenous people as lazy, shiftless, and racist is merely a convenient way for some to dismiss an honest clash of cultural values. I have been raised with a very westernized set of values. I am at peace with it. Some of my ohana and friends have not. I am also at peace with that. I love and respect them the way they are. If anyone has a problem with that then it is their right and prerogative. It is also their own personal problem. [STAR BULLETIN/Re-examining post-statehood identity .] <> Most of us sacrifice much to live here but it is worth it and although we seem to live in "islands" there is a corporate calling which unites us. It is called "aloha". It's not hello or goodbye, it is a sharing of spirit that unites and speaks peace to all. This was a nice creative piece but it just didn't seem to capture the essence of who we are and what it has meant to be a state for 50 years. We are marketed as paradise and in some ways we are...yet we do not get the respect we deserve as a place and people. We are not the world's play place, we are a home to over one million diverse people who get along better than any place in the world. We are the future...a place where power and position do not matter so much. It is who you are on the inside, what you stand for, how you treat others, your commitment to family and friends and if you walk your talk. Michael Jackson sang our song...We are the world. May you someday understand what this means...aloha [NEW YORK TIMES/Happily a state, forever an island. <> Re Hawaii's mix of melting pot peoples... I grew up there (my family arrived as Scots ship builders in 1880, and built the Marine Railway at Pearl Harbor, as well as the floating drydocks that made Pearl a harbor which could be navigated by deep hulled ships). My grandmother was born there in 1885. I think that the reason I am an unmitigated liberal is because of my experiences growing up there ( I was born in Queen's Hosp). I also realized, however, that there was a thing called racism when I lived there, and that it was wrong. It is an attitude, and it is an attitude which needs adjusting no matter who is expressing it. As a white kid in elementary school in Kailua, I was also harassed. It makes you understand what that is LIKE, and is an invaluable lesson for everyone. I have always looked at my short time there (I probably never forgave my parents for moving to SF until I realized SF was a kind of paradise also) as my formation time as an artist. [SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE/Hawaii 5-0] AUGUST 17 , 2009 - AUGUST 23, 2009 NATIONAL REP. BARNEY FRANK'S "TABLE TALK" GETS TOUGH
Good for Frank. It needed to be done and it needs to be done until the facts and potentials can be considered calmly and with what will happen if nothing is done. As a senior citizen who is a Republican, we are about good governance. It comes into play because big business let the nation down. Public Option is a very good thing. Why not if it's a choice? The problem was not caused by Obama. He's set a goal. The issue can be fixed by Congress, if they stop trying to divide and conquer. The only thing that will stop democracy is to prevent good discussion and Congress to work because of a bias. [WASHINGTON POST/Frank blasts Nazi comparisons from LaRouche backers] <> Barney - interesting style you have again chosen for your constituent "discussions". Whenever someone challenges you on an issue whether it be a Harvard student this spring or someone at the health care meeting, you resort to name calling and blustering. And speaking of the meeting, you couldn't even take the time to establish your own town hall meetings across your well drawn district. Instead you rely upon one town democratic meeting in Dartmouth that was not well publicized. You still had hundreds show up. Have some intestinal fortitude and schedule more for around your district and see if you can take the heat from the crowds. Crowds we will all be seeing at our doctor's office if you have your way! [BOSTON HERALD/Voters air health care rage] <> I still can't understand how Obama can be characterized as a Bolshevik one day and a member of Hitler's National Socialist Part the next? I had thought history had proven the two diametrically opposed? <> Hecklers aside, and they are easy to handle, the majority of people have concerns and rightly so. If there is an ignorance or a lack of information, it is because the proponents have not been clear on message and transparent in the details. The Administration and Congress attempted to pass a restructuring of 15% of the economy in a matter of a few months with little debate or public education and without Congressmen even knowing what is in the package (it changes daily). Because of the size of the package and time line people are justifiably scared. They may not be able to articulate themselves well but they smell a rat and don’t like it. The political danger for the proponents is that they misjudge the degree or breadth of opposition and overplay their hand. The danger for the country is to attempt to completely reengineer a major economic sector through a political process and purport to know exactly how it will turn out. [WSJ/WASHINGTON WIRE/Barney Frank fights back at health care town meeting.] <> I yearn for my Republican congressman to treat the extremists the same way. The comparison of any American president to a Nazi dictator is reprehensible, and I’m grateful to the congressman for making that clear. WSJ/WASHINGTON WIRE/Barney Frank fights back at health care town meeting.]
HEALTH CARE: AMERICA'S SUMMER OF DISCONTENT
As a physician, I have been paying close attention to these debates-turned-Jerry-Springer-Shows on healthcare reform. And it really saddens me more than anything else. These debacles are reminders of the political genius of Richard Nixon, who mobilized the poor whites (so-called "silent majority') to vote often against their own interests (e.g. for the super riches and the privileged) by preying on their racial fears and perversely skewed fundamental fervor. As I watch these men and women "fight" for their America and stand up for the helpless insurance and pharmaceutical companies, I wonder how this rich, so-called "Christian" nation allows millions of its own people to live without healthcare. Sad, indeed. <> The problem with so many political leaders is that their priorities rarely, if ever, coincide with the needs or even demands of their constituents after they are safely elected into power. There are more than 31,000 lobbyists roaming the halls of Congress as we speak, and they press for legislation favorable to their corporate mandate to maximize profits, create monopoly control, and increase wealth for their upper executives and favored share holders. It is naive to think this necessarily includes an overwhelming desire to make sure grampa Joe gets that surgery or little Billy remains in robust good health. They don't care. Neither does Obama, who, along with the rest of Congress, enjoys a level of free healthcare few of us are likely to experience. So rest assured, if our leaders are screaming that they 'need' to spend trillions we don't have on socialized healthcare, you may want to get a second opinion [ABC NEWS/Obama may eliminate 'public opition' in Health Reform bill. ] <> As a senior citizen happily on Medicare it is disheartening to see our precious country overrun by greed and immorality. We bail out the failing banking and insurance industries because they have lost sight of their purpose to serve their constituents without the understanding that maintaining the "status quo" will never work. The "status quo" is an anathema to civil morality. [NEW YORK TIMES/'Public option' in health plan may be dropped.]
AUGUST 10 , 2009 - AUGUST 16, 2009 NATIONAL
Nothing wrong with dissent, provided you do it in a civilized (albeit possibly heated) manner. But when you drown out the right of anyone with an opposing viewpoint to speak and make threats of physical violence against others, then you have hijacked the democratic process. [CBS NEWS/Teabaggers shout down Tampa Bay town hall] <> In the end, right or wrong, no matter how idiotic people behave the public has the explicit right to question. Civil discord is part of the democratic process. Surely we can not forget the outrage and the virulent protests of the American public over the Iraq war. Why was that so different? No matter if a person for for or against or how ugly the screams, this was America at it's best during a very low time. Ditto Viet Nam. [DAILY BEAST/How "death panel" fears started.] <> I think everyone, regardless of their politics, should be ashamed of this. I'm red-faced that anyone would take this to be representative of the thoughtful, intelligent conversations so many Americans are having about what should be done about health care. Honestly, what does this say about our country when civil discourse is being replaced by foot-stomping and screeching. There are people out there who can't afford chemo for goodness sake. Imagine them lying on the couch dying and watching this display on television. [POLITICO/Florida Rep. wanted to promote town hall with state dollars.]
Finally, there is a national policy that reflects the Illinois Veterans Grant. I served 4 years in the Marine Corps and attended the University of Illinois paid for by the state because I was a veteran. Too many of my fellow former Marines struggled to even get into school after serving and most dropped out because they couldn't afford to attend. Thank you for doing what I have always felt was the number one thing to do for all veterans who honorably serve in the military. If service men and women can volunteer and potentially die for the country, then the country can surely give them the opportunity to get a bachelor's degree [CNN/Obama, veterans celebrate expansion of G. I. bill]
JULY 27, 2009 - AUGUST 2, 2009 NATIONAL THE PRESIDENT, THE POLICEMAN AND THE PROFESSOR
"The audacity of hops." [USA TODAY/Not many "public" words expected at 'beer summit ] <> Beer snobs (or snobs in general) can read too much into most anything. Why analyze?? The point is... these are three guys who like beer. This is something they have in common. Hopefully, they will meet, have a beer, relax and be able to say... Sorry, I overreacted. If the president says it first, the other two would be very small not to follow suit. To insult their choices (especially to insult a certain two out of three with ulterior motives) is bordering on more racist bitchery. The implication that more educated men should have "better taste" is part of the continuing problem. I think all three probably chose their preferred beverage. [NPR/Obama beer summit choices make for a happy hour ] <> First teachable moment: Colin Powell on Larry King Live said it: Cooperate with police officers. Second teachable moment: Do not prejudge people based on the color of their skin. Just because someone is white does not make them a racist. Third teachable moment: Don't speak on something unless you have all of the facts, especially if you may be biased by knowing one of the parties involved. [THE ROOT/Whose 'teachable moment' is this? ]
<> While listening to his press conference on NPR the other night while driving home, I cringed when President Obama used the word “stupidly” to describe the actions of the Cambridge police. As a highly-educated lawyer, he should have known better than to insert himself into this matter, other than to condemn racial profiling in general. I’m extremely pleased by his action today expressing regret to the officer about his language and trying to find common ground in the situation. It seems like this was basically a situation that two guys let get out of hand — the white police sergeant who trains other cops in racial sensitivity arresting a black man in his own home, and the Harvard professor having a bad “air” day after a long flight from China, finding himself locked out of his house and then popping off at the cop who responded to a call about a break-in. Hopefully we can get to the point where every confrontation between a white guy and a black guy is not racism, just a confrontation between two guys that went too far. Having attended law school in Cambridge, I’d say this was much more of a classic town-gown conflict between a Harvard prof and a Cambridge cop. And I’m sure each of the three men learned a good lesson from it. [NEW YORK TIMES] <> In what I know of the situation I suspect there were overreactions on both sides.
<> I felt compelled to add a comment here, thinking at first to rise to Professor Gates defense after reading a number of unfavorable statements about his character and motivations. But, there’s more to it than just ardent defense of a Black man who has been done wrong, once again.
<> The photo taken by a neighbor shows an obviously agitated Gates - and calm police. Worse, one of the cops is black. Is HE a racist too? <> "Please, we can get along...Let's try to work it out..." said Mr. Rodney King to television cameras on May 1st,1992, the third day of the L.A. riots precipitated by the initial acquittals of three L.A.P.D. officers for a much more violent confrontation that provoked strong, divisive and highly destructive emotions. In that case, valuable lessons were eventually learned by many and worthy next steps were ultimately undertaken -- but the cost of the initial response was overwhelmingly tragic. Though comparisons between that confrontation between police officers and an African American man are characterized by far more differences than similarities with this troubling incident, I am deeply saddened and concerned by the tone and manner of many of the comments here. Rather than the rigorous reflections warranted by the "teaching moment" hoped for by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and Professor Charles Ogletree, Esq., many of the posts below evidence reflexive anger and unthinking assumptions that may worsen, rather than lessen, our society's centuries-old divide. W.E.B. Du Bois -- Harvard Class of 1890, the University's first African American PhD in 1895 and the man whose name so rightfully graces the Institute for African and African American Research that Professor Gates directs -- famously wrote that "the problem of the twentieth century is the problem of color-line" (in both the introduction to the 1903 "The Souls of Black Folk" and its second essay titled "Of the Dawn of Freedom"). Du Bois was primarily referencing the segregation that plagues our communities to this day despite civil rights laws and initiatives. Even our public schools, where the supposed "minorities" will soon be the majority in less than 15 years, are now more segregated than before the landmark "Brown v. Board" Supreme Court decision. The reported actions of a Cambridge policeman and, unfortunately, the alleged statements by Prof. Gates during that confrontation that both parties appear to have escalated draw that "color-line" brightly yet again in the sand for the 21st century. It is ironic that Professor Gates and, I suspect, Officer Crowley partially share an Irish ancestry. According to the Wikipedia article on Professor Gates (that is now closed to editing due to vandalism), Professor Gates learned his DNA was 50% European in the first TV installment of "African American Lives" (2006) and traced his roots back to both a legendary Irish king and the Yoruba people of Nigeria in the second installment of that series in 2008. Even though the actual genetic difference between all races is measured in mere thousandths of a percent, Du Bois and the huge majority of Americans including me are, in fact, mixed race. In the days to come, I fervently hope that calmer, thoughtful comments and lengthier, well-considered reflections can be heard above the mutually disrespectful din so sadly manifested in too many comments here. The coming dialogue could truly be a chance to make progress on some issues critical for shared progress towards the "more perfect union" idealized for our still very imperfect democracy. It is also ironic that the rapidly growing Internet chatter suggests the illustrious Professor Gates will now perhaps be best known by national, and even global, society writ large for what he purportedly did that night. Most importantly, his most broadly visible public legacy will spring, however, from what he decides to do next about this "regrettable and unfortunate" incident. So far, this appears to be framed as a Rashomon-like narrative with differing memories of the "facts" undoubtedly influenced by the high emotion of the moment. In the initial reactions on display in postings here, I sense the possibility of a schism similar in some troubling aspects to the sharp divisions seen in polls of mostly mixed-race respondents (self-identified, though, as Black or White) regarding O.J.'s and Barry Bonds's culpability. I fervently hope this incident is not used in the same fashion as a drunkard uses a lamppost -- not for illumination but simply as support (for preconceptions, in this case). To mix metaphors, Professor Gates seems currently to be a lightning rod, not a lamppost. Before the biased on both sides harden their prejudged opinions of each other, I hope Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., can use the bully pulpit he possesses to make us better, more aware and sensitive fellow citizens. In so doing, he will make us even more proud and respectful of that for which he stands . [THE ROOT] <> I'm a cop, a white cop and a sergeant. I got a call like this one, black man stealing a car. Caller on line, explaining at first she thought he was just stealing her neighbors stereo out of the car. Then it went to him actually stealing the car. My troops are close, it's behind an apartment building. The first officer commands the male to shut the car off and step out. He doesn't so it escalates to a high risk type stop. Guns drawn the male finally gets with the program. He gets cuffed while we are figuring it out. His ID matches the registration on the car. (Oh shoot moment!) He's Sudanese and was not very good with the English language, hence the reason for not reacting as expected. He gets un-cuffed in a hurry. I explain to him and a friend that has better command of our language, why we did what we did. I have no idea how many times I told him that I was sorry. The caller, his neighbor, who still thought he was stealing the car, also says she is so sorry that she got the cars confused. Handled correctly? You bet! I have to stay alive, so my tactics are not always pretty. Once I know what the truth is, and who's who, it's time to be a person again. If that was me on your porch, I would have tried to explain the best I could. You want my name and badge number, you will always get it. This call was handled well until the ego, or lack of experience showed up. [THE ROOT] <> Those from college towns miss the unique character of Cambridge and Harvard. The past several police chiefs have been black, and race has been a critical theme in Cambridge police training for several decades. The current mayor, and past mayor, are also African American, this one a woman, the last a gay man. While Gates is right, in general, his "right" to be right is considerably twisted by his institutional affiliation. Harvard owns Cambridge (and shares some of it with MIT). The gentrification of the past three - not just one - decades has wiped out townies and relegated native people of color to small colonial villages surrounded by antipathetic yuppies.
SENATOR AL FRANKEN - SEMPER FIDO
I agree with Franken. It was proven years ago that dogs and cats do a great deal to help our veterans. It has given our service men and women comfort for years and even helped some of them through PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). So if he can get the bill passed this would be a great thing for our service men and women. My husband is a Navy vet of twenty years. And my son is also in the Navy and if, God forbid, something should happen to him I would hope this bill would be in place to help him and others. [CNN] <> This is a simple, straightforward approach to a difficult and painful problem. I think maybe those who find humor in this snicker that brittle laugh that comes from uneasiness. And, we should all be a little uncomfortable with the way we have treated our returning veterans since Korea. We have been very good at waving the flag and talking about the importance of their service and our concern for the difficulties they face—some of them for the remainders of their lives—but somehow we do very little that is concrete. As a nation, we talk a great game but, in the end, we behave like your blowhard uncle. Perhaps if Senator Franken proposed something that cost 10 times more or that took 1100 pages of legislation to describe, it would better fit our expectations. Something this uncomplicated, honest and decent just doesn’t have mass market appeal [CNN]
JULY 20, 2009 - JULY 26, 2009 NATIONAL WALTER CRONKITE - THE WAY IT WAS
<> I had the distinct pleasure and honor of meeting Mr. Cronkite at a book signing in Pasadena, California about fifteen years ago. I was the very last person in line. After I introduced myself to him, we spoke briefly about President Kennedy's assassination. I wanted to get more insight from him as to what he felt really happened in Dallas, Texas on that terrible November day in 1963 as I was completing a paper on the 35th President's assassination. He was extremely gracious and very accommodating. A few years later, Mr. Cronkite returned to Pasadena to give an audience-participation interview at the California Institute of Technology. At the conclusion of the program, I went around to the stage door to congratulate him and to thank him for returning to Pasadena. While shaking my hand, he addressed me by my first name and asked me how my paper turned out. Needless to say, I was in shock and I proceeded to tell him that it went very well and that I earned an "A" on the paper. Today, we lost a truly wonderful and generous man. He always had a way of indirectly telling the American people that everything was going to be OK even in the worst of times. We trusted him and we respected him. Perhaps the best way to describe Mr. Cronkite was that he is and was the ultimate definition of "integrity." Although a lot of us are grieving this evening with his passing, I am personally thankful to have met him and witness first hand what a remarkable human being he was. Rest in peace Mr. Cronkite. We will all miss you. [CBS NEWS] <> I was serving in USAF stateside and was not sure what to believe watching him every night, that is, until I saw a special program on a weapons system I was supporting. I couldn’t believe how they had convoluted the facts regarding the program. From that point on he had a credibility gap with me the size of the Grand Canyon. Talking to others returning from Vietnam substantiated my belief in distortion of the news by his and other networks. When the US pulled out of Vietnam and the Communists overran Cambodia, where was he and the other networks when over a million people were slaughtered? No one covered that story. This was truly our darkest hour regarding media coverage and no one cared. God help us all if he goes down in history as a news deity. [NEW YORK TIMES]
<> A great and honest American - he will be missed. He spanned the age of telegraphed news to the age of the blog, and did it all with style, grace and beautifully concise writing. No one in television knows how to write a story the way he did (and if they could - sadly - it would be cut for time). <> Growing up (I was born in 1968, and was just 1 years old when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon), Walter Cronkite WAS the face of journalism and American integrity. Like some kind of miraculous fusion of Edward E. Murrow and Walter Winchell, he joined us for dinner, helped explain the goings-on in the world, and helped America in its journey towards “a more perfect union.” He (and his fellow network reporters) fearlessly reported on poverty, segregation, the Cold War and hot war, along with everyday life and politics. With his mentoring and tutelage our nation grew-up - from the carefree days of the early ’60s to almost where we are today. He helped promote vanguard ideas like gender equality so that they would be accepted and integrated into the norm. Racists, cowards and haters like Orval Faubus and George Wallace knew that they couldn’t continue to obstruct progress, because fair-minded Americans would learn from Walter about them — the unvarnished truth about them. Why? Because he reported honestly/and told it exactly “the way it is.” God bless you, Mister Cronkite. You helped inspire us, teach us and…lead us! [NEW YORK TIMES] PRESIDENT OBAMA - "NO EXCUSES"
As an African-American, I thoroughly understand black anger, but anger is useless and non-productive unless one uses that energy in a proactive way to improve his lot. Life is not "fair," has never been, and never will be, but one is made stronger by being persistent in overcoming challenges. If you are black, it is certain that you will be watched more closely, judged more harshly and by stiffer standards. This is what my parents taught my siblings and me. However, they added "but by the grace of a just God, you can do it!" Well guess what? We did it! My parents did not necessarily place emphasis on black vs. white, but on being audacious and daring enough to meet and face down challenges. My advice to blacks: find an empowering and productive way to utilize that anger. In fact, challenge yourself. You really do have what it takes. Yes, my ancestors were slaves, but I know enough of their story to view them as survivors rather than victims. If I have inherited any portion of the strength they had, I shall be more than a conquerer. [WASHINGTON POST] <> I study these issues as a journalist and as a statistician. One lesson that I inflicted on literally thousands of Columbia students is the statistical association of race versus income with respect to single-parent households in The Bronx. Income was 5 times more predictive than race using 1980 Census data, even after accounting for such effects as "autocorrelation." It is true that almost all of the inequalities the President mentioned can be tied more firmly to income than race (HIV is a major exception and there are others as well). But what causes the income disparity in the first place? Also, poor people living in areas that are mixed with regard to income and race tend to do better than poor people in a large, homogeneously poor area. The generally accepted hypothesis is that such areas generally have little political clout and thus do not get their share of available government help. [ABC NEWS] <> I think we can agree that there will always be debate as to what is the most effective way to teach and that's OK. I was educated in a strict Catholic school environment and it worked for me. I have friends that went to schools that were not so strict and it worked for them as well.
<> Based on my own experience, I wonder how much of the divide in this country is social class and how much is purely racial. I grew up in an economically depressed rural community that was 99% white. My family was the only black family for miles. However, the community was somewhat social class conscious. I witnessed the treatment my poor white classmates received from better-off whites and it was not at all pretty. I was never treated as badly as they were. Much ink has been devoted to crime and dysfunction in the inner city black community. I saw a similar phenomenon in whiteface. When are we, as a society, going to get busy solving real people problems and stop racializing everything? {HUFFINGTON REPORT] JULY 13, 2009 - JULY 19, 2009 NATIONAL
Greetings to all from Iraq. Those who brought about cogent points are all correct in one way, shape or form. As a semi-senior officer, I'm privvy to the capabilities of the F-22 and you don't want it in anyone's hands but our own. The capabilities would blow your mind. Now, with that said, WWII was the last war in which large numbers of equipment (planes, tanks etc) were necessary due to the basic nature of warfare. In this day and age, we don't need F-22s, we need more unmanned drones. As a pilot, I'm more than happy to let a drone do the dirty work and save my back and butt the pain from doing the same job. They do it MUCH cheaper and longer than humans can. Now, the Air Force doesn't like this because it marginalizes their overall worth to the military force. I rarely agree with our new administration, but they are correct on this one. Let's be realistic here. Land wars with large conventional forces are a thing of the past. Nuclear arms ensure a mutually assured destruction, therefore, no one will invade large countries worth invading. Fighting small wars such as the ones were in are what the forseeable future will bring. [DAILY BEAST] <> Just so everyone is clear on this: Russia recently decided to forgo development of a 5th generation fighter in favor of actually procuring 48 4th generation SU-35s. China is not developing a 5th gen fighter. Our aircraft today (such as F/A-18E/F are 4th gen). We began development of the F-22 in the early 80s (so it took over 20 years for us to procure over a hundred). We're planning to procure over 2000 of the cheaper and multi-role 5th gen F-35. There is NO WAY another country will gain air superiority over us unsing fighters in the next two decades. Buying another 7 F-22s at $250mil each is RETARDED!! - Particularly when there are HUGE manning issues in the military because of the real wars going on today.
She didn't put it very well, but Sotomayor expressed an unavoidable truth... that even with all the best will and desire to be impartial in the world, judges are human beings who come with a gender, a race, and a culture. These things will affect their world view and not always in ways they have conscious awareness of/control over. No judge in the world is ever going to be 100% totally objective, because no human being is. They come with biases, preconceptions and a personal history, just like the rest of us; I don't think it's a bad quality in a judge that they're self aware enough to recognise this. I'd be more worried about judges stupid enough to think themselves immune. Heck, sometimes personal experiences genuinely might offer insight into underlying issues of a case as part of background context/knowledge. IMO the difference between a poor judge and a wise one is that the wise isn't shackled to these things - he/she can recognise when they offer genuine insight and when to put them out of mind as best he/she can. I don't expect them to ever 100% succeed 100% of the time though - homo sapiens aren't known for being infallible.[U.K.GUARDIAN]
<> I knew that there must have been some deeper reason why Sotomayer ruled against the Conn. firefighters when the case was appealed to her. She took the side of the city which had good reason to believe that it would be up against very expensive civil rights violation lawsuits from the black firefighters if they did not void the test results. Those beliefs were well founded and Sotomayer agreed with these litigious possibilities. That didn't mean that she didn't like white firefighters or that she likes black firefighters more – which is what you would hear from some news outlets who conveniently left out much of the nuts and bolts of the story. Few news outlets went on to report this deeper reasoning. Most of us found out the full truth after reading the Supreme Court opinion. Most things look differently in the light of day when they are separated from partisan politicians and bias news agencies. Sotomayer will have no problem being confirmed and this topic is self explanatory. Any politician who harps on this topic for too long will look as if they really haven't read the Supreme Court case. {CNN POLITICAL TICKER] <> It's my understanding that Judge Sotomayor was born and raised in NYC which has a edgy reputation for coming off a tad harsh or even rude. Heck look at Rudy Giuliani, Justice Scalia and even the TV Judge Judy. All are rough edged New Yorkers. And I think it just seems unattractive to some people. What matters is whether a Judge is a great thinker who looks at all sides, and the law, and then makes a legal decision based on the facts and what the law allows.[NPR] <> We should keep in mind that the issue of "race" or "ethnicity" was raised by Judge Sotomayer. It was she who proclaimed on several occasions over a period of years, not just a one time poor choice of words, that her ethnicity would make her a "better" judge. In my view, the "best" judge is one who can put aside personal values and focus, as best as possible, on interpreting the law regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and similar human characteristics. I do not believe that those who oppose her appointment to the Supreme Court are all biased. Many express sincere reservations about this particular nominee. [ABC NEWS] <> I think I view the law much as Ken Starr would and I too think Sotomayor is a very good pick for those of us that believe the law as written takes primacy over so-called "social-justice" law. Sotomayer is a longtime judge which in and of itself makes legal precedent and the law as written more grounding that would an elected politician like Earl Warren even like a Thurgood Marshall lawyer. Certainly, she seems much more temperamentally anchored in the law than liberal lions like William O Douglas and William Brennan. Conservatives should welcome her as about the best pick we could have expected out of an Obama administration. Of course, that doesn't mean that there shouldn't be a lengthy and thorough examination of her record this Summer for this lifetime appointment. [WASHINGTON POST] EPISCOPAL CHURCH - BISHOP'S CHOICE
The United Methodist Church split over the slavery issue and it took 60 years for the secessionists to return to the church. We have welcomed them back and they recognized that they were wrong in denying anyone a place at Christ's table. Again over women clergy, many left only to recognize their narrow mindedness. There will always be Pharisees in every church body who threaten to split the church rather than admit other of God's Children. As has been proven over the past 15 years, accepting Gay people hasn't caused the down-fall of humanity or even caused the breakdown of heterosexual marriage.
<> Throwing out all false notions about the (Anglican/Episcopal/whatever) Church 'repressing' or otherwise targeting homosexuals or anyone else in this day and age, because we live in free societies where we are free to believe and act as we so please in our privacy, I find it silly that anyone would dare assert that the Anglican Communion is trying to be hateful or bigoted, let alone relate this to the Inquisition (which takes a good bit of historical ignorance to do so), when we're all free to see the facts plain and simple. Nowhere has the Anglican Communion been prejudiced against anyone for simply BEING homosexual; this entire issue is squarely about individuals in ACTIVE homosexual relationships, and it doesn't take the Pope, Patriarch of Constantinople, or Archbishop of Canterbury to understand the theological basis for such a stance. It's pretty simple, and doesn't automatically constitute bigotry or hate. This article pretty much walks you through it anyway. And since we live in free societies and can believe and act as we see fit, there's nothing stopping ANY of us from following whatever religious fellowship we want... so for all these individuals who want to change this Church to fit their beliefs, it would be far more worthwhile to join a church that is more to their beliefs (and they certainly exist), rather than force some schism. I mean, how do you think we ended up with most of the thousands of splinter Protestant denominations in the world? [WASHINGTON POST]
Good for Cheney and good for the CIA. Why would Congress need to know that information? All they would do is leak it to the press, then it would be useless - as they do almost every day. I am neither Democrat or Republican, just sensible. I probably lean more to the liberal side than the conservative. But, we won WWII because we kept secrets and fooled the enemy with bad information. D-day is one of many examples. Note that we haven't won a war since, mainly because the press and the far left liberal community demand they know what they have no need to know. What the American public hears, the terrorists hear. and the North Koreans. And the Iran government. I spent 27 years in the Navy, and had I told what I knew, I would still be in prison (and deservedly so). Oh, sure, you can get the info, now, by filing a "Freedom of Information" request - but I'd still be in the Brig. Keep your secrets CIA, especially from the blabbermouth Congress. What they DON'T know will keep us safer. [ABC NEWS] <> I am reminded of a poem that was made popular after WWII about the German public's willful blindness as the Nazis (a real totalitarian state) rose to power, which went something like,
JULY 6, 2009 - JULY 12, 2009 NATIONAL
I've been on vacation in Chicago visiting for the past ten days. On Monday before I left I went to visit my brother who is buried in Burr Oak Cemetery. I found conditions at the cemetery to be deplorable. I walked around the cemetery for two hours and could not find his grave despite being given a map. MICHAEL JACKSON: THE MEMORIES AND THE MUSIC
I don't get all the complaining about the coverage of Michael Jackson's death "going on and on" and too much being made of this and there's more important news to report that's being overshadowed and waah waah. The man's funeral is just being held today, for crying out loud. Like it or not, his music affected many people all over the world. As a white child growing up in the deep south, I wasn't even allowed to listen to MJ's music. I bought my Thriller album on the sly at the age of 12 and hid it, listening and dancing to it only when my little sister and I were home alone (one of us watching out the window for the grown-ups to return!) Not only did we love this music, but it gave us joy, hope and something to be happy about growing up in a very abusive home where there was very little joy, hope or happiness. Even then I felt that this music helped me to hold on to my sanity many times. Those were dark days, and Michael Jackson's music was a light in the darkness, and I'm sure there are many people for whom it means something on that emotional level as well. The news headlines will return quickly enough to the Middle East, the economy, and everything else the complainers are deeming more "worthy" of airtime. It'll all be back soon enough It would be nice on the day of his funeral if people didn't need to complain and spread hatefulness and negativity. If he meant nothing to you that's fine, but consider silence out of respect for those he meant something to and who do feel affected by his death, and out of respect for others who grieve. He had children who grieve. If people don't want to watch the coverage of Michael Jackson's death, maybe it's a good time to read a book or get out for a walk or volunteer. Do something productive; spread some positivity! [ABC NEWS] <> A lot of people seem to forget, or are just willfully ignorant of the facts and history. Way back when, despite what it looks like today–MTV wasn't playing black videos and artists. Along came Michael Jackson who changed all that. He was an undeniable force who couldn't be stopped. He broke down racial barriers and allowed a platform for black artists to display their talents in the electronic medium. He was one of the first black artists, that was considered "non-threatening– whatever that means?" to white America in a televised forum; and clearly paved the way for Barack Obama to even be possible. The same Barack Obama who would later rely so heavily on the televised medium! Other's that did the same thing & carried the torch were Michael Jordan, Bill Cosby, Oprah Winfrey… Michael Jackson also was a big democratic party supporter and fundraiser. Not to mention his symbolism as a worldwide iconic representation of American pop culture. I think the president was slow with his response and could've been more appreciative and solid in paying respects to Michael Jackson[CNN] I can still remember secretly listening to Thriller at 2a.m. when I was 13, hiding underneath my bed covers using a Walkman & headphones. It was being played in full for the first time on UK radio by Radio Luxembourg. Meant a lot to me at the time. My Mother would have been livid that I was listening to the radio so late at night. <> His influence was felt throughout the whole culture he helped to create. A magnificent dancer, a great entertainer, awesome singer, yet he helped many to become more than they were as he was helped by his mentors in later life.
I think Palin is a light-weight, but the level of vitriolic hatred against her, and her family, is amazing. Look at some of the comments here, they are not discussions of her politics, they are personal attacks of the meanest sort. I assume none of you have ever met the woman, but stop and examine your hate. Jokes about raping her 14 year old daughter, constant ethics probes (none of which have turned up evidence of ethics violations), its just crazy. Here is a woman who successfully combines motherhood and a career, who has a husband who is happy to support his wife, who is raising a child with Down's syndrome, and you HATE her. I'd never vote for her, but that is completely different from what I see here. So I have to ask: what has she ever done (other than have different political beliefs) that justifies the meanness, bile, and nastiness I see here? And, yes, I voted for Obama, am not religious, hold an advanced degree, and don't watch Fox News. [U.K. Guardian] <> For what they are worth, here are my thoughts on Palin. I long ago learned not to judge American politics through our own eyes. American politics is personalized in ways that ours is not. I certainly would not rule Palin out for a run for President. She galvanized a flaky McCain campaign and made a decent fist of it given her inexperience. To be thrust from obscurity into the gold fish bowl of a presidential race as running mate and to keep her head above water demonstrates a quickness to learn and considerable self-belief. Would she win the nomination? It is unlikely on current showing that Obama would not be a favorite to win a second term. Of course that may change as events unfold, but unless they do then it is unlikely that real leading Republican contenders would make a bid. They would prefer to keep their powder dry for the end of what will probably be a two term presidency. So, first, the way might be clearer for Palin in a race that the GOP feel is unwinnable. Second, Palin will appeal to the gut Republican instincts as they shift to the right in response to Obama's social welfare policies and the taxes that will be necessary to pay for them. The divide in US politics will widen and Palin may appear as a candidate bold enough to speak for the right; to express their fears and to galvanize them politically. After all, there is no political consensus for welfare and health care reform and it is here that the fight is likely to focus. Third: events. Events may yet turn sour for Obama. There are a number of problems in world politics that may turn against him not least of which is Iran or North Korea. At this early stage this seems unlikely. He continues to ride a crest of popularity at home and abroad. But if this remains so then I believe it is more likely that the Republicans could turn to Palin as a candidate to put down a marker. She is unlikely to win, but she may draw sufficient blood to make it possible for the political mood to swing and for congress to change. Obama's popularity may be Palin's best chance. [U.K. Guardian] <> Attacking Palin isn't sexist - Palin puts women back 20 years or more. I think you're just projecting positive qualities onto someone who doesn't actually demonstrate them, for your own purposes.
JUNE 29, 2009 - JULY 6, 2009 NATIONAL
It is indeed well to celebrate our liberties - and to remember the words of Thomas Jefferson, "The price of liberty is eternal vigilance." Vigilance not with the barrel of a gun, but with acuteness of mind. [PASADENA STAR-NEWS] <> Whether it was Providence (as we used to write) or happenstance, is of little moment. It is more important to focus on the fact that the Founders were men of substance, education, and conviction, willing to take great risks for their principles. They had before them the example of Roman Republic and its downfall from original sources like Caesar and Cicero in their classical educations, the examples of Magna Charta, the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution from English history from the pen of David Hume, and the story of the fall of Rome from the pen of Edward Gibbon. And, almost all of the read, and all of them knew, of the work of Locke and Montesquieu. Great ideas and the discussion of them among other like-minded men were woven into the fabric of their lives. <> As a black American it's hard sometimes to honor the founding fathers. Sometimes its hard to see beyond the hypocrisy of men fighting to be free while keeping other men in bondage. However we(black Americans) must remember that our founders were flawed men, who created a system that they knew would even challenge their way of life. They created a country that they knew eventually would make all men free. We sometimes think that we are entitled to some kind of payment for the treatment of our ancestors. But shouldn't being able to live and prosper in the greatest country in the world be payment enough? The government doesn't owe us anything, except our freedom, and we have that. So it is now our RESPONSIBILITY to work hard and make this country even greater.
Every year when I hear this on NPR, I pause to think about the living evolution of our language, our growth as a young nation and still how brazen the action was - to just decide to leave the British Empire.
Not sure why (maybe something to do with past history) but for some reason I have more confidence in a comedian than professional politicians. [HUFFINGTON POST] <> I certainly hope that when Governor Pawlenty goes to sign this "certificate of election" that he accidentally spills his coffee all over it, and that the certificate has to be drawn up all over again. And then I hope that if Governor Pawlenty does not now smoke (and fewer and fewer people do), that he take up smoking and light a cigarette before he goes to sign this "certificate of election", and then somehow this certificate accidentally catches fire, and thus a new certificate has to be drawn up all over again. And then I hope that if Governor Pawlenty and his family do not own a dog, that they get one and that the Governor brings the pet into his office, and then as the Governor goes to sign this "certificate of election" the dog takes a liking to the certificate and snatches it up and chews it all up. Maybe then something good would happen. It is libs who all the time advocate we give up when we are fighting war against those who want to kill us, maybe after the coffee and the fire and the dog libs would revert back to the natural lib instinct and give up and forget about Franken in the Senate. [THE NATION] GOVERNOR SANFORD - "ONCE UPON A TIME ..."
Infidelity is hardly biased towards a political party. It's ridiculous to point at either one and say that they are the greater offender. As for Governor Sanford's infidelity, I suppose a number of us have not committed that particular sin. The divorce rate, however, stands at 50% in this country so I'm guessing a few of us here know something about failed marriages. I failed at my first marriage and it was a miserable experience. Hopefully, the Sanfords will find peace at the end of their pain. [FOXNEWS NATION] <> Once upon a time, a plain vanilla adulterous relationship was scandalous, but the bar has been raised considerably in recent decades. Consider: The mayor of D.C. caught on tape smoking crack. His instant explanation: "The b**ch set me up." Sen. Craig exchanging hand signals under the wall between the stalls in an airport men's room. $90,000 in cash in Congressman Jefferson's freezer. Congressman Cunningham hiding his ill-gotten gains by converting them into a Rolls Royce and a handful of houses. The Governor of New York caught using a high-priced call-girl service.
SUPREME COURT - FIREFIGHTERS' TEST
I was pleased to hear of the high court's ruling against the city of New Haven. I have been involved in the promotional evaluation processes for several fire departments across the country and have seen that those I was involved with were color blind in their testing practices. Candidates were often given numbers rather than using their names on tests, interviews were taped and sent to a transcriptionist so that even the identification of gender is masked. I have also been on the testing side, as a candidate. In my 28 years in the fire service, I have taken several promotional exams. On some of these tests I have fared well and some I have not. My performance was directly related to my preparation, not to the color of skin. This New Haven case was not a matter of "reverse" discrimination but instead a case of discrimination. To discriminate against one is to do so against every American. One can not pick or choose when or where discrimination is to be allowed. It has no place in this country. I believe it goes back to what many of us experienced in our elementary years...study, study, study. [NPR] <> As a black American with a few degrees and achievements under my belt, I believe in hard work and hard studying. It seems that the test was fair. The lead plaintiff Ricci is dyslexic and spent a lot of money to prepare for the exam. Ricci wasn't any smarter than the black or latino exam takers. I am thinking that what made the difference is the investment of time and money to pass the exam. This has nothing to do with race! This has all to do with how much one wants something and HOW HARD ONE WILL WORK FOR IT! It is all about motivation. The liberal minority on the Supreme Court believes blacks and Latinos are unable to achieve anything on their own. This is an insidious form of racism. (I believe white liberals are blacks' worst enemy!) Until liberals understand people are individuals and individuals are responsible for their own choices and motivations, they will continue to perform a disservice to those very people they feel they are trying to help. [WASHINGTON POST] <> It is time that circumstances be judged on more than race, so I appreciate this ruling. It would be wise for our society to look more closely at why a certain demographic may have failed and where we as a community are falling short in our expectation of personal responsibility and education rather than alter the requirements for job satisfaction. As a woman, I loathed the concept that standards would be lowered for me in the case of firefighting (such as the weight of victims)—instead, help me to meet the requirements so that I can become the best firefighter. You get the idea…[CNN]
JUNE 22, 2009- JUNE 28, 2009 NATIONAL The balance of power in American politics is shifting. The U.S. Supreme Court has managed to place America on notice that it needs to revisit racial discrimination and carefully hold a national discussion and attempt to arrive at a new definition and strategy to address the residual bias and prejudices that remain today. In the context of history, the American model of separation of powers is effectively working to hold America together for another Century without resorting to another Civil War. Now it's up to Congress to do its job.[WASHINGTON POST] GAY RIGHTS - THE MARRIAGE QUESTION I'm as conservative as can be, but this is just ridiculous. Marriage is a religious construct. Civil Unions are a state construct for legal purposes. The states should recognize any and all unions as they would any other legally-binding contract.If people choose to be married in the church, great. Good for you. But you still should have to get a "union" license, not a marriage license, if you expect the state to legally recognize your union/contract, for all legal purposes, wills, end-of-life care, next of kin issues, etc etc etc.Besides, this entire issue is simply a political wedge, a political football if you will, that has been used to divide voters along some stupid line. I can't believe "I" of all people am siding with Barney Frank on this one, but so be it. Maybe I'm just more libertarian than I thought. [CNN POLITICAL TICKER] BERMUDA - UIGHURS OUT IN THE SUN
The Uighers come from a part of central asia occupied by the Chinese. They were captured off the battlefield by bounty hunters looking for an easy source of cash. Once captured we had nowhere to release them without offending the Chinese, and so we have kept them in Gitmo for more than 7 years. <> At the start of the 20th century, Bermuda treated Boer War prisoners sent to the Island in a kind, caring, and humane way - and also outraged the then-UK government, suspicious (and totally uncaring) about the issue. Bermudans are a kind and caring people and are to be congratulated. I salute them. [TIMES, U.K.]
JUNE 15, 2009 - JUNE 21, 2009 NATIONAL PRESIDENT OBAMA AND THE NEW YORK TIMES I don't think the NY Times is a pushover by any administration, including the Obama-Biden Administration. That said, throughout history, administrations have depended on media of integrity (sans yellow journalism) to carry their message and vision to the people. Building a relationship of trust and respect is beneficial to the current administration, the print media (NYT), and American people. I believe the previous administration blew off all media except for FOX simply because they had no respect for the American public, did not want to be questioned, wanted to release only information they wanted released, and used outlets such as FOX, and now WSJ, as their own private vehicles of message. It was extremely filtered. Good for the Obama-Biden Administration and good for New York Times. To NYT, continue to ask the tough questions, and for crying out loud, on news pieces, stay away from gossip and innuendo [POLITICO]. <> Obama and company are truly enthralled with the NYT, and vice versa. Is this good or bad? Its really hard to say. They clearly have strong connections and an affinity towards each other. The access of the NYT does "keep the public informed". However, the danger is that the NYT merely becomes a mouthpiece and a propaganda machine for the Administration, and ceases to become a "news organization". There are newspapers, radio stations, and TV stations in Venezuela. With but few exceptions, these are merely outlets for the propaganda of Hugo Chavez as he "reeducates" the population. Few, if any, other views are allowed to even be voiced. And when they do get some attention, those "alternative views" are roundly ridiculed, distorted, and panned. The "news" ceases to be news, and instead becomes a model from the days of Communist USSR. Thankfully, there are alternatives to the NYT. They do not exist as a "sole source". However, due to their "access", they "prepare the public" for the follow-on proposals. They act to create the "initial image" of the "news", and thus have an effect that magnifies the importance of a particular perception. When other news organizations quote information in the NYT, this initial characterization, without the usual challenge, has a significant effect. It can take days, or even weeks to "balance" the reporting. Since it is "unofficial", an especially negative public response can then be "conditioned', or even renounced, if necessary. [POLITICO]
JUNE 8, 2009 - JUNE 14, 2009 NATIONAL Whether these men can be proved guilty or not is irrelevant. US and Canadian government must come to terms with this. Failing to explain to and win support of the US and Canadians is a big potential problem for these governments. In my opinion, on active battlefield, enemies, supporters, trainees will be removed from the battlefield and imprisoned until the war is over. The main purpose is to remove them (threat, potential, perceived) from the battlefield, for their own sake and for the lives of our soldiers. These people were in Afghanistan, in terrorists training camps, posed potential threat to the US and Canadian soldiers. You don't need to prove them guilty to remove them from the battlefield. Besides, dead soldiers have difficulties to be present at their trials. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.[TORONTO STAR] <> Why in the name of God's Green Earth should CANADA re-settle prisoners that the USA has taken on our soil and assimilate them into our society, and yet the USA says they can never set foot on their soil????? This is the most absurd thing I've ever heard. I'm almost surprised that the USA would have the gall to even ASK us, but, then again, the USA has never lacked in gall!
JUNE 1, 2009 - JUNE 7, 2009 NATIONAL SONIA SOTOMAYOR -- "WHAT IF SHE HAPPENS TO BE A GOOD JUDGE?"
She was a Judge of the U. S. District Court nominated by GEORGE H.W. BUSH on November 27, 1991, and confirmed. She is a graduate of Princeton and Yale Law School, at the top of her class. I love how Republican politicians and Fox posters love try to portray Obama as some sort of radical leftist. What does he do? He nominates a centrist to the Supreme Court respected by both sides of the political spectrum.[Fox News] <> The first question that comes to mind is, is it really necessary to “lay a glove on her” just because you’re conservative? What if she happens to be a good judge or something? Do you resist just because...because...what? [WALL STREET JOURNAL] GENERAL MOTORS -- A SALE OF ILLUSIONS? GM and Chrysler feasibility of emerging somehow from bankruptcy is only a financial manipulation and a sale of illusions.[NY Times] |
