Category: Politics

What has happened to this country…

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For Whom the Law Tolls

For while this year it may be a Catholic against whom the finger of suspicion is pointed, in other years it has been, and may someday be again, a Jew- or a Quaker or a Unitarian or a Baptist. It was Virginia’s harassment of Baptist preachers, for example, that helped lead to Jefferson’s statute of religious freedom. Today I may be the victim, but tomorrow it may be you – until the whole fabric of our harmonious society is ripped at a time of great national peril.

-Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy, September 12, 1960

The local Jewish community newspaper in  St. Louis ran the following editorial.  It was triggered by Oklahoma passing a constitutional amendment banning judges from considering Sharia (and international laws) in their judicial opinions.  The editoralist does not see a lot of legal danger from this amendment, but finds the attitude behind the passing of the amendment very dangerous.

The link: For Whom the Law Tolls

I’m just so proud to be an Okie…not.

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Okie Proud

Oklahomans passed a state constitutional amendment to ban Sharia Law.  Specifically the amendment states, “orders judges to not to consider Islamic or international law when deciding cases.”  I’m not sure why this was all of sudden an issue worthy of a constitutional amendment in Oklahoma.  I’m guessing it opened up to the lawmaker that proposed this a lot of publicity.

Rick Tepker, a law professor at the University of Oklahoma School of Law told CNN, “”I would like to see Oklahoma politicians explain if this means that the courts can no longer consider the Ten Commandments. Isn’t that a precept of another culture and another nation?”  He listed off several other possible consequences that have not been really thought through.  Complete article here: Oklahoma may have banned use of Ten Commandments along with Sharia law

Another article on Okie attempt at an constitutional amendment What Makes a Will Islamic?

In an unrelated story, the state of Arizona executed Jeffrey Landrigan.  He was originally from Bartlesville, Oklahoma and a big fan of Sooner football.  His last utterance before they injected him was, “Boomer Sooner”, the Sooner fight song.

Yet another reason to be “proud” – Read about the Oklahoma charity in this article.  It is among the worst in the nation.

Add in the two reality challenged chumps, Jim Inhoffe and Tom Coburn,  that Oklahomans have elected as Senators and I am beginning to thinking about changing my tagline.

I’m just so proud to be an Okie…not.

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A Sane Suggestion for Afghanistan

This has got to be one of the sanest commentaries I have ever read on the subject of our involvement in Afghanistan.

“Aid can be done anywhere, including where Taliban are,” Mr. Mortenson said. “But it’s imperative the elders are consulted, and that the development staff is all local, with no foreigners.”

Put yourself in their shoes.  Would you want some outsider telling you how to run your town?

“Mr. Mortenson says that $243 million is needed to fund all higher education in Afghanistan this year. He suggests that America hold a press conference here in Kabul and put just 243 of our 100,000 soldiers (each costing $1 million per year) on planes home. Then the U.S. could take the savings and hand over a check to pay for Afghanistan’s universities.”

Sounds like it would be money well spent to me.

Nicholas Kristof’s article in the New York Times can be found at the following link.

Dr. Greg and Afghanistan

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Step Away from the Counter

When I was in college I clerked in a liquor store for a while.  It was a great job for a student. On weekends we worked hard, but during the week the store was not busy and I was able to study hard.

I had a legal responsibility to not sell alcohol to people that were intoxicated.  Not only did I face criminal action, but as it was explained to me I could also face civil liabilities.  It is not always easy to tell if someone was over the limit.  It is almost always an argument when you refuse to sell to them, but I did do so a few times.  Continue reading “Step Away from the Counter”

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California’s Pot Vote

The only time bootleggers and preachers voted the same was to keep Prohibition.  Apparently this is the case again in California where the legalizing marijuana for recreational use is on the ballot.  Two big opponents funding the opposition to the bill are the liquor industry and the medical marijuana industry.  Both feel they will lose some portion of the profit pie they are currently enjoying.  Medical marijuana is going for $300 an ounce.  One study predicted with legalization for recreation use, a price drop of 90 percent.  That would bring it down to 1970s prices, and even cheaper if you consider our inflated dollars. 

It is crazy to keep this substance illegal for any number of well documented reasons. Continue reading “California’s Pot Vote”

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Fool’s Gold

Fox most trusted news channel in US, poll shows

This one headline summarizes for me why I feel hopeless about this country.  The rise of Fox News is one of the most pernicious events to happen in this country in quite some time.  It troubles me beyond description that there are multitudes of people that believe Fox News is “Fair and Balanced”. 

IQ test here…Fox is to news as pyrite is to _____.   If you said gold, you passed.

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Stephen Colbert Testifies before Congress

God Bless Stephen, he never got out of character and still made his point.

It would be interesting to see what would happen if Americans had to pay a fair cost for their food. If the food was not harvested by exploited illegal immigrants, if our meat supply was done in an ethical manner, if our food supply was truly food and not laboratory products…

Click the link below to watch.

Stephen Colbert’s Testimony before Congress

Here is a link to an article where folks were upset with his testimony.

Steny Hoyer: Stephen Colbert’s Testimony To Congress Was ‘An Embarrassment For Mr. Colbert’

My personal take was it was wonderful.  If you invite a cat in the house and sharpens its claws on the furniture whose fault is it?  He was funny, yet made a lot of good points.  The one at the end was probably one Congress did not want to hear, but is very true.  Stephen was asked to leave the meeting room after his “performance”.   Those sleaze balls in Congress take themselves much, much too seriously.

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Sacrifice is for the little people

Paul Krugman’s op-ed piece for Monday, September 20, 2010.  The Angry Rich

This is why I have become so discouraged in our political system.  It may have never been about the majority of the folks in this country, but I feel it is even more skewed towards the elite today.   A quote from the op-ed piece:

“And among the undeniably rich, a belligerent sense of entitlement has taken hold: it’s their money, and they have the right to keep it. “Taxes are what we pay for civilized society,” said Oliver Wendell Holmes — but that was a long time ago.”

It is amazing how many middle class folks agree with this feeling of the very rich that the rich are entitled.  The wealth gap continues to grow in the United States, the people living in poverty is rising, unemployment remains high, our infrastructure continues to crumble, our children’s education is falling behind most of the rest of the industrialized world and deficits continue to grow. 

These folks have no real loyalty beyond their pocket books.  I would be angry, but the energy would be wasted. It saddens and discourages me beyond measure that an elite few control the political agenda of this country. 

What was it Spock said, “The good of the many outweighs the good of the few, or the one.”  Apparently not in America in 2010.

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The Raping of America

Now That’s Rich – New York Times op-ed piece by Paul Krugman

From the article:

“We need to pinch pennies these days. Don’t you know we have a budget deficit? For months that has been the word from Republicans and conservative Democrats, who have rejected every suggestion that we do more to avoid deep cuts in public services and help the ailing economy.

But these same politicians are eager to cut checks averaging $3 million Continue reading “The Raping of America”

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Yo Soy Canadiense

I was raised a semi military brat.  My father was in the Navy for a decade, and then went to work for an aircraft company.   That left us still around the military and military bases all the time.

I never wanted to go into the military, but I loved John Phillips Sousa, the pomp and circumstances of the military, their parades, the flag, and I always felt a great deal of pride to be an American.  When  I was a teenager we lived in Italy.  Folks would frequently guess my blonde self to be German, I was quick to point that I was an American. 

This continued even through my protesting the Vietnam War.  Somehow I divorced the policies of our government from the actions of my country.  I was not proud of the war, but I was still proud of America.

Something slowly happened over the next several years. Continue reading “Yo Soy Canadiense”