The End of Illusion
Accepting that our good guys are often profoundly flawed, we choose to remember Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha, who died today at 77, not for his ethical lapses or hawkish views but for his blistering criticism of the Iraq War - a criticism that meant renouncing much of what he had ever believed in. It must have cost him dearly.
"The war in Iraq is not going as advertised. It is a flawed policy wrapped in illusion."
A Strong and Beautiful Principle, Even If One Not Supported by Facts
Citing godly exhortations, which is always tricky, Minnesota's wacko Rep. Michele Bachmann says U.S. support for Israel is handed down from on high, and without it "there is a curse that comes into play." She herself in her "private Bible time" is working through Isaiah, she told the Republican Jewish Coalition, who must number, what, 17 people?
"I am convinced in my heart and in my mind that if the United States fails to stand with Israel, that is the end of the United States."
Awash In An Artful Ocean of Plastic
The tabs on your o.j. carton and the stickers on your CDs can all go to art, and helping save the planet, as part of the International Plastic Quilt Project. The Oregon-based Leave No Plastic Behind is seeking people to make quilt squares and, if you can handle it, enter a three-month plastic-free challenge to raise awareness of how much plastic you use but don't see.
"Oh the places you'll go! Plastic travel has a sickening romantic feel as I imagine the personified plastic bits jet setting around the globe. As for waste reduction - that is ongoing. Once you begin to reduce the unecessary and the convenient, there is still the unavoidable."
Love the Sinner (Unless He's Indulging in Deviant Sexual Behavior, In Which Case He's On His Own)
A Christian group in Michigan has filed a lawsuit against the new Hate Crimes Act, arguing it's really an effort to "eradicate religious beliefs opposing the homosexual agenda." Taking illogic to a new level, the Thomas More Law Center says the law actually creates hatred, hate crimes against homosexuals are the fault of other homosexuals, and only 243 violent crimes last year were motivated by the victim's sexual orientation so just what is the big deal?
"The sole purpose of this law is to criminalize the Bible and use the threat of federal prosecutions and long jail sentences to silence Christians from expressing their Biblically-based religious belief that homosexual conduct is a sin."
The Seamy Side of the Super Bowl
Along with the ads and beer and Nachos of Super Sunday lurks a grimmer, sadder sales product - girls as young as 11 or 12 brought in as prostitutes for the hordes of men who come to town. Children's advocates are setting up outreach programs to try and reach, and rescue, the many underage runaways being trafficked.
"This is truly an example of supply and demand." - Ernie Allen, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
It's Something to Build On: Socialism Viewed Positively by 36% of Americans
A new Gallup poll reveals:
More than one-third of Americans (36%) have a positive image of "socialism" ...with a majority of Democrats and liberals saying they have a positive view of socialism, compared to a minority of Republicans and conservatives.
Lex Was Here – Till She Got Hauled Off in Cuffs
In the most recent instance of excessive force by police in New York's public schools, a 12-year-old girl was hauled out of school in handcuffs after doodling on her desk. Last month, the NYCLU filed a class action suit on behalf of five students physically abused and arrested. Alexa Gonzalez was suspended from school and has been throwing up a lot. She must do community service and write an essay on what she learned.
"I definitely learned not to ever draw on a desk. They told me with a pencil this could still happen."
