You have to salute the current Administration's effort to broker a peace deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians, but nobody should expect any miracles because extremists behind those on both sides of the negotiating table have no intention of seeing a workable peace deal come to fruition. Right-wing settlers and the hard-line religious party in Israel that represents them will never agree to a dismantling of illegal Jewish settlement in the West Bank, a necessary Israeli concession for peace to ever occur, and the leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, the two radical militant Palestinian groups, will never agree to Israel's right to exist, a necessary Palestinian concession for a lasting peace to take hold.
Although there is much common ground upon which the parties could use to establish a pathway to peace, that route will probably never be traveled because hard-line interests on both sides of the aisle refuse to compromise. Still, making an attempt to find a peaceful solution is a laudable endeavor, and it surely beats the alternative, which is to do nothing.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
GUNS DON'T KILL - ANGRY AND IMPULSIVE PEOPLE WITH GUNS DO
The NRA bumper sticker that reads, "Guns Don't Kill – People Do" is a popular gun owner's message, but I think there are a few words missing from that sticker that might put the issue in better prospective. I'd rather the sticker say, "Guns Don't Kill – Angry and Impulsive People with Guns Do".
You'll get no argument from me that the Constitution affords an individual the right to own firearms, and now that the Supreme Court has clearly upheld that right, any argument to the contrary is pretty much a moot point. What I will argue, however, is that society, and by that I mean each and every one of us, should take a moment to ask who are the angry and impulsive people in our lives, and do they own a gun.
I don't feel threatened by the millions of gun owners in America who possess and use their firearms for lawful purposes. Having once hunted, I appreciate the attraction many have for that sport. Given the level of crime and violence in America today, I also understand why an individual would make the choice to arm themselves for personal protection. Most gun owners are law-abiding citizens and their gun ownership isn't something that keeps me awake at night.
The gun owners who do worry me are the angry and impulsive ones; the teenage gang member with no hope of a future; a controlling spouse who suddenly finds themselves estranged; a disgruntled employee with an axe to grind; and an angry and paranoid loner. Those are the people you read about in the paper: a 15 year old who kills for a cell phone, a fired warehouse driver in Connecticut that kills 8, a biology professor denied tenure in Alabama who kills 3, a disgruntled factory worker in Philadelphia who kills 2, and an angry Kentucky spouse who kills 5 because his wife served him cold eggs.
Coping with those stories are part of the price we pay for having a right to gun ownership in America, and that price must be borne by all, but many of the people who lose their lives in those stories are not the gun owners, and what many non-gun owners like myself would appreciate from our armed brethren, is a sense of gratitude for the price that many unarmed innocent people pay so that law abiding gun owners can exercise their rights.
You'll get no argument from me that the Constitution affords an individual the right to own firearms, and now that the Supreme Court has clearly upheld that right, any argument to the contrary is pretty much a moot point. What I will argue, however, is that society, and by that I mean each and every one of us, should take a moment to ask who are the angry and impulsive people in our lives, and do they own a gun.
I don't feel threatened by the millions of gun owners in America who possess and use their firearms for lawful purposes. Having once hunted, I appreciate the attraction many have for that sport. Given the level of crime and violence in America today, I also understand why an individual would make the choice to arm themselves for personal protection. Most gun owners are law-abiding citizens and their gun ownership isn't something that keeps me awake at night.
The gun owners who do worry me are the angry and impulsive ones; the teenage gang member with no hope of a future; a controlling spouse who suddenly finds themselves estranged; a disgruntled employee with an axe to grind; and an angry and paranoid loner. Those are the people you read about in the paper: a 15 year old who kills for a cell phone, a fired warehouse driver in Connecticut that kills 8, a biology professor denied tenure in Alabama who kills 3, a disgruntled factory worker in Philadelphia who kills 2, and an angry Kentucky spouse who kills 5 because his wife served him cold eggs.
Coping with those stories are part of the price we pay for having a right to gun ownership in America, and that price must be borne by all, but many of the people who lose their lives in those stories are not the gun owners, and what many non-gun owners like myself would appreciate from our armed brethren, is a sense of gratitude for the price that many unarmed innocent people pay so that law abiding gun owners can exercise their rights.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
A THOUGHT FOR SEPTEMBER 11th
It's not how a person died that ought to bring them glory, but rather, how they lived!
Friday, September 10, 2010
EXILED AMERICAN ESTABLISHES NEW COUNTRY BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN AND CALLS IT “TOMATOSTAN”!
Saladabod, Tomatostan – September 9, 2010.
Asians awoke this morning with a new country on the continent thanks to the single-handed effort of exiled liberal American, Steve Zorbaugh. As moonlight bathed the sub-continent, Steve and his basket of tomatoes washed ashore on the dividing line between India and Pakistan after having been adrift on the Indian Ocean for 36 long, treacherous hours. Not wanting to cause ill feelings in either country, the hardy American claimed several acres on both sides of the border and officially declared “The Very Green Independent Republic of Tomatostan” a sovereign nation.
Promising an interview tomorrow with reporters on his plans for the new Republic, the weary sailor and founding father of Tomatostan retired with his basket of tomatoes to a clump of four trees that provide the only shade on the newly-created nation.
Saladabod, Tomatostan – September 9, 2010.
Asians awoke this morning with a new country on the continent thanks to the single-handed effort of exiled liberal American, Steve Zorbaugh. As moonlight bathed the sub-continent, Steve and his basket of tomatoes washed ashore on the dividing line between India and Pakistan after having been adrift on the Indian Ocean for 36 long, treacherous hours. Not wanting to cause ill feelings in either country, the hardy American claimed several acres on both sides of the border and officially declared “The Very Green Independent Republic of Tomatostan” a sovereign nation.
Promising an interview tomorrow with reporters on his plans for the new Republic, the weary sailor and founding father of Tomatostan retired with his basket of tomatoes to a clump of four trees that provide the only shade on the newly-created nation.
EXILED LIBERAL AMERICAN HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE
Saladabod, Tomatostan – September 10, 2010.
…excerpts from the press conference:
Steve: “Thank you for coming on such short notice. I want you all to know how much I appreciate your braving those shark-infested waters just to participate in this historic event. I haven’t any prepared text, so let’s just get to the questions and answers. Oh, and would you please identify yourself and who you represent before asking your question!”
Reporter: “I’m Abdul Washandhem from the Somali Times. What is the official name of your new country?
Steve: “The Very Green Independent Republic of Tomatostan”.
Abdul Washandhem: “Can I ask a follow-up question?”
Steve: “Sure!
Abdul Washandhem: “Why did you pick that name?”
Steve: “Well, as you can see, this place is pretty green. Since I already have a basket of tomatoes and it looks like tomatoes will be our biggest crop, it seemed like a good commercial gimmick to name the place after our largest industry. I’m open to change though…if a company want’s to name their own country for a fee…I’m all ears”
Reporter: “My name is Linguini Alfredo from the Sicilian Pasta Platter. Aren’t you afraid of your warring neighbors.”
Steve: “Not in the least. As soon as I get a diplomatic mission established, I plan to reach out to both countries to normalize relations.”
Linguini: “Aren’t you concerned about being caught in the middle of a nuclear confrontation?”
Steve: “Actually, quite the opposite is true. My scientists tell me that irradiated tomatoes grow larger, faster and juicier than those “hothouse gassers” they pass off as tomatoes in the supermarkets in the winter. I’m counting on Armageddon to jumpstart this economy.”
Linguini: “You have scientists?”
Steve: “Uh…Er…Um…actually, no! But I did watch “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” once and that’s how they super-sized their tomatoes. I figured the same concept would work here to. Okay, let’s move on to another reporter. You there, the guy in the back with the mangled leg and the shark’s tooth in your butt…”
Reporter: “Do you have a doctor around here?”
Steve: “You didn’t identify yourself.”
Reporter: “Awwwwwl. I’m sorry, it’s just that my legs hurts really bad.”
Steve: “I can see that. What’s your name buddy?”
Reporter: “Sven…from the Norwegian Nomad.”
Steve: “Well, do you have a question or are you just going to lay there and bleed all over my pristine beach?”
Sven: “Is there a doctor around…”
Steve: “Excuse me. What did you say?”
Linguini: “I think he just died.”
Steve: “Oh darn! The Republic’s barely 24 hours old and already we’re experiencing high mortality rates.”
Abdul Washandhem: “What do you planning to do about it?”
Steve: “Well, the first thing we gotta do is clean up the beach. You can’t attract tourists if the beach isn’t clear. Why don’t you guys drag him out into the ocean? [pointing to sharks] We’ve got a disposal system already in place.”
Linguini: “What about health care?”
Steve: “As soon as we export our first crate of tomatoes, will be building a health clinic and there will be free health care for everybody.”
Linguini: “How many citizens does Tomatostan have?
Steve: “Well, just one at the moment, but we’re accepting female immigrants- preferably good looking ones.
Reporter: “I’m Obee-One, from Niroabi.”
Steve: “Glad to meet you Obee-One. How’s Yoda? [chuckle] Sorry, I’ll bet you hear that all the time. What’s your question?
Obee-One: “Do you miss the United States?”
Steve: “Well, yeah. I miss my wife—[waving to camera] Hi Honey! Just kidding about the female immigrants. [returns gaze to reporter] I miss my kids. I miss McDonald’s cheeseburgers.
Obee-One: “You don’t have a McDonald’s?”
Steve: “Well…er…no! I didn’t want to upset my Hindu neighbors by importing beef.”
Obee-One: “Have you tried to make contact with the United States Government?”
Steve: “Hey, I’m glad you asked that. I should have mentioned at the beginning that I am hereby appointing my good buddy, Hank, as The Very Green Independent Republic of Tomatostan’s very first Ambassador to the United States of America.”
Linguini: [interrupting] “Isn’t he the guy who sold you out to the ‘feds’ in the first place?”
Steve: [chuckling] “Actually, we planned it to fool the F.B.I. I’m better at growing tomatoes than Hank and so we arranged to switch places.”
Linguini: “So you’re saying it was all a charade?”
Steve: “Hey buddy, I’ll let you in on a dirty little secret. 99% of all politics is dirty. The other 1% is dumb luck…kinda like when that shark bit Sven’s leg and not yours.”
Abdul Washandhem: “What exactly do you expect Hank to do as this nation’s first Ambassador?”
Steve: “Well, I would hope he’d throw a nice little fundraiser and invite me. Plus, I’ll expect that he’s arranging some foreign aid from the U.S. I’m sure Uncle Sam has some strategic interest over here worth protecting.”
Abdul Washandhem: “Like what?”
Steve: “Irradiated tomatoes. I don’t know. That’s why I appointed an ambassador. Ah…look at the time. We’ve got time for just one more question.”
Linguini: “Do you have other pressing business?”
Steve: “I sure do. It’s time to water the tomatoes.”
[whereupon the press conference ended as Steve hummed “Hail to the Chief” and retired to Saladabod.]
…excerpts from the press conference:
Steve: “Thank you for coming on such short notice. I want you all to know how much I appreciate your braving those shark-infested waters just to participate in this historic event. I haven’t any prepared text, so let’s just get to the questions and answers. Oh, and would you please identify yourself and who you represent before asking your question!”
Reporter: “I’m Abdul Washandhem from the Somali Times. What is the official name of your new country?
Steve: “The Very Green Independent Republic of Tomatostan”.
Abdul Washandhem: “Can I ask a follow-up question?”
Steve: “Sure!
Abdul Washandhem: “Why did you pick that name?”
Steve: “Well, as you can see, this place is pretty green. Since I already have a basket of tomatoes and it looks like tomatoes will be our biggest crop, it seemed like a good commercial gimmick to name the place after our largest industry. I’m open to change though…if a company want’s to name their own country for a fee…I’m all ears”
Reporter: “My name is Linguini Alfredo from the Sicilian Pasta Platter. Aren’t you afraid of your warring neighbors.”
Steve: “Not in the least. As soon as I get a diplomatic mission established, I plan to reach out to both countries to normalize relations.”
Linguini: “Aren’t you concerned about being caught in the middle of a nuclear confrontation?”
Steve: “Actually, quite the opposite is true. My scientists tell me that irradiated tomatoes grow larger, faster and juicier than those “hothouse gassers” they pass off as tomatoes in the supermarkets in the winter. I’m counting on Armageddon to jumpstart this economy.”
Linguini: “You have scientists?”
Steve: “Uh…Er…Um…actually, no! But I did watch “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” once and that’s how they super-sized their tomatoes. I figured the same concept would work here to. Okay, let’s move on to another reporter. You there, the guy in the back with the mangled leg and the shark’s tooth in your butt…”
Reporter: “Do you have a doctor around here?”
Steve: “You didn’t identify yourself.”
Reporter: “Awwwwwl. I’m sorry, it’s just that my legs hurts really bad.”
Steve: “I can see that. What’s your name buddy?”
Reporter: “Sven…from the Norwegian Nomad.”
Steve: “Well, do you have a question or are you just going to lay there and bleed all over my pristine beach?”
Sven: “Is there a doctor around…”
Steve: “Excuse me. What did you say?”
Linguini: “I think he just died.”
Steve: “Oh darn! The Republic’s barely 24 hours old and already we’re experiencing high mortality rates.”
Abdul Washandhem: “What do you planning to do about it?”
Steve: “Well, the first thing we gotta do is clean up the beach. You can’t attract tourists if the beach isn’t clear. Why don’t you guys drag him out into the ocean? [pointing to sharks] We’ve got a disposal system already in place.”
Linguini: “What about health care?”
Steve: “As soon as we export our first crate of tomatoes, will be building a health clinic and there will be free health care for everybody.”
Linguini: “How many citizens does Tomatostan have?
Steve: “Well, just one at the moment, but we’re accepting female immigrants- preferably good looking ones.
Reporter: “I’m Obee-One, from Niroabi.”
Steve: “Glad to meet you Obee-One. How’s Yoda? [chuckle] Sorry, I’ll bet you hear that all the time. What’s your question?
Obee-One: “Do you miss the United States?”
Steve: “Well, yeah. I miss my wife—[waving to camera] Hi Honey! Just kidding about the female immigrants. [returns gaze to reporter] I miss my kids. I miss McDonald’s cheeseburgers.
Obee-One: “You don’t have a McDonald’s?”
Steve: “Well…er…no! I didn’t want to upset my Hindu neighbors by importing beef.”
Obee-One: “Have you tried to make contact with the United States Government?”
Steve: “Hey, I’m glad you asked that. I should have mentioned at the beginning that I am hereby appointing my good buddy, Hank, as The Very Green Independent Republic of Tomatostan’s very first Ambassador to the United States of America.”
Linguini: [interrupting] “Isn’t he the guy who sold you out to the ‘feds’ in the first place?”
Steve: [chuckling] “Actually, we planned it to fool the F.B.I. I’m better at growing tomatoes than Hank and so we arranged to switch places.”
Linguini: “So you’re saying it was all a charade?”
Steve: “Hey buddy, I’ll let you in on a dirty little secret. 99% of all politics is dirty. The other 1% is dumb luck…kinda like when that shark bit Sven’s leg and not yours.”
Abdul Washandhem: “What exactly do you expect Hank to do as this nation’s first Ambassador?”
Steve: “Well, I would hope he’d throw a nice little fundraiser and invite me. Plus, I’ll expect that he’s arranging some foreign aid from the U.S. I’m sure Uncle Sam has some strategic interest over here worth protecting.”
Abdul Washandhem: “Like what?”
Steve: “Irradiated tomatoes. I don’t know. That’s why I appointed an ambassador. Ah…look at the time. We’ve got time for just one more question.”
Linguini: “Do you have other pressing business?”
Steve: “I sure do. It’s time to water the tomatoes.”
[whereupon the press conference ended as Steve hummed “Hail to the Chief” and retired to Saladabod.]
Thursday, September 9, 2010
YOUR BOOK OR YOUR GOD
I wouldn't have guessed that Reverend (and I use that term loosely) Terry Jones of Gainesville, Florida could have stooped any lower than announcing to the world that he and fellow Dove Outreach Center members were planning to burn copies of the Quran at their church on September 11th, but he did, and I have to admit I'm dumbstruck by the seeming lack of outrage over Act II of Jones' performance. In fact, I half believe there are actually millions of Americans out there applauding his latest gesture.
On the off-chance you don't know what I'm talking about, earlier this week, Pastor Jones leaped onto the national stage when he announced to the world that he and his 50-member church were going to burn copies of the Muslim Quran on 9/11 as an act of defiance against the Islam religion who Jones says was responsible for the terrorist attacks nine years ago.
Jones' announcement set off an understandable firestorm of anger and outrage in the Muslim world, and the President, the Pope and many other religious and government leaders joined an ever-growing chorus in urging Pastor Jones to cancel the planned event. At first, Pastor Jones stood defiant against the wave of condemnation.
Then, American General David Petraeus, the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, publicly denounced Jones' plan and warned that following through with the Quran burning would endanger U.S. troops, not only in Afghanistan and Iraq, but in other areas of the world too.
Slowly, and in my opinion half begrudgingly, many conservative politicians in this country joined the bandwagon and started denouncing Jones' plan as well. I surmise that slow response was due, in large part, to the fact that they as politicians recognized that most of their followers were secretly hoping Pastor Jones would follow through with the Quran burning. I base that assertion on the fact that I have received no 'anti-Quran burning' emails this week from the folks who flood my mailbox with "Obama is a Muslim" diatribes. I admit my opinion isn't based on scientific polling, but I still think I'm not far off base.
Yesterday, minority house leader Jim Boehner of Ohio, who hopes to take over the Speaker position after this fall's elections, was quoted as saying that burning the Quran was akin to placing a mosque near ground zero, and that's when I knew that Pastor Jones was going to sink to a new low. I only wish I had predicted it in print the moment I read Mr. Boehner's words.
Sure enough, this morning, Pastor Jones announced that he would cancel plans for the Quran burning on Saturday if, and this is a big if, the leaders of the proposed mosque in New York City would agree to relocate their planned facility far away from ground zero. That's the Faustian choice, the perfect blackmail: Your Book or Your God!
Leave it to a politician and a so-called minister to frame the issue in such a way as to leave a Muslim people with a no-win choice, and to allow themselves to emerge in the eyes of many Americans as a champion of all that is good about this Nation.
I must confess I'm shaking my head. I'm looking for the outrage, and all I hear is applause.
On the off-chance you don't know what I'm talking about, earlier this week, Pastor Jones leaped onto the national stage when he announced to the world that he and his 50-member church were going to burn copies of the Muslim Quran on 9/11 as an act of defiance against the Islam religion who Jones says was responsible for the terrorist attacks nine years ago.
Jones' announcement set off an understandable firestorm of anger and outrage in the Muslim world, and the President, the Pope and many other religious and government leaders joined an ever-growing chorus in urging Pastor Jones to cancel the planned event. At first, Pastor Jones stood defiant against the wave of condemnation.
Then, American General David Petraeus, the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, publicly denounced Jones' plan and warned that following through with the Quran burning would endanger U.S. troops, not only in Afghanistan and Iraq, but in other areas of the world too.
Slowly, and in my opinion half begrudgingly, many conservative politicians in this country joined the bandwagon and started denouncing Jones' plan as well. I surmise that slow response was due, in large part, to the fact that they as politicians recognized that most of their followers were secretly hoping Pastor Jones would follow through with the Quran burning. I base that assertion on the fact that I have received no 'anti-Quran burning' emails this week from the folks who flood my mailbox with "Obama is a Muslim" diatribes. I admit my opinion isn't based on scientific polling, but I still think I'm not far off base.
Yesterday, minority house leader Jim Boehner of Ohio, who hopes to take over the Speaker position after this fall's elections, was quoted as saying that burning the Quran was akin to placing a mosque near ground zero, and that's when I knew that Pastor Jones was going to sink to a new low. I only wish I had predicted it in print the moment I read Mr. Boehner's words.
Sure enough, this morning, Pastor Jones announced that he would cancel plans for the Quran burning on Saturday if, and this is a big if, the leaders of the proposed mosque in New York City would agree to relocate their planned facility far away from ground zero. That's the Faustian choice, the perfect blackmail: Your Book or Your God!
Leave it to a politician and a so-called minister to frame the issue in such a way as to leave a Muslim people with a no-win choice, and to allow themselves to emerge in the eyes of many Americans as a champion of all that is good about this Nation.
I must confess I'm shaking my head. I'm looking for the outrage, and all I hear is applause.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
PUT UP OR SHUT UP TIME
As we approach another 9/11 anniversary, public discourse is once again returning to an all-too-familiar theme: Supporting Our Troops. It's a noble pursuit, but one I feel is frequently treated with little more than lip service. Here's why: The costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have already exceeded 2.5 trillion dollars and American taxpayers have not paid a single dollar on this war debt.
How can that be, you ask? Well, every appropriation for war expenses since 2001 for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq has been approved as a supplemental appropriation, which means that the appropriation was not part of the government’s regular budget or paid for by budgeted tax revenues. Instead, the government has continuously sold treasury bills (government IOU’s) to foreign countries like China, Japan and Saudi Arabia to secure funds to finance the wars. The interest on those treasury bills compounds daily, and will continue to do so until the debt, with interest, is repaid.
This begs the question: When do troop supporters plan to pay for the troops?
Millions of American eagerly display “We Support Our Troops” bumper stickers and flags on their vehicles, but if that display represents the total extent of support folks are willing to provide to our troops, one has to question the sincerity of their gesture.
It seems to me that it’s time for every troop supporter to open their wallets and checkbooks, to take out second or third mortgages, if necessary, and to dip into savings to pay off this war debt, which is really what it means to support the troops. And, if folks are not willing to pony-up for the troops and the war they wanted, well then, its time to shut up on the claim of supporting our troops, pack up the military and bring them home.
When a country goes to war it requests its soldiers and military personnel to be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. If the citizenry isn’t willing to make a corresponding sacrifice and pay for the war, it should never be fought in the first place.
The Bush Administration was wrong in refusing to ask the American people to make the financial sacrifice necessary to support the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It was wrong to refuse to increase taxes to pay for a war or to continue conducting such an endeavor if the citizenry refused financial support. The same goes for the current administration. It’s put up or shut up time – and bumper stickers don’t count!
How can that be, you ask? Well, every appropriation for war expenses since 2001 for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq has been approved as a supplemental appropriation, which means that the appropriation was not part of the government’s regular budget or paid for by budgeted tax revenues. Instead, the government has continuously sold treasury bills (government IOU’s) to foreign countries like China, Japan and Saudi Arabia to secure funds to finance the wars. The interest on those treasury bills compounds daily, and will continue to do so until the debt, with interest, is repaid.
This begs the question: When do troop supporters plan to pay for the troops?
Millions of American eagerly display “We Support Our Troops” bumper stickers and flags on their vehicles, but if that display represents the total extent of support folks are willing to provide to our troops, one has to question the sincerity of their gesture.
It seems to me that it’s time for every troop supporter to open their wallets and checkbooks, to take out second or third mortgages, if necessary, and to dip into savings to pay off this war debt, which is really what it means to support the troops. And, if folks are not willing to pony-up for the troops and the war they wanted, well then, its time to shut up on the claim of supporting our troops, pack up the military and bring them home.
When a country goes to war it requests its soldiers and military personnel to be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. If the citizenry isn’t willing to make a corresponding sacrifice and pay for the war, it should never be fought in the first place.
The Bush Administration was wrong in refusing to ask the American people to make the financial sacrifice necessary to support the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It was wrong to refuse to increase taxes to pay for a war or to continue conducting such an endeavor if the citizenry refused financial support. The same goes for the current administration. It’s put up or shut up time – and bumper stickers don’t count!
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