Tim Russert died today. It's a very sad shock. And this election just won't seem the same without him. I have been critical of Russert, for his unseemly closeness to lawmakers and for the general style of gotcha questioning that was not always very informative, but that is only because I knew what a great journalist he could be, as evidenced by this transcript of a MTP with Cheney in the run up to the Iraq war.
He will be missed.
6/13/08
5/27/08
No More Torture
Is it too much to ask? We can choose our leaders, and I plan on choosing those who reject torture.
No Torture, please.
No Torture, please.
5/26/08
5/9/08
Godless Science and Reason
Of course I believe in science and reason.
"But science and reason won't visit you in the hospital." says Greg Epstein, the humanist chaplain of Harvard University.
Like anyone else, I believe in lots of things, not only science and reason. And I am better at defending some of my beliefs than others. But should I be defined by, and forced to defend, things I don't believe in? Should there be some label applying to me because I don't believe in astrology, UFO's or Bigfoot? I'm open to suggestions.
I don't consider myself an atheist (but I'm not feeling particularly religious these days either). I used to proudly proclaim my Catholicism, but now I back away from it. Maybe I'm on the path to agnosticism or atheism, but my beliefs are well considered and evolving and resistant to simple labels.
In any event, Atheism appears to be the fastest growing "faith". Atheism presents a problem for those who don't believe in God, but who nonetheless value some of the benefits of organized religion.
Why have I said all this? Because I still have a big mouth, I like to think outloud and I found these issues are discussed in this interesting article.
"But science and reason won't visit you in the hospital." says Greg Epstein, the humanist chaplain of Harvard University.
Like anyone else, I believe in lots of things, not only science and reason. And I am better at defending some of my beliefs than others. But should I be defined by, and forced to defend, things I don't believe in? Should there be some label applying to me because I don't believe in astrology, UFO's or Bigfoot? I'm open to suggestions.
I don't consider myself an atheist (but I'm not feeling particularly religious these days either). I used to proudly proclaim my Catholicism, but now I back away from it. Maybe I'm on the path to agnosticism or atheism, but my beliefs are well considered and evolving and resistant to simple labels.
In any event, Atheism appears to be the fastest growing "faith". Atheism presents a problem for those who don't believe in God, but who nonetheless value some of the benefits of organized religion.
Why have I said all this? Because I still have a big mouth, I like to think outloud and I found these issues are discussed in this interesting article.
5/8/08
This Man Is Not Black
Therefore, there is no reason to be afraid. Moreover, his hatred is not aimed at America, so there is no reason to be afraid. And he supports John McCain, another white man, so there is no reason to be afraid. Just move on now; it is not newsworthy.
5/1/08
Pray Wisely
In honor of the National Day of Prayer today, I submit The War Prayer, by Mark Twain:
It was a time of great and exalting excitement. The country was up in arms, the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism; the drums were beating, the bands playing, the toy pistols popping, the bunched firecrackers hissing and spluttering; on every hand and far down the receding and fading spread of roofs and balconies a fluttering wilderness of flags flashed in the sun; daily the young volunteers marched down the wide avenue gay and fine in their new uniforms, the proud fathers and mothers and sisters and sweethearts cheering them with voices choked with happy emotion as they swung by; nightly the packed mass meetings listened, panting, to patriot oratory which stirred the deepest deeps of their hearts, and which they interrupted at briefest intervals with cyclones of applause, the tears running down their cheeks the while; in the churches the pastors preached devotion to flag and country, and invoked the God of Battles beseeching His aid in our good cause in outpourings of fervid eloquence which moved every listener. It was indeed a glad and gracious time, and the half dozen rash spirits that ventured to disapprove of the war and cast a doubt upon its righteousness straightway got such a stern and angry warning that for their personal safety's sake they quickly shrank out of sight and offended no more in that way.
Sunday morning came – next day the battalions would leave for the front; the church was filled; the volunteers were there, their young faces alight with martial dreams – visions of the stern advance, the gathering momentum, the rushing charge, the flashing sabers, the flight of the foe, the tumult, the enveloping smoke, the fierce pursuit, the surrender! Then home from the war, bronzed heroes, welcomed, adored, submerged in golden seas of glory! With the volunteers sat their dear ones, proud, happy, and envied by the neighbors and friends who had no sons and brothers to send forth to the field of honor, there to win for the flag, or, failing, die the noblest of noble deaths. The service proceeded; a war chapter from the Old Testament was read; the first prayer was said; it was followed by an organ burst that shook the building, and with one impulse the house rose, with glowing eyes and beating hearts, and poured out that tremendous invocation
God the all-terrible! Thou who ordainest! Thunder thy clarion and lightning thy sword!
Then came the "long" prayer. None could remember the like of it for passionate pleading and moving and beautiful language. The burden of its supplication was, that an ever-merciful and benignant Father of us all would watch over our noble young soldiers, and aid, comfort, and encourage them in their patriotic work; bless them, shield them in the day of battle and the hour of peril, bear them in His mighty hand, make them strong and confident, invincible in the bloody onset; help them to crush the foe, grant to them and to their flag and country imperishable honor and glory –
An aged stranger entered and moved with slow and noiseless step up the main aisle, his eyes fixed upon the minister, his long body clothed in a robe that reached to his feet, his head bare, his white hair descending in a frothy cataract to his shoulders, his seamy face unnaturally pale, pale even to ghastliness. With all eyes following him and wondering, he made his silent way; without pausing, he ascended to the preacher's side and stood there waiting. With shut lids the preacher, unconscious of his presence, continued with his moving prayer, and at last finished it with the words, uttered in fervent appeal, "Bless our arms, grant us the victory, O Lord our God, Father and Protector of our land and flag!"
The stranger touched his arm, motioned him to step aside – which the startled minister did – and took his place. During some moments he surveyed the spellbound audience with solemn eyes, in which burned an uncanny light; then in a deep voice he said:
"I come from the Throne – bearing a message from Almighty God!" The words smote the house with a shock; if the stranger perceived it he gave no attention. "He has heard the prayer of His servant your shepherd, and will grant it if such shall be your desire after I, His messenger, shall have explained to you its import – that is to say, its full import. For it is like unto many of the prayers of men, in that it asks for more than he who utters it is aware of – except he pause and think.
"God's servant and yours has prayed his prayer. Has he paused and taken thought? Is it one prayer? No, it is two – one uttered, the other not. Both have reached the ear of Him Who heareth all supplications, the spoken and the unspoken. Ponder this – keep it in mind. If you would beseech a blessing upon yourself, beware! lest without intent you invoke a curse upon a neighbor at the same time. If you pray for the blessing of rain upon your crop which needs it, by that act you are possibly praying for a curse upon some neighbor's crop which may not need rain and can be injured by it.
"You have heard your servant's prayer – the uttered part of it. I am commissioned of God to put into words the other part of it – that part which the pastor – and also you in your hearts – fervently prayed silently. And ignorantly and unthinkingly? God grant that it was so! You heard these words: 'Grant us the victory, O Lord our God!' That is sufficient. the whole of the uttered prayer is compact into those pregnant words.
Elaborations were not necessary. When you have prayed for victory you have prayed for many unmentioned results which follow victory – must follow it, cannot help but follow it. Upon the listening spirit of God fell also the unspoken part of the prayer. He commandeth me to put it into words. Listen!
"O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle – be Thou near them! With them – in spirit – we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it – for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.
(After a pause.) "Ye have prayed it; if ye still desire it, speak! The messenger of the Most High waits!"
It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said.
It was a time of great and exalting excitement. The country was up in arms, the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism; the drums were beating, the bands playing, the toy pistols popping, the bunched firecrackers hissing and spluttering; on every hand and far down the receding and fading spread of roofs and balconies a fluttering wilderness of flags flashed in the sun; daily the young volunteers marched down the wide avenue gay and fine in their new uniforms, the proud fathers and mothers and sisters and sweethearts cheering them with voices choked with happy emotion as they swung by; nightly the packed mass meetings listened, panting, to patriot oratory which stirred the deepest deeps of their hearts, and which they interrupted at briefest intervals with cyclones of applause, the tears running down their cheeks the while; in the churches the pastors preached devotion to flag and country, and invoked the God of Battles beseeching His aid in our good cause in outpourings of fervid eloquence which moved every listener. It was indeed a glad and gracious time, and the half dozen rash spirits that ventured to disapprove of the war and cast a doubt upon its righteousness straightway got such a stern and angry warning that for their personal safety's sake they quickly shrank out of sight and offended no more in that way.
Sunday morning came – next day the battalions would leave for the front; the church was filled; the volunteers were there, their young faces alight with martial dreams – visions of the stern advance, the gathering momentum, the rushing charge, the flashing sabers, the flight of the foe, the tumult, the enveloping smoke, the fierce pursuit, the surrender! Then home from the war, bronzed heroes, welcomed, adored, submerged in golden seas of glory! With the volunteers sat their dear ones, proud, happy, and envied by the neighbors and friends who had no sons and brothers to send forth to the field of honor, there to win for the flag, or, failing, die the noblest of noble deaths. The service proceeded; a war chapter from the Old Testament was read; the first prayer was said; it was followed by an organ burst that shook the building, and with one impulse the house rose, with glowing eyes and beating hearts, and poured out that tremendous invocation
God the all-terrible! Thou who ordainest! Thunder thy clarion and lightning thy sword!
Then came the "long" prayer. None could remember the like of it for passionate pleading and moving and beautiful language. The burden of its supplication was, that an ever-merciful and benignant Father of us all would watch over our noble young soldiers, and aid, comfort, and encourage them in their patriotic work; bless them, shield them in the day of battle and the hour of peril, bear them in His mighty hand, make them strong and confident, invincible in the bloody onset; help them to crush the foe, grant to them and to their flag and country imperishable honor and glory –
An aged stranger entered and moved with slow and noiseless step up the main aisle, his eyes fixed upon the minister, his long body clothed in a robe that reached to his feet, his head bare, his white hair descending in a frothy cataract to his shoulders, his seamy face unnaturally pale, pale even to ghastliness. With all eyes following him and wondering, he made his silent way; without pausing, he ascended to the preacher's side and stood there waiting. With shut lids the preacher, unconscious of his presence, continued with his moving prayer, and at last finished it with the words, uttered in fervent appeal, "Bless our arms, grant us the victory, O Lord our God, Father and Protector of our land and flag!"
The stranger touched his arm, motioned him to step aside – which the startled minister did – and took his place. During some moments he surveyed the spellbound audience with solemn eyes, in which burned an uncanny light; then in a deep voice he said:
"I come from the Throne – bearing a message from Almighty God!" The words smote the house with a shock; if the stranger perceived it he gave no attention. "He has heard the prayer of His servant your shepherd, and will grant it if such shall be your desire after I, His messenger, shall have explained to you its import – that is to say, its full import. For it is like unto many of the prayers of men, in that it asks for more than he who utters it is aware of – except he pause and think.
"God's servant and yours has prayed his prayer. Has he paused and taken thought? Is it one prayer? No, it is two – one uttered, the other not. Both have reached the ear of Him Who heareth all supplications, the spoken and the unspoken. Ponder this – keep it in mind. If you would beseech a blessing upon yourself, beware! lest without intent you invoke a curse upon a neighbor at the same time. If you pray for the blessing of rain upon your crop which needs it, by that act you are possibly praying for a curse upon some neighbor's crop which may not need rain and can be injured by it.
"You have heard your servant's prayer – the uttered part of it. I am commissioned of God to put into words the other part of it – that part which the pastor – and also you in your hearts – fervently prayed silently. And ignorantly and unthinkingly? God grant that it was so! You heard these words: 'Grant us the victory, O Lord our God!' That is sufficient. the whole of the uttered prayer is compact into those pregnant words.
Elaborations were not necessary. When you have prayed for victory you have prayed for many unmentioned results which follow victory – must follow it, cannot help but follow it. Upon the listening spirit of God fell also the unspoken part of the prayer. He commandeth me to put it into words. Listen!
"O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle – be Thou near them! With them – in spirit – we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it – for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.
(After a pause.) "Ye have prayed it; if ye still desire it, speak! The messenger of the Most High waits!"
It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said.
4/30/08
Choose Wisely
Whether there is a Creator or not, evolution is real. We human adults freely choose what to believe and likewise, we choose what to teach our children. The adults in this audience do not appear to believe in evolution. They are wrong. Of course, this is their right. This child, as talented as he clearly is, is wrong as well, but did he freely choose to deny evolution? I doubt it. Is this right?
4/29/08
4/22/08
Movie Recommendation
I recommend that you NOT see the movie Expelled.
Ben Stein and the makers of this movie are lying idiots and their entire thesis is wrong and dangerous.
Richard Dawkins had a good reaction.
Ben Stein and the makers of this movie are lying idiots and their entire thesis is wrong and dangerous.
Richard Dawkins had a good reaction.
3/27/08
A Question of Purpose
This is America's purpose:
"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
Should these separate components of our purpose be ranked in importance, or are they all equally important?
Here is how they are currently prioritized:
- common defense
- domestic tranquility
- establish justice
- promote the general welfare
- secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity
- form a more perfect union
The current emphasis (conventional wisdom) seems to be that the only priority in this "uniquely scary and dangerous" period of our history is for us to be safe and unified. And until we are, well, then, justice, liberty and the general welfare will just have to be put on the back burner. We aren't hungry enough or confident enough to have our full purpose on our plates at the same time. That would take more courage than we can currently muster.
My view is that all are equally important, and when we hold up specific components as more important than others, then we are failing to realize our great American purpose and we regress to a less perfect union. Progress requires that we truly stay "the land of the free, and the home of the brave."
More Legal Child Abuse
Just part of the marketplace of ideas.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
But do they have to use the children?
3/26/08
Legalized Murder
"An 11-year-old girl died after her parents prayed for healing rather than seek medical help for a treatable form of diabetes, police said Tuesday. . . . The girl has three siblings, ranging in age from 13 to 16, the police chief said.
"They are still in the home," he said. "There is no reason to remove them. There is no abuse or signs of abuse that we can see.""
Source
"They are still in the home," he said. "There is no reason to remove them. There is no abuse or signs of abuse that we can see.""
Source
Science, Evolution and Creationism - what are we teaching our children?
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| Read this FREE online! Full Book PDF Summary Podcast | ||
The National Academy of Sciences released a book early this year to explain evolution. Here is a pdf summary brochure.
3/25/08
Legal Child Abuse
When it comes to the education of children, I assert that it is child abuse to fill their heads with crazy lies. Yet because the indocrination of children into their parents or teacher's religious faith gets a pass, there is little outrage. For example:
For a respectful dialog between an athiest/scientist and an intelligent believer, check this out.
For a respectful dialog between an athiest/scientist and an intelligent believer, check this out.
3/23/08
The Struggle to Understand Black Culture
I think a lot of folks still think of "black culture", and even "Mexican culture" to a lessor extent, in ways they no longer think of Irish, Italian or Polish culture - that anything more than a mix of parades, good food, green beer and quaint customs might be scary. Of course, there's a constant parade of crazy, wacky, infuriating and exciting things going on all over the place and it's all but a part of the complex and colorful tapestry of our constantly evolving "American culture."
Some people boldly stake out their position in this struggle. I'll just note that it's a thin line between understanding and judgement, between fear and hate:
"On the other hand, I am sick to death of black people as a group. The
truth. That is part of the conversation Obama is asking for, isn't it? I live in
an eastern state almost exactly on the fabled Mason-Dixon line. Every day I see
young black males wearing tee shirts down to their knees -- and jeans belted
just above their knees. I'm an old guy. I want to smack them. All of them. They
are egregious stereotypes. It's impossible not to think the unthinkable N-Word
when they roll up beside you at a stoplight in their trashed old Hondas with
19-inch spinner wheels and rap recordings that shake the foundations of the
buildings. . . .
Here's the dirty secret all of us know and no one will
admit to. There ARE niggers. Black people know it. White people know it. And
only black people are allowed to notice and pronounce the truth of it. Which
would be fine. Except that black people are not a community but a political
party. They can squabble with each other in caucus but they absolutely refuse to
speak the truth in public. And this is the single biggest obstacle to healing
the racial divide in this country.
I'm not proposing the generalized use of
the term, just trying to be clear for once, in the wake of Obama's call for us
to have a dialogue about race. However much they may scream and protest, black
people will know what I mean when I demand they concede that the following
people are niggers:
- Jeremiah Wright
- O.J. Simpson
- Marion Barry
- Alan Iverson
- William Jefferson
- Louis Farrakhan
- Mike
Tyson . . .
You see, you've just given life to the suspicion that black
people in America are, and have long been, a fifth column -- unanimously hating
the very country that has afforded the highest standard of living ever achieved
by black people in human history. We're teetering at the edge of believing that
you're a secret society, a massive collection of sleeper cells just waiting for
your chance to do serious harm to the rest of us. You've made it possible for us
to believe that. Because you're never outraged by what the worst black people
do. Because you continue to make excuses for what should be inexcusable to
everyone."
Some people boldly stake out their position in this struggle. I'll just note that it's a thin line between understanding and judgement, between fear and hate:
"On the other hand, I am sick to death of black people as a group. The
truth. That is part of the conversation Obama is asking for, isn't it? I live in
an eastern state almost exactly on the fabled Mason-Dixon line. Every day I see
young black males wearing tee shirts down to their knees -- and jeans belted
just above their knees. I'm an old guy. I want to smack them. All of them. They
are egregious stereotypes. It's impossible not to think the unthinkable N-Word
when they roll up beside you at a stoplight in their trashed old Hondas with
19-inch spinner wheels and rap recordings that shake the foundations of the
buildings. . . .
Here's the dirty secret all of us know and no one will
admit to. There ARE niggers. Black people know it. White people know it. And
only black people are allowed to notice and pronounce the truth of it. Which
would be fine. Except that black people are not a community but a political
party. They can squabble with each other in caucus but they absolutely refuse to
speak the truth in public. And this is the single biggest obstacle to healing
the racial divide in this country.
I'm not proposing the generalized use of
the term, just trying to be clear for once, in the wake of Obama's call for us
to have a dialogue about race. However much they may scream and protest, black
people will know what I mean when I demand they concede that the following
people are niggers:
- Jeremiah Wright
- O.J. Simpson
- Marion Barry
- Alan Iverson
- William Jefferson
- Louis Farrakhan
- Mike
Tyson . . .
You see, you've just given life to the suspicion that black
people in America are, and have long been, a fifth column -- unanimously hating
the very country that has afforded the highest standard of living ever achieved
by black people in human history. We're teetering at the edge of believing that
you're a secret society, a massive collection of sleeper cells just waiting for
your chance to do serious harm to the rest of us. You've made it possible for us
to believe that. Because you're never outraged by what the worst black people
do. Because you continue to make excuses for what should be inexcusable to
everyone."
3/21/08
Witness
the renewed struggle before the eventual racial reconciliation, perhaps still years away. But we have progress.
Even Fox has some adults with integrity trying to engage the issue. This is good news. Mass shallowness is on the outs, insofar as race goes.
Even Fox has some adults with integrity trying to engage the issue. This is good news. Mass shallowness is on the outs, insofar as race goes.
3/6/08
3/4/08
President Bush Crosses the Line
Bush in a speech yesterday: "Now the question is, should these lawsuits be allowed to proceed, or should any company that may have helped save American lives be thanked for performing a patriotic service; should those who stepped forward to say we’re going to help defend America have to go to the courthouse to defend themselves, or should the Congress and the President say thank you for doing your patriotic duty? I believe we ought to say thank you."
Like many of my fellow Americans, I am strongly against retrocative immunity for the telecoms. There are broad principles at stake here, including the rule of law.
In my opinion, this is mostly about keeping secret those actions that Bush asserts are national security secrets. This would close to loop to any and all oversight, forever. No courts, no Congress - down the memory hole.
Bush's rhetoric is tantamount to calling us unpatriotic. He's done it before. It's happened again.
Like many of my fellow Americans, I am strongly against retrocative immunity for the telecoms. There are broad principles at stake here, including the rule of law.
In my opinion, this is mostly about keeping secret those actions that Bush asserts are national security secrets. This would close to loop to any and all oversight, forever. No courts, no Congress - down the memory hole.
Bush's rhetoric is tantamount to calling us unpatriotic. He's done it before. It's happened again.
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