Howard Dean says that the Islamic cultural center should be built somewhere else. He is not jumping on the bandwagon with the Gingrich-Palin alarmist crowd. He simple says that the Muslim planners' intent is good, but it is also an opportunity to show some flexibility in respect for the feelings of those who lost loved ones in 9/11. He says their cause of promoting understanding would be better served by doing that. In this, he seems to be taking the same position as Obama, who strongly affirmed their right to build there but left open the question of whether it was wise.
If this had not been blown out of proportion, I would agree with them. In fact, that was my first position on it, as I stated in my first blog on the subject. However, once the howlers have started their pumped up scare tactics, for them to move the project now would seem to be letting the Gingriches win. And that would be very bad.
This began as a question of sensitivity and possible accommodation to that sensitivity.
By now it has become a fight -- not about the first amendment, nor about whether they are terrorists or not. Nor is it even still a fight about whether the area is hallowed ground. Once it has been pointed out that there already is a Muslim prayer house within 80 feet of ground zero, and once the off-track betting parlor has been pointed out, and once the strippers have shown that where they take it all off is less than 2 blocks away -- well it seems that argument has lost its validity.
It is now a fight about whether we're going to let the "political pyromaniacs" determine the level of discourse in this country. So far, they've been winning; and the level of national discourse has sunk lower and lower.
It is time -- past time -- to elevate the debate to the real issues and to reason. This is the moment to stand up for that.
Ralph
Friday, August 20, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Orly makes the others look sane
Orly Taitz makes Michele Bachmann, Sarah Palin, and Sharon Angle look sane. Well . . . there might be a little question about Sharon, in light of the blurb out today that 20 years ago she fulminated against the local high school football team's decision to wear black jerseys (to express their contriteness for having lost a prior game so badly).
Sharon was then campaigning for the school board, and she whipped up some frenzy among devil-fearing folks by saying that the color black represented the devil and evil, and high school football players shouldn't be wearing it. The school caved in, confiscated the jerseys, which the players had paid for themselves.
But, hey, as Sharon now says, that was 20 years ago, and she doesn't even remember it.
Now Orly, on the other hand, never forgets about her obsession -- which is her contention that Obama was not born in the U.S. and is not a citizen. And she never gives in. She has been filing frivilous law suits all over the place, some on behalf of soldiers who don't want to go to Iraq and claim that they shouldn't have to obey orders from a commander in chief who isn't even an American citizen.
Ah, The Birthers. That's Orly's territory. I saw her interviewed on TV one morning. She's crazy. You cannot talk to her -- she just talks past the interviewer and doesn't answer questions, and she babbles on about birth certificates. The interviewer finally just terminated the interview in frustration.
One judge somewhere fined her $20,000 for filing frivilous lawsuits and consuming valuable court time with endless motions and shenanigans. She appealed all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the fine. They turned her down. Now she says she wants to appeal that decision.
Question: To whom do you appeal a decision by the U. S. Supreme Court? Orly has some obscure statute that she says allows her to ask for reconsideration based on new evidence or misapplication of law. So she's asking for reconsideration, based on some video on the White House web site that shows Obama displaying his passport, showing all the stamps of the countries he has visited.
Orly says that she can tell from this video image that the passport is a fake. That's her new evidence.
Like I said, Orly Taitz is crazy. She makes Michele, Sarah, and Sharon look quite sane. But that ain't saying much.
Ralph
Sharon was then campaigning for the school board, and she whipped up some frenzy among devil-fearing folks by saying that the color black represented the devil and evil, and high school football players shouldn't be wearing it. The school caved in, confiscated the jerseys, which the players had paid for themselves.
But, hey, as Sharon now says, that was 20 years ago, and she doesn't even remember it.
Now Orly, on the other hand, never forgets about her obsession -- which is her contention that Obama was not born in the U.S. and is not a citizen. And she never gives in. She has been filing frivilous law suits all over the place, some on behalf of soldiers who don't want to go to Iraq and claim that they shouldn't have to obey orders from a commander in chief who isn't even an American citizen.
Ah, The Birthers. That's Orly's territory. I saw her interviewed on TV one morning. She's crazy. You cannot talk to her -- she just talks past the interviewer and doesn't answer questions, and she babbles on about birth certificates. The interviewer finally just terminated the interview in frustration.
One judge somewhere fined her $20,000 for filing frivilous lawsuits and consuming valuable court time with endless motions and shenanigans. She appealed all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the fine. They turned her down. Now she says she wants to appeal that decision.
Question: To whom do you appeal a decision by the U. S. Supreme Court? Orly has some obscure statute that she says allows her to ask for reconsideration based on new evidence or misapplication of law. So she's asking for reconsideration, based on some video on the White House web site that shows Obama displaying his passport, showing all the stamps of the countries he has visited.
Orly says that she can tell from this video image that the passport is a fake. That's her new evidence.
Like I said, Orly Taitz is crazy. She makes Michele, Sarah, and Sharon look quite sane. But that ain't saying much.
Ralph
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
GZM -3: Republicans calling Newt out
Former Republican congressman turned TV commentator, Joe Scarborough on Morning Joe, took on Newt Gingrich over the misnamed Ground Zero Mosque.
He denounced Newt's ignorant and inflammatory comments. Noting that Gingrich is trying to build a base for running for president, Joe said he himself is feeling more and more distant from his (Republican) party for this kind of pandering: "There are elements of our party that are marching through the fevered swamps of ideology."
Another commentator on the same program called Newt: "nothing more than a political pyromaniac."
Even Pat Buchanan -- yes, Pat Buchanan -- said Gingrich had gone too far in likening these moderate Muslims to Nazis.
When Pat Buchanan says you've gone too far off the rails of bigotry -- wow. Now all that's left is for the late night comedians to begin to skewer Newt. Once you make someone the butt of jokes, it's hard for him to move back into the serious limelight.
Ralph
He denounced Newt's ignorant and inflammatory comments. Noting that Gingrich is trying to build a base for running for president, Joe said he himself is feeling more and more distant from his (Republican) party for this kind of pandering: "There are elements of our party that are marching through the fevered swamps of ideology."
Another commentator on the same program called Newt: "nothing more than a political pyromaniac."
Even Pat Buchanan -- yes, Pat Buchanan -- said Gingrich had gone too far in likening these moderate Muslims to Nazis.
When Pat Buchanan says you've gone too far off the rails of bigotry -- wow. Now all that's left is for the late night comedians to begin to skewer Newt. Once you make someone the butt of jokes, it's hard for him to move back into the serious limelight.
Ralph
Obama in campaign mode
Obama seems to be test-driving his stump speech for the fall campaign. It features a useful car metaphor. He refers to the Republicans having been in the driver's seat and running the car into the ditch. Now that the Democrats have finally got it back on the road and are ready to move forward, the Repubs are asking for the keys back. Don't give 'em to them. They don't know how to drive. They ran us into the ditch.
And then he caps it off with a clever word play. It's meaningless, of course, but of such are slogans made. It goes like this:
Have you ever noticed, when driving your car, that when you want to go forward you put it in "D." And when you want to go backward, you put it in "R."
The metaphor condenses a lot. That's what metaphors are for. Let's hope it catches on.
Ralph
And then he caps it off with a clever word play. It's meaningless, of course, but of such are slogans made. It goes like this:
Have you ever noticed, when driving your car, that when you want to go forward you put it in "D." And when you want to go backward, you put it in "R."
The metaphor condenses a lot. That's what metaphors are for. Let's hope it catches on.
Ralph
Bigots bite the dust . . . sort of
Two loud-mouth conservative voices that we love to hate have been reined in just a bit.
1. The person with a PhD in physiology, who markets herself on talk radio as "Dr. Laura" and who dispenses putdowns and insults masquerading as "advice," got into trouble for saying the "n" word on air 11 times within 15 minutes. She was speaking to an African-American woman married to a white man and calling in to ask how to handle it when his family and friends make racial remarks in her presence. Non-doctor Laura went into a rant about how black people use the "n" word all the time, why can't white people use it? So she did, saying "nigger, nigger, nigger." Then she turned the tables on the caller, saying if she was that sensitive about race, she shouldn't have married outside her own race. My question to the woman would be: why did you call someone as insensitive as this person who calls herself Dr. Laura but is not a "doctor" in any sense of being a helping person.
Today, this professional insulter announced that she is ending her radio career to devote her time to writing her books. She denied that she was forced to resign. We all know how that works. It couldn't happen to a more deserving person.
2. Ann Coulter is another queen of insults, only she doesn't try to pass them off as advice. She clearly enjoys and profits from being snarky and mean, and her conservative audiences love it. She had been invited (hired, actually) to give the keynote speech for the conservative website WND at their "Taking Back America Conference."
Now, because she is also giving a talk to the gay Republican group GOProud, WND has disinvited (aka fired) Coulter, saying that their conservative ideals do not fit with the "unconservative agenda" of GOProud.
Coulter's response was: I'm just giving a speech to GOProud. I give lots of speeches to groups I don't endorse. I've even spoken at Harvard, she says. In other words, she's a mouth for hire -- no ideology involved. Just an entertainer. I've even heard that she parties with gay friends, even though her pubic persona is anti-gay. That woman just has no principles. She's just a materialist. Others might even call her less kind names that rhyme with a digging tool.
Two loudmouth bigots bite the dust . . . sort of; but don't think we've heard the last of their ilk.
Ralph
1. The person with a PhD in physiology, who markets herself on talk radio as "Dr. Laura" and who dispenses putdowns and insults masquerading as "advice," got into trouble for saying the "n" word on air 11 times within 15 minutes. She was speaking to an African-American woman married to a white man and calling in to ask how to handle it when his family and friends make racial remarks in her presence. Non-doctor Laura went into a rant about how black people use the "n" word all the time, why can't white people use it? So she did, saying "nigger, nigger, nigger." Then she turned the tables on the caller, saying if she was that sensitive about race, she shouldn't have married outside her own race. My question to the woman would be: why did you call someone as insensitive as this person who calls herself Dr. Laura but is not a "doctor" in any sense of being a helping person.
Today, this professional insulter announced that she is ending her radio career to devote her time to writing her books. She denied that she was forced to resign. We all know how that works. It couldn't happen to a more deserving person.
2. Ann Coulter is another queen of insults, only she doesn't try to pass them off as advice. She clearly enjoys and profits from being snarky and mean, and her conservative audiences love it. She had been invited (hired, actually) to give the keynote speech for the conservative website WND at their "Taking Back America Conference."
Now, because she is also giving a talk to the gay Republican group GOProud, WND has disinvited (aka fired) Coulter, saying that their conservative ideals do not fit with the "unconservative agenda" of GOProud.
Coulter's response was: I'm just giving a speech to GOProud. I give lots of speeches to groups I don't endorse. I've even spoken at Harvard, she says. In other words, she's a mouth for hire -- no ideology involved. Just an entertainer. I've even heard that she parties with gay friends, even though her pubic persona is anti-gay. That woman just has no principles. She's just a materialist. Others might even call her less kind names that rhyme with a digging tool.
Two loudmouth bigots bite the dust . . . sort of; but don't think we've heard the last of their ilk.
Ralph
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
"Ground Zero Mosque" (GZM) - 2
OK, let's clear this up. The "Ground Zero Mosque" is neither at ground zero, nor is it a mosque. It is two blocks north and around a corner. Other buildings block the view so it cannot be seen from ground zero, nor can you see GZ from it. Someone put up a video of the 2+ minute walk from GZ to the building site. Within seconds, you've completely lost any sense of a space and you're on what looks like a typical sort of grungy street in lower Manhattan.
Like many other buildings in the area, it is to be a 13 story building, with a prayer room on the upper two floors. No minarets, no muezzin calling the faithful to prayer. A community center, with classrooms, performing arts auditorium, swimming pool, basketball court. Sounds pretty American, doesn't it?
And the imam, who has been a respected religious leader in New York for 30 years and is heading it up, is a U.S. citizen and has been consulted by the FBI for sensitivity training for its agents and for counterterrorism advice. Newt was just dead wrong when he called them "radical Islamists."
To Glen Beck, Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, GOP politicians, etc. who are outraged that the GZ "hallowed ground" will be violated, what about these little inconvenient facts:
1. Another 2 blocks away there is a strip club. As Bob Cesca of HP writes: "I'm not sure how lap dances are less offensive than a religious community center."
2. There is already a Muslim prayer hall even closer to GZ that has been a peaceful meeting place for praying even before the WTC was built there, and it continues. No one has ever complained of terrorist activity originating there.
3. In the actual ground zero space -- that is the actual ground where the towers collapsed and where people actually died, which might actually be said to be hallowed by their sacrifice -- there is going to be a 55,000 sq ft mall of retail shops. So I guess all the critics think it's fine to go shopping on the actual ground site where they died -- maybe buy a bikini or a bottle of whiskey, things that are offensive to Muslims -- but it's a sacrilege to have a place two blocks away where prayer and interfaith cooperation are fostered.
Americans and their misplaced values !! How offensive to Muslims this whole thing must be. How cynical and insensitive it must make us look to the world -- who can easily see how this issue is being exploited and manipulated for crass political gain -- or radio listener ratings.
It does not do us proud. It does not make us look mature. It certainly does not make us look noble.
Ralph
Like many other buildings in the area, it is to be a 13 story building, with a prayer room on the upper two floors. No minarets, no muezzin calling the faithful to prayer. A community center, with classrooms, performing arts auditorium, swimming pool, basketball court. Sounds pretty American, doesn't it?
And the imam, who has been a respected religious leader in New York for 30 years and is heading it up, is a U.S. citizen and has been consulted by the FBI for sensitivity training for its agents and for counterterrorism advice. Newt was just dead wrong when he called them "radical Islamists."
To Glen Beck, Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, GOP politicians, etc. who are outraged that the GZ "hallowed ground" will be violated, what about these little inconvenient facts:
1. Another 2 blocks away there is a strip club. As Bob Cesca of HP writes: "I'm not sure how lap dances are less offensive than a religious community center."
2. There is already a Muslim prayer hall even closer to GZ that has been a peaceful meeting place for praying even before the WTC was built there, and it continues. No one has ever complained of terrorist activity originating there.
3. In the actual ground zero space -- that is the actual ground where the towers collapsed and where people actually died, which might actually be said to be hallowed by their sacrifice -- there is going to be a 55,000 sq ft mall of retail shops. So I guess all the critics think it's fine to go shopping on the actual ground site where they died -- maybe buy a bikini or a bottle of whiskey, things that are offensive to Muslims -- but it's a sacrilege to have a place two blocks away where prayer and interfaith cooperation are fostered.
Americans and their misplaced values !! How offensive to Muslims this whole thing must be. How cynical and insensitive it must make us look to the world -- who can easily see how this issue is being exploited and manipulated for crass political gain -- or radio listener ratings.
It does not do us proud. It does not make us look mature. It certainly does not make us look noble.
Ralph
Saber rattling
John Bolton -- the man George W. Bush rammed through in a recess appointment to be our ambassador to the United Nations -- is now making headlines:
Iran's first nuclear power reactor -- supposedly for peaceful energy purposes -- is set to be launched on August 21st. Bolton says, if Israel doesn't take it out before then, it will be too late because it would then release radiation into the atmosphere and affect civilians.
When asked whether he thought Israel would strike the power plant, he said no; they've probably waited too late and lost this opportunity.
Poor John Bolton. How frustrating when you so very much want to start a nuclear war and nobody will cooperate.
Ralph
Israel Has '8 Days' To Strike Iranian Nuclear Site,
Says Former UN Envoy John Bolton
When asked whether he thought Israel would strike the power plant, he said no; they've probably waited too late and lost this opportunity.
Poor John Bolton. How frustrating when you so very much want to start a nuclear war and nobody will cooperate.
Ralph
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