Sunday, January 23, 2011

Nominate NBC for the Darwin Award






Keith Olberman’s firing represents an example of why corporate America cannot be allowed the privileges of moral beings in governance (as in the Citizens United v. FEC decision). The problem is not the virtually anonymous and certainly soul-less bean-counting of soul-less executives reviewing polls and Nielsen ratings. After all, could any of us pick Phil Griffin, Steve Capus, or Brian Roberts out of a lineup?  Rather, the problem rests in unaccountability for mindless decisions like this. There has clearly been a conscious effort among MSNBC executives to REFUSE TO THINK, a sin condemned by luminaries from Plato to Ayn Rand.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

The Road to Theocracy

Just moments after President Reagan had been taken to the hospital following John Hinckley's attempt to assassinate him, Secretary of State Alexander Haig pronounced: "As of now I am in control here in the White House."  Oops, not even close to the Constitutional intent for presidential succession. Secretary of State (Hilary Clinton, today) is fifth in line, rather than second. Even worse, the President had not been declared unable to fulfill the duties of his office.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Gun Control

Many enthusiastic recreational shooters have seen the signs posted at the driveway to the firing range: “Three shots through the same hole at 100 yards, now, THAT’S GUN CONTROL”. Well, yes, fine shooting; a tribute to the individual holding the gun, the quality of the gun, ammunition, and the sighting system. But, the real meaning of “GUN CONTROL” used in newspapers, broadcast media and casual conversation in our society is code for a suite of much longer phrases, mostly questions:
Why does our society have so many shootings?
Who is going to take away our guns?
How can I buy a gun?
Do mentally handicapped persons have a right to own guns?
How old do I have to be to own a gun?
Guns don’t kill people, people do!
Let’s look at these one by one.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Barbourous oral flatulence

Mere words cannot convey the depth of human contempt for the Barbourous pronouncements issuing from the Mississippi gubernator over the last few weeks. After recently attempting to justify the racist behavior of his hometown Citizens Committee in the aftermath of Brown v. Board of Education, Gov. Haley Barbour trumped his own play by suspending the double life sentences of  Jamie and Gladys Scott for their alleged role in an $11 armed robbery in 1994.  So surprising was this turn of events that the womens' attorney and the NAACP proclaimed this a victory for JUSTICE IN MISSISSIPPI.