What Price Diversity?

I am not politically correct!

General George Casey is!

I resent terms like “African-American”, Jewish-American”, and “Mexican-American” because those hyphenated groups balkanize our nation.  My view is that if you are a citizen of the United States you are an American.  We need to be blind to ethnic, racial, and gender identity.  Of course that is difficult to do if you are Black or Oriental (oops, I am not supposed to use that word) or Indian.  So at least try.

 Army Chief of Staff General George Casey appeared on Meet the Press today talking about the massacre at Fort Hood.  This is part of his interview with David Gregory.  I have underlined in bold the sentences that really upset me.   

GREGORY:  What about your concerns about backlash against our Muslim soldiers who are in the Army, as a result of this incident?

GEN. CASEY:  Yeah.  I think those concerns are real and I, and I will tell you, David, that they’re, they’re fueled partially, at least, by the speculation about–based on anecdotal evidence that people are presenting.  I think we have to be very careful with that.  Our diversity not only in our Army, but in our country, is a strength.  And as horrific as this tragedy was, if our diversity becomes a casualty, I think that’s worse.

GREGORY:  Do you have any reason to believe that having Muslims in the Army puts them in a very difficult position and makes the more conflicted fighting a war against Muslims in Afghanistan or Iraq?

GEN. CASEY:  I think that’s something that they have to look at on an individual basis.  But I think we as an Army have to be broad enough to bring in people from all walks of life.

In other words the loss of 13 lives and the maiming of 31 other people is not as consequential as diversity.  What happened to our duty as Americans to protect American lives?  Why is diversity so all important?  General Casey is responsible for protecting all of his people.  He failed.

Our war with terrorists is a fight to protect our nation from those who want to destroy the American way of life.  For those who do not like the way we live there are many other nations to call home.

The End of the World in 2012?

Over 200 predictions and counting!
Yes the end is coming, but all human predictions are wrong!

Mathew 24:35-36 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” Jesus Christ.

Finally something Christ said that makes sense. Only God knows when the end of the world will happen.  Perhaps there will be no end.

Nostradamus is said to have had the most success in forecasting future events.  The problem is that the observations of his accuracy are made after the events happen.  That is said to be the result of his complicated style of writing that was done to keep his ideas a secret from the Catholic church.  His forecast of the end is the year 3797.  That means the end will not be 2012 as the Mayans predicted.  After writing this piece I have learned there is a movie “2012” being promoted at a really fun web site titled “who will survive 2012.”  It offers great computer graphics and sound.

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October 17, 2009 Update: The Los Angeles Times has an article saying that scientists are trying to calm the ‘2012’ hysteria.  What hysteria?  The article itself is a great advertising piece for the movie.

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We all thought everything would stop when the calendar turned to the year 2000.  Remember?  So many people said nothing would function because computers were programmed with only two digits for the year.  Either all the systems were fixed or we were very lucky or the computers were smarter than we thought.   

Perhaps none of this is real.  Perhaps “I think therefore I am” is just a line in a script?  My theory is we are just too small and too inconsequential in this universe.  It’s a great disappointment to those who thought the Earth is the center of the universe.

William Safire

William Safire was a conservative that I admired.  The reasons were simple.  First he was not part of the hysterical fringe.  He was a calm, collected, and reasoning man.  Second he was a wonderful writer.  His “On Language” weekly column was a favorite of mine.  I even created my own blog with the same title and purpose.  That was the tracing of word origins and their usage.  I could never match his use of language and never anticipated but always dreamed I could.

What scares me most is he was only nine years older than me.  I am hoping to see my one hundredth birthday and know that I am 100 years old.

Safire’s stupid writing for Spiro Agnew was creative. “Nattering nabobs of negativism” is the one I remember.  It was smart, cheeky and fun. 

You were great Bill!

 

Senator Edward M. Kennedy

Reading the Associated Press version of Ted Kennedy’s life is like reading a soapbox novel.  It’s hard to believe that people like the Senator actually exist in real life.  Maybe that is because my life has been very quiet in comparison.

It appears that Ted Kennedy finally did grow up.  He really did realize his youth was too foolish.  There is no doubt that he did take advantage of his family’s influence and power in Massachusetts.  The Massachusetts State Attorney General, Edward J. McCormack, running against Kennedy for U.S. Senator in 1962 said, “If your name was simply Edward Moore, your candidacy would be a joke.”  That was an accurate assessment of Ted Kennedy back then.  In at least the 18 years of his life, after his marriage to Washington lawyer Victoria Reggie, he finally became a significant force in his family and in the U.S. Senate. According to ABC News Kennedy authored 2,500 pieces of legislation. 300 of those bills were passed into law.

Ted Kennedy will be missed.

Swine Flu Panic

Mexico calmly addressed the issue of a spreading disease with actions that would have had American businesses and the Republicans in a state of fury.  Mexico had essentially shut down their most major city to contain the disease.  Can you imagine telling everyone in New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago to stay home?  There are over 22 million people living in the Mexico City metropolitan area making it is one of the largest cities in the world.  Depending on the area included that would be even larger than metropolitan New York.

 

This past week we all read that trials on Swine Flu vaccines would be starting very shortly throughout the United States.  Strangely we then read that there is the possibility that 40% of the American population could become ill from this disease.  Today European nations are on a fast track to start the use of the new vaccine as early as next month despite possible side effects.

 

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) reported that of 21,449 cases that the number of deaths has nearly doubled to 87.  That is a small number when you consider that thousands of people die each year from flu.  CDC reports that annual flu deaths (excluding Swine Flu) average 36,000 have been challenged but clearly annual deaths from various flu strains is in the thousands.

 

So why the panic?  It is not clear to me that the accelerated and possibly dangerous vaccination process is the right thing to do.

We Need A Real Health Plan

Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of Health and Human Services, was not prepared for her appearance on Meet the Press yesterday.  David Gregory ate her alive.  David used the interview techniques that proved so valuable to his predecessor, Tim Russert.  He simply used her own words in questioning the administration’s plan for health care.

 

President Obama’s objectives were repeated by Mrs. Sebelius in an NPR interview.  She did not disavow those goals. 

 

1. lower costs
2. cover all Americans
3. drive quality
4. and be paid for (without impacting the federal budget)

She was unable to explain where there are any consequential savings in the Obama health plan.  Then she went on to admit that coverage for all Americans isn’t a priority but it is one “of the goals.”  As to quality of care she admits there will be limits but argued, fairly well, that limits exist now in currently available insurance plans.  Finally Mrs. Sebelius told viewers that the president has not taken a position on taxing the wealthy to pay for the federally sponsored plan.  He has not offered any ideas on how to pay for his plan.

 

All in all, the secretary’s appearance gave me no assurance that any part of this plan has been well researched.  I agree with those that say health care should be available to everyone just like police and fire department services.  The problem is that 85% of the population has health insurance through their employers.  The second problem is the current cost is too high.

 

If all of the above goals are equally important congress will have to devise an alternate plan.  Mrs. Sebelius confirmed that the cost of health care has reached 16% of GDP.  That should be enough of a motivator to make this happen.

Walter Cronkite

The legendary CBS News Correspondent Walter Cronkite lived in everyone’s living room every weekday night.  He told us everything we needed to know about the world.  From D Day to JFK’s assassination, to landing on the moon, and the Vietnam War; he told us the way it was.  We all trusted his reporting.  He will be remembered as the total embodiment of the best news reporter that could exist in the 20^th century.  I will never forget Walter Cronkite.

FYI

Just thought I would answer the question, what has the author of this web site written that has attracted the most attention?  Of the six most read articles posted to this BLOG, I wrote five. The sixth was written by another person.  Listed in order of number of views they are:

Why are most Mexicans in Mexico so poor?

The Countdown to January 20, 2013

An Israeli Beauty – Reason Enough to Send Help

A Tired Old Man For President

English Should be the Official Language of the United States

The First Hispanic Supreme Court Justice

Toronto Is a 21st Century City

We took a five day trip to Toronto, Ontario, Canada this past June.   We had a wonderful time.  This was a fortieth anniversary celebration.  I had suggested a cruise around the Mediterranean Sea but she said “no.”  You never know when you might need that IRA money for something serious.  Well she is probably right as it hurts to pull even $3,000 out.

The only part of the trip that was distasteful was the air flight.  You are squeezed in to seat spaces that are too small and too close to the next passenger unless you are in love.

Toronto is truly a city of the 21^st century because it is so international.  They seem to have almost every race, religion, and nationality represented with equal respect for all.  That is a goal the entire world should attempt to achieve.

We stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown on Yonge Street.  Not the most expensive hotel but certainly one of the most comfortable I have known.  Despite four full days there we did not see many sights and only left the downtown area for one day at Niagara Falls.

After all it was a holiday trip and we did sleep late and took our time.  So here is what we saw: Casa Loma, Royal Ontario Museum, Kensington Market, China Town, Harbour area tour(a ride out to the islands that act as a breakwater), an evening at the Toronto Centre for the Arts, Eaton Centre, and two tour bus rides  around the entire downtown area.

I took over 100 photos and that wild woman took well over 200.   Of course mine were the better pictures.  These were taken with the new Panasonic DMC -FZ28.  http://picasaweb.google.com/coastcontact/TorontoNiagaraFallsJune2009 

We are already talking about another trip to Toronto.      

Happy 4th of July

Just click and enjoy. Happy 4th of July

 

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