Questions about terrorism

In the years since the attacks on New York and Washington D.C. by a couple of dozen religious zealots, armed with box cutters, hundreds of millions of Americans have been subjected (sometimes on a daily basis) to "enhanced" security. They go through various levels of scrutiny traveling on planes, trains and simply driving down the highway. Similarly, they are screened at public buildings, sporting events and schools. Our very right to make a phone call or send an email (at home) with the expectation that it is a private communication between two people, has been tossed out with the garbage. Nearly all Americans are far more concerned with a terrorist attack than they are with the likely heart-attack coming from decades of filling up on junk food.

Is it worth it? How many terrorists have been caught in this net? Is it better to live in fear, minus our basic human rights, simply for the illusion of safety? Would we not be better off by more vigorously defending our way of life?

Meet the new boss...

There is much to be happy about this morning. It looks and feels like a new dawn.

Certainly America has made an important cut with our historically racist past. Race is still, and will always be as long as people see ourselves as groups of individuals, a factor in life. Obama's election didn't change that. It simply proved that we are capable of seeing our society as more that just that.

We have repudiated the past 8 years and everything associated with it. Everything. I will not bother to repeat the many offenses against humanity and, specifically, the American people. I'll just point out one thing. We are Americans and we don't deny fellow human beings basic legal recourse and, especially, we don't TORTURE people. Not even people who may be terrorists. Not even people who definitely are terrorists.

I know most people were voting pocketbook issues. The economy was clearly the decisive factor for Obama. I had as much right as anyone for this to be the most important issue for me. It was not. What is my lowered standard of living compared to a man "living" in a darkened cell, without contact with the world, being tortured - in my name? That is not a world that is worth having an otherwise comfortable life in. That's worth fighting a new revolution over. Fortunately, we were able (this time) to do our revolution in the local voting precincts.

Just remember, we now know with full evidence, that we aren't so special. We are as capable as any other group of apes to being brutally cruel to others. We have changed our behavior, but we have to make sure it doesn't happen again. That is our task.

"Won't Get Fooled Again" - again...

A New Day

Or into the bunkers. You choose.

To Young Americans - Baba Obama

Look, no offense...

You didn't raise a peep when Bush took your nation into an illegal and immoral war. You went out and bought new Xbox and iPods. You watched the President eviscerate the Constituion and promptly turned your attention to the latest Snoop CD. You have had Dick Cheney in your faces for a third of your lives, yet think "really bad" is Austin Powers nemesis.

Like I said - no offense, OK? Just go out and vote on Tuesday and we're good. I have so much respect for you, that I won't even tell you how to vote. I think deep inside, you know what's right.

I should say, "I hope"....