I wish we had a representative government

I used to live in a state where I had no representation. Both senators were Republicans who believed more in party loyalty than listening to the people. My representative had personal problems which seriously interfered with her work.

Two years ago, a new representative was elected in my district. I was certain he would come through. But I didn't see his name on the list of the 21 congresspersons who voted against the Iran Freedom Act today. My fellow constituents and I have been sold up the river again.

The Iraq Freedom Act led to a destroyed country, nearly 2400 soldiers dead (and counting), at least 30,000 civilian deaths and a tarnished international reputation. In Washington, this is considered to be a great success.

Iranians have freedom under a democratically elected government. In fact, they probably have more freedom than Americans do. Which is why they need to be destroyed so their country can be rebuilt in the image of the grand ol' U.S. of A. The same way Iraq has been successfully rebuilt, right?

Taxation without representation is tyranny. But how many people even care?

The news?

I remember Walter Cronkite. I remember Chet Huntley and David Brinkley. I remember a time when telling the news was serious business.

What were some of the top stories today? Tom Cruise is happy with fatherhood. Britney Spears is pregnant. Angelina Jolie will have her baby in an African country. Brett Favre has decided to play with the Packers for one more season. And, oh yes, the new White House press secretary used to be with Fox. (I won't say Fox News--that's being too generous.)

Try to imagine Walter Cronkite talking about the tripe that passes for news these days.

Try to imagine Chet Huntley and David Brinkley telling jokes while we patiently waited for substance.

I miss the news.

An energy crisis

When I learned how to drive, gas was twenty-nine cents a gallon. My father pulled into the gas station and a ding, ding called the attendant who would put the gas in our car, wash our windshield and check our oil. When he was done, my father gave him two dollars. That was plenty.

Soon after I got my license, there was an oil embargo. We had to wait in lines. I would go out at six in the morning to get in line for gas, behind twenty other cars. The price went up a little. More than thirty cents a gallon. We had lost the familiar twenty-nine of so many years.

Now if I drive to the station down the street I must pay more than three dollars for one gallon of gas. Nearly forty dollars to fill up my little Honda.

Back when gas was twenty-nine cents a gallon, we imagined a twenty-first century of flying cars and solar power. Not fossil fuel and SUVs. A future of justice. Not unjust aggression.

What happened? I remember the spirit of determination, the spirit of exploration, the spirit of hope.

Ask not what your country can do for you. I have a dream. One small step for man.

Now we struggle to survive.

I worry about the youth, who have never known the days of hope and dreams. The days when gas was only twenty-nine cents a gallon.

Politics, Lies and Videotapes

Osama bin Laden strikes again.

A videotape is released on Sunday. A bombing is executed on Monday. Better watch out for those blood-thirsty Muslim terrorists.

According to some sources, Osama Bin Laden is dead. Government experts swear to the authenticity of the tape. But the timing of the release of these tapes is always curious. Just as talk of impeachment is heating up. Another threat. We can't talk about impeaching the president. We need to stand united against this enemy.

Muslims come in all shades--good, bad and indifferent. But I can't believe all the accusations of bombings, kidnappings and terrorism in general. If Muslim really are doing all these things, we must be the stupidest people to ever inhabit the face of the earth.

I don't think we're that violent. And I don't think we're that stupid.

As they say, whenever an act of "terrorism" occurs, ask yourself, Who benefits?

Not the Muslims.

Exercising freedom of speech in an open and fair society

In China, a citizen cannot openly criticize her leader. Evidently, she can't criticize her leader in the United States either.

I understand the Decided may have been embarrassed by the outburst this morning, but what a wonderful opportunity to display freedom in action.

Unfortunately, this country is becoming what we always criticized the communists of being. Unjust. Unethical. Uncaring.

Do as I say, not as I do. Isn't that the way it goes?

Just a normal day

Violence in the Middle East.

Commotion in the White House.

Murders in the streets.

What's new?

Impeach the Decider

I've tried to hold off saying it. Mostly because, in this land of freedom and democracy, I am concerned about the lack of privacy on the Internet and the censure of those who express their heartfelt opinions. But I can't stay quiet any longer.

"The Decider," as he called himself at a press conference today, has to go. Along with the rest of his gang. It's time to restore some measure of dignity to the White House.

I'm tired of having a president who can't speak English. Past presidents have often been corrupt, but at least they were eloquent. If the White House is going to rob the poor to give to the rich, the least they owe us is a well-spoken leader. Not a college frat boy who sounds like he's coming off a weekend of heavy partying.

I'm tired of having a president who sees everything in black and white. With us or against us. What happened to a new frontier? What happened to nothing to fear but fear itself? What happened to of the people, by the people, for the people? I am so sick of having a foreign policy which resembles the old Batman TV series. The hero rushing to a crisis--when he's not playing the guitar or reading about goats--and the familiar cast of villains who, day after day, are thwarted in their attempts to gain control. Maybe if our president could speak English, or any other language, fluently, he would understand the nuances of life and government.

I'm also tired of a media which is enslaved to the White House. What happened to the balance of power, which is the whole secret behind the success of the U.S. experiment in democracy? The White House, Congress, Supreme Court and mainstream media are all beholden to the same master. Not one elected by the people.

Now they're beating the drums for war against Iran. It's Iran's fault, they say, that we're paying nearly $3/gallon for gas. Never mind that the U.S. has not purchased oil from Iran since the Shah was overthrown in 1979. Iran is an evil empire. Never mind that their president was democratically elected. They have no right to develop nuclear weapons. Never mind that the reason they're enriching uranium is for energy use, not war. And if they did want nuclear weapons, why can India and Israel have them but not Iran? All Muslims know the answer to that one.

This used to be a decent country. Some would say great. Now it is being run into the ground. Do the patriotic thing and push for impeachment.

God bless the children

It's tough to be a kid these days.

Childhood was so much easier in my day. Less TV, more time playing outside. Walking and playing with my friends, without the fear of being abducted. The world was kid-friendly then.

The bodies of three children were found this weekend. Purvis and Quadrevian were in a lagoon. Autopsy results showed they died from drowning. A little girl in Oklahoma was not as fortunate. Brutally killed by a downstairs neighbor.

Meanwhile, in the east, a little girl who is paraplegic for life forgave the man who shot her. A five-year old whose life has been altered forever. She has done something few of us adults could do.

Adults need to take her lead. Be caring and create a world where our children will be safer.

Allahu akbar!

Interesting words. They create inspiration in the hearts of some and strike fear in the hearts of others.

"Allahu akbar" means "Allah is the Greatest." It means Allah--God, the Creator--is greater than anything in creation. Some Muslims, instead of clapping, shout Allahu akbar--the performance was very good, but we always must remember that Allah is the Greatest. When something good happens, a Muslim will say Allahu akbar--Allah, who is the Greatest, made this happen.

But the words have been labeled as the words of terrorists, shouted before committing another dastardly deed. If a non-Muslim hears "Allahu akbar," he or she may shudder and brace for the explosion. Such is the message of propaganda these days.

According to some reports, some of the final words in the Flight 93 transcript were Allahu akbar. Meaning, in this case, this plane is about to crash into the ground killing every last one of you and because we are blood-thirsty terrorists we are very glad you are going to die. Not really.

I can't say how much credibility I give the official story. I know, but I can't say. However, if truly sincere Muslims were about to die, I don't think their last words would be Allahu akbar--though these are, for Muslims, very good words to say.

Their last words would have been La illaha ila Allah. There is no god but Allah. Every Muslim knows he or she should strive to die with these words.

In time, everything which is hidden or confused will become clear. Because Allah truly is the greatest.

The real reason for obesity

I've just recovered from a bad bout of stomach flu. I'll spare the details, but suffice it to say that I struggled with his particular bug for ten days. Not a pleasant way to spend my time.

What I've learned is how little food we need in order to survive. For most of the last ten days, I have subsisted wholly on boiled rice. You take cooked rice, add water, heat. Yummy.

Amazingly, I have had enough energy from the boiled rice to live a somewhat normal life. Far below my usual threshhold of activity, but not too bad considering. I've discovered that, if necessary, I could live indefinitely on a diet of rice and water.

Consider the options in the grocery stores and restaurants. Twenty or thirty variations on potato chips. Probably forty or fifty types of soda--when you add all the variations on the old themes. Pizza, fried chicken, tacos. You get the picture.

Several years ago I was teaching an American history class. When we reached the sixties, I decided to throw a party. We did tie-dye, and I told the students to bring food from the sixties, giving them some examples. Jiffy Pop was the first thing that came to mind. Students returned the next day and said they couldn't find the foods I was talking about.

I knew it couldn't be that hard, so I explored the grocery store myself. Only a small percentage of items in the store were available in the sixties. Everything else is new. I like to tell my kids what I had to do without when I was their age. Can you imagine? We didn't even have Toaster Strudels or Fruit Roll-Ups!

That's why America is obese. There are too many choices--most of them unhealthy--and Americans readily partake of them.

You really don't need a lot of food to survive. Just a little boiled rice. And maybe a few pieces of meat to spice it up, with raw vegetables on the side. A full meal.

Bombing people who might be developing weapons

I wasn't surprised to hear about the White House plans to drop a nuclear bomb on Iran. Anyone who reads news on the internet knew this months ago. In fact, I'm thankful it hasn't happened yet.

I'm also happy to see this news made public. Make the White House accountable to the American people. That is how a democracy works, isn't it?

Unfortunately, many Americans are convinced Iran is evil, thanks to the propaganda machine otherwise known as the media. This is nothing new. During World War I, Germans were evil. During World War II, Japanese were evil. During the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the government went after Communists in general--a broad definition catching many in its net. Now, of course, Muslims are the enemies. Muslim terrorists. Muslim insurgents. Muslim suicide bombers.

I wonder how many Americans question the president when he says democracy must be brought to Iran. The leaders of Iran are democratically elected. In fact, Ahmedinajib is more a democratic leader than Bush, who stole two presidential elections.

When the U.S. went after Iraq, the country had been weakened by eleven years of embargo. Disease and malnutrition were widespread. Iran is much stronger than Iraq was. If the U.S. military cannot beat Iraqis into submission, how are they supposed to conquer Persia?

The Iranians may develop nuclear weapons. Therefore we must attack them. Does that actually make sense to anyone?

Withdrawal? When?

The people of Wisconsin have spoken. Thirty-two precincts voted on a referendum calling for withdrawal of troops from Iraq by December 31. The measure passed in twenty-four precincts. Rule by majority, right?

Responding to this news, Bush said the U.S. will withdraw when the mission is completed. What mission is that, Mr. Bush?

The mission to destroy the cradle of civilization?

The mission to create dissension in the Muslim world?

The mission to produce an entire generation of orphans?

The mission to make nearly everyone in the world hate us?

Or maybe it's the mission to enrich your friends at Halliburton.

Will someone tell this man that, by definition, democracy cannot be imposed? Freedom cannot be found at the point of a gun.

The French offered assistance to colonial troops during the Revolutionary War. Assistance which, I might add, had been sought. They did not break into colonists' homes in the middle of the night. They did not 'accidentally' kill hundreds of civilians.

When the war was over, the French left. It took another six years for the new nation to put together a working government. But they did it without foreign intervention, and it has worked for many years--as long as the leaders have followed it.

Our current leader throws around empty platitudes while he diminishes the rights guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution--the same document forged in the early days of independence.

The French knew when to leave.

What about us?

Doesn't democracy mean the people rule?

Eighteen months ago, I never thought of Wisconsin. I knew a little about the state. Cheese. Packers. Laverne and Shirley. Jeffrey Dahmer.

We moved to Milwaukee over eight months ago. I have spent the last year trying to learn about my new state.

I knew about Robert LaFollette, the Wisconsin progressive. I didn't know that Wisconsin is still progressive. The winters are cold, but I think we may stay here a while.

Today, in several communities, the ballots featured a referendum on Iraq withdrawal. I sit here, viewing early vote results. At least two communities have voted against the war.

This is no surprise. The people don't want the war. The White House wants the war, the military-industrial complex wants the war, but the people don't.

How can the U.S. spread democracy abroad when it is not being practiced here?

Why can't "they" be like "us"?

Death in Iraq. Car bombs. Hostages. Beheadings.

Death in Afghanistan. Draconian laws. Tribal warfare. Honor killings.

Death in the Middle East. Suicide bombers. Death to Israel. Seventy virgins.

Women oppressed. No face. No voice. No vote.

White robes and head scarves threaten the peace.

Prayer and fasting are sure signs of fanaticism.


Why can't they be like us?


Death in the streets. Gangs. Carjackings. Road rage.

Death in the home. Molestation. Abuse. Murder-suicide.

Death inch by inch. Dirty air. Dirty water. Chemical poisoning.

Women exposed. Lose weight. Lose respect. Lose yourself.

Stun guns and pepper spray enforce the peace.

Baseball and spring are sure signs of democracy.