Apparently, maybe not always, but sometimes, when there is smoke there is a significant probability that there is fire also.
This seems to be the case in Arizona where the well known but smokey Sheriff of Maricopa County, Joe Arpaio, seems to have run a department in an area of the country known for its significant Hispanic population, not to mention close to the border of Mexico, that
unfairly [targeted] Latinos for detentions and arrests and [retaliated] against those who complain.
I have a good friend who I’ve known for about 25 years who died the other day after losing a long bout with cancer. He won the early rounds, but ultimately his opponent wore him down and bested him. I’ll be attending his service later today, and I know it will be a mixed-emotion day, with lots of tears and lots of laughter – tears of grief and the laughter of remembrance. He was not much older than me, which at my age means that he died far too young. But he has a large and loving coterie of family and friends, incredibly supportive of each other, all who will ensure that his wife and children come away with far more positive than negative emotions. They are not having a religious service, but if they did, and they had asked me to give the sermon, here is what I would have said:
They just wanna be elected.
Boycotts usually bore me. They are almost universally ineffective, as most people, at least when it comes to consumer boycotts, vote with their purse, and their purse is usually reserved for personal benefit, not altruistic notions of fair play and/or the betterment of mankind. Sadly so.
The favorite defense interposed to allegations that the Sarah Palins, Glenn Becks and Rush Limbaughs of the world consistently ramp up the vitriol and hate, to the point I mentioned in my last post, is that everyone on the left is doing the same thing. “So are you, but what am I?” For every “Don’t Retreat, Reload” and “Second Amendment Remedies” the right throws out, there are just as many left wing “Kill Righties” and “Burn Becks” out there too.
It’s time for the Inquisitor to weigh in on the election (as if I haven’t already). I hereby endorse Barack Obama for the office of President of the United States. My friend Evo says I should work to get out the vote, so I’m going to start by cajoling anyone within bandwidth of this blog to get out there and vote next Tuesday. Even if you don’t like Obama, even if you’re a racist, bigoted, simpleton who wouldn’t vote for his own mother if she had a suntan, you must vote for Obama. It’s your duty, not only as a citizen, but also as a human being and a person concerned about the future of his country. The reason you must vote for Obama is because to not do so would make you stupid. OK. I know that sounds insulting, condescending and arrogant. Just call me arrogant, then. Call me anything you want, but vote for Obama, or risk the certain judgment that You. Are. Stupid. Let me tell you why.
As we get closer to November 4th, there is speculation in the press that we may become subject to an October Surprise. Not by John McCain, mind you, but from someone only slightly more sinister. Osama bin Laden. The prevailing theory is that Mr. bin Laden would like to keep his hands in American politics, by making some kind of nuisance of himself prior to the election. He did this in 2004, by releasing a somewhat threatening tape to the press just before the election, which many observers at the time felt contributed to John Kerry’s defeat by George “Mission Accomplished” Bush. The margin of victory was so slim for Bush, that it’s not unlikely this was true. The somewhat natural inclination of the voting public seems to be that in times of military threat, they vote Republican, on the theory that the Republicans are militaristic war mongers and more likely to protect us, while Democrats or insipid, spineless milquetoasts who run from their own shadows. At least, that’s the caricature that makes the rounds as political wisdom.
…why can’t I?
From a recent story, some enterprising conservative, and most likely Christian, entrepreneurs have designed and marketed Obama Waffles, and set up shop to sell them at the Value Voters Summit last week.
