If She Could Speak

All over the world and throughout history the spirit of hope and the light of reason have weathered attacks by the forces of fear and ignorance. Each pair creates a self-reinforcing world view for their respective advocates; but the philosophies they generate are polar opposites.

Hope and reason encourage people to embrace change in anticipation of a better future. Fear and ignorance drive folks to cling to the myth of an idyllic past where comfortable, universally held, but equally imaginary absolutes were the norm.

In New York Harbor, The Statue of Liberty stands as a proud witness to our nation's commitment to the first of these competing philosophies.

Her actual name is Liberty Enlightening the World. She stands upon broken shackles atop a base which houses a museum where a bronze plaque bearing a sonnet by Emma Lazarus is on display.

The New Colossus

BY EMMA LAZARUS

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she

With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

These words epitomize the spirit of a land which claims to be exceptional among the nations of the world. History, of course, paints our nation's picture in more muted tones and subtle brush strokes than those seen in the minds' eyes of most Americans when they think about their country's treatment of immigrants. However, the historical canvass is a work in progress, and the overall message of its unfinished story unmistakably favors the triumph of hope and reason over the forces of fear and ignorance.

Yet today, Lady Liberty's message of optimism and human compassion is often drowned out by the devotees of the opposition. Their calls for the immediate deportation of Central American children seeking asylum make a mockery of all that she stands for.

If she could speak, I believe her words might be akin to those found in this Mike Luckovich cartoon:

Link to Source

Take a virtual tour of Lady Liberty

Sunday Funnies 140713

The Sunday Funnies word of the week is revision:

re-vi-sion |riˈvi zh ən|nounthe action of revising : the plan needs drastic revision.• a revised edition or form of something.DERIVATIVESrevisionary |-ˌnerē| adjective

This week we'll examine how revision helps us maintain the myth of permanence in the face of ever-changing reality. We'll also take a peek at what happens when reality refuses to conform to myth.

1. When Things Go From Bad to Worse

Bill Cosby had a routine in which he discussed the folly of saying, "Things can't get worse." He ended the routine with the admonition, "Never tempt worse."

Link to Source

2. The Good Old Days

Selective memory plays a big role in revisionist history.

Link to Source

3. The Advantage of Corporate Immunity

The Supreme Court's recent Hobby Lobby decision may have gutted the concept of corporate immunity. Here are two must-read links:

How Hobby Lobby Undermined The Very Idea of a Corporation

Did the Supreme Court Rip The Corporate Veil? Does It Even Care?

Link to Source

4. Justifying Real, Red-Blooded 'Merican Christian Love (WWRR-B'MJD?)

Link to Source

5. Staying the Course

Link to Source

6. Parental Guidance

Link to Source

7. Family Values

Link to Source

8. Immigration Policy

Link to Source

9. The Arts

Link to Source

10. Cable "News"

Link to Source

11. Aging

Link to Source

12. Confronting Evil

Link to Source

Sunday Funnies 140706

The Sunday Funnies word of the week is news:

news |n(y)oōz|nounnewly received or noteworthy information, esp. about recent or important events :I've got some good news for you.• ( the news) a broadcast or published report of news : he was back in the news again.• ( news to) informal information not previously known to someone : this was hardly news to her.• a person or thing considered interesting enough to be reported in the news :Chanel became the hottest news in fashion.PHRASESmake news become a story in the news : stolen babies make news.no news is good news proverb without information to the contrary you can assume that all is well.ORIGIN late Middle English : plural of new , translating Old French noveles or medieval Latin nova ‘new things.’Today we'll examine all the news that's fit to print (digitally, of course) with an eye toward finding a silver lining in the malaise caused by being exposed to it.

1. No Noose is Good Noose

Link to Source

2. Cable News

Link to Source

3. Good News

Link to Source

4. What Goes Around Comes Around

Link to Source

5. This just in from a friend in Israel via Facebook...

Link to Source

6. We can't hear you, so you might as well not complain about Congressional inaction.

Link to Source

7. Because Americans want to be entertained...

Link to Source

8. It was news to him.

Link to Source

9. When in the course of human events...

Link to Source

10. Not so fast, grandpa! Things haven't changed all that much.

As I recall from my study of history, taxes had quite a bit to do with it. 

The colonists didn't think that they should have to pay a tax on tea to help defray the cost of the French and Indian War, which essentially prevented a French takeover. Their demand for a tax cut came in the form of a "tea party" where they dressed up as Indians and dumped tea into Boston Harbor. 

Despite what folks like to believe, it was good-old-fashioned greed, not patriotism, which motivated them to do this. 

If Americans knew their history as well as the myths they've been told about the Boston Tea Party, they'd realize that today's Tea Party "patriots" are peddling the same tax-dodging agenda and for the same reason. They simply refuse to pay taxes to help anyone but themselves.

Link to Source

11. Entrenched Self-Interest is as American as The Boston Tea Party

(Re-read the commentary in the previous item.)

Link to Source

12. Historical accuracy aside, I hope you had a fabulous Independence Day;

Link to Source

13.  But remember, Big SCOTUS is watching you!

Link to Source

Sunday Funnies 140629

The Sunday Funnies word of the week is bird:

bird |bərd|noun1 a warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrate distinguished by the possession of feathers,wings, and a beak and (typically) by being able to fly. • Class Aves; birds probably evolved in the Jurassic period from small dinosaurs that may already have been warm-blooded.• an animal of this type that is hunted for sport or used for food : carve the bird at the dinner table.• a clay pigeon.• informal an aircraft, spacecraft, satellite, or guided missile : the crews worked frantically to ready their birds for flight.2 [usu. with adj. ] informal a person of a specified kind or character : I'm a pretty tough old bird.• Brit., informal a young woman; a girlfriend.

1. Who's the pigeon?

Link to Source

2. A Sitting Duck

Link to Source

3. Birds of Different Feathers

Link to Source

4. He's Toast!

There is no avian connection here. This comic is a fugitive from last week's Food For Thought edition. Of course I could justify it's inclusion here by calling it a flight of fancy.

Link to Source

5. A Bird-Brained Enterprise - It will never fly.

Link to Source

6. Watch The Birdie...Tweet!

Link to Source

7. For anyone about to board a big bird...

Link to Source

8. Partisans will undoubtedly flip the bird at this observation.

Link to Source

9. Patriotic Paunch Line

Link to Source

10. A Religious Dinosaur Attempts to Evolve

Link to Source

11. Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's an anachronism!

Link to Source

12. Yellow Bird (with apologies to Harry Belafonte)

Yellow bird,
Up high in Washington D.C.
Yellow bird
You sing for the Tea Party

Sing their ugly song 
Act like you belong
They are mean and cruel
You are such a tool

You should fly away
In the sky away
And be happy like me

Link to Source

That Was Then; This Is Now - Cheney vs. Cheney

Former Vice President and would-be dictator, Dick Cheney continues to insist that America adopt his discredited, megalomaniacal agenda. In response, and with no political standing other than that of a loyal citizen of THe United States of America who is capable of thought, I offer a critical analysis of Kommandant Cheney's continuing diatribe.

Consider the following hierarchy of motivating forces for right-wing political entities:

1. A rank and file GOP elephant never forgets, but his memories are often flawed.
2. Conservatives work to maintain the status quo at the expense of meaningful change.
3. Neoconservatives work to bring back the "good old days" that never were.
4. The Tea Party works in the service of a self-serving wealthy minority.
5. Dick Cheney works solely for the benefit of Dick Cheney.

Then: Chicken-Hawk Cheney beat the drum for war in Iraq.

Link to Source

Link to Source

Now: Duplicitous Dick blames President Obama for the devastating war he started.

Link to Source

Link to Source

Link to Source