Currently Inside American Education By Thomas Sowell see related

Fake Racism

Due to the fact that real racism is all too prevalent and destructive in the world (anti-Semitic attacks recently, a Tamil woman burned alive in Sri Lanka) I am sick and tired of the "racism" that we constantly parade around in the US and use to condemn others. Let's go over the most recent episode.

New York Post in racism row over chimpanzee cartoon

African-American activist Al Sharpton claims newspaper may have portrayed Barack Obama using racist imagery

Ok stop it right there. Al Sharpton is a hack and a self-serving, shameful, cynical oppturtunist. Period. Moving on....

In essence the New York Post is being charged with racism due to a cartoon of two cops shooting a chimpanzee. One cop says to the other, "Looks like they'll have to get someone else to write the stimulus bill."

In a statement issued today, Al Sharpton, the Baptist minister and civil rights activist, called the cartoon "troubling at best, given the historic racist attacks [on] African-Americans as being synonymous with monkeys".

David Paterson, the governor of New York state, told a local television station that it was "very important for the New York Post to explain what the cartoon was intended to portray".

Alright now, indignant enough? I was. Except...there's always that annoying context. Doesn't it suck? On it's face it seems like a really racist cartoon. However the Guardian (from which I've been citing) notes that just early the New York Post had been thoroughly following the escape of a rather violent chimpanzee, which eventually the police shot.

Furthermore many people fail to realize that President Obama did not write most of the bill. In a Newsweek article, they mentioned how he mainly turned over the writing of the bill over to Rep. Pelosi and Sen. Reid. This stimulus was almost exclusively written by Congress. In addition, in another Newsweek article entitled, "Losing Control" they give great analysis on how Obama needs to take control of the stimulus package, because he ceded it to Congress. So the New York Post had a somewhat creative response to the pork-laden, bloated, expensive, and mainly useless stimulus bill.

This is what the Post had to say about it,

The editorial said that "most certainly was not its intent", adding that some media and public figures who have long-standing differences with the paper saw the cartoon "as an opportunity for payback".

Calling them "opportunists", the editorial said: "To them, no apology is due."

The newspaper had stood by the cartoon, which its editor called "a clear parody" of the death of Travis, the chimp killed by Connecticut police on Monday after it mauled a friend of its owner.

The editor-in-chief, Col Allan, had said the intent was to ridicule Washington's efforts to revive the economy.

Thoughts?

~IM_R

Crime and Punishment

Are you kidding me?

Man accused of wife's beheading appears in court

(CNN) -- A Buffalo, New York-area man accused of beheading his estranged wife made his first appearance in court Wednesday to face murder charges, according to the district attorney.

...

Here's the kicker (as if it wasn't hideous enough, right?)

If convicted, he faces a sentence of 15 years to life, WKBW reported, citing prosecutors.

Why would someone get anything less than fifteen years? For a premeditated, violent, vicious crime? I just don't understand. Then from Crime Victims United, I found this little fun fact,

The average length for a murder conviction is 300 months (16 years or so).

20% of murders receive minimum or less than minimum (how is that even possible?) time.

The minimum sentence for murder is roughly 5 years.

I simply just don't understand. Why are people getting off so easy? Why should 15 years even be considered for such violent crimes? Does anyone have a reason or a differing view on this?

Feel free to disagree because I kinda want to get my head around this.

~IM_R

Whoah....

...it's been quite awhile. I guess I'll sum up this last year.

My World.

-Graduated highschool.
-Went on a cruise.
-Visited a foreign country.
-Planned a Euro trip.
-Started college.
-Debated on the college circuit.
-Started coaching and judging NCFCA.
-Got a real job.
-Voted.
-Got a permit (yeah laugh it up).
-Rocked out.

Real World.

-Recession.
-Presidential Election.
-Congressional Elections.
-Local Elections.
-First black President.
-First GOP woman candidate.
-Prop 8 passes.
-Clinton back in White House.
-Pull out begins in Iraq.
-Afghanistan is blowing loose.
-Mumbai attacks.
-Burma erupts.
-2008 Olympics.
-Greece looses control.
-Russia invades Georgia.
-Missile shield starts in Poland, Russia responds.
-EU Treaty rejected by Ireland.
-Epic bailouts.
-Oil spikes, then drops.

Best/Worst Moment Categories.

Best Highschool Moment: Graduation (includes ceremony, trip, cruise)

Best graduation ever. You guys are so amazing. Serious. The best talents, the best speeches (shout out to Chris, Steven and me, we killed!) and the best friends. Honestly. You guys are.

Worst Highschool Moment: Mrs. Overboe's Class.

Worst. Art. Class. Ever.

Best College Moment: Last Day of Finals. Period.

Worst College Moment: Finals. Period.

Best Debate Moment: Fall Champs.

Great tournament, even though I was struck with food poisoning, and my slumbering body was used as a party prop. The best however was our last prelim (closely followed by our 1st elim round) round with Colton. Gave one of my best PMR speeches after leaving the round to throw up like an alcoholic on the sidewalk. Also managed to snag 2nd in extemp (Eric was 1st) and was a finalist in Impromptu. Who knew? And I don't care what anyone says, that steak was awesome.

Worst Debate Moment: Throwing up during Fall Champs.

Not cool. Don't care how nice everyone was.

Best Church Moment: Reality.

Great church with amazing teaching and great worship. Really invigorated my faith.

Worst Church Moment : Leaving? Or Not?

Not a moment per se, but it really hurts to ponder whether I'll leave my church of 18 years for various reasons. I simply don't know.

Best Family Moment: Christmas.

Nothing says family like Christmas. Best time of year. Loved hanging out with Tyler and talking to Grandpa Joe, the 92 year old me (now tell me, who hasn't heard me say that before?), and watching my little cousins.

Worst Family Moment: Having two Christmases.

Yeah. Not cool. But whatever. Life happens.


Categories.

Best Highschool Class: ACHEV Graduating Class of 2008.

Yeah that's right, I rigged a category. Sue me. But we were Za Shiz and the best. Period. No contest. Good luck to subsequent classes.

Best Debate Team: Two Way Tie.

College: MoFo Speech and Debate.

Yeah another rigged category. Oh well. Seriously though we take names. Epic win to Justin, Chris, Scottie, Little E, Eric, Jacob, Fred and Arianna.

Highschool: Channel Islands.

Don't care what anyone says, we are still the LD powerhouse of CA.


Goals/Resolutions for 2009.

Number 1: Get serious about my faith.

This year really taught me the importance of my faith. Thank God (and my friends) that my faith is (and I'm) still here. Def number one.

Number 2: Repair relationships.

This year also showed me how important family is. I am gonna do my best to repair certain relationships that I allowed to fall into a state of negligence.

Number 3: Learn to play bass.

Serious.

Number 4: Get in better shape.

Might be nice to run over 1 mile without feeling the need to collapse.

So at the end of the day, thank you for making this year what it was: epic.

Romney Bows Out, RIP Romney 08

If Romney only had conservative credentials to back his talk, he would have made a great candidate. But he does not. Hopefully he can acquire some in the future.

NPR.org, February 7, 2008 · Mitt Romney announced he was suspending his presidential campaign on Thursday, a move that all but cedes the Republican nomination to rival John McCain.Romney — a former Massachusetts governor who spent $35 million of his own money in pursuit of the White House, as well as millions more that he raised from others — told the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., that dropping out was for the good of the party, which needs to unite for the general election.

"If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or (Barack) Obama would win," he said. "And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror."

On Thursday, he gave his rival a qualified endorsement."I disagree with Sen. McCain on a number of issues, as you know. But I agree with him on doing whatever it takes to be successful in Iraq, on finding and executing Osama bin Laden, and on eliminating al-Qaida and terror," he said.

~IM_R

Why McCain Blows

Ok. Lay it on me. Why is McCain not prerferable (overall) to those who are running?

--Huckabee?

--Romney?

--Paul?

Line on up, I'll take you one at a time.

~IM_R