To conclude the previous post...Sunday's cantata went very well. The choir provided an exceptional worship experience for our largest attendance since Easter. Well done, good and faithful servants!
The President of the United States made a ground-breaking revelation today: the US is not winning in Iraq! In other scoops provided by George II, the sun will rise in the east tomorrow, Santa visits on Christmas Eve and athletes often behave badly. He then moved on to reassure us that his tangential connection to reality isn't completely repaired. He claimed we're not losing. I've never seen anyone toss a coin and have it land on edge; apparently Dubya has.
He wants to fix the problem by dramatically increasing the size of Army and Marine Corps troop levels in Iraq.
HEY GENIUS, it's a bad war, we should never have been there in the first place, and there is no reason to kill and maim more of ours and theirs trying to save face at this late date.
This will be the first test of the newly-elected Democratic majorities in the House and Senate. Will we continue to see a lapdog Congress that cowers before the Fool down from the Hill, or will we see some intelligent, reasonable governance for the first time since January 21, 2001?
Note to Reid and Pelosi: Iraq wasn't behind 9-11. They didn't have weapons of mass destruction. They hadn't bought yellow cake uranium from Nigerians or anybody else. Stop Bush's War, and stop it now! Hitler didn't win his war of aggression, Tojo didn't win his, Mussolini didn't win his, neither we nor the French won in Viet Nam, Saddam didn't win in 1991, and we won't win this war of aggression, either.
It's almost enough to make one believe in divine intervention and justice.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Sunday, December 17, 2006
7 Hours, 50 minutes and Counting
It's cantata day. I dread cantata day. Maybe that's why I'm still awake at 12:41 am in middle America. I just don't want to mess the thing up. The rest of the choir has worked too hard for me to goof this deal up. I'm a preacher. Darned good one, too, if I do run the risk of boasting. (I do relish the gift; I grew up listening to the best, and God has graciously/maliciously filled in the rest-me up in front of people on a daily basis is still hysterical, 22 years in) I'm a tolerable supporting bass. The only problem is that in our operation I'm the only bass.
Or maybe it's bigger.
Maybe I'm playing insomniac theater due to what we're doing to the world, still. Sure, Rummy's gone, and that's not a bad step. But the longer I think about it, Gates had a hard time in a previous confirmation due to his part in Iran-Contra. So this guy is going to stand up to this president? Not holding the breath on that one. Just in the last few minutes, we have, in all likelihood guaranteed that some child in Iraq will always hold us responsible for the death of Mom/Dad/Grandparent in the latest car bombing or kidnapping/murder or whatever. And some American child may have just lost a Dad or Mom to a mortar round or IED, but at least they won't have to know it until tomorrow. They can have this last good night's sleep.
Just like George. George tells People magazine (he has time to give interviews to People magazine?) that he sleeps very well.
I'm divorced enough from reality that I can laugh weeknights when Letterman shows "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches," leading off with the eloquence of FDR and JFK, then following with the latest malapropism, Porky Pig sign-off or completely incoherent rambling of the dear leader. But this newest item just isn't funny.
How does he ever sleep? We're closing in on 3,000 of ours dead, and, according to the Johns-Hopkins study, three quarters of a million of theirs dead. That doesn't count the wounded, who have been very carefully and skillfully hidden by the administration. Out of sight, out of mind, don't you know? A crowd greater than the population of Memphis wiped out in this stupid, unjust, badly fought, lie driven war and the subsequent peace that has been anything but. And they're all God's!
I wish that I could talk to him. I wish that I could haunt his dreams with the faces of all the dead, all the wounded, all the orphaned. I wish that I could tell this jackass that nobody cares how he looks compared to his dad. And we didn't think that much of his dad, anyway. I wish that someone, anyone, could get it through his head that lying to the nation is bad, lying to the world is worse, and lying to yourself may be worst of all, and that he should stop all of it. I wish that he could have some of the sleepless nights of the parents who have children over there. Or those of the woman whose husband is at Gitmo, or somewhere, even thought he may have never done anything wrong to anyone. Or those of the little boys and girls who are on the street because one of those damned bombs wasn't as smart as it was cracked up to be, and it killed mom and dad-liberated them right out of their lives.
He sleeps very well? I have thought that those on my side who want to impeach him should just calm down, because they'd only be accused of trying to get even for Clinton. (Then again, as the lapel pin says, "No one died when Clinton lied") They should impeach this horrible, horrible man just for saying that he sleeps well while he's responsible, everyday, for the pointless and needless deaths of Americans and Iraqis in a war that should never have been fought in the first place.
I once had a lesson from Andre Braugher's magnificent Frank Pembleton on Homicide: Life on the Streets. Once, when they observed a suspect who'd been left in the interrogation room (The Box, for fans of the show) snoring like a chainsaw, Frank told Kyle Secor's Tim Bayliss, "The guilty ones go right to sleep. It's the innocent who stay awake all night." Amen, Frank. Amen.
Shame on you, sir! Shame on you! And God help us all.
7 hours, 18 minutes and counting. Pray for this non-singer!
Or maybe it's bigger.
Maybe I'm playing insomniac theater due to what we're doing to the world, still. Sure, Rummy's gone, and that's not a bad step. But the longer I think about it, Gates had a hard time in a previous confirmation due to his part in Iran-Contra. So this guy is going to stand up to this president? Not holding the breath on that one. Just in the last few minutes, we have, in all likelihood guaranteed that some child in Iraq will always hold us responsible for the death of Mom/Dad/Grandparent in the latest car bombing or kidnapping/murder or whatever. And some American child may have just lost a Dad or Mom to a mortar round or IED, but at least they won't have to know it until tomorrow. They can have this last good night's sleep.
Just like George. George tells People magazine (he has time to give interviews to People magazine?) that he sleeps very well.
I'm divorced enough from reality that I can laugh weeknights when Letterman shows "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches," leading off with the eloquence of FDR and JFK, then following with the latest malapropism, Porky Pig sign-off or completely incoherent rambling of the dear leader. But this newest item just isn't funny.
How does he ever sleep? We're closing in on 3,000 of ours dead, and, according to the Johns-Hopkins study, three quarters of a million of theirs dead. That doesn't count the wounded, who have been very carefully and skillfully hidden by the administration. Out of sight, out of mind, don't you know? A crowd greater than the population of Memphis wiped out in this stupid, unjust, badly fought, lie driven war and the subsequent peace that has been anything but. And they're all God's!
I wish that I could talk to him. I wish that I could haunt his dreams with the faces of all the dead, all the wounded, all the orphaned. I wish that I could tell this jackass that nobody cares how he looks compared to his dad. And we didn't think that much of his dad, anyway. I wish that someone, anyone, could get it through his head that lying to the nation is bad, lying to the world is worse, and lying to yourself may be worst of all, and that he should stop all of it. I wish that he could have some of the sleepless nights of the parents who have children over there. Or those of the woman whose husband is at Gitmo, or somewhere, even thought he may have never done anything wrong to anyone. Or those of the little boys and girls who are on the street because one of those damned bombs wasn't as smart as it was cracked up to be, and it killed mom and dad-liberated them right out of their lives.
He sleeps very well? I have thought that those on my side who want to impeach him should just calm down, because they'd only be accused of trying to get even for Clinton. (Then again, as the lapel pin says, "No one died when Clinton lied") They should impeach this horrible, horrible man just for saying that he sleeps well while he's responsible, everyday, for the pointless and needless deaths of Americans and Iraqis in a war that should never have been fought in the first place.
I once had a lesson from Andre Braugher's magnificent Frank Pembleton on Homicide: Life on the Streets. Once, when they observed a suspect who'd been left in the interrogation room (The Box, for fans of the show) snoring like a chainsaw, Frank told Kyle Secor's Tim Bayliss, "The guilty ones go right to sleep. It's the innocent who stay awake all night." Amen, Frank. Amen.
Shame on you, sir! Shame on you! And God help us all.
7 hours, 18 minutes and counting. Pray for this non-singer!
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Heroic Republicans
I will pause momentarily to allow my family and friends to wake up following their fainting from the title above..........Now then. The Iraq study group has released its report. Its conclusions were a foregone conclusion, if they were going to be honest. And with Lee Hamilton, a bulwark of integrity for 35 years in the House of Representatives, as the Democrats' co-chair, I believed they would be honest. The presence on the panel of Vernon Jordan, Leon Panetta, Chuck Robb and William Perry further raised my hopes. The Democrats performed as I expected.
This space is for an appreciation of the Republicans involved. Former Secretary James Baker has been a Bush family retainer for about 50 years. Whenever Bushes have found themselves in trouble, Baker has been there to quiet the waters. Not this time. Lawrence Eagleberger has been a member of several Republican administrations. He's as inside as inside gets. But this time he stepped out. Justice O'Connor was an honorable member of the United States Supreme Court throughout her tenure, and the nation is poorer, much much poorer, for her retirement. That leaves the final two members: former Senator Alan Simpson and former Attorney General Edwin Meese. I have had no respect for this pair whatsoever. Simpson is caustic and vicious. He has been one of the leading attack dogs for the transition of the Republican party from the honorable institution of Everett Dirkson, Dwight Eisenhower and Nelson Rockefeller to the despicable snake pit of Newt Gingrich, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. Ed Meese was an unmitigated disaster as Ronald Reagan's chief law enforcement officer. In days gone by, it was a close contest to count whether Meese had enforced more laws or broken more. But even Alan Simpson and Ed Meese put their country ahead of politics and power this time.
These Republicans have participated in this study, and agreed to the committee's report, in spite of the fact that the report is bluntly critical of a Republican president's performance. They have told the truth that staying this course in Iraq can only result in disaster, if we're not already there. They have called for change now, and withrawal within 15 months. They have made these calls in spite of the fact that this particular Republican president is openly vengeful. He punishes anyone and everyone who challenges him, who criticizes him, who points out his mistakes. In short, this group of Republicans have risked their reputations and legacies within their party to serve their country.
We should all be grateful to the whole membership of the Iraq study group. But we are all particularly indebted to the Republican members for their courage and honesty. Viewing their performance, and having listened to newly confirmed Secretary of Defense Robert Gates as he told the truth in his Senate hearing yesterday, perhaps there is some opportunity left for the Republican party to reclaim its honorable heritage. We would be a better nation if they did.
This space is for an appreciation of the Republicans involved. Former Secretary James Baker has been a Bush family retainer for about 50 years. Whenever Bushes have found themselves in trouble, Baker has been there to quiet the waters. Not this time. Lawrence Eagleberger has been a member of several Republican administrations. He's as inside as inside gets. But this time he stepped out. Justice O'Connor was an honorable member of the United States Supreme Court throughout her tenure, and the nation is poorer, much much poorer, for her retirement. That leaves the final two members: former Senator Alan Simpson and former Attorney General Edwin Meese. I have had no respect for this pair whatsoever. Simpson is caustic and vicious. He has been one of the leading attack dogs for the transition of the Republican party from the honorable institution of Everett Dirkson, Dwight Eisenhower and Nelson Rockefeller to the despicable snake pit of Newt Gingrich, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. Ed Meese was an unmitigated disaster as Ronald Reagan's chief law enforcement officer. In days gone by, it was a close contest to count whether Meese had enforced more laws or broken more. But even Alan Simpson and Ed Meese put their country ahead of politics and power this time.
These Republicans have participated in this study, and agreed to the committee's report, in spite of the fact that the report is bluntly critical of a Republican president's performance. They have told the truth that staying this course in Iraq can only result in disaster, if we're not already there. They have called for change now, and withrawal within 15 months. They have made these calls in spite of the fact that this particular Republican president is openly vengeful. He punishes anyone and everyone who challenges him, who criticizes him, who points out his mistakes. In short, this group of Republicans have risked their reputations and legacies within their party to serve their country.
We should all be grateful to the whole membership of the Iraq study group. But we are all particularly indebted to the Republican members for their courage and honesty. Viewing their performance, and having listened to newly confirmed Secretary of Defense Robert Gates as he told the truth in his Senate hearing yesterday, perhaps there is some opportunity left for the Republican party to reclaim its honorable heritage. We would be a better nation if they did.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Our Own Opinions, Not Our Own Facts
I believe that I heard it said on Countdown by Keith Olbermann, so I'll go with that credit. If I'm mistaken, I apologize to the wonderful person who did say it. It was, plain and simple, a response to one of those mindless statements that we live in America and everyone is entitled to their opinion. That is certainly true. But the brilliance was thus: everyone may be entitled to their own opinion, but no one is entitled to their own facts. Or words very close to that. It's a great statement. It acknowledges that every American is guaranteed the right to be as stupid as we want to be. But it also points out that if we choose to live in an alternate reality, we just aren't free to reinvent the facts any way that we want them to be. Sort of like the day that Frazier asked Cliff, "What color is the sky in your world?"
Relevance? Here goes. I wrote my monthly newsletter article last midweek, and it was distributed yesterday morning by the two generous ladies who volunteer and put the thing together for us. I began the piece by sharing that I am not among the "War on Christmas" crowd, and expressing my disdain for the work of those who know that they are lying when they use the notion (one more made up piece of crap that these evil actors use) to distract the portion of the populace who can be so easily manipulated to look away from the latest malfeasance, incompetence, or just plain evil perpetrated by George II and his cabal. I called by name the first person I ever heard propound the preposterous theory, Bill O'Reilly. If anything, I was far too mild in my description of what he and his compatriots are up to.
I was stunned during the shaking hands after the service portion of the day when I was approached by one of my favorite people in the congregation. A strong leader, and just really fine person. "When" I was asked, "do we get time for a rebuttal?" I am one of those people who gets so locked into what I've got in front of me at any given moment that I can't think about anything else, and that is never more the case than right before or right after a worship service. I had no idea what the reference was, as I was still in preaching mode. I asked; my question was answered: "To defend Bill O'Reilly!" I thought it was a joke at first. I was wrong.
I knew that my friend is conservative. I'm ok with that. I recognize very well that well-intentioned people can see the world in differing ways, and I respect those differences. But there are lines.
Bill O'Reilly crossed a line a long time ago. The man lies about his upbringing. He lies about his military service. He lies about his professional accomplishments. And he bullies. I have sat through the hilariously name No Spin Zone on enough occasions to have a working knowledge of his act. He screams at people he disagrees with to "Shut Up!" He threatens. The inevitable prank caller is told that they can expect a visit from Fox Security because "We have your telephone number." Can't imagine the horror of Rupert's jack-booted thugs showing up at the door to...what? Rip out the phone line? Might be time to recall G. Gordon Liddy's renowned instructions for answering the door? O'Reilly attacked the 9-11 widows, for crying out loud. Yeah, if there is any hotbed of insurrectionist thought and action, it's the 9-11 widows! Not unlike blaming the Jewish people for the Holocaust, or African-Americans for slavery.
How dare you women-folk have opinions on the War On Terror, and the Assault On The Other Country That Had Nothing To Do With 9-11 And A Dictator No Worse Than 30 Other Countries. Where do you get off asking questions and taking positions? Your husbands were murdered? Oh, surely you can do better than that!
Friends, Bill O'Reilly just isn't the place to make your stand.
My church's policy is that unless I violate the teachings of the church (and, so far, we're still against lying and bullying and threatening people-radical, ain't we?) what I say in my pulpit is between God and me. No one, not even my appointing bishop, can tell me what to preach or not preach. And the church's publications are part of my pulpit. There will be no rebuttal to defend Mr. O'Reilly's honor, and not just because he doesn't have any. My friend won't be happy with me about that. OK. Most of us clergy types don't have the anatomy these days to take the risks of being prophetic. We tend to like our middle-class (or what passes for it) lives too much. But this one's a no-brainer, to borrow Mr. Cheney's term.
So here's the big risk-taking prophetic proclamation of the day: Bill O'Reilly behaves badly, and should stop it! Ooh, I feel just like Amos or Hosea!
Relevance? Here goes. I wrote my monthly newsletter article last midweek, and it was distributed yesterday morning by the two generous ladies who volunteer and put the thing together for us. I began the piece by sharing that I am not among the "War on Christmas" crowd, and expressing my disdain for the work of those who know that they are lying when they use the notion (one more made up piece of crap that these evil actors use) to distract the portion of the populace who can be so easily manipulated to look away from the latest malfeasance, incompetence, or just plain evil perpetrated by George II and his cabal. I called by name the first person I ever heard propound the preposterous theory, Bill O'Reilly. If anything, I was far too mild in my description of what he and his compatriots are up to.
I was stunned during the shaking hands after the service portion of the day when I was approached by one of my favorite people in the congregation. A strong leader, and just really fine person. "When" I was asked, "do we get time for a rebuttal?" I am one of those people who gets so locked into what I've got in front of me at any given moment that I can't think about anything else, and that is never more the case than right before or right after a worship service. I had no idea what the reference was, as I was still in preaching mode. I asked; my question was answered: "To defend Bill O'Reilly!" I thought it was a joke at first. I was wrong.
I knew that my friend is conservative. I'm ok with that. I recognize very well that well-intentioned people can see the world in differing ways, and I respect those differences. But there are lines.
Bill O'Reilly crossed a line a long time ago. The man lies about his upbringing. He lies about his military service. He lies about his professional accomplishments. And he bullies. I have sat through the hilariously name No Spin Zone on enough occasions to have a working knowledge of his act. He screams at people he disagrees with to "Shut Up!" He threatens. The inevitable prank caller is told that they can expect a visit from Fox Security because "We have your telephone number." Can't imagine the horror of Rupert's jack-booted thugs showing up at the door to...what? Rip out the phone line? Might be time to recall G. Gordon Liddy's renowned instructions for answering the door? O'Reilly attacked the 9-11 widows, for crying out loud. Yeah, if there is any hotbed of insurrectionist thought and action, it's the 9-11 widows! Not unlike blaming the Jewish people for the Holocaust, or African-Americans for slavery.
How dare you women-folk have opinions on the War On Terror, and the Assault On The Other Country That Had Nothing To Do With 9-11 And A Dictator No Worse Than 30 Other Countries. Where do you get off asking questions and taking positions? Your husbands were murdered? Oh, surely you can do better than that!
Friends, Bill O'Reilly just isn't the place to make your stand.
My church's policy is that unless I violate the teachings of the church (and, so far, we're still against lying and bullying and threatening people-radical, ain't we?) what I say in my pulpit is between God and me. No one, not even my appointing bishop, can tell me what to preach or not preach. And the church's publications are part of my pulpit. There will be no rebuttal to defend Mr. O'Reilly's honor, and not just because he doesn't have any. My friend won't be happy with me about that. OK. Most of us clergy types don't have the anatomy these days to take the risks of being prophetic. We tend to like our middle-class (or what passes for it) lives too much. But this one's a no-brainer, to borrow Mr. Cheney's term.
So here's the big risk-taking prophetic proclamation of the day: Bill O'Reilly behaves badly, and should stop it! Ooh, I feel just like Amos or Hosea!
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