Media Watch

I think an immigrant in good standing should be able to obtain an Iowa driver's license, as long as the same standards I have to follow apply to them. For instance, I have to have insurance. So should they. I have to pay taxes. So should they. You get my drift. Illegal immigrants, on the other hand, are separate issue. They should not only be barred from driving in Iowa, but should be arrested and deported post haste. If the standards for immigration into the US are unreasonable, then the we should fix the standards. Breaking the law needs to be punished, not rewarded. DesMoinesRegister.com

I know things are tough in the Middle East. The whole notion of a holy war seems to me oxymoronic, to over-simplify matters slightly. But what seems really odd to me is watching efforts to convince peoples that we're a peaceful nation and have deep-seeded beliefs in human rights, liberty and democracy, yet the government uses bombs and bullets to negotiate or sponsor a "peace process". I don't blame people of other lands and cultures for questioning the motivation of our leaders here.

I usually just delete forwarded emails, but this caught my eye. I received and read some remarks purportedly made by a televangelist's daughter today. It doesn't matter who made the remarks or what people were thinking when they forwarded it into cyberspace. People mostly know how I feel about cluttering other people's inboxes with politics and religion and offers of larger organs. But this particular message caught my eye for another reason. It hits on a nerve. I think it's no wonder people are pissed at the media in general because the news isn't news anymore and advertisers and political action groups have been given a right-of-way over the interests of America. Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show.  [In reference to the September 11th attacks], Jane Clayson asked her, "How could God let something like this happen?" Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, "I believ...

I've done my best to reserve judgment on President Bush after the Senate Intelligence Committee reported impairments in the intelligence he used to take the nation to war. I can bite my tongue no longer. Tenet resigns "for personal reasons" one week, and the next, the Intelligence Committee releases a negative report (careful not to criticize Bush personally). We can set aside for a moment all of the irrefutable facts repeated in the movie “Fahrenheit 9/11”. Hello! I think people have to trust their instincts on this one. Sure, we want to believe we have a president that has integrity; that's a natural desire. But we also have to use the facts to come to some thoughtful judgment. After all, it's our job, as tax payers and citizens, to make judgments which have consequences on our elected officials. It is not our job to trust them, a fact our forefathers tried to spell out for us. I know no one really wants war. There is nothing good about it, even t...

Saw the movie Wednesday night and have been processing it last couple days. It didn't change my mind -- and from the movie I can draw no conclusions. I was against Bush in 2000 and against the war in 2003. I think Bush is a poor leader and his circle engages in questionable practices. Will Conservatives stay with Bush? Of course they will. Will the movie convert a few conservatives into independents? I hope so.

Ellisblog

The nation obviously regards piping petroleum and natural gas products as more critical to human sustenance than water.  We spends billions on pipelines to deliver fossil fuels that destroy our environment and bring man to war, yet oxygen and water are given a backseat. On the other hand, why should I be surprised that government leadership that can't create a safe and reliable transportation infrastructure would act differently in this case?