The past weeks have seen such utter madness in this world that your dear beloved blogger has been simply dumb-founded. I have found it difficult to maintain my focus on any one issue long enough to string together enough coherent thoughts to write a readable blog piece. I fear I am still futless, and for that I apologize.
Where do I begin? George W. Bush apparently feels that it is his constitutionally mandated right to spy on Americans without any judicial oversight. He's wrong! I can say no more on this subject. Our deeply disturbed Vice President feels it is his right to de-classify any classified information at any time without the President's permission. Who knows, maybe he can! But, I think that doing it retroactively is a blatant CYA for the impending sh*t storm coming down the pipe from the on-going Valerie Plame leak investigation. Scooter Libby claims that he got permission from above to discuss Plame's identity. Well, if you are Chief of Staff to the Vice President, who is left above you??? Hmmmm… And while we are discussing Dick Cheney, lets discuss the fact that he shot a man in the face with a loaded shotgun after having drank alcohol and he did not report the incident to the press in a timely fashion. Dick, if you have to shoot Republican fundraisers, you could at least have the manners to kill them stone dead. I was pleased that you came forward and took complete responsibility for the events. That was big of you. I mean I wasn't sure who was at fault; considering that you drank the beer, you were holding the gun and you pulled the trigger. Seems like at least one person in this administration can take responsibility for a snafu when all evidence blatantly points to their being at fault. Well done Dick, you're a killer!
Does anyone else think that Dick "Four Deferments" Cheney probably shouldn't be allowed to shoot guns?
All that ballyhoo aside, I want to discuss the One million dollar reward being offered in Pakistan for the murder of each of the Danish cartoonists. "'Whoever has done this despicable and shameful act, he has challenged the honor of Muslims. Whoever will kill this cursed man, he will get $1 million from the association of the jewelers bazaar, 1 million rupees ($16,700) from Masjid Mohabat Khan and 500,000 rupees ($8,350) and a car from Jamia Ashrafia as a reward,' [cleric Maulana Yousef] Qureshi told about 1,000 people outside the mosque after Friday prayers."
Here is my reward offer. To the man or woman that kill Maulana Yousef Qureshi goes a bacon cheeseburger and a large lager beer at the restaurant of their choice.
The liberal in me wants to be tolerant of all people and all cultures no matter what, but how do you show respect for a culture that is so blatantly disrespectful. The shear idiocy of this reward scheme is mind boggling.
Again, as I did after the September 11th terrorist attacks, I concede that a vast majority of Muslims are peace loving and moderate in their views. I know this to be absolutely true as I have met many Muslims and not one of them is a militant radical. But it is time to discuss a painful truth. Moderates are cowards. Not just Muslim moderates. All moderates. Moderate is another term for dispassionate, and when one lacks passion one lacks the motivation to stand up against insanity. I see myself as relatively moderate on most views. I am a liberal libertarian (is that an oxymoron?). It is time for moderates to be passionate about moderation. Extremists are a miniscule minority, but they are damn loud. It's time to shut them up! Moderate Christians, moderate Jews and moderate Muslims; we are watching you!
