Harper's Gov't

2006-02-08T11:49:00.000-08:00

Gay Marriage

Homosexual couples should have every right that heterosexual couples have, including the right to be considered by the state as being officially, and spiritually, joined for life. I think that anyone who argues that allowing gay marriage will lead to a breakdown of our country's morals is misguided. First of all, the institution of marriage as it stands presently is already in a steady state of decline: heterosexual couples are getting divorced left and right. Also, homosexuals are just as apt to be moral, well-meaning, and attached to the ideals of America as any heterosexuals. The Christian right needs to get off its high horse and realize that times are changing and minds are expanding, and it's only for the better.

2006-02-08T11:22:00.000-08:00

Current Event Post

A total of nine churches have been burned in rural Alabama since Friday morning. Officials have concluded definite arson for the first rash of burnings, which damaged or destroyed five churches, and suspect arson in the burnings of the other four. It is not conclusive whether or not the fires were racially motivated, since the congregations involved were both majority black and majority white. However, all the churches were Baptist. Some witnesses reported seeing a dark-colored SUV near the sites of the fires, and one recalled seeing a white man in the passenger seat. Donations have been coming in from all over the country to help the affected congregations. It will be interesting to see if the perpetrators are caught, and if so, what their reasons were for setting these fires.

Article:

Dark S.U.V. Sought in Church Fires in Alabama

2005-11-30T12:19:00.000-08:00

Bush's New Immigration Plan

The President's new plan for handling immigration is an attempt to bring the conservative community together, with a single, unified Republican action plan. He proposes new steps to cut down on the number of Mexicans who illegally enter the United States across our southern border, including some measures to build fences and walls. At the same time, Bush favors a "temporary guest worker program," that would grant immigrants the right to work legally for a certain period of time, after which they would have to return to their own country (the amount of time has not been decided on yet). This issue is a stumbling block for Bush, since some conservatives view this policy as a weak response, while others believe it is necessary.

Article: Bush Renews Push to Overhaul Immigration

2005-11-14T23:47:00.000-08:00

2005 Election

I was surprised at how early the winner of the Governor's race was announced, and it seemed like the media was caught off guard also. They expected it to be so close that we wouldn't know who won until early the next morning, but Kaine pulled out a clear victory, which I was very glad of. I saw part of Kilgore's concession speech, and mostly I was so glad that we don't have to hear his accent at all anymore. The attorney general's race was ridiculously close; it was ironic that that was the one they had to wait a while to call, when they expected that to be the clear one and the Governor's race to be closer.

2005-10-31T18:41:00.000-08:00

Reactions to the indictment of Scooter Libby in the CIA leak investigation

It seems like the feature that stands out most about this investigation is how confusing it all is. It's hard to root for someone, although it is obvious that Valerie Plame was the victim. I think Karl Rove won't be getting out of this unscathed - at least I hope not. He seems like an unscrupulous creep who will do anything for political gain, and it's time for him to take a fall. Hopefully all the details will become clearer as the investigation progresses. Even though it's a well-known fact that the world of politics can be pretty nasty, it's unsettling to think that "Scooter" Libby, Karl Rove, or anyone else for that matter, would endanger a government employee's job, and even her life, for politically-motivated revenge.

Article : Rove Apparently Is Not Indicted Today; Fitzgerald to Speak Soon

2005-10-19T19:57:00.000-07:00

Harriet E. Miers

From all that I've read, Harriet Miers seems egregiously unqualified for a position on the Supreme Court. She has never been a judge, a fact that speaks to her lack of experience, but also makes it very difficult to predict how well she understands Constitutional law, and how solid her rulings would be. She could be a total wacko for all anyone knows. Her extremely close affiliation with Bush is unsettling - she doesn't seem like a friend or colleague so much as a fan and a yes-woman. She looks up to him far too much; she doesn't come across as an independent thinker or someone who would be unswayed by political loyalties. I read today in a NYTimes article (Miers Is Asked to Redo Reply to Questions) that her responses to a pre-hearing questionairre were described by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee as "insufficient" and even "insulting." I don't think she should get a "do-over." We should have higher standards for one of the highest legal positions in our government.

2005-10-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

Kaine - Kilgore debate

I didn't see much of the debate, but from what I saw, Tim Kaine seemed much more comfortable and confident than Jerry Kilgore. Apparently, other viewers noticed this as well. Even Kilgore fanatic "Old Zach" from the blog Sic Semper Tyrannis noted "I admit that Tim Kaine [was] much more polished and fluid in his responses than Kilgore was." However, Kaine also had the eyebrow arch going on, which was distracting ("Kaine. Good lord...what's the deal with that eyebrow?" - Norman Leahy) In the realm of content, I wasn't surprised to more often agree with Kaine's views. Kilgore especially alienated me on the issue of abortion. Not only is he pro-life, but he even opposes exceptions unless the woman reports a crime of rape or incest within one week. To me, this sounds like an open door to punishing the victim.

2005-09-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

The Government Response to Katrina

It seems like there was a huge flaw in the collaboration between state and federal officials in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. At the local level, in New Orleans and the surrounding area, they often weren't sure what they needed - but when they did, the federal government didn't provide. FEMA underestimated the scope of the storm, and then were slow and unorganized in providing aid. Just another issue is the dearth of manpower due to the large amount of National Guard troops currently serving in Iraq.

New York Times article about the response:

Breakdowns Marked Path From Hurricane to Anarchy

2005-08-30T23:05:00.000-07:00

Thoughts on NY Times Articles (Brooks and Dowd)

I found the article by David Brooks to be insightful in its views on the new Iraqi constitution: he and his sources concede that the document is probably not what the majority of Americans would expect, or find acceptable, but that's exactly the point. Iraq had to meet two important criteria for this constitution - keeping the peace between three very different factions, and avoiding status as a puppet state under the control of the United States. To meet these goals, the authors constructed something "organically Iraqi," and according to Brooks, Galbraith, and Gerecht, this is the way to go. It's an optimistic step towards an independent, and functional, Iraq.
The article by Maureen Dowd, though a wholly different style and a lot more subjective, was also interesting. She takes a sarcastic stance, contrasting Bush's long vacations with high death rates in Iraq and skyrocketing gas prices. But at the same time, she's very serious about her criticism. She disagrees with Brooks' characterization of the new Iraqi constitution as inclusive, saying it has "frozen out the Sunnis." She's also concerned about women's rights, since the new constitution gives a substantial amount of influence to religious leaders.