Are you just a little tired of being reassured at the total lack of terrorism every time something bad happens?
Yesterday a man blew up a building in New York. Apparently it was a divorce gone bad...really bad. Today we can call that news, since there has been time for the reporters to do a little investigation and get some actual facts.
But yesterday, as the smoke was still billowing from the explosion just minutes earlier, the news, as usual was repeating the same lack of facts over and over. No one had any idea what was going on, which is often the case in the middle of a chaotic situation. But the one thing they are always sure of is that "there is no sign that it was a terrorist act." Well, fine, but there's also no sign that it was an accident, a natural disaster, or a wild Martian teenager that crashed his ship.
In an age where terrorism is a real threat, why do we have to deny it by reflex action before any facts are available?
"We have absolutely no idea of the cause of this extraordinary event. But rest assured it's not terrorism."
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Monday, May 08, 2006
Liberty Stands Still
Hollywood is such a great moral teacher. When I see one of their great movies, I like to reflect on the lessons I have learned. After watching "Liberty Stands Still" I have learned several things:
1. It is okay to murder people using gun violence if your goal is to eliminate gun violence.
2. Teaching kids to use guns responsibly causes them to shoot other kids at school.
3. If someone you love is killed by guns, it's okay to use a gun to kill any number of people in revenge, whether or not they had anything to do with it.
4. Republicans are so stupid. They name their kids things like "Liberty", they own companies that manufacture guns, and they blow their own brains out with guns.
5. Manufacturing guns and international arms dealing are pretty much the same thing.
6. Either the Constitution doesn't guarantee private gun ownership, or if it does then the Constitution is completely wrong on the issue. It doesn't matter which.
7. If a Senator is against gun control, you can kill his son and cause him to instantly change his mind and want to ban all guns.
8. NRA evil. NRA evil. NRA evil.
9. The government is corrupt. (Actually, I already knew that one.)
Hollywood hates guns. So they have made a movie where a sniper is the hero. It takes so much depth to be able to pull that off. It could come across as shallow and hypocritical.
Please, do not fail to miss this movie.
1. It is okay to murder people using gun violence if your goal is to eliminate gun violence.
2. Teaching kids to use guns responsibly causes them to shoot other kids at school.
3. If someone you love is killed by guns, it's okay to use a gun to kill any number of people in revenge, whether or not they had anything to do with it.
4. Republicans are so stupid. They name their kids things like "Liberty", they own companies that manufacture guns, and they blow their own brains out with guns.
5. Manufacturing guns and international arms dealing are pretty much the same thing.
6. Either the Constitution doesn't guarantee private gun ownership, or if it does then the Constitution is completely wrong on the issue. It doesn't matter which.
7. If a Senator is against gun control, you can kill his son and cause him to instantly change his mind and want to ban all guns.
8. NRA evil. NRA evil. NRA evil.
9. The government is corrupt. (Actually, I already knew that one.)
Hollywood hates guns. So they have made a movie where a sniper is the hero. It takes so much depth to be able to pull that off. It could come across as shallow and hypocritical.
Please, do not fail to miss this movie.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Q-tips and Freedom
What is a Q-tip for?
According to the box, there are 14 suggested uses from removing makeup to cleaning your computer keyboard. But real use of Q-tips is not just absent from the list, but in fact, found in a warning at the bottom, "Do not insert swap into ear canal"
As far as I am concerned, cleaning ears is the only logical reason for the existence of a Q-tip. I quite sure that's what it was designed for and probably used for millions of times. But apparently the "more soft cotton at the tip than any other swab" is not enough to offset the incredible danger of putting it in your ear.
We all know why there is a warning. Either there was a stupid person who hurt himself and sued, or there is a fear that there will be.
Blame the lawyers. Blame the stupid. Blame the greedy. The bottom line is, we are so enslaved to the fear that we can't even admit what a Q-tip is used for.
According to the box, there are 14 suggested uses from removing makeup to cleaning your computer keyboard. But real use of Q-tips is not just absent from the list, but in fact, found in a warning at the bottom, "Do not insert swap into ear canal"
As far as I am concerned, cleaning ears is the only logical reason for the existence of a Q-tip. I quite sure that's what it was designed for and probably used for millions of times. But apparently the "more soft cotton at the tip than any other swab" is not enough to offset the incredible danger of putting it in your ear.
We all know why there is a warning. Either there was a stupid person who hurt himself and sued, or there is a fear that there will be.
Blame the lawyers. Blame the stupid. Blame the greedy. The bottom line is, we are so enslaved to the fear that we can't even admit what a Q-tip is used for.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)