It's About Time!

Finally! A warm Saturday in Detroit! I never did hear what the groundhog saw, but I hope this is a sign of things to come. Winter reeks!

The President and Faith Based Initiatives

President Barack Obama has expanded upon former president Bush's faith based agenda, creating a White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships to help aid in healing the nation's ills. While I do wonder where the hue and cry about the effort is, considering the flack that Bush took for the original idea, I must concede that I am heartened to hear of the plan and even more impressed by the new President's words.

"...there is a force for good greater than government," Mr. Obama said. Well said, Mr. President. While I'm skeptical of his opinion that, "...there is no religion whose central tenet is hate," or that I at the least believe that such a statement requires clarification, I do agree with his essential point. There is no reason for government and religion not working together on issues which necessarily involve the spirit. There is no reason to believe that government is the sole answer, or even the best answer for our problems. And at the least, the overwhelming majority of religions do in fact agree on the basic tenets of morality and civil responsibility.

How deeply he means his words I do not know. But at the risk of drawing the ire of many of my conservative friends, there is a part of me who believes the new President sincere. He may not always act on whatever exact faith he holds, but he does appear to respect faith and have some understanding of the critical role it plays in the general governance of our society and our wills.

Yes, maybe it is a sop; time will tell. Yet for now, I'll cut him slack, and presume his good will. Until the opposite happens, I think he merits it.

Leonard and Limbaugh

Leonard Pitts of the Miami Herald thinks that Rush Limbaugh is unpatriotic for wishing that President Barack Obama's policies fail. I am not so sure that the columnist is playing fair with the radio personality.

As a history teacher I am reminded of Thomas Jefferson resigning from George Washington's cabinet because he could not support the plans of the administration. Indeed, he called supporting policies which he found objectionable 'immoral'.

I have to agree with Mr. Jefferson. Can we reasonably expect anyone who does not support certain movements to wish those efforts success? Or are we willing to call no less of an icon than the Author of the Declaration of Independence unpatriotic?

Loving you country is one thing. Supporting everything she does is another. Can you be unpatriotic simply in wishing better for your nation than what may currently be offered?

Think about that at your next Jeff-Jack dinner, Mr. Pitts.

Uninformed Talk

My brother Phil tells me that he once looked up the definition of BS in a dictionary, and that it means 'uniformed talk'. Seems like there's a lot of that going around.

If you think that a fetus is not human, that's uninformed talk.

If you believe that Barack Obama is the guy who knows what ails ya, that's uniformed talk.

If you think that high taxes are good, government over-regulation of the economy is a positive value, and that Washington knows all, that's uniformed talk.

If you believe that any drain cleaner is better than an Electric Eel, that's uninformed talk.

If you think that liberalism is better than conservatism, that people should not have the most possible human freedom, that individuals don't know what's best for themselves as a rule, or that the government shouldn't by and large stay out of our way, that's uninformed talk.

If you don't think the Irish saved civilization, that's uninformed talk.

And if you think I'm wrong about any of this, that's simply a heaping, steaming pile of uninformed talk.

Oh come on, that was funny!

The First Obamabomb?

It seems that the new President has found it not so easy to keep certain campaign promises. He has eased up on his exceptions to political appointees doing lobbying work apparently because it's too difficult to find people with political experience who have not lobbied at one time or other.

That may well be, given the state of things in the Capitol. Influence peddling has, is, and always will play some part in government activities. Personally, I really could care less about someone's lobbying. I am concerned, though, with the amount of slack that many seem willing to offer Mr. Obama. Almost everyone seems to be taking the approach that it isn't that big of a deal to back off from what was called for in the campaign.

Would they have given former President Bush such a grace period? Methinks not. But as that shall always be nothing more than conjecture I will content myself with the thought that, along with Tom Daschle's tax problems, we may have seen the first dropping of an Obamabomb. I highly expect it will not be the last.

Nobody does it Better

Rush Limbaugh has said, as one of his undeniable truths of life, that the Pittsburgh Steelers of 1975-1980 were the greatest football team ever. I hate to disagree with Rush, so I'll say that he may have to amend that if the current batch of Steelers continue their ways.

They did what they had to do when it had to be done yesterday. That in itself is a mark of greatness. And while the Arizona Cardinals played well and made it competitive, in the end they couldn't match up. Big Ben and Santonio Holmes made sure of that.

So that makes six titles for one of the most venerable programs in the National Football League. I can remember each one, being a Steelers fan since I was 12 and with no local team to root for except the Lions (which means no local team to root for). I feel as good today as I did when they won their first Super Bowl back in 1975. Very good in fact.

GO STEELERS!

I Wish I Owned the Roads - Or - I'm Becoming A Curmudgeon: Part Six in an Everlasting Series

I wish I owned the roads as much as a lot of pedestrians seem to think they do. I am sick and tired of folks walking in the middle of the road, only begrudgingly giving way to vehicular traffic as it approaches. Approaches slowly, mind you, because if Heaven forbid you hit them it's on you, despite the fact that they're where they should not be.

The lack of consideration for drivers as well as their own safety is appalling. This morning two people were blocking the farthest right driving lane walking towards me on a main artery six lanes wide, while the sidewalks alongside were completely cleared of snow and ice. I could cut them slack if they were in the curb lane and the walks overrun with snow or debris or what have you, but they were clear and easy to step along. Why are you two idiots in the street?

It's actually worse on side streets. I've come along high school age morons walking five abreast in the middle of the road, blocking it completely. Before you dismiss this as simply younger folks not thinking, I've seen it with adults all too often. Then, as I said, they'll only grudgingly part enough for your car, and I mean only enough for your car, to pass by, sneering at you as you do. They act as though you're the one intruding on their space.

I've been offered explanations but, quick frankly, none pan out. A guy told me it was to keep off the walks for safety: someone might run out from between houses and grab or rob them. Sorry, my friends, that's just, if you'll excuse me, grasping for justification. Why couldn't someone run from a crouch between cars and get you? Perhaps the walks aren't clear? But we've addressed that: it doesn't wash, either.

The short story is that it's arrogance. They walk in the street because they can, and it's a way of showing they own you. If you have a better explanation, I'm all ears. Until then, I hold that they ought to smacked upside the head and told to be considerate of how the road was intended to be used.