Nightmare in Gaza

Do the Israelis really have to kill hundreds of Palestinians, including mothers and children to stop Hamas' rockets from being launched into Israel? Do the Israeli's not understand that they are only deepening the hatred of themselves by the unnecessary killing? Do they really care? My opinion, no to all.

They have made feeble attempts to alert the Palestinians, when they are going to bomb or shell. However, when there are millions of people squeezed into a small area, exactly what do the Israelis expect them to do? If they go down the street, they are just as likely to be killed as not. It is more like a turkey shoot than anything. "Shooting in amongst them" as Jerry Clower used to say, accomplishes little more than a massacre. It is such a sad story to see such military might used against civilians with such little apparent regret. It is sadder to see our country doing so little to try to stop it.

These attacks by Israel every year or two always kill many, many more Arabs than Israelis and only deepens the resolve of those who would see Israel destroyed. Just as the United States' actions in Iraq were recruiting fuel for Islamic fundamentalist hate groups, so are the actions of Israel each time hundreds or thousands are killed at the hands of Israel's U.S. supplied army. Those young children, who see their brothers, sisters, parents and extended family killed by the Israeli army, are fodder in the hands of extremists. How easy it must be to eventually recruit them as suicide bombers or other soldiers, marching against the hated Israelis and Americans.

For the last eight years we have encouraged Israel's bullying behavior. Granted they have to defend themselves, but do they have to massacre so many in the process? Surely there are better ways to accomplish their goals. They didn't succeed with this kind of action in Lebanon a couple of years ago, nor will they succeed this time. If their goal is to lower the population of Palestine, they are doing so, but I have grave doubts that they will bring an end to violent attacks on themselves. Instead, they may very well have ensured even worse attacks against their homeland.

Democrat Panties?

The Wasilla Soap Opera

In recent weeks we have seen much in the press about the soap opera being played out in Wasilla, Alaska. First Sherry Johnston, Levi's mother, was arrested for selling the prescription drug, Oxycontin. (No details on whether comedian Rush Limbaugh was a customer.) Then a baby, supposedly fathered by Sherry's son, Levi, was born to unwed mother, Bristol Palin, daughter of Alaska governor and VP candidate, Sarah Palin. In recent days word has come down that Levi has quit his apprentice job in the oil fields, due to the fact that he did not have the required high school diploma.

Some wonder why attention is being payed to this group of ne'er-do-wells. I'm sure there are many who do not even believe or know this is happening, because they only read the right wing press and get very little information on their heroes' shady lives. If Sarah Palin had never entered the spotlight and never declared herself a possible candidate for something national, we wouldn't know or care what is going on in her life. If she had never established herself and her family as such examples of Godliness and "small town values" no one would care.

I can not believe that anyone would see her as a viable candidate for any office above governor of Alaska, but since there are many who, for some unexplainable reason, think she could perform at a higher level, we must keep an eye on her. As hard as it is to take her seriously, we have to remember that George W. Bush won two terms as President of the United States. Anything is possible in today's USA.

We cannot let Sarah Palin and her sordid life slip away from us. She must be watched and evaluated, e'er she actually come out and declare herself ready to run for the highest office in the land. We must watch how she conducts herself and the decisions she makes as governor from now on. If she is turned out as governor in the next election, she should be finished, but surprise, surprise, the people of Alaska elected her once, and could do so again. As ugly as it may become, the watch must continue.

Incidentally, I just read that Sarah Palin says that the media is nicer to Caroline Kennedy because of "class bias." I'm not sure how anyone came to compare the two, but, no, Sarah, it isn't class bias. Caroline Kennedy has yet to demonstrate a level of ignorance that rivals yours.