Tim Tebow is a Christian. We know that, or at least he told us that, every football game last season. He put Bible verses in the black under his eyes. Nothing wrong with that, even if it is a bit over the top. It is a free county. He is free to proselytize as much as he wants, I suppose. I doubt that many football fans took the time to look up the Bible verses, but he may have affected a few.
Now Tebow has chosen to cooperate with Focus on the Family, one of the notorious political/religious organizations, in an anti-abortion ad to be run during the super bowl. In the ad Tebow's mother is supposedly characterized as having chosen to risk her life to have him, when doctors recommended that she have an abortion to avoid endangering her life. Nothing wrong with that...or is there? Apparently, Ms Tebow was a missionary in the Philippines at the time of her problem. The issue? Abortion has been illegal in that country since the 1930's. The law makes no exceptions for the health of the mother. Any doctor performing an abortion there is subject to a prison term, so it is very doubtful that a doctor in that country would have recommended an abortion.
If Ms Tebow and Focus on the Family are lying, it would not be surprising. Focus on the Family has never been above twisting the facts to advance its political agenda. Ms Tebow and her son are simply being used by this less than stellar organization, either willingly or through duplicity in order to fuel the abortion controversy. My guess is that the Tebows are doing this willingly and did not realize that, once the controversial ad was publicized, there would be someone smart enough to smell a rat. It is a learning experience for the young man, one of many he will learn as he enters the world of professional sports.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
We Should Help Haiti
Recently, I have seen many cynical comments on various news sites about the aid that is going to Haiti from this country. I have seen several comments from friends on Facebook, decrying the fact that millions are being spent by the U.S. government on the relief efforts in that country, while there are millions of people in the U.S., who are homeless and in need of food. Actually, the amounts being spent in that country are minuscule, compared to the money raised and spent by charities and the government on poverty and homelessness here at home.
Some of these folks do not want to see their tax money spent in Haiti, either because they are simply too nationalistic and do not want to sent aid anywhere, or because Haiti has a predominately black population. We all heard from Comedian, Rush Limbaugh, with his racist comments regarding the President's motivation for providing assistance. I have also seen comments from those who say that any such aid is motivated by politics, and that politicians should be sending their own money, not the government's money. In reality, these complainers are making more of a political issue of this than the politicians.
First and foremost, we should assist Haiti because of humanitarian reasons. Haiti is our neighbor and neighbors should help neighbors. The U.S. is the leader of the civilized world and the U.S. should set the example. However, since Haiti is a neighbor, we should also be motivated by global politics.
We already have a hostile neighbor off the Florida coast. Venezuela to the south is lead by a hostile dictator. We are fighting a difficult war with the powerful drug cartels in Mexico. Haiti is ripe for the picking by the any hostile group that could gain a foothold. We should work to win the hearts and minds of the people of that country and provide resources to help rebuild and to motivate the people to develop a positive economy and a strong, democratic government.
If ever we should engage in nation building, the time is now and in Haiti. We do not need a totalitarian regime that could be influenced by Cuba, Russia, China or any other of our potential enemies. We certainly do not need drug cartels setting up shop there. A weak and divided Haiti is ripe for the picking. There is no reason to assume control of the country and its government, but the time is now to provide humanitarian and economic aid to help this struggling country and its people maintain their independence and rebuild a country that could be an example to the rest of that region.
Some of these folks do not want to see their tax money spent in Haiti, either because they are simply too nationalistic and do not want to sent aid anywhere, or because Haiti has a predominately black population. We all heard from Comedian, Rush Limbaugh, with his racist comments regarding the President's motivation for providing assistance. I have also seen comments from those who say that any such aid is motivated by politics, and that politicians should be sending their own money, not the government's money. In reality, these complainers are making more of a political issue of this than the politicians.
First and foremost, we should assist Haiti because of humanitarian reasons. Haiti is our neighbor and neighbors should help neighbors. The U.S. is the leader of the civilized world and the U.S. should set the example. However, since Haiti is a neighbor, we should also be motivated by global politics.
We already have a hostile neighbor off the Florida coast. Venezuela to the south is lead by a hostile dictator. We are fighting a difficult war with the powerful drug cartels in Mexico. Haiti is ripe for the picking by the any hostile group that could gain a foothold. We should work to win the hearts and minds of the people of that country and provide resources to help rebuild and to motivate the people to develop a positive economy and a strong, democratic government.
If ever we should engage in nation building, the time is now and in Haiti. We do not need a totalitarian regime that could be influenced by Cuba, Russia, China or any other of our potential enemies. We certainly do not need drug cartels setting up shop there. A weak and divided Haiti is ripe for the picking. There is no reason to assume control of the country and its government, but the time is now to provide humanitarian and economic aid to help this struggling country and its people maintain their independence and rebuild a country that could be an example to the rest of that region.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Looks Like MA Elected Themselves a Bimbo
Wow! I paid little attention to the MA senate election. The truth is I have grown tired of politics. The last few weeks I have taken a vacation from TV news and have read very little on line. However, the MA election has suddenly caught my eye. I had no idea that the Republican elected to the Senate, Scott Brown, was an exhibitionist, that one of his daughters was an American idol contestant, and that his wife is a TV reporter who makes racy videos.
Apparently he put his daughters on display and almost pimped them during his acceptance speech. A photo of the Senator with his bikini-clad daughters has surfaced on the internet. Nothing much wrong with that, I suppose, unless the photo was distributed by Brown. To the family values Republicans it must have been a stretch to elect him. My guess is that they were much like John McCain was with Sarah Palin, so hot to win an election, they did not even bother to look into his background. Yet, as politics goes, even far right Republicans will sell their values to get a vote in the Senate.
It is no wonder that Glen Beck actually said that Brown should be watched: "I want a chastity belt on this man. I want his every move watched in Washington. I don't trust this guy. This one could end with a dead intern. I'm just saying. It could end with a dead intern." For once, Beck might be right. There is no telling what may surface from the Brown's apparently "interesting" past or what gaffs he may make in the future. At any rate we will have to wait and see if, like Palin, Brown is lacking in intellect. My guess is that the people of MA, so accustomed to Teddy Kennedy's representation of them, will be very disappointed. They have made their bed and, unless Beck's dead intern shows up, they have six long years to put up with him.
Apparently he put his daughters on display and almost pimped them during his acceptance speech. A photo of the Senator with his bikini-clad daughters has surfaced on the internet. Nothing much wrong with that, I suppose, unless the photo was distributed by Brown. To the family values Republicans it must have been a stretch to elect him. My guess is that they were much like John McCain was with Sarah Palin, so hot to win an election, they did not even bother to look into his background. Yet, as politics goes, even far right Republicans will sell their values to get a vote in the Senate.
It is no wonder that Glen Beck actually said that Brown should be watched: "I want a chastity belt on this man. I want his every move watched in Washington. I don't trust this guy. This one could end with a dead intern. I'm just saying. It could end with a dead intern." For once, Beck might be right. There is no telling what may surface from the Brown's apparently "interesting" past or what gaffs he may make in the future. At any rate we will have to wait and see if, like Palin, Brown is lacking in intellect. My guess is that the people of MA, so accustomed to Teddy Kennedy's representation of them, will be very disappointed. They have made their bed and, unless Beck's dead intern shows up, they have six long years to put up with him.
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