Courage by definition; mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. No where is the word abused more than in Hollywood. We often here how courageous an actor was for his or her speaking out on something they consider of significant import. Or perhaps a screen writer in the comfort of his American home bangs out a few words that might shed light on a subject or pry open a taboo. When the stream of endless award shows come along we are likely to hear how courageous he is.
Another arena in which the word is abused is politics. Yes, there have been instances of courage in our past by politicians however it has usually come after some group of activists have taken the lead and suffered greatly in order to move the issue to the forefront.
I think of courage more in a vision than in words. When I see a fire truck headed down the street to what ever unknown event awaits the occupants, I often wonder to myself whether I could have such courage. In recent memory we have the Worcester cold storage facility and the twin towers experience to vividly etch a vision of courage in our minds. What could have been in the minds of these men when they willingly walked into these inferno's for the benefit of others?
Courage is the word that came to my mind immediately when I viewed the following clip. Please, do yourself a favor and watch and hear what this woman has to say. http://switch5.castup.net/frames/20041020_MemriTV_Popup/video_480x360.asp?ai=214&ar=1050wmv&ak=null
This is a video excerpt of an Al-Jazeera interview featuring a Syrian born but now American psychologist by the name of Dr. Wafa Sultan. It is an extraordinary display of courage in that it most certainly places her life in jeopardy. It does not enrage just one or two nuts that might take her life. Instead it directly attacks and ridicules the entire concept of militant Islam as well as the over all supernatural aspects of any religion. It heaps ridicule upon the hierarchy of the religious elite in the Middle East. In one short interview this woman directly challenges the people of Islam to drive out the elements that hold it adherents back from participating in a 21st century world.
The other two participants in the exchange are reduced to witch doctors shouting heretic when faced with the overwhelmingly logical presentation by Dr. Sultan. What could millions of Muslims been thinking when they witnessed a woman embarrassing Islamic "experts" in a verbal conflict over the direction of their lives and their entire history and culture?
What must not be overlooked as well is the importance of the role that Al-Jazeera played in the showing of this interview. We have seen much criticism of the Qatar based television station here in the US but one must wonder after viewing this exchange whether or not that criticism is accurate. That Al-Jazzeera would have the audacity to air such statements that are viewed as blasphemy by Islamic clerics is an enormous display of freedom of speech in the cloistered world of Muslim countries. This was more than printing a couple of cartoons.
The winds of change are beginning to blow even more strongly in the lands of the Prophet.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Election day food drive
Fortunately for all of us, this winter has been a relatively mild one. We have had few storms of significant snowfall and for the most part temperatures have been moderate in comparison to a regular New England winter. This has been beneficial to the municipal snow removal budget as well as to our own utility budgets. With the sky rocketing price of heating oil, gas and electric utilities, we had the potential for significant negative economic impact for all of us in the business, municipal and residential budgets.
Whenever there is economic upheaval, some members of the community are put under additional stress. These are the most vulnerable of our friends and neighbors and it is this group that needs our attention. The first and foremost safety net that a community must have in place is a strong and well supported food pantry. We are lucky to have such an organization in Burlington, however, every now and then it needs a big boost from all of us.
Just such an opportunity is about to present itself on election day April 8th. Election day this year is likely to be an exceptional one for two reasons. With six selectmen candidates and a contested school committee race coupled with the town center overlay referendum question, we are likely to get a very heavy voter turnout. Examples of this are two years ago when we had 34% turnout with six Selectmen candidates as well as the 49% turnout for the referendum question on Winn Street back 15 years or so.
Let's be optimistic and say that of the approximately 14,000 registered voters in town we are going to see 40% turnout on election day. That would give 5600 people in Burlington an opportunity to contribute to an organization that is vital to our community. It is vital to you as well if for some reason you find yourself in a time of need.
A table will be set up and manned by volunteers to accept your donations of food. They could consist of things we are all familiar with. Undented canned goods that are in within allowed dates containing fruits and vegetables, soups and juices, as well as peanut butter and jelly and other staples that you can think of are all appreciated. Yes, money is always a good idea and the checks can be made out to the Burlington Food Pantry.
We have a few weeks to go between now and the election and certainly will be making a few trips to the food store. As you are traversing aisle after aisle of the splendid selections available in the average American food store please keep in mind just for a moment someone who does not have those same choices available and drop a couple of extra cans in your cart. By doing so, one of the statements you will be making on election day is that no one can ever be allowed to go hungry here.
Whenever there is economic upheaval, some members of the community are put under additional stress. These are the most vulnerable of our friends and neighbors and it is this group that needs our attention. The first and foremost safety net that a community must have in place is a strong and well supported food pantry. We are lucky to have such an organization in Burlington, however, every now and then it needs a big boost from all of us.
Just such an opportunity is about to present itself on election day April 8th. Election day this year is likely to be an exceptional one for two reasons. With six selectmen candidates and a contested school committee race coupled with the town center overlay referendum question, we are likely to get a very heavy voter turnout. Examples of this are two years ago when we had 34% turnout with six Selectmen candidates as well as the 49% turnout for the referendum question on Winn Street back 15 years or so.
Let's be optimistic and say that of the approximately 14,000 registered voters in town we are going to see 40% turnout on election day. That would give 5600 people in Burlington an opportunity to contribute to an organization that is vital to our community. It is vital to you as well if for some reason you find yourself in a time of need.
A table will be set up and manned by volunteers to accept your donations of food. They could consist of things we are all familiar with. Undented canned goods that are in within allowed dates containing fruits and vegetables, soups and juices, as well as peanut butter and jelly and other staples that you can think of are all appreciated. Yes, money is always a good idea and the checks can be made out to the Burlington Food Pantry.
We have a few weeks to go between now and the election and certainly will be making a few trips to the food store. As you are traversing aisle after aisle of the splendid selections available in the average American food store please keep in mind just for a moment someone who does not have those same choices available and drop a couple of extra cans in your cart. By doing so, one of the statements you will be making on election day is that no one can ever be allowed to go hungry here.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Regrets for clear thinking
Every once in a while things happen in Massachusetts that makes a natives head spin. A perfect example occurred this week as a result of Lt. Governor Kerry Healey's announcement of the selection of her running mate in the upcoming race. It has become a rather odd practice when you consider that her selection has virtually no impact because both the governor and lieutenant governor run independently in the primary and if you don't win your respective spot you don't get on the ballot in the general election.
Healey is vying to replace Mitt Romney as governor and now has selected former state representative and former head of the state police, Reed Hillman as her preference for a running mate. I first heard the news in a short blurb on the radio and was a bit curious to know who Reed Hillman is and what qualifications and experience he might have for the job.
I should have known better than to expect the Globe to have any kind of in depth look at the guy. The headline was "Hillman voices regret on policy" with the following in smaller letters, "Former colonel introduced as Healey's choice". The complete story can be found here http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/03/10/hillman_voices_regret_on_policy/?page=1
The policy that is in question here was a 1997 decision to put pregnant Massachusetts state troopers on light duty. Apparently Hillman had the audacity to put in place a policy that tried to prevent pregnant women from becoming involved in such things as gunfights, high speed chases and physical confrontations with suspected criminals.
Mr. Hillman had the misguided notion that he was protecting those women and that perhaps their condition might interfere with the performance of the duties of a police officer. Little did he know that this would result in a lawsuit by 4 female troopers that took issue with this and considered it discrimination.
On the surface any clear thinking judge in any other court room in the land might have simply tossed such a suit in the trash. If you guessed that's what happened here then guess again! In 2002 a Suffolk Superior Court jury found in favor of the four women and awarded a million dollars in punitive damages.
The net result was at the press conference announcing his selection as Healey's running mate, Hillman instead of standing behind common sense and suggesting that the jury's decision was a stupid one. Hillman voiced regret and issued a mea culpa that was then trumpeted by the Globe. We are now all assured that Mr. Hillman can be trusted to guarantee women's rights.
Healey is vying to replace Mitt Romney as governor and now has selected former state representative and former head of the state police, Reed Hillman as her preference for a running mate. I first heard the news in a short blurb on the radio and was a bit curious to know who Reed Hillman is and what qualifications and experience he might have for the job.
I should have known better than to expect the Globe to have any kind of in depth look at the guy. The headline was "Hillman voices regret on policy" with the following in smaller letters, "Former colonel introduced as Healey's choice". The complete story can be found here http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/03/10/hillman_voices_regret_on_policy/?page=1
The policy that is in question here was a 1997 decision to put pregnant Massachusetts state troopers on light duty. Apparently Hillman had the audacity to put in place a policy that tried to prevent pregnant women from becoming involved in such things as gunfights, high speed chases and physical confrontations with suspected criminals.
Mr. Hillman had the misguided notion that he was protecting those women and that perhaps their condition might interfere with the performance of the duties of a police officer. Little did he know that this would result in a lawsuit by 4 female troopers that took issue with this and considered it discrimination.
On the surface any clear thinking judge in any other court room in the land might have simply tossed such a suit in the trash. If you guessed that's what happened here then guess again! In 2002 a Suffolk Superior Court jury found in favor of the four women and awarded a million dollars in punitive damages.
The net result was at the press conference announcing his selection as Healey's running mate, Hillman instead of standing behind common sense and suggesting that the jury's decision was a stupid one. Hillman voiced regret and issued a mea culpa that was then trumpeted by the Globe. We are now all assured that Mr. Hillman can be trusted to guarantee women's rights.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Gotta love those radicals
I can remember almost to the day when I became aware that I had an overwhelming interest in politics and world events. It was the first day of school in the eighth grade. My teacher that year was the first of two unforgettable buzz cut former marines that I would have for civics and history class teachers.
From the very beginning of that first civics class it was impressed upon me the uniqueness of our political system and the important role that radicals had in our nations history. In this class every aspect of our creation was detailed from a variety of perspectives. Those perspectives included the good AND the bad. As important as the over all historical information was I now feel even more strongly that the way my teacher conducted the class had an even greater impact on me as an adult.
It was clear to me that he was a former marine who had served proudly and was a patriot and had great faith in his nation. It was just as clear to me that he felt that in his teaching it was necessary for any and all points of view to be aired, and considered in a thoughtful and analytical way.
Beyond the necessary class room decorum for 14 years olds there were few other boundaries for all of our opinions on historic or contemporary current events and politics. The subject of the day was covered in detail, thrown open for discussion and a free wheeling debate took place.
The real appreciation I have for him now was that he could easily adapt his point of view to be in complete contrast to what we as a class were thinking. When he sensed that we were like a little group of intellectual honey bees swarming around one line of thinking he would adapt and throw into the mix something completely contradictory to what we had smugly adopted as correct.
Frequently these interjections were not what one would expect from a ram rod straight super patriotic "hoorah" marine. They were often radical and outrageous affronts to us suburban middle class white kids. The more we would protest and attack his preposterous positions the more he would aggravate us with minority opinion or hard left or right doctrine. The hallmark of his teachings was that nothing was a sacred cow, no dogma was above inspection and no country or institution was exempt from criticism.
I am thinking of him this week and appreciating him even more because of the controversy involving a geography and history teacher by the name of Jay Bennish. One of his students had taped a lecture given by Mr. Bennish and it is now circulating through out the net. Some people are taking umbrage at the content and style of Mr. Bennish. The transcript of this tape can be read here http://michellemalkin.com/archives/004689.htm
Taken as one example of a class, perhaps it might be considered indoctrination by a left wing radical. However, when I both heard and read the text of these comments I was instantly transported back 40 years ago to a young marine standing in front of a group of 30 eighth graders saying almost the exact same types of things.
I look back at the time not as a period of indoctrination but more so as the exact time in my life when I began to acquire and to hone my critical and strategic thinking skills. It sounds to me as though Mr. Bennish was trying to do the same things with his students.
From the very beginning of that first civics class it was impressed upon me the uniqueness of our political system and the important role that radicals had in our nations history. In this class every aspect of our creation was detailed from a variety of perspectives. Those perspectives included the good AND the bad. As important as the over all historical information was I now feel even more strongly that the way my teacher conducted the class had an even greater impact on me as an adult.
It was clear to me that he was a former marine who had served proudly and was a patriot and had great faith in his nation. It was just as clear to me that he felt that in his teaching it was necessary for any and all points of view to be aired, and considered in a thoughtful and analytical way.
Beyond the necessary class room decorum for 14 years olds there were few other boundaries for all of our opinions on historic or contemporary current events and politics. The subject of the day was covered in detail, thrown open for discussion and a free wheeling debate took place.
The real appreciation I have for him now was that he could easily adapt his point of view to be in complete contrast to what we as a class were thinking. When he sensed that we were like a little group of intellectual honey bees swarming around one line of thinking he would adapt and throw into the mix something completely contradictory to what we had smugly adopted as correct.
Frequently these interjections were not what one would expect from a ram rod straight super patriotic "hoorah" marine. They were often radical and outrageous affronts to us suburban middle class white kids. The more we would protest and attack his preposterous positions the more he would aggravate us with minority opinion or hard left or right doctrine. The hallmark of his teachings was that nothing was a sacred cow, no dogma was above inspection and no country or institution was exempt from criticism.
I am thinking of him this week and appreciating him even more because of the controversy involving a geography and history teacher by the name of Jay Bennish. One of his students had taped a lecture given by Mr. Bennish and it is now circulating through out the net. Some people are taking umbrage at the content and style of Mr. Bennish. The transcript of this tape can be read here http://michellemalkin.com/archives/004689.htm
Taken as one example of a class, perhaps it might be considered indoctrination by a left wing radical. However, when I both heard and read the text of these comments I was instantly transported back 40 years ago to a young marine standing in front of a group of 30 eighth graders saying almost the exact same types of things.
I look back at the time not as a period of indoctrination but more so as the exact time in my life when I began to acquire and to hone my critical and strategic thinking skills. It sounds to me as though Mr. Bennish was trying to do the same things with his students.
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