Fired-up, Sen Kerry returns to Senate
Progress Still Has a Friend in John Kerry
When I think of John Kerry, I think of Atticus Finch in Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird". In an atmosphere of social divisiveness, fear and hatred, perhaps John didn't have a presidential win in the cards, but he won't let it stop him from being the man of integrity that he has always been.
In the film version, with Gregory Peck, there is a poignant courtroom scene where Atticus Finch seems very much alone in the wake of his heart-wrenching loss in the downstairs chamber of the courtroom, but above him, there are seats still filled upstairs and every person stands in homage while Atticus passes below.
I stand with all who supported Mr. Kerry and salute him for what he tried to do, and what we know he could have done for America. I'm so very glad he'll be fighting for us in the Senate. There's a lot he has learned from this experience and it will make him the most valuable Senator we could have on realistic democracy's side.
Thank you, Senator Kerry.
Godspeed.
Divisive Dobson Promotes Fear, Anger, Hate
..
with no apologies
Read this exchange between George Stephanopoulos and James Dobson (Talking Points Memo)It seems clear, that for all his hype about Christian values, that Dobson doesn't actually believe it himself with this public breakdown of humility on ABC, as you will read. Perhaps he'd be more credible if he practiced what he preaches.
More importantly, I don't think Mr. Dobson has any serious place on a political talk show. A slim margin of a win favoring Mr. Bush should not subject the record-setting millions of people out here (many of us people of deep personal faith) to be subject to this sort of insult to our secular/political intelligence. We understand that Mr. Dobson's repressive "family values" agenda will be used as an excuse to roll back every attempt at progressive social thinking, and half the nation prefers a progressive approach.
Neither the network media nor the cable news media is a friend of progress. They are a friend of controversy and cold hard cash. Their employees look like stooges. I wish they were fair, realistic, and honest. I have abandoned them as a credible source of information for subjecting us to this sort of hype. The ratings-generating circus is more important to then than the truth. As I passed by the cable news networks with my television remote today, I saw more tripe about Kobe Bryant and Laci Peterson than I saw the truth about the razing of Fallujah.
I'm thankful for the internet for the sane voices of my own people here in America. The blogs are far more reality-based. Josh Marshall, Daily Kos, Kid Oakland (at Daily Kos), American Street, William Rivers Pitt (Truthout), Atrios, Raw Story, Anonymoses, The Revealer, American Amnesia, Voice of a Veteran, Hope4America, Buzzflash, G.D. Frogsdong, The Moderate Voice (Joe Gandelman), Lew Rockwell.com, are just a few of the bloggers and internet writers I am grateful to have as my companions on the road toward the saving of American sanity within our democracy.
