The Thought Police

One of the things I love about this country is the protection of speech. In other countries men and women are currently sitting in jails facing sentences as dire as death for merely speaking out, for having opinions, for saying things that spark debate. But in America, within reason, we can stand up and speak and are heard by our fellow citizens. The marketplace of ideas that stands a cornerstone of our democracy is well-stocked and allowed to flourish.

Or so I thought.

You see, some of the things a marketplace of ideas contains are disgusting. They offend the heart and spirit. But in doing so, they reaffirm our own beliefs. When the Ku Klux Klan has a rally, I am reminded of why I stand for tolerance and diversity. When I hear war hawks talk of bombing, I know why it is I support diplomacy and peace. And when I hear well off men and women talk disparagingly about the poor, I know why it is that I am a Democrat.

But perhaps the marketplace is not as well stocked or protected as I believed. In Wisconsin last week, a teacher was arrested for a posting on a blog. In that posting, the teacher and former teachers union president praised the Columbine shooters. He, according to the news report, "wrote that teacher salaries made him sick because they are lazy and work only five hours a day. He praised the teen gunmen who killed 12 students and a teacher before committing suicide in the April 1999 attack at Columbine High School."

He then continued to write, "They knew how to deal with the overpaid teacher union thugs. One shot at a time!"

Even if this was an attempt at satire or sarcasm, even if it was a parody of his perception of those who oppose increasing teacher pay, the words are vile. They are at the least ill-chosen and at the worst insensitive and offensive. But what they are not is criminal.

However disturbing or disgusting I may find these statements, you can count me among those who support his right to say them. Why? Because when the prevailing winds of opinion or politics change and my words are found offensive, I don't want to be sitting in some jail hoping that cooler heads prevail. And you should feel the same way.

Whether you are a right-wing nut job or a left-wing pinko commie, you have the right to speak. And you should not be jailed for your words, you should not be arrested for having an opinion. It is not the role of the state to regulate this type of speech, that right falls to a free society. As consumers in the marketplace of ideas, you have a right buy or not to buy. You even have the right to boycott, but the government should not and cannot arrest a man for writing such words, even if they are offensive to the heart.

The American armed forces have bombed and killed innocents on the orders of our government. I find it offensive. I don't believe the war was justified and the constant drum beat of war propoganda coming from the mouth pieces at the White House is painful for me to hear. But it is not criminal, it is essencial to the public debate about the future of this country.

So I beg you, read the words of this teacher and be offended, but recognize the law that should protect him from prosecution is the same law that protects you and me. It is the same law that allows me to publicly disagree with the President on the war. It is the same law that allows the morons in my town to blame every problem "on those damn illegal Mexicans." And it the same law that keeps us free and our democracy alive.

Quick Hits and Lovely Links

The news in the world is weird and wonderful. Sometimes I just can't believe what I'm reading and other times...well I just don't know what the hell to think.

"I thought you had it!"

It seems like a simple thing, but I guess if you get in the business of dealing drugs, nothing is really simple. Don't sample too much of the product, particularly when you are smuggling it around the US road ways. Being stoned is really the only good explanation for losing 60 lbs. of product along the side of the road. And here I thought Cheech and Chong had retired. Apparently, they just went into private practice.
Yahoo: Road Workers Find 60 lbs. of Weed

Fool me once...

I'm pretty sure you're supposed to know your left from your right when you're a freakin' brain surgeon, unless you practice at Rhode Island Hospital. These morons operated on the wrong side of a patient's brain not once, not twice, but on three separate occasions in a year. The first time, hey, everyone makes mistakes. But after the second screw up, wouldn't you start asking "are you sure it's this side?" before you start carving? Oh, the punishment? $50,000 and a reprimand. I bet the surgery cost more than that. Personally, I think they ought to fire the head of surgery, jerk the hospital's accreditation, and stick them for at least 7 figures. Hey, the kid in the picture seems to be doing a good job, they could always hire him.Hospital makes 3rd brain surgery mistake

Canadian Beer Bad for the Environment

It seems that one-in-three Canadian households has a refridgerator dedicated to beer. One-in-three! And these aren't the top of the line jobs, these are the 20 year-old clunkers that make the dial on the electric meter spin faster than a politician. You know, I can't decide what I found more interesting about this story. Was it the fact that one-in-three Canucks has a beer fridge or that the study that found them to be draining the world of fossil fuels was sponsored by the Canadian government? Man, how would you like to be the guy who conned them into that grant! A government sponsored country-wide road-trip survey of beer fridges!

Of course, now that I think about it, if Canada has so little to worry about that they think this is a good use of government funds, maybe they've got something good going on after all. Canadian Beer Fridges

Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect 5,000 euros

Thieves walked into a German church, during services, and walked out with a 300 year-old bible worth 5,000 euros. Oh, and they emptied the collection plate as well. I don't know much, but I do know this: Stealing a rare Bible from a church has got to get you the Fast Pass to hell, particularly if you pocket the charity money collected to feed the poor while you're at it. Dudes, liquor stores not interesting enough for you? Banks too tough? Unless it's a special order from a collector, you'll never be able to sell the Bible, so why not send it back and stick to more traditional crimes, like rolling American tourists and mugging little old ladies.

NEW LINKS!

Regular readers may have noticed two new links in the favorites list: ER RN and CRZEGRL. Both of these blogs are by nurses, one from the ER and one from a Medivac chopper. If you want to know what it is like to do the amazing work they do, from the war stories to the emotional roller coaster, give these two a read. It is well worth the trip, I promise.

Cheney has bad heart rhythm

I actually think the bigger story here is that Cheney still has a heart. I guess I just assumed it pulled a Grinch and shrunk to next to nothing.

Cheney has Irregular Heart Beat

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. On this day I think about all the people who have so little, who are suffering illness or loss of a loved one and hope that I can find the strength to look past my petty worries just long enough to truly feel thankful for what I have. For my family, my friends, and my readers I am thankful. I know that I don't write enough, and yet, a solid number of readers keep checking in. I appreciate your taking the time and hope that you too have things for which you can be thankful.

To all, even my international readers who probably aren't sitting down to a turkey dinner with all "the fixin's", a very happy Thanksgiving and thank you for stopping by The T-Dude. Your readership means a lot to me and it is truly one of the things I am thankful for on this day.

I think I'll fly naked next time...

What was the big news yesterday? The war perhaps? No? Hmmmmm, let me think...was it the Presidential race? No? Oh, I know. It was the Hooters waitress who got kicked off Southwest airlines for showing too much cleavage and thigh who is now appearing naked in Playboy. Silly me, of course all the major news sites covered that, it's huge news, right?

I know, I sound like a curmudgeon, but this isn't about whether or not Kyla Ebbert should sell naked pictures of herself for money. Go for it honey. Honestly, if that's how you want to make a living, what business is it of mine?

But how is this news? It was barely news when she got told she couldn't fly wearing the provocative but nowhere near obscene outfit you see in the picture. But okay, human interest, customer rights, that's a back page news blurb. But that same girl turning her 15 minutes into a nudie spread, why is that news? Is anyone shocked that a waitress from Hooters took tens of thousands of dollars to appear naked so that men could drool and masturbate?

Sorry...that's painting with a broad brush. I'm sure there are waitresses at Hooters who wouldn't pose for Playboy for less than 6 figures.

Fox, CNN, the rest of you guys. Let's try not to act as the marketing arm for Hugh Hefner and the rest of the folks hangin' in the grotto, okay? They can handle that on their own. Just give me the freakin' news.

Thanks.

If I can't be the quarterback, then I'm going home...

The end has finally come for the head of the great Foley coverup. Dennis Hastert has announced that he will resign before the end of the year.

Good.

Anyone who would protect a pederast like Foley in an effort to save his own position as Speaker of the House should go home.

I just wish he would have gotten the same treatment that Foley gave those interns before he left.

Dogs and Cats Living Together...

Pat Robertson just endorsed Rudy Giuliani. Pat fucking Robertson. If that doesn't show just how politically driven the religious right is, nothing will. Giuliani supports a woman's right to choose. Pat Robertson calls abortionists murderers. I honestly don't even know what else to say...but I feel a tome coming on real soon. Between the moment of silence (prayer) my kids suddenly have to endure and this, I think I smell something in wind and it seems to be coming from the religious right. And it ain't incense I can tell you that.

CNN: Giuliani, McCain pick up key Christian conservative backing

Quick Hits III

It's time for another quick hits, those little moments of clarity or "Huh?" that were noted over the past few days. So dig right in.

Fall back an hour and die!

A new study shows that several hundred people die a year thanks to the change back from Daylight Savings Time. I knew there was a reason I hated day light savings. Of course, if you believe the story about how they delayed the day for the change back to regular time this year under pressure from the candy lobby (more favorable for trick or treating), then you could argue that candy is killing these people.

Pedestrians 3 times more likely to be killed when clocks change, study says

Say What, Fred?

I was watching Fred Thompson on Press the Meet yesterday and learned that not only does Fred like to go third-person when talking about himself, he thinks that all the tough questions are a matter of State's Rights. For example:

MR. THOMPSON: I have always—and that’s been my position the entire time I’ve been in politics. I thought Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided. I think this platform originally came out as a response to particularly Roe v. Wade because of that. Before Roe v. Wade, states made those decisions. I think people ought to be free at state and local levels to make decisions that even Fred Thompson disagrees with. That’s what freedom is all about. And I think the diversity we have among the states, the system of federalism we have where power is divided between the state and the federal government is, is, is—serves us very, very well. I think that’s true of abortion. I think Roe v. Wade hopefully one day will be overturned, and we can go back to the pre-Roe v. Wade days. But...

MR. RUSSERT: Each state would make their own abortion laws.

MR. THOMPSON: Yeah. But, but, but to, to, to have an amendment compelling—going back even further than pre-Roe v. Wade, to have a constitutional amendment to do that, I do not think would be the way to go.

That's pretty slick Fred! You get to be against a woman's right to choose without being a complete threat to women.

Here, read it for yourself. But be aware, there are moments when I'm not sure even Fred knows what Fred is trying to say and reading that kind of useless tripe can be detrimental to your health.

Meet the Press’ transcript for Nov. 4, 2007

Trick or Treat

My wife and I went trick or treating with the kids. I'm not sure who had more fun. There was even theme music! Read her account of it here: You're Boring Me

"Liquor? I could barely see her!"

For those of you who read my earlier post on the strangeness that is Utah and thought it couldn't be any stranger, you couldn't be more wrong.

According to this article in the Salt Lake Tribune, even the sight of a bottle of booze is offensive and liquor control commissioner Bobbie Coray wants her colleagues to do something about it.

A glass partition between bartenders and customers required under current regulations may not be enough, Coray told her fellow liquor control commissioners at their monthly meeting.

Coray, a lone holdout opposing liquor licenses for strip bars, now wants the commission to place more restrictions on glass partitions in restaurants. She called the partitions "a Zion curtain," imposed to satisfy Mormons whose faith eschews alcohol.

Glass walls don't obscure the alcohol, said Coray, a nondrinker, turning the "atmosphere in a restaurant to more of a bar." She singled out the Cheesecake Factory, which opens its first Utah outlet at Fashion Place in Murray on Nov. 1, because alcohol bottles are in plain view.

The Cheesecake Factory? Really. Wow, I bet they were serving up flaming shots and dancin' naked on the bar in the Cheesecake Factory.

I swear, this is the most uptight place in the U.S. They make the southern bible thumpers look like drunken fornicators.

Actually, that isn't true. You still have those southern dry counties where they attempt to practice what they preach. In Utah, it's all about the almighty dollar. They don't want the Mormons offended, but they still want the revenue from the heathens who demand a drink. They just don't want to see you do it.

So, for those of you scoring at home, in Utah: Liquor = Bad; Money = Good. Resulting in some of the dumbest laws currently on the books.

Here is a primer for Utah's silly liquor laws. Utah's Peculiar & Curious Liquor Laws

J.K. Rowling Punches Religious Wackos Straight In the Kisser

At a recent event, J.K. Rowling revealed that Dumbledore, one of her most beloved characters from the Harry Potter series, was gay.

Wow. She created a gay character that wasn't made gay for the purpose of using the false stereotype gay character. It's was perfect. Dumbledore was an authority figure, a mentor, a protector, a defender of truth and good, he was a hero who sacrificed himself to save others and because of that he is loved by millions. And oh, by the way, he happens to be gay.

Not everyone likes her work, Rowling said, likely referring to Christian groups that have alleged the books promote witchcraft. Her news about Dumbledore, she said, will give them one more reason.

My wife is a good Christian and she adored the Harry Potter series. She knows what the far right fanatics don't remember, that Christians love, not hate. That they care, they don't attack. And all of those self-proclaimed Christians who attacked the books as a bad influence on children are flat-out wrong in her eyes.

So bring it on right-wing religious wackos. Tell everyone that Dumbledore is a threat to the Christian way of life. I dare you. Please. Pretty please! Literally millions of children out there need to learn exactly how out of touch, demented and dangerous you really are. Thank you J.K. for using the power of a fairy tale to illustrate why people need to denounce the far-right's hate filled view of the world and embrace tolerance, love and compassion. It is a powerful lesson that millions of children will learn thanks to you. And thank you J.K. for giving these false purveyors of piety the rope with which to hang themselves.

Brilliant...absolutely brilliant.