Bye bye Ed Stein

The Rocky Mt. News (12/24/05) page one headline; 2005 Year in Review, Ed Stein used pen to jab Bush; respond to Katrina misrepresents the motives of their political cartoonist. To “jab” would imply good-natured humor, something Ed Stein could never be accused of when it comes to President Bush. Stein never misses an opportunity to impugn Bush’s integrity or honesty. Stein’s repertoire includes: race-baiting, class-envy, misrepresentation and defamation. Stein’s agenda is not to help us laugh at ourselves or the irony of the human condition, rather Ed Stein consistently uses his unique position of influence to denigrate; the President, Conservatives, People of Faith and America. Case in point; June 11th – Stein slams Kansans’ as religious Neanderthals. Sept. 10th – Stein plays the Katrina race card. Nov. 26th –Stein berates the very same country which insures his right to criticize. When did satirists go from being funny to being mean, from being even-handed to agenda-driven and from being a commentator of the news to perpetuators of partisan lies about those they resent? The people of Colorado have a lot to be proud of, but Stein’s vicious hate-mongering and negativity just doesn’t fit in. Here’s hoping that the Rocky’s “Best of 2006” includes a hearty “bye-bye” to cartoonist Ed Stein.

Dreaming of a better day

Perhaps the Mainstream Media (MSM) has created such a negative impression of the new State of Iraq, that a 70% voter turn-out in the most recent election truly shocked, even the most uninformed observer. As a result, the MSM had no choice but to positively report on this event. I can’t say where I saw it, but one Iraqi interviewed on TV, about voting under threat of terrorist retaliation said, “Give me Liberty or give me Death.” Patrick Henry himself would be proud.

I thought President Bush did a fine job in his nationally televised Prime Time speech. And while I agree with most, if not all of what he said, I would have preferred to have heard him say, “My Fellow Americans, tonight I can report to you that the police action in Iraq is progressing nicely. We are kicking the crap out of the terrorists, the latest election went better than we had hoped for and eventually Saddam and his top henchmen will go the way of Tookie Williams. Truthfully, I see much bigger problems right here in our own backyard; out-of-control liberal commentators, disloyal Democrats and out and out treason at the New York Times. Well, I’m happy to announce that as I am speaking, special units of the U.S. military have occupied the offices and plant at the New York and L.A. Times, their ownership, management and news staffs are being rounded up and will be immediately confined to secret Concentration Camps located in foreign countries that have not signed the Geneva Convention. I know that it was just the New York Times which committed treason by releasing the NSA spy story this past week, but I thought we should throw in the L.A. times just for good measure. As for these whiny, mealy-mouthed Democrats that keep complaining about our use of “torture” to squeeze Al Qaida – I’ve decided they are right! No longer will we use torture on our declared enemies, instead we’ll use it on these panty-waisted Democrats starting with Nancy Pelosi, Chucky Schumer and Howard Dean. I don’t think they have a lick of useful information between ‘em, but won’t it be satisfying just to hear them screaming for their mommies! And by the way, I’ve got an Iron Maiden in my office with John Kerry’s name all over it. As to those absolutely annoying liberal commentators jamming up the public airwaves, I ‘ve decided to deport every last one of them to Iran. We’ll be waiting with baited- breath to hear how they like living under Ayatollah Ahmadinejad and his concern for their Civil Liberties. For five years I’ve tried to get along with these people but just like the Sunnis in Iraq, liberal Democrats are in the minority, that’s M-I-N-O-R-I-T-Y, for those of you in Rio Linda, and its high time they realize that enough is enough – no more Mr. Nice Guy. And as for their endless calls for me to apologize for something, anything – I’m sorry I interrupted your little Desperate Housewives show to deliver this address, but I wanted you to hear it first.
Thank you, and good night.”

Abortion: legal but rare, oh really!

In the InterMountain Jewish News article, Jewish law invoked on both sides of abortion debate (2/2/05) Phyllis Snyder, NCJW president, says that abortion “should be legal but rare”. If that is really the position of Pro-choice activists, then they should actively support the acquisition and mandatory use of new, 3D sonogram technology in all Planned Parenthood facilities. Studies show that 90 percent of women who view these advanced sonograms elect to carry their babies to term. Could it be that through technology, the question of fetal life’s equivalency to born life is, in fact, answered? In a recent Internet search, I discovered that such devices were priced below $17,000 leading me to question whether pro-abortion spokespeople such as Ms. Snyder or Hillary Clinton are all talk and no action, when it comes to actually making abortion rare.
That article goes on to quote Rabbi Bonnie Margulis, representing the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice as saying, “If a faith group believes in full conscience that a fetus is a person, then they shouldn’t have an abortion and what we are against is not allowing us to make that choice.” If 3D sonograms prove to women that their fetus is a person, then they should not abort. That is the choice every “client” of Planned Parenthood should be allowed to make, but I’m no so sure that Rabbi Margulis supports that kind of choice.
The Religious Coalition cites the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, noting, “Judaism chooses and requires abortions as an act that affirms and protects the life, well-being and health of the mother.” Twisting Jewish law to say that abortion is mandated by Jewish tradition, and that “resisting abortion” is equivalent to depriving women of their fundamental right to religious freedom, illustrates just how far a field Pro-choice Jews are willing to wonder. Relying on such people to advise Jews on abortion is like asking homosexual priests to advise the Vatican on Church policy toward pedophilia or having Hamas consult on Israeli security procedures. Meanwhile, in what I regard as unfortunate, Agudath Israel of America, representing Orthodox Jewry has made their choice by staying on the sidelines of this important moral debate.