Lately I've been wondering how groups of people on different sides of issues can come to such dramatically different conclusions about the direction of public policy. In many cases, those differences appear to be grounded in honest disagreements. That's how I see the abortion issue, for example, where personal beliefs dominate the political landscape like so many hair-trigger land mines.
In other areas, the differences seem more rooted in deep philosophical divisions where honesty gets caught in the cross fire. That's what's happening in the continuing debate about global climate change, where free-market fundamentalists looking for free-market solutions are cooking the scientific books in pursuit of an ideological agenda. We need look no farther than the Journal of the John Locke Puppetshow to see the phenomenon in action. Today's edition features an ad for another seedy little free-market tank called the Heartland Institute.
The more I learn about how the banking industry is screwing taxpayers by siphoning off TARP funds, the madder I get. For example, we discovered today that more than $1.6 billion of those funds have gone to executive compensation at major financial institutions. It is truly mind-boggling that this crappy legislation was rammed through Congress by a Democratic majority earlier this year.
Under the Dome (thank you) reports today that the deadline is being extended for public comment on Virginia's plans to exploit the continental shelf for oil, part of the Big Energy Get Richer scheme that will have the added benefit of accelerating global climate change.
I had trouble sleeping last night after what I read. A horrific hate crime was visited last week upon an openly gay woman in Richmond, California.
Police believe the woman was targeted due to the suspects' anti-gay bias. The victim got out of her car to visit a friend, and was attacked and raped by a multi-ethnic posse of hate-filled men.
Why do I mention multi-ethnic? Simply because I find it interesting how last week's hate crime victim may be this week's hate crime perpetrator. That victim could be any of us. A sister, a neighbor, a daughter.
Occasionally when I can't get started on something I HAVE to write, I will just start writing something else and let the process work itself out until words are flowing readily, even for the tedious writing someone is paying me to do. Last night I did that, while thinking of the family Christmas party I was not attending, and I came up with the passage below. Not sure if it's poetry or prose. Maybe it's not either, but I thought it worth posting and inviting comment on. You can comment on my writing, or on the subject matter, or on your own experiences. Feel free.
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