A Few More Thoughts on Blogging…

I have a high regard for journalism and the courageous individuals who engage in such an important endeavor to our country.

 

I could not be a professional journalist because it is beyond my capacity. I do however enjoy the opportunity to pass along information, analysis, thoughts, ideas, and editorial views.

 

Over the last few days, there has been quite a bit of discussion over blogging and some people have continued to express negative opinions of the blogging phenomenon. I truly understand that it is not everyone’s cup of internet tea.

 

But perhaps the best way to illuminate the value, and yes, importance of blogging is to listen to the words of a giant in the journalism community, Edward R. Murrow.

 

When discussing Senator Joseph McCarthy during his crusade against communists, Murrow said, “…if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men. Not from men who feared to write, to associate, to speak and to defend the causes that were, for the moment, unpopular.”

 

That seems like a particularly relevant quote to bear in mind when considering the benefits of the blogging phenomenon.

Fishing at Ascarate

One of the true diamonds in the rough of El Paso is Ascarate Park. The Ascarate Fishing Club sponsored an event this weekend to encourage people to go fishing and enjoy a day outdoors at the park. I’m not affiliated with the club, so I don’t know all the sponsors (who deserve a HUGE plug for all they did), but I know Price’s stepped in to provide drinks.

 

There was a huge turnout for the event (as you can see in these pictures) that started at 8:00am on Saturday. I decided to take my son out and do some fishing. I’m a city kid, so I’ve only been fishing two times in my life, so it was a blast.

 

There were contests for the kids and everything was 100% free, which was cool with me because I don’t own a fishing pole. There was even a pool-type area for the real little ones to fish. As you can see, we were a shoe-in for catching the smallest fish.

 

My favorite part of the event was that there were so many dads and tatas involved. I think many of the society’s problems could be solved with the presence of a strong male figure in the family and it’s nice to see an event were so many turned out and spent quality time with their kids and grandkids.

 

 

The event organizers could’ve made their own Visa commercial that day.

 

Fishing Pole…free.

Hot Dogs & Corn Bait…free.

Spending Quality Time…priceless.

God, Guns, & Gays

Change is a message we’ve been hearing throughout this election. I want you my Dear Readers, to pay very close attention to the change you will see in the campaign messages as we get closer to the general election.

 

 

 

You will see the talk change from major issues that affect our country, to the divisive wedge issues like God, Guns, and Gays. This is a tried and true Republican tactic to get us distracted from what really matters and focus only on the issues that will divide this country along religious and social lines.

 

What bothers me most is that two of the three wedge issues have already been exploited in this campaign. The God issue was pushed regarding Obama, first with the chisme that Obama was some sort of closet Muslim, and then the issue of his minister.

 

Now the gun issue has come to light. Obama is now being assaulted for his comments regarding Pennsylvanians that cling to their faith and guns in tough times.

 

Surprisingly, to me anyway, is that these wedge issues aren’t being raised by Karl Rove and the rest of the poll-pushing Republicans. This is coming from the Hillary Clinton campaign! A line from Shakespeare’s Julius Ceasar comes to mind, “Et tu Brutei?”

 

I doubt she will do anything to alienate the gay community, bus she seems to be doing the Devil’s (Republicans) dirty work.

 

Personally I’m sick of seeing both candidates tripping over each other to be the average, blue collar worker, because neither of them are! They are both lawyers.

 

Hillary and Bill have earned over $110 million over the last few years and we are supposed to believe that she’s “one of us” because she’s drinking beer and taking shots! Just an observation, but if that was Bill Clinton in a bar drinking beer and taking shots, I think the conversation about that video clip would be a lot different and involve a girl in a Budweiser bikini.

 

This is America. We love being the elite. We love a winner and find a way to make everything a contest, just look at our game shows. Hell, even if you aren’t good enough to play professional baseball or football, you can still join a fantasy league and get involved in the competition!

 

So calling someone an elitist is a bit of a compliment. We want the best of everything in this country, including presidential candidates. We have that on the Democratic side of the ticket.

 

Now if we can just get them to stop bowling and taking shots…

 

 

5 of the 9 Supreme Court Justices are Catholic…

 

And yet they still ruled 7-2 that lethal injection is neither cruel nor unusual.

 

Immediately following the decision, several states started to end the moratoria on the death penalty. The Commonwealth of Virginia has an inmate scheduled to be executed in May and will be the first death penalty execution after the Courts decision.

 

John Paul Stevens voted with the majority but has also recently come out against the death penalty saying that he no longer believes it’s constitution. Stevens was new to the Court the last time the death penalty measure was before the court.

 

Last election cycle, the priest at my church talked about voting our conscience and voting our faith. He specifically mentioned that as Catholics we cannot support candidates that are not pro-life.

 

He said you can’t be Catholic and pro-choice, going on to say that we had a duty to protect all life. That got me thinking again.

 

If we can’t be both Catholic and pro-choice and we have a duty to protect all life, then we can’t be Catholic and pro-death penalty. The Vatican is VERY clear on it’s stance on the death penalty.

More “Pro-Life” Contradictions

Another point of contention for me with the so-called pro-life movement is the philosophical inconsistency of the pro-life movement.

 

The pro-life movement says that life begins at conception and that all life should be protected. This is why they believe that abortion or the harvesting of embryonic stem cells is murder and against God’s will.

 

This is where I have a problem with the pro-lifers. For some reason, they are okay with some “exceptions” in which abortions are okay. Specifically to save the life of a mother, or in cases or rape or incest. So all life is precious except the lives of babies that are the product of rape or incest? It’s okay to kill them?

 

To me, that is clearly a philosophical inconsistency.

 

If all life is precious, and Christian dogma dictates reconciliation and salvation, then support of the death penalty would be yet another philosophical inconsistency.

 

Along the same vein, I have a hard time understanding something else conservatives and the religious right seem to crusade against…euthanasia.

 

Like abortion, I am also against euthanasia. But what surprises me is how many people are against euthanasia for people who are suffering in pain with incurable disease and conditions, but are willing to put a pet down a beloved pet down because it doesn’t get adopted.

 

Or even more hypocritically, put down a pet because of a large bill or the pet is suffering, all the while calling it the “humane” thing to do!