...is the news a little short of information?

This and that from the headlines:



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The Catholic Church has another of its middle managers off the reservation. Archbishop Raymond Leo Burke apparently didn't get the memo about love and forgiveness. As a one-man Inquisition (you can't Torquemada anything), Archbishop Burke has been in the news more than Anna Nicole Smith.


Since being installed as Archbishop of St. Louis, Most Reverend Burke has attempted to restore a measure of the temporal supremacy the RCC has not seen since the Reformation. He decreed that politicians supporting pro-choice should be denied Holy Communion. That was followed by the pronouncement that anyone who voted for such a candidate would likewise be denied the Eucharist. I suspect that the next bull (they call them that for a reason, you know!) would have condemned anyone that lived next door to a Democrat to perdition. However, Rome saw that the good archbishop was in fact, over-reaching. Archbishop Burke retracted his condemnation of voters shortly thereafter but I assume that his Most Reverend fingers were crossed.


He has spoken with disfavor of the Harry Potter books, calling them "irreligious". Considering that the inhabitants of Hogwarts wear flowing robes and change things by spells and incantations, one can only suppose that Most Rev.Burke is concerned about the competition.


Determined to leave no tern unstoned, he protested a Catholic hospital benefit concert featuring Sheryl Crow because of Ms. Crow's support of abortion rights and stem cell research. When the hospital board voted against him, he resigned as chairman. Talk about your spoil sports! Anyway, we wish Archbishop Burke well and joyfully anticipate the introduction of his new line of hair shirts and sterling silver cilices, sure to be a big hit at the Opus Dei Picnic and Swap Meet.




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In a fruitless effort to redirect my liberal soul to the path of conservative righteousness, a good friend of mine continuously bombards my email with links to sites that: a) support the war on Iraq, b) support George W. Bush and c) support all things Republican. Fat chance! Nevertheless, I occasionally click on one of these diatribes just to see how the other side lives and thinks.


However, something caught my eye yesterday that requires comment. A conservative blogger noted that back in 2004, the New York Times was printing daily stories about Abu Graib on the front page of the paper while relegating the presentation of the Medal of Honor to the "B" Section. On its face, that appears both biased and wrong-headed. Regardless of your political inclination, we understand that the Medal of Honor is a rare and prestigious award. Its presentation should be accompanied by respect and public acknowledgement.





Sadly though, at the rate with which this administration spins the news out of Iraq, it is difficult to know the truth of any information. We were told that Jessica Lynch was a courageous hero, raped and tortured by the godless enemy. Then Jessica came home and told us that she was anything but. She refused to accept praise that was undeserved. She went back to West Virginia where she resumed her former life. She has repeatedly criticized the Army for making up details for propaganda. Now that's heroism.


Then there's the saga of Pat Tilman, the Army ranger who quit pro football only to be killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan. The only truth we know thus far is that the Pentagon was so desperate to turn Tilman into the poster boy for American patriotism they barely investigated his death at all. His family is theatening legal action.


I'm sure that all of the heroes of this unnecessary conflict deserve the medals and decorations that have been awarded. However, when a government has shown itself to be as self serving and deceitful as this one, nothing can be taken at face value. It is not the bravery of our military that we question but the government spinners that provide the information. For them, even section "B" is too prominent.





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The subject of illegal immigration refuses to go away. I continue to be saddened and surprised by the venom with which so many Americans view this issue. Yes, Latin immigrants, illegal and otherwise are poor and poor people commit crimes and go to jail. They work for subsistence wages and therefore need a little help. Call it "welfare" if it makes you feel superior. Are we so far from the Irish slums of lower New York that the smell no longer seems familiar? Are the "Irish need not apply" signs so far in our past that we no longer feel the sting and the shame?




This discussion isn't about misguided California school boards who want bilingual education in their schools (something that Spanish speakers don't want and didn't ask for). It's about third and fourth generation Americans with an unnatural fear of Latin influences on American culture.


Who are we...the French? What is it we're protecting? Regardless of immigrants from Mexico, Americans will still have the God-given right to mangle the language, eat at McDonald's, watch "America's Funniest Home Videos", and send mildly pornographic jokes to their friends during working hours. Viva America!




You say that you didn't invite them but whenever you hire a lawn service or admire the greens at your country club, you invited them. When you bitch about the cost of a head of lettuce or a pound of tomatoes, you invited them. When you express surprise at the $20 breakfast bill at the diner, you invited them. If you think the cost of gasoline is out of sight, wait 'til you have to pay Americans to cut grass and bus tables.




Most of the people who are here illegally risked their lives to come. Considering their numbers, they are invisible to most of us most of the time. It's true that your taxes are used to provide assistance to an illegal underground population, but it can't be any more painful than the billions that George W. Bush is using to fight his immoral, unnecessary war.




I don't have a single answer to this problem but I'm pretty sure that hate and fear won't make it any better. Let's just have a hot dog and a cerveza and keep talking about it.