Friday, October 17, 2003

Racists with outstretched hands

I was walking out of an Arby's restaurant today when I was accosted by a panhandler that started off with one of those "hey, can I talk to you a minute?" sales pitches that lets you know you look like an easy mark. This strategy never works with me. I resent being taken for a fool. Nevertheless, I dismissed him with a "no thanks". That's when I heard the muttered racial slur aimed at my little daughter and I. I wheeled around and grabbed the guy by his collar and demanded that he clarify what he had said. Unfortunately, he obliged. In white-hot anger I knocked the cigarette out of his mouth and whispered some unkind things in his ear. Then I remembered my daughter was with me and I backed off - not wanting to set a bad example for her and not wanting to be arrested. The guy was yelling for his buddies to help out. It was time to get in the car and go.

This is not the first time this scenario has happened in the last year. Panhandlers seem to be shooting off their mouths a lot lately - even when you politely brush them off. This really pisses me off, especially when my daughter is there to hear it - and I react badly. I'm glad I don't carry lethal weapons.

On top of all this the panhandler didn't even get our race right.

Goofballs in High Places

This was the week that Malaysia's soon-to-retire Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad declared that "The Europeans killed 6 million Jews out of 12 million, but today the Jews rule the world by proxy. They got others to fight and die for them." This was also the week that the the Bush Administration denounced Mahathir's statements while simultaneously defending Army Lt. General William G. "Jerry" Boykin's statements about a war between Christiandom and the Muslims.

When criticised for his anti-Jewish statements Mahathir complained that everyone attacks Islam with impunity but when someone says something against the Jews they are accused of anti-Semitism. Mahathir, whose son attended the University of Tulsa, frequently says outrageous things. There's a kernal of truth in what he says but not much more than that. To his credit Mahathir took on Muslims for turning their backs on science and modernity.

For the story on what our General Boykin said about the terrorists hating us because we are a "Christian nation" and the Muslim God being a false God look at NBC. Too many Americans think this way but to have one of our Generals saying these things in public while IN UNIFORM is unacceptable. Especially because Boykin is in the lead on the anti-terrorism effort. Not only is he just plain wrong, but his statements play right into the hands of the terrorists who are trying to convince Muslims that the US war is on Islam, not on terrorism. The General might as well be arming the terrorists with WMD.

Mahathir and Boykin both suffer from what seems like deep-seated religious intolerance. Fortunately Mahathir is retiring. President Bush should have denounced Boykin for his "intolerance while in uniform" and put him at a desk job in a remote area.

Monday, October 13, 2003

Inhofe Endorses Humphries

US Senator Jim Inhofe wasted no time in holding a press conference to endorse OKC mayor Kirk Humphries to fill the US Senate seat being vacated by Don Nickles. Inhofe will apparently play a very major role in Humphries campaign. I have no doubt that Inhofe and the Daily Oklahoman have been working on the Humphries deal for a long time.

Congressman Istook anounced a couple of days ago that he had decided not to run for Nickles' seat afterall. Word in Republican circles is that after Inhofe told Istook he would be supporting Humphries, Istook bowed out. Istook is reportedly very peeved at the heavyhanded and early endorsement by Inhofe. In his un-announcement speech Istook repeatedly stated that the Republican Party should not be deciding "for the people" who the Republican nominee will be. He made it quite clear he was upset with the old boy network in the Republican Party (Jim Inhofe et al) that has apparently annointed Kirk Humphries and is dead set against having a contest in the Republican primary.

I was sitting with a group of Republicans watching the news coverage of the Inhofe press conference today and was interested to hear them all say that an endorsement by Inhofe was, to them, the kiss-o-death for whatever or whomever Inhofe was endorsing. "If Inhofe is for him I'm against him," said one. There's a surprising number of Republicans that are uncomfortable with Jim Inhofe representing them - but so far, not enough to defeat the man.

I'll look forward to learning more about Humphries stands on issues. All I know so far is that he is ultra-conservative and controversial (according to Cam Edwards). I have some personal experiences with Humphries that I'll go into later.

Meanwhile, on the Democratic side we wait to find out if Drew Edmondson or Brad Carson will throw their hats in.