Americans speak of the divide within this country. Most accept the labels. We are a nation of Red states and Blue regions. People define themselves as Conservatives or Liberals. West Virginian primary election voters, who were asked, reinforced the notion in this nation we are not unified. One fifth of those polled stated, skin color influenced their decision. Former Senator John Edwards often expresses his distress for what he sees as "Two Americas." The one time Presidential candidate reminds us of why the common folks clamor. The rich get richer while the poor become more impoverished. For some of those who fight to endure, a "gas tax holiday" is thought essential. Others believe such a measure will negatively effect the infrastructure and the environment. In Grand Rapids, Michigan on May 14, 2008 a Black man and a white man stood on a stage together united and equal. Some, in this splintered nation of ours, thought this was a sign. Perhaps, Americans would finally come together as one.
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BuzzIt bethink 'we know what we are, but know not what we may be.' ~
As promised, I'm back at it with a new toon this week, "This Protracted Primary." I've still got one more grad-school final to go, so I'll keep this post short. Next new toon is seven.
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BuzzIt bethink 'we know what we are, but know not what we may be.' ~
Sometimes writing these essays are a chore and seem demanding, then there are other times when they seem to write themselves, this is one of the latter. I have written extensively about America's war on drugs and all the ills and problems that it has caused. First of all let me state that I am not a conspiracy theorist. I do not believe that racism is involved in every aspect of life in America, at least it hasn't been in my life. However, there are times when it plays a major role in how we interact with one another. The war on drugs and the death penalty are probably two of the most egregious ways in which racism does play a role in America. The recent results of a couple of studies highlight the disparity in our criminal justice system that can not be explained by any other means.??
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BuzzIt bethink 'we know what we are, but know not what we may be.' ~
America is at war. Yet, each day we, in the United States, awaken. An alarm may cause us to arise. Perhaps, we stir when we have had enough sleep. A few of us chose to begin the day at the hour we do, for there is much to be done. Rarely, does a gun shot rouse us. Bombs and bullets do not whiz past our head throughout the night. Nor do we worry that shrapnel may hit us during the day. In America, for the most part, people feel safe. Life is sane.
Granted, there is stress. Fuel prices are high. We must work to put food on the table. The cost of commodities increases. Daily doings can take a physical and emotional toll. Nonetheless, most of us in the States are assured tomorrow will come.
Our mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters will not be lost in an exchange of gunfire just outside the door. Military men and women will not enter our homes and strip us of our rights. Enemies do not carry machine guns, at least not openly.
In America, the persons in our neighborhood who we look upon as foe, may have once been our friends. Grudges are frequently personal if you are a citizen in the United States. Political disputes do not draw blood. Most who fight in this Northwestern hemisphere do not do so to the death. People in America do not constantly consider the consequences of what they have created, war in the Middle East.
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BuzzIt bethink 'we know what we are, but know not what we may be.' ~
On a cold night in Iraq, two fellow soldiers and I were awakened by our superiors and told to interrogate a prisoner who had just been arrested. Whoever brought in the detainee insisted that it could not wait until morning, so we irritably left the warmth of our sleeping bags and set off into the darkness.
When we arrived at the detention facility, there was a young Lieutenant waiting for us. He brought the prisoner there.
But the prisoner did not get to that facility the way most did-hands bound tightly behind the back with a sandbag over the head.
He arrived on a stretcher. The Lieutenant told us with a sadistic smile that this prisoner tried to flee a traffic checkpoint he was working that night, and he proudly proclaimed that he filled the Iraqi man's car with bullets as he tried to drive away.
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BuzzIt bethink 'we know what we are, but know not what we may be.' ~
Some pundits say it is over. The Democrats are ready to come together as one. The primary results came in late on Tuesday May 6, 2008. Before the tally was final, Barack Obama took the stage. He congratulated Senator Clinton; Presidential hopeful Obama was conciliatory. Hillary Clinton offered an overture. "This has been an extraordinary experience." Political experts muse, thank goodness. The Party needs to heal. The North Carolina and Indiana primaries were decisive. The campaign has been too divisive, disruptive. Distractions aplenty were destructive. If the Democratic Presidential contenders continue to battle, most believe these diversion will be no less damaging. Countless, citizens and columnist say, Hillary Clinton cannot survive.
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BuzzIt bethink 'we know what we are, but know not what we may be.' ~
The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,
Toiled ever upward through the night." ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Peace comes upon us without much fanfare. Most await an announcement or seek a moment of resolve. However, the message never comes. In this country, in our local communities, and perchance planet wide, a small number of people acknowledge goodwill is not created in an instant. It grows. The transition from warfare to common welfare is invisible. Tranquility enters; and no one stands triumphantly. Buglers do not blow their horns. Twenty-one guns do not salute. Serenity is a state of being. This is true for individuals and for the world as a whole. Harmony, once achieved will be but a hush. Peace grows as a tree does, from the roots up.
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BuzzIt bethink 'we know what we are, but know not what we may be.' ~
In August 2007, Artist and Essayist Andrew Wahl asked us to look at our life. Today, as he endeavors to better his circumstance and being, the rest of us might reflect on our state of being.
No New Toon Till Next Week
I had every intention of cartooning this week - especially given last night's political drama. But it's finals week for my first quarter of grad school and compromises had to be made. Back in seven, I promise.
Till then,
Andrew
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BuzzIt bethink 'we know what we are, but know not what we may be.' ~
Something momentous occurred and the news media said nothing. The press spoke of North Carolinian voters, and those in the Hoosier State. Citizens in these regions would cast their ballots today. The results, undoubtedly, would be significant. While no one, and nothing can lessen the impact of what is expected to ensue, before the polls closed, another event quietly occupied the attention of many. The occurrence is meaningful, noteworthy and will effect the election. A prominent person, one who had long remained neutral in regards to the Democratic primary race finally expressed his opinion.
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BuzzIt bethink 'we know what we are, but know not what we may be.' ~
As Mother's Day approaches Moms throughout this country cry. Many parents cannot be physically close to their sons or daughters. Telephone calls will not come. Children may desperately wish to speak with mother; however, when "in country," on the battle field, a conversation with Mommy is not possible.
Some guardians are quite near to their children. Perhaps, they hold on more tightly, for the caregiver knows the tot has no other parent to turn to. So many American lads and lasses have one parent in Iraq, in Afghanistan, somewhere far, far, far away from home. Our troops hearts may be with toddlers and teens left behind in the States. Yet, the hands of a service Mom or Dad are often nowhere to be seen or felt by their babies. The children of military men and women clutch photographs, and dream of the day when Mom or Dad will return home.
In the Middle East, young and old also mourn. Many Moms, Dads, sons, and daughters do not have family to cuddle with. Celebrations are reminders of loss. In a war-torn nation, countless are orphaned. Males and females are frequently widowed. People live and then violently, they pass.
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BuzzIt bethink 'we know what we are, but know not what we may be.' ~
The Long Tail theory is a novel economic concept for some. For others, it is the notion that enables them to be "strong." The premise of the Long Tail philosophy is, there is an audience for any product, or Presidential hopeful. Senator Clinton correctly claims there is interest in her campaign. People want her to be the next Commander-In-Chief. Tis true. People will always desire what they can have, not all the people, but quite a few. There is a market for those given a forum. Any press is good. The media, with its subtle and significant messages, mantras repeated on airwaves, and pronouncements presented in print move the masses. Consumers or constituencies will always purchase whatever is available.
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BuzzIt bethink 'we know what we are, but know not what we may be.' ~
There are no words to express the effect of the author's empathy. The verse fills a heart and a mind. As Andrea Gibson and we reflect upon the horrors of war, we realize. The soul slips away when the public endorses hostilities. Peace is not a prospect when bullets blaze through the air.
How might the skies in America be blue, when those in this nation have soiled the heavens in Iraq and Afghanistan?
What might citizens who reside in this country believe when in the name of freedom and justice, we intentionally inflict cruelty on others.
Americans kill and claim to be in the right.
Throughout the United States people say "Support the troops." Yet, we physically, emotionally, and spiritually murder those who only wish only to protect us. We slaughter individuals whose names we never knew and whose faces we never saw. Children are put to death. Parents are executed. Innocent people who caused us no pain are labeled enemies.
As a nation we profess to do good. However, when we as a people choose combat, we do much harm.
Please ponder the poem . . .
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BuzzIt bethink 'we know what we are, but know not what we may be.' ~
A brilliant man, a Rhodes scholar named William Jefferson Clinton stood in front of the gas stove with his sweet protégé, a country known as China, a nation much like a lost lad. The powerful President wished to mentor a territory adrift in the Twentieth Century. As a father might teach a son, Bill handed the boy a box of matches. Hillary Rodham Clinton, surrogate mother as she thought herself to be, while experienced, and wise in her own right, said nothing of the possible peril. Indeed, rarely was she able to speak of what went on in the family's little White House. The then First Lady did not enter private rooms; nor did she attend her husband Bill's closed-door 'conferences.' The encounter, near the range, was thought to be a restricted exchange. The couple while close had separate lives. Special spouse that she was, Hillary did not have security clearance.
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BuzzIt bethink 'we know what we are, but know not what we may be.' ~
Clerics and parishioners are in the news. In truth, Reverend Pastor Jeremiah Wright and Barack Obama are discussed each day, in most every hour. The quality and quantity of familiarity within that relationship is the topic of much conversation. Hillary Clinton espouses, moral issues matter. Many within the electorate agree. The ethical principles of a Presidential hopeful will have a profound effect on the nation, and the planet. As Jennifer Wills ponders the scenes as they play out before an eager public, she reflects on her own life. She thinks of the trials, and tribulations that she feels when she loves friends as much as family.
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BuzzIt bethink 'we know what we are, but know not what we may be.' ~
We're at war and our economy is a mess - and our leaders don't seem to realize there is a connection between the two. Mainstream media reports now put the cost of the war in Iraq at around $5,000 per second. That's per second! And unlike previous wars, there's been no attempt to pay for at least part of this boondoggle as we go. In fact, current leaders have gone to the opposite extreme with massive tax cuts for the rich and a pair of tax-rebate pittances for us working folk. This week's toon, "Stimulating a War Economy" [Archive No. 0817], pokes at this issue.
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