Us and them
There are two kinds of people, us and them.
Some folks separate the saved from the damned. They put themselves among the saved, though fear may lurk in their hearts. Some draw a line between the rich and the poor. The rich may believe that their money proves their merit; the poor may believe that their poverty proves their true nobility.
We draw a line between our ethnicity and the others, and since Colonial times the law has been race-conscious. We draw a single line between us and them, though there are many racial and ethnic divides in our country.
Some draw lines elsewhere: straight/gay, male/female, young/old, college educated/salt of the earth. Some cheer their distinct heritage; others reject it. Some confuse a legacy of unearned advantage with their own talent.
Always and everywhere, there are two kinds of people: us and them. The definition of "us" and "them" does not matter as much as what we do with the difference. Do we wall them off? Do we fear them? Do we defeat them? Do we convert them? One kind of personality leans toward "yes" to these questions.
Another kind embraces difference, seeing hope, opportunity and growth in differences, seeing those differences as the spice of life. This kind seeks understanding and common ground with others. This kind stretches a hand across the divide and makes our country the Technicolor marvel of democracy that it still is. This kind is my kind of people.
STEVE SCROGGIN
Winston-Salem
Rosa Parks
The writer of the letter "Immigration thoughts" (March 26) made an analogy that Rosa Parks' refusal to sit in the back of the bus, which was legally required at that time, broke the law and spurred the Civil-Rights Movement that benefitted us all, in support of the illegal youths.
However, that was not a good analogy since Rosa Parks was a legal American citizen and had the right to be treated as such regardless of race, etc.
The law that required her to go to the back of the bus was an illegal law according to the Constitution, the Pledge of Allegiance to our flag, etc., and thus brought about change in that law that had discriminated against some American citizens.
TERRON BAILEY
Winston-Salem
Heart recipient
Too bad former Vice President Dick Cheney didn't get that heart back in 2003 ("Cheney receives heart transplant in Virginia," March 25). Maybe then we never would have invaded Iraq under false pretenses, and the nearly 4,500 hearts of our servicemen and women would still be beating.
SUZANNE CARROLL
Clemmons
Republican candidates
Republican primaries evoke Claude Pepper's story about losing the 1950 Florida U.S. Senate primary because his opponent went about telling voters Pepper's sister was a thespian.
Republicans win not by political skill, intellectual depth, innovative ideas, vision or leadership. They win by parroting the fatuity du jour, exploiting ideological paranoia and professing to share voters' religious and social beliefs (to the extent they believe because they believe, these are biases, to be exact).
When voting reduces to reactionary application of ideological litmus tests, is it surprising folks vote against their own economic interests?
When voters are certain that, given the same facts, God would do exactly as they are doing, is it surprising they shamelessly do anything to win? That they team up with the greedy and amoral destroying America? That they profess to see nothing wrong with their unlimited money and lying noise machine that "win" elections, then feign outrage when media refuses to give turpitude, compounded with arrogance and hypocrisy, a pass?
When candidates lack skills, integrity or courage to speak truth to voters, is it surprising they do not speak truth to entrenched power? That they obsequiously preside over a plutocracy paying only lip service to sustainable prosperity, with first-rate infrastructure, wages, education and health care?
Minus the bigots, the militantly ignorant, the reactionary ideologues and the corporate toadies, Republicans could hold their national convention at a McDonald's. Perhaps their campaign slogan should be, "He's a rat, but he's our rat." Or, à la Royko, "Where's mine?"
ANDY G. MILLER
Kernersville
Children and the pledge
As Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school board member A.L. "Buddy" Collins describes the procedure for dealing with children who refuse to say the Pledge of Allegiance, nowhere does he suggest that a teacher or school-board member sit with a child and explain why the pledge is important — or ask why the child doesn't want to recite it.
Instead, his first instinct is to tattle to his parents, who would be justified, he makes clear, in beating the child into submission ("Reciting the pledge," March 25).
This is just the kind of bullying that we should expect our school board to oppose, not endorse.
Children have minds. They can be reasoned with. If a teacher or school board member can't convince students that they should recite the pledge, maybe they shouldn't.
JANE FREEMONT GIBSON
Winston-Salem
More bike lanes
I bike frequently on errands. I read the article on the sidewalk bond ("Sidewalks a priority?," March 24), but as I see it, the problem from a bicyclist's perspective is not too few sidewalks, but too few safe bike paths.
A memorable biking experience is to ride the perimeter roads around Hanes Park. Be sure to watch out for parked cars, too — don't get "doored" by someone opening a car door while riding by. Next, peddle up Cloverdale Ave., past Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Not scared yet? Peddle up Miller Street to Stratford Road and ride to the mall. This should do it — between the narrow, trash-strewn road shoulder, the cars merging, the cars exiting, the drivers texting, chatting on phones — trust me, a real desire for safe bike paths will be instilled.
Instead of building more sidewalks, which serve mostly pedestrians, I suggest closing existing lanes to cars and opening the lanes to people (i.e., pedestrians and bicyclists). Roads with two lanes could be reduced to a one lane, one-way road. The other lane would be for people. Roads with four lanes could dedicate one lane to people and three lanes to cars — two lanes for travel and one lane for turns. There are many designs that would work.
This is a better solution than a bond to build more sidewalks because pedestrians and bicyclists will both benefit from lane re-dedication and using existing lanes will negate the need to pay for more sideways.
JOHN WOODING
Winston-Salem
Another step in the cause for democracy and another feather in the cap for foreign policyBurma's Suu Kyi secures seat in landmark election victory
ReplyDeleteGood AM, Bob!
DeleteYes, a feather for that, but no feather for Obama telling Medvedev to ask Comrade Putin to give him some space, that he'll have more flexibility to truckle after the election.
Didn't hear about that "hot mike" incident? It doesn't seem to have been widely reported by the watchdog media. Strange.
DeleteWonder where you're getting your news these days.
DeleteThe story was reported, usually front page or lead, by every legitimate newspaper, magazine and TV network.
So far the New York Times has carried no less than nine articles on the matter.
Hi Cuz.
DeleteMy news comes from NPR and BBC, primarily, plus a couple of news aggregator sites. Never heard a peep re the matter from NPR or BBC, did not see NYT's reports.
That aside, you have an opinion re Obama's supplication?
Heard at least three reports on NPR. PBS & BBC have also reported it...but none of the three in the breathless hysterian voice of other press...perhaps because their sophisticated reporters and editors understand that what happened happens every day...it is the meat of international diplomacy. This is why diplomatic sessions are not televised.
DeleteThis missile defense business is causing a lot of problems everywhere, which is interesting, because none of the systems have had much real success, especially against ICBMs.
I think it's much ado about nothing, actually Mike. Look at some of the comments published by Wikileaks. Besides it's absolutely candid and true. There are not going to be any major treaties approved in the Senate between now and the election giving the President a victory, so there is no reason to waste either time or political capital trying.
DeletePerfectly reasonable responses, but I have been distrustful of Dems visa vis Soviet Union/Russia ever since McGovern ran for President. And there was Liberal Lion Teddy K kanoodling with Putin's former employer, the KGB, because Teddy considered Reagan a threat. Thus, I am very wary re supplicative asides like Obama's toadying remark to Medvedev.
DeleteThe right-wing nutters are out & about on Journalnow today...I just don't feel like getting into it. Harv is his usual cheerful self; maybe he forgot to take his Metamucil this morning.
ReplyDeleteIs he pontificating from fortress Pulliam again?
DeleteYes. I get the feeling he doesn't like people like me very much.
DeleteI once invited him to post on this blog so that you liberals could make sport of him, but he declined. I crossed swords with him after the Journal reformatted, don't remember what the topic was.
DeleteGood afternoon folks!
ReplyDeleteLTE 1: "Us and Them" - good Pink Floyd song. Mr. Scroggin left out a biggie: "liberal/conservative". Good thoughts presented here on how too many view the world. It is most unfortunate that more do not have a sophisticated understanding that people do not fit into one of two neatly categorized packages. As much as some(i.e. our friend Harv) would like to see "them" banished, "us", "them" and everyone else are always going to be amongst us, so we may as well get used to it.
LTE 2: If only Mr. Bailey had left off the last paragraph. A law may be unconstitutional or unenforceable, but it cannot be "illegal" by definition. Furthermore, the PoA has nothing to do with the law. Whenever i read an LTE or a post about the law or Constitution, over 90% of the time i find myself doing an SMH over the ignorance displayed about how our system works.
LTE 3: I think that was more of a GWB revenge job. It was all i remember him talking after he got into office.
LTE 4: Prime example of the mentality spoken of by Mr. Scroggin in his LTE on display here. "Left" or "right", a strawman argument is a strawman argument. I will give Mr. Miller credit for his thoughts on the ideological pure voting being based on passing a litmus test rather than what's in their best interest.
LTE 5: More on the PoA.
LTE 6: Pedestrians and bikes don't mix whether on a sidewalk or in a bike lane. Reducing car lanes and clogging up traffic even more does not seem to be a very viable solution either. I can understand a bicyclist wanting to expand bike lanes as opposed to adding sidewalks, but the number of pedestrians who would use those sidewalks outnumber those who bike, so the sidewalks should take priority.
LTE # 2 has more problems than the Duke football program.
ReplyDeleteAs already pointed out, a law cannot be "illegal" and the POA has nothing to do with any law.
But the real problem, and one which is a driving force in so many of our national problems, comes in the second sentence, which amplifies the average citizen's ignorance of how our country works.
"However, that was not a good analogy since Rosa Parks was a legal American citizen and had the right to be treated as such regardless of race, etc."
All people in the US, regardless of race, creed, color, or immigration status, are subject to the same laws and have all the same rights.
Just because some bigot doesn't like someone because they are gay or a woman or black or an atheist or left handed or possibly an illegal alien does not mean that those people are not protected under the same laws. And the bigots better be glad that that is the case, because if I became emperor for a week, the first thing I would do is deport every one of them to some friendly place like Iran or Nigeria...which of course I could not do because, as sorry as the bigots are, they have the same rights as everyone else.
As I've said many times before, we need not fear Syria or Iran or China or even Russia. When the USA falls, it will come from within from the ignorance of its own citizens.
"LTE # 2 has more problems than the Duke football program"
ReplyDeleteOuch. Pull your punches, why don't you?
2aff
ReplyDeleteAsked about criticism that Romney is "too stiff," Ann Romney laughed and replied, "I guess we better unzip him and let the real Mitt Romney out....
Oh Please, please, don't!!
Sorry, Arthur...I was just thinking that roughly one billion people have died worldwide since Duke last had a winning football season. Wonder how many of them knew who the Duke stadium is named for.
ReplyDeleteOff-topic: TV playing while I have been reading. The Bio Channel advertised a new series: "When Kids Kill Kids." That is disgusting. Who in hell would watch such misery?
ReplyDeleteAnything for a buck.
ReplyDelete