Scott's Case Files

Terror In Mumbai

I just got done watching a news clip, telling of mass terror attacks in Mumbai, India.  78 people killed and around 200 wounded by gunmen attacking places frequented by tourists.  The Taj was one of them - a high class hotel that I passed on my way "home" daily and on the way to the Gateway to India along the water.  As if that wasn't shocking enough, a note along the top of the clip reported that there was an attack at Leopold's Cafe.  Leopold's.

If any of you have read my travel blogs on my past trips, you'll know that Leopold's was possibly my most constant hang-out in Mumbai - my safe haven from touts and the poverty-stricken world outside that had traumatized me so when I arrived there.  It had been in business for over a century and was a favorite of tourists from all countries.

And now it's the site of a terror attack where people died on its floors.  Floors that I'd walked upon my share of occasions.  It was a small place - just a corner cafe, really.  It sounds strange when I say it out loud, but the terror attacks have never hit so close to home for me.  Even the 9/11 attack seemed impersonal - I'd been to New York once when I was maybe four and never since.  It was almost a different world there.  I remember Mumbai well and will never forget my experiences there.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not playing "it could have been me" scenarios in my mind.  More images in my mind of blood where I once sat, waiters who smiled at me possibly dead, and knowing that Leopold's days of being a tourist haven are over as long as the memory of that blood lives.  So not "it could have been me" - it's "why the place that I knew?"

Gun Control Issues

It's hard to have any contact with the news without being aware of the Right To Bear Arms coming before the US Supreme Court.  There are people on both sides, but strangely no one has come to ask my council on this issue.  So I've decided to voice my opinion here on my own very special blog.

The Second Amendment of the US Constitution states, in part, that "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

The first issue is, what is meant by "bearing arms"?  One group notes that in the verbiage of the day it inferred military service - to bear arms was to invoke one's military.  Another group says that there are many references to bearing arms by civilians.  So let's call that one either way.

The part that I think most gloss over, which I think is the most important, is the reference to the militia.  Not only a militia, but a well regulated one.  So a bunch of guys drinking beer and wearing military fatigues that they bought at army surplus going into the woods for the weekend with guns wouldn't count.

The point is that this right to "bear arms" is a means to the end of keeping a militia.  And, historically, it was the duty of the militia to provide their own weapons so it would be necessary to not only be able to bear them, but to "keep" them as well. (Let's not even get into the fact that the idea of a militia is to protect a free state from the tyranny its own government and it would be the job of such a militia to kill US soldiers if such a thing ever came down to it...)

Given that the militia is the reason for this right's existence, here's my slant on it.  If you are prepared to participate in, train regularly, retain a rank and discipline structure, and kill or die in the service of a militia you can own a firearm.  If any of those things don't sit well with you, you've forgone your right because you are not willing to fulfill the responsibility and duty that comes with that right.

My guess is that most Americans would not be ready to bow to such a stricture or else they'd already be in the military.  They just want to shoot their guns.

Let Them Be Soldiers

I've seen alot of controversy over soldiers and deployments to war zones and whatnot.  In the various wars lately there's been a call to "bring our children/wives/husbands/whatnot" home by the civilian relatives of soldiers.

Though it's not the politically correct stance, and one that I think that many who have never served don't comprehend, I say let them be soldiers and carry out the oath that they swore when they were inducted.  They will come back when their superiors allow them.  And, though war may not be popular and the reasons for it may not be good ones in any given person's opinion, understand that it may very well be that the military and the various intelligence agencies see a bigger picture than you do.  Even if the obvious reason for the recent wars was over oil, is it not possible that there is indeed something deeper going on than you and I are aware of?  Is there a bigger picture that you couldn't even dream of seeing?

As to the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines out there you need to let them do what they've sworn, been trained, and ordered to do - whatever that may be.  It is dangerous out there and even those who make it through may very well carry emotional scars for the rest of their lives.  This is, however, what they knowingly signed up for.  You aren't trained to fire a rifle to shoot at targets and knock down cans - you're trained to kill enemy soldiers.  You don't wear camouflage to look cool - you wear it in hopes that your enemies won't be able to do to you what THEY have been trained for.

If taking an objective requires, or will inevitably result in, the deaths of American soldiers, so be it.  That's their job, if necessary.

To any military folks reading this blog, please know that you have my utmost respect.  While I never saw combat when I was in the Navy, I was in serious danger more than a few times and at times am surprised that I am here today.  I know that even that cannot compare to being on the front lines and I only hope that my commentary does not come off as patronizing.  You have a hard, dangerous, underpaid, and unappreciated duty and yet you perform it to the best of your abilities even in the face of your own mortality.  How few would willingly do what you do.  Please take my commentary in the vein that I believe that not allowing you to do as you have sworn would insult that oath and anything that you believe it stands for as well as insulting your maturity and integrity in swearing it in the first place.

One Quick Question

Why in the hell is George Clooney allowed to address the frikking UN?

Who gives a shit what any celebrity thinks can be done in another country?  Next thing you know, Larry the Cable Guy is going to be up on that podium.  Apparently then and only then will they understand the definition of "absurd."

Okay, that's two quick questions.

Tolkien Wisdom

"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."

- J.R.R. Tolkien

Libertyville - The Irony

Liberty:

1. The condition of being free from restriction or control.

2. The right and power to act, believe, or express oneself in a manner of one's own choosing.

My buddy The Bratmeister pointed out THIS article, commenting on the irony of the city's name and it's school board's decision.  Basically, the school board of the city of Libertyville, Illinois has voted unanimously that the schools require those who participate in sports or other extracarricular activities in the school sign a pledge agreeing that "evidence of 'illegal or inappropriate' behavior posted on the Internet could be grounds for disciplinary action."

Holy...crap.

Domestic Spying - Are You Scared YET?

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

- Benjamin Franklin

A few years ago, in the wake of 9/11, Bush tried to create a citizen spy network going by the name Operation TIPS.  The goal of this operation was to recruit 1 in 24 American citizens to be domestic spies and report on their fellow citizens.  Any citizen could apply do be part of the operation, but the best applicants would be those that had access to homes in the course of their jobs.  I've looked up the links on this one and it looks like the operation crashed and burned, or at least went less public with it's recruiting and aims (scary).  The Nazi Gestapo used a similar system, their citizen spies called V-men.

The Patriot Act kicked in and has been misused in every way possible.  I've posted on this a while ago, so I won't go over this much again.  Suffice it to say that, in essence, the Act has allowed the American government to rob people of their civil rights without question and without an oversight group to counter a decision made by an agency acting under it's guise.

Then there's Echelon, which technically may or may not exist.  But let's face it, it does.  Your Emails and faxes are being monitored for key-words and the data stored.

And now our phone records.

Is it just me or is the government becoming more of an autonomous beast than it ever has been in the past?  That is to say, do you feel like no matter who you elect, what you protest, who you write, or what you do the government has it's own plan and will follow it no matter what?  And this plan involves slowly edging away our civil liberties and freedoms.  Whenever I hear the National Anthem, inwardly I cringe these days.  "O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave."  Hm.  Not really anymore.  We're the land of the monitored and the home of the accepting.

Are we really that far away from someone in the government reading this blog post, making a call, having the door of TypePad kicked down, and both me and my blog disappeared?  I know a slippery slope argument is not logical...but we aren't a land of freedoms anymore and haven't been for a very long time.  We aren't what we once were or would like to be.  Our liberties and rights are being eroded every day and at the end of that day there's not much that any of us can do about it.  That's troubling to me.

As much as I think that the present day American militias don't have their priorities straight and have more than a few screws loose, they do remember another good quote from a Founding Father:

"Does the government fear us? Or do we fear the government? When the people fear the government, tyranny has found victory. The federal government is our servant, not our master!"

- Thomas Jefferson

Little Boys Found Dead - A Sad Day In Milwaukee

Just under a month ago two little boys from Milwaukee, Purvis (11) and Quadrevion (12), went missing.  They'd gone to play at a local park and didn't return.

They'd vanished without a trace.

Too often in the media (mostly in retrospect) you see how when a White child goes missing there's a huge manhunt and national media attention.  Conversely, when a Black child goes missing there's a police report and generally it seems to end there.  Such was not the case in Milwaukee with these kids - they were Black and the city cared.  You could hardly board a bus or walk into a local business downtown without seeing at least one missing poster for these boys somewhere on the premises.  We Milwaukeeans learned these boys' faces well and were on the lookout.  Even the national media paid attention.  The police had their own manhunt going, but turned up nothing to my knowledge.  There were no witnesses.  There were no clues.  The boys went unfound day after day after agonizing day.

You don't have to watch Without A Trace to know that the longer a child goes missing, the less likely that they will be found alive.

I nearly broke down today as I looked at the day's news and saw that the boys had been found and that they were dead.  They had drowned in a lagoon nearby the park in which they'd been playing.  The water had been very cold even a month ago and the boys likely fell in and succumbed immediately to hypothermia (there were no discernible signs of foul play of any kind).  I can envision in my mind's eye one of them falling in the ice-cold water and the other going in to try to help, only to have the heat of his own body drained away mercilessly by the water itself until his little form couldn't keep itself going anymore.  This is a tragedy.

Strangely, the tone of the news article was one of closure rather than sadness.  Yes, the boys had died.  But at least the families would no longer feel their hearts stop each time the phone rang or each time there was a knock at the door.  At least finally they knew the truth and could properly mourn the passing of their children.  At least they could attend to their little bodies and the healing process could begin instead of living their lives in perpetual limbo - that horrific place in your mind where you have just enough hope to drive you insane.

My heart goes out to the families of the little boys and I hope that they do start the healing process.  They can heal knowing that their fellow Milwaukeeans and the boys in blue put their best foot forward and that people came together for the common cause of helping them and now knowing the outcome mourn with them.  Even as I write this, the reality really setting in, tears are rolling down my cheeks.

A whole city tried their best.  There has to be some kind of solace in that.  I hope.

Rest in peace, little ones.

Westboro Bastards

I was going to post this on my other blog, but this issue is really not about religion and all about mother fucking asshole pieces of shit.  Bear with me here...

The Westboro Baptist Church.  In the '90s they went to the funerals of AIDS victims and picketed.  Now they like to picket military funerals with signs and insults.  "Thank God for IEDs" (Improvised Explosive Device aka homemade bomb) is just one of their colorful signs.

The daughter of the church's leader, Fred Phelps, is quoted in THIS article as saying:

“The scriptures are crystal clear that when God sets out to punish a nation, it is with the sword. An IED is just a broken-up sword,” Phelps-Roper said. “Since that is his weapon of choice, our forum of choice has got to be a dead soldier’s funeral.”

A car is really a big kind of sword, so maybe they should picket deaths by car accident too?  (Please, note my utter sarcasm)

Patty, Patty, Patty

I just can't help myself - have to post about this one.

I've been saying it for years.  The 700 Club is probably the best show that an Atheist can watch to really reinforce their beliefs.  And Pat Robertson just never fails to come through for me.  This guy cracks me up.  His claims and statements are generally so incredulous that they freak out even his co-anchors.  Here's a good one: "Feminism encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians."  Um, yeah...right.  I'm sure that Patty would prefer that women learn there place, which is of course in the kitchen and as far away from voting booths as possible.

His latest claim is that Israeli Prime Minister Sharon's stroke is retribution from god for dividing the holy lands.  Gotta love it.  If Sharon had gotten a speeding ticket or had a bad golf day, Patty would probably have claimed divine retribution there as well.  That's the thing, I believe, that The Bible has lent to people like Patty - it's written so vaguely and open for interpretation that you can make it into anything you want it to be.  So Sharon's stroke was god's punishment, apparently.  Is everyone that gets a stroke being punished by god or is it more likely that the stroke victim just liked eating fatty foods for their whole life?  Even Biblically, bad things happen to good people - read the book of Job.  Are you going to second guess god?  I mean, really, don't pervert your sacred religion to make your own points and further your own ends.  I'm not even Christian and I'm insulted.  Patty has his own political stance and agenda and I don't think either is very Christian, as I understand it.

I'd be interested to hear how any Christian readers feel about Patty as well as his statement about Sharon.  So feel free - I promise no flames or rebuttals.  I just want to hear opinions from the other side of the fence.