Keeping moral convictions out of the US Constitution

The props are falling in the wind

This is a time when one could be tempted to feel sorry for Mr Bush, but then that would be utterly feeble-minded.

The architect in the person of Mr. Karl Rove would sure find something to assuage the pain and galvanise the troops for the November elections.

This empathetic irrational rush comes from ideas that got scuttled in the House and the Senate yesterday.

I had written about 6 weeks ago about the divisive and galvanising issues that the President has recently be using as a ploy to manipulate moral convictions into constitutional law.

The three issues are as I stated then

1. Outlaw all stem cell research (ambivalent support)

2. Constitutionally outlaw abortion (supported but can split the less fundamental conservatives)

3. Constitutionally ban gay marriage (widespread support)

The Legislature defies the Executive

Yesterday the Senate approved stem cell research although with 4 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a presidential veto. The President might well exercise the veto and if reason does prevail in the Senate, they might just muster more than the 4 votes needed to close this issue once and for all.

In the same day, the House of Representatives rejected the constitutional amendment which would have banned gay marriage, also with a majority 47 votes short of two-thirds – however, this debate would for a while no more see congressional rancour.

Interestingly, when the Senate voted on this issue, just over 5 weeks ago, it was a knife-edge vote of 49-48 against constitutional interference.

The constitution is not the Bible

This is not to ignore the fact that there is still widespread support for propping up heterosexual unions and discouraging homosexual unions – the issue at hand is, that desire does not belong in a constitution, especially not in one that a democracy depends on.

The moment moral and ethical convictions become constitution staple, we are not on some smooth sailing venture to the growth of civil moral rectitude, and rather it invites a downward spiral that catches the Puritans where it hurts most – embarrassment.

We have seen it times before in the “Back to Basics” program of the Tories and other anti-sleaze ideas that make some politicos assume a more saintly image than others only to be revealed and merely mortal and grossly fallible.

Abortion is settled in law

The final contentious issue is abortion, it appears the Supreme Court would not be obliging on this matter regardless of the conservative slant they have and 5 out of the judges publicly back Roe v. Wade.

The seminal Jane Roe v. Henry Wade of 1973 more or less sees a constitutional right related to the choice of abortion if requested subject to gestation terms and medical supervision amongst other sex education issues.

Beyond all this, Mr Bush can still make the wolf howls and Catherine wheels that would gather his congregations, but this fight would be in the consciences of the people not in the tussle between the Judiciary, the Legislature and the Executive – that is democracy.

Tone blind

Beat the heat

Were now experiencing a major heat wave in Europe. The mercury is playing on the 90s Fahrenheit and on some places would exceed a hundred.

We can expect 35 Celsius in Utrecht which just about 40 kilometres from Amsterdam such that it is a blessing to be in an air-conditioned office.

Those have their dangers, only last week a good 5 days were expended in finding source of an outbreak of Legionnaires disease, which end up in the cooling towers of Post CS, the building temporarily housing Stedelijk (Town) museum. That resulted in a fatality.

Generally, I wear a suit to work, but never in this kind of weather, my full African garb consisting of a white guinea caftan with trousers to match and a traditional Yoruba cap is good fashion against the heat and the sun.

Whereas this offers an opportunity to dress up or dress down depending on how you look at it, the amount of exposed flesh observed on others sometimes leaves much to be desired.

The tone of a raccoon

As I waited at the bus stop, there were signs of what that sun and more at done to many; people who take off their sunglasses and you see the facial equivalent of a panty-line the barely tanned eyes in the collage of a face that makes the people look like happy raccoons.

Somehow, everyone wants a tan of sort regardless of the risks, even if they have slapped on gallons of sunscreen.

The converse is the tone, darker skinned people who attempt to lighten up using chemicals that are probably better tested on gullible humans than helpless animals.

A lot can be done to tone skin and other exposed parts of the body like the legs and the lower arms.

Knuckles, Elbows, Knees all darker

Summer however affords the opportunity to dress light, expose more and in effect reveal the stubborn dark parts that the creams could not lighten.

This lady in front of me as I tried to board the bus had been at it, and her elbows so contrasted with the general skin tone one would have thought those were tailored patches.

Another stubborn region is the knees and the knuckles; I would not make too much fuss about palm prints.

Vitiligo might be the haven for some, but the uniformity of skin discolouration would leave one rather suspect of that diagnosis, but with goes without saying that when these issues come up, Michael Jackson is a full appreciation of bigger considerations as your pigment deserts you.

Reference

Skin Bleaching vs Tans

Skin Bleaching/ Lightening & Its Dangers

Peace eludes our time with appeasement

Peace eludes our time

Almost 78 years ago, Neville Chamberlain returned from Munich, a perfect English gentleman with a paper signed by Adolf Hilter which was a non-aggression pact securing peace in Europe [1]. We now view that supposed pact of peace as appeasement.

Today, amidst the propaganda and rhetoric that fuels the problems in Lebanon and Gaza as viewed from Israeli eyes, the blanket war on terror is appeased by everyone who can exert influence to halt these hostilities.

Looking like a military state

Each time I view my television an army spokesperson from democratic Israel comes on air, not speaking of their deployments and military activities but dabbling with the politics and wherefores of the conflict.

This is the type of speech one should hear from their political masters, but it appears the politics is becoming militarised and the military is becoming politicise, not of which bode well any democracy.

All weapons break the peace

Besides, we hear time and time again about the thousands of rockets the Hezbollah has, well, are we being naïve here? Israel has helicopter gun-ships, laser guided weaponry and nuclear weapons still undeclared.

Israel is seriously militarised that region in that quest for its defence, that has also lead to the regional militants arming themselves such that when Israel moves with aggression they and not just left with slings and stones to roll over and die.

The main part here is Israel really believes the Middle-East conflict can be resolved with their military might as world leaders pay lip service to the call for restraint and the lack of a determined purpose to see an end to that conflict.

The flytrap of implications

More and more we hear about Syria and Iran being called upon to rein in Hezbollah and Hamas, why they should escapes me.

In fact, I believe there is a more sinister ploy at hand; the need to find a way to implicate both Syria and Iran so that it can become a free-for-all battle royale, this would allow for nuclear sites in Iran to be targeted and destroyed and a possible assassination of the heads of government in those two countries.

The picture looks nasty and I fear for the ultimate effect of this situation.

It can now been argued that the Palestinians and Lebanese have already paid too high a price to return the soldiers unharmed and that is if the Israeli bombardments do not already crush the soldiers in some levelling escapade.

An eruption to wipe out hopes of peace

The world has looked on as the festering Middle-East conflict has ebbed and flowed like an indecisive volcano; it is about to rain lava and pyroclastic flows [2] that would engulf more than we have dared to imagine possible.

Back to the appeasement talk, rather than call to order the parties involved and get this situation to stop forthwith every influential nation has sent boats and evacuation teams to Lebanon to evacuate their citizens.

That, in my view is the license for this conflict to escalate, it says Israel can now maraud with impunity and as long as Hezbollah can still fire its rockets they would continue to descend like mega-hailstones on Haifa and beyond if they find the range.

If anyone should stop doing shit [3], it should start with the world leaders and their flimsy idea of sending in a Lebanon Peace Keeping Force [4] – how does that resolve issues on the ground today?

You need peace to keep it, and for now there is no peace but appeasement that is leading to the untenable, maybe when oil hits $100/barrel somebody might just feel the pinch enough to nip this Middle-East crisis in the bud.

References

[1] BBC ON THIS DAY | 30 | 1938: 'Peace for our time' - Chamberlain

[2] Pyroclastic flow

[3] BBC NEWS | Business | Bush lunch chat is caught on tape

[4] BBC NEWS | Middle East | UN calls for Lebanon peace force

Appeasement

Appeasement is a policy of accepting the imposed conditions of an aggressor in lieu of armed resistance. Since World War II, the term has gained a negative connotation, in politics and in general, of weakness, cowardice and self-deception. - Wikipedia

On Corporal Punishment

My Comment on Corporal Punishment

Ayoke at Exodus touched on the emotive subject of corporal punishment having read another blog; this is my substantial comment in relation to her write-up.

This is a difficult subject but one where differing cultures and values determine how the question of child-rearing and discipline is administered.

I know for one that I did suffer varied amounts of corporal punishment at home and in secondary school.

On the one occasion, my mother being a school principal - meaning her kids should be saints and nothing less - was administering punishment and my father intervened - "mind his eyes", he said and no, he did not stop her.

That in a way was an expression of love, though, whilst I dreaded punishment, it was not brutal, I had the knowledge that I put myself into that situation and had to avoid circumstances that put me at variance to the rules at school or at home.

Separating punishment from brutality

The problem is where punishment begins to looks like brutality and I once lived with an uncle and with my aunt were merciless with my niece whenever she lied.

That, really upset me that there was a time I got in the middle of the whole thing and vicariously offered myself instead, if they really had to vent their anger so vehemently - in my book, that was not punishment at all.

In an ideal world, one should be able to instruct a child in a clear voice without a wrangle, when you have to reason with a child before the age of accountability, there is a problem brewing and how do you administer punishment/reward to ensure the child does right?

The birch and the wealthy classes

To follow on, there is a whole history of judicial birching that is still administered in many places; I would not be surprised if public schools in England do not still use the birch. As the reference says, the wealth classes encouraged its use on their children.

The belief being it creates a modicum of mental toughness and discipline; basically, you cannot have a high pain threshold or the discipline to endure duress if there is no regulated punishment regime that impacts on the body. The sense of purpose, duty and responsibility in appreciating that you are receiving just retribution for your actions is part of that culture of education in public schools.

Other related evils

The other problem is how the lack of these types of discipline in not wanting to hurt the child is creeping into areas of competition, you cannot mark papers in red, nobody fails, competitive sport is being relegated to just participation and so on – the real world is seriously competitive and adversarial and these left-wing ideas of removing competitions and ambitious goals cocoon kids from stark realities that they would soon be unable to handle.

I cannot say, I understand the logic of corporal punishment in terms of its psychological effects and my estrangement from my parents is certainly not related to the punishments I received.

However, just as in the adult world we have rules and law which when infringed exact sanctions and punishments as fine, community service, imprisonment and so on.

How, with the child?

You cannot withdraw love from a child, but you have to enforce authority and discipline in a way that does not compromise the understanding of what rules are for.

I do have my concerns about the emotive word hit as opposed to smack - a hit - I would say is a blow to any indiscriminate part of the body, whilst a smack is administered on the buttocks.

It has to considered, determined and reviewed in context and definitely not out of anger.

Some wisdom to consider

Naturally, I am not given to violence, but like we have in a Yoruba saying - If you discipline a child with your left hand, you draw the child to your bosom with your right.

When Solomon said, spare the rod and spoil the child in the book of Proverbs, he must have witnessed something of value in child upbringing - that wisdom needs to temper every occasion offered to administer corporal punishment.

Only, in that context would I support corporal punishment - a tough love approach to loving - whilst you should definitely mind the eyes.

References

Corporal Punishment Research

Facts about Corporal Punishment

Is the Bible ambiguous on corporal punishment, the spanking of children?

Corporal Punishment (spanking) is strongly supported by God in the Bible

A crusading psychopath is in a war near you

A society at variance with its values

There is probably no greater disservice to the young people who sit in the war zones instigated by America than lowering the bar to entry into the army.

It now transpires that the young soldier who has been charged for the rape of an Iraqi lady and the murder of her and her family did have problems long before he was recruited into the army.

As Americans are wont to do, family background reads much into what is expected of anyone, it is a shame that knowing that sometimes broken homes with respect to the American demographic do lead to problem children and a life of failures that get up-ended by the law.

For a country that prides itself in near Puritanical piety and condemns anyone who ever falls foul of the law for life regardless of having served their just sentences, one would expect a lot more would be done in social engineering, moral education and counselling to prevent people from falling by the wayside, in the first place.

The new penitentiary – service in Iraq

A criminal record in America is a millstone around anyone’s neck, however, with the pressing need for cannon fodder to expend in wars, especially in Iraq, the blatant laxity in recruitment parameters allows for enlisting to become a shortcut to rehabilitation.

Cynically, it gets those criminals out of America to a dangerous and deteriorating war atmosphere where the instinct to live and the desire to kill become competing moral dilemmas for people who before they enlisted had no moral fibre.

Even more cynically, if that ‘so-called’ recruit becomes one of the number who end up dying in Iraq, his duty to the nation in that faraway land would count for more in all respects than his misdeeds on earth.

A boy troubled

Dear Steven Green is only 21, in some places especially in the West, it is probably only within the range of legal responsibility but hardly any other responsibility accrues than to still be studying or working to start a career.

I cannot say how many siblings Steven had, but in 2000 his mother served a jail term for drunk driving, he would have been 15 then and I do wonder if there were mitigating circumstances in law to help the family before sending his mother to the can for 6 months.

Then he got done for having possession of drug paraphernalia – don’t laugh – sometimes American charges almost make Europe the centre of moral decadence. He has also been charged with under-aged possession of tobacco and alcohol – three misdemeanours in all and he served jail time for the third – 4 days.

Where is that strict uncle?

If I may generalise generously, in strict disciplinary environments like Nigeria where I grew up, the most in punishment any one child might suffer for these “crimes” would be porting the child off to some strict uncle who would with example, mentoring, tutelage and probably corporal punishment, work on the young man to bring him to rights.

That concerted effort almost always works out right because everyone who matters gets involved in condemning wrong, praising right and easing the subconscious, if possible, to a better way of doing things.

The young man eventually becomes a ready uncle to help other wayward wards towards the right with example and experience.

In America, that uncle became the Army, after a boot camp which is supposed to demean and instil, the tool of trade is no pen for the erudite or instrument of some apprenticeship into a nominal profession, it is a gun, a gun to shoot down Iraqi insurgents, innocents and by happenstance to clean up after the pleasure of assuaging possible sexual repression.

A crusade without a name

Before, he left for Iraq, Steven Green was baptised literally, as he took religion, and many others have before going on duty – this really now smacks of a crusade and begins to makes sense when Vladimir Putin did say yesterday that Russia would not get involved in Crusades.

So, after Mr Steven Green’s last demeanour, the army dumped him in a discharge that claimed psychiatric grounds – one would think he would be put on some programme of therapy, treatment or counselling to help him become a better man.

Now, he has been completely disowned with the statement – “staining the image, the honourable image of the United States military. [1]” Honourable image? Recruiting crooks? I think someone has both perception and perspective wrong here.

Manufacturing psychopaths

But no, they took a minor criminal in America, created a rapist and murderer of him in Iraq and dumped him back in America ready to become a showcase of a bad person rather than it being a window of scrutiny on a failed and wanting criminal justice system, a rotten army recruitment policy and an unconscionable discharge and rehabilitation process.

So now he would face the full force of the law for a situation that could have been avoided had the company in which he was based been more disciplined that they would not have revelled in drink, changed clothes and committed the crimes before cleaning up with murder.

More so, if the society had, when things were going wrong arrested the decline rather that count the crimes expecting the next one to bang him up for life or cart him off to war.

Indeed, justice must be done and seen to be done with regards to the rape and murder, but the greater indictment must lay with the society that sends unstable men to war to create pathological psychopaths of them.

References

A troubled man's saga in a troubled land

Kin hope military will support soldier

Forked-tongues fuelling the Middle-Eastern fires

Where is the Genesis of the Middle-East conflict?

I have just had my fill of the fork-tongued diatribe masquerading as diplomacy coming from all quarters regarding the situation in the Middle-East.

When the Hamas militants blew a hole in the wall bordering Gaza and Egypt to allow in Palestinians who had been stranded at the border for weeks the hapless but relieved people thanked Hezbollah for giving them the kind of reprieve that has given them respite.

Let us look at the issues on the ground, indeed militants including Hamas supported personnel have been firing rockets into Israel over the last few months, but all as a result of the occupied situation that the Palestinians find themselves in.

I am not trying to condone or support the struggle which gets conveniently branded as terrorism; there is a serious problem of land conflict in the Middle-East with Israelis and Palestinians in the middle of that muddle.

The fear of 1967 sees no end to this problem

If only we had leaders with conviction who addressed the matter head on and the see the results – Israel completely pulling back to the 1967 lines and Palestine a state within the bounds of what is left – this includes the Jerusalem question – that is the resolution of this conflict.

However, this bizarre occupation where Israel has at will be able to maraud through Palestinian lands with impunity could only exact guerrilla and terrorism type activity where the opponent cannot match the aggressor bullet for bullet and man for man. It would be naïve to expect another situation.

So, the raid on Israel that left 2 soldiers dead and one captured was hardly the Genesis of this situation, the inability for the west to accept the democratic will of the Palestinians allowed Hamas to remain recalcitrant about the right for Israel to exist.

I would contend that if Israel existed within its legitimate pre-1967 borders, Hamas and all other opponents of Israel would have not foot to stand on with their rhetoric.

Recognition should precede calls for influence

Once the West refused to acknowledge democracy because it yielded as it were the “wrong” result, it meant that Hamas would be a weakened and ineffective governing machine unable to command the influence to contain rogue elements.

Then that beach bombing to which we cannot conclusive assign blame still leaves many thinking Israel was responsible – the impunity of Israel had reached a point that certain elements rose to show that Israel in all its might is vulnerable.

Israel’s response to the capture of its soldier-recruit has not only been overly disproportionate, it lacks purpose or the kind of objective that can guarantee the return of the soldier and the earlier someone laments that fact than acquiesce to the hope that reason would prevail on the part kidnappers the better for the poor soldier’s life.

Brothers joined up in arms

But Israel has been unrelenting, so who else would be touched by that intemperate overrun of Palestine but the brothers in arms of Hamas who could divert Israel’s attention – The Hezbollah.

Just as anyone would eventually act if in the presence of great an injustice none of those who can sue for justice actively play the part of arbiter.

So, Hezbollah which happens to be located in Lebanon entered Israel, killed a number of soldiers and captured two as hostage. Where a negotiated settlement might have yielded better results, Israel raced into Lebanon bombing every important structure they could find and killing many innocents.

So, Hezbollah with better weaponry – Katyusha rocket not matching Israel’s manpower however, better than the Qassam rockets has rained disruption but not yet carnage on Israel and the blockade on Lebanese waters has resulted in at least 4 Israeli Navy men being overboard.

A UN debacle and a hissing Bush

So, at the UN as calls for calm and restraint echoed from the chambers the Ambassador to the UN from Israel had the temerity, gall and effrontery to address his Lebanese counterpart in terms that suggested he should in honesty and truth support Israel in the attack on his country which would free Lebanon from the influence of Hezbollah. The is the most warped diplomatic logic I have ever heard from that esteemed chamber and it is amazing that Syria was refused the opportunity to comment on the floor.

So, when Mr Bush from St Petersburg insists that the escalation of violence is primarily due to Hezbollah’s activities; it shows that the warped logic is not only disingenuous; it is dishonest, disgraceful and disheartening. There can be not solution in sight.

Why should Syria care?

Then calls are being made to Syria to rein in Hezbollah – Fat Chance! – Why should Syria get involved no matter what influence they can peddle – Syria’s Golan Heights has been annexed by Israel since 1967 and nothing is being done to resolve that issue conclusive.

However, if Lebanon continues to suffer an onslaught from Israel with the increasing loss of life and the destruction of infrastructure, it would not be long before fraternal ties with Syria have them pitched against Israel.

That would create a domino effect of Iran moving up to support Syria and then the Arab World leading to the Muslim World – simply the makings of World War III.

With Iraq and Afghanistan being simmering cauldrons of violence, the ramifications of Israeli belligerence are far from fully appreciated by all concern and that is scary to say the least.

Israel will never be big in this matter

There are no simple solutions to this matter, but it would take the magnanimity of Israel to do something dovish and materially ground-breaking to bring an impasse this deteriorating situation, unfortunately, Israel does not have the maturity to bring about that quality of statesmanship.

If, those soldiers eventually get returned alive, what a hefty price would have been paid for that and if anything has been lost from all this is the perspective – a quality of far-sighted leadership.

References

The Summary of the Middle-East Conflicts

US and Russia differ on Middle-East

Israel hits Lebanese Ports

Terrorism was a part of the struggle

Spooky Brother Act as Spook goes to Court

Facial identities spook Polish leadership

And so we have a situation in Poland where the difference between the President and the Prime Minister is clearly elusive.

The President - Lech has just sworn in the Prime Minister - Jaroslaw who happens to be his identical twin brother. Whilst they have both attained their status by merit of democratic success, the jury is out as to how this bodes for the future of Poland.

I suppose this real life Brother Act is just aping the lyrics of the Hollywood film Sister Act where she sings, I will follow him …

We can now rest assured that whilst minutes are recorded of formal meetings between leaders of a nation, we might be lucky to receive the weeks of deliberations as either twin probably already reads the mind of the other. Poland is going through a spooky season.

The vice of spook defacements

Talking about spooks, one sister is in court claiming substantial damages from the Vice President and the Architect for exposing her a spook in contempt of the actions of her husband in debunking the mountain of lies that lead us to Iraq.

In fact, I wish it were more of a class action suit, because the Special Counsel has shied away from the controversial by only indicting the lowly Chief of Staff in the Vice President's office. With the nickname scooter, it was quite ominous that he literally had to scoot out of office with a broken limb.

Anyway, I would hope this case runs its course, not only did the culprits hold the whole secret service in contempt, considering how they are trying hard to keep their own illegal activities secret, they endangered the lives of many who might have collaborated with Valery Plame and ruin the career of the young lady to further their own ends.

It was spiteful, unconscionable, despicable and beneath contempt - the law should have a look into this and justice should exact a heavy price to show that nobody even as high as the President is above the law.

Bully for you - Sister!