Jen Sorensen for March 15, 2011

Continuing the discussion from last week’s cartoon (and quite pleased that Jen Sorenson worked a frog into this week’s cartoon):

If you learned in sixth grade, Lew, that the Constitution was designed to keep power out of the hands of [a] central government, then you show that public education is certainly no worse now than it was then. The Constitutional convention wrote a document for a central government of sufficient strength to keep our thirteen states from separating into as many as thirteen countries.

I sympathize with the Supremes’ decision on eminent domain. Your beloved regressive justices led it. I do not accept your contention that a toad would have more success with eminent domain that did a pharmaceutical giant. Indeed, I am surprised that you dislike the Supremes’ decision considering your desire to bend over for those with money.

I note that you cannot argue with me or the Constitution in our having a society that helps all. I hope that you may leave your basement one day and actually work for the good of all.

How interesting that we Americans refuse to speak ill of our troops but have no problem speaking ill of our teachers. Who is serving our nation: the man who kills an Afghan woman or the woman who teaches a room of American children?

Depends on what they teach, Brian. Or if they teach at all. And of course, your question is like unto those posed by push polls in that you insert a slanderous assertion about what our troops do in order to make a situation which is not cut and dried into such.

Why not pose the question like this: “Who is serving our nation, the man who kills a man with a truckload of explosives who is out to kill, maim, and disfigure perhaps hundreds of people, or the woman who thinks it’s perfectly ok to have sex with her 13 year old students?”

It’s patently obvious that all of the situations described have occurred in the recent past, and yet, two of the situations described are news because they are not the norm. Yet, it is the exception to the norms which are used as examples on every side to denigrate those who would oppose the viewpoints being pushed.

Nice try, Nola, but killing Afghans is part of our military’s mission in Afghanistan. Having sex with thirteen-year-old students is not part of our educational mission.

My comparison worked. Yours did not.

“Yet, it is the exception to the norms which are used as examples on every side to denigrate those who would oppose the viewpoints being pushed.”

Which is exactly, Nola, what you do when you suggest that teachers don’t teach or don’t teach the right things.

My dad taught for 34 years, my wife has taught for 17 and I have taught as well. For the good teachers, not only is teaching easy but it does pay obnoxiously well once you consider all the time off they get and then top it off with a generous pension and benefits.

“Man bites dog” will always be above the fold in the liberal press, one paragragh of news followed by opnions of questionable “experts” on the subject for the next 8 paragraghs filled with thinly veiled editorial saying the government needs to do more to protect wildlife. This once in a lifetime event will cause progressive politicians to bankrupt taxpayers to protect the emotional life of canines. Do I have that correct BRIAN?

BRIAN You should know our Constitution was not about citizen’s right (added at the end) but to limit Federal Government power. Ever notice that LITTLE bit about all powers not listed belong to the states. I would thin any educated man like yourself could see the clear meaning of that statement.

Before the Constitution, the U.S.A. had the Articles of Confederation. They created such a weak central government that the U.S.A. was on the verge of breaking apart. The Constitutional Convention gathered to create a stronger federal government.

Lew, you know no history, and you can’t write. Please: Leave your wife’s basement, leave the wanking over the comics, and begin helping at, say, a homeless shelter or a soup kitchen.

It’s hard to take seriously the points made by either LR or BC when they resort to personal insults.

Brian, yes, killing some Afghans is part of the mission, but your question was phrased so as to insinuate that we are randomly killing innocent civilian women. That’s not part of the mission, just like having sex with 13 year olds isn’t part of a teacher’s job.

PSCHEARER You are absolutely right. There is enough to say about opposing views without attacking one’s family. But look at the low brows with their name calling on line. Because someone tries to link a body function with my party, is that going to change my outlook on life. I am insulted when lower case is used in the name of either party, much less obvious misspellings and derogatory names. “you’re an idiot.” “No, you’re a moron.” doesn’t exchange ideas. Years ago on the Honeymooners, Ralph Kramden and Norton were running for office (Grand PooPah?). They marched around with a drum singing, “My opponent is a BUM, Bum, Bum.” Needless to say, they lost by a landslide. Nowadays the politicians would put an adjective before bum. Does it help to tell me what evil the other side has done. Please tell me what good your side is going to do. While we are at it, please tell me how you are going to pay for it.

BRIAN You probably would not enroll in Learn To Read where I volunteer because it is privately and corporate funded. I am sure you think the Federal government should overreach themselves and step in. The do have a government funded program for you, ESL. They could improve your spelling and punctuation. They do handle east European languages which you appear to be able to read. For example: “comrade” means fellow soldier. If you learned English you would stop addressing others as such.

I love it. Lew says, You’re right, Pschearer. No more personal insults.

Then, he moves ahead to insult me and say nothing of substance. In sum, he was mistaken about the Constitution and insted of admitting it, he turns to mosquito-like blather.

I’m glad that you work for Learn To Read, Lew, but I’ve wintnessed your reading, and I cannot see how you are ready to teach others. I wish you and your students the best of luck. They will need it.

BRIAN Speaking of reading, a conservative reads the Constitution, takes it literally, and obeys it. A liberal reads the Constitution, interprets it, and tries to force their interpretation, skipping the Court if possible (unless it’s the Warren Court) .I and may others say, they wrote what they wrote because they meant it. The country adopted it as written. It doesn’t depend on how you interpret it, it means it, all mean all, and general means general. About the only interpretation I can see is “men” means humans. No need for amendments on small stuff. Why is it so hard to amend? Because it should be. Some nut group wants to change the document because they cannot accept the plural of man is gender neutral. PETA wants animals included. Some nut group wants income tax abolished. Some advocate group wants human vegetables given the vote. Well let them convince Congress and 38 states. That’s their right to try. But when they are shut down and can’t make the time restraints, Gloria and Betty, hang it up.

I take your point, Pschearer, that I may have indulged in personal insults when addressing Lewreader. Let me state clearly that he is to be more pitied than insulted.

Lewreader is a retired sexagenarian, living off his wife’s income, his 401K, & social Security. His wife’s job guarantees his health-care. He feels ashamed by all this and by his unfortunate decision almost fifty years ago to enlist in the Vietnam War rather than display the moral backbone to serve his nation and refuse to maim & kill.

Along with his old shame and his current shame, he returned from the war and worked for the Post Office, where he benefited from the struggles of unions in terms of his salary, his raises, his working condition, and his promotions. He worked for a branch of the federal government, and having union support & working for the government for his entire life shame him so badly that he must lash out at Vietnam War protestors and he must remind us with every breath that the Post Office—although run by the federal government—funds itself (mostly).

He reads badly, and his thinking seldom darkens logic’s door, and, with all this shame, he abhors ever admitting that he was wrong, so when that happens (often), he changes subjects; he blusters; he flounders, and he calls names. You can see that in his remarks w/in the last 24 hours.

In consideration of all this about Lewreader, I shall ignore his remarks henceforth. An almost half-century of shame will hinder him from ever holding a rational discussion.

BRIAN That’s for your high brow humor and psychic knowledge about others. You must be smart as a teenager. I remember when I was a teen , black and white, right and wrong. Luckily my peers reinforced my blind faith in my ideas so I never had to consider another position. Remember the Selective Service? Course you do, they’ll probably draft your daughter (thank you Betty and Gloria). They had one question for the cowards who called themselves “Conscientious Objectors”.” If the Russians were raping and killing your mother/wife/daughter, would you fight?” If you answered truthfully, you obviously were not against ALL wars, just the ones you deemed immoral. Now the old joke asks the difference between war and peace, There has never been a good war. Your liberal viewpoint is 50 years out of date, yet you let others pay with their taxes and their lives for your right to spout your aging hippie tripe. If you want to help the oppressed, great! You were too busy pursuing the all American buck as a youth to join the Peace Corps. You object to my tithe to the church because they may not help the downtrodden you deem worthy. You write your Congressmen about ecology but how long a stretch of highway have you adopted? Besides complain and repeat slogans, have you ever done a single thing to make the world a better place? Your words prove every thing I say about you. You make blind accusations and insults. You attack our country. Got a solution for you. Maybe you can get a free ride in one of your prosperous socialist/communist countries you praise. You could live on a happy island or peninsular.