A new year

Hey Bobby (and readers!)

I apologize for being off the grid for a while.  Since last I wrote, I took a vacation to Iceland and then moved to Miami for a new job. So life has been a little busy!  But, i'm back now and I'm happy to participate.

Over the weekend, as we all know, Congresswoman Gifford and Judge Roll of Arizona were shot, along with several others.  Judge Roll, an aid to Congresswoman Gifford and a child were killed in the attack.  The congresswoman remains in critical condition.  Although clearly the man who committed these crimes is unwell and unhinged, I do believe that some of the rhetoric coming out of heated political discussion (much of which I cannot call a debate) can lead us all to feel unhinged.  Both the right and the left get to a point where they are so blindly angry at each other that the country cannot move forward, and as we are a country of people on both sides- we need to have space for dialogue, not rhetoric.  At this time, it seems that both sides are taking some time to reflect on what it means to represent the people and how we can do that without inspiring hatred.  I hope that will continue.

Bobby and I started this blog to ensure exactly this time of cross party / cross philosophy conversation could occur- without the visceral, the venom  and the hatred I hear coming out of politics and the media.  I know our conversations may get headed as well, but I also know that while we may disagree entirely with each others ideas and philosophies we certainly don't hate each other!  So, lets keep talking!

The 'ground zero' mosque... You do know it's not at ground zero right?  And that it's not a mosque- it's a community center?  And that one of the central values of the US is freedom of religion.  Each religion has its fundamentalist crazies, who are dangerous.  But, if we start stripping away those freedoms we lose.  Period.  The community center is proposed to be placed in downtown manhattan- which is a very crowded area and very large.  Ground Zero is not the only thing down there.  And the Imam heading this project- brought the mosque idea into the headlines to begin the debate before he even had funding for it.  Why would he do that? To help build support and understanding?  The community center is years away from being realized.  And does anyone know how many Muslims also died in the world trade center?  19- 19 Muslim families are also grieving their loved ones from that attack.  The World Trade Center was a place that housed people of all nationalities and religions- its purpose was to make money.  It was a business.  Its loss, is a loss for all Americans of all faiths and Nationalities.

So, lets talk about the new TSA search guidelines, shall we?  I do not feel safer with them... On the contrary, I do not trust all TSA staff to remain professional and not take the opportunity to humiliate passengers.  Everyone knows that the only planes getting this type of treatment are those originating in the U.S. right?  Other countries are not making passengers undergo this ridiculousness.  Bobby, what do you think?