Sunday, January 30, 2005

Just Observing

Just Observing

Those Iraqis are some brave people. At least the ones in Shiite and Kurd territory. But I do wonder if any Sunnis went to the polls. No US reporters were allowed there, I read. So they have a beginning and now some very hard work is ahead. I do wish them the best and sincerely hope they won't be disappointed or discouraged once again in the outcome. They've been let down so many times already. Seems every time BushCo claims success, disaster increases. Ahead one step, back two. I'll give the admin credit today though. The election did happen in spite of bombings. I'll wait to hear/read what happened with the Sunnis. And I'll wait for the votes to be counted and hope a reasonable slate was elected.

Had dinner in Horton Plaza downtown at the Napa Valley Grill this eve with C and S. Sat out on the patio and gave thought to the rest of the nation, buried under snow or half frozen, and talked about how lucky we were to be in San Diego.

Seems Afghanistan is next to the forgotten. Iraq is where almost all the attention is focused. No part of the world should be ignored or forgotten. The tsunami hit countries are fast fading into background noise, even as the trial of Michael comes to the front. Thank heavens that judge has nixed television. Another circus like OJ's trial is the last thing that's important in the scheme of things.

Communication around the world has so improved that people are buried under information. We've become very much like little kids at their first intro to Disneyland with the media yelling, Look at this! And This! And This! until nobody knows what to look at first or stays with it long enough to really examine it.

In a previous post I said I'd put down my thoughts on torture. Right off the top, I'm dead against it. Torture not only dehumanizes the tortured but the one who engages in it. Professional interrogators say that a tortured person will say anything to have the torture quit, whether it's truth or not. My personal opinion is that the professional interrogator does as the FBI does. Isolate the person in a safe house and talk with them, and sooner or later the information will come out. At least enough of it to begin to connect the dots. More, if I do it to you, then you will do it to me. And from there comes one of the only good things religions seem to advise: Do unto others as you would have done to you. Damned good advice, that is.
And that's a wrap for the night.

4 comments:

Nan said...

I googled the sites you suggested. Very enlightening, and sad. All have one thing in common, hope prevails.

I'm surprised you didn't get any comments on your previous post asking for people's thoughts on torture. What you said here is commendable. The Golden Rule is prevalent in the religions of many cultures. It is something we can all strive for, but too often it doesn't seem that people are willing or able to follow it.

Watch 'n Wait said...

Thanks, Cate. Funny thing...the basis for the way I feel about torture goes back to my dad being indignant about something and yelling, not at me, thankfully, but I heard him: "You don't kick somebody when they're down!" And it stuck. As for the Golden Rule...it's not Golden for nothing. :))

Nan said...

This has nothing to do with your previous post or the comments. I am upset--very very upset. I just made the mistake of watching the NBC Nightly News, and I saw where the city of Norwood, Ohio is TAKING a couple's home under the right of Eminent Domain to build a shopping mall.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6891224/

My husband and I for some odd reason were talking about Eminent Domain as we were going out to eat tonight. We can understand that in some cases it is necessary. But for Gosh Sakes, this is to build a shopping mall! Yes, it will add millions to the city's coffers in taxes, but, as the lady who owns the home so aptly put it, you are taking from one private citizen to give to other private citizens. This is so, so wrong. If the government is allowed to do this against it's citizens' wishes, are any of us, and any of our homes safe?

I don't live in Ohio, but I am a citizen of the United States. You seem to have your thumb on the pulse of the government. Can anything be done to make a difference? Thanks for the opportunity to vent. Cate

Watch 'n Wait said...

Cate...Let me check around on emminent domain. Off the top of my head, that lady in Ohio should take a good look at her city council and whatever planning commission they have there, first and foremost. Will talk about this in the next blog or two. I'm with you.