and now, the death of the english language

"A candle lights a picture of Ruben Navarro who's death, prosecutors say...." This is from a caption in the NYTimes. Where it will all end, knows god.

health care (a misnomer when applied to US)

The Times says Bush is about to deny financing for many Medicaid services, thus "saving $15 billion." (The Times says it will be even more, because Schwarznegger says CA will lose $12 billion.) What is he saving this money for? Clearly, it's for tax cuts for the rich. Could it be clearer? Could a journalist ask him this question, so we can all get it, if we don't already? Could the Congress please stop him? Too late to impeach? Ha! And ha again. This government has no shame.

more on US healthcare

The fear of genetic testing, "some experts say" is less evident in countries that provide health care to everyone, the Times says. Forchrissake are there experts who say that's wrong? Since the fear is totally based on whether you'll be able to get health insurance. And the added fear that you won't be able to get a job because your health insurance will be too expensive. I don't think we need an expert to deduce...

New York Times Attack on PBS--Why?

This morning I sent this letter to the Times:


In "Is PBS Really Necessary, it's nice that Charles McGrath is flacking for public radio, but why does he have to tear down PBS while he's doing it? Mr. McGrath has been hanging out with the elite for too long. Perhaps he's forgotten that PBS is free; all those cable shows cost extra, and surprise! some people can't afford them. Yes, despite its unlikelihood, let's do campaign for more money for public television, more "hand-wringing" (as Mr. McGrath characterizes the one status quo-questioning show on TV--"Now") if possible. I hate to think that this attack is based on a desire to curry favor with various corporate entities. But otherwise I just don't get it.

Sharing Might Work

The Times story today about a beating in Shaker Heights is depressing. Shaker Heights is a community we've all admired over the years--upscale yet biracial--one of the few perhaps, at least that I've heard about. So now some Black teenagers from Cleveland gratuitously beat up a 52-year-old white lawyer out for a walk at night and the only thought is increased police presence. Cleveland, which Shaker Heights is basically a part of, has been getting poorer every year. It's one of the poorest cities in the country. Does it ever occur to anyone in Shaker Heights (or to any of us) to share some of their good fortune with their poorer neighbors outside the borders of the suburb? Like instead of paying more taxes for more police, how about spending that money on better schools in Cleveland, more services for poorer residents, whatever. Wouldn't that be a smart way of approaching things? But that idea apparently doesn't come up,even in such a progressive community, at least according to the Times, which doesn't so much as mention such a possibility.

thank you, new york times

The story today about how the army turns people into killers, even after they come home, is a killer in itself. Surely no one of any feeling could read this tale without tears. This is what war does to people, destroying on purpose the civilized persona carefully built up by parents, schools and society from infancy. Of course, the Pentagon doesn't keep track of such events. They are in the business of denying the effects of their dirty racket. And it was all optional, a "war of choice." Its effects will cascade down over the years with more deaths, more tragedies, through the generations of motherless and fatherless children. Stop, for chrissake, you hard hearts you cruel men of Rome.

Saint John McCain

People who talk publicly and derisively about the looks of a former president's daughter are simply beneath contempt. That, apparently, would include Senator McCain. It has been reported that in the last campaign (2004) he told jokes about this matter. I am simply revolted and to quote my son, "may puke." John McCain may have suffered torture, he may have adopted a Vietnamese child, but even these things do not excuse such revolting behavior. He is over.