What makes you an American?

Recently on Anderson Cooper 360 there was a debate over the actual meaning of the 14th Amendment.  Did it really say that ANYONE born on U.S. soil is considered an American citizen?  To some, the 14th Amendment to our constitution only refers to the citizenship of African Americans born on U.S. soil.  To others, it refers to anyone, regardless of parental nationality.

A huge debate is raging with one side using the scare tactic of “terror babies” to refer to children born in the U.S. by non-citizen parents.  Again, though it is CNN’s job to report the news, I find it disturbing that they continue to allow use of this demeaning and even racist phrase.  CNN and other news outlets need to worry about “truth” first and sensationalism last, if not at all.

Seriously?

“Ben Quayle, the son of former Vice President Dan Quayle who is seeking a House seat in Arizona, is making a splash with a new campaign ad in which he looks straight into the camera and declares, ‘Barack Obama is the worst president in history.’ “

The above text is from a blurb on CNN’s Political Ticker section.  All I can say is, “Seriously?!”.  I understand it is CNN’s job to cover all news, regardless of how ridiculous, but why even give notice to such an outlandish ad?  Ben Quayle’s ad goes on to blame Obama for the drug cartel problem, for our economic problem and, of course, for immigration problems.  Was Mr. Quayle in a coma the last eight years?  Did he have no access to news?

President Wyclef?

Wyclef Jean, a Grammy winning hip-hop artist, is vying for position as the next president of Haiti.  Recently in a People.com article, actor and activist Sean Penn shares his concerns over the news, “I’m not accusing Wyclef Jean of being an opportunist; I don’t know the man,” Penn added. “One of the reasons I don’t know very much about Wyclef Jean is that I haven’t seen or heard anything of him in these last six months that I’ve been in Haiti.”

Honestly, I don’t even know how to respond to this other than, “What?!”.  One singer vying for a presidential spot, one actor speaking against it.  Seriously, this is news?  These are people wanting to run a country or speaking out on behalf of it?  I just don’t get it.

Murder for firing?

Yesterday in Connecticut a single man shot and killed eight people while they were working.  The CNN article states the man brought two guns to work with him that morning, but because he killed himself we will never know if he intended to commit this atrocious act all along or if it was an act of passion because he was fired moments before.

The story of a man killing his co-workers over the loss of a job is not new, yet today it is becoming much too common.  Where has society, home life, the educational system and the work place failed that it has become common practice for an individual to retaliate against their employer and co-worker in such a horrendous way?  What responsibility, if any, do we as a society have to the man who committed this act?  Is he simply a one-off crazy who was “evil”, or a man deeply disturbed by a broken system and viewed violence as his only recourse?  There is no justification for his action, but we should be digging for clues to help all of us answer the question of what brought him to his snapping point.

Obama’s “View”

This morning President Barack Obama joined the ladies of “The View” for a sit-down discussion on life, war, politics and entertainment.  There was much hub-bub about this event as he is the first sitting president to appear on a daytime talk show.  He was, as always, articulate, funny and profound.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck, the conservative phenom of “The View” asked President Obama, “I want to ask you about the country, too, because you know, seeing you here truly is an honor to have you here as the President of the United States. It does seem as though we are a very Divided States of America right now on so many issues, and I think even those who did not vote for you felt a hope that there would be a uniting factor when you took office. Are you frustrated that this country still feels so divided and you have not been able yet to bring back unity?”  Seriously?  Elisabeth is wondering if the President of the United States is frustrated because HE hasn’t “been able yet to bring back unity”?!  Since when is it a president’s, let alone any one person’s, job to bring unity to a nation of diverse people? Unity comes when each person looks within and decides connection over division, love over hate.  President Obama may inspire, but he does not have the ability to reach in and change people’s attitudes.

Bravo President Obama for ignoring the naysayers about going on “The View” and for showing us once again why we voted you in.

Rape by Deceit?

Al Jazeera News recently posted an article about the conviction of an Arab man who said he was Jewish in order to sleep with a Jewish woman.  They had consensual sex, but when the woman learned of his Arab roots, she accused him of rape and won.

The Israeli court defended its prosecution by claiming, “The court must protect the public interest against sophisticated criminals with a smooth tongue and sweet talking, who can lead astray innocent victims.”  But I wonder, was this woman so innocent and in need of protection?  She agreed to have sex with a man she barely knew and chose to believe what he had to say without doing her own investigation.  Whether the man was morally right or wrong in misrepresenting himself seems to be less the issue than the woman who so easily and willingly slept with him.  I am not suggesting she shouldn’t be angry and feel cheated, but to cry rape and see a conviction seems to take away from the seriousness of those who have truly been sexually dehumanized.

On the other hand, because of the religious and cultural implications of a Jewish woman sleeping with an Arab man, perhaps her dehumanization did occur in her eyes because of this “sin”.  Should the Arab man be held accountable to her belief system or should the courts hold the man accountable only to the law, separate from any religious ideology?

Cuban-Juban

Twenty-five years ago Dr Okony Simon Mori was a young boy in the midst of a deadly civil war in the African country of Sudan.  Men and women were being slaughtered and children taken captive and trained to be child soldiers.  In an effort to save whatever children they could, Dr. Okony and others like him were sent to Cuba by the newly formed Sudan’s People Liberation Movement (SPLM).  The purpose, he says, “Our late hero [SPLM leader] Dr John Garang told us: ‘Now the elder people will take the AK-47 and you guys will take the pencil and the pencil will be your Kalashnikov.’”

I have spent years studying Sudan, yet this is the first time I’ve ever read of child refugees being sent to Cuba for safe-keeping and education.  The return of some of these children to Sudan, now as educated adults, is a testament to the vision of the pencil as the Kalashnikov.  Let’s hope for more pencils and less Kalashnikovs as we move toward a more unified and peaceful way of life.