Quote of the Day (Nov. 30, 2014)

"As I look at the town now, dwindling without grace, I think how strange that lives were lost in its formation.  It is the same with all desperate enterprises that involve boundaries we place upon the earth.  By drawing a line and defending it, we seem to think we have mastered something.  What?  The earth swallows and absorbs even those who managed to form a country, a reservation."

Louise Erdrich,  The Plague of Doves

Contrasts

Two African American males (one of them twelve years old) have recently been gunned down by police because they had toy guns.  Cliven Bundy threatened federal law enforcement personnel with (real) automatic weapons.  He is not only still alive, but has appeared on Sean Hannity's show as a hero and role model.

Go figure.

Satire of the Day

From The New Yorker. 

Some Interesting Facts (At Least for Me!)

For those of us who usually find ourselves to the left of Barack Obama, it is useful now and then to at least remind ourselves of the facts (as opposed to the media myths).  Here are a few.

• The abortion rate is at its lowest since 1973.
• Illegals are entering the country at a lower rate today than when Reagan was president.
• There are 14 Congressional districts in my home state of Michigan.  Five are held by Democrats and nine by Republicans (36%/64%).  In last week's election, the five Democrat Representatives received more votes than the nine Republicans by 51% to 49%.
• Similarly, Michigan's Governor Snyder received about a million fewer votes last week than Obama received when he carried the state in 2012.
• The 35% corporate tax rate endlessly cited by conservatives is a meaningless number.  The average effective rate is far below that.  Depending on the time period used, it's actually something between 10 and 20%.  If someone cites 35% rate without also talking about the effective rate, then they are being intentionally deceptive.
• In addition, many of the countries with lower marginal corporate tax rates are able to do so because they also instituted a value added tax, something unlikely to happen in the US.  Here again, if someone cites the 35% rate without also talking about the VAT, they are intentionally leaving out half the story.

Okay, I seem to be drifting from "all fact" to "fact mixed with opinion" so I guess it's time to quit for now.

Yup, He's a Bright Guy All Right

Wisdom from Scott Walker.

Christian Life Resources Still Can't Resist

I haven't seen much on the Christian Life Resources (CLR) website lately but today there was this blatantly right wing politically-charged article.  It seems like every once in a while they can't resist reminding us that they are still in the pocket of the Republican Party.  All the epithets and name calling in this article simply verifies it.  Thanks for the reminder, CLR, but I never doubted it for a minute.  But here's a reminder--and a warning--for you:  if you're looking for Christ in either party's platform, not only are you looking in the wrong place...you are also "turning to a different Gospel".