Roger Ebert has written in his Chicago Sun-Times blog a strong indictment against the purveyors of subtle (and not so subtle) lies in today’s political process.

This is the best line: “Our political immune system has only one antibody, and that is the truth.”

Put up or shut up

This many Americans did not arrive at such conclusions on their own. They were persuaded by a relentless process of insinuation, strategic silence and cynical misinformation. Most of the leaders in this process have been cautious to avoid actually saying Obama is a Muslim. They speak in coded words and allow the implications to sink in. I recently watched Glenn Beck speaking at great length about Obama’s Muslim father, but you would not have learned from Beck that the father, who Obama met only once, was not a practicing Muslim in any sense.

Rush Limbaugh has told his listeners he can find “no evidence” that Obama is a Christian. In Paul Krugman’s op-ed column in the New York Times on 8/29, Limbaugh is quoted: “Imam Hussein Obama, is probably the best anti-American president we’ve ever had.” Limbaugh obviously doesn’t believe Obama is an imam. How many of his listeners realize that? Is he concerned that his words will be taken seriously?
(more…)

The 4th of July continues to be the most confusing holiday in Utah — especially if it falls on a Sunday.

We’ve been barraged with firecrackers and other dog-affecting noise since Friday and it no doubt will continue well into the evening of the 5th, but there will be few official fireworks or other public celebrations of the 234th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence held today — the actual date.

The reasons are twofold:

A non-LDS friend of mine put it best in a Facebook post:

I’m celebrating the 4th on the 4th. Please don’t tell my bishop.

Right-wing pundit Bill Kristol is refuted on his stance on the President’s proposal to finally repeal the ridiculous “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in this article in The Economist.

It pains me deeply to see patriotic, self-sacrificing, loyal American citizens still dealing with this almost a year into the Obama Administration — and 10 years into the 21st century.

Isn’t it time?

‘Don’t ask, Don’t tell’ — don’t call home?
By Ed Hornick, CNN

Washington (CNN) — There’s a constant fear that hangs over some service members deployed to a war zone — and it’s not necessarily the threat from insurgents or roadside bombs.

One Marine serving in Afghanistan said suppressing the truth about his sexual orientation is gut-wrenching.

“I do worry a lot about being outed and kicked out,” he said in an e-mail to CNN. “So far the military has been my livelihood and my source of work/income for the past six years. I don’t want that all taken away from me and me being discharged anything but honorably.”

The Marine requested anonymity because of the military’s 1993 congressionally mandated “don’t ask, don’t tell” law prohibiting gay, lesbian and bisexual service members from coming out.
(more…)