Opinion Page

Today's rant:

Ok, so this is what I'm wasting my time on, rather than looking for a job. A couple of things today are eating away at me, so rather than be a ranting lunatic, I can look like a concerned citizen and document things here for the world to see.

 

Arthur Dent, your life is calling. Today a U.S. "human shield" found out that when you lay under a bulldozer in the Gaza Strip, you end up stoned. In this country, if you sit in front of a bulldozer, they have all of these lawyers who slap injuctions on you. They sue the government, even though you're in the wrong. In Israel, they have a much easier way of dealing with it. They blend you in with the rubble. Bulldozer 1 - Rachel Corrie 0. What was she even doing in the Gaza Strip? she's a 23-year-old college student from Olympia, Washington. Now Washington state is known for having a lot of left-leaning people, but there is a difference between speaking your views and travelling 10,000 miles to give aid and comfort to terrorists. The houses that Israel was destroying were used by terrorists. And no matter what you say, the Palestinians are terrorists. That's why 23 Arab countries don't want them. They had a chance to have their own state when Israel was formed. They chose instead to start a war against the Jews. When that failed, they turned to terrorism. Old habits die hard. Today they still use terrorism to try to get what they want. One day they will learn one of life's oldest lessons - never bring a knife to a gunfight. It would be like laying down in front of a bulldozer.

Put up or shut up. Bush sounds like he gave the world a 24-hour warning for war. Good. The only thing all of this posturing has done is delay a financial recovery for this country. Once we get passed it, the unemployment rate will drop, the stock market will soar, gas prices will plummet, and the world will be a better and safer place. Right now, if I was Saddam Hussein, I'd be feeling like a Christian Scientist with appendicitis.

Deep pockets - I. In New York they passed a wonderful law that enables someone to sue the automobile manufacture who leases a car in the event of an accident. In other words, if I lease a car and get into an accident, instead of suing me (since I have less material wealth than the idiot who kidnapped Elizabeth Smart), you simply sue the auto manufacturer. How they ever even passed this law is beyond me. Any court should find this incredibly unconstitutional on any number of grounds. It opens the door for far-reaching vicarious lawsuits in all kinds of settings. I guess it's also a sign that things are getting back to normal in New York. The sad thing is that if they stop leasing cars in that area, the poorest people (those who often lease in order to avoid having to pay for the entire car) will suffer the most.

Deep pockets - II. Well, if you can sue General Motors for getting into a car accident with someone who leased a car from GM, why not make Ford liable for parking tickets from customers who've leased their vehicles? Lawsuits were city and state governments tried to make gun manufacturers liable for deaths from guns were thrown out on constitutional issues. I expect these to get similar treatment. I will only say this about these stupid laws. In heavily liberal areas, there is a trend to avoid placing any responsibility on individuals. The power of the individual is what makes this country powerful. With the Freedom for the individual also comes the Responsibility of action to balance it. When you take away the responsibility of the individual who leases the car, what is to stop them from disregarding every traffic law? They will know that Ford will have to pay the fine, not them.

Order the chicken. What would you do if a fish started talking in Hebrew? Some say it's God coming back to warn people that end is near. I, for one, think it's time to eat a steak instead (see my PETA comments in a previous blog).

If you have ideas, comments, or criticisms, please let me know.

Home