April 1
Ok, for all (3) of my faithful blog readers, I admit that I have been less than forthcoming with entries. That changes today, when I am recommitting myself to the blog. I have explanations for my faithlessness - that google's blogger is now utterly frustrating to use (how do you in this day of miraculous technology make something that worked seamlessly and without effort into a tedious string of steps that fail regularly??) is one of those explanations. Another is that I was out of town visiting my girlies (for which I have not one photo - traveling light and didn't bring my camera) and then shortly thereafter away again for two weeks in the land of dial-up where no blogger with any sense dare go. And did I mention that I had knee surgery? I know it sounds impossible to have this many explanations for my prolonged absence - but they are all true.
But, as my mother always said, "those are explanations, they are not excuses." Enough.
My first topic is related to two stories that have been in the news this past week. Both of them were very quietly reported but for entirely different reasons. This photo, which accompanied a report about the honoring of two dozen or more Tuskeegee airmen for their service and sacrifice was utterly striking to me on two levels. The first was that the only man (and a Democrat) serving in the U.S. Senate ever to have been a member of the Klu Klux Klan, Robert Byrd, was there to do some of the honoring and NO ONE, NO ONE said a word about that! The second was seeing President Bush holding the hand of the very elderly and infirm Byrd to assist him entering the room. President Bush helping in such a gentle, kind way the man who has never missed an opportunity to personally vilify the President - out of plain simple human kindness. The best measure of a man is that taken when he doesn't know anyone is looking.
Which brings me to my second news report: a FOX television investigative report into the stealing of highly classified documents from the National Archives by former NSA Sandy Berger of the Clinton administration. According to members of the Archives' staff, the extent of the crime is far greater than anyone knew at the time it first came out. The additional details reported are fairly shocking (Berger stuffing some of the stolen documents under a construction trailer parked on a street near the Archives - for someone else to retrieve? why wasn't this news??)
I mean, really. The contrast is dramatic. In one small gesture that just happened to get caught by a photographer (and many, many news outlets did not show it) you see the basic decency and goodness of one man and in the other, rather dramatic, gesture, the stealing of classified documents by President Clinton's National Security Advisor, presumably to destroy documents that made that President look bad in some way (what way we will now never know)you see people whose highest priority is to protect themselves, no matter what.
But, as my mother always said, "those are explanations, they are not excuses." Enough.
My first topic is related to two stories that have been in the news this past week. Both of them were very quietly reported but for entirely different reasons. This photo, which accompanied a report about the honoring of two dozen or more Tuskeegee airmen for their service and sacrifice was utterly striking to me on two levels. The first was that the only man (and a Democrat) serving in the U.S. Senate ever to have been a member of the Klu Klux Klan, Robert Byrd, was there to do some of the honoring and NO ONE, NO ONE said a word about that! The second was seeing President Bush holding the hand of the very elderly and infirm Byrd to assist him entering the room. President Bush helping in such a gentle, kind way the man who has never missed an opportunity to personally vilify the President - out of plain simple human kindness. The best measure of a man is that taken when he doesn't know anyone is looking.
Which brings me to my second news report: a FOX television investigative report into the stealing of highly classified documents from the National Archives by former NSA Sandy Berger of the Clinton administration. According to members of the Archives' staff, the extent of the crime is far greater than anyone knew at the time it first came out. The additional details reported are fairly shocking (Berger stuffing some of the stolen documents under a construction trailer parked on a street near the Archives - for someone else to retrieve? why wasn't this news??)
I mean, really. The contrast is dramatic. In one small gesture that just happened to get caught by a photographer (and many, many news outlets did not show it) you see the basic decency and goodness of one man and in the other, rather dramatic, gesture, the stealing of classified documents by President Clinton's National Security Advisor, presumably to destroy documents that made that President look bad in some way (what way we will now never know)you see people whose highest priority is to protect themselves, no matter what.
posted by Marty at Sunday, April 01, 2007
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