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Medved Handles Hitchens

Michael Medved has a really good question for Christopher Hitchens:

Some 24 years ago Hitchens abandoned his British homeland and chose to make his life in the United States. This April, he proudly took the oath as a naturalized American citizen at the Jefferson Memorial. He has written movingly and persuasively of his love for his adopted country—despite the fact that throughout its history the people of the United States have proven notably more committed to their predominantly Christian faith than their Western European counterparts. A previous visiting journalist named Alexis de Tocqueville described America as “a nation with the soul of a church” and Hitchens conceded that to this day more Americans engage in regular prayer and Bible study than do the citizens of any other advanced Western nation. If religion indeed “poisons everything” then why has it so pointedly failed to poison the United States – producing, instead, a nation that Hitchens himself openly prefers to any other?

Of course this gets to the heart of the cognitive dissonance that makes Hitchens interesting and perhaps unique. He’s a well-known leftist proponent of Americanism. Is there another one?

BACKGROUND: Wilson Handles Hitchens

2007 07 16 Jason The Left
Religion Comments (0) Permalink

Nuts

Spy Squirrels

Iranian Police Smash Squirrel Spy Ring:

Police in Iran are reported to have taken 14 squirrels into custody - because they are suspected of spying.

BACKGROUND: When Squirrels Attack | When Squirrels Attack II

2007 07 16 Jason Funny and Frivolous Comments (0) Permalink

The “Missing” 13th Amendment

Some crowds are wiser than others. The one at Wikipedia is wiser than the one at Daily Kos.

The only thing missing from this post at Daily Kos (and the 1,981 people who Dugg it) is a little due diligence and common sense. A few minutes of searching reveals not a conspiracy by the legal profession, but rather an interesting explanation of the Titles of Nobility Amendment.

2007 07 14 Jason Wisdom of Crowds
Constitution and Courts Comments (0) Permalink

Fifteen Years Years Ago, Today

Wedding RingsIn the “Little Theater,” on the campus of Harding University, Jimmy Allen told me to love Suzannah as Christ loved mankind. That means, he said with a tremble in his voice, you be ready to take a bullet for her. We pledged to love, honor, and cherish. Then, an acappella quartet sang Joyful, Joyful, Henry Van Dyke’s Christian version of Ode to Joy.

In addition to these things, I remember my relatives (not a “Church of Christ” family) commenting on how that preacher sure took things seriously. I remember Dr. Fred Jewell letting me take my constitutional law final early that morning so that we could have the ceremony and leave for the honeymoon that afternoon. I remember that I had to go buy black socks because I didn’t have any clean ones to wear. I remember that it was unbearably hot and sticky in Searcy, Arkansas that day. But, most of all, I remember feeling great, like I had just won the lottery.

It may not be a storybook, but it’s our story. The “happily ever after” part is full of ups and downs and the little details that make three-dimensional reality different than the ideal in your imagination. The real thing is more complex, more ordinary, more heart wrenching, more uplifting, more amazing, more confusing — and more wonderful than I could have imagined.

Three children, 15 years, and countless memories later, I can honestly say I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Suz, you’re the best thing that ever happened to me, and I’d be lost without you. But, you knew that, didn’t you?

Happy Anniversary.

2007 07 10 Jason Church of Christ
Personal Blather
Holidays and Anniversaries
Harding University Comments (2) Permalink

C-CPAN Must-see TV

Since it’s summer and there’s nothing but re-runs on I’ve been channel surfing more than usual. Last night I happened to catch a speech by Muslim dissident Irshad Manji on C-SPAN. What a gutsy broad! Ultimately, I think she’s a leftist with whom I would disagree on many things. Despite her references to Ghandi and Martin Luther King, I was happy to learn in the Q&A portion that she is not a pacifist.

Watching the speech reminds me of Natan Sharansky’s observation in The Case for Democracy that the difference between the left and the right in the free world is so tiny. From the perspective of a dissident, we in free societies don’t realize how much we have in common.

Below is a link to Manji’s speech. Unfortunately, C-SPAN doesn’t archive these things as long as they should, so I’m not sure how long it will work.

PLAYIrshad Manji on the Reformation of Islam (watch with RealPlayer)

Irshad Manji speaks at the American Library Association Annual Conference about the liberal reformation of Islam. Ms. Manji is the author of “The Trouble with Islam: A Muslim’s Call for Reform in Her Faith.” In the book, the author critiques her religion and advocates liberal reforms. 6/25/2007: WASHINGTON, DC

Here’s more video of Irshad Manji from the Glenn Beck Show, via YouTube:

2007 07 06 Jason Islam
The Right
The Left Comments (0) Permalink

Happy Fourth of July

The second fourth day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward for evermore.

— John Adams

Listen to Uncle Sam and follow his advice. He’s a smart guy.

2007 07 04 Jason Holidays and Anniversaries
History Comments (2) Permalink

Soft on Crime? That’s Rich

Marc RichSo Scooter Libby gets clemency, Mark Elrod calls the President “soft on crime,” and Kolby chimes in with the first comment, ignoring a few facts of his own.

I have no truck for Libby. He represented Marc Rich and famously congratulated the international tax fugitive upon receipt of a pardon from Bill Clinton — while still hiding out in Switzerland!

Let’s see. On one hand, we have Libby remembering the details of a conversation differently than Tim Russert did. On the other, we have Rich cheating the government out of millions of dollars and violating trade sanctions against Iran while they were holding Americans hostage!

So, which clemency undermines law and order more: Libby’s or Rich’s?

BACKGROUND: Congratulations Scooter Libby (not what you think).

UPDATE: Of course Hillary Clinton’s comment is even richer:

“Today’s decision is yet another example that this administration simply considers itself above the law,” said Clinton of Bush’s decision to commute Libby’s sentence. “This case arose from the administration’s politicization of national security intelligence and its efforts to punish those who spoke out against its policies.

“Four years into the Iraq war, Americans are still living with the consequences of this White House’s efforts to quell dissent. This commutation sends the clear signal that in this Administration, cronyism and ideology trump competence and justice.”

Wow. The old Clinton chutzpah is back. What about the signal that justice is for sale — like, oh I don’t know taking money in exchange for pardons:

Hugh Rodham was paid $204,200 for his work on the Vignali commutation. It appears that, in return for this money, he worked part-time for two months gathering materials in support of Vignali’s case and making telephone calls to White House staff. It appears that Rodham’s payment in the Vignali matter was contingent upon his success, as he received the $200,000 payment on January 24, 2001, after President Clinton granted clemency to Vignali.

I guess if I have to pick between cronyism and outright corruption, I prefer the former.

2007 07 02 Jason Constitution and Courts
Politics
Harding University Comments (0) Permalink

Churchill on Islam

The River War, by Winston ChurchillAs quoted here:

The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property-either as a child, a wife, or a concubine-must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men. Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities. Thousands become the brave and loyal soldiers of the Queen: all know how to die. But the influence of the religion paralyzes the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proseltyzing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science-the science against which it had vainly struggled-the civilization of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome.

— Winston Churchill, The River War: An Account of the Reconquest of the Sudan (1900)

2007 07 02 Jason History
Politics
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The War Within

CNN aired some much-watch tv tonight.  Excellent stuff.

2007 07 01 Jason The Media
Global War on Terror Comments (2) Permalink

Livingstone v. Blair

While London’s Dhimmi mayor, Ken Livingstone, defends Muslims in the wake of a Muslim terrorist attack, Tony Blair goes out with a bang, ripping into Islamists for nurturing a false sense of grievance:

“The idea that as a Muslim in this country that you don’t have the freedom to express your religion or your views, I mean you’ve got far more freedom in this country than you do in most Muslim countries,” Blair told Observer columnist Will Hutton, who presents the documentary.

“The reason we are finding it hard to win this battle is that we’re not actually fighting it properly. We’re not actually standing up to these people and saying, “It’s not just your methods that are wrong, your ideas are absurd. Nobody is oppressing you. Your sense of grievance isn’t justified.”

* * *

“When I’m trying to change the law in order to make it easier to deport people who engage in terrorism - the idea that that’s an assault on hundreds of years of British civil liberties is completely absurd. Some of what is written on this is loopy-loo in its extremism.”

BACKGROUND: Livingstone: Dumber than a dog?

2007 07 01 Jason Islam
Global War on Terror Comments (0) Permalink