Wednesday, June 15, 2005

The Anti-Lynching Resolution   I assumed when I heard that the Senate was to vote on an ant-lynching resolution that it would be unanimous; that all 100 Senators would express their regret for our history with lynching, which was largely based on racial hatred.  There are people who can differ on certain issues of civil rights, but I thought that surely the basic right not to get strung up by a mob and murdered is fundamental, and one with which no one argues.  I was mistaken.  While no one voted against it, all this resolution required to pass is that no Senator present vote against it.  There was no roll call, no required attendance.  So the only way we can know whether a Senator supported this resolution is whether he agreed to cosponsor it.  I have read on the Web variously that either 15 or 20 Senators refused to cosponsor the resolution.  I've spent hours today trying to find out just who failed to do so; I will post a list of those Senators who do not feel regret for the nation's ugly history of lynching, and the Senate's failure to act against it, just as soon as I can find it. 7:37:24 PM    comment []

Quote for the Day, 5/15/2005   "Snakes are vertebrates and the vertebrates are classified as higher animals, whether you like it or not.  I mean you can be a higher animal and still be a snake."   -Will Cuppy, How to Become Extinct, "Own Your Own Snake" 9:05:11 AM    comment []

Our Foreign Policy   Quick, name our current ambassador in Iraq; or name our current ambassador in Afghanistan.  Can't do it?  Well, don't blame yourself--blame the President.  In both cases, we don't have one.  (It makes me wonder if Condeleeza Rice was appointed Secretary of State because of her keen attention to detail.)  We are pressuring other countries to send ambassadors to Iraq; I'm sure our lack of our own helps persuade them.  But that's okay.  It's not like we have any vital interests in either of those countries, right? 2:58:45 AM    comment []