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Mr. Right from America is an Obamanation has obtained more new stuff from Ms. Napolitano's Department ofInternal Homeland Security. New seal, new THREATWARN levels...
-the Armorer
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Blogfather Jonah channels me for once:
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Mr. Right from America is an Obamanation has obtained more new stuff from Ms. Napolitano's Department of
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Blogfather Jonah channels me for once:
"Catholic" Georgetown [Jonah Goldberg]
I don't know that the Georgetown flap is that huge a story, but what I find most striking about it is how unnecessary it was. D.C. is chock-a-block with venues for speeches. American University and The George Washington University are five minutes away from G-town (at least by presidential motorcade). If Obama doesn't want to give a speech with a (vaguely) religious backdrop, he shouldn't speak at Georgetown. If Georgetown wants to be a Catholic university, maybe that should mean losing a forgettable presidential speech every now and then if the president refuses to be seen at a podium with Christian symbols on it.
As for the idea that the president shouldn't speak at such a podium, I think some distinctions should be made. If Obama were to give a major address, say, on the state of U.S. relations with the Muslim world, it would be silly to do it at such a venue. So too bad for Georgetown and other religiously affiliated schools. But the idea that, as a general matter, when the president is speaking about budget and economic priorities, he shouldn't do it if there's a chance someone will see him near a religious symbol, well, that's absurd. Real pluralism means pluralism of institutions. When the living embodiment of the executive branch shows up, that shouldn't mean that all religious images need to be hidden. It means, perhaps, they should be polished.
-the Armorer
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*A term of art from the artillery. Harassment and Interdiction Fires. Back in the day, when you could just kill people and break things without a note from a lawyer, they were pre-planned, but to the enemy, random, fires at known gathering points, road junctions, Main Supply Routes, assembly areas, etc - to keep the bad guy nervous that the world around him might start exploding at any minute. Not really relevant to today's operating environment, right? But, it *is. The UAVs we fly over Afghanistan and Pakistan looking for targets of opportunity are a form of H&I fires, if you really want to parse it finely. We just have better sensors and fire control now. Of course, now I have to call them UAS's, because someone got a Legion of Merit for the name change.Anyway, I call the post H&I Fires because it's random things posted by me and people I've given posting privileges to that particular topic. Another term of art that might be appropriate is Free Fire Zone.
Should be our motto.
I'm commenting on the government.
The lack of spine on the part of the instituitons is a different matter altogether.
They show themselves for what they are. Adrift on a secular sea, cast loose from the moorings of their foundation, yet unwilling to let go the trappings.
But that, my friend, is an issue for you and your bishops and the Pope.