Best of the Web ~ March 25, 2012

QUOTATIONS

“There are two ideas of government. There are those who believe that, if you will only legislate to make the well-to-do prosperous, their prosperity will leak through on those below. The Democratic idea, however, has been that if you legislate to make the masses prosperous, their prosperity will find its way up through every class which rests up on them."  William Jennings Bryant

“There ought to be one day - just one - when there is open season on senators.” ~ Will Rogers

Linguistics is where it is at

http://youtu.be/blDM-ibezJQ The Lord’s Prayer in Old English

WHY THERE IS STUMBLE UPON

http://www.onecoolthingaday.com/today/?currentPage=3

www.mapsofwar.com/images/EMPIRE17.swf    3,000 years of Middle Eastern history in 90 seconds

SMILE FOR A WHILE

The Onion News has TV listings!  http://www.theonion.com/features/tv-listings/

Literally Unbelievable is a website dedicated to posting Facebook pages of people who believe Onion News stories are true.   http://literallyunbelievable.org/post/17153265749/how-exactly-did-you-get-elected

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

World’s Largest Rope Swing  http://youtu.be/4B36Lr0Unp4  (Human beings can be so fun!)

ENGINEERS RULE THE WORLD

A fountain in Dubai http://www.wimp.com/dubaifountain/  (Wimp dot com has interesting videos)

SONG

http://youtu.be/Ynttgx6lNL4 Gaia by James Taylor

A POEM FOR YOU

Carol

My grandmother, Carol, kept a jar of water in the refrigerator. She remembered the iceman and felt that ice water was quite the luxury. She kept a dish of chocolates on her shelf in the kitchen. I always liked going to see her, she was always kind.

            I thought that every grandmother kept chocolates and a jar of ice water. I used to think everyone had a kindly Carol, and that she had always been old, always kindly and always with chocolates.

            Tonight I remembered her when I put a jar of water in the fridge. My grandchildren are seven and four. I never had put up ice water before. But there are chocolates in a bowl, and if they want to eat them, I say Yes! You may. Have another!

Help abolish the death penalty

When we look back in time to 150 years ago, we wonder how Americans could have condoned slavery. How could we have been so cruel and wrong in our thinking, in our everyday lives?

When we look back on 2012 from 150 years from now we will feel the same way about imprisoning huge numbers of people, and even allowing our government employees to murder them. We will ask, "How could we have been so wrong in our thinking" and we will agree that reforming our justice system was painful but necessary. 

I oppose the death penalty and hope to persuade you to also. If you already oppose the death penalty, feel free to share this and try to persuade them, and skip ahead to the last paragraph for suggestions about actions you can take.

I read a good article in Sojourners Magazine today (you have to register for free).  As the author notes, the pragmatic arguments to oppose the death penalty are simple: 

• Capital punishment is not a deterrent to crime. 
• Death sentences are disproportionately handed down to people of color, or to people convicted of killing someone white. 
• It is a staggeringly expensive process for states.

But 6 out of every 10 people in America believe that it is necessary and just for the government to murder our fellow citizens.  60%.

Some people think that murder victims, (survivors, family, loved ones) feel better, get "closure" because of the death penalty. Most say that they simply do not. Can you imagine losing a loved one to murder, then getting over it? Survivors have to live for decades while legal hearings continue and they are called on again and again to testify about the pain caused by the murder of their loved ones. Would a sentence of life without parole and no more hearings provide better opportunities for healing?

We all know our government makes mistakes. 140 people have been freed from death row after having been found innocent. 

Public opinion is changing in favor of abolishing the death penalty. As the article says" the voices of innocent people nearly put to death for crimes they did not commit are ultimately what will turn the tide against the death penalty: “That’s what’s beginning to create the change of opinion. When the punishment is irreversible, nothing but perfection is acceptable. We can certainly improve the system, but we can never guarantee that we can make the system perfect.”

So please join me by working in your state to abolish the death penalty. Share these articles or this blog. Attend meetings of people who also want to abolish it. Write letters to your political leaders and local newspapers. Talk to people in your church and community. 

Be part of the wave of people working to end this medieval abomination. 

Today's Doonesbury

My views are pro-life, pro-choice, and anti-death penalty, and this is funny in a funny-because-it's-true way.

Milo's Janus Outlook: The Power of Boycott

Milo's Janus Outlook: The Power of Boycott

A great blog post from a great man, Milo Thornberry.

BOYCOTT HATE.