“We know what we are, but know now what we may be.”

Very strange… very strange indeed….







Now, I try very hard to respect other people’s beliefs. Really I do. And I genuinely find a lot to admire in most religions. But sometimes I just gotta wonder…..



The thing that’s bothering me today has to do with sexism. I’m having a hard time with the fact that in 2011 some groups still view women—half the world’s population, and the beings from which all men are born—as second-class citizens. Or worse, as possessions.



What got me going on this was the news that a Brooklyn-based Hassidic newspaper airbrushed Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Counter-Terrorism Director Audrey Tomason from the iconic “Situation Room” photo of the President, Vice-President and administration officials watching the raid on bin Laden’s compound. The publication, Di Tzeitung, based this decision on centuries-old tenets of their faith; they do not publish photos of women in their paper ever because of issues of “Female modesty.” Apparently they feel any images of women may be sexually suggestive/stimulating. As a female who went thru the Catholic school system in the 60s, I can relate. The Sisters (hello—all women) often referred to girls as occasions of sin. Yeah—it’s always our fault if a guy gets a chubby. (And people wonder why I’M SO WARPED….how would you feel being told that?)



First the paper trotted out the ol’ “Freedom of the press” thing to justify their editing of history. Then they brought in the religious reasons. Um, if you are hanging on to such antiquated ideas, why not just write about the event and not publish any picture at all rather than play fast and free with the facts?


It’s the equivalent of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denying the Holocaust.



Sorry, guys—Hilary Clinton was there—as was Ms. Tomason. Women are in positions of power—we keep cracking that glass ceiling bit by bit.

I guess it’s bugging me because there are still so many inequities in the world. If you stick that closely to the Bible, consider the fact that it says God made Eve from Adam’s rib—his SIDE. To me that says we’re equals.

Cry Havoc and Let Slip the Dogs of War ~ Julius Caesar

I’ve had very mixed feelings these past couple of days….


And expressing them may make some folks angry.

Oh well, better to get it out.

I am glad Osama Bin Laden was finally taken out, but all of the gloating going on is very distasteful to me.

Terrorism against any nation is a horrible thing.    It is not to be tolerated and all those who engage in it need to be punished.     An act of war was carried out.     A necessary act—I get that.

But the celebrations bothered me.    It looks like there were kids in that compound. Fortunately, they weren’t harmed, but I’m sure they were traumatized.    Who is caring for them now?     What will become of them?     How will they view the world as the grow up?     That kind of stuff was gnawing at me…..

Thank God the administration is being very circumspect:     We did what we wanted to do, moving on.     (As usual, the media is going overboard—enough already).      I hope they don’t release any of the photos—we really don’t need to see the gore.

All of the public’s high-fiving seems too much like thumbing our noses at the rest of the world as far as I’m concerned.     We need to take some responsibility for why we are not well liked in many parts of the world.     It’s that arrogant attitude that seems to permeate everything for the past decade.     We really need to take a humility pill. Yeah—our country has a lot going for it, but we aren’t the only game in town.     It can’t be our way or the highway.     Other ideologies have valid points too, people.

It’ll be time enough for small celebrations when we achieve some kind peace on this planet that is getting ever smaller....    And when all soldiers are returned safely to their families.