THE GREEN MUSIC CENTER

Today my wife and I listened to some excellent Brahms in the still-incompleted Green Music Center on the Sonoma State University campus. The calming odor of new wood didn't hurt a bit. The sound (where we sat) was distinct and terrific. The place struck us as quite small when compared to Luther Burbank, but it will be a great building for music.

Six Topics for a Tea Party Discussion

1. Is John McCain a stump?

2. Why do we prefer women with huge spiteful faces?

3. Would World War Two have been improved "by one more gun"?

4. Why do smart people pick on us?

5. In which ways are black women most like Nazis?

6. Should South Carolina secede?

Killa from Wasilla

The following is a true story. I can vouch for it.

A UCLA graduate I know named Tom Icywalker died recently and found himself standing in front of St. Peter, asking to be admitted to heaven. St. Peter thumbed through the Book of Life to determine if Icewalker was eligible. Icywalker just stood there shuffling his feet like a deck with two cards.

"Icywalker," the saint finally said, "I find nothing in your life that might get you into heaven, not even one good deed. Have I missed something?"

"Yes," Tom replied. "Once, while on a trip to Wasilla, I met Sarah Palin. She was clubbing baby seals to death for fun."

"What did you do?"

"I rebuked her."

"What did you say?"

"I called her a five-gallon buckethead--have you seen the size of her melon?"

St. Peter leafed through the Book of Life again. "That's excellent," he said, "but I can't find a mention of the incident here. Help me out. When did it happen?"

"About a minute ago."

Minority Report

Some may have seen a Tom Cruise science fiction movie of a few years back called MINORITY REPORT. In this film Cruise was part of a special police force that can see into the future and detect upcoming crimes. That way they are able arrest the perps before the crimes take place. But then certain problems develop. . . .

The Giffords assassination attempt (and murders) has raised the question of why the lunatic killer wasn't in clapped into detention before the awful events took place. Along the way the killer displayed symptoms of mental illness in public school, in a community college, and nearly everywhere else. In Arizona, of course, he almost fit in. No one put him away. "He hadn't committed a crime yet," is the explanation.

In fact, people who are a danger to themselves or others can be detained under certain circumstances. One such instance looms in full public view. The federal government is holding prisoners at Gitmo who have committed no provable crime, are not awaiting trial, and who (apparently) will never be released, on the grounds that if let go they might commit a crime in the future.

The future has arrived. Tom Cruise for President!

---Gary Goss

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords

I had a note from one of my daughters, who attended college with Gaby Giffords. This makes the assassination attempt and murders in Arizona seem closer to home.

I'd like to make a few points. (1) If leaders demonize politicians, they will become the chosen targets of armed lunatics. (2) The lunatics will be carrying crowd-killing weapons undreamed of by our Founding Fathers, whose rifles had room for only one slug. (3) The Democrats reject the violent Left; the Republicans have incorporated the violent Right, which now holds Republican seats in Congress. (4) It's a good idea not to live in Arizona.

What are we becoming?

Delegating Responsibility to Obama

Let us suppose that we, like Abraham, hand over responsibility for decisions to God. That is a decision we make. If I delegate responsibility, then I am responsible for what my Leader does. I am responsible for the outcome.

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In a representative democracy we use the same process. We vote and delegate responsibility to elected officials to conduct our foreign policy, protect the nation, shape the economy, deny health care to the dying, etc. Sometimes, like Abraham, we are asked to sacrifice our children, perhaps by sending them to die in a useless war. Like Abraham, we obey.

I am not responsible for George W. Bush, because I voted against him, he stole his election, and I would never delegate responsibility to a stunted frat-boy. I am, however, responsible for the actions of President Obama, because I supported him. The outcomes have been mixed so far. Consider the war in Afghanistan--Obama told us repeatedly during his campaign that he intended to enlarge the war. I can't claim that he fooled me.

Some of my friends avoided responsibility by not voting or by voting for third-party candidates. You can't delegate national decision-making to third party candidates, because they never get elected. This sort of non-delegation, however, has occasionally led to the election of George W. Bush to high office. Non-delegation also has outcomes.