Friday's Odds and Ends

Regarding the recent Supreme Court decision to strike down caps on aggregate giving to federal candidates, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts had this to say in an interview in the Washington Post, "If the First Amendment protects flag burning, funeral protests and Nazi parades - despite the profound offense such spectacles cause - it surely protects political campaign speech despite popular opposition."

So, even though more and more Americans would like to see campaign reform that focuses on taking the power of politics away from big business, they've just been given more power? I realize the high court has to uphold the letter of the law, but does the right to free speech really mean the right to buy favors?

 Kris Gentz, a former staff member at the Plano Independent School District, recently pleaded guilty to the charge of embezzlement. Apparently, he and two other staff member embezzled several million dollars by using fraudulent invoices for goods and services. Another staff member noted an unusual invoice and reported it. In his statement to the court, Gentz reportedly said, "...he intends to rectify the unfortunate dilemma."

'Unfortunate dilemma?' It was a crime, not a dilemma.

Now for a little fun. I really related to this from the comic strip, Drabble. Ralph, the dad,  and the kids are at a park and Ralph says, "This is aperfect day for kite flying."

Patrick, the youngest son says, "I don't get it, Dad. Why do you alays want us to learn to fly a kite."

"Kids today don't realize the importance of kite flying," Ralph says as he starts to launch the kite. "It teaches you important things like aerodynamics and perseverance. When you get that kite in the air and then reel it safely back in, there's a sense of accomplishment."

He finishes with, "Every kid ought to know how to fly a kite."

The final panel shows Norman, the older brother with his iPod, and Patrick points to it saying to Ralph, "And every adult should know how to download songs to their iPods."

To which Ralph replies, "What for? I have you guys to do that for me."

Rock on Ralph.

I also loved this one from Bizzaro. A spaceship has landed in a park and an alien that looks like a mutation of an octopus comes down the ramp toward the people gathered to see this phenomenon. The Alien says, "People of Earth - we have captrued all of your most powerful politicians.

"Do EXACTLY as we say or we shall RELEASE them."

Oh, no. Keep them. PLEASE!

Have you flown a kite recently? That was one of my favorite pastimes as a kid. I'm thinking I need to go buy a kite.

Talk About Absurd

The Supreme Court recently overturned a judgment by a district court that had been given to the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas prohibiting them from demonstrating at the funerals of military men and women.

This group, that calls itself a church, shows up at the funerals carrying signs that read:  "Thank God for Dead Soldiers" and "God Hates America." The members have no respect for the dignity of the ceremony they are disrupting, nor the feelings of the family and friends who are mourning a loved one. Do they not even know that the proper respect for the dead calls for decorum? Many of us still stop our cars when a funeral procession passes, and I recently saw a State Trooper standing with his hat on his chest as he stopped traffic on a county road so a funeral procession could quietly roll out of a church parking lot. And further down the road when the line of cars turned into a cemetery, that same trooper stood in silent respect.

Compare that quiet, somber moment to the chaos of a demonstration with people shouting and waving placards. Imagine if you were burying your son or daughter, or wife or husband, how you would feel.

Oh, the disgrace, and yet our Supreme Court, with only one dissenter, ruled that the protesters are protected by First Amendment rights.

I'm sorry. I don't think the men who drafted the Constitution of the United States, ever envisioned a time when our moral compass would be so far off kilter that we would allow such ugly and debasing behavior and give it protection under the law.

Shame on the Supreme Court, and shame on us for supporting a society that is swirling closer and closer to the drain.