Testing, Testing, Testing

Apparently parents are starting to see the light, that all this testing of their kids by the schools isn't such a hot idea.  I guess there is a still small, but growing anti-test movement.  People have been to school board meetings, picketing schools, and withheld their children from the testing--all over the US.  Good for these parents!  In oblique reference to one of my comments about the deleterious effects of administrators and many teachers, one of my classmates wrote, in part, "Garbage in, Garbage out."  Yep.

Of course, nobody wants to see almost a thousand people gassed to death in Syria.  But that's not a valid reason or justification to send in one hundred US missiles.  Certainly it's inhumane to use gas on people; but isn't it also inhumane to kill more than 100,000 by/with "more conventional" methods/weapons?  Are people who are gassed any more dead than those killed by bullets, bombs, or rockets?  Do the families of those killed by bullets, bombs, or rockets grieve any less than those killed by gas?  Remember, the use of torpedoes in WW1 was also considered inhumane, "dirty" warfare.  But, oddly enough, death by 300-pound shells fired by Big Bertha, 30 miles away or by airplanes dropping their then primitive bombs was not.  How would one characterize the fire-bombing of Dresden, Luftwaffe targeting of British cities, or the use of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?  Where are those who are outraged by the gas attacks and now demand retaliation when it comes to, say, slavery prevalent in nations in Africa and Asia?  Isn't slavery as inhumane as anything?  It's a slippery slope, esp when so many are employing selective outrage.  Am I the only one who finds it odd that lifelong doves are now the ones calling most loudly for US military action? Where is Cindy Sheehan?  How about the "pink" group?  Are they now protesting and the media just aren't paying attention or are they silent?  Selective outrage......

Of course, our two Michigan Sycophants, er, US Senators have duly fallen in line with the President.  I did receive a very well-writtten letter from my Congressman, Kerry Bentivolio about my opposition to any military actions in Syria.  He, too, is opposed, but to me most impressive was how clearly he made his case for opposition and the case against Obama.  Gee, from "a reindeer farmer" who "plays Santa Claus," too. Who'd a thunk it?  If people still think Obama is "eloquent" (he's not!), they should read this letter.

A guy the other night said I should support Obama, "because he's our President, whether you agree with him or not."  I didn't want to ruin a nice social occasion, so I let that slide, no response.  Because Obama made a big mistake, shooting off his mouth, does not put "US credibility at stake."  That is an argument being used for support for Obama's planned missile attack.  It reminds me of the Clinton impeachment years.  "So what? They all did it?  And, of course, "They" didn't all do "it."  In fact, the vast majority didn't!  I don't even think Obama's credibility is at stake.  I don't think he has much.  He's lied again and again.  While Americans don't seem to care and the LameStream Media continue to cover for him, hard-core foreign diplomats and leaders such as Putin don't hold Obama in very high regard.  In fact, with the recent developments calling for Assad to hand over his gas to Putin, Putin is the player while Obama is being played--again.

I'm still waiting for the Nobel Peace Prize Committee to rescind Obama's never-deserved-in-the-first-place award.  Don't the committee members feel silly and ashamed, if there's any sense of shame any more?