Diminishing Sense of Shame

I see the Michigan Democratic Party had Bill Clinton as its keynote speaker last night at the Jefferson/Jackson Day fund-raiser.  That befuddles me a great deal.  I can't understand and, in turn, would question anyone voting for members of a party who embraced someone like Bill Clinton, so much so as to invite him to speak at the fund-raiser.

Note only was this guy one of only two Presidents to be impeached (and, deservedly so, despite the revisionists and Kool-Aid drinkers who still defend the guy).  He lost his license to practice law for lying under oath, perjury.  (Yes, think about that one for a minute and, esp, what would have happened to you or me had we lied to a federal grand jury.)  He has spent a lifetime of sexually preying on women.  And this is the Democratic Party, the once supposedly the party of and for women!  (Again, I ask you to think what would have happened to you or me had we in similar positions of authority done what he did.)

I'm not sure if this says more about the Democrats or about the American people/society or maybe all of us.  Regardless, it's not complimentary.  Our standards of decency have reached the gutter and, apparently, we are happy to leave them there.

Don't tell anyone, but I watched a bit of C-Span yesterday, an hour presentation on the Lincoln Archives at the Library of Congress.  The presenter was very good, a good lecturer.  (And I know how difficult it is to lecture well, esp as well as she did.)  But I was dismayed to be reminded that Obama was sworn in on the same Bible as Lincoln.  I find that, well, sacrilegious.  Maybe I make too much of it, maybe.  Still it's bothersome.  (Of course, maybe Obama was just kidding when he took the Presidential oath??????)  I was though heartened and found humorous a letter Lincoln wrote to his wife, Mary.  He signed it, "Affectionately, A. Lincoln."  How cool!

I don't know the numbers, but find it very unbelievable that the U of M can't find enough black students with high enough GPAs, ACT/SAT scores, etc. to fill some "diversity quota."  I have had a number of really great black students over the years--intelligent, articulate, curious and inquisitive, hard-working, etc.  I have no doubts they could succeed at Michigan.  Do many blacks not apply to the school?  There is a good argument out there, though, which really gives pause in any criticism of affirmative action.  That is the poor schools that blacks attend, often out of necessity with no options.  (Of course, I'm not convinced many of the public schools are all they are cracked up to be.  That's a topic for another day--oh, it's been a topic here for many a past day!)  Most of the black students with whom I went to college, regardless of their high schools, were far better academically than I was; I couldn't hold a candle to them.  Too, I wonder how many opponents of using race as a factor for admission have the same views toward admission of athletes, esp in football and basketball, or even legacy children.  I suspect not.  (In full disclosure, I also recognize I was admitted to Amherst in part because I was an athlete.  That was a factor that separated me from others with equally good high school GPAs and SATs--I don't think there were ACTs back then!  And, yes, for a while I felt uncomfortable about it.  Later, as some others pointed out, I did the work and received the grades to graduate.  There were no "jock" graduations.  I had to take the same courses, do the same reading and writing, etc. as the other students.  And, I later discovered, the college used me, too, to recruit.  That is fine with me; I harbor zero ill-feelings.  I'm still humbled and honored to be an Amherst graduate.)  I also know, from personal experiences, that abilities and achievements are not always rewarded.  I find this a very complex issue, one I still haven't been able to get a handle on.

I noted to some classmates that I have little optimism for the futures of my grandkids, that too many people don't care enough to think about those futures.  As long as they have their American Idol, NFL, and Big Gulps ("Slurp, Slurp, Slurp"), all is right with the world.  I also indicated I hope I am very wrong.