Vox Verax looks at whether the planet is better now than six years ago in "The planet burns while George Bush fiddles; But if we can't replace the fiddler, we must replace the orchestra."
After reviewing the issue of climate change, Vox Verax has a suggestion:
Surely, no rational person can say that the planet is appreciably better off now than it was six years ago. Blame can be attributed to many sources, most visibly the principal fiddler, Mr. Bush. But blame is not where we should be putting our energies, especially when that fiddler has another two and a half years on his contract. Instead, our energies should be spent working for positive change — change that can be manifest in the November elections.
Right now Mr. Bush and his orchestra are badly out of tune. If the screeching of misplayed notes were merely harmful to our ears, that would be bad enough. But this orchestra and its conductor are harmful to lives not only in the U.S. but around the planet.
There is only one solution: It's time for all Americans to tear up this orchestra's contract, select better, more accomplished musicians, and call for a newer, sweeter tune.
They get letters at the Winona Daily News. Here's another one--about the Tim Walz fundraiser attended by 900 people. Olga Draskoci-Johnson likes Tim Walz's tune:
Listen to what Walz has to say
By Olga Draskoci-Johnson / Winona
First,
thanks to Sarah Dixen for her letter, quoting Al Franken correctly. I
agree that the misquotation is much different from what he said.
Perhaps Don Eger would not agree, but his letter seemed to be based on
the misquotation, not the truth. Surely he would agree it’s important
to scold people or put them down only for what they actually say.
I
would guess Mr. Eger did not attend Tim Walz’s fundraiser. If he had,
he would have heard both Al and Tim talk about their shared moral and
social values: being just, good, and compassionate; their stands for
health care for all, public education, support for veterans and Social
Security and their stands against the huge deficit we are leaving to
our children, this senseless war the Bush Administration has gotten us
into, and the war profiteering associated with it — values shared by
millions (most?) of Americans. Yes, there were jokes and laughter, but
mostly there was talk of serious issues that affect our country, and
our world.
If Mr. Eger had attended, he could have rationally
explained to the Winona community exactly what he disagreed with and
why they should continue to support this administration. As it is, he
can only insult 900 people — “I can’t believe any intelligent person
would pay $15 to listen to such garbage.”
I agree with Mr. Eger
that it is time to put our heads together to fight terrorism, though we
might not agree on what should be done. I also believe terrorism is not
the only thing that is threatening to destroy our way of life: allowing
our government to trample on our constitution; forgetting that “the
system of balances and checks is the cornerstone of our democracy” (to
quote Al Franken) could accomplish that as well.
Mr. Eger, next
time you get a chance, I suggest you might want to attend a Tim Walz
event and listen carefully to what he has to say. Who knows, you might
be surprised. If nothing else, come November, you will know exactly
what you are not voting for.
