"Heathen That I Am"

Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never harm me.

As a Jew, I am not pleased by what happens in a Synagogue, and I don't go there.

As an American, free speech is free speech, and should almost never be restricted.

People have a right to die without the approval of the Senate or the House of Representatives.

While I believe that theater owners should be free to book whatever films they choose to book, I do have a problem with their selective process.

Reported by Cornelia Dean in today's NY times "Several Imax theaters, including some in science museums, are refusing to show movies that mention the subject (evolution), or the Big Bang or the geology of the earth - fearing protests from people who object to films that contradict biblical descriptions of the origin of Earth and its creatures".

Reported by Carl Hulse in today's NY Times concerning the removal of the feeding tube from Terri Schiavo.

"For Republicans, it was a chance to carve out new territory in the "culture of life" issues so paramount to passionate religious conservatives, who have flooded Congressional offices with messages beseeching help in keeping Ms. Schiavo alive. For Democrats still struggling in the wake of their defeat in the November elections, the case offered a way to portray their new found willingness to move to the center on such issues".

Reported in an as yet unpublished piece written by me last week.

"People of all ages have the opportunity in a truly free society to watch or not watch, listen to, or not listen to content transmitted over the air, by cable, satellite, Radio, IP delivery, DVD's, or whatever. They have the right as well to read anything or everything available in newspapers, magazines, books, pamphlets, interpersonal communications etc. Where is the opposition to this coming from?

Over the air Broadcasters support the inclusion of Cable and Satellite delivery under the "Indecency" umbrella. Why you might ask? Because of those traditional American values, MONEY and POWER. Instead of fighting the government about censorship, they are complicit with them. The Broadcast media can put up a fight if they were willing to pull the tail of the tiger, (the people who control their licenses), but sadly they are not."

It would appear to this not very humble person, that they "whomever they are" are out to get "us" whomever us is, in so many ways, and those of us who can be best described as holding a "liberal" bias must stand up and be counted.

Over 30 years ago, in a television comedy, Paul Lynde comes home from the office, and is greeted by his wife with a martini, and she asks him "So tell me Paul, how is the rat race?" and in his inimitable style he replies, "The rats are winning."

Enough said.

Norman Horowitz
Still an American

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