In America, two states, Washington and Oregon, legally allow assisted suicides for terminally ill patients who choose to end their lives. 34 states have laws making assisting suicide a crime, and the remaining states have laws somewhere in between, or do not have an official stand on the matter. The Supreme Court has ruled that it is up to the individual states to decide on this issue, without federal interference.
While I believe that life is precious, I also believe that a person who is mentally competent and suffering from an incurable disease should have the right to make the decision to die with dignity, and that physicians should be allowed to provide them with prescriptions to do so.
I have heard people who oppose suicide say that it is the quitter’s way out, and there is some validity to that claim. If an angst-ridden teenager or a depressed adult just chooses not to deal with life anymore, is it okay to end it?
I don’t think so. There have been times in my past when I have been so far down emotionally that the easiest thing in the world would have been to pick up a gun, or turn into the path of an oncoming train. But I’m too much of a coward to do so, and I couldn’t do that to my kids. And guess what? I eventually came out on the other side of the crisis, and now I can’t wait to get up every morning and see what life holds for me today.
On the flip side, I knew guys who vowed during their time in combat to save their last bullet for themselves, because they knew they could not withstand being taken prisoner. I don’t think I could have handled that ordeal either.
I watched my father die a horrible death from cancer, and when he began to go downhill, my mother asked me to take his guns out of the house, which I did. But, as his disease worsened, I can’t honestly say I could have refused him if he asked me to bring him a pistol. Dad said he would never do that to my mother, but I do believe that he should have had the option to end his life with a prescription, if he chose to, in comfort and surrounded by his family.
I believe in the right to die with dignity. I have an Advance Directive stating that if I am in a vegetative state with no reasonable chance of recovering, that no artificial means be used to keep me alive.
There is a time when death is coming and you can’t stop it, but I do believe that if you are in that position and cannot handle the suffering, you should have the right to speed up the inevitable. We do that for the pets we love, so why should we deny it to the people we love?
Yes, I know that it’s a grim subject, but not everything in life is sunshine. It’s something any of us may be faced with someday. How do you feel about this issue?
Tags: Advance Directive, angst-ridden teenager, assisted suicides, cancer, combat, die with dignity, incurable disease, mentally competent, Oregon, physicians, suicide, Supreme Court, terminally ill patients, Washington
Yesterday, Admiral Mike Mullen, the military’s top uniformed officer, publicly stated that gay men and women should be allowed to serve openly in uniform, arguing that it is “the right thing to do.” Speaking before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Admiral Mullen said he is deeply troubled by a policy that forces people to “lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens.” The admiral made it clear that in his statement, he was “speaking for myself and myself only.”
Admiral Mullen may have said that he is speaking of himself, but his words echo the feelings of millions of Americans, including this veteran. It is long past time that the military’s outdated, unfair and discriminatory policy toward gays is laid to rest.
What does a person’s sexual orientation have to do with their ability to serve their country? Do you really believe that only a heterosexual can drive a truck, fly a helicopter, serve chow in a mess hall, or pull a trigger? If you are that narrow minded, how can you ever find a hat that fits your head?
The argument I have heard over and over is that having an openly gay person in a military unit can be divisive and cause unrest among the troops. That’s the same excuse that was once used to segregate black soldiers, and in later years, to relegate female soldiers to support roles. Once allowed to serve in all capacities in the military, both groups have proven themselves more than capable of handling anything thrown at them.
There were (and still are) soldiers who say that they will not share a foxhole with a black person, a woman, or a gay person. Instead of giving these bigots what they demand, shouldn’t the military deal with them more appropriately? Isn’t our military supposed to protect the fundamentals of this country? Isn’t one of those fundamentals the belief that all men are created equally? The slogan “No queers in foxholes” is just as offensive as it was to my father back in World War II, when some soldiers said “No niggers in foxholes.”
Let me tell you about a “queer” I shared a foxhole with many times. He was a sergeant, a good soldier, and never tried to hide the fact that he was gay. I have no idea how he was allowed to stay in the Army as long as he did, but I’m sure his excellent performance and his willingness to take on any job without complaint, had a lot to do with it. When he got a few beers in him, he used to laugh and say “I should have been born a WAC.” But there was nothing feminine about this man, and when the bullets were flying, there was nobody I wanted covering my back more than him. He was absolutely fearless, and I knew that he would die for me, just as I would have for him.
Senator John McCain said he was disappointed by Admiral Mullen’s position. In referring to the military’s policy of don’t ask, don’t tell, McCain said “Has this policy been ideal? No, it has not. But it has been effective.” Segregation and slavery were effective too, but that did not make them right.
Tags: admiral, Admiral Mike Mullen, Army, bigots, bullets, don’t ask don’t tell policy, drive a truck, female soldiers, fly a helicopter, foxhole, gay men and women, gays in the military, heterosexual, military officer, military unit, military veteran, segregate black soldiers, Segregation, Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator John McCain, sergeant, sexual orientation, slavery, soldiers, troops, World War II
Actor Rip Torn was arrested Friday night after police found him inside a Connecticut bank with a loaded handgun. Torn, who police say was intoxicated, has been charged with burglary and firearms violations. Last year Torn was given probation on a drunken driving conviction, and allowed to enter an alcohol education program. He has two previous drunken driving arrests on his record.
What do you want to bet that this clod walks away from his latest transgression with no more than a slap on the wrist? If he were a blue collar guy, do you think he’d be treated the same way? I doubt it.
Justice in America may be blind, but she sure can detect the smell of money and celebrity cologne. All you have to do is open a newspaper or read an online news post to know that there is a different standard for the rich and famous.
If my wife and I got into an argument that ended up with smashed windows on our van, and me crashing it into a tree, do you think the police who responded would allow me to give them a runaround and decide when and if I was going to let them interview me? That may work for Tiger Woods, but Bad Nick would be sharing a cell with Sweaty Eddy if he tried that nonsense.
Actress Nicole Richie may have only served 23 minutes of her five day jail sentence for DUI, but if she were Joyce the hairdresser, I think she’d spend a lot longer in a cell, don’t you?
We’ve seen it over and over, where Hollywood celebrities, athletic stars, and politicians break the law, then thumb their nose at the system and go back to their lives, with little or no punishment.
You don’t even have to be rich and famous to get preferential treatment in this country. In my career publishing small town newspapers, I saw the good old boy system at work so many times it made me sick, including a high school principal who was busted for selling drugs on campus, but never charged because, as the County Attorney said “He’s a really good guy who just made a mistake.” The man was not even suspended from his job!
There was also the grandfather who was charged with giving his fourteen year old granddaughter a sexually transmitted disease. As the case progressed, it came out that he had molested his daughters and several granddaughters. But the same County Attorney refused to prosecute the case because, at age 65, he was “too frail to handle the rigors of a trial.”
I have also seen several cases where high school jocks were busted for things like DUI, assault and battery, even sexual assault, and their cases went nowhere. Do you think a black kid from a poorer neighborhood would get away with the same thing?
I’ve been on the favored side of things myself. If you run a small town newspaper and are very vocal about your opinions, people either love you or hate you, and sometimes you become something of a local celebrity. And if you make no secret that you support the police in doing their difficult job, they remember it.
That’s why when one of my kids got busted for a curfew violation one night, the other two teenagers in the car were sentenced to several hours of community service, while my kid was given a pass. When the Chief of Police told me that, I insisted that my kid do the same time as the others. What’s appropriate for one should be appropriate for all.
That should apply no matter what you do for a living, or who your parents are, or how high priced an attorney you can afford. I just wish it worked that way in the real world.
Tags: Actor Rip Torn, Actress Nicole Richie, alcohol education program, arrest, assault and battery, athletic stars, attorney, break the law, burglary, celebrity, Chief of Police, child molester, community service, Connecticut, County Attorney, curfew violation, drunken driving conviction, DUI, firearms violations, good old boy system, high school jocks, high school principal, Hollywood celebrities, jail sentence, Justice in America, loaded handgun, local celebrity, newspaper, police, politicians, probation, publishing small town newspapers, punishment, rich and famous, selling drugs on campus, sexual assault, sexually transmitted disease, slap on the wrist, support the police, Tiger Woods
Thursday a Gilbert, Arizona police officer was murdered during a routine traffic stop, a crime that precipitated a violent 50 mile chase up a winding two lane mountain road that ended in a gunfight that can best be described as something out of a Hollywood movie.
Police Lieutenant Eric Shuhandler was a father of two, and a sixteen year veteran with the Gilbert Police Department. Prior to that, Lieutenant Shuhandler worked three years as a detention officer with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. His loss is a blow not only to his family and his police department, but to the entire community.
The incident began when Lieutenant Shuhandler stopped a truck occupied by two men for an obscured license plate. One of those men, Christopher Redondo, was wanted on a warrant. Police say Redondo shot Lieutenant Shuhandler once in the head as he approached the passenger side of the truck. Two civilians witnessed the murder and ran to the fallen officers’ aid, using his radio to call for help.
The killers led police on a wild chase east on U.S. Highway 60 involving dozens of police cars. They fired shots at the pursuing officers, threw tools, and even an air compressor out of their truck, disabling several police cars along the way. Then, near the small community of Superior, Arizona they stopped their truck on the middle of the highway, jumped out, and fired at police officers. In the shootout that followed, both Redondo and Daimen Irizarry, who was driving the truck, were both hit in the legs. Police described their wounds as non-life threatening. Fortunately, no other police officers or civilians were injured in the chase and shooting.
Both Redondo and Irizarry have prior records for violence. Redondo had served prison time for child abuse, domestic violence, stalking, and aggravated assault. Police said he had assaulted police officers in the past. Irizarry also has a history of domestic violence, according to police.
So a good man is gone, and now the justice system will slowly grind forward. Hopefully Lieutenant Shuhandler’s murderers will eventually be convicted of their heinous crime, and they will get the death penalty they so richly deserve. Then maybe, years from now, they will be executed. But not before millions of taxpayer dollars are wasted on their defense, on trials and appeals, and in feeding and caring for these animals. Why? What purpose does allowing them to live one more day serve?
It would have been better for everybody if the brave cops who engaged them in the gun battle on that lonely stretch of highway had aimed higher and killed these worthless maggots then and there. But they didn’t, because that’s what separates them from the vermin they protect all of us from.
Rest in peace, Lieutenant Shuhandler.
Tags: abuse, aggravated assault, arrest warrant, brave cops, car chase, cop killers, death penalty, detention officer, domestic violence, execution, Gilbert Arizona, Gilbert Police Department, gunfight, heinous crime, Hollywood movie, justice system, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, murder, police cars, Police Lieutenant Eric Shuhandler, police officer, prison, records for violence, routine traffic stop, shooting, shootout, slain police officer, stalking, Superior Arizona
I love writing this blog, but sometimes I feel like a tennis ball bouncing back and forth from one side of the net to the other. A few days ago I was labeled a Liberal by somebody who didn’t like my blog Can He Walk On Water Too, and in response to the blog post Undocumented = Illegal, another reader called me a bigot. Can’t anybody believe that I’m just an independent thinker who has varied opinions on many different topics? Is the world so black and white that it’s always us against them?
Well, here’s one that will get my name moved over to the Liberal side of the board again, at least until next time.
I received the same e-mail three times yesterday, claiming that after 42 years, “Obama has denied a military fly-over at the annual God and Country rally in Idaho.” According to the e-mail making the rounds, President Obama himself halted the flyover, which honors new recruits and active duty military. The e-mail claims that the fly-over has happened every year for 42 years, until the current President refused to allow it. The e-mail further claims that the reason the President did so was because of the events’ “Christian nature.”
Like most of the crapola that comes around from both the Right and the Left, in this case the spin doctors twisted facts to fit their personal agenda. Yes, there will not be a fly-over, but no, President Obama did not refuse to let it happen. There is no evidence that the President said one word about it, or was even aware of the decision not to to approve the flyover. The President probably has a lot more on his plate than to personally approve or disapprove every request that comes into every branch of the government.
Department of Defense (DoD) policy regarding community relations, adopted in 2001 (gee, who was President then?) states: “Community relations activities shall not support, or appear to support, any event that provides a selective benefit to any individual, group, or organization, including any religious or sectarian organization, ideological movement, political campaign or organization, or commercial enterprise, to include a shopping mall or motion picture promotion. When DoD support is provided to one non-Federal entity, the DoD Component commands or organizations providing such support must be able and willing to provide similar support to comparable events sponsored by similar non-Federal entities.”
In the God and Country rally case, according to a story in the Idaho Press-Tribune, military representatives said that the decision was based upon the way festival organizers worded their request this year. According to Marine Corps Colonel David Lapan, director of Defense press operations, in previous years the request for a fly-over focused on patriotic-type activities, but this year the request had more of a religious-type focus. Department of Defense officials say that if the request is properly worded next year, approval probably would not be denied.
Okay, so how does the Department of Defense complying with a directive put in place during the Bush administration come back to President Obama being the bad guy? And don’t start telling me that it is because he is a Muslim dedicatied to destroying this nation’s faith in God.
The hard corps Conservatives always tell me that they stand on the United States Constitution. As I read that document, separation of Church and State was a basic tenet of our government’s foundation.
So what if they bent the policy this year? How would some of you feel if the Muslim community in the United States then demanded a fly-over or some other military appearance at one of their events? Would that be okay too? What if it were neo-Nazis? A Gay Pride march? Remember, it’s your tax dollars paying for the fuel and the manpower that makes these types of military participation available, and according to the policy set during President Bush’s tenure, if they do it for one, they have to do it for all. Can I have a military parade for my next birthday?
Folks, as I’ve always said, you can’t be a little bit pregnant. Either we allow this sort of Department of Defense support for any group, or we adhere to the letter of the DOD policy and do not allow it at the God and Country Rally in Idaho this year. Which would you prefer?
I didn’t vote for President Obama. While I respect the office he holds, I don’t like or trust him any better than I did President Bush, or most of the others who have sat in the Oval Office in recent history. But the constant flow of propaganda coming out of the opposition crowd always brings the old William Shakespeare quote “She doth protest too much, methinks” to my mind.
If you don’t like the man or his party, tell me real facts, don’t twist and turn everything you have to say to try and make your case stronger. It just shows that you are not being realistic. Before you forward every e-mail that hits your computer, take a few minutes and do some research. It usually doesn’t take long to discover the other side of the story. And if, like a lot of people I know, you don’t even care to believe that the story has two sides, please don’t waste my time sending me junk, because I’ll just delete it, unread.
Tags: active duty military, bigot, Bush administration, community relations, Department of Defense, e-mail, Gay Pride march, God and Country rally, Idaho, Idaho Press-Tribune, ideological movement, independent thinker, labeled a Liberal, Marine Corps, military fly-over, military parade, military representatives, Muslim, Muslim community, neo-Nazis, Obama, Oval Office, patriotic activities, political campaign, President, President Obama, religious or sectarian organization, separation of Church and State, spin doctors, tax dollars, United States, United States Constitution, William Shakespeare, writing a blog
Are you as sick as I am of the term undocumented immigrants? Political correctness be damned, what’s wrong with calling an illegal alien exactly that?
You can candy coat it all you want, but if they are in this country without going through the proper immigration channels, they are here illegally. If they are not resident citizens or legal immigrants, they are aliens. Doesn’t that make them illegal aliens? Let’s take it a step further – they are criminals.
Last week there was a major protest in Phoenix, Arizona in support of “undocumented immigrants” whom Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio routinely rounds up and turns over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The protestors claim that the Sheriff is violating undocumented immigrants’ rights by enforcing the law he swore to uphold.
What rights? They have no rights. They are not American citizens. Again, they are criminals who have violated the law by entering our country illegally. If you break into my home, you have no rights. You are a criminal, and will be dealt with accordingly. There’s a guy with several broken bones in his hand and wrist sitting in a jail cell up in Indiana who can confirm that for you.
The law is the law, and as long as the law says that we have an immigration policy, that law should and must be enforced. Rounding them up and deporting them is not only the right thing to do, it is required by law, no matter how much it offends the do-gooders who object.
Why do we even tolerate organizations that aid and promote illegal activity, like the ones that organized last weekend’s protest? How would we feel about organizations that supported burglars, drug dealers, or car thieves, and organized marches to protest when they get arrested?
Those who support “undocumented immigrants” complain that not only are these people being deported, but in the process, their families are ripped apart when they have children who were born in this country. Isn’t that what happens when a robber or a rapist with children goes to jail? Isn’t his family ripped apart, as a result of his illegal actions? Here’s a concept – if you don’t want your family ripped apart, stay in your own damned country and have your kids there!
Call me heartless, but I don’t care how tough they had it back in their homeland. I don’t care that they are here to build a better life for themselves and their families. I’m sure the creep who broke into our place felt he had a good reason to do so. Why don’t they stay in their own country and work on resolving the problems there that make it a cesspool with no opportunities? Could it be because the places they come from don’t have neat things like welfare?
No, we shouldn’t back off on deporting illegal aliens, we should step up our efforts to do so. They are criminals, and we are fully capable of growing our own criminals right here at home. We don’t need to import them.
Tags: American citizens, burglars, car thieves, criminals, deporting illegal aliens, drug dealers, enforcing the law, illegal alien, illegal aliens, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, immigration policy, jail cell, legal immigrants, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Phoenix Arizona, political correctness, promote illegal activity, rapist, resident citizens, robber, undocumented immigrants, welfare
Radio windbag Rush Limbaugh has built a career on finding something to complain about, and our current President has been a favorite target, which is understandable. Limbaugh is a conservative and his job is to put down the opposition. He does a darned good job at it, right or (mostly) wrong.
But apparently Limbaugh has had a change of heart about President Obama, and he now must think the President has powers far beyond those of mortal man. Powers the like of which we have not seen since Biblical days. The other day Limbaugh claimed that the earthquake that devastated Haiti “played directly into Obama’s hands.”
Now, personally I don’t think President Obama is any better or worse than most of the other men who have held his office. He’s a politician, so how good can he be, right? But I had no idea that the President could rally the forces of nature to further his political agenda! Can he part the sea and walk on water too? I’m impressed!
Limbaugh went on to say that the President is using the tragedy in Haiti to enhance his standing with minorities in this country and around the world. So I guess that when President George W. Bush sent aid to Indonesia, Taiwan, and the Philippines last year after typhoons devastated that region, he was trying to make himself look good in the Pacific Rim? In 2008, the United States sent supplies and rescue workers to Haiti, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic, in the wake of hurricanes that tore through those countries, because it was all a part of Bush’s plan to gain support in the Caribbean. In 2005, the United States sent $100,000 in aid to Mexico after Hurricane Wilma. Aha! Another Bush plan to win favor south of the border? And it worked! Look how many of them have been streaming across the border to thank us! How about the Marshall Plan way back in 1948-1952, when our country helped rebuild western Europe following World War II? What was that sneaky President Truman up to there?
Does everything have to be a conspiracy? If a Boy Scout helps an old lady across the street, is he getting ready to push her in front of a bus so he can steal her purse? Can’t anything anybody ever does be just what it looks like, and not some evil plot?
Isn’t it possible that in every case I mentioned here, as well as all of the other times our country has stepped up to the plate to help others in need, just as we are doing now, that it could be that it’s because that’s the kind of people we are? Compassionate people who just want to help?
Limbaugh’s remarks drew criticism from folks on both the left and the right who think he went too far this time. Of course, nothing fazes a guy with an ego like his. When a caller voiced his criticism over Limbaugh’s comments, the talk show host shot back that the caller was a blockhead, and a close-minded bigot.
Wow, that’s kind of like a guy my size calling somebody chubby!
Tags: Biblical days, bigot, Boy Scout, Caribbean, Conservative, conspiracy, Dominican Republic, earthquake in Haiti, Europe, evil plot, Hurricane Wilma, hurricanes, Indonesia, Jamaica, Marshall Plan, Mexico, minorities, Pacific Rim, Philippines, political agenda, politician, President George W. Bush, President Obama, President Truman, Rush Limbaugh, Taiwan, tragedy in Haiti, typhoons, walk on water, World War II
Bad Nick Plays Censor
I do not like censorship, whether it be in books, newspapers, or online. I’d like to believe that most people have the good sense to exercise common courtesy when posting comments on my blogs, and I give folks a lot of latitude in what they say.
However, there comes a time when I must draw the line. Yesterday I had to ban a poster from the Bad Nick Blog because he was taking things way too far. I have allowed him to rant pretty heavily, even to the point where he made a couple of personal attacks on me. I’ve been called a lot worse, believe me. His comments have been drawing a lot of response from other readers, and I like to see a lively exchange of ideas and opinions.
However, yesterday he posted a comment that was flat out obscene and blatantly racial. I removed it, and then sent him an e-mail telling him he had to tone it down and stay within the bounds of decency. His response was to immediately post an even more vulgar commentary that encouraged such things as killing homosexuals, persons of color, and a lot of profanity.
The way this blog is set up, the first time somebody posts a comment, it does not appear until after I, as moderator, approve it. This is done to filter out the many spam comments I get each week. Once somebody’s first comment has been approved, their e-mail address is stored, and future posts by that person do not require moderation and show up immediately. Because I have a life and am not chained to my computer 24/7 (even though it feels that way sometimes), this allows comments to be posted in real time, rather than being held in limbo until I can log on and approve them.
The other alternative is to set the blog up so that all comments have to be approved each and every time somebody makes one. This would really slow down the process, and I feel that it would be unfair to the rest of you, who act like adults. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of living in a world where the good majority has to suffer because of the actions of the small minority of lunatics and jerks.
Our society may say that we have to play nice and do what it takes to accommodate the worst among us, but in my little sandbox, things don’t work that way. Everybody is welcome to come here and say whatever they feel, disagree until the cows come home, and if you want to call me names, that’s alright too. I’ve have two ex-wives and two ex-mothers-in-law, so you’re not walking on virgin ground.
We don’t have to agree all of the time. What a boring world that would be! If you think I’m wrong about something, get it off your chest. If you have a different opinion than others here, I encourage you to state it respectfully. That’s what this blog is all about.
However, when somebody, either through a twisted psych or just plain meanness, goes too far and wants to turn this blog into a soapbox to preach violence and hatred, I’ll kick their butt to the curb fast and never look back.
Tags: blatantly racial, blog, blogging, books, censorship, common courtesy, e-mail address, exchange of ideas and opinions, killing homosexuals, lunatics and jerks, newspapers, online, spam comments