This is terrific! Get over to over favorite Pessimist's blog at the Barricades for a fresh look and listen to the lyrics of our lives. Take a bit of Dylan, update the lyrics, sprinkle in some of the great lines of music when lyrics mattered, at get a crash course on where we are at in this country (US). Worth the trip and worth a bookmark to "Favorites". Congratulations!

This man has had a riveting session with the US Supreme Court, current hearing the case to uphold or deny the District Court ruling that the Pledge of Alliegance is not to include the phrase "under God". This was a phrase added in 1954 during the coldwar, and a political move to favor patriotic citizens who wanted to emphasize the US was not a "godless nation", like, oh...just say RUSSIA. His arguments were delivered by himself, as a trained lawyer and also an emergency room doctor. His stand is that as an Atheist, he is confronted everytime by being enjoined to recite the Pledge including a state-sponsored religious sentiment. The actual suit is on behalf of his daughter, who must hear this Plege every schoolday. He says that in effect, his daughter hears the Pledge say that the US government supports belief in God and her father is wrong.

I happen to think the same way as Dr. Newdow. Clearly his testimony yesterday as reported in the NY Times and other news media is riveting for the clarity and simple common sense arguments presented. This statement following is a very clear summary that I concur with completely:

""There's a principle here," he told the justices in his closing moments, "and I'm hoping the court will uphold this principle so that we can finally go back and have every American want to stand up, face the flag, place their hand over their heart and pledge to one nation, indivisible, not divided by religion, with liberty and justice for all."

Is anyone else wondering why the Israeli government, with US administration support, can bomb a QUADRIPLEGIC political leader of Palestine? Anyone notice the lukewarm reaction of the Bushies? Um, does that mean "we" support such action? Apparently!murdered two of Sadaam's sons, triggered a coup in Haiti, kidnapped Arestide, and those last two items just in the last week.

Too much news = the media is responsible for what emphasis each discovery receives. Shall we pay attention to the Medicare crisis, or the Presidential Election 2004, or to the weather or what? Someone tell me what is really "important" these days. Here is a quote I picked up from a Michael Kazin article in Dissent - Winter 2004about historian Howard Zinn. Even though Kazin terms the Zinn history flawed and leftist, there is a true statement quoted within his article:

"According to Zinn, "99 percent" of Americans share a "commonality" that is profoundly at odds with the interests of their rulers. And knowledge of that awesome fact is "exactly what the governments of the United States, and the wealthy elite allied to them-from the Founding Fathers to now-have tried their best to prevent."