Daily archives: January 15th, 2010

Notre Dame’s Observer Apologizes for Gay-Bashing Cartoon

From NBC Chicago:

The independent student newspaper at the University of Notre Dame has published a staff editorial apologizing for a cartoon that made a joke about violence against gays.

“What’s the easiest way to turn a fruit into a vegetable?” one character ask another in the cartoon.

“No idea,” the second character replies.

“A baseball bat,” the first character says.

The editorial Friday says The Observer newspaper created an “egregious” error in judgment with the cartoon published two days earlier. Assistant managing editor Aaron Steiner said the newspaper plans to reveal the results of an internal review on Monday.

“Publishing commentary that seems to encourage or support hate against fellow human beings is inexcusable,” the editorial staff said.

As a Domer, I am beside myself, trying to understand how this slipped through the editorial process, how this made it to print.

All the editors of The Observer should resign.

This was inexcusable.

Honestly, these kids should be ashamed.

And that’s what they are.

Kids. Don’t advocate murder, ever again.  Because that’s what you did.

There’s still time for you to become adults.  Grow beyond this gaffe.  Step back.

You’ll be fine.

But you gotta eat crow on this one.  That’s all.


NPR: Death, Desperation Mark Haiti’s Dark Hours

From NPR:

The lone morgue in Port-au-Prince is filled to overflowing, while a mass grave outside the city holds thousands of bodies. Yet three days after a titanic earthquake, the death count has barely begun in Haiti’s capital.

Hundreds of U.S. troops reached the city on Friday, but the nascent international aid effort had yet to show much impact and residents were becoming increasingly angry and impatient.

Amid reports of scattered looting, Haitians were in a desperate search for food and water, even as bodies still litter the streets.

Urgent needs are being met in piecemeal fashion. Makeshift medical clinics — most of them outdoors — are struggling to cope with the injured, often with few or no medical supplies.

"Haiti is dead, is dead, is dead, is dead, is dead. Everything is breaking down," Philippe Mercier told NPR’s Greg Allen. "It’s like somebody who lives in the street, you know? Eat on the street, drink water on the street. There’s no pure water."

Hundreds of thousands of survivors in this desperately poor Caribbean nation are believed to be homeless. Many have fashioned makeshift shelters on the sides of city streets, in parks, and wherever else they can take refuge as aftershocks continue to rattle the city.

"Haiti is dead, is dead, is dead, is dead, is dead."

It’s time for the world to come to Haiti, embracing a nothing with nothing, nothing at all to give back.

Except life. Except thanks. Except survival.


NPR: Port-Au-Prince Morgue Overwhelmed (Audio)

From NPR:

Three days after the massive earthquake devastated Haiti’s capital, bodies still litter the streets. The stench of death is growing. Corpses are being delivered by any means possible to the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince, where hundreds now lie stacked outside the morgue.


America Stands With Haiti (Video)

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

One woman, rescued from under rubble, said, "I was hoping I would die quickly."

Rachel Maddow is reporting tonight that 200,000 people might have lost their lives in the earthquake.

America stands with Haiti, video from MSNBC.

Donate to the American Red Cross here.


It’s On: Hynes Calls Quinn a Liar

From NBC Chicago:

Gov Pat Quinn says a new television ad from his Democratic opponent reminds him of when President Obama was heckled during an address to Congress.

"I think that just is not a good way to go in a democracy. I believe in civility and decency. I’m going to run a positive campaign," Quinn said Friday.

In the ad, Comptroller Dan Hynes says Quinn "is lying" about the early prison release program.

In the Quinn ad, the narrator says the governor supports moving some non-violent criminals to half-way houses so prison space can be used to house the state’s most violent offenders.

It’s on, South-Park-style.

Let’s remember as this madness continues that both of these guys are good men, both men of good character.

Through February 2, however, they’ll both be acting like characters.

Gentlemen, please, under no circumstances are you permitted to say in an ad, "What’s he thinking?"

If you do, I won’t vote the office at all.


NPR: U.S. Releases Names Of 645 Bagram Detainees

From the AP, via NPR:

The government on Friday released a long-secret list of some 645 detainees held at a military base in Afghanistan, providing the information as part of a lawsuit seeking details of the treatment of terror suspects.

The list was just a small part of roughly 2,000 pages of documents that were released related to various lawsuits seeking government papers about detainees.

The identities of the detainees at Bagram air base had been sought by the American Civil Liberties Union. The list is dated Sept. 22, 2009.

ACLU lawyer Melissa Goodman said the government should also provide the details of how the inmates were captured and why they are being held.

"Hundreds of people have languished at Bagram for years in horrid and abusive conditions, without even being told why they’re detained or given a fair chance to argue for release," Goodman said.


An Infamous First: Des Plaines Man Charged with Texting While Driving, DUI

From the Sun-Times:

A Des Plaines man is among the first in the state to be charged under the new no-texting-while-driving law, which took effect Jan. 1.

But that offense may be the least of the legal woes facing Terry S. Moore, who also was charged with felony drunk-driving following a traffic stop in Des Plaines early on Jan. 2, officials said.

Moore, 39, was curbed about 4:25 a.m. in Des Plaines after a police officer saw him weaving between lanes on River Road in the northwest suburb, Des Plaines Police Chief Jim Prandini said.

After his car was stopped, Moore was arrested and charged with felony drunk-driving — an offense based on his two prior DUI arrests, Prandini said.


Schools Supt. Charles Flowers Charged With Theft

Charles Flowers, superintendent of the Suburban Cook County Regional Office of Education, is led toward the Cook County sheriff’s office this afternoon after being arrested by Cook County state’s attorney investigators in Maywood.

"Lead us not into temptation." –The Lord’s Prayer

Kudos to the Southtown Star:

Regional Supt. Charles Flowers was charged today with theft by the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.

The arrest comes after a yearlong investigation by the Southtown Star into operations of Suburban Cook County Regional Office of Education.

Flowers turned himself in about 1 p.m. to sheriff’s police in Maywood. He was accompanied by his attorney, Tim Grace.

At a news conference this afternoon, Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez said Flowers is charged with felony theft and official misconduct. She said he faces a prison term of four to seven years if convicted.

"Just when you think you may have seen it all, along comes a case like this one today that just shocks you with the level of egregious conduct that is involved," Alvarez said.

Flowers is in custody pending a bond hearing Friday morning in a Maywood courtroom.

Temptation is an ugly thing. It’s so hard to resist. No doubt that’s one of the reasons mention of temptation found its way into The Lord’s Prayer.

There’s an old Christian teaching about an ‘occasion of sin.’ While often associated with Catholic sisters and priests on dance floors telling dancing teens to separate, there’s actually a lot of wisdom to this one. There’s a lot of wisdom is setting up boundaries in an office to isolate oneself from temptation. In generic accounting terminology, we might talk about setting up internal audits.

It may be too late for Regional Supt. Charles Flowers. He is innocent until proven guilty. For anyone else in elected office, this is a sobering lesson.

Set up checks and balances so neither you, or those you hire, will be tempted, and, heaven help us, give in to temptation.

More at the Star.


Limbaugh: Obama Will Use Haiti To Boost Credibility With ‘… Black Community’

For your consideration, from the January 13 edition of Premiere Radio Networks’ The Rush Limbaugh Show:

Incredible.

Absolutely incredible.

Source: Media Matters for America


Robertson: Haiti ‘Cursed’ By ‘Pact To The Devil’ (Video and Text)

For your consideration, without commentary, from the January 13 edition of Christian Broadcasting Network’s The 700 Club:

PAT ROBERTSON: And, you know, Kristi, something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, "We will serve you if you will get us free from the French." True story. And so, the devil said, "OK, it’s a deal."

And they kicked the French out. You know, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other. Desperately poor. That island of Hispaniola is one island. It’s cut down the middle. On the one side is Haiti; on the other side is the Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, et cetera. Haiti is in desperate poverty. Same island. They need to have and we need to pray for them a great turning to God. And out of this tragedy, I’m optimistic something good may come. But right now, we’re helping the suffering people, and the suffering is unimaginable.

KRISTI WATTS (co-host): Absolutely, Pat.

Source: Media Matters for America