Some nice early lines:
“We are better than the last eight years. We are a better country than this.”
“We love this country too much to let the next four years look like the last eight.”
“What does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right 90 percent of the time?”
So, let’s get this straight: The Yankees continue to play “God Bless America” during baseball games, a practice that began in 2001 after the 9/11 terror attacks. OK, fine. What’s odd, however, is that a fan says he was removed from the game because he attempted to go to the restroom during the musical interlude.
There is some discrepency over the policy at the stadium, The fan, Bradford Campeau-Laurion, told CBS TV that he was told that
theYankees had a rule restricting movement in the stands during the playing of God Bless America. The rule is enforced by ushers, stadium security and the NYPD.
The Yankees, however, say
there is no rule against moving or using a bathroom during a game but police say if a fan is disruptive to others they have the right to kick that fan out.
Police say the incident was alcohol related, but a witness has come forward to contradict the account.
To many, this might seem a silly tangent at a time when we are fighting two wars, the Russians have crossed into a neighbor’s territory, the economy is tanking and so on. But I would argue that these empty displays of patriotism set within these large eventws create a dangerous atmosphere that admittedly was much more stifling in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. But watching earlier coverage of this campaign, with its focus on flag pins and Michelle Obama’s remarks about pride in country, remembering as well the way the GOP turned war heroes like Sens. Max Clelland and John Kerry into caricatures, ,Dixie Chicks, Tim Robbins, Bill Maher, Linda Rondstadt — the list of public figures (and the anonymous horde) whose criticism of the war and the president resulted in ugly controversy and rebuke seems endless — it’s pretty clear that we still view dissent as dangerous. I’ve experienced this first hand, in letters and e-mails I’ve received when I’ve criticized the war, the president, John McCain, Fox News, conservatives, etc.
The dissent issue has faded, to some degree, but not completely — consider this story from The Progressive magazine:
Professor Robert Ovetz was driving through San Francisco on the morning of June 30 when he saw the lights of a police car behind him.
Ovetz pulled over.
“When the officer came up to my window, he asked the typical police requests: registration, drivers’ license, insurance card,” says Ovetz. “I asked him why he was pulling me over. And he said because of the bumper sticker on my back window.”
That sticker says, “No to Empire,” in large bold letters, and on the bottom in very small letters, “www.thenation.com,” Ovetz notes. It’s a bumper sticker from The Nation magazine.
Ovetz’s first reaction was to laugh, he says.
Then he recalls the following conversation:
“How could it be illegal for me to have a bumper sticker on my back windshield?”
“It’s obscuring your view.”
“You’re just trampling on my free speech rights.”
“No sir, I’m just doing my job.”
That’s the standard response in these situations. But it does appear to be a case of selective enforcement. And it is wholly consistent with the kind of infringements we have experienced since 9/11.
Dispatches — some thoughts on the national party conventions — is up.
I need to be more consistent and also lose a few pounds. I’ve allowed myself to lose focus. I ran four miles today and was hurting. Four should be easy.
iPod: podcast of “Bill Moyers’ Journal”
The clock is ticking on legislation that grants builders broad exceptions to state planning rules — a bill that could have dire consequences for the environment, while creating the illusion of generating jobs and boosting the economy.
Consider this comment from the state builder’s association in The Star-Ledger:
Legislators from both political parties supported the measure because it would provide sorely needed jobs in a struggling economy, noted Amy Whilldin, director of communications for the New Jersey Builders Association.
“These projects were largely stalled because of the economic downturn. Allowing the time period to be extended, for a reasonable period of time, will stimulate growth,” she said.
Stimulate growth? By extending the permits of projects approved in the past, projects that may have stalled for reasons other than the economy, all the bill will do is give builders a way around environmental restrictions they opposed when they were passed.
Gov. Jon Corzine has until Sept. 15 to make a decision on the legislation, called “Permit Extension Act,” which the Ledger describes as “giv(ing) developers a two-year extension to complete any stalled building projects.”
There are aspects of the bill that make sense — provisions tied to transit hubs and redevelopment projects — though it is important that development projects be held to the highest environmental standards, and that includes requiring those that expired to meet recently enacted environmental laws.
But the governor has a conditional veto he can use to force a rewrite of the legislation to make it more consistent with environmental goals, as Jeff Tittel of the New Jersey Sierra Club and Dave Pringle of the New Jersey Environmental Federation told the Ledger. The two organizations
want the governor to “conditionally veto” various parts of the bill, including what they call the “Dracula” provision. That provision would allow projects with permits that expired after Jan. 1, 2007, to be “brought back to life” and enjoy the two-year extension, they said.
“In the midst of presidential politics, Governor Corzine has to govern New Jersey, including deciding the fate of the Permit Extension Act,” said Pringle, the federation’s campaign director. “Within two weeks, he will decide whether or not to underline core environmental and public health protections, good planning, and the constitution.”
Tittel, the state Sierra Club’s director, said the governor also could amend the act to protect local planning decisions made in communities like Bernardsville, Newark and Jersey City to promote growth near transportation hubs, protect environmentally-sensitive areas and halt sprawl.
So, what’s the decision Gov. Corzine?
Hank Kalet 