Out of Africa

Today on the National Mall in Washington, DC and in cities and towns throughout the country, people are rallying to urge the government to do more to stop the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. To summarize the situation, since February 2003, the Sudanese government along with the Arab Janjaweed militia it supports, has executed a campaign of murder and other atrocities on the non-Arab population under the guise of fighting rebels. It is estimated that over 400,000 people, mostly civilians, have already been killed with another 5,000 being killed each month. Over 1,000,000 people have been forced to flee their homes because of the violence. The African Union military forces put in place to enforce a cease-fire have been largely ineffective. Now within the past few days, the Iranian president has told the Sudanese president that Iran would be willing to share nuclear technology with Sudan. Clearly, giving the tools and knowledge to build a nuclear weapon to a government that is engaging in genocide would only make this situation more tragic.

Now ironically, the same people who have decried US "imperalism" and use of the US military to intervene where we saw fit are now demanding that the US do more to stop the genocide in Darfur. The UN Security Council has passed a resolution demanding the Sudanese government stop the killing and disarm the Janjaweed militia. This has not been done. The Sudanese government has barred any UN peacekeepers from Sudan to enforce the ceasefire and disarmament. It has similarly threatened that a suggested NATO force would be seen as invaders and would be attacked. Nations should not be swayed by such threats. In the words of political philosopher Edmund Burke, "All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing." It is indeed time for the US to act. It is also time for our allies in Europe and Asia to join us once again. Together, we are strong enough to put an end to the killing, even if it means forcibly disarming the Sudanese government and militia. Certainly we could all agree that this is a worthy cause.

Oh say can you sing in English

I had originally planned to write about high gas prices. Then I heard about a new version of the Star Spangled Banner that's written in Spanish. Not only that, but there's supposedly a remix of the Spanish version coming out in a month or so that contains the following lines in English: "These kids have no parents, cause all of these mean laws ... let's not start a war with all these hard workers, they can't help where they were born." Now I'm angry, and you wouldn't like me when I'm angry. There is no reason our national anthem should be sung in any language but english. There is absolutely no reason for someone to insert lyrics protesting our government into the national anthem. Now I'm one of the first people to admit we are a nation of immigrants. For the most part, my ancestors immigrated to this country about 100 years ago, so I am sympathetic to immigrants. But let me clarify, I am sympathetic to legal immigrants, like my ancestors. When my grandfather immigrated to this country, he went through Ellis Island. He went through medical screenings and had to show that, because he was 12 years old, there was someone already in this country that would support him. Once he was in this country, he learned to speak english, put himself through college, and fully assimilated into the American culture. For the melting pot to work, everyone's got to melt a little.

I'd like to remind everyone who says that "we are a nation of immigrants" that we are also a nation of laws. When those laws are broken, there are penalties. When you break our immigration laws and enter this country illegally, you should be punished. You should be hunted down, arrested and deported. I understand we need the labor, so let's set up a legal immigration system that makes sense, but we shouldn't allow people to break the law because it's more convenient than creating a reasonable immigration policy.

I read something in the Wall Street Journal a few days ago that activists were complaining about the police "intimidating" immigrants by going on raids to round up people in this country illegally. The activists were complaining that because these people were scared of being arrested, they weren't bringing their kids to school, they weren't going to the doctor or going food shopping, and wasn't this horrible that these people were suffering because of the bad police. What everyone seems to ignore is that if you are in this country illegally, you are a criminal. The fact that these criminals are scared of getting arrested and aren't benefitting from our tax-supported institutions doesn't bother me in the least. In fact, I think the nationwide demonstrations next week are a great idea. The police should be waiting to check IDs and arrest any illegal immigrants that show up. Nice of the criminals to all gather together and announce where they'll be.

Well this post went on a little longer than I first thought, but this really got my blood running hot. I guess gas prices will have to wait until tomorrow.

GO RANGERS!!!

The playoffs have begun

I am a big hockey fan and nothing beats the excitement of the playoffs. The past few years haven't been quite as happy for me (especially last year when there was no hockey). This is because I love the NY Rangers. As all you hockey fans know out there, the Rangers hadn't made the playoffs since 1997. To put that in context, the last time the Rangers were in the playoffs I was getting ready to graduate from high school. That all changed this year. Not only did the Rangers qualify for the playoffs but, until a spectacular late season losing streak, they were leading the Atlantic Division. Because sometimes the hockey gods smile kindly on TV executives in the New York region, the Rangers drew their cross-river rival Devils in round one, which began yesterday.

It all started well. The Rangers were playing well, and at the end of the first period it was tied at 1 goal apiece. Then came the game changing moment. It was 2-1 Devils toward the end of the second. Dominic Moore took a backhand shot that hit the post, hit off Brodeur and bounced away from the net. The Devils brought the puck down the ice and scored. Now, had Moore scored it would have been 2-2; instead it was 3-1 Devils and it went downhill from there. The Rangers lost their discipline and lost the game 6-1. Adding injury to insult, Jagr injured himself on a stupid play while killing a penalty with only a few minutes left in the game and no hope of winning. The Rangers return to the playoffs has not started well, but I'm hopeful they'll be able to turn it around.

Life in the city

A few random observations from the city this week:

First, I get on the elevator at work and a woman gets on behind me. I go to press the button for the 35th floor and, because I was also holding my briefcase and a cup of coffee, my hand accidentally also pushed the button for 32, which was right below the button for 35. The lady turns to me and asks, completely stunned, "how did you know I was going to 32?" My first thought was to tell her that I know everything, but since it was still early in the morning I decided to be nice and told her I had done it accidentally.

Second, I'm sitting on a NJ Transit train in NY Penn Station waiting to go home. A woman gets on the train, stops, and asks me "Does this train go to New Jersey?" I just couldn't hold back the sarcasm in replying, "Well, it's a New Jersey Transit train, so I think you're in luck."

Ahh, the people you meet in New York.

Welcome back

Well it's been almost a year since my last post so I've decided to just delete the old posts and start over. Hope you enjoy the new blog.

To update everyone on what's been happening since my last post: I have a new job (with the same company but that required a relocation to our New York offices) and I am about to become an uncle for the first time (check out my niece's website at Baby Shetler). Oh, and I'm in the process of changing religions. I was raised as a Roman Catholic, but as I became an adult, I realized that I didn't fully believe in the Church's teachings or in the Church itself. I mean, I still believe in the big ticket items, but have some serious reservations about the Church's view on women in the priesthood, sexuality, and it's own infallibility. Oh, and that whole child molestation thing was a big turn-off too. Not even so much that there were priests that molested children - I acknowledge that just about any profession with access to children will see its share of pedophiles - but rather that the institutional reaction wasn't to cooperate with authorities and see that the guilty priests received just punishment. No, the Church in its infallibility decided that the best course of action would be to transfer the priest to a new parish and tell nobody about it. This from the institution that is supposed to be teaching me about virtue? I guess if I engage in premarital sex I am doomed to hell but if I cover up a crime against a child that's fine.

So anyway, my sister and brother-in-law are also in the market for a religion and have settled on the Episcopalian Church. I've done some research into this Church and have liked what I read. Their beliefs seem to fit more with my own beliefs and from what my sister and brother-in-law said the people are much more welcoming that the people in the Catholic Church (generally speaking of course). So I'm planning to go to my first Episcopal service tomorrow morning and will see how it goes.