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RSS FeedMarch 8th, 2011
International Women’s Day 2011
It is international women’s day 2011! Two thoughts that I must share:
First, a largely positive one, from American playwright and US Congresswoman Clare Boothe Luce:
Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say she doesn’t have what it takes. They will say, women don’t have what it takes.
Second, a positive one too, but in largely negative surroundings:
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110308/ldh1.htm#1
Burj Hakeema (Ludhiana), March 7
Having successfully effected a rise in the skewed male to female sex ratio, this village has become a torchbearer for others to save the girl child and wash the blot of being a ‘‘kudi maar’’ (daughter killer) district off the face of this state.Burj Hakeema, a small hamlet near Pakhowal village here, has ensured that no daughter was killed in the womb thereby bringing the number of girls to 61 compared to the number of boys at 51.
On the International Women’s Day tomorrow, the village panchayat led by its sarpanch, Capt Mewa Singh, will reiterate its vows to fight against the menace of (female) foeticide.
I regard the courage of Capt Mewa Singh, and of the entire village Hakeema in the highest light possible. In the same breath, I hereby condemn all religious organizations from the province of Punjab, for their continuous silence on such reprehensible crimes against the girl child.
February 12th, 2011
Excellent Video (Prodigal Son)
This is one of the best amateur videos I have ever seen – to the point that it isn’t really amateur. Let us just call it young director’s cut.
It is a two part video, so make sure you watch the “Up Next – Prodigal Son (Part 2/2)” video as well.
You can send gifts, etc to the director here.
January 13th, 2011
My wish for 2011: May your career grow like…
October 6th, 2010
Constitutional Right of (Hate) Speech at Funerals?
Regarding Westboro Baptist Church’s Anti-Gay Protest (pic on left): This isn’t really a protest against homosexuality (which can at least be understood as a values related discussion or criticism). Rather this hateful, provocative and disgusting action is just a manifestation that their religion does not teach love, compassion or tolerance. These people passing judgment on others are in for a shock when they go through the gates.
I am also wondering (and this is purely out of curiosity) – since these protesters can go and protest something at someone’s funeral, why don’t they go and protest at the Dupont? Are they somehow trying to say that dead gay people are bigger sinners than li
ving ones? Or is it simply that at Dupont no one recognizes them anyway and the entire protest fizzles out, with people spilling over to Starbucks and Caribou Coffee?
One reasonable explanation is that the Westboro Baptist church is extremely jealous of the Florida Dove World Outreach Center and pastor Terry Jones, and this is the only outlandish event that will get the required attention without being labeled as creativity-challenged copy cats.
But perhaps even trying to find a rational explanation is misplaced, and their hate speech needs to be countered with this placard.
September 14th, 2010
And now this? Wrongfully deported US citizen home after 3 month fight
Amazing (shocking) story: Wrongfully deported US citizen home after 3 month fight. So now, the language is going to define citizenship?
Today, I was planning to write something on the lines of “Al Burj and a Poppy Seed bagel.” I guess in light of this shocking story from hometown USA, you are going to have to wait for that story from abroad.
July 19th, 2010
A simple view on terrorism
Any perspective on terrorism gets clouded by myriad discussions, arguments, points and counter points on the root cause, the related conflicts, and the issue of “collateral damage” (from all sides).
My take on this is much simpler: Moshe Holtzberg lost his parents due to terrorism. And there isn’t much more to say. God bless this child, in whom we see the optimism of life after the death and carnage that was Mumbai 11/27.
March 9th, 2010
Detroit wants to save itself by shrinking
Who knew that the day would arrive that once vibrant cities would start shrinking, and it would be considered a victory of such proportions that the mayor himself would take the credit for it! Imagine driving through your city, through the areas that were once populated, a subway here, and tire shop on the other
side, and instead you are driving through corn country, or perhaps a pretty community farm.
Quite different from the nuclear doomsday futures one normally hears about, eh?
November 17th, 2009
Capitalism, Socialism and Soup Kitchens
As I was talking to my good friend Tim today, he brought up a point which reminded me that I had written this blog post but never published it, so I finally got around to cleaning it up a bit. The main thing that Tim mentioned was about climate change and how that is currently playing second fiddle to more central issues such as healthcare and the wars. While that really might be the case (Tim is rarely wrong), there is still a commonality for us to uncover. The climate change is a socialism issue at heart, just like healthcare. Both issues say that we must make a commitment (and that may have economic and non-economic aspects) to make things better for everyone. In one case (health care), the proponents say that the government should support a health plan that covers people who are not covered by other private plans, even if that incurs some cost. In the case of climate change, the proponents say that we (all nations, all peoples) should try to stop the climate change, even if that incurs some cost (like making free plastic bags illegal). This underlying common thread may just be one reason that there is political alignment between climate change control proponents and government sponsored health plan proponents.
Now of course, no one in America, not even a democrat, wants to be called a socialist. This is just a taboo word, kinda the euphemism for a commie. And even with McCarthy gone from the political landscape, it is a disaster for an American politician to admit anything contrary to US being 100% extra virgin pure capitalist. This debate of course is not a real economic debate, in terms of GDP, capitalism index or other econom
ic concepts, rather it is just labeling game. Go beyond the labels, and no one can argue that the spirit of helping out other people and the belief that everyone (even the weak, the disabled, the differently abled) has certain rights that cannot be taken away. In fact, US is the most disabled friendly country in the world, what with all restaurants and establishments of any non-trivial size subject to the most stringent anti-disability discrimination laws (and that all is a good thing!) And I wasn’t even going to mention the countless soup kitchens and the free flowing cash to the charities.
So, if we go beyond the labels, the question isn’t really whether we are capitalist or whether we are socialist. The question really becomes – how socialist (or how capitalist) are we? Why is it OK for the government to enforce anti disability law, but not to offer a health plan to people (who may be disabled in a slightly different way) who won’t be covered by private health care companies? Who chose to draw that line, and where?
September 19th, 2009
Joe Wilson is neither a racist nor very smart
On one hand I oppose Joe Wilson and other neo conservatives who try to block the health care reform by obfuscating the debate using irrelevant issues such as immigration, but in the same breath I also do not support racism witch hunts which surface every time two people argue.
Peace guys – hear no evil, see no evil. People disagree for reasons more than one.
September 12th, 2009
Give Justice a Chance
It has become commonplace in Indian politics for media to question the minister after the court gives out a verdict. As an example, when Moninder Pandher got acquitted in the infamous Nithari serial killing cases, the media was all over the Indian Union minister for women and child development, Krishna Tirath.
This is not the most conducive way to further the separation of executive and judiciary. The media in this case wants to see if the minister can do anything to further the prosecution’s angle since the judiciary had decided to acquit the charged individual. If the minister were indeed to try that, should not the same media classify the actions as interference in justice and political vindication?
If, say hypothetically, the charged had been found guilty, and the minister interfered with that, would the media and the public find it acceptable?
The minister’s reaction “What can I say when the CBI is investigating the matter”, is fairly acceptable even if a bit ineloquent, since both CBI and the judge can (and should) hold the minister in contempt if minister does make a significant statement.