So much is going on in the media this week, it is difficult to focus in on one topic of discussion for current events. We could talk about Obama going on town hall meetings. Some call it campaigning on tax payers dollars, others say every president has a right to hear from the people. Or we could discuss Obama’s vacation to Martha’s Vineyard this week, a “working vacation” it is being dubbed by the left, an outcry of irresponsibility by the right. My opinion is that everyone regardless of their profession deserves a vacation, why should a president be any different? Also, when would be a good time for a president to vacation(though I must say now probably isn’t the best time)? Bush never managed to find a time the left approved of and I doubt Obama will find a time conservatives approve. One only has to take a look at a president before and after office to see the job ages them, so a little R&R wouldn’t hurt any president-republican or democrat! FACT: Obama has taken 61 days of vacation while Bush had taken 181 by this time in his presidency (not sure if weekends are counted). Question: Isn’t both totals a large amount of vacation days…the average American only gets one-two weeks/year. If you take two weeks, including weekends,(so 14 days) and multiply that over three years that is only 42 days! I agree with a little R&R, but I think perhaps Presidents should set examples…if most Americans cannot afford to take off that many days, why should the President?
Off the Obama topic, we could mention Michelle Bochmann got Elvis’ date of birth confused with his date of death…oops! That is kind of funny. Not funny in a mean way, but funny as ha ha. We all make mistakes, she shouldn’t be ridiculed for being human, but she is.
A mention of the flash mobs sweeping our nation, especially in Philadelphia deserves some attention. Why are our youth turning so violent? What is motivating this and what can be done to correct it? Philly has instituted a curfew on teens under age 18 on the weekends. Parents of violators will be fined (I have heard $150 for first time offenders, $300 for additional offenses, but I have also read $500, so I am not sure the amount) Some think this is going too far, while others praise the efforts in making the streets safer and parents more responsible for their children. I heard that the curfew is costing around $50,000 for additional police work to man this curfew, but again I am unable to verify that amount as I have heard contradictory sums. Regardless of the amount it costs or the fine total, isn’t it worth doing something to prevent additional violence? Shouldn’t we be trying to avoid riots like the ones that have spread across Europe and the Middle East this summer?
Taking a look at Europe and the Middle East…they put to shame our flash mobs, the damage they are conducting, the fear they are inducing, the violence they are shedding is atrocious. We need to take note of what is happening over there and learn from it so it does not spread to our nation. We need to figure out how to prevent and correct the mob like mentalities already present in our nation. Recently London’s riots were sparked over controversy in police action and Spain is revolting because Pope Benedict XVI is visiting, while in Syria it is reported approximately 2000 protesters have been killed since uprisings began in March .. . This is crazy! Why are we acting as animals incapable of reason…isn’t there a better way to influence change, to make opinions known without riots?
Lastly, let’s take a quick glance at Pakistan. It is reported they allowed Chinese engineers to take pictures and paint samples(that enabled the U.S. to enter Pakistan without radar detection) of our stealth helicopter tail that went down during the Bin Laden raid in May. Some sources are denying this claim, China and Pakistan both have denied such allegations, but why wouldn’t they? Isn’t that like a child denying they got into the cookie jar? The White House and CIA have had little to say on the topic outside reinforcing the necessity to maintain a relationship with Pakistan despite the strain both sides are experiencing. Since 9/11 the U.S. has provided Pakistan with $20 billion for defense. Recently the U.S. has denied roughly 1/3 of the $2.7 billion/year on defense to Pakistan due to the strain in relations.
And that is a snap shot of this week in August 2011.
Oh, one last thing…did you hear David Letterman has a death threat on him for jokes he made regarding the death of some Al Qaeda leaders…they want his tongue to be cut out.
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