http://thinkprogress.org/2010/05/17/california-texas-textboo ks/

Leland Yee is on fire!

Oh, link is to a story where Yee has crafted a bill to keep California from using Texas's new Bizarro History Texts.

And yet it's been in extra innings since as far as I can remember.  Sad.

See, that's the problem when the national sport is Baseball. To quote the immortal George Carlin "Baseball has no time limit. We don't know when it's going to end!"

Now, we Canadians, with our Hockey, if it doesn't end in sudden death, it goes to a shootout. (WHY our isn't more popular with these NRA types I will never know...)

Back when congressmen were beating other congressmen on the floor with canes during Reconstruction, people were bemoaning that game. It's nothing new.

But it wasn't a game back then, Mike O'B. Today we whine about this side or that side being so mean. They use hateful words or wave nasty signs with foul language. Compare that to being beaten with a cane or shot in a duel for your political positions.

Now, THAT, my friends, is DEMOCRACY IN ACTION and a real DO SOMETHING CONGRESS!

Without doing any research on the matter, I'm pretty sure Cinco de Mayo is the date of the invention of Tequila.

(Really it's the date of a victory of the Mexican army over the French.  The reason the French wanted Mexico was because of its strategic position next to the United States of America.  Though Mexico was eventually occupied by France, their fighting delayed the takeover until after the American Civil War ended, which allowed the USA to support a Mexican overthrow of the occupying French.  At least that's how I remember the details...I didn't look that up, either.  But you can fact check me.)

QUOTE: And Brandon?  You think you're adding to the debate by suggesting that the far left is aggressive and ugly?

I'm not suggesting it. I am flat out saying it. I didn't feel this way as little as 2 years ago. But the elections exposed a lot of far left lunacy for me. Listen for example to some of rants Jeremiah Wright and tell me you don't find that aggressive.

My Grandfather died in WWII defending this country. I am a proud American and I love this country so you will have to pardon me if I find the anti-American rhetoric of loons like Wright to be ugly and aggressive.

BTW, notice I specifically refer to the far left, not simply the left. There IS a difference.

QUOTE: Was Ebert's response fair? Or was it aggressive and ugly?  Or at least, if you don't think it was fair, what was wrong with it? Try to address what he actually suggested this time, if you can.

In fact, I'm not sure I can since I found the suggestion itself to be a ridiculous one. He said "Kids who wear American Flag t-shirts on 5 May should have to share a lunchroom table with those who wear a hammer and sickle on 4 July."

Now this at least suggests that these poor Hispanic kids were somehow forced to sit at a table with these flag wearing kids and endure the torment of the red, white, and blue against their will.

So was this the case? Were these kids forced to sit together? If not, then no it would not be fair to force these same kids to share a table with this hypothetical hammer and sickle group.

And if that sounds like ridiculous hair-splitting, then it's no more ridiculous than Ebert's suggestion was in the first place.

I can tell you that if I personally was around anyone wearing hammer and sickle shirts on July 4th I wouldn't give it a second thought.

You see, regardless of how personally offended I may or may not be by what's on a shirt, those people have the right to wear whatever the hell they want. What is so great about his country is that the freedom of expression is granted to ALL Americans even if many on the far left seem to feel it should only be granted to those they feel are the oppressed.

Of course, I'm not one of the people seeking injustices around every corner. Whether someones shirt offends me or not, I will still respect and defend their freedom to wear it because I respect that freedom. Would it have been asking too much for those offended Hispanic kids to have had that same respect? Or would that be "racist" too? .

Just for the record, you can count me among those who feel the attacks on Ebert in relation to his cancer are vile and repulsive.

QUOTE: Wow - and I hear the left is ugly and aggressive.

And here it is. I wondered how long it would be before my comments about the far left have now simply become "the left".

Next people are going to start twisting my words on illegal immigration, generalizing away the emphasis on illegal to turn it into me simply hating all Hispanics. Oh wait.. that's already happened.  

If it makes you happy Al, I will happily acknowledge that there is also a far right and the far right loons can be just as ugly and aggressive. From what I've been seeing though, they aren't nearly as brazen about it as the far left has become.

QUOTE: That's what gets me, Al.  I'm sure someone will pipe up and say that although they are on the right, these people don't speak for them...althewhile saying that the left, as a whole, is ugly and aggressive.

Sigh.

Not only do I agree 100%, but I'd like to submit photographic evidence to back up my support...

Brandon wrote:

Listen for example to some of rants Jeremiah Wright and tell me you don't find that aggressive.

**

It's my impression that when the far left is being agressive it's in pointing out that for all the things that are right about the United States there are still many things that need to be improved upon.  Conversely, when the far right is being agressive it's in pointing out that for all the things that are wrong about the United States there are still many things that are good and desirable. 

It's easier to paint yourself as a "real" patriot when you praise the way things are, and "America, love it or leave it" has a satisfying ring to it, since it demands no further improvement from its citizens or its government.  Calling for improvments is harder, because the first step is to admit that things aren't perfect.  This makes you seem less patriotic, even though you don't care less for your country than does your opponent across the political spectrum. 

It's the difference between praising the American Way and upholding the American Ideal.