OBAMA; CANDIDATE OR ROCK STAR

Friends, I am sorry if this comes as a shock to anyone, but Barack Hussein Obama is not the Second Coming of Christ. Your man has done nothing to convince me that he will do a damn thing which he promises the nation. Promises, promises, is anyone satisfied with that?

Apparently his followers are so enchanted by his great smile, feel-good phrases which keep ringing in our memory, hyperbole, and charisma, that all this is enough for them to promise him their votes, and in many cases a great deal of money. A Chicken in every pot, a change of government and the end of everything we dislike in government -- god almighty, bring it on!

I'd hate to see your hopes dashed but even more would I dislike seeing them come to fruition. I don't trust the judgment of people who act like they are raving over a rock star. I'd almost rather vote for Bono (if he were eligible to run) -- after all, doesn't he care about noble causes and confer with world leaders? And Bono is rich enough to finance his own campaign.

Where is the real substance in his speeches and promises? If you would stop cheering and feeling good long enough to think about what you want, say, doing something about the power of big corporations in influencing how this country is run (hey,
Edwards had plenty to say about that, but it's too late now), or how he is going to finance health care for everyone, then maybe one could understand why you're so excited about your candidate.

As Barack's followers you are not too impressive in your constant repetition of slurs and expressions of downright hatred of Clinton. Maybe Mrs Obama is your role model there -- apparently advisers have toned her down lately because she started the campaign by being vicious about her husband's rival.

I happen to believe that we shouldn't be feeling so happy when listening to campaign speeches by any candidate. The excitement, the sense of being uplifted by joy, the confidence that things will change -- better to save it for a U2 concert.

Yes, even the hope and optimism are overdone for a political campaign. Do you have to be reminded that we are living in desperate times in which tragedy has struck and will strike many Americans, and the economy is looking rather grim?

Do you really want to give Obama the benefit of the doubt on such flimsy evidence as he offers?

WAS JESUS GAY?

A new play by Terrence McNally opening in Sydney, Australia is causing much controversy by its depiction of Jesus as a homosexual. The playwright has said that he wanted it to reflect the hurt and rejection he received as a young homosexual man. While the play has received great reviews, it has unsurprisingly been reviled by church leaders.

But that is not what stands out to me as being atrocious. Rather it is that an Islamic group [gang?] based in the UK has issued a fatwa on the author. It is one thing for members of a religious group to have freedom of religion, but it is another for them to misuse their freedom to break or attempt to break the law of the country that has harbored them. There may not be a law against fatwas in the West, but what about death threats?

Given the reckless political correctness of Britain which is now paying for its past coddling of home-grown terrorists, it will be interesting to see whether the government will condone the wanton issuing of this hideous fatwa. The play was condemned by Muslims when it was performed in London. Should Muslims be allowed to publicly issue death threats in the UK? Sure -- when church bells ring in Teheran.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080121/stage_nm/jesus_dc