Welcome Home!

The three American hostages who were freed from the FARC yesterday are now home. They arrived at Lackland Airforce Base in Texas late last night. Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell and Thomas Howes were held for over five years by the FARC. Here are the details.

It's not often that one opens a newspaper or watches the news on TV and smiles. Thank God they are finally free. Welcome home guys and happy 4th of July!

She's Free

My mouth about fell open when I saw the headline on MSNBC. Ingrid Betancourt has finally been rescued by the Colombian government. Here is the story.

The Urbie government deserves to be commended for all it has done not only in driving back the narco-terrorist group FARC but also in for the stability that is coming back to that country. Now if only our glorious Madam Speaker and her fellow party members would remove their ideological blinders and acknowledge this.

Ingrid Betancourt has been held by FARC since February 2002. I cannot begin to imagine the nightmare that she went through, not to mention what her family has gone through. Thank God she's finally free.

Endangered Species

As if one needed further proof that real journalism is an endangered species, the LA Times has printed what has to be the one of the most frivolous stories about a Presidential candidate in the history of the press. Do John McCain's injuries from his years as a POW in Vietnam seriously raise fitness questions in any one's head?

FDR was crippled from polio and successfully lead this country through WWII. While I think his policies ultimately prolonged the Great Depression, he did give real hope to many Americans that there was a light at the end of the tunnel during that dark time. Not Barak Obama hope, real hope.

So far the biggest concerns about McCain in print seem to revolve around his age, temper, a bit of gossip about an affair with a lobbyist, and now physical fitness. The man's schedule on the campaign trail would tax me, and I'm about a third of his age. (Maybe his energy and his reported temper come from the same internal source? Just a thought). I think he's physically up to the challenge in spite of his age and injuries. Is this really the most serious concern about McCain as a potential President? Members of his political part have raised more legitimate concerns.

(Hat tip: Blackfive)

Is Convenience a Right?

I read this and wanted to scream. Convenience is not a right and the current growth in the number of canceled and delayed fights cannot be simply explained by accusing the airlines of not caring about the consumer.

I never flew prior to 9/11, so I expect delays and inconvenience and lost baggage and I still love to fly every chance I get. I've been told I have no idea how different flying used to be, which is true. I don't doubt that it could be so much better, but flying is a privilege and privileges are not rights!

Mostly, I don't like the idea of Congress passing a "bill of rights" for air travelers because it muddies the waters so to speak. A right is something that you have by virtue of your existence as a human being. It cannot be taken away and when infringed upon is an injustice. Things such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are rights.

However, no passenger should have his or her health recklessly endangered by a travel service that they have paid handsomely to use; and sitting on the tarmac for 9 plus hours in the heat with little food or water and poor toilet facilities is a potential health risk. If Congress wants to ensure that delays do not risk someone health more power to them, but for the love of all that's good a sane don't call that legislation a "bill of rights." Safety regulations are just that, regulations.

When we start describing things that are not basic human rights as rights we degrade the value of our real rights and create a lack of moral clarity about what our rights truly are. If we are to preserve our rights for future generations we need to stop calling everything we want a right.

Stranger than Fiction

Just when you think you have read every conceivable type of story in the news you come across something like this. What in the world?

A Little Humor Makes an Election Year Tolerable

I came across the list below on the 101 Funny Jokes website and thought it entirely appropriate for this election season as just about every other ridiculous statement has been made about or by the candidates.

Top Ten Things Never Before Said by a Presidential Candidate
10. "Vote for me or I'll slash your tires"
9. "Forget universal health care -- I'm buying every American an XBox"
8. "In a crisis I ask myself, 'What would Tony Danza do?'
7. "I'd give you my plan for economic recovery if I wasn't rip stinkin' drunk"
6. "If your last name begins with 'M' through 'Z,' sorry -- your taxes are doubling"
5. "We're gonna cut the deficit by selling North Dakota to Canada"
4. "I have tons of experience from being president of the Burt Reynolds fan club"
3. "Lady, that is one ugly baby"
2. "When I'm president, I'm putting Regis on Mt. Rushmore"
1. "Read my lips: no new wardrobe malfunctions"

I voted #5 for comment most likely to be made by McCain, #9 for Obama, and #10 for Hillary. Just joking folks. Well mostly.

Governor Spitzer's downfall

Earlier today the governor of the state of New York, Eliot Spitzer, admitted that he was involved in a prostitution ring. So much for the man who took on crime and corruption. This sort of hypocrisy no longer surprises me.

I feel very sorry for his wife and family. The next few weeks and months will be terrible for them. It won't be so great for the citizens of New York state either. Is it too much to expect that elected officals obey the law?