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Opinions. I Like To Share Mine

I mailed off a letter to the Editor of the Indianapolis Star today. Here’s what it said.

Dec 3, 2009
Indianapolis Star
307 North Pennsylvania Street
PO Box 145
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-1819
Dear Indianapolis Star,

To the editor:
On Tuesday night, I was very disappointed to hear from President Obama that our country is sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan.   I imagine that many were saddened by the announcement as I was, however the coverage and opinions presented following Mr. Obama's speech did not reflect those opinions.

The U.S. and allies have sent troops to Afghanistan for 8 years now, with little to show for it but the immense human cost of war.  What will 30,000 more troops accomplish that tens of thousands of troops over eight years have not?

I wanted to hear the President call for a new vision of security,
rooted in bold, new ideas rather than more of the same.  Given that the White House budget director says that it costs taxpayers $1 million for every soldier sent to Afghanistan, we cannot afford this war.  Instead, we should invest in jobs and in the U.S. while pursuing diplomacy and civilian reconstruction to improve conditions on Afghanistan.

Then we will be investing in improving  lives, rather than continuing a failed war policy.

Sincerely,

Indy Star Now Runs Same Sex Marriage Announcements

I write this with praise and respect for the Indy Star’s decision and hope, by pointing this out, I don’t stir up a hornet's nest.

I was reading Ruth Holladay's blog (well worth the read) and she, as a disgruntled ex-Star employee loves to hate on Gannett (and really, they deserve it) and heap praise on it’s employees as she did with exec editor Dennis Ryerson’s decision to quietly and without fanfare announce same sex marriage notices. I have a feeling the decision was as much economic as anything, but it’s still a wonderfully inclusive, timely and classy move.

Good job, Mr. Ryerson and The Indianapolis Star!

Things To Share From The Indianapolis Star

A few articles from the Indy Star this week caught my eye and thought I'd share.

Dan McFeely wrote a funny account of attempting to use a Crosscut saw at the Indiana State Fair this week.

Controversial Star Sports columnist, Bob Kravitz filed this blog entry from the Beijing Olympics on the hypocrisy of the International Olympic Committee when Iranian Athletes refuse to compete against Israeli competitors.

While I haven't been very impressed with the Star's new attempt at a Geek Blog, Channing King is blogging GenCon Indy '08 which is pretty cool. I prefer my own, alas, little known geek blog. <-- Shameless plug!! ;)

Check out the amazing photographs from the rescue of the three workers downtown Tursday by the under-rated and under-appreciated Star photographers.

Read them and enjoy, they may be gone by Monday!

Ken Bodie on Evan Bayh and the 2008 Democratic Veepstakes

In the Indianapolis Star today, Ken Bode wrote about Barack Obama and the Democratic veepstakes. Curious what his take was on the fast-and-furious speculation over the possibility of Senator Evan Bayh joining Obama on the ticket?

Today's prediction is that one day next week, you will pick up The Indianapolis Star from your driveway and discover that Barack Obama has chosen Sen. Evan Bayh for the vice presidential slot on the Democratic ticket. Don't be surprised. If it happens, it is interesting to ponder what the pundits and the political class will say about the choice.

The rest of the piece deals with many of the issues that pundits have been chewing over the last few weeks, Bode also addresses the question of geographic balance.

Many will argue that an Illinois-Indiana ticket lacks geographic balance. For that reason in 1992, Bill Clinton was advised not to pick Al Gore, because he hailed from Tennessee, next door to Arkansas. But Clinton sensed something politically invigorating in the chemistry of the two young families, something that signaled the real change that America seemed hungry for.

The same will be true at the convention in Denver with the two young Obama daughters and Bayh's twin teenage sons, along with two attractive, accomplished wives, Susan Bayh and Michelle Obama. Those families, along with the two men who will raise their hands in the traditional sign of victory, will signal a powerful and positive view of the possibilities for change in America. In a year when roughly 80 percent of the voters think the country is on the wrong track, that's not a bad way to begin the fall campaign.

Ken Bode is the former national political correspondent for NBC News and a former political analyst for CNN. Contact him at bode.ken@gmail.com. He also moderated the PBS show Washington Week in Review. In short, he's a smart guy who knows his stuff.

A Couple of Random Thoughts From Today's Paper

I found two stories in today's Indianapolis Star that moved me
to post here. First was the story about former U.S. Rep. John Hostettler (R) who wrote and self-published a book that was pretty critical and damming to the Bush Administration. From The Star:

Former U.S. Rep. John Hostettler argues in a new, little-noticed, self-published book that the United States invaded Iraq to avenge an assassination attempt on then-President George H.W. Bush and to help Israel.

"It cannot be debated that toppling Saddam was accomplished by means of a 'private compact' with political appointees and their underlings in the Pentagon 'to support' the ideals of 'partisans . . . dedicated to another cause,' " the Wadesville Republican writes in "Nothing for the Nation: Who Got What Out of Iraq."

Interesting. Hostetettler went up a bit more on my respect-O-meter. He was one of the very few members of the House to vote against going to War in 2002 and was always a bit of a thorn in the backside of both parties while he was there. While he never represented me and is of a different party than myself, I always respected him and was happy to have him representing Indiana.

On the flip-side, a Hoosier politician that I hold very little to no respect for, went up just slightly, in my esteem this weekend. Twelve term, U.S. Rep. Dan Burton (R) started Twittering. I'm not sure if he or a staffer is posting, but the fact is, if done correctly, Twittering is a wonderful way for a Representative to get live, 24/7 constituent feedback. I know he's on Twitter because he's now following me. There's been a huge blow-up this week about politicians blogging and micro-blogging. Here's a link to the NYT about the issue. (May require you to login, it's lame ... sorry)

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The other story that caught my attention was about dear old Bush Stadium. The one built in 1931. It's were I went to my first ball game and where my ex-wife and I had one of our first dates. I loved that old limestone mini-Wrigley. I'm just not sure what to do with it. It's been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1995 and on Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana's list of 10 most endangered landmarks. It's been 20 years since it was used to film many of the ball-field scenes for Eight Men Out. 20?? Wow!! Well, take a look at the story and the pictures and reflect on your own memories of it. I do like the soccer idea. What do you think?