'Education is a basic civil right'...WHAT?

Gov. Pat Quinn just signed the education overhaul bill in an elementary school in Maywood. It takes effect immediately and largely has the support of unions and advocacy groups.

According to Senator Kimberly Lightford, D-Maywood, "this is not a bill to attack the teachers". She sponsored this bill. She goes on to state that "Education is a basic civil right." Here we go again with politicians making something a civil right when it is not. I guess if you say it enough people will believe you. Just to make sure I pulled out my copy of the U.S. Constitution and no where, I repeat no where is it stated that education is a basic civil right granted by it. So don't believe everything you read in the newspapers or everything a politician says...check it out for yourself.

Pres. Obama due overdue credit?

According to Eugene Robinson, as noted in his Washington Post column "Views", President Obama deserves "some overdue credit". I say baloney to Mr. Robinson's "Views". We are worse off than on the day that the President was sworn into office.

Mr. Robinson says that the Expectations of the new president were absurdly high. I agree with the absurdly but who promoted and pushed those Expectations?.....the national media and then candidate Obama's own campaign staff. There was all sort of rhetorical flourish and promises for CHANGE and HOPE and transparency in his new administration. I have not seen much of that as reflected in Pres. Obama's approval ratings; in fact they seem to be nosediving even further.

Mr. Robinson goes on to further state that Pres. Obama should be given credit in at least four areas:

1. The pull out of the last U.S. Combat Troops in Iraq
2. The bail out of General Motors to the tune of $50 billion dollars
3. The containment of the Gulf oil spill.
4. The President's statement at the Ramadan dinner in regards to the mosque controversy.

In regards to #1: the prudence and wisdom of this action will not be determined in the short run but history and historians will determine if this was a wise action or a political one.

In regards to #2: the creation of "Government Motors" with the government owning 61% of the company; was this truly a move to save the company that did not deserve to be saved because of a poor business plan or was it a gift to the United Auto Workers Union for all that labor did to get the President elected.

In regards to #3: the circus that followed the oil spill and the deaths of eleven oil rig workers, if it was not such a sad and massive catastrophe, could be viewed at best as the government bureaucracy working at its best to get in the way of actions by BP, the State and private citizens to clean up the mess. To date the scientific authorities believe that at least 80% of the oil is still in the Gulf...so much for containment.

In regards to #4: It is of interest that the President stated his or I should say the U.S. Constitution's stance on the "mosque at ground zero" issue before a group of Muslims to supposedly gain the "high ground" on this issue but would not discuss his personal opinion, to the rank and file American community, regarding the appropriateness and wisdom of an element of the Muslim community which is pushing the building of this Muslim mosque and center.

These are the reasons that I disagree with Mr. Robinson. President Obama is not due any overdue credit at this time. Let time and history be the judge of his Presidency and decisions.

Ellen Goodman......abortion agenda?

Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston did preside over the funeral Mass of Senator Ted Kennedy; it was his duty as a priest of Christ. He did not judge the Senator but as a compassionate Shepard to his flock presumed (hoped) the Senator died in the State of Grace and a friend of Christ. He presided at the Mass of Christian Burial.

As a Cardinal (a Prince of the Church) he had a duty to explain his position on the abortion issue; just like any news writer or politician has and he did. Ellen Goodman criticized him for a breach of etiquette for lobbying at a funeral; what a hypocritical position she placed herself in. I guess in Ms. Goodman's elitist, liberal view the sensitivities of a family trumps the truth of the millions of dismembered developing babies that have been aborted, not for medical reasons, but as a form of birth control....if abortion isn't the greatest sin against Ms. Goodman's sense of "civility" than I don't know what on earth could be.

Ms. Goodman talks about reproductive health care and pro-choice Democrats as though they are benign Constitutionally justified positions; they are not. No where in the Constitution of the United States is there a right to privacy which the Supreme Court that passed into law Roe V. Wade created and used to justify a women's right to abortion on demand. It was a right created by a liberal Supreme Court to justify their position and to satisfy a presumed social and political need at the time.

Reproductive health care and pro-choice are just code words for abortion on demand. I pray that Ms. Goodman will someday see deep within her soul the value of innocent human life and fight to protect it and not destroy it. A Culture of Death can only lead to darkness and more death; I don't find anything uplifting in that view.

If you want to share your views with Ms. Goodman her e-mail address as listed in the Northwest Herald is: ellengoodman1@me.com