LEAVE IT TO PEEVER

Galesburg sells itself

— Bumper sticker of the week: The end of an error: January 20, 2008

— Quotes of the week: “As a matter of principle, I never attend the first annual anything.” “Honesty may be the best policy, but it’s important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy.” George Carlin

— Our developer friend from Tennessee, working on the North Seminary Street development, has confirmed the suspicion I have held for years, that Galesburg sells itself. Where I come from, that’s called prostitution. Here it’s called economic development.

— Dangerous trains: The biggest threat to Galesburg’s security are trains carrying hazardous and explosive materials. It’s hard to guess, but there has to be countless railroad cars passing through our community on a weekly basis carrying lethal and explosive materials. A derailment, explosion, and/or terrorist act could have potentially devastating effects on Galesburg and the surrounding area. In an effort to make Galesburg residents aware of this ongoing danger, the new mayor should immediately appoint a Railroad Hazardous Materials Study Committee so we can begin to address what is likely the most dangerous situation confronting this community.

— The Lincoln Park Zoo: Chicago is quickly becoming famous for the zoo that is fatal to animals. The Lincoln Park Zoo has lost three elephants, at least two gorillas, a camel, and three Francois langurs. I’m not a big zoo fan to begin with, but I definitely dislike death camps. Hopefully the City of Chicago will hire someone to investigate the zoo. Preferably someone not related to Mayor Daly or beholden to him for a job. Someone objective, say, like me. Or PETA. I’m thinking like maybe a penalty of locking the director and some of his cohorts up in some of the available cages, for say, 2-3 years, might be a fitting penalty for their incompetence. See how they like it. I would insist on everyone being nice to them. No throwing marshmallows or peanuts.

— Newsweek should not apologize: One would have to be naively stupid to believe that the Koran was not used as a form of humiliation during the despicable behavior demonstrated by our soldiers at Guantanamo Bay. Of course, the Bush administration jumps right on the story. How can this be? Newsweek must apologize. They want them to make public their methods of investigation to correct what went wrong. In like manner, the Bush administration should open up our prisoner of war camps for the Red Cross and other third parties to investigate and make public what went wrong. What’s good for the goose is good for the jackass. White House spokesman Scott McClellan didn’t mention that during his scathing condemnation of Newsweek. He must have forgot.

— Galloway hits Washington: A breath of fresh air recently hit Washington. I always did like Parliament better than Congress. Congress is a bunch of weasels who call one another gentleman. Parliament is a bunch of weasels who call one another weasels. Galloway, a member of the British parliament, who is too liberal for the Labor party and was expelled, started his own party. I like that. Anyway, the U.S. has accused him of taking kickbacks from the UN oil for food program. He in no uncertain terms told the Senate Homeland Security Affairs Subcommittee that they are full of shit. He condemned them for waging an illegal war that has cost the lives of 100,000 people, including 1600 American soldiers. The subcommittee chairman, Norm Coleman, is a well known hater of the UN, eager to find anything that will advance the notion that the U.S. should pull out and not pay our long over-due bill. Galloway had the boys squirming in their seats. I think a few of them peed their britches. I thought it was great. What fun those British can be.

— Memorial Day: A day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service. The observance of Memorial Day has diminished over the years. I can remember the local Memorial Day service in my hometown as being a really big deal when I was young. There were still some WWI veterans alive, and the WWII veterans had only recently just returned home from a victorious war, having stopped a psychotic tyrant and an aggressive Japanese army. With Korea, Vietnam, and now, Iraq, war has increasingly lost much of its hurrah. Where once there were clear-cut and compelling reasons to step forward and potentially give your life for your country, today’s battle lines are increasingly blurred with domination politics and pathological liars. I take my hat off to all those who has stepped forward and given their lives, or been injured physically or psychologically, for what they believed were just causes. Their heroism and courage and strength under hellish conditions are to be respected, regardless of how one feels about war or killing. If a soldier acts with dignity, humility, and humanity, in the most trying of circumstances, he or she is to be commended, and most certainly remembered.