March, 2016 archive
The Protest Nonvoter 0
Scott Verner has some words for those who think they can influence the country by not voting. A snippet:
We all know that not deciding is actually deciding.
Making a statement of protest by refusing to vote is a dangerous and self-defeating idea. When people buy out, it guarantees only that things will continue getting worse. In the real world, not participating isn’t very different from not caring. But I know you do care.
Aside:
Apathy is abdication.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Politeness takes practice.
Deputies said an antique shotgun accidentally discharged into the concrete floor while a 21-year-old man was loading it.
The shot from the shell spread politeness all around.
Power Plays 0
In The Guardian, Marilynne Robinson explores how the Republican Party managed to shoot itself in the foot with Trump. A nugget:
For years they have gerrymandered districts to make them “safe” for their representatives in Congress, thereby incubating a culture of politicians who are too odd and extreme – and white – to appeal to a national electorate. Their restrictions on voting can be expected to have the same effect.
In other words, they have seized one kind of power at the cost of another, and in the process exacerbated every demographic problem that threatens their future as a national party.
Good Sports 0
One seems to be seeing more and more reports like this one.
Dozens of Catholic Memorial students attending Friday’s game against Newton North High School were overheard yelling, ‘‘You killed Jesus’’ to Newton North fans.
In the Trump Dumps 0
Werner Herzog’s Bear mulls over his pessimism at the rise of Trump. In the midst of his longer post, he makes this observation, which has been waiting to be made:
Read the rest.
Schools of Fools 0
One more time, is there a special stupid test you have to pass to be a school administrator?
Aside:
Honor Roll for second graders? Really?
Hey! Rubio! 0
Daniel Ruth offers obsequies for Little Marco. A snippet:
It’s pretty simple, really. You can have all the best advisers and all the money in the world and none of it is worth a bucket of warm spit if you still have a lousy candidate.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
The hunt for politeness spreads.
Unintended Consequences 0
Jamelle Bouie, writing at the Boston Review, finds something positive in Donald Trump’s race to the bottom for the Republican presidential nomination. A nugget:
Do read the rest.
Babbling Brooks 0
At MarketWatch, Darrell Delamaide skewers David Brooks’s fantastickal ramblings about the American Dream.
It defies excerpt or summary. Just read it.