What You Missed 21 OCT 07
What You Missed If You Didn’t Read Today’s NYTimes
- No need to worry about poor and elderly minorities being disenfranchised by new Voter ID laws. They’re disenfranchised by death before it becomes a problem, according to the Bush administration’s civil rights czar.
- The Marines get fashion conscious.
- The Maine Middle School Contraceptive Controversy: “It brings home the fact that my 13-year-old daughter has friends and people around her who are sexually active. But at least it’s a good alternative in a not-so-good situation. No one is going to stand up and cheer that 12- and 13-year-olds are having sex, but it’s not anything new,” says one mother.
- The International Space Station gets remodeled and an additional room, despite worries about shuttle safety. I just hope they don’t use Moody Andrews, the guy who remodeled my house, to do the work.
- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and state-owned oil company Citgo are helping out poor neighborhoods in the Bronx. Now if only they did the same in their own country.
- Nooses make a comeback in New York.
On the sad side:
- Kids who’ve lost their fathers in Iraq are growing up and asking questions.
And on the dumb side, a story from the Austin American-Statesman:
- “I’ve heard Al Gore talk about man-made global warming so much that I’m starting to think that his mouth is the leading source of all that supposedly deadly carbon dioxide,” Governor Rick Perry said in a speech to California Republicans.
22. October, 2007 at 12:07
You know…I can understand, to a point, the message they’re sending about security and safety of military members off-base. Why make oneself into a walking target for anti-military fanatics?
On the other hand, the quote at the end of the article actually seems a little out of place. The guy says he doesn’t mind changing before leaving base; he guesses the Marines don’t want them to look like disgraces to society - so I ask, when did wearing the uniform so many wear proudly turn into symbol of disgrace?
22. October, 2007 at 12:18
I completely agree with you. I think the quote needed more context — was he saying that the rules against covering your teeth with grilles or carving designs into your hair take away from the pride of the uniform? Or was it, as we both were stunned to read, a comment on the practice of wearing the uniform off base?
I definitely think the quote should have been left out without further elaboration.