Gaza Strip II – An Ignorant View

 

I posted about this a month ago and to be honest had not given it much thought since then. I was actually surprised when I looked and saw that it was the top story on Google News. After reading as many stories and blogs that I could in the past hour, I do not see where much has changed in the past month, other than it not being the lead story any more.

Most of the articles that came up on Google were articles from local newspapers in Florida, Alaska and Kentucky, all just giving the account as reported by the Associated Press. Biggest change that they are noting is that Israel is now focusing on larger buildings, specifically buildings where Hamas leadership is known to be staying. 3 top level Hamas officials were killed and turned into martyrs over the weekend. Several children, on both sides were also killed.

Meanwhile the higher ranking Hamas officials are not even in the Gaza Strip, one of them is reportedly in a high rise hotel in Qatar while spewing Israeli hate messages trying to keep the Palestinian people in an uproar. Meanwhile Hamas continues to use public buildings as a screen for their activities, drawing the missiles coming out of Israel to those buildings, killing mostly civilians.

Israel has fired over 4000 missiles into Gaza since July and Gaza has fired 3000 back into Israel. This is definitely a war, not a skirmish. Now they are saying that this could continue on into September, which thankfully is only a week away. Every story that I read notes that all of this started over 3 Israeli teenagers being abducted and killed back in July and the subsequent retaliatory murder of a Palestinian child, just in case anyone couldn’t remember why they are fighting (?).

Here I go being ignorant again, but it seems to me that this reminds me of when we were kids, and we would get into a fight over something insignificant and start arguing, with neither side willing to back down because “they started it. And I’m not going to stop until they stop. . . .” For a while I was against what Israel was doing, solely based on the number of CIVILIAN casualties within the Gaza Strip. The more I read, keyword is reading and not having to actually live in it, the more it seems that Hamas has masterfully been able to get the sympathy of much of the media and was purposefully having their own civilian shields killed and then making sure that everyone saw how brutal Israel really was.

The fact that Israel is able to destroy larger buildings with much fewer casualties indicates to me that they have had the ability to do so from the beginning, but chose not to. But under pressure from UN and other countries, have come up with a new game plan so to speak. And as long as Hamas continues to fire their missiles at Israel, they will fire back and this will continue.

Ironically, one of the items that also came up in the stories that has upset both the Palestinian and Israel civilians, is that this war is still going on even though school is supposed to start. Just wonder what exactly is going to be taught in those classrooms.

I welcome any and all comments as I truly do not completely understand what is going on there, and please correct me if I have gotten any of the facts incorrect. Ignorance is not always bliss

Take Care

Mark

Rick Perry – An Ignorant View

Disclaimer: In no way do I think that I am completely ignorant, but I do feel that I need to have a point of view about issues and this is what this blog is about.

For just $25, you too can have this t-shirt being made up by Rick Perry’s political backers, his super-PAC

Why would you want this you ask? Because it shows just how unfair Mr Perry is being treated (Sarcasm) and the money will go to have him elected as President of the United States in 2016 so that he can bring all of this political party bias-ness with him

Mr Perry was indicted this last week for “Abuse of Power” stemming from some vetoes he did holding back funding for a committee that was being led by Rosemary Lehmberg, the Democratic District Attorney in charge of a Public Integrity Unit who was arrested for drunk driving back in 2013 where she registered a 0.238 on breathalyzer, or 3 times the legal limit. This sounds like a personal thing to me.

I did find it very interesting that while Mr Perry demanded that Ms Lehmberg step down immediately from her job, he did not do the same for other DA’s that had similar issues with the law according to a blog I read. Why is that? As usual, everything seems to be drawn down the middle on political party lines, everyone on this side MUST hate everyone on the other side, regardless of what is best for the American public.

There were also comments made by Mr Perry that there is a possibility that ISIS is sneaking into America through the “unsecured border” between Mexico and the United States. This was based on his revealing that 3 Ukrainians had been arrested in Texas recently. Now I may be ignorant on a lot of things, but I am pretty sure that ISIS and Ukraine are not inter-related. In fact what I have read about Ukraine lately, the word terrorist has never come up. In fact, the rebels that are fighting the Ukrainian forces are known as rebel SEPERATISTS, not rebel TERRORISTS.

My ignorant view? Based on what I read, having Mr Perry in the White House in 2016 would just give us more of what we have been getting for a long time. A leader that makes decisions based on personalities or party lines, instead of on facts or what is best for the country. Someone that has a personal agenda and is willing to take action without getting approval from the other 2 branches of the government.

Is that what we want? I don’t!

Would love to hear any comments

Mark

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ukraine – An Ignorant View

Disclaimer: In no way do I think that I am completely ignorant, but I do feel that I need to have a point of view about issues and this is what this blog is about.

My rule. Read about top story on Google news for no more than 1 hour and then write a post. To be honest, today after reading for exactly 1 hour, I am still feeling a bit ignorant. Today’s top story is UKRAINE on the google news list.

Mostly the reports have been about the 200 vehicle convoy that Russia sent into Ukraine without permission as humanitarian aid to the pro-Russia rebels that are getting decimated by the Ukraine Government Forces. Reportedly Russia did go to the Red Cross to try to get them to accompany the convoy and was basically put on hold. Frustration led them to just go ahead and send the convoy with or without consent which led to many calling it an invasion.

According to reports, Red Cross was allowed to check random vehicles and found that they contained food, medicine and assorted items that would be considered as humanitarian aid stuff. Much was made of the fact that the trucks that they did look in were only partially filled, which does make you wonder why they needed over 200 trucks going in.

Looking at the timeline, the trucks were only in Ukraine’s regions for about 4 hours, long enough to drive to the rebel held cities, unload and then drive back out. There are reports though coming out of Ukraine that while in Luhansk, the Russian convoy loaded up on goods that are manufactured these such as radar equipment. Many reports claim that Russia used this to re-arm the rebels as they are continuously losing ground to the Ukrainian forces.

Again, being honest, I have not been following this situation much at all, so one hour of reading does not really give me much to work on, but the one thing that I have been saying from the beginning, is that Vladimir Putin seems to me to be a master puppet master and he is toying with the world. Sending those trucks in and pulling them right out was an ingenious move to try to make the rest of the world appear to be nothing but a bunch of paranoid idiots, fumbling over themselves with whatever unsubstantiated story that they can come up with.

When I heard at one point that United Stated government official actually stated in a press conference that they were basing their knowledge on something that came from social media, I was dumbfounded. Social Media is now what we base facts from? Really? Lord help us.

Angela Merkel from Germany is in Kiev now and is trying to broker a peace deal, I guess Putin and the Ukrainian leaders are going to meet early next week. Let’s just hope and pray FOR THE CIVILIAN’s sake that they are able to come up with something.

Would love to here back from anyone that can shed better light on the subject

Respectfully

Mark

 

Police III – An Ignorant View

After reading more about Ferguson, this video was the only thing I found that seemed to try to present the facts, which after all, facts lead to being less ignorant

Mark

Police II – An Ignorant View

Disclaimer: In no way do I think that I am completely ignorant, but I do feel that I need to have a point of view about issues and this is what this blog is about.

Top story again today, and probably for days to come on Google News just says “Police”

I hate that they are putting all police together because of the incident in Ferguson, I really do. Just like with everything else, majority of people are good, but you never hear about them. Only about the ones with issues. My sister has said for years that they should change the name from “10 O’Clock News” to the “10 O’Clock BAD News”. But pretending that things are not happening is not an option for me if I want to graduate some day from having an Ignorant view, to having an Informed view, which again, is the goal of this blog.

Today I don’t have much to say, but first here is a link to a blog with a very disturbing video on it.

I do not understand it. Why would it take them so long to cover the body? Why would they just leave him lying in the street for everyone to see? No wonder people of Ferguson got pissed off, that was just wrong and very, very disturbing.

Like I said yesterday, I hope to God that there is a complete and thorough investigation of this incident and that proper repercussions are felt as warranted. I cannot get this video out of my head when I read about what is taking place there, I am sure that the citizens of Ferguson feel the same.

Lord help us all if this is not dealt with properly

Police – An Ignorant View

Disclaimer: In no way do I think that I am completely ignorant, but I do feel that I need to have a point of view about issues and this is what this blog is about.

Top story on Google News is listed as POLICE. Of course most of the news that I just spent the last hour reading is concerning the “events” in Ferguson, MO. but there are also items about deaths in both Chicago and St Louis where a black man was killed by police. Also the use of military equipment by the police and the reaction from the very reactive congress concerning the program, that they approved, whereby the military offers, doesn’t force, police departments equipment for use in their area.

I watched some videos from the protests, and many of them showed the residents of the city that were just wanting to go back to “normal”. Residents that agree with the protest, but not of the violence that, in their words, is being started by younger people that do not even live in Ferguson. Many of the residents stood outside their businesses with baseball bats to keep protesters from breaking in and looting their livelihoods. Many of the protesters, in fact, most of the protesters were not even from Ferguson, some from as far away as New York or California, who seemed to jump on this opportunity to jump on a bandwagon. Why the hell is Al Sharpton there unless he wanted to turn this into a cause?

Reports about last night were very eye opening in my opinion. All reports said that even though there were protests, which I do not have a problem with, it was a very peaceful night compared to the last week. And everyone that I saw interviewed said the same thing, that the elders of the neighborhood came out and invoked the calm. That while they were in favor of the protests, mostly because they do not want this to ever happen again, they asked that people be respectful and people responded in kind. But, as soon as this group of respected citizens left as requested by police at 11:30, the mob mentality started up again with rocks and bottles being thrown at the police.

Everything I read had the feel of citizens vs police, that it seemed like there was a line drawn and the two sides were enemy combatants. One lady said that she took her young son and talked to the police there to show her son that the police are not the enemy, that she wants her son to be able to ask a policeman for help and to know that they are supposed to be there to serve and protect him. Being a policeman seems like it would be a thankless job, that most policeman are just trying to do their job to the best of their ability, but this us vs them mentality would make it very difficult.

My view is this, police are here to enforce the law, but that does not put them above the law. This, like any other killing, police or not, needs to be thoroughly investigated and if there is wrongdoing on the officer’s part, then he needs to deal with the repercussions coming his way. Problem is that a survey shows that 70% of African-american people do not trust that the local police department’s investigation will be thorough and or accurate. This has gotten so big that President Obama has sent Eric Holder, Attorney General, to Ferguson to get involved. I applaud this regardless of how I feel about either man, it had to be done.

There is also talk about the video cameras that police are starting to wear in many cities across the United States, and the reaction to those seems to be very positive. Some police do not like them or do not want them. Others say that there is a high cost involved in outfitting all police with them, which I am sure is an issue in the smaller cities. I personally think that it would be great to be able to have all police officers outfitted with cameras, it would protect everyone involved including the police. Right now any move that a police officer makes is going to be analyzed and criticized, it could also lead to hesitation on the officers part which could be very dangerous to the officer as well as the public that he has sworn to protect. Having the cameras will support the truth, but it comes at a monetary cost. Is everyone willing to help pay for the cameras? I doubt it.

That is my opinion for the day, I have a feeling that this might be the top story for a little while, so until next time, I am looking forward to hearing from you

Mark

Gaza Strip – An Ignorant View

Disclaimer: In no way do I think that I am completely ignorant, but I do feel that I need to have a point of view about issues and this is what this blog is about.

Just spent the last hour reading about the conflict going on between Hamas and Israeli’s in the Gaza Strip and am still trying to form an opinion, which of course is my goal on “Ignorant View”

This recent “skirmish” stems from the kidnapping and eventual slaying of three Israeli teenagers at the hands of Palestinian militants along with a retaliatory murder of a Palestinian youth in Jerusalem.

Initially Israel sent troops to close off a network of tunnels that have been built, apparently over the last ten years, that smugglers have built to enable items to be illegally brought into and out of Gaza, which Israel claims that are now being used by militants to infiltrate into their country.

Reports from Israel are claiming that over 1600 rockets have been fired into Israel from Gaza since July 8th that have killed 1 Israeli, yet over 300 Palestinian civilians have been killed by subsequent Israeli airstrikes. Israel has been sending warnings to residents of areas in the city that are going to be under attack that have probably kept the casualty number lower than it could have been.

According to news reports, Hamas militants use civilian buildings to fire their rockets, thereby drawing the return fire to heavily populated areas, as well as convincing people not to evacuate. They refuse to negotiate with Egypt who was trying to orchestrate a cease fire, saying that they will only stop once their demands are met

1. Easing of blockade on their impoverished territory
2. Reopening border crossings into Israel and Egypt
3. Releasing their members currently jailed in West Bank stemming from the murders of the three Israeli teens

My ignorant viewpoint is this, this is not going to end anytime soon. Maybe this skirmish will result in a cease fire, but this is not going to end. It has been going on for thousands of years, one faction against another with new factions seeming to pop up at will. As long as the people in leadership roles care more about their politics or radical views that for innocent people’s lives, this is never going to end.

I could not fathom, and I thank God that my children and family are not living in a war zone, living like this. I am talking about the civilians. The kids. But it is ingrained in them from the day that they are born that this is how other people are and we are raised to hate. Yes, I said WE. It happens in United States, Canada, Mexico, England, Germany, et al. . . . We are raised to hate and as long as that happens, there will never be peace. And I honestly believe that the leaders want it that way.

I read about a protest in Calgary, Alberta that got out of control between Palestinian sympathizers and Israeli sympathizers, what value does that add to anything?

Like I have said, I may be ignorant and naive about things, but am open to learning. Please enlighten me with your views or opinions, look forward to hearing from you.

 

Eric Cantor – An ignorant view

Disclaimer: In no way do I think that I am completely ignorant, but I do feel that I need to have a point of view about issues and this is what this blog is about.

Today’s top news story on Google is Eric Cantor, and his surprising defeat in the Virginia primaries last week. Just spent the last hour reading and watching all about this and here is my take.

It all goes back to entitlement and this country’s belief that we are entitled to whatever we think we are entitled to. Mr Cantor never even gave a second thought that he might not win the primary, it couldn’t happen.

Or that is what he was told, because he was too busy hob-nobbing in Washington than to be concerned with this inconvenience known as the democratic process. He was too busy dealing with bigger issues as he worked his way up higher and higher in the Republican party, while his opponent in Virginia, a local college professor, was talking to the people in their district. What a radical idea….ask the people that live in the area that you represent what their views are….that’s so crazy….it might just work.

Many times I read where Cantor spent more on steak dinner parties than his opponent, Dave Brat, did on his entire campaign. Guess money does not always win, but you can ask the Miami Heat about that. Being the majority leader in the House of Representatives takes a lot of dealing with national issues, which leaves very little time for dealing with local ones.

I say it is about time that the voters actually had a say in things, as odd as that might sound. It seems to me that change is feared so voters just keep voting along party lines, not really sure of all the issues (an ignorant view, self included), but this time enough was enough.

Read a lot about possible reasons that he lost, his immigration reform views, his being Jewish, that democrats decided to vote republican this primary and just voted against Cantor just to get him out, his 43% approval rate among fellow Republicans, but to me it came down to another politician losing touch with what he was originally elected to do and losing touch with the people that originally elected him.

I did run across this commentary from Mike Huckabee that pretty much sums it all up to me

http://www.mikehuckabee.com/mike-huckabee-news?ID=4ee9f2af-5e20-4eaf-b954-a2bc7e344d64

One last little tidbit of useless information. Dave Brat’s upcoming opponent in the election, Jack Trammell who is also a college professor, is in the middle of writing a novel about vampires. I’m sure something will be said about that….

Tony Awards – An ignorant view

Disclaimer: In no way do I think that I am completely ignorant, but I do feel that I need to have a point of view about issues and this is what this blog is about.

Top story today is the Tony awards. Never been to a Broadway play, don’t know if I ever will. I do know that it amazes me that these actors and actresses have to get up on stage every night for weeks/months at a time and perform for an audience that will be quick to judge any miscue. I must admit that the list of celebrities that either won or were at the Tony’s was pretty impressive

Hugh Jackman (host), Neil Patrick Harris, Will Ferrell, Clint Eastwood, Denzel Washington (never knew he was acting on Broadway and was nominated for a Tony), Sting, etc..

So rather than say something to embarrass myself, just figured I would post the list of winners and for what it is worth, congratulate them all

Best Musical: “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”

Best Leading Actress in a Musical: Jessie Mueller, “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical”

Best Leading Actor in a Play: Bryan Cranston, “All the Way”

Best Leading Actress in a Play: Audra McDonald, “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill”

Best Featured Actor in a Play: Mark Rylance, “Twelfth Night”

Best Featured Actress in a Musical: Lena Hall, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”

Best Leading Actor in a Musical: Neil Patrick Harris, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”

Best Play: “All the Way”

Best Revival of a Play: “A Raisin in the Sun”

Best Revival of a Musical: “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”

Best Lighting Design of a Play: Natasha Katz, “The Glass Menagerie”

Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Kevin Adams, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”

Best Costume Design of a Play: Jenny Tiramani, “Twelfth Night”

Best Costume Design of a Musical: Linda Cho, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder”

Best Featured Actress in a Play: Sophie Okonedo, “A Raisin in the Sun”

Best Choreography: Warren Carlyle, “After Midnight”

Best Featured Actor in a Musical: James Monroe Iglehart, “Aladdin”

Best Score: Jason Robert Brown, “The Bridges of Madison County”

Best Director of a Play: Kenny Leon, “A Raisin in the Sun”

Best Director of a Musical: Darko Tresnjak, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder”

Best Book of a Musical: Robert L. Freedman, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder”

Best Orchestrations: Jason Robert Brown, “The Bridges of Madison County”

Best Scenic Design of a Play: Beowulf Boritt, “Act One”

Best Scenic Design of a Musical: Christopher Barreca, “Rocky”

Best Sound Design of a Play: Steve Canyon Kennedy, “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill”

Best Sound Design of a Musical: Brian Ronan, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater: Costume designer Jane Greenwood

Isabelle Stevenson Award: Rosie O’Donnell

Belmont Stakes – An Ignorant View

Disclaimer: In no way do I think that I am completely ignorant, but I do feel that I need to have a point of view about issues and this is what this blog is about.

Belmont Stakes, third jewel in the historic triple crown or horse racing, was won by….Tonalist…not California Chrome.  As most people know, California Chrome had won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in the past month or so and was possibly the first horse that would win the triple crown since the late 70’s, but it wasn’t meant to be.

I personally did not watch the race yesterday, but just watched a video of it and although I know nothing about horse racing, California Chrome looked like he was struggling the whole race, and yet he still stayed up at the front of the pack and even made a run for it at the end, more than anyone can ask from this amazing creature, right?

Apparently not, one of the co-owners of California Chrome went on a rant after the race saying that it is not fair that the horses that all came in ahead of his horse did not race in the Preakness and Kentucky Derby and that it wasn’t fair. Sounds like a sore loser to me. 6 weeks ago no one had ever heard of Steve Coburn, and now he is going to go down in the books as that cry baby owner of California Chrome.

Show some class, tip your hat to the other horses, go on and brag about your wonderful horse and all that he has accomplished, enjoy yourself and become a spokesman for horse racing to get young fans interested in it again, but quit whining for God’s sake. The rules did not suddenly change as far as who is eligible to run in the Belmont Stakes, it has not changed for 100 years as far as I can tell, the truth is that the Triple Crown is something that is extremely difficult to achieve. If they limited the field only to horses that compete in all 3 races, I can almost guarantee you that it would become a more regular occurrence which would NOT be good for the sport.

Just one man’s opinion