Katrina's Wake

As one of the most powerful hurricanes in recent history to hit the Gulf states, Katrina has left a significant impact in her wake. Not only because of the force of the hurricane winds, but the result of the massive amounts of rain and storm surge which has inundated the area resulting in massive flooding.

New Orleans is 80% under water. Some areas are under as much as 20 feet of water. It could have been much worse if the eye of the hurricane would have passed west of the city instead of east.

One of the worst fears, a breach of the levee system surrounding the city, was realized when a two-block-long breach opened in a section of a levee that protects the city from Lake Pontchartrain.

Another fear, contamination of the city's drinkable water supply, was realized when a 50-inch water main was severed during the storm.

New Orleans was not the only city devastated by the storm. Biloxi and Gulf Port, Mississippi bore the brunt of the storm.

Mobile, Alabama had water from Mobile Bay surge into the city's downtown, submerging large sections of the city. An oil drilling platform broke away from its moorings and lodged under a bridge.

Estimates are in the months for the areas to resume basic functions.

I feel for the families and hope help arrives quickly for all these people. May the true light of man's humanity shine through this overcast period.

Technorati Categories: Current Affairs, Humanity, News, Other, Random Thoughts.

Has Pat Robertson Lost His Mind?

Conservative Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson has called for the United States to assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, calling him "a terrific danger" bent on exporting Communism and Islamic extremism across the Americas.
Courtesy of CNN

What is Pat Robertson thinking?

This one-time presidential candidate and host of the evangelical "The 700 Club" is calling for the assassination of another country's elected leader.

This Christian, founder of the Christian Coalition, is calling for the taking of a life for no reason other than the individual being "a dangerous enemy to our south, controlling a huge pool of oil, that could hurt us badly."

Robertson accused Chavez, a left-wing populist with close ties to Cuban President Fidel Castro, of trying to make Venezuela "a launching pad for Communist infiltration and Muslim extremism all over the continent."

"This is in our sphere of influence, so we can't let this happen," he said.
Courtesy of CNN

Great! Just what America needs... another "Christian" who feels it his moral obligation to fight Muslim extremism and protect our freedoms!

Technorati Categories: Christian, Christianity, Extremism,
Islam,
Media,
Muslim, Opinion, Politics, Religion, Theology

Gaza Withdrawal

History: Gaza Strip (from Wikipedia)

The Strip's borders were originally defined by the armistice lines between Egypt and Israel after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, which followed the dissolution of the British mandate of Palestine. It was occupied by Egypt until it was captured by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War.

Around 1.37 million Palestinians and about 8,000 Israelis live in the Gaza Strip. The majority of the Palestinians are direct descendants of refugees who fled or were expelled from Israel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Egypt was there from 1948 until 1967 when Israel took over the territory. So, to be clear, the settlers came in and took land from the existing Palestinian residents.

Alright, that's the background.

While reading the latest world news on the Internet, I come across a very good comment, one which verbalizes quite effectively the exact same questions and concerns I have felt while observing the medias' presentation of the current situation in Gaza over the last few days.

Here it is:

The past week, the media has been full of close-ups of grieving Israeli settlers mourning the loss of their government-built illegal homes. The coverage is almost exclusively from the point of view of the settlers, even though they have stolen the land their houses were built upon, even though the settlements are illegal under international law, even though their Palestinian neighbours live in shacks that can be bulldozed at a moment's notice by the IDF, even though they are being well-paid to "give up" the houses, even though they will be resettled in new illegal homes on the West Bank, and even though the whole thing is being orchestrated to portray Ariel Sharon as a man of peace.

Which has to make you wonder why the Israelis are always being favoured in the press and why the Israelis are always being supported by the US.
Courtesy: Signs of the Times

Technorati Categories: Bush Administration, Israel,
Media, Palestine,Politics, Zionist

Anniversary of Shame

Today is the 60th anniversary of the first atomic bomb application against human beings on a grand scale. Previous applications had been on much smaller scales and more insidiously used against an unknowing American military.

120,000 died instantly when the two atomic bombs exploded over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.

If we are not reminded of the horrors and tremendous magnitude of the senseless loss of life by a single nuclear event, caused by the decision of a few, we are surely doomed to repeat it. But, having said this, I realize it is beyond us, unless we demand...

• The dismantling of all nuclear weapons.
  
• Expulsion of those in power who would even consider the use of these weapons as an option.
  
• Redirection of military spending for purposes of improving the human condition, toward environmentally-friendly fuels, access to education and health care for all, to mention a few.
  
• Accountability for actions taken against humanity.
  

I will continue to voice my support for the individual over the state, respect for life over power, financial gain, or religious dogma.

Life is about giving, not taking.

Technorati Categories: Current Affairs, News, News and Politics, Opinion, Politics, Random Thoughts.