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Immigration

Name calling seems to be a legitimate conversational tool now in the culture wars. Researchers at the University  of Indiana have studied Bill O’Reilly’s rants and discovered that he averatges name-calling over 8 times in a single minute. He also dishes out insults at a rate of one every 6.8 seconds. And this is entertainment?! Or, reporting??! But just as troublesome are who he picks on. According to the University’s website the authors said,

“Our results show a consistent pattern of O’Reilly casting non-Americans in a negative light. Both illegal aliens and foreigners were constructed as physical threats to the public and never featured in the role of victim or hero…”

I guess little Billy never went to Sunday School when he was growing up. I mean the most basic lessons are  loving your neighbor and the “Golden Rule”  treating others as we want to be treated. Or perhaps he just wasn’t listening.

2007 05 21

Immigration
Spiritual Reflections
TV and Film

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Bullding walls or building bridges

It was reported today that the Sunni residents in Azamiyah are resisting US efforts to build a 12 foot concrete wall around them to keep them safe from Shiite militants. (They are calling it “a big prison.”) Such a “defense” strategy echos the Bush regime’s plan for 400 miles of fence along the US/Mexico border to prevent “contamination” by job-seeking immigrants. And of course, it reflects the current concrete wall built through the heart of Jerusalem by Israel to “protect” the Jews from Palestinian terrorists. 

After the massacre last week in Blacksburg VA or in South Philly over the weekend(11 deaths this week), I suppose it is tempting to think about building walls to provide personal safety. In fact, I remember several years ago there was a suggestion to put a wall around UPenn to keep out the “bad elements” in West Philadelphia. Does anyone remember the Berlin Wall and how elated we were when it fell? Is there ever a success story in building walls? Where are the bridgebuilders when we need them?

2007 04 24

Immigration
Urban Crime
Violence
War and Peacemaking

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