Links to Rants about NSA Phone scandal

Two related, but unrelated links today. Both mention the "phone scandal."

“We Have To Do Something” puts the issue into context with the movie United 93.

Last week made it clear yet again that some of us are still gaping mindlessly at what they refuse to believe while others—and thank God our Commander-in-Chief is among them—have found the courage to understand: We have to do something.

The other post, Mark Steyn says To connect the dots, you have to see the dots. The London bombing report (PDF) came out accusessess the British Government of not connecting the dots to see the bombing coming. Same thing as the 9-11 Commission report. Yet, people are throwing a fit about the government trying to connect dots of unimaginable scale on a random messy page. This is not preschool. There is complexity here and that requires access and resources. I'm as agovernmentment, pro-privacy as anyone I know, yet I realize that some things have to be done. I hope you do too.

Tags:
9-11 Commission, Wire Tapping, Mark Steyn, United 93

Two Related Op-Ed Articles on Celebrity and Paparazzi

Leonard Pitts, Jr. and Betsy Hart each have an article over at Jewish World Review today that touch on fame. Leonard Pitts talks about how WE are to blame for celebrity culture. In many ways he is correct (as he usually is). People buy the magazines and watch the shows that use the pictures and stories that the paparazzi sneak and/or bother people to get. The example Mr. Pitts uses is Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have gone to Namibia for the birth of their baby. I didn't even know they were together, much less that they were expecting. I am guessing they have been together at least a year? Anyway, photographers have followed the couple to nowhere Africa and won't give them a moments peace. WHO REALLY CARES? That is my question. Leave the couple alone. They will show pictures when and if they are ready. As a side question, Namibia? How will this affect the kids status as a citizen? Does that matter the parents? Can they bathe the kid in the water?

The other article by Betsy Hart discusses the 1953 movie Roman Holiday. Audrey Hepburn is a princess who escapes from her duties for a day in Rome and meets a reporter (Gregory Peck) and his photographer friend (Eddie Albert). They spend the day being bad (by 1953 royalty standards) doing things like smoking and riding a motorcycle. Eddie Albert gets some great photos that could make him and Peck rich. In the end, they all do their duty, and the movie is really a tragedy of sorts about star-crossed lovers. If only photographers and reporters and us, the buying public, were willing to put duty above prurient leering into people's private lives. As Christians, doesn't this kind of stuff count as gossip? Romans 1:28-30 (New International Version) 28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;... Looks like sin to me.



Tags:
Paparazzi, Celebrity, Audrey Hepburn, Roman Holiday, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie