Normally, German folks are smarter than this. But, I know they love their beer. And, when men anywhere drink lots of it, something strange always happens!
Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis
It was on October 22, 1962, that President John F. Kennedy announced to the nation that the U.S. government had photographic evidence of missiles on Cuba pointed towards South Florida. An American U-2 spy plane had flown over Cuba earlier that month and, utilizing state of the art technology, snapped several black and white pictures of the missiles. At the time, the U.S. was involved in the “Cold War” with the Soviet Union, and the Kennedy Administration believed the Soviets had installed the missiles on Cuba. He had already met several times with his advisors before addressing the nation. It led to a 13-day standoff between the two nations, after which the Soviets agreed to pull the missiles, and the U.S. agreed not to invade Cuba. This is the complete 18-minute speech.
Filed under Classics
In Memoriam – Russell Means, 1939 – 2012
Russell Means, a long-time activist for Native American rights, died this morning, October 22, at his ranch in Porcupine, South Dakota. He was 72. Means was born on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota on November 10, 1939. In 1942, his family moved to the San Francisco area.
Means is best known for his life-long efforts to bring attention to the plight of Indigenous Americans. In 1970, he became the first national director of the American Indian Movement (AIM), a civil rights group founded in Minneapolis in 1968. The United States had been mostly oblivious to the dire circumstances in which most Native Americans lived. Even now, for example, Pine Ridge remains one of the most impoverished communities in the country.
Perhaps Means’ most controversial act was a 71-day standoff against federal agents at Wounded Knee on Pine Ridge. Wounded Knee is the site of one of the worst massacres in Native American history: the slaughter of some 350 Sioux Indians on December 29, 1890. As a protest against the deplorable living conditions of Pine Ridge’s residents, Means led a contingent of more than 200 fellow Indians to overthrow the reservation’s leadership. The incident, which began on February 27, 1973, drew in the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI and thousands of law enforcements officials. Both sides were heavily armed and fired upon one another; killing 2 of the protestors and paralyzing one of the law enforcement agents. After 71 days, Means and the other protestors surrendered. The government charged them with assault and conspiracy, but dropped the indictments the following year.
Means continued his activism, marching on Washington, D.C., in 1978 to protest anti-Indian legislation, including the forced sterilization of Indian women. Called the “Longest Walk,” Means led hundreds of people from San Francisco to Washington, the largest protest at the time. Immediately afterwards, the House of Representatives passed a resolution stating that national policy was to protect the rights of Indians; to believe, express and exercise their traditional religions, including but not limited to access to sites; use and possession of sacred objects; and the freedom to worship through ceremonials and traditional rites.
Means highlighted the negativity associated with many sports team Indian mascots. He joined a $9 million lawsuit against the Cleveland Indians baseball team for its “Chief Wahoo” mascot, calling it racist and derogatory. In 1983, Cleveland settled out of court for a mere $35,000. Means sought the Libertarian Party’s nomination for president in the 1988 presidential campaign, but lost to Rep. Ron Paul. Means retired from AIM in 1988 and, four years later, began a new career as an actor when he was cast in “The Last of the Mohicans.” He also appeared in “Natural Born Killers,” as the “Old Indian,” starred as “Sitting Bull” in the CBS mini-series “Buffalo Girls,” and provided voice talent for Disney’s animated film “Pocahontas.”
Means never gave up his mission to emphasize the struggles of Native Americans and even point out disparities in traditional American history. In 1992, he stopped a scheduled Columbus Day parade in Denver, which had been meant to celebrate Columbus’ “discovery of America.” Means and his constituents demanded the holiday be renamed “Indigenous Peoples Day.”
Like most people who lead a public life, Means became introspective in his later years. “No one except Hollywood stars and very rich Texans wore Indian jewelry,” Means said about AIM. And there were dozens, if not hundreds, of athletic teams “that in essence were insulting us, from grade schools to college. That’s all changed.” In his autobiography, “Where White Men Fear to Tread,” he admitted his fragilities – especially his battles with alcoholism, a common scourge among Native Americans – but also accentuated his successes.
In August 2011, Means announced that he had inoperable throat cancer and told the Associated Press that he would forgo standard medical treatment in favor of traditional Indian remedies. Oglala Sioux spokeswoman Donna Saloman said wake services for Means will be held Wednesday on Pine Ridge and that his ashes will be spread in the Black Hills on Thursday.
Filed under News
October 21, 2012 – 62 Days Until Baktun 12
Survivalist Tip: I mentioned previously that you may need a water purification system when the apocalypse hits, considering that your electricity may go out. But, you also need to have plenty of containers to hold that water. I’m not talking about people who are overweight! You’ll need some sturdy water storage accessories; preferably made of steel, but firm plastic ones will suffice.
Containers for long-term water storage come in a variety of sizes – from 55 gallons to 5 gallons. If you plan to stay at home, I recommend the biggest ones you can get. If your mind is thinking of something sexual, stop reading now and smack yourself. You can keep these vessels in your garage or anywhere in the house or apartment. Making certain the water stays fresh and drinkable is an obvious concern, so that’s where the aforementioned water purification system comes into play. The ancient Mayans and their contemporaries around the world developed sophisticated water storage and purification methods without the benefit of electricity, computers, or utility companies. Therefore, it’s paramount you learn to retain and treat your own water. With these items in your possession, you’ll be assured of a stable environment, while chaos overwhelms everyone else. And, once things settle down, you can use the containers to bury the bodies of anyone who tried to break into your home and steal your chocolate.
Filed under Mayan Calendar Countdown
In Memoriam – George McGovern, 1922 – 2012
George McGovern, a former U.S. senator from South Dakota and 1972 Democratic presidential candidate, died Sunday morning, October 21. He had just been admitted to hospice care in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, which is where he passed away. He was 90.
McGovern was born on July 19, 1922, in Avon, S.D. He had just married Eleanor Stegeberg on October 21, 1943, when he left to fly a B-24 in World War II. He flew 35 missions and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross.
In 1956, he ran for Congress and became the first Democrat from South Dakota to be elected to the House of Representatives in 22 years. After two terms, he ran for the Senate in 1960, but lost.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy asked McGovern to open an agency to send surplus food abroad. By year’s end, McGovern had Kennedy’s “Food for Peace” program operating in a dozen countries. The following year, he became the first Democrat elected to the Senate from South Dakota in 26 years. His chief interest was world peace. He challenged the United States’ “Castro fixation,” denounced America’s capacity for nuclear “overkill” and proposed a $4-billion reduction in the U.S. defense budget. He also supported Medicare, school lunches and the war on poverty.
In 1963, McGovern became one of the first politicians to warn against the war in Vietnam, eventually opposing increased military involvement and ultimately deeming the conflagration a “moral debacle.”
He launched an unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 1968, losing the Democratic Party’s nomination to Hubert Humphrey. But, although he earned the party’s nomination four years later, his campaign was troubled from the start. He initially chose Sen. Thomas Eagleton of Missouri to be his running mate. When Eagleton admitted that he’d had shock therapy to treat his depression, he bowed out of the race. This was a time when no one discussed mental health issues openly, especially men. McGovern selected Sargent Shriver of Maryland to replace Eagleton, but the public relations damage was too great to overcome. McGovern lost in a landslide to incumbent President Richard Nixon. Ironically, it was McGovern’s campaign that led to the notorious Watergate fiasco.
McGovern was an icon of liberalism in America. He condemned the Iraq War and proposed impeachment for both President George W. Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney.
In 1998, President Bill Clinton sent McGovern to Rome as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. In 2000, Clinton awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. A year later, the U.N. made him its first global ambassador to ease hunger. In 2008, McGovern and his former Senate colleague Bob Dole shared the World Food Prize, often called the Nobel Prize for combating hunger.
Eleanor McGovern died in 2007. Their son, Steven, died this past July. McGovern is survived by his daughters, Ann, Susan and Mary, 10 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.
Filed under News
Kateri Tekakwitha – First Native American Catholic Saint
In a historic move, Pope Benedict XVI canonized the first Indigenous American into sainthood on Saturday, October 20. Kateri Tekakwitha was born in 1656 to an Algonquin mother and a Mohawk father in what is now central New York State. She was baptized into the Roman Catholic Church at age 20. After being rejected by her family, she moved to a Jesuit mission near Montreal, Canada, where she taught children until her death four years later.
American Indians have been appealing for Kateri to be canonized for more than a century. She was given the special status of venerable in 1942, the first step towards sainthood, and was beatified in 1980.
A person must be deceased for at least 5 years, even before he or she can be considered for sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. Afterwards, there are 4 steps in the process.
- When the subject arises that a person should be considered for Sainthood, a Bishop is placed in charge of the initial investigation of that person’s life. If it is determined that the candidate is deemed worthy of further consideration, the Vatican grants a “Nihil Obstat,” a Latin phrase meaning “nothing hinders.” Henceforth, the candidate is called a “Servant of God.”
- The Church Official, a Postulator, who coordinates the process and serves as an advocate, must prove that the candidate lived heroic virtues. This is achieved through the collection of documents and testimonies that are collected and presented to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome. When a candidate is approved, he/she earns the title of “Venerable.”
- To be beatified and recognized as a “Blessed,” one miracle acquired through the candidate’s intercession is required in addition to recognition of heroic virtue (or martyrdom in the case of a martyr).
- Canonization requires a second miracle after beatification, though a Pope may waive these requirements. (A miracle is not required prior to a martyr’s beatification, but one is required before his/her canonization.) Once this second miracle has been received through the candidate’s intercession, the Pope declares the person a “Saint.”
More than 700 Native Americans, many in full regalia, took part in the ceremony in St. Peter’s Square honoring the woman known as the “Lily of the Mohawks.” A choir singing an Indian hymn was among the participants. At a Mass on Monday, the 22nd, inside St. Peter’s Basilica, Native Americans will conduct a “smudge” ceremony by burning sage, according to an American church official.
Among those in attendance was a delegation from the Archdiocese of Seattle that included Jake Finkbonner, a 12-year-old boy whose recovery six years ago from necrotizing fasciitis, a rare flesh-eating disease, was accorded the status of a miracle by the church.
His survival was anything but certain when his parish and Native Americans around the U.S. and Canada began praying to Kateri. His recovery was the key in the decision to canonize Kateri, said the Rev. Wayne Paysse, executive director of the bureau of Catholic Indian Missions.
Finkbonner’s family, who are members of the Lummi tribe, live in Bellingham, Washington.
Anyone who knows me personally, or follows this blog, is fully aware of my harsh views of the Roman Catholic Church. The Church’s relationship with the Western Hemisphere’s native peoples is written in blood. It’s the longest and most widespread chronicle of genocide in world history. Of course, that’s pretty much the case with any branch of Christianity. Early Spanish conquerors viewed Indigenous Americans with contempt and tried to destroy them. Spain’s Queen Isabella I put a stop to the bloodshed, however, demanding that her representatives in what are now México and the United States baptize the Indians into Roman Catholicism. Many Indians conceded; more I think as a matter of survival than acceptance of the strange, new religion. Nothing can ever compensate for such brutality. But, the canonization of Kateri is still a measure of goodwill.
“Big Tex” Lives!
“Big Tex” isn’t dead after all! He’s found a much more lucrative, yet less stressful job as a marquee on a South Dallas liquor store! Praise the Lord and pass the 6-pack!
Filed under Curiosities
Cruising for Trouble
Okay, I know the title of this essay is a bad play on the name of Ted Cruz, the former Solicitor General of Texas, who hopes to replace Kay Bailey-Hutchison in the U.S. Senate this year. He’s a Republican, of course, and since I’m not too fond of Republican politicians – especially the species creeping out of Texas – I have to criticize him. Cruz isn’t just a Republican; he’s a “Tea Party” Republican – that wacky band of closet Nazis who emerged after our biracial president took office. The “Tea Party” clan has grabbed the GOP by the throat and wants to send America back to the good old days of the 19th century, when only White heterosexual Christian males had power.
Cruz has been playing right into the gnarly hands of the far right; placating them with a variety of outrageous claims and blatant lies. For example, he thinks billionaire businessman George Soros and the United Nations are conspiring to eliminate golf in the U.S. As if that would be a bad thing. Cruz also apparently adheres to the growing reemergence of nullification; a 19th century philosophy that states can invalidate any federal laws they don’t like. The Affordable Health Care Act has become their favorite target. In his first campaign ad, Cruz states, in his role as Solicitor General, he made it easier for Texas to kill an “illegal alien.” It’s a reference to a 2008 case, Medellin vs. Texas, in which the state argued that it shouldn’t have to comply with the Vienna Convention. The Vienna Convention is a 1969 treaty requiring countries to inform foreign nationals who are arrested that they have the right to legal counsel from their home country. As of 2010, 112 states had signed it, including North Korea, which even honored it when it captured 2 American journalists in 2009.
Cruz has an apparent disdain for illegal immigrants – which I do, as well, to some extent. But, from a cultural standpoint, you have to understand where this could lead. Cruz hopes to appeal to Texas’ growing Hispanic population – most of whom are of Mexican or Central American extraction. Most of them – despite what you may hear on FOX News – are either native born residents or legal immigrants who don’t commit crimes. Here’s where it gets really interesting and personal. Cruz is only half-Hispanic; his father was born and raised in Cuba where he had fought against and been tortured under the brutal regime of Fulgencio Batista. Batista had come to power in 1933 and ruled Cuba until Fidel Castro led a successful coup in 1959. Batista was an anti-communist ideologue, which endeared him to the U.S. But, he revoked many personal liberties, such as the right to strike. His secret police force allegedly killed thousands of people on the island nation. Under his command, only a handful of families owned most of the land and therefore, held the bulk of the wealth and power. As in most Latin American nations at the time, a wide gap existed between the wealthy and the poor; kind of like how the U.S. is becoming now. Cruz’s father fled to the U.S. in 1957, arriving in Austin, Texas with $100. But, Cruz was born in Calgary, Canada, that bastion of socialist anxiety right-wing extremists generally hate so much. The “Tea Party” crowd frequently compares the Affordable Health Care Act to Canada’s universal health care policies – e.g. socialism.
Back to the Hispanic thing. While most Hispanics trend Democratic when voting, Cuban-Americans, in particular, lean Republican. And, as a group, Cubans seem to despise other Hispanics, mainly Mexicans and Puerto Ricans. I don’t know why, but I’ve seen it and felt in the overall Hispanic community in Dallas. I think it’s because Cuba is such a devoutly communist country; one of the last remaining bastions of Marxist theology in the world and the only one in the Western Hemisphere. Therefore, when its residents flee to the United States, they are truly running for their lives. But, no such compassion lands upon the shoulders of refugees from war-torn nations elsewhere in Latin America. To paraphrase comedian Paul Rodriguez, ‘when Mexicans come here illegally, they take them to jail; when Cubans come here illegally, they take them to Disney World.’
Like any good Republican extremist, Cruz despises Barack Obama; believing the President is collaborating with Soros and others to turn the U.S. into a “European socialist union.” He wants to gut both Social Security and Medicaid, feeling they have already pushed the U.S. towards that dreaded socialist state. It doesn’t seem to matter that those programs have prevented millions of elderly and / or disabled people from slipping into poverty. Republican vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan feels the same way. Neither will probably get much of the Hispanic vote and will have a tough time sweet-talking senior citizens.
Cruz is facing Democrat Paul Sadler, an attorney and member of the Texas House of Representatives. Surprisingly, the Dallas Morning News endorsed Sadler for the U.S. Senate; amazing in that the paper has almost always recommended the Republican candidate. That’s why I scratch my head in confusion every time some local right-winger hollers like a cow going into labor that the News has a leftist agenda.
Alas, I’m afraid Ted Cruz will win that coveted Senate seat next month. When many Texans go to the polls, they seem to leave their brains in their vehicles, while making sure they have their guns. It’s getting dangerous even for us moderates here in Texas. And, the fact that a far-right fundamentalist like Ted Cruz could end up in such a powerful position doesn’t bode well for the United States as a whole.
Filed under Essays
More Drama at the Texas State Fair
Just when we thought things couldn’t get any worst at the Texas State Fair – they did! After a fiery start to yesterday’s festivities, the “Stratosphere” ride suddenl malfunctioned around 9 P.M. local time, trapping 24 fairgoers 200 feet in the air for more than 2 hours. Dallas Fire and Rescue personnel who had just been on the scene yesterday morning returned to oversee the rescue operation. This gives me greater incentive never to visit the Texas State Fair again. Of course, I haven’t been there since the early 1970s, when my mother bit into a corndog and discovered it had a green center. Normally, it’s red. I don’t necessarily believe the fair should be shut down altogether, even though it’s an early 20th century escapade in a 21st century world. I mean, with all the fried foods they serve, who needs overpriced parking and crowds anyway! Kids can eat fried foods they want, while sitting on their fat little butts in the safety of their own homes anyway.
Filed under News
Chief Writing Wolf 