Different Slants

On June 25th, 2007, the US Supreme Court ruled 5 to 4 that a key portion of the McCain-Feingold law had been unconstitutionally applied to the Wisconsin Right to Life group. The ruling is regarded as opening the door to political ads that circumvent campaign finance restrictions.

This is not a surprising outcome. Any attempt to limit election campaign funding is liable to be view as a restriction of free speech. The reformation of our electoral campaign system requires more free speech, not less. That is to say, the root of the problem is the high cost of free speech.

(Read on …)

June 25, 2007

So Rick Munden (RGM), the Den Mother of this blog, bitching and moaning, asks me why I don’t have any more opinions to express about whatever bothers me, since all that I’ve posted recently have concerned, let’s see……An anti-war poem encouraging resistance in the streets to the current monstrously evil mob of self-serving, lying, greedy bastards that stole the election that put them there in the first place……Another more muted poem about being technologically overwhelmed by non-stop change in how everything I know how to do to communicate is passe,` and how other people mostly much younger than 57 think it’s comical that I can’t keep up with all all of it……A story about a wild rabbit who was nearly consumed by my three pet dogs, to the distress of my young daughter…….A story about why the US Capitol ought to be shifted 1,500 miles west to Lincoln, Nebraska and why at least 50% of the Congress should be composed of women…….Another (brilliant, in my opinion) story on how to resolve the Israel/everybody else in the world problem. I know I’m right about my proposals even if no one else currently living on this planet seems to embrace my vision of how good, how civilized, things could be if people were willing.

So after attempting to tell Rick that I had no more opinions about anything of significance, I spent the next half an hour telling him all those other things I had no opinion about, except for this and that and so on.

Rick is very patient, or perhaps he fell asleep while I was talking—it wouldn’t be the first time that happened–but when I finally ran out of steam, I concluded that he wanted me to write down more of my assorted and atypical thoughts.

And I will.

Soon.

So………..watch this space, or you might miss something good.

Shalom, Curious People.

Bob

About the writer and his other life in Skokie, Illinois:

Bob Katzman’s Magazine Museum: 100,000 periodicals back to 1576!
Wall of Rock: 50 years of cool Rock periodicals on display & for sale
4906 Oakton St. (8000 north and 4900 west) Skokie, Ill 60077
(847)677-9444 Mon-Fri: 10 am to 5 pm / Weekends: 10 am to 2 pm

Katzman’s Publishing Company site: www.FightingWordsPubco.com
Katzman’s online non-fiction stories: www.DifferentSlants.com

Poetry? For me, writing poetry is not an option.
It’s a response to emotion. Like cigarette smoke,
it’s fast-flowing, shapeless and with little time to capture it.
Writing poetry is an imperative. I say what I feel compelled to say.

I sell my five published books via mail order and accept major credit cards.
I don’t use PayPal. I just talk to people on the phone.
Fast, reliable service. Read my stories and see what you think.
I’m also available for hire to read my true Chicago stories to organizations
and answer all questions. I autograph my books when I sell them.

I am currently seeking an agent to do more readings.
Feel free to call me at the number above.

One thing I don’t understand about the whole debate on immigration is that no one, absolutely no one that I know about has advocated amending the constitution to do what should have been 100 years ago: bestowing citizenship to those whose parents are citizens instead of those who happen to be born here.

The 14th amendment begins with “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside”. This was a post Civil War amendment (along with the 13th and 15th), and the language above was designed to prevent the defeated southern states from disenfranchising the newly liberated former slaves.

Well, that was a good thing in 1865, but why (in 2007) are children of foreign diplomats born here considered citizens? Why is citizenship bestowed on children of persons here illegally? Why is the letter between X and Z? (OK, just making sure you’re still with me). (Read on …)

Just the words, “universal health care” strike fear into the hearts of many people. Here we go again, big government, huge intractable bureaucracies, poor service, people “lost in the system”. And the ever present question, “Why should healthy people who don’t need medical insurance be forced to pay for it?” (Read on …)