I Wish ...

I wish I knew (or cared) more about the situation with Illinois’ governor and his impeachment so that I could make an intelligent commentary on it. That’s the rub, though, and it is what the national media should observe: that it is Illinois’ problem and that the Illinois legislature is dealing with it in due process.

I wish I knew all the details of this massive, $819 billion stimulus package that has passed the US House because I care deeply. The nation overwhelmingly elected a new president, leaving no doubt as to preference, but the give-aways this package is said to contain – such as funding for Medicaid to give away birth control – seem to have little to do stimulating the economy to create jobs, which was (or is) the stated purpose of the package in the first place.

I wish people had not booed when President Bush took the stage at Mr. Obama’s inauguration, and I especially wish that House Speaker Pelosi had not made her comment that “a 10-pound anvil had been lifted from her head”. Some people in this country are just plain nasty and are ungracious even in victory.

I wish we could just let Mr. Obama be “the” president, period. That he is the first African-American elected to the nation’s highest office is a bright spot in American history, but that moment has passed. We now have a man – just a man – serving as president. Why not leave it at that? To me, it is further evidence that even his supporters clearly qualify (and sometimes marginalize) human beings based purely on the color of another’s skin. Dr. King would not be pleased, I should think.

I wish I knew why Democrats have such a problem with Rush Limbaugh. Again, we’re talking about a mere mortal man, though “with brains on loan from God” (Limbaugh’s line). Reckon the Democrats really believe this to be true? I suppose this might explain why one media person can upset the entire party from the president on down.

I wish I knew why it is that during WWII, POW’s captured by the US were put in POW camps and held for the duration of the war without trial, but the detainees at Guantanamo Bay as POW’s are somehow entitled to a fair trial, having been captured by US forces during a battle. I am especially confused in knowing that some have been released only to turn up in similar battles elsewhere.

I wish I knew why Christians seem more intent on pointing out the flaws of others than in spreading the Good News.

I wish I knew (or cared) more about global warming.

I wish I knew why the world shows virtually no concern for Hamas rocket attacks against Israeli citizens but gets completely bent out of shape when Israel, after giving a week’s worth of firm warnings, finally gets enough and retaliates.

I wish I knew what the Arkansas legislature was thinking in giving itself a raise in the middle of the worst recession, some say, since the Great Depression. Now I am truly depressed.

I wish I knew why the Arkansas legislature and its governor thinks raising any tax during such an economic crisis and creating new spending programs is a good idea.

I wish I knew why governments and individuals seem so intent on eradicating death. With so many life-saving measures and other programs designed to save people from themselves, it is as if the government thinks it can outsmart the inevitable.

I wish I knew why we voters don’t pay more attention to our elected officials and their records at re-election. If we really knew or cared, my guess is most of the incumbents would not be incumbents.

I wish I knew why military deserters who object to the war in Iraq, or war in general, don’t change their status to “conscientious objector” and face that music rather than spending the rest of their lives running and hiding.

I wish I knew what convinces young people that alcohol can solve anything or is “fun”. And I wonder this as a former “believer” in the wonders and powers of alcohol. I guess I don’t remember because, well, I might have been drunk at the time.

I wish I knew why politics has to be so nasty rather than an honest debate and discussion about public policy. I suspect it has more to do with the corruptible nature of man, but I would like to believe there could be more.

I wish I knew why Pope Benedict would restore a cardinal who apparently at one time denied the reality of the Holocaust.

I wish I knew why the Catholic Church refuses to allow priests to marry. Sure would take care of that priest shortage we hear so much about.

I also wish I knew the intelligence level of those who believe that priests in the past would not have been child molesters if they had been married.

I wish I knew why anyone thought credit was a good idea.

I wish more writers would admit to what they don’t know.