A lesson in free speech at UChicago 55 years ago

The current brouhaha at University of Chicago over presumed white nationalist and ousted presidential adviser Steve Bannon's appearance at a business school debate brings to mind my experience on the subject as a freshman there in 1963. We incoming newbies were invited to a speech by Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad who spent much of has talk castigating white people as oppressors of America's still segregated black population. Things got a little tense as Muhammad exclaimed that all white people are devils. At that moment a freshman jumped up and shouted, "I am not a devil", dissipating the tension in the auditorium. I don't expect a current UChicago freshman to jump up and exclaim "I am not a white nationalist" if Bannon's xenophobia begins to show during the debate. Let Bannon speak and make a fool of himself discrediting his views headed for the scrapheap of history, the current leader of that movement occupying the Oval Office, notwithstanding.   

Concept of apples and oranges mystifies Joe Walsh

Joe Walsh may be the most ignorant, hate filled Illinois congressman in my lifetime. Tea Party fanatic Walsh opposed every decent Obama policy, belittled constituents at Town Halls and made outrageous charges without substantiation. A child support scofflaw, Walsh's election  was a fluke of the 2010 Tea Party movement built on fear, loathing and racism. Turned out after one term, Walsh found a megaphone on right wing radio, continuing to pollute the public debate. In his recent immigration debate with Cook County Commissioner Chuy Garcia, Walsh claimed illegals constitute 3.5% of the population but commit 30% of the murders. When it was pointed out that Joe's stats added 48 years worth of illegal murders to the total murder count, he refused to acknowledge the error, saying he'd move to Garcia's district and vote for him if he was wrong. Realtors lining up at Walsh's North Barrington home to facilitate his move to Chicago have a long wait to gain entrance.  

Alas, some folks prefer an ignorant, hate filled xenophobe on talk radio...just as they prefer an ignorant, hate filled xenophobe in the White House. 

Pence heads up US 'sabotage team' at Korean olympics

The burgeoning detente between the two Koreas, epitomized by their sharing the Olympic spotlight, is applauded by leaders round the globe....with the exception of Trump Tower, Mar-a-Lago and the little used White House. Trump is so furious he's sending Vice President Pence to attend the games to ensure North Korea's attendance doesn't lead to improved relations. It's hard to foment regime change in the North while they're playing kissiface with the South. In the battle of wits between Kim Jong Un and Trump, the latter has apparently entered the fray unarmed. What he expects an equally deficient bomb thrower, masquerading as a skilled negotiator, to accomplish is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. That's the bizarro world of Trump's foreign policy, where up is down, day is night and policy changes by the hour. Fasten your seatbelts, sit back and enjoy the show as America goes for Gold in the stupidity event.

Pence dispenses 'miracle' tag on Israeli Apartheid over Palestinians

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Vice President Pence disgraced American ideals of freedom, independence and decency we pledge to all peoples in his speech before the Israeli Knesset this week. He called Israel a 'miracle' in reiterating Trump's pledge to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, declaring the US would relocate there from Tel Aviv by 2020. As usual, not a word was mentioned is support or solidarity for the six million Palestinians suffering from Israeli Apartheid in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel itself. Pence then missed the irony of calling Iran a 'brutal dictatorship' in reference to recent demonstrations there, again oblivious to the brutality of Israeli control over the displaced millions seeking a homeland. We should no more hang the 'miracle' moniker on Israel today than we would over South Africa for its Apartheid of 40 million blacks through the 1980's...or Germany's dehumanization of its 300,000 Jews in the 1930's. Pence reiterated his support for a two state solution which will never happen while we refuse to recognize Palestinian humanity...and our own enabling of Israel's endless inhumanity to their fellow man.  

Roskam 'snaps back' to warmongering against Iran

My congressman Peter Roskam (IL-6) never tires of warmongering against Iran. He's add it again, introducing legislation backed by the most vociferous war hawks in Congress, to blow up the 5+1 Iran nuclear deal, the 2015 agreement which likely prevented war with Iran. The rest of the world community, with exception of Israel and Saudi Arabia, breathed a collective sigh of relief when the agreement not only prevented war, but began the critical process of normalizing relations with Iran, a stalwart opponent of al Qaida and other strains of Sunni extremism which inflicted the 911 attacks against the country Roskam is supposed to be representing. But Roskam takes his orders from the Israel and Saudi Arabia lobby which demand that the US lead the effort to weaken, if not destroy the democratically elected Iranian government simply to preserve Israeli and Saudi hegemony in the Middle East.

Roskam's January 18 constituent email consists entirely of an article from internet news site Axios, positively gushing that Roskam's legislation, co-authored with arch neo-conservative and Iraq war supporter Liz Cheney (yes, Dick's daughter), is much harsher than the bi-partisan effort offered by Republican Bob Corker and Democrat Ben Cardin. Axios reporter Jonathon repeatedly proclaims how the Roskam/Cheney bill will 'snap back' at any effort by Iran to preserve its sovereignty in the face of utterly threatening and irresponsible demands. The other co-signers of the Iran agreement, China, UK, France and China, appalled at Trump's longstanding demand to blow up this war saving deal, now have to contend with a radical faction of Congress, lead by Roskam, threatening its utterly counter-productive demise.

This November, voters in the Illinois Sixth should remind Roskam his paychecks are signed by Uncle Sam, not Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi strongman Salman bin Abdulaziz Saud.