In their own words

[Ed. note: Of course, after I posted these, our President spoke last night as well. Rather than give his words their own place -- as richly as I personally believe that they deserve such honor -- I choose to add them here, as part of the larger discussion.

http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2011/01/12/video-president-obamas-entire-memorial-speech-in-tucson-az/ ]


It has been a VERY busy weekend and start to the week, and sadly, little of the news was good. Having felt the need not only to post my sermon early, but to add 2 additional posts on the shootings in Arizona, and the death of Debbie Friedman, I am truly tapped out at this moment.

So allow me to do one of the other thinks this blog was created to do -- expose other opinions and words that I find particularly well written, insightful, or merely significant enough to share to those whose opinions matter to me.

Those who are friends with me on facebook have already gotten access to all four of these. I recommend each highly, in its own way:

1. USA Today's Mike LoPresti compares apples to oranges in Arizona, and scores a huge success that should make us ll stop and think -- a Pulitzer worthy column if I have ever read one...

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/lopresti/2011-01-10-bcs-early_N.htm

2. Jon Stewart's opening monologue from Monday evening, in full context, in his own voice. Regardless of your politics, this is a must listen. Remember when the movie Network first came out, and we all cringed at the idea of news becoming entertainment? Here is a guy who has turned entertainment into news, and does it darned well...

http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/jon-stewarts-moving-monologue-arizona-shooting-01-11-2011

3. Again, irrespective of your politics, both the video itself, allowing us all to hear her words in her own voice, and the analysis that accompanies it, are de rigeur:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/12/AR2011011202145.html

and, btw, when you are finished, listen to it again, and start to deconstruct what you are seeing and hearing, because:

4. Palin's clearly deliberate use of the phrase "blood libel" in her response to the Arizona shootings and their aftermath is one that should make those of us who are Jewish, and all people, a little uncomfortable. Here is a VERY restrained but on the money, response to that usage and more:

http://www.njdc.org/blog/post/palinrelease011210/

If these 4 don't get people thinking and talking and acting for the better, I don't know what might.