Jasper Journal

On this Christmas eve, I want to wish each of you a very happy and holy Christmas . I hope you can be with your families , but wherever you are,  do think about  the joy that we celebrate tonight : the birth of Our Savior.

The German hymn that we know as  Silent Night has always had a special place in my heart,  and  I think the violin rendition  by Andre Rieu, below,  is superb. Enjoy  the music, and have a  wonderful Christmas.

It’s always a treat to receive contributions from readers for the blog. Today we have a series of observations by Paul on a variety of topics.  Thanks for sharing Paul. Enjoy!

Random Musings

Chutzpah:  The traditional tongue-in-cheek definition of chutzpah is a person who murders both
his parents, then throws himself on the mercy of the court because he is an orphan.  That definition has now been superseded.  This week, the Taliban requested the United Nations and other international organizations investigate the US invasion of Iraq, ostensibly because the US killed Iraqis.  Coming from a group that routinely assassinates Afghan government officials, has sent an eight-year-old girl to her death (unknowingly) with a parcel bomb, terrorizes civilians, stones women, throws acid in the face of schoolgirls, and much more, such a request is simply breathtaking.  If the UN seriously considers the Taliban request — thereby ascribing moral equivalency between the US government and a terrorist government in exile — it marks the last nail in the coffin of the UN, a fitting end to the fiction that this organization is anything but a sham and a shill for Third World despots.

Kim Jong Newt:
The death of the Dear Leader did not sadden many people, but it seems that at least one Republican candidate would like to take a page from the former’s book.  Newt Gingrich announced this week that he would send Federal Marshals to bring justices to appear before Congress if they failed to answer a subpoena regarding “controversial rulings” (Gingrich’s words).  For someone who claims intellectual superiority, I wonder what part of the Constitution he does not understand.  I also wonder if his threat would apply to Supreme Court Justices. If such a policy had been in force in 1954, I could envision the Justices in Brown v the Topeka Board of Education being hauled before Congress.  If any single statement were enough to disqualify a candidate from serious consideration, this would seem to be it (sadly, though, people will continue to support Gingrich’s candidacy).

Foot-in-Mouth Disease (Again):  Last week during an interview, Vice President Biden stated “…the Taliban, per se, is not our enemy.”  Flash to the VP: it is our enemy.  The 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force defined the enemy as, inter alia, those who “…aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001 or harbored such organizations.”  Unless the VP is engaged in revisionist history, the Taliban gave sanctuary and training facilities to al Qaeda, thereby making the Taliban a legitimate target of US military operations.  Does the VP really believe that the Taliban will eschew its radical ideology (see “Chutzpah,” above) if it returns to power?   Does he see any intellectual disconnect between dropping bombs on the Taliban, and not considering them the enemy?  I guess nothing should surprise me from an administration that refuses to use the word “terrorism,” that avoids any mention of Islamic fundamentalism as a cause for terrorism, and now cannot even call our enemy an enemy.

The National Menorah:    On Tuesday, several Rabbis and the Head of the Organization of Management and Budget lit the National Menorah on the grounds of the Ellipse in front of the White House.  A military service band performed during the ceremony.  Of note, the National Christmas Tree was dedicated in the same area last week.  I wonder where Mikey Weinstein is when we really need him.  After all, the Ellipse is federal property, administered by the National Park Service.  The amount of coverage and publicity of the Christmas Tree and Menorah far exceed the paltry display at Travis Air Force Base, over which Weinstein and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation is suing.  Why isn’t Weinstein suing over the very prominent presence of a military band at the Menorah event?  Could it be that Mikey (what adult calls himself “Mikey”?) actually has more of a beef with the Air Force than with the display of religion.  It makes me wonder what intellectual and emotional baggage Weinstein carries from his time in the service that gave him a free education and paid for his law school degree.

There is so much to do during the holiday season, with shopping, Christmas cards, parties, traveling, etc, that sometimes one can get overwhelmed and forget why we are doing these things. I received a video today from “Florida” Bob. It inspired  me, and reminded me of the real meaning of Christmas. Not sure of the year, possibly 2010. Take a break and Enjoy.