by Ray Newman, radio and television commentator, attorney, educator, author

Monday, June 7, 2010

THE BLUR

Technology has clearly speeded up human life, at times, to a blur. But that is not the blur I am addressing today, it is a much more important one.

America has been fighting an undeclared war for 9 years now, but refuses to declare it a war because that would require treating those who financially support and provide aid to our enemy is also our enemy...and the Administration refuses to clearly and unequivocally declare Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia as the enemy. Rather, the President would rather overlook their actions, meet and bow to them on the basis of "they have their point of view, their complaints, too". That's the blur.

Israel is condemned for its blockading of the delivery of rockets and weapons to its enemies in the Gaza strip, who have pronounced their will to annihilate Jews and destroy their homeland and who have and will fire those arms into civilian territory in Israel, or be used by suicide bombers. The fact that Israel was established by the UN over60 years ago is overlooked. The use of established civilized international procedures for the resolution of disagreements, and the use of holocaust-type vitriolic rhetoric and its attempted implementation, are treated as equal alternatives. That's the blur.

The woman who is raped is said to have meant "Yes", though she said "No"...because otherwise why would she have invited the rapist into her apartment. No distinction made between a cordial invite and a desire to have sexual force exerted against her. That;s the blur.

The well-crafted television show, Masterminds, and many others (starting with the Godfather series), have you rooting for the bad guys to win...except they are not thought of as the bad guys, but the smart guys, the daring guys, the guys I wish I could be. That's the blur.

The blur caused by modern technology may at times lessen your savoring the simple pleasures of life. A penalty, to be sure, but mild compared to the penalty induced by the blur I am speaking about. In the end, that one will kill you.

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