Professor fired for "re-enacting" VT shooting

Video here.

My questions: is talking about an event like this in anything other than hushed tones a cultural taboo? Why? With the limited information we have, do we believe an educator in this role should be censored for his views? And, was his message pro-gun or pro-dialogue on the topic of guns on campuses?

File under "cultural sensitivity training candidate #152"

Lynn's Nails is a little nail salon located near my office. I was doing some local searches on Google Maps and found their website. On the website Lynn has published this jem of a culturally sensitive email, apparently from a former customer:

Hi Fawn, I have been coming to your place for a long time now for pedicure,wax and manicures.While I find the services good , there is one concern. When a customer is in your shop,it is rude if you speak in any language among yourselves - other than english.Many of my coworkers/friends have stopped going to your salon as they find it uncomfortable when you talk among yourselves in mongolise/chinese/asian language and laugh. It would be a great idea to make a rule in your salon - not to speak any language other than english when a customer is around. I thought you should know.

Three things are really funny and/or strange to me: 1) what is "mongolise"? and 2) this woman is really insecure and 2) why in God's name would you publish this customer letter on your website when it's so uniformly negative?

Not Enough

Did you ever think about how wrong it is that the burdens of this war are being entirely shouldered by such a small percentage of this country, how the true cost of this war is being paid by our soldiers and their families and no one else? We read in the paper and see on the news how another roadside bomb has killed 3 soldiers, how a helicopter crashed and killed 4 Marines. We may feel sad and curse our president for getting us into this war. We may feel sorry for the loss of life and feel sympathy for the families of the dead. But, that is nothing compared to what these men and women sacrifice for us every day--those who pay the ultimate price, their lives, and those who pay with their youth and innocence. What do we contribute? What can we contribute? This question has been troubling me for some time now. I know that signing up to be a soldier means that one day you may be called to war. And that this is part of the reality of the job. But, just as we expect these people (just kids in some cases) to leave their families and travel halfway around the world to do a duty, to fight in our name; we must also make some kind of sacrifice. How can we ask them for so much and give so little in return? I don’t have an answer. Some days, I think that maybe I should join the National Guard or the Reserve--to serve, to do my part. Maybe I’m too old. But, I don’t know how I can, in good conscience, not do *something.* I don’t believe in this war. Far from it. I don’t agree with this administration. I love my country; I hate what it’s doing. At the same time, I feel this urge, this pull, this sense of overwhelming obligation to keep up my end of the bargain. How can we send our soldiers to fight and die when we ourselves do nothing, sacrifice nothing, contribute nothing? It makes me tired, it makes my heart sick and heavy. It makes me cry. But, maybe that’s what I can contribute. I can think of their sacrifices, I can remember them, I can honor them, I can not forget. What else can I do? I sit in the dark, tears welling in my eyes, and pray that God is watching and welcoming his children swiftly to his door. But, that is not enough.

Another day at the office...

I know, I know, this type of stuff is hardly even news anymore, and certainly not shocking in the sense of being unexpected, but geez.

I guess, on the upside, this one wasn't aimed at perverting the Constitution or debasing our system of justice. That's something, right?

Oh, good lord

This is ridiculous. Cheney won't stop until he convinces us all that "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others." Its almost pathetic. Talk about a liberal use of "truthiness."

Virginia Leadership

Well done again to the Virginia legislature for taking the lead among Southern legislatures in issuing an apology for the Commonwealth's institutional support for slavery in its early history. Many other legislatures have followed Virginia's lead. This is truly an example of leadership that Virginia citizens of all colors can be proud of.