When, not If

When it comes to things like influenza epidemics, we are the world. Experts are saying that a worldwide epidemic of avian flu is a matter of when, not if, and that it will kill millions, and perhaps tens of millions.

Since many of these deadly viruses originate in China, where conditions are crowded, humans and animals often live in close contact, and the communist government there doesn't have a good record of responding to outbreaks, the United States needs to view China's public health as a matter of our national security.

Aside from the obvious humanitarian concerns, as a matter of naked self-interest, let's provide whatever money and expertise China needs to get a handle on these outbreaks ... before they reach our shores.

Roberts Rule

With John Roberts approved to be Supreme Court chief justice 78-22 by the Senate (all 22 "no" votes by Democrats), the focus now shifts to the next nomination. If Bush shrinks back from choosing a jurist in the mold of Scalia and instead goes for a "moderate" to win peace with the Democrats, he will face a civil war in his own party.

That Hill

If you choose to "die on that hill," make sure it is your hill, and not someone else's.

Driving and Dumping

News item: Los Angeles police are accusing their counterparts from nearby suburbs (such as Pasadena) of driving homeless people to the city and dumping them there, where they can get "services." Suburban officials admit there was a problem with driving and dumping "in the past" but swear up and down they're not doing it now.

Perhaps LA officials should return the favor. They'll take other cities' homeless, in exchange for driving and dumping their own gangbangers, shoplifters, and jaywalkers.

On second thought, perhaps Pasadena and its wealthy neighbors should stop acting like the priest and the Levite and take a personal role in helping the homeless get back on their feet. What a disgrace.

We Support Our Horticulturalists

Facing an emergency of weeds overrunning green spaces, the government dispatched a platoon of horticulturalists to fight through the thorns, cut back the weeds, and plant various plants and flowers. However, while most people supported this dirty work as necessary, a few environmentalists objected, saying that one man's weed was another man's native plant.

As the horticulturalists went about their work, the environmentalists organized speeches, sit-ins, and mass rallies, calling on the government to "bring our horticulturalists home." But everywhere they went, the environmentalists were quick to say, "We support our horticulturalists."

With the help of a willing media elite, the environmentalist message slowly took hold, and people began to say the work was too dangerous. The government had to recall the platoon, and within months, the weeds had overrun all the green spaces.

Where was Jesse?

After Katrina hit mostly black New Orleans, Jesse Jackson was quick to blame the disorganized federal response on white racism. President Bush was faulted for not immediately being there and showing he cared.

But yesterday, as Rita came ashore in mostly white areas of Texas and Louisiana, where was Jackson? In D.C., standing arm-in-arm with yesterday's news, Cindy Sheehan, protesting the war. Doesn't he care about white people?

Hey, Rev. Jesse, why don't you get back down there and do something useful? I suggest buttoning your lip and rolling up your sleeves.

I won't hold my breath.

Hurricane Alley

As Rita wreaks its havoc along the Gulf Coast, imperiling fully one-fourth of the nation's oil-refining capacity, we need to get serious about increasing refining in this country. With so much oil being extracted and processed in what is becoming known as "hurricane alley," it only makes sense to start drilling in other areas. And with gas perhaps spiking even higher after this storm, we'd better get moving.

Rev. Durbin

Citing the example of Solomon in Holy Writ, Rev. Dick ("Gitmo") Durbin says that although John Roberts is brilliant, he fears Bush's nominee lacks an "understanding heart" and will thus vote against his accession to the Supreme Court. Hey, I thought liberals' favorite verse was "Judge not, lest ye be judged."

Storm of the Century

As Rita, the storm of the (a) century, (b) month, or (c) both bears down on the Gulf Coast, I am more and more glad we moved from the South. I can't imagine what it must be like to board up your house and prepare to evacuate every month. May God have mercy on these neighbors. And may the rest of us remember to pray for them and help them.

Souteritis

Souteritis is spreading. We all knew the Democrats would oppose John Roberts as chief justice of the Supreme Court. Yesterday Harry Reid said he would vote No because he was unsure of Roberts's (Roe v. Wade) ideology. But Roberts has the distinction of being an equal opportunity offender.

Many conservatives, who initially trusted Bush to keep his promise to nominate someone in the "Scalia mold," have grown uneasy over Roberts's recent statement that Roe is "settled law." Heck, even Vermont liberal Patrick Leahy says he will vote for Roberts, so no wonder Bush's base is getting a case of judicial indigestion.

Aside from the war on terror, judicial nominations will define Bush's presidency (and the future of the nation) like nothing else. If he drops the ball on reshaping a court gone awry when he has a Senate majority, conservatives will never forgive him.

Clinton's Legacy

Bill Clinton, who spent much of his presidency casting about for a legacy, should be thanking the current occupant of the White House for rehabilitating his tawdry image by giving him such a prominent role in Katrina relief. Instead, Clinton has chosen to bite the hand that feeds him, saying the federal emergency plan "only affects middle-class people up"–thus stoking the class-warfare fires started by opponents of this presidency.

Here's Clinton's legacy: He's a small man who will do whatever it takes to point the spotlight on himself.

Not Doing It

News item: "According to a new study by the National Center for Health Statistics, 93 percent of wives and 92 percent of husbands said they were faithful to their spouse during 2002."

I guess everybody isn't doing it.

Blog Thought

I think, therefore I blog.

Rebuilding Questions

New Orleans is built on a floodplain, yet I've heard little acknowledgment of that fact. Instead, the talk is all about rebuilding. The city's corruption and sick civic culture geography aside, it makes no sense to rebuild the city the way it was. Even if you strengthen the levees, another catastropic flood is a certainty, perhaps 40 years from now ... or maybe next week.

Talk about a waste of taxpayer dollars. Given failures at all levels of government related to Hurricane Katrina, I'm not confident our elected officials (from Nagin to Bush) will do the job right, if it can be done at all.

Earth to Newdow

Atheist Michael Newdow continues his miserable legal crusade to blot out all mention of God from our nation's public life. He has a lot of work to do. As the Family Research Council commented today, "If Michael Newdow, the man who brought the case, would truly like to rewrite God out of American history he will need a time machine, not these endless lawsuits he revels in. One of the first official acts of the Continental Congress, on September 11, 1777, approved and recommended that 20,000 copies of The Holy Bible be imported from other sources. As Governor of Pennsylvania, founding father Benjamin Franklin stated: 'It is the duty of mankind on all suitable occasions to acknowledge their dependence on the Divine Being.'"

Civics Lesson

Today Sen. Joe Biden, showing a basic ignorance of civics, pressed John Roberts to lay out his policy preferences the way that senators do. Roberts, Bush's level-headed nominee to succeed the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist, cooly refused to take the bait. Roberts gently lectured Biden, saying, "Judges don't stand for election. I am not standing for election. And it's contrary to the role of judges in our society to say that."

Giving Thanks

Parents try to teach their kids to say "please" and "thank you." Both are good, but if you have to choose one, choose "thank you." Giving thanks after you have received what you want arguably is less self-seeking and values the other person more than using the "magic word" in a manipulative attempt to get the desired response.

Fine Print 2

"Viewer Discretion Advised (this is really dirty, disturbing, or violent, and we hope you give in to your baser instincts and watch it)."

Bye, Little Buddy

Last week, actor Bob Denver died. As everyone knows, he played the goofy lead role in the old CBS comedy Gilligan's Island (still a favorite in rerun heaven). Say what you will about the inanity of Skipper, the "perfesser," Lovie, and the "movie star," you can at least say this: You could watch it with your children. This lighthearted show was clean and (despite some light slapstick) completely nonviolent.

Not so Gilligan's current reincarnation, the dark ABC program, Lost. What responsible mom or dad would view this dark and disturbing program with young kids? Denver's death, sad in itself, is a little signpost showing how low our popular culture has descended. As the skipper might say, "Bye, Little Buddy."

FDR was Right

Although I'm usually in favor of letting people make their own financial choices (and not being dictated to by the government), I must confess to being uneasy about the Bush plan to give hurricane survivors $2,000 on a debit card. Some of these folks have not handled that much money in their lives.

As people rebuld their homes and lives, I'd like to suggest something radical: Instead of a debit card, give them a hammer. Like a Habitat for Humanity project, let the people who are physically able participate in the construction of their homes. Such an approach might reduce the entitlement mentality that prevails in poor sections of New Orleans (and elsewhere) and increase their sense of dignity. Also, there's a lot of work to be done, and everyone needs to do his or her part.

Lest you think I'm being a harsh conservative, remember this: FDR used this idea to great effect in the midst of the Great Depression. Remember the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps?

Big Deal

Celebrities from the rarefied worlds of music and entertainment have decided to grant the rabble a noisy Hurricane Katrina benefit tonight, and their sycophants in the media have decided that we all must watch it. (That's what the beautiful people do: jet in for a few hours, hold a press conference to blast the president, and return to their mansions.) Excuse me, but in case they haven't noticed, the rest of the country has been on the job for two weeks.

Churches, mosques, synagogues, and private charities have been driving supplies down to the Gulf Coast, plucking people out of the water, and giving the newly homeless places to stay. The federal government just yesterday approved a $52 billion aid package. Most of us have thought of little else since the catastrophe occurred.

So I hope the glitterati won't take it too personally if I skip their big deal.

Wiser Course

Given the disastrous failures of government regarding Katrina, can we all agree that (when possible) it is wiser (and safer) to rely on yourself than on the government?

The Samaritan

There was a man who was walking along the road. Thieves came, beat him up, took all his belongings, and left him to die. A Samaritan saw him, bandaged his wounds, and brought him to an inn where he could get well.

But before the Samaritan could continue on his journey, the innkeeper told him that he could not keep the man because of the liability issue, so the Samaritan took him home. The man, still dazed but recovering, sued the Samaritan for bringing him to an unlicensed facility and for inflicting emotional distress.

Celebrities highlighted the case of the incompetent Samaritan on their daytime talk shows and on Entertainment Tonight. Democrats promised to hold hearings into the Samaritan's embarrassing lack of planning and alleged animus toward the man.

Some time later, thieves came upon another man along the road. There was no Samaritan to help him.

AWOL

Hundreds of New Orleans police officers are unaccounted for. When it comes time to prosecute the looters, shooters, and rapists, let's not forget those who abandoned their posts at the city's greatest time of need.

Fine Print 1

"Your results may vary. (In fact, we'd be shocked if they don't.)"

All in a Day's Work

People have expressed shock over the mayhem perpetrated on the lawless streets and shelters of New Orleans. Perhaps we shouldn't be so surprised at the reports of rape, carjacking, and robbery. After all, the city had a crime rate 10 times the national average before Katrina.

Judging by the looting and even resignations of police officers amid the chaos, the civic culture of New Orleans has probably been fragile at best even in fat times, and now is much worse during the lean. Maybe the viciousness on display before a watching world is just all in a day's work for the thugs who have ruled the city for years.

Dianne's Hubris

Last week Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a liberal from California, told the media she felt a special responsibility, as the only woman on the Judiciary Committee, to represent America's 145 million women in the John Roberts confirmation hearings. Here are a few questions: (1) Does this mean all women (of whatever age) must support Roe v. Wade? (2) Where does Feinstein stand on other issues that directly affect women (such as low taxes so families can have a single breadwinner and women can stay home with their kids)? (3) Does Feinstein not represent the men? (4) Should we elect women senators to represent the fairer sex and men senators to represent men? (5) Or should we simply not take Feinstein seriously?

Good Riddance

Amid all the devastation on the Gulf Coast, there is one small sliver of hope: The Cindy Sheehan media circus has been shut down. Casey Sheehan deserves better. This woman used her son's death to advance a loony, hyper-left agenda, and the bored and partisan mainstream media gave her far more than her allotted 15 minutes of fame. We need people of good will to pull the nation together in this time of disaster. We don't need opportunists like Cindy Sheehan exploiting tragedy for their own personal or political gain.

And that goes for all the partisans attempting to pin blame for the monumental mess in New Orleans on President Bush. There is more than enough blame to go around, and it starts in Louisiana with the officials who left the city unprepared before the storm and unprotected afterward. For them to now attempt to finger global warming, Bush's alleged indifference, and the Iraq war is worse than pitiful. It's self-serving drivel, and here's hoping they end up as forgotten as Cindy Sheehan.

Community or Anarchy?

Ravaged by Katrina from without and by looters from within, New Orleans is facing the end of its civilization. How thin is the veneer that keeps us from descending into barbarism! For many in the "Big Easy," apparently, the only thing that kept them law-abiding was the threat of arrest and prosecution.

Lest we cluck at the hooligans carrying away plasma TVs amid the floodwaters, we should each ponder this question: When no one's looking, are you the kind of person who picks up a piece of trash ... or throws one down? The first leads to community. The second, to anarchy.