THE U.S. SUPREME COURT DECLARES EQUALITY FOR GAYS. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO OPPOSE... DOES IT REALLY AFFECT YOUR LIFE?

     Equal rights.  Equal rights.  Equal rights.  I've talked about it in the past and I continue to talk about it today. 

     The United States Supreme Court - on Wednesday, June 26th, 2013 - took one step closer...to the realization...that eventually...anywhere in the country...a person who is gay...will have the "right" to get married.

     In a 5 to 4 decision, the Justices ruled that Hollingsworth v. Perry, which considered the constitutionality of California's same-sex marriage ban - known as Proposition 8 - has no standing in court.  The high court also made a decision in the case - United States v. Windsor - striking down a provision of the 1996 Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA) that denied federal benefits such as Social Security as well as the right to same-sex couples, who are legally married, to file joint tax returns.

     Justice Anthony Kennedy - wrote for the majority - and stated that "DOMA is unconstitutional as a deprivation of the liberty of the person protected by the Fifth Amendment.  The history of DOMA's enactment - and its own text - demonstrate that interference with the equal dignity of same-sex marriages - a dignity conferred by the States in the exercise of their sovereign power - was more than an incidental effect of the federal statute.  It was its essence."  Justice Kennedy wrote that "this decision is a declaration of equal rights" for gay Americans.

     What the Supreme Court has basically stated is that gay discrimination - like all discrimination - is wrong.  Plain and simple...it's wrong.  Gay couples cannot be demeaned.  It's disgraceful to lower their dignity and their honor as Americans because they are gay. 

    

David Boies is one of the attorneys who represents plaintiffs Paul Katami and Jeff Zarillo in the

Proposition 8 Case.  Boies declared last Wednesday that "Today, the United States Supreme Court - in two important decisions - brings us that much closer to true equality.  It's a great day for America."  Although the Proposition 8 Case has not yet been decided on the merits, Boies went on to say that "Everything the Supreme Court said in the Defense Of Marriage opinion...demonstrates that when that case finally does come to the Supreme Court on the merits...marriage equality will be the law throughout this land."  When adding California back on the list, there are 12 states - including Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington - plus the District of Columbia - that allow gay marriages.

    Minority Leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi says that America's growing acceptance for same-sex marriage over the past few years is "very encouraging."  Congresswoman Pelosi told David Gregory on NBC's Meet The Press that gay marriage could be a nationwide right in five years.

     President Obama tweeted Wednesday on the court's decisions and the President wrote - "Love is love."  Mr. Obama also placed a telephone call to Paul Katami and Jeff Zarillo and the President told the two gay men, "We're proud of you guys."

     Marriage equality is a civil rights issue.  I applaud the Supreme Court for its decisions.  Equality is what is right for ALL Americans.  It amazes me to no end why there are people in this country who believe certain individuals should not be treated equally under the law.  After all...that's what our founding fathers in the late 1700s envisioned and declared for the United States.  They would be proud of the Supreme Court of today.

     Hopefully, the people who are opposed to the court's monumental and landmark ruling...will realize that the United States will be much better when everyone agrees that the U.S. Constitution provides ALL Americans...with equal rights...for everything.  Every American deserves equal rights.  If you don't agree with my statement - and won't embrace it - can't you at least accept it?

     It boggles my mind - every day of my life - why there are bigots in the world.  Why are people prejudiced against others because of the color of their skin...what or who they pray to...where their ancestors came from...who they sleep with or love...or for any other reason?  I have the following questions to those of you who - by definition of the words - are prejudiced and bigoted.  Why?  Why do you feel the way you do?  Does it really affect your life that a person's skin color is different than yours?  Does it really affect your life that you religiously believe in one thing and somebody else believes in something else?  Does it really affect your life that your family descendants are from one country and your neighbor down the street has relatives who were born in another nation?  And does it really affect your life that two men or two women get married? 

     Someone recently criticized me for using the word "haters."  How can those of you who claim to love others...hate others...who want to love?  The U.S. Supreme Court has decided that ALL Americans have the right to love whomever they want to love...and they have the right to demonstrate that love in the same fashion as everyone else.  ALL Americans have the right to display wedding bands on their fingers...and to invite their families and friends to a formal service - whether religious or non-religious - and a reception to celebrate the love that two people have for each other...and to utter the words - "I do" in a ceremony of marriage.  They have the right to get married.

     I am a straight man who has worked throughout my professional career with gay men and lesbian women.  I have gay friends.  And they are as deserving - as those of us who are straight - to get married and to have their marriage acknowledged by the U.S. government and by Americans all across the country.  For those of you who still disagree...and who still oppose equal rights for gays...ask yourself this question.  How would you feel...and what would you do...if your Constitutional rights were violated?  The ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court deals with rights...and the Justices' decision IS right for ALL Americans...not just gays.  It reaffirms what our forefathers stated more

than 200 years ago...and what President Thomas Jefferson - (before becoming Commander-In-Chief) - wrote in the Declaration Of Independence in 1776.  "All men (and women) are created equal...that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights...that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness."

     That's the way it was supposed to be.  That's the way it should be.  And that's the way...it will be.  I can only hope...that someday I can truly say...and that's the way it is.

     And that's The Controversy for today.

     I'm Gary B. Duglin.

     "We'll talk again."

The Controversy will make an effort to publish a new commentary every Sunday and Wednesday.  Unscheduled essays may appear, from time to time, on other days as well.
 

Please express your opinions in the comment box below.  You do not have to register your name and you can remain anonymous if you prefer.  The Controversy wants to know your views on the essay above and on any other commentaries written on this blog.  Just click on the word "Comments" below and write your thoughts in the box that appears.  Make sure please that when you finish your statement that you click on the word "Publish."  Thank you.

Copyright 2013 Gary B. Duglin and TheControversy.net.  All Rights Reserved.

Risking Your Life...For What? Should Americans Have The Right To Perform Dangerous Stunts...That Can Kill You?

     Those of you who read my column on a regular basis...probably have figured out by now...that I'm a "rights" kind of guy.  So I'm going to talk with you today about whether local, state or even the federal government... should prevent people from doing something extremely dangerous...especially when it clearly is a risk to their own life...or to others?

     Since last weekend...most everyone I have come across in conversation has been talking about Nik Wallenda and his successful cable walk across the Little Colorado River Gorge...on the Navajo Nation Reservation...near the Grand Canyon...in northeastern Arizona...and the unsuccessful wing

walker... Jane Wicker... who, along with her

veteran pilot...Charlie Schwenker...both unfortuntely perished...in a fiery airplane crash...at the Vectren Air Show...near Dayton, Ohio...with thousands of spectactors watching.

     How does one get the nerve to walk a tightrope...or more specifically...a cable...more than one-quarter of a mile...wearing no harness...with no safety net...and with the possible drop to his death...of about 15-hundred feet?  I was a tad nervous just watching Nik Wallenda, as he battled strong winds while balancing himself.  The 34-year old Wallenda is a 7th generation high-wire artist, who is a part of the famous "Flying Wallendas" circus family.  His great-grandfather...Karl Wallenda...tumbled to his death in 1978 during a

tightrope performance in Puerto Rico at the age of 73.  Several other relatives - including an uncle and a cousin - have also been killed while exhibiting similar wire-walking stunts.  But on Sunday, June 23rd, 2013...it took Nik Wallenda 22 minutes and 54 seconds...including praying - or perhaps begging to God - to slow down the wind and calm the cable...in order for Wallenda to achieve...what before...seemed impossible to even imagine.  His Grand Canyon event was broadcast live on the Discovery Channel...but with a 10-second delay...and we all know why.  Just in case.

     Wallenda's walk was truly breathtaking...as it scared to death many of the 13-million viewers, who were glued to their television sets.  Gladly, it didn't take his breath away or frighten him to actual death. 

     But death did come to another daredevil the day before.  On Saturday, June 22nd, 2013...the life of 44-year old Jane Wicker ended when she walked on the wing of an airplane.  It was a spectacular exposition until something went terribly wrong.  The plane lost control and the single engine aircraft suddenly crashed...slamming into the ground...and exploding on impact.  Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the accident.

     Prior to the wing-walking stunt that killed her...Wicker told reporters, "The common reaction is...you're crazy.  Why would you step out of a perfectly good airplane?"  But Wicker went on to say, "It's just me.  It's the airplane.  It's the sky.  There's nothing more exhilarating than wing-walking."

     The deaths of Jane Wicker and her pilot, Charlie Schwenker, were tragic.  My sympathies go out to their families.  But the loss of these two lives are pointless, senseless and were completely avoidable.  As a mother of teenage children, Wicker should have known better than to walk on the wing of an airplane.  As for Nik Wallenda...thankfully, he accomplished - with grand style - his walk across the gorge near the Grand Canyon...as he lives to talk about it.  But what if he hadn't?  Wallenda too has children - not to mention his wife and the rest of his loved ones.  I am truly sorry and I genuinely feel bad for the deaths of Wicker and Schwenker...and, although a nailbiter for the audience...I have to applaud Wallenda for his skillfully prepared and entertaining event.  But when you have children...and a spouse...you need to have some common sense - something I don't think any of these risktakers have.  Let's face it...in addition to whatever spirit of adventure...people such as these have...I'll agree with Jane Wicker's evaluation.  You've got to be a little bit nuts. 

     What gives these two daring individuals - and others like them - not only the courage, but the crazy craving of risking their lives...merely to be titillated?  After all...these are dangerous stunts.  So do they have the right to do them?  Yeah...I suppose they do.  We cannot ban everything in life that is dangerous.  We can only hope that the people who perform in airshows, skywalking or any other chancy and hazardous activity...will use the proper precautions...and are not risking the lives of innocent people who may be on the sidelines watching.

     Nik Wallenda now wants to walk 9 blocks...on a sky-high cable... stretched from the Empire State Building to the Chrysler Building in Manhattan.  But New York Police Department Commissioner Raymond Kelly says no way.  "I think it's too dangerous.  There are thousands of New Yorkers who certainly could be put at risk.  So I don't think it would be wise in this city."

     Should people be forbidden to risk their lives - just for the fun of doing something dangerous and exciting...for the adrenaline rush?  Are they doing it also...for the money?

     Nik Wallenda has broken all sorts of records.  He's listed 8 times in the book of Guiness World Records.  On June 15th, 2012...Wallenda walked across Niagara Falls.  And this past Sunday...another of his dreams came true with his Grand Canyon stunt.  Perhaps Nik Wallenda should remember...that sometimes it's better...to quit...while you're ahead.

     As for Jane Wicker...her kids no longer have a mother.  She knew the risks...but loved the thrill.  "I'm alive up there," Wicker once said.  Well now...she's dead.  Was it worth it?

     And that's The Controversy for today.

     I'm Gary B. Duglin.

     "We'll talk again."

The Controversy will make an effort to publish a new commentary every Sunday and Wednesday.  Unscheduled essays may appear, from time to time, on other days as well.
 

Please express your opinions in the comment box below.  You do not have to register your name and you can remain anonymous if you prefer.  The Controversy wants to know your views on the essay above and on any other commentaries written on this blog.  Just click on the word "Comments" below and write your thoughts in the box that appears.  Make sure please that when you finish your statement that you click on the word "Publish."  Thank you.

Copyright 2013 Gary B. Duglin and TheControversy.net.  All Rights Reserved.

Don't Cruelly Call Him Or Her Fat. Just As Alcoholism, Cancer And Diabetes...Obesity IS A Disease.

     As the actor in the old television commercial used to say...I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on TV.  However, I've been saying for years...that people should never be so cruel...to turn to someone and criticize him or her for being fat.  It is similar to when a person accuses another for being a drunk.  It is a scientific and medical fact that alcoholism is a disease.  And now...the American Medical Association says...so is obesity.

     I'm going to talk with you today about the AMA...and its declaration - at its annual meeting on Tuesday, June 18th, 2013 - that they...as doctors...believe obesity...is a disease.  The decision opens the door to a wide range of medical treatment...including prevention.  It is, however, unclear as to what extent America's health insurance companies will cover such therapy.  Currently, policies generally exclude any obesity treatments.  That being said, the AMA's recognition will more than likely have tremendous impact with the insurance outlets nationwide, as well as with legislation in Washington, DC.  After all, the AMA - which is the nation's largest organization of physicians - carries a lot of weight - no pun intended - with the insurance groups and with Congress.

     Nearly 36 percent - that's more than one-third - of adults in the United States are classified as obese, which is about 35 or more pounds over, what is considered, a healthy weight.  In addition, one-third of children and teens are labeled as overweight or obese.  If the obesity figures continue to go up...projections by RTI - a non-profit research group in North Carolina - predict that by 2030...42 percent of all Americans will be classified as obese.  The tab for those extra pounds will weigh in at many billions of dollars in weight-related medical bills.  At present, 20 percent of all medical spending relates to obesity.  That's 190 billion dollars annually...and the price tag for obesity exceeds health care expenses related to smoking.  It costs about $1,400 more each year to treat an obese patient than it does a person whose weight is considered to be healthy. 

Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plus the World Health Organization indicate that obesity is the 5th leading risk for death worldwide...killing 2.8 million people every year.  The CDC, WHO and doctors around the world say that obesity increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain forms of cancer.

     Reducing the obesity figures are not going to be as simple as telling people to consume less food, eat wiser and exercise.  Naturally, it will help... but the food industry as a whole, the soft drink beverage companies and candy companies need to be concerned with the disease of obesity when producing their products and when labeling them.  We all know - that once you gain weight - it's very difficult to lose it.  And that's if you've just put on an extra 5, 10 or 15 pounds.  With obesity - trying to lose weight is a monumental and - sometimes - impossible effort.

     It is about time that obesity was declared a disease.  It is long overdue. Obesity is damaging to the human body.  It makes sense to treat it as a disease.  Anyone who is obese will tell you that they want to lose weight.  It is certainly not a choice to be that heavy.  I've never known anyone who chose to be obese.  Anybody who thinks that...is clearly mistaken.

     I have been reading stories where people are asking how obesity can be classified a disease since obesity is not "contagious."  One person actually said to me the other day..."Obesity is not a disease.  You can't catch it from fat people."  That is probably one of the most ridiculous and stupid statements I have ever heard.  Are the people who say such things...for real?  They're criticizing the AMA for recognizing obesity as a disease because "you can't...catch it?"  Are you kidding me?  You cannot catch cancer.  Arthritis is not contagious.  Should I go on?  I am amazed that anyone would say that something should not be classified a disease unless it's "contagious."

     Sometimes getting a disease is not something a person can prevent or even fight without the proper medical attention.  Diseases can merely be part of your DNA...in your family's genetic pool.  You can gain weight because of certain medicines you take.  Or...you could be someone who was just dealt the wrong cards.  I can attest to that personally.  After all...I'm a two-time cancer survivor...and numerous doctors have assured me that there was nothing I could have done throughout childhood or as a young man that could have prevented me from being diagnosed with cancer.  I don't smoke - never have...I don't drink alcoholic beverages - drank very little even during college...and I've never been terribly overweight.  I got cancer twice - just because I did.  It would be nice to know the answer.  But nobody - not my doctors or anybody else - can positively tell me why.  And believe me...I've asked - over and over and over again - "Why?  Why me?"  So just as cancer patients...those who are obese ask the same question.  Why?

     Several years ago, for a local radio program, I interviewed an enormously overweight individual and asked her what she was doing to lose weight.  She stated that she had tried everything - diets, exercise, even starving herself - but she just couldn't lose the weight.  "I wish I knew why?" she asked.  "I wish I knew why I'm so fat?"

     Unfortunately...no matter how hard some people try...they can't seem to lose the weight.  Of course this does not apply to everybody - whether slightly overweight or morbidly obese - but obviously... based on the AMA's decision...diet and exercise is not a guarantee for a person to lose weight.  So don't judge someone because their weight tips the scale more than it should.  Recognizing obesity as a disease is an important and giant step in reducing obesity in the United States.  It will allow for more education...and financial support.  And hopefully...harsh criticism...and cheap insults...will go away. 

     And that's The Controversy for today.

     I'm Gary B. Duglin.

     "We'll talk again."

The Controversy will make an effort to publish a new commentary every Sunday and Wednesday.  Unscheduled essays may appear, from time to time, on other days as well.
 

Please express your opinions in the comment box below.  You do not have to register your name and you can remain anonymous if you prefer.  The Controversy wants to know your views on the essay above and on any other commentaries written on this blog.  Just click on the word "Comments" below and write your thoughts in the box that appears.  Make sure please that when you finish your statement that you click on the word "Publish."  Thank you.

Copyright 2013 Gary B. Duglin and TheControversy.net.  All Rights Reserved.

The President And A Judge Agree (And So Do I) - Teenage Girls Having Sex Don't Need A Prescription Or Anybody's Permission To Buy "The Morning-After Pill"

     Before I begin my commentary today, I want to share something with you.

     Many readers of The Controversy used to listen to me on the radio and have wondered why I don't end my column with the sign-off that I used on all my national and local radio shows for the better part of my professional broadcasting career.  I debated with myself - when I started writing The Controversy in November 2012 - how I could include my familiar phrase in all my blog essays.  After all, it's been my trademark for a long, long time.  But now - after so many of you have inquired about my missing slogan - which focuses on "talk"...not writing...I have re-visited the issue...and have decided I can make it work.  And since a blog - especially one that invites readers to comment - is really a conversation...then the word "talk"...fits in.  So therefore...from now on...I will sign-off each of my commentaries with the three words that have been a part of me for my nearly 40-year communications career.

     Now on to today's topic.

     I'm going to talk with you today about the rightfully performed flip-flop by the Obama Administration and the United States Justice Department...when on June 10th, 2013...the federal government made a major reversal with its position on the so-called..."morning-after pill."

     "Uncle Sam" is dropping its appeal of an April 2013 ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Edward Korman that will allow teenage girls - no matter how young - to have access to emergency contraception - without a physician's prescription.  That's right - there is no age restriction - and a prescription by a medical doctor is no longer required to obtain the morning-after pill.

     Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration has informed the maker of the pills to submit a new drug application with proposed labeling that would allow it to be sold "without a prescription and without age or point-of-sale prescriptions."  The FDA said that once it receives the application, it "intends to approve it promptly."

     Judge Korman did exactly what he should have done.  Although teen pregnancies and births have plummeted over the past two decades - down 42 percent from 1990 - there were still nearly 330,000 babies born to teenage women between 15 and 19 years of age in 2011 - the last year that totals are available, according to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.  And when you factor in those teens who are 13 and 14 years old - the amount is even higher.

     Therefore, kudos and a full round of standing ovation applause - not only to Judge Korman - but to President Obama and to his entire administration for understanding and agreeing with His Honor and the U.S. District Court.

     Throwing out the age restriction is the best part of this decision.  If medical science is accurate - which reportedly it is - the morning-after pill prevents contraception for 72 hours after sexual intercourse.  And the fewer teen pregnancies we have in our country...the better it's going to be all around.

     If teenagers - that's girls who would become pregnant - and boys who would have impregnated them - don't have to suffer the physical, mental and emotional troubles and heartache of unplanned and unwanted pregnancies... how can anybody object to a way to prevent such anguish?

     Not too many years ago...teenage boys - (girls in those days would rarely enter a drug store for this purpose) - but teenage boys were not able to purchase a box of condoms unless the young lad embarrassingly asked the local pharmacist (or a middle-aged mother of your high school classmate, who was the clerk at the store) to sell you the "rubbers."  It was either that...or finding a scummy, out of the way gas station bathroom with a coin operated vending machine that sold a single condom for 50 or 75 cents.  Guys, you know what I'm talking about.

     Of course, the word "condom" became more readily used and more openly a part of our vocabulary, as a result of the unfortunate and tragic epidemic of AIDS during the 1980s and 1990s.  Retailers finally got smart and began stocking the shelves of aisles so that a person didn't have to ask anyone for the product.  AIDS was instrumental in giving people - boys and girls, men and women - easy access to condoms...in the hope it would help reduce the spread of the HIV virus and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). 

     As condoms are available to anyone today - by merely tossing a box in your shopping cart, along with your milk, bread, toilet paper and laundry detergent...so should the morning-after pill.  Although the pill is not a method of preventing STDs...it will help put a stop to unwanted pregnancies.  And especially for 14, 15, 16-year old girls or younger, who'd be afraid to tell their parents - and may not know what to do if they did "go too far" with their boyfriend - the morning-after pill...and the abandonment and absence of age restrictions...are going to be a lifesaver for numerous teenage girls.

     Despite what some of you may think...the morning-after pill is not going to cause more teenagers to "have sex."  But it will tackle...if not altogether stop...unwanted teen pregnancies.  Oh I know what's on many of your minds...and what some other critics are saying...that this method of contraception will give those teenage girls - who were scared to begin with - the courage to go ahead and go "all the way" with a boy...because now...they have a surefire and foolproof approach to avoid getting pregnant.  That's a bunch of bunk and a whole lot of hooey.  Those teenage girls - for the most part - who weren't going to have sex before the morning-after pill - are still not going to "do it" - now that the pill is being made available to them, as if it were bubblegum.  And those girls who are "gettin' it on" with their boyfriends...or just "hooking up" with any guy they want...will now be lucky enough to have a way to block an unwanted embryo from becoming a baby.

     As for those of you who also object to - any girl - of any age - being able to purchase the morning-after pill...because it will allow girls to bypass their parents and/or their doctors if the youngster thinks she could have become pregnant...that is a poor excuse to not have the pill available without a prescription.  Mothers...and fathers...still need to talk with their kids - girls, as well as boys - about sex, pregnancy, diseases and the responsibilities involved when taking that step in any relationship...whether it's long-term or a one-night stand.  And if parents are not doing their jobs - as parents - then things are going to happen anyway.  Wouldn't it be nice for kids to have a back-up plan - just in case?

     Sex - or I should say - "having sex"...has been around since Adam and Eve.  And girls...and boys alike...are going to - "have sex"..."hook up"..."hang out"..."chill"...or whatever euphemism you want to call it - no matter how many parents talk with their children about the subject.  Mothers and fathers can have conversation after conversation with their kids - even lecture them 'til they're blue in the face - about being protected when having sex - or about not having sex at all...but those teenagers who want to - are going to "fool around" anyway...no matter what anybody tells them. 

     With the morning-after pill...at least those girls who "do it"...without protecting themselves with another form of contraception...will now have a way...so an unwanted baby...will not have to be brought in to the world.

     And that's The Controversy for today.

     I'm Gary B. Duglin.

     "We'll talk again."

The Controversy will make an effort to publish a new commentary every Sunday and Wednesday.  Unscheduled essays may appear, from time to time, on other days as well.
 

Please express your opinions in the comment box below.  You do not have to register your name and you can remain anonymous if you prefer.  The Controversy wants to know your views on the essay above and on any other commentaries written on this blog.  Just click on the word "Comments" below and write your thoughts in the box that appears.  Make sure please that when you finish your statement that you click on the word "Publish."  Thank you.

Copyright 2013 Gary B. Duglin and TheControversy.net.  All Rights Reserved.

"YOU never suffered anything, Gary. Nothing."

     It is my intention to write thought-provoking commentaries that will spark an interest and stimulate those who read them...so that they will then pass them along to others...in the hope that The Controversy becomes a huge success all around the world.  It is on its way...and I thank those of you who are avid readers and who are sharing my blog with others on your Facebook pages, on Twitter, in e-mails and by word of mouth.  I always welcome and encourage my readers to provide feedback to my columns and essays; and I remind everyone to feel free to respond whether you agree or disagree with my opinions and views.

     On June 14th, 2013, I received the following reply to my Sunday, June 2nd commentary entitled, Millions Of Americans Harbor A Horrid And Hideous Secret.  They Hate Jews.  I have reprinted the reader's response exactly as he or she wrote it; exactly how it is published in The Controversy.  The anonymous individual stated...

     "History is full of horrors and atrocities and i think no race nor nationality is immune . The turks massacred the Armenians, MILLIONs perished and yet we do not hear of itall the time . The Native Americans massacred and tortured each other each other on a regular basis , they tortured and massacred the whites by the hundreds of thousands and of course the whites reciprocated, The English killed the Irish , the Scottish Indians etc. The Greeks enslaved and killed millins as did the Romans. The Chinese the japanese and on and on .. Two groups of people go on and on ad nauseum about their sufferings and frankly I and most peole grow weary of it .. YOU never suffered anything Gary nothing .. and so far as I know no American nor his parent nor grandparent suffered slavery . so stop whining and waving your religion about like a flag. one or two idiots painting swasticas is nothng different than the crap republicans take from Democrats!"

     I have answered some of my readers' observations with brief communications directly following their messages.  However, I feel I need to take one complete commentary to fully rebut this particular person's statement.

     I respect everyone who believes in God...everyone who prays...and everyone who doesn't do either.  Those of us who have the wonderful fortune to call ourselves Americans...have the freedom in the United States...to believe in God...or to not believe in Him.  The 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states that everyone in our country has the right to practice his or her own religion...or no religion at all.

     Despite what the reader wrote - I don't wear my religion on my sleeve or "wave (it) about like a flag."  I am a Jew and I'm very proud of it.  The reader - on the other hand - is ill-equipped to comment as he did.  His ignorance is evident, as he knows nothing about my suffering.

     As a Jew...I suffer every time I overhear a story when an inconsiderate, insensitive and thoughtless, birdbrained individual makes a moronic and mindless wisecrack that he "Jewed" someone down to get a good deal.  I suffer when I hear derogatory remarks of any kind about people of the Jewish faith.

    But my personal suffering goes back five decades.  As a young, small child of 8 years of age, I suffered greatly - while riding my bicycle - just a block away from my home - when I was jumped - by two 9-year olds - who were much bigger than me - and who dragged me several hundred feet - to a backyard tetherball pole - where I was tied up to that pole.  I was then punched and pummelled in the head, face and chest as the two boys used the tetherball to slam me until I bled.  My cries and screams for help went unnoticed for what seemed like forever, as the tetherball cord continued to coil around my pint-sized, little body.  My shrills and shrieks of pain and agony were finally heard by the mother of one of the kids.  She nonchalantly leaned out of her bedroom window and calmly told the boys to "Stop doing that.  It's not very nice.  You might hurt him."  You think?  What kind of a mother allows her son to attack and beat up another child...especially a boy who is so much smaller?

     The kids of course paid no attention to the woman, as they went on hitting me with the tetherball, until the mother exited her house and saw me with blood all over my face.  "Stop it right now," she was then shouting at her son and his friend.  The kids ceased their thrashing and bashing.  As for the mother, she turned to her son and sternly assured him in a harsh tone, "You're gonna be punished, young man.  You've made me miss part of my story."

     Back in the 1960s, many women of that era, who were housewives and mothers, stayed home in the afternoon to watch soap operas on television, which women referred to as their "stories."  All this particular woman seemed to care about was going back inside her house to watch her TV show...while I - covered in blood - was having to untie myself from the tetherball pole - without any assistance from anybody.  The boys belted, battered and bruised me...but the mother was just as much to blame.

     To the reader who wrote to me...if you want to be a "Jew hater"...go ahead.  Be a bigot.  As disgraceful, as despicable and as disgusting as it is...you have that right.  But don't tell me I haven't suffered.

     History...The Holocaust...and Hitler...are reasons enough...for any and every Jew...to say he or she has suffered.  Our hearts suffer for the six million Jews who were tragically and senselessly murdered by the orders of the most maniacal madman who ever walked the planet Earth; and we will always suffer from merely knowing the horrendous horrors of the appalling and atrocious abuse of Nazi Germany...and the hell of Adolf Hitler.

     It is the past that we must always remember...and never forget.  As for me, personally...although I have tried...I will never forget the pounding I received...50 years ago...by two boys...who wanted to hurt a tiny, weaker kid...because I am Jewish.  So whoever you are...don't tell me that I've "never suffered anything."  I've experienced anti-Semitism first-hand.  And YOU...have no idea what you are talking about.

     And that's The Controversy for today.

     I'm Gary B. Duglin.

The Controversy will make an effort to publish a new commentary every Sunday and Wednesday.  Unscheduled essays may appear, from time to time, on other days as well.
 

Please express your opinions in the comment box below.  You do not have to register your name and you can remain anonymous if you prefer.  The Controversy wants to know your views on the essay above and on any other commentaries written on this blog.  Just click on the word "Comments" below and write your thoughts in the box that appears.  Make sure please that when you finish your statement that you click on the word "Publish."  Thank you.

Copyright 2013 Gary B. Duglin and TheControversy.net.  All Rights Reserved.

Americans Think It's Okay To Snoop And Spy. Simply Shocking! I'm Floored And Flabbergasted!

     I am absolutely amazed and downright astounded that nearly two-thirds of the American population are willing to give up their 4th Amendment right to privacy in order to allow the federal government to spy and snoop.  According to a Washington Post/Pew Research Center poll, 62 percent of U.S. citizens favor "investigating threats at the expense of privacy."  The survey also reveals that more than half of those polled - 52 percent to be precise - believe the National Security Agency's telephone tracking program is "acceptable."  It boggles my mind that such a huge amount of people in this country are generally in support of the government's clandestine programs.  However, 52 percent of the people surveyed in the Washington Post/Pew poll think "Uncle Sam" should not monitor e-mails to prevent terrorist attacks.

   

     Meanwhile...Edward Snowden...who admitted to leaking classified information to

Glenn Greenwald - an American journalist who is a columnist for the U.S. edition of the British newspaper, The Guardian - may soon be facing criminal charges for exposing the government's vast, secret surveillance program, which includes the monitoring of Americans telephone and Internet data.

     The headline on the Tuesday, June 11th edition of USA Today asks if Snowden is "A Hero Or Is He A Traitor?"  Certain lawmakers on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC don't have any doubts. 

Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein of California and Florida Democrat, Senator Bill Nelson

both call Snowden's actions "an act of treason."  And Republican

Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia says, "If it's not (treason)...

it's pretty damn close."

Snowden...the 29-year old former employee of the Central Intelligence Agency and former contractor of the National Security Agency...revealed last week how the NSA collects the telephone records of millions and millions of Americans.  The Justice Department is reportedly close to filing charges against the self-identified leaker.  That is - if anyone can find him.  Snowden had been - for several weeks - staying in a hotel in Hong Kong, but now...his whereabouts are unknown.

     The question being posed by federal officials - not to mention most Americans - is how a low level, private contractor with limited experience, who didn't complete high school...have access to the sensitive, confidential and classified materials that he leaked.  But documented reports state that 1.4 million people hold top secret clearances...with one-third of them being private contractors.  As for Snowden...he was - for the lack of a better phrase - "a computer geek."  His job was to troubleshoot whenever there was a problem with the NSA's computer networks.  Such employment apparently gave Snowden the opportunity to peek at nearly anything and everything top secret and to do so whenever he wanted.

     It is scary to think - if what Snowden says is true - that hacking in to an e-mail account is that easy that "Any analyst at any time can target anyone."  In his interview with Glenn Greenwald...Snowden said, "I, sitting at my desk, certainly had the authorities to wire tap anyone...from you...or your accountant...to a federal judge...to even a President...if I had personal e-mail."

     One of my readers anonymously replied to my Sunday, June 9th commentary and remarked...."I guess it is hard for someone so liberal to admit that the Obama Administration is doing so much more (spying on Americans) than the Bush Administration ever did. Yet you still follow him (President Obama) and his administration like a puppy on a leash."

     All of you who read The Controversy regularly...know that I am generally  

in great support of President Obama and his programs.  I wish the President would have remembered what he said back in 2006 when the then Senator Obama stated the following regarding President

George W. Bush

and the Bush Administration.  "Giving law enforcement the tools they need to investigate suspicious activities is one thing...and it's the right thing.  But doing it without any real oversight...seriously jeopardizes the rights of all Americans and the ideals America stands for.  Americans fought a revolution, in part, over the right to be free from unreasonable searches...to ensure that our government couldn't come knocking in the middle of the night for no reason.  We need to find a way forward...to make sure that we can stop terrorists while protecting privacy and liberty of innocent Americans.  We have to find a way to give the President the power he needs to protect us...while making sure that he doesn't abuse that power.  It is possible to do that.  We've done it before.  We can do it again."

     As I wrote in my June 9th column..."We need to be perceptive and alert of a foreign enemy or a domestic, homegrown evil-doer.  But that being said...we cannot relinquish our right to privacy.  I realize the security of our homeland is vital and essential to the safety of each American...and that after 9/11...the officials of our federal government - as most other Americans - were stunned, numbed and paralyzed by the horror of that day and its aftermath.  But "Uncle Sam" - and his "nieces and nephews" in our nation's capital - also have the responsibility to protect our Constitutional rights.  Spying on us is wrong.  Plain and simple...it's wrong."

     I understand that people want to be protected.  Of course...so do I.  We, as Americans...want to be safe from terrorists and terrorism.  But as President Obama basically said in 2006...I want the government to do what is right.  I want to trust our elected officials...from the President of the United States on down...as well as those appointed by the President.  But I don't think our federal government should have the power...to abandon our civil liberties and do away with our 4th Amendment right to privacy.

     I have a tremendous problem with anyone - the government or anybody other than the recipient I am writing - reading or "monitoring" my e-mails.  Did Edward Snowden commit treason?  That'll be up to the courts to decide.  But the American people should never have been kept in the dark that the government is spying on tens of millions of people.  Somebody needed to tell us.  Did Snowden do it the right way?  Perhaps not.  But we needed to know. 

     Snowden revealed the secret information...of the surveillance programs in question...to protect our individual freedoms...which are just as important... as protecting our individual and national security. 

     Security of our homeland does matter...of course it does...but doing it in a way where the government is snooping on us...is unacceptable.  And hopefully now...the President....Congress...and, if necessary, the U.S. Supreme Court...will correct the mistake.

     And that's The Controversy for today.

     I'm Gary B. Duglin.

The Controversy will make an effort to publish a new commentary every Sunday and Wednesday.  Unscheduled essays may appear, from time to time, on other days as well.
 

Please express your opinions in the comment box below.  You do not have to register your name and you can remain anonymous if you prefer.  The Controversy wants to know your views on the essay above and on any other commentaries written on this blog.  Just click on the word "Comments" below and write your thoughts in the box that appears.  Make sure please that when you finish your statement that you click on the word "Publish."  Thank you.

Copyright 2013 Gary B. Duglin and TheControversy.net.  All Rights Reserved.

"Big Brother" Is DEFINITELY Watching You...Me...All Of Us. Is Our Privacy Being Violated?

     If you're a law abiding American citizen, should you care if your telephone calls, e-mails and other Internet communications are being tracked and/or monitored in any way by the federal government?  There are those of you who will say, "Why worry?  Let them spy."  Well, the 4th Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees privacy...and the line has to be drawn somewhere.  There is no need, no reason to capture and keep telephone records of nearly every American...and reports of "Uncle Sam" eyeballing our every move - on Facebook, Google, Yahoo, Skype, YouTube and elsewhere on the Web - raises questions of great concern.  Our privacy rights should not and cannot be violated - even if by doing such action, it protects us against terrorists.  There has to be an effective way that the government can keep America safe, secure and free of terrorist attacks without going against what our founders and forefathers created and ratified with our Constitution.  Oh I know there was no thought of terrorism back in the late 1700s - at least not the kind we experience in the 21st century - but it's up to our elected officials - and us - to find a way to prevent and conquer terrorism without sacrificing our privacy. 

     I have argued for years with certain relatives and friends that the age of modern technology - although considered to be progress - is in many ways going to be the death and demise of the world as we once knew it.  As beneficial as the Internet, e-mails and social media can be, we cannot allow the government, law enforcement agencies or anybody else to use the cyber universe in a way to spy.  There must be a balance between protecting people and puncturing our privacy.  It is crucial that our freedoms not be ignored or abandoned.

    

The British newspaper, The Guardian, broke the disturbing story on Wednesday, June 5th, 2013 that the National Security Agency (NSA) is

collecting the telephone records of millions of American citizens who are subscribers to Verizon Communications.  A top secret order was granted by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) on April 25th, 2013 and is expected to be in effect until July 19th, 2013.  FISC is a U.S. federal court that was established by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978.  FISA prescribes procedures for the physical and electronic surveillance and collection of "foreign intelligence information" between "foreign powers" and "agents of foreign powers" - which may include American citizens and permanent residents who are suspected of espionage or terrorism.  The law has been repeatedly amended since 9/11.  FISC oversees requests by federal law enforcement agencies - primarily the FBI - for surveillance warrants against suspected foreign intelligence agents inside the United States.

     The order exposed by The Guardian requires Verizon - on an "ongoing, daily basis" to give the NSA information on all telephone calls in its systems within the United States and between the U.S. and other countries. 

     Here's what really bothers me; that the order allows phone records to be collected indiscriminately and in bulk, regardless of whether the users of such phones were suspected of any criminal activity or other wrongdoing.  Verizon reports that it subscribes more than 121 million customers to its services including wireless, residential and commercial telephone lines.  The FISC court order does not specify which type of phone records are being tracked nor are the actual contents of the calls recorded.  The government is tracking the phone numbers, location data and the length of the conversation.

     But wait...at the risk of sounding like an overnight television informercial - there's more.  "Uncle Sam" is snooping more than on our phones.  The federal government's secret surveillance efforts involve not only telephone logs of millions and millions of Americans, but...there is also a program called Prism, which captures and analyzes data from the Internet - including personal search history, e-mail content, file transfers and live chats - all in order to gain evidence of any terrorist attack that is being planned.  If anything of a suspicous nature is flagged, a court order would be necessary to tap a U.S. citizen's telephone or to monitor any on-line conversation.  The federal government wanted to keep Prism completely confidential, but now, part of the program has been de-classified because of its exposure last week.

     Reportedly, only a handful of people were privy to Prism; and they were sworn to secrecy.  The Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper insists the tracking is legal and necessary.  Clapper says, "Information collected under the (Prism) program is among the most important and valuable foreign intelligence information we collect, and is used to protect our nation from a wide variety of threats."  Prism has reportedly been in progress since 2007 and is used to investigate Internet videos, photographs, e-mails and blogs.  I wonder if the NSA and FBI are reading this blog.  Hey...The Controversy and I welcome all readers.

     Should we believe that the federal government is not listening to our telephone calls and other communications?  I'm sure that's a question many of you are asking yourselves.  The fact is - that if the NSA, the FBI or any law enforcement agency listens in on a telephone call of any U.S. citizen without a court order - granted for a specific reason - those officials will be the ones going to jail...because it's against the law.

     Reportedly, the surveillance programs discussed in this commentary are lawful programs that have been reviewed and approved by FISC.  There is apparently documented proof that Prism has stopped terrorist assaults in the past including a bombing plot in 2009 to attack the New York City subway system.  And obviously, since 9/11, it is imperative for all Americans - from

those serving our country on the national level -from the President of the United States on down through the ranks - to every citizen coast to coast - that we be cautious and fully aware of any possibility of terrorist threats.  We need to be perceptive and alert of a foreign enemy or a domestic, homegrown evil-doer.  But that being said...we cannot relinquish our right to privacy.

     Despite the fact that such surveillance is being conducted during a time when a Democrat is in The White House, there are many Congressional Democrats - including Representative Elijah Cummings of Maryland

and Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon - who have stated that the federal government has gone too far. 

And Representative Jim Sensenbrenner - a Republican from Wisconsin - who wrote The Patriot Act in 2001 (which I did not and do not support) - but was introduced as a response to the September 11th terrorist acts - says he is "angry" and that he agrees with other Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill that the "Justice Department and the NSA have abused" the law.

     If the government is allowed to invade our privacy through telephone calls and e-mails - then what next?  Will "Big Brother" be bugging our bedrooms and bathrooms?

     I realize the security of our homeland is vital and essential to the safety of each American...and that after 9/11...the officials of our federal government - as most other Americans - were stunned, numbed and paralyzed by the horror of that day and its aftermath.  But "Uncle Sam" - and his "nieces and nephews" in our nation's capital - also have the responsibility to protect our Constitutional rights.  Spying on us is wrong.  Plain and simple...it's wrong.

     Should we not be shocked by all of this?  Should we now assume that all our communications - phone calls, e-mails, Internet chats, everything - can be monitored?  I suppose we need to face the fact that if a comment one of us makes raises a red flag - even if it was made in jest or without any seriousness whatsoever - that you could find yourself being asked questions by federal law enforcement authorities.  So be careful with your words...and where you speak or write them.

     The entire "Big Brother" is watching scenario is very scary - even for innocent citizens who obey the laws of the land.  Our privacy is being violated - if not...altogether - in part.  Is this the wave of the future?  Is it going to get worse - where down the road - in more and more situations - we...or at least what we do...are going to be scoped and scrutinized by "Uncle Sam?"  Should we just get use to it?  I hope we don't have to.

     And that's The Controversy for today.

     I'm Gary B. Duglin.

The Controversy will make an effort to publish a new commentary every Sunday and Wednesday.  Unscheduled essays may appear, from time to time, on other days as well.
 

Please express your opinions in the comment box below.  You do not have to register your name and you can remain anonymous if you prefer.  The Controversy wants to know your views on the essay above and on any other commentaries written on this blog.  Just click on the word "Comments" below and write your thoughts in the box that appears.  Make sure please that when you finish your statement that you click on the word "Publish."  Thank you.

Copyright 2013 Gary B. Duglin and TheControversy.net.  All Rights Reserved.