One of the problems with summer heat is that it increases the
irritation quotient exponentially. Matters that can be written off in
other seasons as normal human aberrations, greed or stupidity cling
to the brain in summer like a sweat-soaked shirt.
In an admittedly selfish effort at therapy, I would like to try to
purge some of these irritations, both large and small. So, in no
particular order of importance, we have:
* Using God to make political points. The rush by public
officials to demonize the judges who found "under God" in the Pledge
of Allegiance unconstitutional is breathtaking. These pols know a
motherhood issue when it's tossed to them, and they have stampeded to
turn it to political advantage. In case you missed it, our Rep. Dana
Rohrabacher led the charge on the floor of the House of
Representatives by calling the ruling part of an "aggressive,
atheistic agenda by the liberal left to cut God out of the soul of
our country."
I was around when this phrase was put into the pledge in 1954, and
it took place when communism was normally prefaced by "godless" and
everyone who didn't subscribe to the excesses of Joe McCarthy was
suspect. Reaction to this belated look at the addition of "under God"
to the pledge -- written in 1892 by a socialist named Francis Bellamy
-- has nothing to do with one's belief in God. It does have to do
with a judicial interpretation of the separation of church and state,
and the feeling there are a lot more pressing matters than the
current political breast-thumping for God.
* Gov. Gray Davis' overkill. He reminds me of Richard Nixon going
up against George McGovern. Davis has amassed enough money to put
Enron back in business but keeps piling it up compulsively against a
candidate so clumsy, vulnerable and speechless that I almost feel
sorry for rational Republicans who have had to watch the governor's
office handed to the Democrats by the right wing of their party --
and learned nothing visible in the process.
* The Adelphia connection. Because it's the only cable game in
town and the only way I can follow an exciting baseball season
properly, I send an excessive amount of money each month to Adelphia.
Last week, I found out that a large chunk of it was going illegally
into the pocket of the company founder to sustain a lifestyle
somewhat at odds with his constant preachments about family values.
So is Adelphia's current weighing of adding adult entertainment to
its menu. The founder is now in jail, which eases my irritation
