Sunday, October 5, 2008

5 AM

I'm up and drunk, some thoughts:

Sarah Palin's run for the Vice Presidency has upset me to the point that I'm truly concerned for the future of this country.  Anyone of even moderate intellect should be able to ascertain that this woman has no business running this country.  This is not a matter of politics, this is a matter of competency and frankly she is devoid of competency.  She was a tape recorder in the debates and the idea that a debater can legitimately state that they are not going to respond to the moderator's questions is beyond is preposterous.  

Also note cards should not be allowed in debates.  They're counter intuitive to the concept and antithetical to the purpose.  

I'm watching a program called Lockup: Pendleton, its part of the Lockup series about prison life on MSNBC that I've really enjoyed.  This program is specifically devoted to a military integration unit that is particularly interesting.  Of note - and not addressed in the program - is the racial divide in the unit.  This website puts Pendleton's racial breakdown at 54/41 white/black but the military unit seems overwhelmingly white.  The show has just reached it's completion and both of the new recruits that they selected were black.  They only placed two individuals in the program when they could have placed three so it can be assumed that they were the best candidates but I wonder if affirmative action plays in the selection process.  As said it doesn't seem so but I am unaware of the legal requirements therein (and curious if they are required to abide by affirmative action requirements - as they certainly don't seem to be fulfilling them of yet).

This program is wildly conflicting to me.  On one side I think the purpose of prison is correctional and redemptive but at the same time its unfortunate to consider that a part of our (The United States) military is made up of ex-cons.  There's a perception in the States that northeast citizens perceive the military with condensation, this perception holds a certain degree of weight, unfortunately, but that is because many of the individuals who choose to go into the military in the northeast are indeed criminals or at least miscreants.  When I was in high school I was asked to take a piss for a friend who was in AA because he was forced to go there (essentially) for stupidity, to this day I like the kid but he's now a representative of our nation's military.  The reason I mention this is that for better or worse (and certainly more for the worse) the perception of the military in the northeast is generally that of thugs and individuals who don't deserve to represent us in international circumstances.

Perhaps I thinking too much of it, and I'm willing to admit that may be the case, but it's wildly disheartening that a man of the quality of David Foster Wallace committed suicide.  I've never met him and maybe I'm over sentimental of an author who was one of the best of our generation but if he's committing suicide we must be heading in the wrong direction.

We should be fostering minds like those not allowing for their demise. 

3 comments:

fauzi zakaris said...

owh...... i like it......

fas53234124242 said...

At least you get drunk and can wake up do you

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