Monday Newsbreak: 7/28

--A couple of Associated Press writers, Robert Burns and Robert H. Reid, have pronounced that the U.S. is winning the Iraq War. By that, they mean that overt combat with insurgents and terrorists has greatly diminished, and everything on the surface appears to be more peaceful. But I ask, what does “winning the Iraq War” mean? After all, we did technically already win it within weeks of the invasion when the Hussein regime fell (wasn’t “regime change” the object of going in?). Ever since, all we’ve been doing is trying to snuff out one hot spot after another in this highly divided land. Now we’ve made the picture look real pretty, haven’t we? So after the troops leave (assuming they ever will), what is keeping another Saddam Hussein from staging a coup d’état and starting the vicious cycle all over again? What has the Iraqi government done since the surge began to bring reconciliation, trust, and a true sense of participation on the part of the feuding factions regarding the building of a free, inclusive, and democratic Iraq?

--My local city commission here in Gainesville is undergoing a controversy regarding many citizens opposed to its recently-enacted ordinance protecting transgenders from public discrimination, including the use of restrooms. The “restroom” part of the ordinance is what its opponents are so concerned about. They believe that any man could just walk into a woman’s bathroom with the convenient cover story that he “felt as if he were a woman inside”. On the pro-ordinance side some, including city commissioner Craig Lowe, have accused opponents of bigotry against transgenders and gays. I don’t see what good this sort of vilification does anybody. Certainly, the public has the right to believe that their government is working to protect them from crime. If they are misinformed about the ramifications of this ordinance, then those promoting it should calmly sit down with the leaders of the ordinance opposition, listen to them, and respectfully explain how their concerns are unfounded. But skip the insults, please! And why not see, during the process, if some mutual interests can be recognized and a compromise reached? Or have I just crossed over into a taboo area by mentioning the “c” word?

--University of Florida football coach Urban Meyer apparently still hasn’t gotten over the tactic that his rival coach Mark Richt of the University of Georgia used during their game last year. Immediately after the Bulldogs scored their first touchdown, the bench emptied and the entire Georgia team rushed the field in wild celebration. Although Richt has apologized for instigating the incident (for which he claims he didn't mean to involve his entire team), Meyer is still using it (as I see it) to get his players worked up to exact revenge when they play each other again this year (Georgia defeated Florida 42-30 last year)..... I also see politicians putting on this phony “hurt” act of pretending to be offended at something somebody said (usually from the opposing party). I see this particularly on the Senate floor, with Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nevada) and three Republicans, Ted Stevens (Alaska), Orrin Hatch (Utah), and Judd Gregg (New Hampshire) being the worst offenders. On the other end of the scale are those who look as if they are heavily under sedation, with nothing seeming to rankle them! What a circus! I wish former South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle were there running things as Majority Leader in his calm, even-handed and gracious manner as he did in 2001-2002. His razor-thin defeat for reelection in 2004 was a big disappointment to me.