Odds and Ends

Seeing bin Laden's face on the television did inspire fear, but not of more terrorism. Terrorists can be thwarted, and terrorists can't destroy the basic social and political framework of this country. Only we can do that, and electing Bush would be a big step further toward the destruction of American democracy. That's what I was afraid of.

Incidentally, it appears that supporters at Bush rallies are taking some sort of pledge of loyalty to him. This is unpleasantly reminiscent of the Nazis forcing new Wehrmacht soldiers to take an oath of loyalty not to the German nation, or the government, but to Adolf Hitler. Historians now regard this as the final step in the reduction of the Wehrmacht to a tool of the Nazi party. (Of course, I'm not saying that Bush is equivalent to Hitler. Not yet, anyway.)

Finally: I made a curmudgeonly remark a few posts ago about unusual names for children. I still believe that parents who give their children "creative" names are just asking for trouble. On the other hand, I must admit that the world is a better place for including someone named Bunnatine Greenhouse.