Obama is right

This is a "teachable moment". You see, it's not really relevant to our national situation whether the cop participated in racial profiling or if the black professor was looking for some first hand ammo for his academic argument. The important thing here, which most of the media is ignoring or (worse?) just unable to comprehend, is that our President displayed an honest, heartfelt reaction to a question put to him by a reporter. And that reaction was to condemn the white police officer and accuse him of being a racist, without knowing the situation.
The word racism is hurtled viciously in this country, and it has many people frozen in fear. A conversation or argument is brought to a swift end when this weapon is drawn. The intellectual argument stops and an emotional plea begins. Racism is so powerfully despicable that many won't even dare enter or pursue a discussion that might bring the charge. And in doing so, we stop conversation and feed resentment. We don't come closer to acceptance and understanding. We become prisoners of our skin, regardless of it's color.

A quick trip to DC

I popped on out to DC over the weekend to pick up Child #1 who was visiting with my folks. While I was there we went to Ford's Theater, which as an Illinois native I've always wanted to visit, and the Holocaust museum. Honestly, I didn't know that there was a Holocaust museum until Stephen Johns, a museum guard, was gunned down by a crazy old man last month. The museum is truly powerful. It's wonderfully organized and completely effective. If you go, give yourself a lot of time to read everything and watch all the videos. This is something that we cannot forget.

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
-Edmund Burke