Mark Knows It All

One of the first rules of Political Science is that it is the perception of the truth, rather than the truth, that is important. In addressing any issue, one either has to get to the truth, or learn to manipulate the perception. Ronald Reagan understood this. A perfect example was the “Star Wars” nuclear missile defense system. We didn’t have the capability of building it back then, but the Soviets thought we did. And they definitely did not have the capability of competing with their perception of our capabilities. Hence, the beginning of the end of Communism. Race relations also deal with perceptions. The experiences I listed in the previous installment go to my perception of the Black community. The hip-hop antics of so called hip-hop artists are a large part of that perception. Have you ever watched some of these guys and gals perform? In the midst of their racial and sexist and violent tirades, how many times do they grab their crotch? I am so impressed that they have one. News fl...

I am so excited. I heard on the radio the other day that I have grown a new appendage. It is called a “carbon footprint.” Can anyone tell me where it’s located? I was so happy when, for just a minute, I thought it might be a replacement for my eczema ridden right foot with the festering ingrown toenail. Udder Cream and Vaseline Intensive Care have become my new best friends. But I didn’t see anything there. So I inspected myself when I got out of the shower today, looking for anything unusual or out of place. Everything seemed to be there, but nothing new. I heard that my carbon footprint was supposed to be green. I noticed a few green things, but nothing like that. Maybe I should see a doctor. Al Gore is supposed to have a huge carbon footprint. According to conservative talk radio, his is among the biggest in the nation. Good for him, and lo to anyone who goes up against him “mano a mano.” Who says size doesn’t matter? Of course it does. I am starting to lose sleep over this. Nancy P...

Seraphim, the community chorus in which I sing, performed last night for a small but appreciative crowd made up of members of the National Guild of Organists. Although we sang well at the performance, the rehearsal beforehand was magnificent. The venue was a big, modern Catholic Church with acoustics that made the music soar. It was the best we have ever sounded. Outside, the edge of the Nor’easter that has plagued the east coast, was blowing wind, rain, and snow. It was probably the most extended period of bad weather this area has had in a long time. The weather people said the winds were gusting at about 48 mph. Not where I was. It was much, much worse. At times I thought my car was going to flip over. It was difficult to open the car door to get out, and when I did, I thought it was going to blow off the hinges. When the show was over, we had to go out into the blowing rain. Driving home I thought how wonderful it is that in the of midst this really bad weather, I had been given th...

The Don Imus controversy has raised the issue of racism up a notch in the national debate. It's clear from watching the media coverage and listening to ordinary conversation, that there is frustration in the white community stemming from political correctness, hypocrisy, and the fear of being called racist if anyone speaks his/her mind. So now I am going to speak mine, and if it makes me racist, so be it. My undergraduate degree is in Political Science. While attending Ohio State University, one of the courses in my curriculum was Urban Studies. I signed up for the course that suited my schedule, and walked into a lecture hall filled with 200 blacks, a black professor, and myself. Our first assignment was to write a paper stating how we would define the issue of racism in the United States. I cited Edward Banfield, a noted conservative political scientist, known for his book The Unheavenly City, Revisited . His thesis states that while racism in its purist form does exist in the US...

I have never been a fan of Don Imus. I think he is obnoxious, and wonder where I can get a job consisting of sitting around for a couple of hours every day, smugly looking down one’s nose at everyone else and criticizing and belittling their every move. But this is America, and I know some of you are fans. Mr. Imus is known for his crude and irreverent remarks. He has made a career out of being outrageous. I would be surprised if Imus didn't make these types of provocative statements It is ironic that the biggest defenders of Imus are coming from the right. A caller into the Rush Limbaugh program the other day said it best. At the end of the day, who did Imus hurt? Sure, he hurt the feelings of great female basketball players on a great basketball team. But get real. Life is tough, and it won’t be the last time these folks are faced with these types of disparaging comments that we all experience from time to time. They need to toughen up a little bit, and continue to work hard and ...

A note to my readers: This article was written several days before the Virginia Tech massacre. Several news reports have stated that the shooter was bullied throughout his elementary school years. Obviously, that is not an excuse. But it certainly is worth thinking about. Several years ago, when my son was in 7th grade, he had an encounter with an internet bully. His classmate, who was somewhat of a computer whiz, had developed his own web page long before “My Space” had become popular. In addition to making unflattering remarks, he enjoyed posting unflattering pictures of his fellow students on his site, much to the delight of those who weren’t the object of his scrutiny, and to the chagrin of those who were. My son was among the latter. A confrontation finally developed in school. One thing led to another, and my son deposited this “Bill Gates” wannabe into a school locker. Within short order, I got a telephone call at work asking me to go the school immediately, and informing me my...

Joyous Easter and Blessed Passover Peace on Earth. Now More Than Ever.

Today is Palm Sunday, and the first day of Holy Week. The Judeo/Christian tradition treats spring as a time for reflection, renewal, and repentance. It is a time to make peace with your God, and to celebrate man’s deliverance from the evils that lurk in the shadows of men’s souls. The trouble is, where does one find God? These past several years it has become more difficult. 9/11 has reshaped our view of our country. We are prosperous, but we have to work harder than we ever worked before to maintain that prosperity. The divide between rich and poor, the computer literate and the computer illiterate, those with education and those without, is growing daily. Political rancor is at an all time high. The media is untrustworthy. We want to live moral lives, but it is a growing struggle. I saw an ad for the A&E Channel on television the other day for a new reality series that will air next week. It is called Sons of Hollywood . Its promo reads: “Our lives are better than yours. Drugs, s...