The Honorary Crank of the Week is ….
Senate Minority Leader Gary Simpson (R).
The Delaware State Senate passed one of those harmless, non-binding, honorary resolutions this week, making Christina Taylor Green an honorary member of the Senate, so as to honor her and her all too short life. If you recall, Christina was one of the victims gunned down by the terrorist, Jared Loughner. Most Senators, both Democratic and Republican, signed on as co-sponsors of the resolution and voted in favor. Just a small gesture in honorary a victim. Legislatures, both federal and state, pass these nonbinding resolutions all the time. It is one of the ways we as a society honor our heros.
The resolution passed 18-1.
The one vote against it was Senator Simpson. He wasn’t sure about precedent of naming a non-Delawarean as a member of the Senate.
Pssst…. Senator Simpson, you do realize that this is a nonbinding resolution, don’t you? You know what non-binding means, don’t you. It means the resolution has no precedental value.
Why must certain old conservatives be such cranks?
A little girl died, and you are carrying on about precedents concering a NONBINDING resolution. Unbelievable.
I hate myself for saying this,
but what good did it do? Did they pass anything else that would do more than say “hey look at how much Delaware cares!”?
Were any steps taken to make sure the mentally ill in our state receive attention and care before they kill?
was anything done to keep bullets out of children?
I don’t see the problem in taking a stand against pointless political theater. be it the “repeal the job killing Obama care act” (from the ass hats who brought you the Patriot Act) or “honoring” someone by making them a senator.
Like I said, it is an honorary resolution, one of the few ways we have to honor a citizen. The only point of the resolution is to honor Christina.
What good does that do?
Well, I suppose it gives comfort to her family, if anything. It also makes ourselves feel better. Yes, more substantive things can and must be done, but are you really going to join the ranks of a crank in complaining about giving an honor to a little girl? Really?
like i said. I hate myself for saying it, but so much more could… SHOULD have been done, and I know deep down this is all our state senate is going to do on the matter. Not help those who need help, not try to heal the nation…. just a little piece of political theater so they can sleep better.
I dont feel the same way Simpson does…. who cares about precedent and procedure? Yes it is a nice thing to do. But given the fact this is all that will happen, it is kind of pathetic.
I think a much better honor would be to address gun laws, or how we monitor and care for…. and if need be, deal with, the mentally ill. Address lies and hate spewed on our airwaves, how we can interact with our elected officials….something, ANYTHING that might bring about a change. That’s how I’M going to honor the memories of those killed last weekend.
Ben, I hate to admit the same thing crossed my mind when I read about this. But Dallas Green is a native and is in Delaware quite a bit, and Christina’s dad went to Tower Hill. There is some connection. Besides, it’s a nice gesture that hurts no one.
Maybe this will open some eyes in Dover to the issues you raised. Perhaps a greater good will come from this.
Some say there were connected causes and effects for the recent events, some say not. Some problems need to be examined individually, some collectively.
Obama had said in part, “let us use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully,” but let’s not imagine that he means the ball should be dropped.
It is interesting that some are labeled or will label themselves, the exact opposite of what they appear to be. Examples: distinguished professionals // while corporate shills; peacemakers // flame throwers; terrorists // patriots; economic destroyers // job creators; self interest greedy // upstanding political leaders; health providers // health slayers; nature’s caretakers // environmental destroyers; innocent // when guilty; etc.
The radically misaligned, sometimes have their minds aligned in reverse, perhaps for their own // righteous validation. Was Sarah’s latest communication civil // or particularly heinous? We shouldn’t miss this ball out to right field.
President Obama tried “to lift our sights above the pettiness that pollutes…” Sounds lovely, but should we call it pettiness and look away? Or have we just witnessed bullying on a national scale. Identifying, telling and stopping people from threatening words or behavior, isn’t off limits. It’s necessary.
Sarah while claiming to be an innocent bystander, blamed others for hatred and violence. Then victim Sarah, did a 180 // becoming full fledged reprehensible. This nonsense has to be stopped.
The “cross hairs” (after the fact called surveyors marks,) of the Palin’s political ambitions do not indicate latitude, longitude, distance, degrees, minutes or seconds; no fields or buildings – not even outlined districts. The cross hairs do not precisely pin point a geographical feature, configuration, as close to the point of mathematical precision as one gets, as would be the case of a surveyor mark.
Palin strategy map reads: “We diagnosed the problem… Help us prescribe the solution..” Diagnose.. prescribe, does have a health care tone. But do explain, when it is alright to tie in “cross hairs” matched with “names” in the Legend?
Here are surveyors notations marking The White House:
Grid LONG 108 (deg) X 10 (min) X 12.18469679 (sec) W.Giza … = 13159.47253 W.Giza … = Cholula Pyramid Grid POINT Value (Munck, 1993) X 1000. W.Greenwich 77 deg 02 min 11.38469679 sec … yes; same as The Jefferson Memorial longitude .
Grid LAT 38 (deg) X 53 (min) X 51.4796425 (sec) North … = 103680 North … = 25920 X 4 … = 4 Earth precession cycles in years … = Rennes-le-Chateau Grid LAT (Morton, 1998). See rennes.htm Matrix Messages #3/4 . Grid POINT Value 103680 / 13159.47253 … = 7.878735243 … = (Volume of a Sphere / 100000), assuming Radian (deg) as ‘given’ radius.
This (+) isn’t.
Engineering Surveys don’t aimlessly place giant “bulls eyes” over an area, complete with a Legend – listing of all things – persons. Never. Shutter. If they did (they don’t) the head engineer might say, why the f@(# have you got “cross hairs” marking names; someone get those the hell off of there now. Are you nuts? By the way, you’re fired.
At what job (other then the political one Palin created for herself,) would she last two minutes based on the quality of her last speech? But folks, she wants to be president. Alarms bells are going off. Hear them.
This week, as the country’s leaders were wondering how they will protect themselves, (carry heat? – congresspeople are planning to look out for themselves; they aren’t taking their own safety lightly.) But what the citizens need is leadership to deal with the overzealous who are turning up the heat, with use of targets, guns, reloads, maps complete with cross hairs – that’s the short list. Some claim it is political communication. I’ve been around awhile. What’s going on now is extremely divisive and dangerous.
Recently, a person who knew what “cross hairs” indicate, a very influential person, felt threatened, publicly complained, to no avail. On 11/4/10, Palin was satisfied to call cross hairs, “bulls eyes.” and chose to leave the above mentioned visual out there – until after the tragedy. A Representative of the United States of America had complained. How safe are you mr. any person? Should the public let their lawmakers drop the ball and walk away?
As sorrow and calls for future peaceful political discourse were in the air waves, Sarah was claiming to be a peaceful American not // the relentless, clenched fisted, angry Sarah. If there were any questions, before the eyes of the world, from Sarah’s mouth hurled a new wretched, despicable spin that ratcheted up century’s old history. Blameless Sarah // entrenched warrior Palin, couldn’t contain herself enough to speak a few minutes of kind words, without reaching deeper into her medieval war bag for an old flame. Was she clueless, blameless or // guilty of re torching a centuries old fire storm to be heard around the world.
Or….. lets just say, that recent occurrences (a mass assassination) and (overzealous political communications) are capable of being entirely self contained in their own inescapable bubbles therefore not contaminating each other and these events just happen to be in the news at the same period of time. There is no reason why any of the balls should be dropped.
People would be wise to fear misplaced anger, over the top references to fire arms, threatening, violent political communications, when this is what others feel are necessary to bring down the ‘enemy.’
Obama pleas “to see our country through the eyes of Christina..,” when Christina can no longer see because others dropped the ball.
Pick the ball up and run with it. Pick up the issues, tell your lawmakers they must take action. That’s living up to children’s expectations.
Democrat and Republican lawmakers, citizens, must not be childlike, but must act as adults and address issues individually, collectively. Terrorists in our mist; with guns in their hands; lack of intervention; hate speech; over the top vitriol passing as political communication, all must be addressed because it affects very American street corner, town hall, place of employment, gatherings of any sort, virtually everyone, everywhere.
Very interesting post, anonymous. I like your writing style, almost poetic.
“President Obama tried “to lift our sights above the pettiness that pollutes…” Sounds lovely, but should we call it pettiness and look away? Or have we just witnessed bullying on a national scale. Identifying, telling and stopping people from threatening words or behavior, isn’t off limits. It’s necessary.”
Nailed it. I’ve been trying very hard to understand just why i want to blame the likes of Beck and Palin, but at the same time defend Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson (for example). Ive come to the conclusion that Beck and Palin et all made the “rebel revolt against the tyrannical US Government (lol)” language normal. No red flags go up anymore when someone talks about taking up arms against the government and THAT is entirely the fault of the Right Wing hate machine. They made up face threats to attact viewers, and now we cant tell who is just blathering $t $arah’s talking points like an uneducated redneck, and who is a serious threat to everyone’s safety. the 2 examples sound the same. That is what is so terrifying, THAT is the wrong the Right has committed.
Another Mike, I knew Dallas Green had the Phightin’s connection, but not that the family is that “delawarian” The honorary senator thing makes more sense in that light, but i’d still rather see real action meant to keep bullets out of kids (or anyone for that matter)
The Resolution was symbolic at best, done for show if truth be told, and like someone said above done for the living, the egos of the living, to make a group of lawmakers feel better here in Delaware, a State that the deceased wasn’t from, didn’t live in and wasn’t laid to rest in.
M.Ope, you are mistaken if you think that the Green family isn’t intimately tied to our state, our families, our legacy. You are just wrong. But don’t let that stand in your way. Plus, you are sounding like Limpballs declaring ‘why should we follow and honor the vision of a nine year old’.
This little girl was brought into this world on 9/11/01 which impacted her life in numerous ways. She was in a book about kids born on that day and she participated in the pain and horror of that day probably every day since realizing the enormity of it and her unusual relationship to it. She became interested in politics and won the leadership of her elementary school student council (I know, elementary school?).
So she sought the answers to some of the largest questions any adult seeks to answer and her pursuit of answers got her shot through the chest by a maniac. It is right and good, and yes, it feels good too, to honor her life and her vision right here in Delaware or anywhere else on the planet where good people gather to ask the questions and seek the answers to how we can live together in peace one day.
Simpson is an idiot, and unfortunately, he’s my senator.
What I would rather see is a mental health strategy based upon the Glasser community mental health model. Name that in her honor.
I hate to agree with the majority, but it doesn’t matter either way. My first thought was why? Did she have family here? I would vote for it if put in front of me just so when it is sent to the family the vote is overwhelming.
The Senator’s point is valid, but like Nancy said,it feels right. It is purely symbolic. My position is don’t make enemies over nothing. Still for you to pitch a fit over this strikes me as political posturing.
Nancy, the girl wasn’t from Delaware. If you can cite where I said anything the Green family, pretend I’m from Missouri.
I’m with Simpson. If it’s non-binding and pointless, why the hell do it? Don’t they have better things to do then pass pointless feel-good legislation with no significance?
What a waste of time, resources, and energy for some political grandstanding in the wake of a tragedy.
maybe “feeling like we did something” is the most we can expect from our sate senate.
Brian, it is ridiculous to imagine that some inordinant amount of time resources and energy was spent on this. The Assembly did nothing but swear in new members, agree and vote in their rules and a scant bit of other work last week. It took as much time to type up the resolution as it did your reading and posting here and again as much to take the vote.
And M.Ope, when talking about a minor child, it is reasonable to discuss her relationship to us in the context of family whose roots are deep in our state.
I personally think that focusing on this little girl gives us all a chance to come together and we sure as hell need some of that in this country.
From FDL today:
Obama: “She saw public service as something exciting and hopeful. She was off to meet her congresswoman, someone she was sure was good and important and might be a role model. She saw all this through the eyes of a child, undimmed by the cynicism or vitriol that we adults all too often just take for granted.
I want to live up to her expectations. (Applause.) I want our democracy to be as good as Christina imagined it. I want America to be as good as she imagined it. (Applause.) All of us -– we should do everything we can to make sure this country lives up to our children’s expectations. (Applause.)”
Aside from being an uplifting thought, there’s a political undercurrent to this message that shouldn’t be overlooked. To understand it, perhaps it helps to remember that in the month before this week’s tragedy, conservatives were attempting to fabricate a controversy over Obama’s praise for the motto “E Pluribus Unum.”
The simple notion that the people of this country can come together for a common purpose (“from many, one”) — and express that purpose through their government — is antithetical to the right-wing worldview. The conservative political message isn’t that we’re all in this together; it’s that you’re on your own and the government is your enemy. As Harold Meyerson wrote for the Washington Post this week, it’s this commonly expressed, fundamental paranoia that is taken to its most extreme conclusion by people like Jared Loughner.
http://firedoglake.com/2011/01/14/late-night-obamas-tucson-speech-and-the-progressive-moral-vision/
I would be cautious to say anything that the Senate passes is harmless. No matter what it is that’s being passed.
Christina was born in MD. Maybe DE just highjacked the MD Legislature’s resolution? LOL With all due respect to the child and her family, I don’t see the point.
If people would like to discuss the non-binding resolution as being lame or anything else, let’s discuss Bonini’s introduction before evey General Assembly to honor the late Ronald Reagan. Perhaps he should work toward meaningful legislation to find a cure for Alsheimer’s. The intent of the resolution is being blown completely out of proportion. Just by the tone of some of these responses I can see the blogosphere is hellbent on keeping discourse alive and thriving.
Perhaps if everyone spent a little more time recognizing and commending people from all walks of life for even minor efforts toward civility, we could have meaningful dialogue about the problems facing our country.
Nicely played, anon2.
Well as evidenced by the comments here, It was quite possible that Senator Simpson was unaware of Christina Green’s Delaware connection. Several people here were obviously also unaware of Green’s Delaware connection.
Christina Green was the grandaughter of Delaware native Dallas Green.
Dallas Green graduated from Conrad High School in New Castle County. He enrolled at the University of Delaware but he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. He pitched for the Phillies in the early 60’s. Some of his teammates and pitching coleagues included former Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning and Georgetown Delaware native Chris Short (Short is deceased) Short is one of the top 5 left handed pithchers in Phillies History. His nickname was “Styles”.
Dallas Green advanced thru the Phillie’s system after he retired as a player. In 1980 he took over from Danny Ozark as the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. Dallas Green was the first manager of the Philadelphia Phillies to win a World Series.
It is sad that one can walk into a bar in Philadelphia and have people be more knowledgeable about Dallas Green than people in Delaware.
Green also managed the Chicago Cubs and the New York Yankees.
After retirement Green eventually earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware.
It is my understanding that Green lives on a farm just across the Delaware line in Pa.
Dallas Green is a huge supporter of University of Delaware athletics. He is a regular at Delaware football games.
Christina Green’s brother is named Dallas in honor of their father’s father.
It is obvious that quite a few comments were totally unaware of the Delaware connection to this tragedy.