The Oppenheimer Report - 9/17/12

Sandra Fluke spoke at the Democratic convention last week and of course this re-ignited the controversial issue of church and state, so germane to the issues polarizing Democrats and Republicans. You will recall that Fluke was the Georgetown University law student vilified by shock jock ultra right chowder head Rush Limbaugh because she went before Congress advocating students rights to contraception under their university plan. He called her a “feminazi,” and I believe a slut and a whore. Regardless of your stance on contraception, or in this case the right of a religious institution to impose its moral beliefs on a healthcare system, the rhetoric gets a little over the top here. Once again, moderate Republicans (like me) feel the party has been betrayed, correction, hijacked, by the extreme right. I just read some tweets by conservative political commentators, and they sound like  adult versions of high school bullying. By the way, Twitter is apparently the wild west of outrageous communication; clearly I need to begin tweeting so I can jump in to the “debate.”

Last Tuesday marked the 12^th anniversary of 9-11 and coincidentally, there was an attack by Muslim extremists on the U.S. consulate in Libya which killed four Americans. Coinciding with the Libyan attack was a violent protest at the U.S. embassy in Cairo. Perhaps all this violence was sparked by the controversial anti-Muslim film Innocence of Muslims which has so enraged some followers of Islam and prompted anti-American protests throughout the world. I was reading the CNN report about the fool who produced that incendiary film and in the article, they mention where he lives. Hope that guy has a good life insurance policy. Lots of talk last week about Mark Owen (not his real name), the Navy SEAL who wrote No Easy Day, recounting firsthand the details of the U.S. raid that killed Bin Bombin. He claimed on 60 Minutes that he just felt America deserved to know the truth. While the guy probably did not reveal any top secret strategies, he did sign some kind of promise not to talk about the raid, and there is probably a good reason for that. I am reminded of that knob (Canadian for dickhead) Geraldo revealing American strategies on television during the Gulf War. You gotta love Geraldo. Remember that insufferably long televised expose wherein he entered Al Capone’s secret vault and discovered some empty wine bottles? He was one of the brave pioneers of reality television, paving the way for the toilet swirling vortex of bad TV to follow.

Just reunited with an old friend of a friend who shares my love of all things musical. Every so often, I get a glimpse of what an indomitable spirit looks like, and Earle is that guy. He's had two crippling car accidents (neither his fault), battled cancer, so far successfully, and he simply refuses to give up. To boot, he is an accomplished counselor, treating some of the more challenging cases in Memphis. He can barely walk, but his mind is superb and his personality and tenacity are unbeatable. We sat and talked for hours and I got an oral history of songwriters with whom I was unfamiliar. I’ve never met anyone who loves music more or has attended as many live concerts as Earle. I had a lot of laughs and a great time with him last weekend, and had the added pleasure of meeting his charming and equally interesting companion Ruthie. I learned a lot about music, and especially about songwriters I should be following. More importantly, I was reminded of what true courage and grace look like. Thanks a lot Earle for kicking my self-absorbed ass around the block a few times!

Oh yeah and Happy New Year #5773 to fellow members of the tribe. May #5774 teach me humility and compassion.

-Written by Jamie Oppenheimer c2012 ALL RESERVED