Big Red Elephant Say, “No Gays!”

Soliciting sex in a public restroom is gross. And it is illegal. That type of lewd behavior has no place in society as a whole, much less the Senate. Although we like to maintain that our public institutions are beacons of upright moral behavior, we all know that our elected and non-elected officials are as fallible as the rest of us, and placed in a position of power, quite possibly more so. When Senator Larry Craig allegedly propositioned a man in a men’s room stall, he betrayed the trust of his constituents to uphold the law, and for that, he should be pilloried, to a degree. But Senator Craig is also in the unfortunate position of living in a time when being a homosexual, and a public figure, means never being given the chance to say you’re sorry. Continue reading “Big Red Elephant Say, “No Gays!””

Danny, We Hardly Knew Ye

St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery was completed and consecrated in 1799. It is one of those old buildings you come across all the time in the city. More prominent than most, its architecture and the skewed angle in which it sits next to Second Avenue ensures it will not ever fade into the background. In a city that boasts thousands of buildings competing for the eye’s attention, anything that busts through the mold has an instant leg up on the competition. Continue reading “Danny, We Hardly Knew Ye”

Turd Blossom Hits the Bricks

If ever there were evidence that President Bush has become a lame duck, it would have to be Karl Rove’s departure from his administration. A man Bush has referred to as “the architect,” Rove was exactly that. Where Vice President Cheney wields immense power in the foreign policy sphere, Rove managed what he so lovingly called the “permanent Republican majority” here at home. Alas, that did not come to pass. Continue reading “Turd Blossom Hits the Bricks”

Bugle Call?

Draft. There’s that word again. From the mouths of generals to the souls of babes, a military draft has about as much weight to it as any other subject in this country. And for good reason. In many respects, being forced to serve in a nation’s military is the most vile form of subjugation. A normally peaceful person can be forced to pick up arms, fight and kill for a cause for which they have no belief. But, in the face of existential threats, a military draft becomes necessary to ensure the survival of the nation. The sacrifices that we demand of the draftee become secondary to the fate of all of us. That’s quite a burden to place on a person who did not sign on the dotted line voluntarily. And that is why there has not been a draft in over thirty years. Continue reading “Bugle Call?”

Morning Ritual

We pulled into Union Square and the doors slid open. Two-thirds of the passengers all swarmed the doors. There was no mad rush, however. How could there be? No room. But there was a press. An inexorable shove. Anxiety grew with every half second still stuck in the car. Every one of these ticks was one closer until the conductor would hit the switch, and the barnyard door would try to snap shut, about a hundred pounds of torque on anyone who hadn’t quite made it through. One second, two seconds, three, and any progress towards the waiting platform is impeded by the asshole with the book and the iPod blocking half the doorway. Continue reading “Morning Ritual”

Do Not Trust Them

The most benevolent government on the face of the earth still needs laws and restrictions to prevent it from abusing the rights of its citizens. In a democracy like the United States, these restraints are doubly necessary, due to the transitory nature of our leadership. Successive administrations are subject to the same laws. Removing the levers of power from angels does the same for demons. Continue reading “Do Not Trust Them”