France doesn't get it

Even if you've never read Glenn Greenwald, you should take the time to read this column. It's about the insane efforts various countries are making to ensure that they and their beliefs are not criticized. We've seen it with religion; we've seen it with politics.

Putting a muzzle on people is the end of democracy. And as you'll see in the column, even France (not Iran; not China; France!) doesn't understand this.

I love the wording

PARIS (AP) — Gay marriage and adoption are in the spotlight in France as the Catholic Church is using a religious holiday to urge politicians to protect heterosexual traditions.

Just amazing. And "heterosexual traditions" need a lot of protection, you know. If someone doesn't nurture them, they'll die out, for sure.

Such an unlikely story

I watch the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley. It seems the most realistic of the network news shows, not that any are good. Anyway, they have a regular Americana segment called "On the Road with Steve Hartman". Schmaltz galore. 

But the segment this week was amazing. Do watch it if you have the time. (It's about four or five minutes.) What happened to this woman is the most unlikely epiphany you've ever heard or thought about. My mouth hung open as the story unfolded on the show last night. If you watch the segment, I guarantee you'll shake your head and say, "This can't be true." But it is.

And of course, being schmaltz, it's heartwarming. Go watch.

Unveiling France's bigotry

Mohammed Khan on Al Jazeera English today in an article called "Unveiling French Hypocrisy":

Forcing women to uncover their faces will not create some form of 'moderate Islam' but it does unveil French bigotry.

Indeed. France has acted shamefully in this matter. "You cannot legislate discrimination", as former NYC Health Commissioner Stephen Josephs used to say in reference to AIDS matters. I think that should be a bedrock principle of law: you cannot build a law in order to promulgate a discriminatory policy. Period.