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Censorship is a serious issue, and the term should not be bandied about without just cause and without thinking of the other side.

The former managing editor at France Soir misuses the term censorship, and he does so in an irresponsible way. He claimed to be fighting censorship when he re-printed the infamous cartoons. However, his support is not valid for such a claim, and his support shows that he is not, indeed, fighting censorship but is rather contributing to sensationalism and doing a bit of censorship of his own.

According to the MSNBC article “Editor fired after publication of Islam cartoons,” this editor (not named) wrote: “The best way to fight censorship is not to let it happen…. In these circumstances, that meant publishing these drawings.”

“These circumstances” are not very clear. The Danish paper DID publish the infamous caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.  In point of fact, they WERE published, not censored. I, and I’m sure many others, looked these up online. So, they weren’t censored there. In fact, I found at least five sites the posted these pictures within seconds. I would call these pictures EASILY ACCESSIBLE, not censored.

Did the editor really fight censorship when the information was readily available to anyone with access to the WWW? Did the French, who have been recently blasted about discrimination issues, really need to offend citizens by re-printing these pictures? If the pictures had been suppressed and unavailable, then perhaps his action could be appropriate. However, the pictures were not suppressed. Furthermore, these pictures, which ARE offensive to many people, are not something that we need to see, like perhaps pictures of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq or pictures of the coffins of troops being sent home from Iraq (which HAVE been suppressed).

For those who have protested the pictures, Muslims and anyone else, they are NOT calling for censorship. The pictures HAVE ALREADY BEEN PUBLISHED. Rather, they have tried to explain, to many deaf ears who only hear “CENSORSHIP”, that to make any form of drawing of the Prophet is a form of idolatry and is against their religious convictions. So, not only is it rude to draw these pictures, it shows disrespect for someone’s beliefs. And, certain people in the media continue to show this disrespect, like poking a stick, by re-publishing the pictures so that they won’t be censored. Ironic, since they have been published ALL OVER.

The editor is further quoted in the MSNBC article: “Imagine a society that added up all the prohibitions of different religions. What would remain of the freedom to think, to speak and even to come and go?"

This editor fails to see a major flaw in his reasoning for publishing the cartoons in the name of fighting censorship. Yes, we have a right to the freedom of press and freedom of speech. We have these rights in a democracy so we may take actions to keep our democracy safe and just, as well as to make changes according to our needs. However, we also have freedom of religion. This is NOT freedom to disrespect another’s religion. It means we have a right to worship as we believe and to practice the tenants of that faith without interference from the government or other citizens. No, we should not limit our freedom of speech, but that freedom of speech goes both ways and should not forsake the freedom of religion. So, if “the media” publishes pictures (which were hardly respectful or flattering) that go against someone else’s religious beliefs, then the media should expect this group to raise voices in protest. It’s their right. And, the media has no right to censor their protest and make into something it is not—it is not fundamentalist or in support of terrorism to protest these cartoons.

These protests against the caricature of the Prophet could, if the media lets them, be informative. The reasons for protest could be an insight into a faith and a culture. But, when the media or others see this protest as censorship, ironically, they do not realize that they disregarding the protesters’ rights and/or are misinterpreting their meanings.  When the media does this, they are the ones doing the censoring. Why shouldn’t devote Muslims protest the caricature of the Prophet? If they think it is morally wrong, then why shouldn’t they speak up?

Today, the Texas grand jury indicted Tom DeLay (and cronies) for criminal conspiracy–a campaign finance scheme. Note the term "criminal." Tom DeLay currently holds the position of Majority Leader of the House of Representatives. Though he is stepping down, it is only temporary and customary for any such leader who earns an indictment. In other words, this man is the leading voice and the thinking brain behind the majority party of the House of Representatives, and he has earned a criminal indictment, and he is STILL the Majority Leader.

This is a problem for our nation, regardless of party affiliation, and it is the duty of all members of the House of Representatives to keep DeLay from ever stepping back to his post. This man has been been warned and chastized (several times) by his peers that his actions have crossed the line of ethics. These accusations and indictments are common knowledge. He has had his chance to mend his morals and to make ethical decisions, but he has continued to act without regard for his place in governement, representing ALL Us citizens. DeLay belongs to the Republican party, but first, he represents the 22nd District in Texas and the rest of the US (as befits his position in Congress).

As a representative, this man stands for US values, and by leaving him in as Majority Leader (not to mention office), we send a global message that our leaders have the right to cheat and we will uphold this right. This is not the message we need to send to the world. Further, this behavior is not, first and foremeost, acceptable for US citizens. It is not acceptable for people to break rules and cheat–not in business, not in personal affairs, and not in politics. Tom DeLay has broken rules, cheated, and, futhermore, lied. He is not acceptable as a political leader or a representative. He does not represent my values or the values of those in the 22nd District. He needs to be removed.

Devil’s Tower, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Custer State Park, and Mount Rushmore, oh my! We saw no tigers or lions, but we did see bears: two black bears and a grizzly. On our whirlwind odyssey into the high plains of the North American Mid West, Aaron and I had our best trip ever, and I’m well on my way to reaching my goal of seeing the national parks (and mounuments, etc). So, two national parks and two national monuments. I’ll write more later (with pictures, too), since, as one might guess, I’ve been away from my writing for a while and must catch up.

Meeting the Schenkevelds

As July reared her hot head, our Dutch friends flew into Iowa’s humidity for a week of family fun in Cedar Falls and reuniting with the Howards. Over traditional American meals, a splendid fireworks show, and strolling through Hartman, eating gooseberries and black raspberries, we got caught up on news and events in Holland and Europe.

Astrid and Toon delighted us with stories and political conversations. It was fascinating to get a real-life view of the US through such educated eyes.

The children were a special treat, and they had a lot of fun in Iowa. Rick got to swim to his heart’s content at Lost Island water park, shoot a .22 at the firing range at Black Hawk county park, ride a lawn tractor, and climb the rock wall at the UNI Rec Center. Suz loved the water park and indulged in American costume jewelry shopping. She also played with Julie the cat, who didn’t quite understand the small Dutch whirlwind who chased her up two flights of stairs. A particular highlight was that both children found riches in America, the proverbial streets paved in gold came true. Rick found a hundred dollar bill in a McDonald’s parking lot, and Suz found Aaron’s penny jar; she proceeded to toss the money into the air and shout, “Ik ben rijk!!!” My five years of German helped me translate that, but it was obvious with the way she let her fingers run through the coins, a universal gesture of wealth.

After their week of fun and relaxing in Cedar Falls, they left for Denver, a bit expanded from “good American food,” to rent their RV and begin their epic tour of the North American West, beginning in Rocky Mountain National Park. We met up with them at Yellowstone and shared a few more adventures there.

I can’t wait to go to Holland and see the green houses and canals, and I might even try the herring, since Aaron had it when he visited last year. With its beginning almost fifteen years ago with Astrid coming over as an exchange student, this cross the pond relationship has deepened with the passage of time and the addition of family members.

(pics to come later)

As a way to broaden my scope about world cultures and to spend some summer time in a constructive, air-conditioned manner, I signed up as a conversation partner for the Culture and Intensive English Program at UNI. I made a commitment to converse with my partner for an hour a week and to share my culture as my partner practiced English.

My assigned partner is Gloria, and I received only her name, her date of birth, her country of origin, her level of English ability, and her email. So, I looked up Colombia for a crash course on the political system, which is bicameral like our own, also with executive and judicial branches, the geography, culture, and history. Even with several hours of reading, I felt my inadequacies, which is why this opportunity is so cool for opening me up to more global thinking.

I got to meet Gloria last week, and I learned more about the culture of Columbia and in an hour and a half of conversing than I have in any reading I’ve done, any information I’ve learned in classes, or any news viewing to this point. Gloria, a theater major, with the equivalent of a Master’s, is animated, telling me stories about how people determine their salaries by the month, pay into their pension and health care funds, and how she and her husband got married on their lunch breaks and how she couldn’t remember her wedding anniversary when she applied for her visa.

She is very proud of her city and plans to tell me more about

The TV is unplugged, dusted off, and waiting for its final resting place. It is lying in state on the living room floor, between two speakers, almost like some kind of pagan altar or old world wake.

While I slept, Aaron packed it all away, all of the attachments, cords, plugs, boxs (vcr and dvd players), and the big shelf on which they all used to live. We had a whole shelf of boxes that we sat in front of, staring into fake worlds or depressing news, and at first, I mourned the loss of these boxes, especially the big one. The faces and voices coming into the house used to seem so harmless and even friendly, but now that it has been quiet and just the two of us in the living room, I’ve realized that those people are not my friends and that those lives and voices get in the way of my life and my voice.

Years ago now, before 9-11 when the television stayed on for days, I was without TV, and I was fine with it then. The box sat in the corner, and it was silent except for the occasional vhs. That was also back when I was a vegetarian and more concerned about what went into my body, including crappy television.

Okay, the truth is that I couldn’t afford cable (they shut it off when I told them I couldn’t pay the bill), and the reception was so bad without the cable that I just stopped trying to see through the snow and left it turned off.

The only time I was made to see that my tv-less state was not the norm was when my students refered to a particular show, and when I looked confused, they would say, "You know, on Fox, the ____ show." Then, I dropped the bomb, " I don’t watch tv." Their jaws hit their desks, which woke up some of the sleepers, who even stopped drooling long enough to ask what had happened. They were shocked, too, thinking they were still in a bad dream. Who doesn’t watch tv? They bombarded me with questions: How do I find out about the news? What if something big happened? How could I live without Survivor?  I reminded them of the internet and radio as news sources, and I explained that surviving on my teaching salary was entertaining enough. Through the rest of the semester, they kept me informed about news events and who was still on the island.

There’s no longer that large, noisy buffer between us, and Aaron and I are doing more looking into each other’s eyes and talking to each other without the faces and voices interupting us. Luckily, neither of us has attempted to use the remote control on the other, and I think we’ll be okay.

This weekend, Aaron and I camped with my old college roommate and her husband at Devil’s Lake State Park, in Wisconsin. We hiked on the Balanced Rock, Devil’s Doorway, East Bluff, Grottos, and Potholes Trails (I tumbled in the potholes area and have racer-stripe scratches on my arm). The trails run along beautiful quartzite bluffs and woods full of gorgeous flowers. We saw Shooting Stars, a new flower for me, Columbine, and loads of poison ivy, which I can now successfully identify. The best hike was Parfrey’s Glen, a remote trail (though famous for being the first state Natural Area), and it is stunning. After the heat of the day and the steamy humidity, as we walked along the stream, the temperature began to drop. The gorge rose up around us, covered in moses and ferns, and winding toward the waterfall. Even with others around, this trail is magical. Pictures later.

This morning I baked apricot bars and fixed a colorful picnic. Then, I met Aaron for a picnic at Seerly Park, under the oak trees.

I feel a strong connection to these places in Cedar Falls. Up the street is the Lutheran church where my mom was baptized in 1965. Down the street is the Hearst Center where I worked in the garden last summer. All along Seerly, crab apple trees fill the boulevard, and in the spring, they have luscious pink blooms. Ironically, this is the setting for the novel Sleeping With the Enemy. In this section of Cedar Falls, the houses and foliage in all seasons hold many personal memories, sad and happy.

"River Rushes" by Tom Newport

The misty-moist sky

gathered and let loose rain drops

to grow my flowers

Tender rain seeps down

into cracked dirt and rouses

seeds into sprouting