Jun. 06, 2003 - 23:49 MDT

THE WONDERING JEW

Questions, Questions

I think most people who have been parents as well as those who have been grandparents of small children have been bombarded by the asking artillery and stormed by the "why ?" troops. Once in a while questions are asked me that I do have the prerogative of answering or not as I wish. Tonight I will try, look on if you wish. Friday Five is a good one today

1. - How many times have you been in love ?

A. - Qualified answer, to a person of the opposite sex who I wish/wished to spend the rest of my life as that person's mate. . . . . .Two

2. - What was/is so great about the person you love/loved ?

A. - First love was assumed to have many qualities that she really didn't. Second love, has every thing that is good, generosity, courtesy, tenderness, ability to love and receive love, a habit of cooperation and a person who loves her family she grew up with and who extended her love to include me.

3. - What qualities should a significant other have ?

A. - See number 2 question. Only thing I could add is that each significant other should have those qualities.

4. - Have you ever broken someone's heart ?

A. - Not that I know of. If it happened it was without my knowledge or intent.

5. - If there was one thing you could teach people about love, what would it be ?

A. - That it Must Be a partnership of concern, generosity, willingness to sacrifice, willingness to work toward a common goal, mutual admiration and utter friendship.

Wish I could have found more and better words to say how I feel about this particular Friday Five's questions.

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Could I call call him the Grand Poobah of Panic and still stay free ? I see by this morning's Rocky Mountain News in a news article written by Jesse J. Holland of the Associated Press -- headlined, "Ashcroft asks for tougher terrorism law." Here is most of what I got out of the article. "To expand the new anti-terror law to permit the government to hold more suspects indefinitely and extend the death penalty to more people accused of terrorist crimes." According to Mr. Holland, "He also said the current anti-terror law, which critics say is cramping citizens legitimate rights, needs to be expanded to let prosecutors bring charges against anyone who helps or works with suspected terrorist groups as "material supporters."

Now comes the words, Mr Holland says, "Ashcroft held aloft copies of al-Qaida declarations of war against America and read aloud the names of people killed in the September 11 attacks as he defended the Justice Departments use so far of anti-terrorism powers granted after the 2001 hi-jack attacks.

Jeepers, did he read the whole list of names ? ? ? Preaching panic looks like to me.

He goes into his pitch it appears, Mr. Holland reports, "The USA Patriot Act has led to more than 3,000 "foot soldiers of terror" being stopped. Ashcroft said. But he also told the House Judiciary Committee the law "has several weaknesses which terrorists could exploit, undermining our defenses."

Then it seems that things are going full swing now - Mr Holland says, "The death penalty would allow for executions in cases where a terrorist caused "massive loss of life" by attacking a military base, nuclear plant or energy plant, the Justice Department said. Then Mr. Holland reports that, "Mr. Ashcroft also said some courts have said that "going and taking training, and joining up with "terrorist groups" abroad could not be prosecuted under the current material support statute, and he wants that fixed."

There is more, Mr. Holland reports, "In addition, federal suspects in gun, drug and organized crime cases "where public saftey is a concern" automatically are held indefinitely when they are arrested", Ashcroft said. "It seems as though the crime of terrorism should have the same presumption," he said.

Some of the things that worry me, "permit the government to hold more suspects indefinitely," and "extend the death penalty to more people accused of terrorist crimes." It appears to me that some of this stuff already in force as well as the extensions he wants sets all of us up to be under the threat of the very laws that are supposed to protect us. "Death penalty to more people accused - - -

Holy cow the way he wants it we can be suspected (by who ?) and held indefinitely (no due process - no attorney) and killed over an accusation. At least it looks to me that Mr. Ashcroft is grabbing for absolute power over all of us. Then there the cute names all of our government people hang on things, i.e. "foot soldiers of terror."

There is opposition to his antics, Mr. Holland reports, "House Democrats, meanwhile complained about the way the Justice Department has used its current anti-terrorism powers, especially considering an internal report Tuesday that criticized the government's treatment of illegal immigrants held after the attacks. Justice's inspector general found "significant problems" in the Bush administration's actions toward 762 foreigners held on immigration violations after the attacks. Only one, Zacarias Moussaoui, has been charged in the United States with a terrorism-related crime; 505 have been deported. Some were held for up to eight months and others complained of abuse."

Seems to me that things are going out of control now, they are bad enough as they are and Mr. Ashcroft wants more unrestricted power to do in secret what he wants to without having to defend his actions. Wonder what I will be accused of and whiffed away to durance vile ?

Always in my mind are Questions, Questions . . . . . . . . . . . .

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