This is progress, I suppose

Apparently NPR, that bastion of liberal-think and boredom, has fired analyst Juan Williams for making an honest remark on "The O'Reilly Factor." His remark was that he gets nervous when he sees Muslims dressed in Muslim garb getting on an airplane he's about to board.

I don't know where the folks who run NPR live, but shee-it. He ain't the only one, brother. Apparently, though, that statement was just to controversial for the NPR crowd.

What makes me ask if this is progress is Williams is black. This is not some rich white guy spewing racial hatred. It's a black guy woh has written abuot the civil rights movement and understands about the issues of judging people by their appearance alone.

In ol' Ty's opinion, the guy was just being honest, and human. He didn't say those people shouldn't be allowed on the plane, or that all Muslims are terrorists like that other ass clown. He said, "This is how I react when I see them." He basically acknowledges it's his issue, not the Muslims'.

WTF? You get fired for that? Call me crazy, but I thought this was America, where your right to free speech is guaranteed by a little thing we like to call The Constitution! I dunno, maybe the ultra-liberals at NPR have never heard of that document because they're too busy trying to save the whales or something. What a bunch of assholes. Again, Williams didn't make any blanket statements about any group, or say people should do anything about them. Just that he gets nervous.

If you want to restrict someone's right to free speech, go after that asshole preacher from Kansas RoadRage blogged about - the one who protests outside the funerals of fallen soldiers. Not some guy with the guts to be honest.

This country is getting to be one big pussy suck-hole.

Jim Hendry Needs a Gut Transplant

I love baseball, but as a Cub fan, I sometimes look forward to the off-season to give my ulcer a rest. Yesterday, though, I was reminded that the Cubs are just as bad for my health away from the field as they are when they're blowing a four-run lead in the bottom of the ninth.

Ever since Lou Piniella retired, I was hoping the Cubs would reward Ryne Sandberg for his 28 years of dedication to the team by naming him the next manager. When Ryno wanted to manage after Dusty Baker was shown the door at the end of 2006, he was told he needed to have experience to be considered, so he went and toiled in the minor leagues for three years, showing that he can do the job -- making the playoffs two years in a row and winning the Manager of the Year this past year. But again, Ryne was rejected in favor of Mike Quade, of course the cheapest option available to the Cubs.

On announcing the decision to hire Quade over Sandberg, Hendry said that it was a "gut decision." Looking back at Hendry's history with the team, here are some other decisions his "gut" made for him:

- His gut decided that it was a good idea to sign Alfonso Soriano, a player who was clearly beyond his prime, to an 8-year, $136 million deal.

- Hendry's gut also thought it would be swell to sign Kosuke Fukudome for $48 million.

- His gut had another stroke of genius when it convinced Jim to sign Milton Bradley for $30 million over three years, when there were four or five other right fielders available who were better, signed for less money with other teams, and didn't have the baggage that everyone knew Bradley had when he came to the team.

The Cubs are going to be rebuilding for years thanks to these bonehead moves by Hendry, and Ryno would have been the right guy for the job, as he has managed many, if not all of the minor leaguers who will be coming up to play for the Cubs.

Hopefully, Quade does a good job, but judging on Hendry's track record, he'll be a miserable failure. Fortunately, the Cubs won't have a multi-million dollar contract to swallow if they can him before his contract ends.

Jim Hendry, you suck!

RoadRage

Supreme Court, Support the Rights of Soldiers who have Fought for Your Rights!

You know, RoadRage likes to have some fun on this blog, complaining about the lack of Ding Dongs east of the Mississippi, the overabundance of vanilla ice cream varieties in stores and people blaming McDonald's for making their kids fat slobs.

.

But today, RoadRage is truly outraged, and it's not only because the Cubs hired Mike Quade as their next manager instead of Ryne Sandberg.

.

What I'm angry about is this scumbag pictured to your left, Reverend Fred Phelps. Phelps is the piece of garbage you have heard about who is leading protests at the funerals of our fallen soldiers. His followers hold signs that say hateful comments like "Thank God for Dead Soldiers," and even young kids hold signs that say things like "God Blew Up the Shuttle."

.

He and his followers are doing this because he says the military and U.S. are too tolerant of homosexuality and he says God is punishing us by killing our soldiers. Apparently, God has decided to share his thoughts on homosexuality with bigots and complete morons.

.

Right now, the Supreme Court is determining the legal right of Phelps (or anyone else) to hold these protests at another person's funeral.

.

As an American, I'm all for Freedom of Speech, but this form of "speech" should not be protected, and any lawyer worth his salt should be able to prove this in front of the nation's highest court.

.

The first defense, and easiest to support, is the fact that this type of speech should be considered a hate crime. With protesters holding signs that say "God Hates Fag Enablers" it is clear that these imbeciles are committing a hate crime, so they should be rounded up and thrown in jail.

.

Secondly, while protesters have Freedom of Speech, the families of dead soldiers also have their freedoms, including their Freedom of Expression. So, what's to stop the father of a fallen soldier from expressing himself by beating the ever-living crap out of anyone who protests at his child's funeral? I guess he could be charged with assault and battery for causing injury...but shouldn't the protester also be charged for causing injury for the mental anguish they are causing the military families?

.

Couldn't a lawyer easily demonstrate that psychological pain and suffering lasts longer than the physical pain caused by a good, well-deserved thrashing by calling in medical experts to testify? And, therefore, wouldn't these protesters be committing a crime for the mental anguish they are causing?

.

It seems pretty straight forward to me, and I hope that the Supreme Court does the right thing by stopping these disgusting activities. To me, these people are clearly committing illegal activities by infringing on the rights of other Americans. But, if the court doesn't agree with those legalities, I would hope they could put an end to this out of common decency.

.

These men and women are putting their lives on the line every day to protect our liberties -- including the Freedom of Speech. If they pay the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives, they not only deserve to be laid to rest in peace they have also earned that right, as have the members of their families.

.

If the Supreme Court doesn't act, RoadRage may have to start his own cult that protests at the funerals of family members of Fred Phelps and his followers to give them a taste of their own medicine.

.

Reverened Phelps, you suck, and I hope you enjoy your wing in hell.

.

RoadRage