Congress Lacking Balls? Naaaahhhh! Never!

I think it's a very sad commentary on our screwed up political system that the so-called "free-marketeers" in Congress (ie: the Republicans) have basically bent over the chair and completely given in on the prescription drug issue. The reason they did it is so that they don't get attacked on the issue in the next election. Rather than being leaderly and convincing people why this is a bad idea, they have decided to sacrifice their prinicples and completely sell out. The plan is expected to cost about $400 billion. But, it opens the door to more extensive plans in the future as drugs get more advanced and hence more expensive.

Boriqua Despierta
Ok, so yesterday I made several mistakes. First, I went outside of my Upper West Side apartment on the day of the Puerto Rican Day Parade. Second mistake, was venturing into Central Park on said day. I don't think that I have ever been exposed to so much ghetto booty in my entire life. But, that's besides the point.

What I don't understand is why the Puerto Rican community chooses an image that is so, well... thuggish. Can't they find people who are not Thug4Lyfe to be role-models for their community? And then people wonder why 14 year-old Puerto Rican girls get pregnant and why such a large portion of the male population is in the slammer. Rudy Giuliani's inherent racism as the white man keeping the brotha down only goes so far.

What I also don't understand is why Puerto Rican community leaders: congressmen, city council members, school board members, etc. patronize a parade whose imagery, language, etc. is so thuggish. Imagine a St.Patty's day parade in which the decor involves alcoholism, gambling, and spousal abuse. I bet that Rep. Peter King (R-NY) and other prominent Irish leaders will denounce this kind of organization immediately. This is why incidents like the kind in Central Park several years ago (in which several women were raped by a couple of thugs who had had eight too many Forties) happen during the Puerto Rican Day Parade and not on St. Patty's Day. That community should really find some better role models besides J. Lo, Fat Joe, and whoever else happens to be the rap flava of the month.

Hello
Wow. I really haven't posted in a long long time. Well, now is the summer. So, hopefully I will be back in blogging form.