The September 13 meeting of the Current Events Club was held at Meadow View Lodge. Praise was given to the six residents who organized the 9/11 commemoration at the Pavilion. A comment was made that the absence of any terrorist activity in the USA that day shows either that Al Qaeda is quite weak now, or our security people did a great job, or some combination thereof.
Matt Meyer reported on good news out of Turkey. Instead of doing their usual sectarian fighting, leaders of the Christian, Muslim and Jewish religions came together to celebrate the end of Ramadan. By way of contrast, Irv Blitstein mentioned bad news out of Egypt, where the generally anti-Israeli sentiments culminated in attacks on Israel’s Embassy.
Mack Titus gave us the skinny on good(?) news from San Francisco, where public nudity has long been allowed. A new ordinance requires that a towel or such be placed on restaurant chairs and other places where others will also sit, before a bare behind rests on it.
The moderator reported on a recent announcement by the Justice Department that it will no longer pursue the deportation of illegal immigrants unless they are also guilty of criminal activity. Outrage over this selective enforcement of the law was muted by members who pointed out other areas where the current and other administrations decided which laws they will enforce.
When the audience was asked who had heard about a nuclear explosion in France, about half raised their hands. It was suggested that such news is a result of fear mongering about all things nuclear. A nuclear explosion results in a mushroom cloud; the explosion in France was a blast that occurred at a nuclear plant. Big difference.
Also discussed was the New York election to replace Rep. Anthony Weiner, Obama’s Jobs program, the issue of the press being allowed to cover Sun City community events, the closing of Kreutzer at the railroad tracks from September 26 to 30, the public’s apathy about attending Board of Education meetings, Lisa Madigan’s campaign to take Catholic Charities out of the adoption and foster care business because it sends unmarried couples who wish to adopt to other agencies, a clever way crooks get you to exit your car so that they can hijack it, United Nations recognition of Palestine, Da Bears, absence of immigration reform efforts, length of school day, China backing of Italian debt, the expected Greek debt default, and more. You had to be there.
