Last night, I could barely watch my continuing marathon of Boston Legal episodes. I had read a story about Troy Davis’ impending execution, and I could not get him off my mind. Convicts are executed all the time, and I could not understand why this particular case weighed on me so much. I finally decided it was because, if I were in his shoes, I would want a complete stranger to be bothered that I was about to die.

I have been against the death penalty since my mid-twenties. It just felt wrong to take a human life, even if the life being taken had taken one themself. Still, as I’ve gotten older, my opposition to capital punishment has added some more practical points. For instance, police routinely coerce confessions, and over-zealous prosecutors often withhold evidence that might exonerate a defendant. The bottom line? Innocent men and women are executed every year. To me, if one innocent life is taken, the entire program must be abolished.

Why is American society so in favor of capital punishment? More astoundingly, why are so many Christians in favor of the death penalty? Many of the so-called pro-life crowd are the first ones to speak up when the abortion topic comes up. All too often, though, they are also the first ones to come out in favor of putting a human being to death. The incongruity is truly astounding.

The death penalty is not a deterrant, because people are still being murdered every year. Law enforcement is not infallible, because they are human just like the rest of us. Americans should never lecture other countries about justice, because we commit injustice each time we support state-sanctioned murder. In order for our justice system to work, it has to look out for everyone. It even has to look out for the politically inconvenient, the abject poor and the unpopular. This nation was built on a promise of fairness, and right now, we are far from fulfilling that promise.

I, like many Netflix subscribers, was royally pissed when they raised their prices so drastically a couple of months ago. It’s not so bad that they raised prices. Prices do go up on popular services, after all. It was how much they raised the prices, while simultaneously killing the popular option of getting both streaming content and DVD’s by mail. Then to top it off, Netflix acted like nothing was wrong.

Today, Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix, sent subscribers an email apologizing and explaining the company’s actions. Problem is, the apology just felt hollow. Why couldn’t Hastings have done this two months ago? Feelings by many Netflix subscribers are really just a bit too hurt now. So much so, in fact, that they have lost over 1 million subscribers since the announcement of the price and plan changes. Naturally, this has had an effect on their stock value, which has plummeted by 20%. I guess that is why the apology felt so hollow. His mea culpa came only after Netflix took a financial hit. Whether that was coincidental or not, the apology really does come across as disingenuous.

I understand the dilemma Netflix was and is facing. With its popularity on the rise, the film and tv studios wanted a bigger piece of Netflix’s income. The cost of providing streaming and dvd by mail was going up. Most people understand that, and expect that prices are going to go up. Nonetheless, acting with such a callous disregard for the very people that made Netflix such a success has been very disappointing. It feels like so few companies give a crap about their customers these days, and Netflix has seemingly added their name to that list.

Despite all of this, I am not going to cut off my subscription. I am going with the streaming only plan because it is the best thing out there right now. However, they have eroded that fierce loyalty I once felt toward them. Unfortunately, Mr. Hastings, your apology just isn’t enough.

Ignorance used to be considered a bad thing. It used to be that people would aspire to get an education, and become better versions of themselves. People used to want to know more about the world around them. Michele Bachmann, the Tea Party darling, has once again demonstrated that this is no longer the case in some conservative circles.

During a lively GOP debate, she sparred with Rick Perry over his executive order that would mandate Texas schoolgirls get a vaccination for human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a known cause of cervical cancer, and this vaccine would save thousands of young women in Texas. This morning, she doubled down while appearing on the Today Show when she insisted that the vaccine caused a 12-year old girl to develop mental retardation after receiving the vaccine. The only problem with that statement: it is categorically false.

In an unprecedented move during a political season, the American Academy of Pediatrics released this statement:

The American Academy of Pediatrics would like to correct false statements made in the Republican presidential campaign that HPV vaccine is dangerous and can cause mental retardation. There is absolutely no scientific validity to this statement. Since the vaccine has been introduced, more than 35 million doses have been administered, and it has an excellent safety record.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Academy of Family Physicians all recommend that girls receive HPV vaccine around age 11 or 12. That’s because this is the age at which the vaccine produces the best immune response in the body, and because it’s important to protect girls well before the onset of sexual activity. In the U.S., about 6 million people, including teens, become infected with HPV each year, and 4,000 women die from cervical cancer. This is a life-saving vaccine that can protect girls from cervical cancer.

If you have heard any of her usual talking points, you will know that she often rails against “Big Government”. She frequently goes on an on about how government is going to kill democracy, the apocalypse is coming, etc.,etc. Of course, none of this is true. Government run amuck is certainly a bad thing, but rather than having too much government, we have too little.

Deregulation and the continued Republican assault on government protections against corporate malfeasance is going to continue harming people. Bachmann’s attack on a simple vaccine that will keep young women safe from cervical cancer is not only dangerous but also irresponsible. I have no idea if she actually believes what she says, but I sure hope my fellow Americans don’t.

I am rightly critical of the GOP in this space, but I must admit that I do not take the Democrats to task enough for their feeble attempts at being “the adult”. So, as nutty as the current crop of Republicans are, the Democrats are equally as weak. As much as the Republicans are no longer the party of Lincoln, the Democrats are no longer the party of FDR. Greatness, it would appear, is in short supply in every government institution across the country. Not just in Washington.

Mike Lofgren, a former GOP congressional operative, wrote an amazing tell all about why he left government work. He seems to hit every point about why government now feels like a failed institution. This is not because we need less government. It is because, now, the government simply does not work. It is overrun by special interests and corporate money.

Click the read more link to see Lofgren’s piece reprinted in it’s entirety. It was originally published by TruthOut, and I found it here at ThinkProgress.

Read more…

Thank God for college football! This has been an extremely frustrating year in some respects. It seems that all I have had to talk about is the sorry state of our political system. However, September brings a new day, if only on Saturdays and Sundays.

My beloved Crimson Tide are starting the year #2 overall, but whether they win it all is secondary. I know. A Bama fan saying championships are secondary seems…insane. Just stay with me for a minute. Growing up in the South makes college football a passion almost by birthright. It often gets bequeathed to you from family. I am a Crimson Tide fan because of my father, who grew up in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

So, on this Saturday, September 3, 2011, I am a happy camper. College football has started, and the world is a little better. I can forget about all of the political bullshit, at least for a weekend.