Salem-News.com Articles written by Daniel Johnson

The American Problem

Because America is such a huge economy and military power, it has influences, positive and negative, virtually everywhere on the earth. The American problem, in fact, the world’s problem, is that as long as Americans continue to act, politically and militarily, as if they are the only people on earth, the future looks rocky indeed—for everyone.

(CALGARY, Alberta) - Sonia Sotomayor said during confirmation hearings: “American law does not permit the use of foreign law or international law to interpret the Constitution.”

She had little choice, when other Supreme Court justices in the past mentioned taking wisdom from other jurisdictions, they received death threats.

Israel: The Spin is Coming off the Rose

American voices are growing more openly critical of Israel as U.S. taxpayer money is swallowed by the Jewish state.

(CALGARY, Alberta) - Anti-Semitism used to be about bigotry and intolerance and justifiably condemned. Today anti-Semitism is about any criticism of Israel and its actions, no matter how legitimate and justifiable the criticism.

This latter is where I was until I started working with Salem-News. I’d always been a standard issue supporter of Israel, but that was because my view was formed by the contents of the standard media. Here at S-N, I’ve become aware that there are two sides to this tragic geopolitical horror show.

Stephen King: You`re Not That Scary

“Random chance—a freakishly close vote in the single decisive state—gave the Supreme Court the chance to resolve the 2000 presidential election. The character of the justices themselves turned that opportunity into one of the lowest moments in the Court’s history.”

(CALGARY, Alberta) - Time was, you wanted a good scare, you cracked a Stephen King novel. Now, for some, that’s no longer the case. King has been replaced by serious writers of political books.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Give Meaning Back to Independence Day

If you believe in democracy, we need freedom of the press. Support it with your modest amounts—tens and twenties or more if you can afford it—and know that you’re doing something for the world in which your children will live.

(CALGARY, Alberta) - We all know what self-censorship is. On a daily basis we routinely censor ourselves knowing that we should not say certain things to co-workers, friends, or family, just to keep relationships running smoothly (or, often, to keep our job). It’s not, in principle, a bad thing to do even though it’s sometimes just a way to put off unpleasant things until the future.

Masturbation

We cannot say it’s open season on adolescent males by older female teachers. Still it’s going happen, no matter what.

(CALGARY, Alberta) - On the morning of June 23, sixth grade teacher Susan Alderson was arrested at her home and charged with, among others, first degree rape. She had apparently began a sexual relationship in 2002 with a boy who was thirteen at the time. It continued until 2006, when the boy would have been seventeen.

One interesting thing here is that when women are raped, the act occurs over a relatively short span of time, usually minutes. But for young men, the act can take place over months and years. The “victim” in this case is now about nineteen—after whatever apparently happened, having ended about three years ago. Did it take him this long to catch his breath?

Crime and Punishment

Our society is pathologically distorted by money. Even the crime and punishment. Other than that, your opinion is as good as mine.

(CALGARY, Alberta) - On June 29, 2009, Bernard Madoff, convicted of the largest Ponzi scheme in history (about $65 billion) was sentenced to 150 years in prison. He’ll never wear a silk shirt again—except for the last time when he won’t feel it.

Considering that most crime is committed for money—either directly or indirectly—a little exploration might be both fun, educational—and discouraging.

Joshua Nordman: Victim or Criminal?

If Nordman had had some economic lifeboat so he and his family could continue to live (not just survive) with dignity and decency, the idea of robbing a bank would surely never have entered his thoughts.

(CALGARY, Alberta) - On the morning of June 23, 2009, Joshua Nordman walked into the Willamina branch of Bank of America, handed the teller a “threatening” note and walked away with an undisclosed amount of cash. He apparently made no attempt to hide his identity from the security cameras and was apprehended without incident a little more than two hours later at his home.

Under our system of law, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty, but in this case, I doubt that anyone would dispute the facts as just presented.

Late Night Thoughts Over a Can of Beer...

Life's losses and gains in film and music are tragic, but imagine what it is like for the funniest and most talented people on earth in the afterlife.

(CALGARY, Alberta) - Johnny Carson’s thirty year sidekick Ed McMahon died on June 23, 2009. Carson, who died in 2005 has been waiting these four years to greet McMahon at the Pearly Gates: “Heeeeeeeeeeeeeere’s Eddie”

CBS is gathering all the old episodes of the Ed Sullivan Show and is planning to rebroadcast them in the old Sunday night time slot as The Dead Sullivan Show.

A Lesson in Einstein

"For those of us who believe in physics, this separation between past, present and future is only an illusion, however tenacious" - Albert Einstein

(CALGARY, Alberta) - It started for me in the 1950s with a TV commercial for Kellogg’s Corn Flakes. The animated commercial showed a sunbeam zipping from the Sun to an ear of corn in a field. The voiceover said that it takes eight minutes for the Sun’s goodness to reach the corn in the field.

It’s basic arithmetic. The Sun is an average of 93 million miles away; the speed of light is 186,000 miles per second. Divide 93 million by 186,000 and the answer is 500 seconds, or eight and a third minutes.

Religion--A Long Way From Its Spiritual Roots

Here in the West we must find ways to take the next step beyond the separation of church and state and encourage not freedom of religion, but freedom from religion.

(CALGARY, Alberta) - After the Danish cartoon fiasco of 2005, French President Jacques Chirac said that “anything liable to offend the beliefs of others, particularly religious beliefs, must be avoided.” Self-censorship is not a positive social direction. Religion, contrary to conventional thought, is not a benign social institution.