FLAG DAY by David Karki You Won’T Hear Any of This That He Flunked the Course
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VOL. 113 - NO. 24 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, JUNE 12, 2009 $.30 A COPY Obama’s Execrable Speech to Muslims FLAG DAY by David Karki You won’t hear any of this that he flunked the course. about its inexcusable and June14, 2009 via the state-run media, but History, as the rest of us cowardly silence (which President Obama gave an know, is stuff that actually naturally leads the rest of outrageous, pathetic, ex- happened. us to conclude they must be ecrable speech in Cairo last Then, with his usual in- OK with it), Obama instead Wednesday. ability to say America is went completely supine, First, he falsely gave right about anything, he failing to condemn an ac- credit to Islam for all sorts of soft-pedaled responsibility commodating attitude to- historical achievements for 9/11 and pandered to ward that unconscionable that pre-dated it by centu- those he should have been butchery ries, and with which they lecturing. (Never did he Worst of all, he drew a des- had no involvement at all. utter a peep about Islam’s picable moral equivalence Space precludes me from horrible treatment of women between the Holocaust and listing them all here, but a and homosexuals. I’d think the Palestinians that should few of the whoppers included: that would trouble the femi- leave any human being with Algebra (ancient Babylon, nists and gay rights folks a sense of decency tossing then Greece, both which just a wee bit.) his or her lunch: pre-dated Islam by a millen- Virtually everything he “Around the world, the nium or so); navigation and said was about America Jewish people were perse- the compass (China and the not stereotyping or blaming cuted for centuries, and Show your colors, Mayans both easily surpass all of Islam for what 19 evil anti-Semitism in Europe and well before Islam); pens monsters did to 3,000 inno- culminated in an unprec- America! and printing (Gutenberg cent people. There was not edented Holocaust ... Six invented movable type in a word to the folks of the million Jews were killed — Germany in 1439, and ink religion from which these more than the entire Jew- on parchment pre-dated Is- terrorists sprang about its ish population of Israel to- lam by the better part of two role in having created day. On the other hand, it is Go Ahead and Vote millennia); arches and them, nor their responsibil- also undeniable that the spires (uh, Rome, Greece, ity as fellow Muslims to not Palestinian people — Mus- Persia, et al?). let violent psychos tarnish lims and Christians — have TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2009 And to start that list, the whole of that body of suffered in pursuit of a Obama described himself “as believers. homeland. For more than — Final Election — a student of history.” He ap- Given a golden opportunity parently forgot to mention to confront the Islamic world (Continued on Page 15) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE THIRD SUFFOLK DISTRICT SEAT Mayor’s Column It’s YOUR RIGHT by Thomas M. Menino, Mayor, City of Boston as an American ... The Boston Public Schools have come geting, and staffing. Teachers need a long way since the early 1990s, when more flexibility to collaborate and set Your vote does count ... 7 of our schools were losing accredita- school hours for kids. That’s why I’m tion and parents were leaving the filing state legislation to create a new district. Since then, we’ve invested form of in-district charter schools. heavily in early education and doubled These schools will be established solely after-school programs. We’ve closed by the school committee, so we can News Briefs underperforming schools and opened speed up the pace of reform. The staff by Sal Giarratani pilot and k-to-8 schools that parents can be unionized, but no union sign- want. U.S. News & World Report has off will be required to create the schools. ranked 8 of our high schools among the Above all, in-district charter schools Powell’s a Big Zero Star Ex-General nation’s best. But the nation’s best is will be able to attract and retain the Retired US Army General Colin Powell just not good enough for me, and it’s not good best teachers, and the school day can addressed the Greater Boston Chamber of enough for the children of Boston. We be tailored to the students’ needs. They Commerce dinner and said the United States owe it to parents and children to trans- will provide lessons for the whole sys- would survive the economic turmoil because form all of our schools to meet the chal- tem, but will be designed to turn around we always have before. lenges of the future because today’s stu- our lowest performing schools. The 72-year-old former National Security dents are tomorrow’s leaders. Each school will be held accountable Advisor for President Ronald Regan and former Although we’ve made tremendous to performance contracts. If they aren’t Secretary of State for President George W. gains, I’m frustrated with the pace of our working, we’ll shut them down. When Bush just loves to take swipes at the GOP. At progress, especially in our under- they are working, we’ll replicate them. the dinner he joked about Rush Limbaugh and performing schools. To get the results Their creation will improve educa- said, “There’s another version of the Republi- we seek — at the speed we want — we tional opportunities for all children — can Party (without Rush Limbaugh) getting must make transformative change. at every school — not just low perform- ready to emerge again. I’m proposing two reforms that will ac- ing schools. I’ll work with my partners How fast this street-smart kid from the Bronx celerate our progress. First, we need to on Beacon Hill to pass legislation by went from being Chairman of the Joint Chiefs empower our educators to quickly the end of this legislative session. If of Staff to endorsing Barack Obama for presi- innovate and implement what works. that does not happen, I am prepared to dent in 2008. Why anyone even cares about Second, we need to strengthen the link support another way forward by calling his opinion of today’s Republican Party is between teachers’ work and student for the cap on charter schools to be beyond this writer. performance. lifted. (Continued on Page 13) To achieve these goals, our schools need greater flexibility in hiring, bud- (Continued on Page 13) THE POST-GAZETTE SATELLITE OFFICE IS NOW OPEN AT 35 BENNINGTON STREET, EAST BOSTON This office is open on Mondays and Tuesdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM and Thursdays from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PMPM, for the convenience of our East Boston and North Shore clients and contributors Call 617-227-8929 for more information Page 2 POST-GAZETTE, JUNE 12, 2009 Mayor Menino Announces Options for Correct TV Disposal After Digital Switch Mayor Thomas M. Menino television signals beyond announced various ways for the June 12th transition residents to properly dispose date, consumers who do THE APPLES OF THE HESPERIDES of unusable televisions be- not subscribe to cable or The legend concerning the upon Prometheus, still vice of Prometheus, Her- fore and after the federally satellite television, but who apples of the Hesperides bound to the rock. We re- cules offered to relieve mandated shutdown of tele- receive free, broadcast-only starts with the marriage of member Prometheus as Atlas of the weight tempo- vision channels analog sig- TV reception have three Jupiter, chief of all Roman the Secondary Titan who rarily if he would gather the nals and the transition to options: gods to the goddess named stole fire from the gods golden apples from the gar- digital television (DTV) on • Purchase a new televi- Juno. The wedding was at- and gave it to mankind. den. Atlas agreed, fetched June 12, 2009. sion set with a built-in digi- tended by all other deities Later he displeased Jupiter, the apples, and returned Boston residents can call tal tuner. If residents choose who brought beautiful gifts. so he was chained to this shortly thereafter. Hercules the Mayor’s 24-hour hot- this option, they should re- The grandmother of the rock where each day a soon discovered that Atlas line at (617) 635-4500 to member to call the Mayor’s bride brought a wedding gift giant eagle tore at his liver, did not intend to resume his schedule a curbside pick- 24-hour hotline for home of golden apples growing on which grew whole again great burden, but instead, up or they can drop their pickup of your old TV or live branches. As soon as each night. The best artis- offered to deliver the apples televisions off themselves monitor. the ceremonies had ended, tic representation of this himself. Having this great at any Boston Public Works • Purchase a set-top con- the branches were planted legend has been portrayed weight upon his back pre- yard on Saturday, June 20th verter box that will convert in the sacred garden of on an eight foot high oil on vented Hercules from re- and Saturday, June 27th be- the digital signal into ana- Juno. The Hesperides, three canvas masterpiece by Peter sorting to any kind of force tween 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. log for an existing television daughters of Atlas, and a god- Paul Rubens. It is entitled against Atlas. Through cau- “We have reached out to set. If residents choose this dess named Hesperis, were “Prometheus Bound” and is tion and wit, Hercules pre- residents about the DTV option, they can apply to the directed to cultivate and owned by the Philadelphia tended to agree to the Transition through a num- federal government for up to watch over the growing Museum of Art.