In the weird world view of the Left, mentioning God or Christmas can be "offensive" but glorifying muderous terrorists is just fine. Here is the latest example (excerpts):
"Barrister Julian Burnside, QC, yesterday urged Australia's performing arts centres to fight censorship after revelations that Melbourne City Council had banned an artwork featuring Islamic terrorist groups. A council member of the Victorian College of the Arts, as well as Musica Viva and the Chunky Move dance company, Mr Burnside raised the case of a VCA graduate, Azlan McLennan, whose work "Canberra's 18" is a portrait series of leaders of proscribed terrorist groups - including the al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden - overlaid with text of official US explanations of their origins..... The same artist last year had a work critical of Israel removed from public exhibition after a barrage of complaints.... Mr Burnside said that, with dissent rarely aired in the media and opposition political parties "missing in action", arts venues were crucial gatekeepers of public forums for community groups. "Be receptive," he told them.
Source
More on the Pledge
OK, I'm not a GOP mouthpiece (I'm not even an American) but I thought the following statement issued by the U.S. House Education & the Workforce Committee Chairman John Boehner (R-OH) was pretty apt.
"Today's ruling on the Pledge of Allegiance is a disgrace to all Americans who recite these words as an oath to our great nation and the principles of freedom upon which it was founded.
"The United States Supreme Court begins its sessions with the words 'God save the United States and this honorable court' and the Ten Commandments are displayed in the Court's solemn chamber. Each day, my colleagues in the House and I begin our legislative work with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. And every person in America - including the federal judge who issued today's misguided decision - is paid with and spends currency on which the phrase 'In God We Trust' is prominently displayed.
"As Chairman of the Education Committee, I am concerned about the implications of this decision for the nation's schools. As a proud American citizen, I am concerned about what this decision says about our nation as a whole."
Note that there is a good coverage of the issue from a legal point of view here
"Giants" incorrect?
On Monday night, the San Francisco Giants professional baseball team wore uniforms bearing the name "Gigantes". Funnily enough I doubt that some Latin American soccer team will be changing the name on their uniforms from "Gatos" to "Cats" any time soon.
Being a tolerant Anglo type myself I don't see any great harm in the name change if that is what the San Francisco team really wants to do but I think it is pretty sad if it means Anglo people are becoming ashamed or embarrassed about their own heritage. A brief media excerpt below:
"The party didn't end at the gates. Tambores de Colombia, a band that performed outside, performed behind home plate before the game. The Giants team got into the act, too, by wearing jerseys that replace the word "Giants" across the chest with the name "Gigantes."
Source
Apparently the team does have at least some Latino players and the name-change is apparently not intended to be permanent so maybe it is just courtesy and not political correctness. But in San Francisco, one always expects the latter, of course.
