The Globe editorial page (June 20) provided opportunity for some heavy thinking. There was an excellent youth editorial advocating more local coverage in newspapers, a nationally syndicated column about Iran and Konrad Heid’s perspective on health care. All were thought-provoking.
I became distracted from those serious pieces however when my wife pointed out an AOL article on the new White House dog. Now that is a topic which really lends itself to political critique.
First, how do you house train a dog in the White House? Who cleans the carpets, or takes the dog for frequent walks, or teaches the dog not to chew on the furniture? Assuming that any unplanned federal expenses only increase the national debt, how many bonds and at what interest rate do we have to sell to China to support the dog? All of that is a fiscal debate.
The dog is mostly black with only one or two white spots. There is a complete absence of any brown or yellow spots. Should that be turned into a racial debate?
My wife tells me that the Kennedy family gave the dog to the president’s family. Is that influence peddling and should the president have accepted the gift? After all, we know how much Sen. Kennedy wants health-care reform to pass.
I assume the dog eats dog food and perhaps some table scraps. How much carbon energy was used to prepare the dog’s food? Perhaps he should only be fed “green” food. Do dogs like spinach? That’s an energy debate.
And then there is the possibility of a reproductive health debate. Should the dog be neutered or spayed? Is that unfair to the potential new puppies?
But then again, the presidency is a terribly difficult job. Maybe we should forget about the dog and let the First Family enjoy some quality time with the new pet. After all, the rest of Washington is going to the dogs, so why not let the White House join in?
Anson Burlingame
Joplin
Opinion
Voices: Serious pondering
- Opinion
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Our View: A better way of limit terms
A Missouri House committee on Tuesday endorsed a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow lawmakers to serve 16 years in the state Legislature, either the House or the Senate.
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Your View: Is it our fault?
When did coveting things and money take over character? What happened?
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Your View: No way to run a school
All throughout the state of Missouri, you’ll hear much discussion about teacher tenure and the indefinite contracts that go along with that. Most — if not nearly all — jobs in the private and public sectors have no such career protection.
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Your View: Prime suspects
If it’s too cool in the house, you can turn up the heat if you think you can afford it.
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Our View: Worldwide concern
There is growing concern worldwide that Israel might launch an attack on Iranian nuclear plants.
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Other Views: FAA deal up in air five years
The Federal Aviation Administration bill was delayed 23 times, but the agency finally has a law giving it $63 billion and full operating authority for the next four years.
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Don Ray, columnist: Obama's pipeline excuse an election-year cop-out
On Jan. 18, President Barack Obama announced he was rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline project — a project that had its beginnings some 40 months ago (September 2008).
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James Whitford, guest columnist: Broken people or broken system?
Are the people broken or is the system broken? If you walk into Watered Gardens, our rescue mission, it may seem the people are broken. But it’s a rescue mission. It just feels that way. And sometimes, it just looks that way.
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Our View: Meaningless in Missouri
Missourians have an opinion about who should be the Republican candidate to run against Barack Obama in November. Too bad it won’t matter.
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Carol Stark: Joplin’s future depends on today’s land ethic
Leopold’s small book of essays and philosophical writings about the ethical call to love and respect the land made a big impact on the conservation movement over 60 years ago, and it continues to do so today.
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