Arjun Singh...

Poat #445 - the saga of the Wall...

I started this wonderful online journal three years ago. Reading back into the archives, I have covered a lot of ground - but there are also issues I come back to again and again.

I usually have my eye on what is happening in the world, on the big issues. So, it is a little surprising to me that the "wall" I reference in the title to this post is not the Berlin Wall or the Great Wall of China, but a very ugly, very final wall of concrete block I have recently had to have built in my apartment.

We live in a wonderful space, with wood floors, elegant baseboards, and modern fixtures. When it was first constructed, the contractor put a beautiful arch in wall between a 2 bedroom apartment and a bachelor apartment.

Only problem was the wall we went through was a firewall. And, we found out a few months ago, the wall would have to be put back up.

I kind of feel like my living space has been destroyed right now. But, I know that we can thrive with our new arrangement. I have started to rearrange all the furniture in the resurrected bachelor - which is now an office and laundry area.

I am not usually so glum about such things. I take pride in the fact that I know I will figure out a way to make it a great change.

Another Really Important Debate Going on in the USA

A lot of Americans are suing President Bush's people as well as other government and law enforcement officials - claiming their rights to free speech and protest have been breeched at various events where the US President has been speaking.

I really hope the courts establish very strong rules to protect people's free speech.

Here is an excerpt from a longer Associated Press article (an interesting read):

In the months before the 2004 election, dozens of people across the nation were banished from or arrested at Bush political rallies, some for heckling the president, others simply for holding signs or wearing clothing that expressed opposition to the war and administration policies.

Similar things have happened at official, taxpayer-funded, presidential visits, before and after the election. Some targeted by security have been escorted from events, while others have been arrested and charged with misdemeanors that were later dropped by local prosecutors.

Now, in federal courthouses from Charleston, W.Va., to Denver, federal officials and state and local authorities are being forced to defend themselves against lawsuits challenging the arrests and security policies.