A View of Something Shocking

I don't know about you, but I've been shocked, shocked by some things I've seen in the paper, on the news and posted on the Web lately.

For example, I'm shocked, shocked that the feds still haven't brought charges against any of our crooked local officials. Isn't the federal govenment usually more efficient and organized in their crime fighting efforts than they have been in these cases? Here's something that's shocking: Cops in a Texas-Louisiana border are robbing African-Americans blind simply because they can. A suit has been filed in U.S. District Court. Let's hope the courts do the right thing and not drag their feet the way fed investigators have with our local investigations.

I'm shocked, shocked that teens are being treated as dangerous criminals for "sexting." I'm also shocked that it only seems to be girls who are sending the naughty messages. Boys don't get dirty with a cell phone? Really? Making a teenager a sex offender for talking dirty or sending a picture of themselves to another teenager seems to me to be a complete misuse of sex offender registries and our criminal system's resources. You know what's shocking? That LGBT teenagers are still being forced to deny who they are simply because close-minded adults can't handle the fact that there are LGBT teenagers. Or that some girls simply may not want to wear a dress to the prom, no matter what their sexuality may be.

I'm shocked, shocked that Bristol Palin, the poster child for why abstinence only sex ed for teens is not the answer, and her boyfriend Levi Johnston broke up after a fight. Teenage pregnancy is hard enough without adding a shotgun wedding to the mix. Still, hope springs eternal and maybe those crazy kids will make it work one of these days. I'll tell you what's shocking: Hair extensions for babies. Because, you know, no fashionable baby will be caught dead in heels nowadays. What the hell....

I'm shocked, shocked that Republicans - so outraged by the earmarks in the recently passed spending bill - are getting 40% of them for their states. What's shocking is that I had to find this story on the CBC News website. How about some outrage about Republicans riding the earmark gravy train instead of falling back on the tired "flip-flop" argument, Fox News?

I'm shocked, shocked by the news that AIG got the financial hook-up - again. The company's actions were a major contributor to the current financial crisis, and their punishment is more money. See kids, sometimes crime does pay. I find it very shocking that workers who gave their lives and careers to a company like Delphi and were promised retiree benefits got screwed over. Again. The ones who need the bailout are getting buried by corporate greed and mismanagement.

I'm shocked, shocked that Detroit city leaders are still determined to be as divisive as ever when it comes to developing a regional plan for attracting business. I'm also shocked, shocked that they're using religion and race as their hold cards in the fight to keep Detroit as underdeveloped and irrelevant on a national scale as ever. What's shocking is that Detroit doesn't seem to have a lock on jaw-droppingly dumb political leaders as this story about work on a bestiality ban in Florida will show. The quotes from Larcenia Bullard will shock you, almost as much as the fact that 16 states still permit bestiality. What the hell....

More later, but right now I'm too shocked to continue.