Issues we never solve

"Founding Brothers" by Ellis describes the feeling of the South during the formation of the United States: Blacks (slaves) were not spoken of as human; so the South gave voice and sentiment to the ill feelings of whites toward blacks, an attitude that has affected the mentality of whites everywhere but particularly in the South and seems destined never to go away.

Taxes are one of the issues that ignited the American Revolution ( Boston Tea Party). It is reasonable that people pay their taxes so their governments can provide services. Will they ever stop bitching about taxes and find ways to avoid paying them?

This morning's Chronicle headlined the murder of the "abortion doctor" as he attended church. The nominee to the Supreme court will be faced with questions about her attitude toward Roe vs Wade; pro-life pickets have already lined up outside the White House. The abortion issue will always create a crisis.

Anti-Semitism, born soon after the crucifiction, has always been with us. I think of it as a form of ethnic cleasing matched in history by the Armenians, Bosnians, cultures in Africa and Asia. If it is not one place, it will be in another, forever.



Vietnam War. Americans cannot admit that we lost it---lots of reasons but no matter, we lost it. And we'll never admit it.

Attitudes toward homophobia are making progress with grudging acceptance of same sex marriage, but sentiment toward homosexuality and lesbianism, in general, show few signs of change.

Cheating in school, in the workplace, and in marriage has become the norm in our society. It is wrong but it goes on anyway; the watchwords are "Don't get caught."