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- Salty Ginger Talk Newsletter
It’s legal to beat your wife in Afghanistan as long as you don’t break a bone or leave an open wound
Our take: Two things here. First, my wife did not find it amusing when I asked her how she felt about moving to Afghanistan. I’m glad I have a comfortable couch, as it looks like I’ll be sleeping on it for some time.
Second, my joke above notwithstanding, these are the types of atrocious human rights violations we need to be focused on eradicating from the world. We spend so much time arguing about ice hockey gold medals, pronouns, and bathrooms while women across the world are being literally beaten without any protection or recourse.
We certainly have our issues in the US—misogyny and racism are unfortunately alive and well in our country, as any sane person can recognize—but our problems pale in comparison to those in many other societies. Perspective matters, and we should be doing all we can to help those in these terrible situations.
COURTESY: CNN
Nancy Pelosi's flip-flop illustrates a non-partisan problem we have in government
Our take: The US and Israel bombed Iran last Saturday, killing hundreds, including leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The operation was carried out without congressional approval, leading many to deem the attack unconstitutional, including former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. One issue with Pelosi’s outrage is that she unequivocally defended then-President Obama when he did the same thing in Libya in 2011 when Muammar Gaddafi was their leader.
There are several things to discuss here. First, this is not an argument defending or criticizing Trump and the Iran operation. We need politicians to stop excusing behavior when their side partakes in it only to criticize the same behavior when their political rivals do the same thing. It’s either right, or it’s not right. I don’t know if this is right or not right, but I know Trump and Obama were either both right or both wrong.
Second, we need to have this conversation no matter what Trump supporters think. I have heard many arguments for and against the operation, both of which are compelling. I do know that the President is authorized to carry out some military operations without congressional approval (notably Article II, section 2, and the War Powers Resolution of 1973), but we need to be very sure that the checks and balances in our government remain intact to both allow us to defend ourselves from imminent harm while preventing an authoritarian leader from committing the country to a full-scale war without anyone else weighing in. It’s a balancing act, and I don’t have enough information to know what I think is right or wrong. I do know for sure we need the people we elected to make those decisions to know what’s going on and ensure the appropriate balance is struck.
Finally, the world is a complex place. Iran has been attacking U.S. interests since the 1970s. The US was involved in a coup in Iran in 1953 to overthrow Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddegh. China and North Korea have long-term relationships with the oppressive Islamic regime that has ruled Iran through murder, fear, and intimidation for over 4 decades. Iran has also been enriching uranium in the hopes of developing nuclear weapons. The strikes may have been a preemptive move to protect US interests in the long term. Or they may have been a mistake. Either way, we need to have rational, fact-based dialogue about the issues, not politically motivated speaking points and platitudes that don’t get down to brass tacks.
COURTESY: THE TRUE STORY
Georgia father who bought his son a rifle used to shoot up school convicted of murder and manslaughter
Our take: A father who bought his son a rifle and provided him access and ammunition was convicted on 27 counts, ranging from murder to reckless conduct. The father purchased the weapon and ammunition even after the son was questioned by police about an online threat to shoot up the school over a year earlier.
I did not sit on the jury; therefore, I do not know all the details around this case. That said, we are 100% behind parents being held responsible for gun violence if they provide their children access to firearms. People love to talk about their rights (we do too), but not as many accept the responsibilities that go along with those rights. Anyone trained in gun safety (our father taught us when we were 7) knows you secure firearms away from anyone who should not have access to them, especially children.
This conviction will not bring back those senselessly killed in this tragedy. It can help send a message to other parents who may be considering providing access to firearms for their children to think twice about it if their children are untrained or struggling with mental or emotional turmoil in their lives. We can’t keep turning a blind eye to the gun violence perpetrated in schools across the country.
COURTESY: MSN
Tip of the day – How to approach difficult conversations
Find the path to action.
Mutually agree on when and how follow-ups will take place to create ongoing productive action to maximize buy-in. Document the process so that decisions and commitments can be discussed candidly and directly if disagreements happen in the future.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Happiness is not determined by what’s happening around you, but rather what’s happening inside you. Most people depend on others to gain happiness, but the truth is, it always comes from within.” – John Spence