Why are the Padres and Dodgers playing baseball in the dictatorship of China?

It's amazing to me how we are struggling to remove lead-tainted toys from our country that are made in China, fighting to force China to lift it's oppressive ban on news media there, and end its brutal campaign against political and social dissidents in China, and yet two major league baseball teams are playing an exhibition game in Beijing?

Are we that stupid or just ignorant as Americans?

China is a dictatorship. It is an oppressive terrorist nation. But we play this hypocritical game of double-standards carefully criticizing China's policies while still trying to make money off that nation?

Are we not making money off the lives of murdered Chinese dissidents? Are we not exploiting the slave labor of China? Are we not winking and nodding that it is okay for China to oppress it's people as long as we can by poinsoned toys cheap.

My son came up to me this morning while I was watching a CNN news broadcast of the Padres-Dodges game in Beijing, China and showed me a box of toy cars that he has from a huge collection that were made inC hina and we suspect are poisoned with lead.

Why do we tolerate some dictatorships when it benefits us economically and crackdown on dictatorships when we have no benefot to gain from them? Is that not hypocritical?

We are not the leaders of the Free World when we pick and chose morality, principle and do or do not enforce an international standard of the rule of law. You can't be half-pregnant. We're eaither the leader of the Free World and we champion freedom for everyone, including in nations that we gain that are dictatorships, or we are hypocrites and we don't care and we close our eyes to oppressive when it benefits us.

Doesn't that make America complicit in the oppression of freedom, and therefore void our claim to be the "leader of the Free World?"

Pathetic. Hypocritical. Disgraceful. Embarrasing. Shameful.

Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com

To comment on this post, call Radio Chicagoland on Tuesday between 4 and 6 PM CST/Central Chicago time, at 773-777-1450 ... listen to the online simulcast of the live radio show by visiting www.WCEV1450.c0m ... go to www.RadioChicagoland.com for all information on the radio show.

Some related links (these are news links and may not be available indefinitely):

Padres versus Dodgers in Beijing, China:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/baseball/mlb/dodgers/la-spw-dodgers16mar16,1,2657424.story

China lead poisoning issue:
http://www.usrecallnews.com/2007/10/list-of-recalled-toys-for-lead-poisoning-hazards-childrens-toy-recalls-from-china.html

end

Being attacked by CAIR member for denouncing Hamas as a terrorist organization -- again

It's not unusual for an extremist to attack my views. I'm a Christian Arab who has frequently denounced Hamas as a terrorist organization, and they don't like that. Although there are many good people working and volunteering at CAIR, I was surpsrised to see an attack against me from someone who works at CAIR and who signed the attack with CAIR's name. The writer was responding to a column I wrote on the need not to give up on peace in the face of terrorism from Hamas and violence from Israel's government:

"I was surprised to read in the column by Ray Hanania, "Don't let violence
sabotage efforts toward peace," that Christians, Muslims and Jews have "never
lived together in peace."

"I'm sure that most of your readers, and probably the author too, can
attest to the fact that this is not true. I can appreciate the theme of the
column. But, as it reads, that one inaccurate statement defeats the entire
purpose.

"I expect more from the Daily Herald than to allow such naïve
generalizations to be printed. A little in-depth reporting might have shown that
peace between Christians, Muslims and Jews is not a high-minded ideal, but a
process that is going on right now in our city, as well as all over the world.
The hundreds of thousands of Jews, Muslims, and Christians in the Chicago area
are a daily living testament to this.
Luke Willson,
Communication Intern CAIR-Chicago

Of course, Luke Willson did not read the column, otherwise he would have noted that my comment "Christians, Muslims and Jews have never lived in peace" is a direct reference to the conflict in Palestine before 1948, and not a statement, as he implies so wrongly, that it is about Christian, Muslim and Jewish relations in general.

Here is the link to the column:
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=149426

Here is the exact quote from the column, that Willson distorts, intentionally I suspect:

"Extremist Palestinians like Hamas, and extremist Israelis like the settlers and
other groups in between, all want the entire land of Israel and Palestine for
themselves. Palestinian extremists do not want to acknowledge Israel's right to
exist because they believe in the so-called "one-state solution" which would
revert the land to its pre-1948 days when Christians, Muslims and Jews
presumably lived together in peace. Of course, they are delusional because
Christians, Muslims and Jews have never lived together in peace."

Willson takes the quote out of context to make his unfair attack, which is intended, of course, to intimidate the Daily Herald to drop a Christian Arab journalist from writing a column and replacing him with a Muslim American columnist, preferably one that implies he has the stamp of approval from CAIR.

The conflict in Palestine began long before 1948 and Christians, Muslims and Jews have not lived in peace at all. Right after the end of World War I and the British Mandate began, Christians, Muslims and Jews began fighting in Palestine, culminating in riots against Jewish immigration by Muslims and Christians in the 1920s ... but before that, the Muslim Ottoman Empire persecuted Christians and Jews living in their domains for hundreds of years in Palestine, killing those that refused to live as "subjected peoples." Meaning, they live in the Ottoman Empire as "guests," not as equal citizens. It was a common habit of the Ottoman's to take the children of Christians and Jews and force them to serve in a special military force created.

But I think Mr. Willson's comments have more to do with my constant hammering of Hamas as a terrorist organization, which Muslims rarely denounce -- a failing that exposes the writer's hypocrisy.

The attack comes from an intern at the CAIR Chicago office in the "communications department" -- a Cair official said that the views don't represent the organization. But, CAIR rarely writes letters supporting my views, and that only reinforces my argument about poor relations, at least between Christian Arabs and some Muslims.

People like Willson should spend more time practicing what they preach. Normally the group would censure the remarks like these by others, but from one of its "interns" who not only expressed a personal view but did so using the name of the organization itself in his signature? We'll see.

Ray Hanania
http://www.radiochicagoland.com/

Did Rev. Wright go too far and was he just addressing issues many Americans believe but are afraid to say openly?

Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. has come under attack for expressing his views on a wide range of issues. Some sensitive, some not. His comments have sparked attacks against him and his associates from rightwing hatemongers in America like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck.

He is being ostracized. U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, who is a member of his church, Trinity United CHurch of Christ on east 95th Street, has been forced to renounce him because of pressure from the news media and hate-driven fanatics in the media and in American politics.

The topic will be one of those addressed on Tuesday's radio show (4 to 6 PM, WCEV 1450 AM Radio) on www.RadioChicagoland.com. If you are not in the Chicago area, you can listen to the show as it is broadcast at www.WCEV1450.com.

Here is a statement from Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright's Jr., web page:

Thank you for your interest in Trinity United Church of Christ and for your consideration of our member, Sen. Barack Obama, in the Democratic primary election. Due to the high volume of emails and inquiries, we are unable to respond to each one personally. We were overwhelmed with “hits” after Senator Obama’s historic victory in the Iowa democratic caucus.

Barack Obama has been a member of Trinity United Church of Christ for nearly two decades. As a young community organizer, new to Chicago, Barack met with Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., Trinity’s Senior Pastor, seeking advice. He received good counsel about the complexities of life in Chicago and the challenges faced by residents in poor communities like South Chicago’s Altgeld Gardens.

The United Church of Christ (http://www.ucc.org), Trinity’s denominational affiliation, is “a community of faith that seeks to respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed.” It was founded in 1957 through the union of several different Christian traditions. Not only does Trinity not exclude anyone from membership or attendance based on race or ethnicity, but:

The majority of UCC members are white; the conference minister of the Illinois Conference of the UCC (Rev. Jane Fisler Hoffman) and her husband (both white) are members of Trinity (You can watch a video of Rev. Hoffman speaking at Trinity about her positive experiences there.);
Trinity has been instrumental in working with and lending financial and staff support to the development of new UCC churches in Gary, IN (with the Indiana-Kentucky Conference of the UCC, Milwaukee, WI (with the Wisconsin Conference of the UCC), and Benton Harbor, MI (with the Michigan Conference of the UCC). There is no anti-American sentiment in the theology or the practice of Trinity United Church of Christ. To be sure, there is prophetic preaching against oppression, racism and other evils that would deny the American ideal. Trinity is “Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian.”

Trinity was founded in 1961 and had 87 families when Dr. Wright started his tenure in 1972. Currently, as Dr. Wright anticipates a 2008 retirement, there are more than 8,000 members, 70 ministries, and three Sunday worship services. You and your family can watch these services online at 7:30am, 11:00am and 6:00pm CST.

If you require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Senator Obama's office:
Devorah Adler at dadler@barackobama.com Joshua DuBois at jdubois@barackobama.com Yours in Christ!

Comcast comes under fire for unfair policies by employee group

Comcast Employees Seek Respect, Union Contrac
tIllinois in Spotlight of IBEW Nationwide Campaign Demonstrations at Local Comcast Facilities, Wednesday, March 12 Media

Contact: Tom Hopper, 630-960-4466 x223630-222-9119 (cell)

Chicago – Contacted by Illinois Comcast employees seeking respect on the job and the protections of a union contract, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) today is launching a nationwide campaign to provide information and support for the workers’ efforts. IBEW organizers are leafleting in Illinois and nationwide at Comcast facilities, directing employees to a Web site, www.comcastworkersunited.com, which includes information about the campaign and a message from IBEW President Edwin D. Hill. Demonstrations in Illinois will held at the following Comcast facilities:

• 2508 W. Rt. 120, McHenry, IL 1150 Washington St, Morris, IL
• 6609 W. Stanley, Berwyn, IL 9651 Grosspoint Rd, Skokie, IL
• 820 Madison St., Oak Park, IL 1931 W. Diversy, Chicago, IL
• 12141 S. Cicero, Alsip, IL 721 E 112th, Chicago, IL
• 1011 Wilson St, Batavia, IL 1255 W. North Ave., Chicago, IL
• 300 Carpenter Dr., Carpentersville, IL 350 N. Wolf Rd, Mt. Prospect, IL
• 1065 Tower Rd, Kankakee, IL 17700 Hoffman Way, Homewood,IL
• 596 Lamont, Elmhurst, IL 655 Wise Rd., Schaumburg, IL
• 1500 McConnor Pkwy, Schaumburg, IL 1304 Marquette, Romeoville, IL
• 1585 Waukegan Rd., Waukegan, IL 2001 York Rd., Oakbrook, IL
• 8101 183rd St., Tinley Park, IL 10100 Woodward Ave., Woodridge,

“Over the past several years, we’ve seen a boom in the telecommunications industry and the creation of many new skilled jobs,” Hill said in the message. “But not all workers are enjoying the economic potential and security of these new jobs.” The IBEW represents cable and telecommunication workers across the United States and Canada. Comcast, the nation’s largest provider of cable TV and broadband Internet service, has strongly resisted workers’ efforts to organize and to bargain for fair and equitable contracts. Pointing out that Comcast CEO Brian Roberts earned $27.8 million last year, on the strength of his contract with the company, Hill said that Comcast “is fighting your right to have a contract. … We believe you deserve a voice on the job (and compensation) fitting to your skills and the quality of your work.”

# # #

The IBEW is an international labor organization that represents approximately 725,000 workers in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Republic of Panama. The IBEW has members in construction, utilities, manufacturing, telecommunications,

Eliot Spitzer, Clinton-Obama and taxes focus on Thursday's show

Guests this past Thursday include two New York-New Jersey columnists, Errol Louis of the New York Daily News and Bob Braun of the New Jersey Start-Ledger Newspapers discussing the resignation of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer and the implications of the sex scandal that brought him down. We also have Dan Proft, a media and political consultant discusses ramifications of the Spitzer controversy, Geraldine Ferraro and the Clinton-Obama presidental knock-out, drag-out fight. Guests also include Dave Astor of Editor & Publisher Magazine discussing the profession of syndicated columnists and columnists who are standup comedians -- there are not a lot. And, Jim Tobin of National Tazpayers United of Illinois on the tsunami of tax increase in Chicago, Cook County and Illinois.

All of the show segments, including most past shows, are not online. You can go to www.RadioChicagoland.com to listen to the segments online on our podcast blog, or you can automatically download the segment podcasts to your iPod for easy listening.

We also featured several letters from readers of my column at www.SWNewsHerald.com, and call ins from listeners on the show at Radio Chicagoland, WCEV 1450 AM, Tuesday and Thursday from 4 to 6 PM. You can listen to the shows live online when they are broadcast by tuning in to www.WCEV1450.c0m, or link to WCEV's streaming audio from our Radio Chicagoland web page.

Dental care denied to Illinois families

Nearly Two Million Working Families in Illinois Shortchanged on Basic Dental Care

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., March 12, 2008 /PRNewswire -- 'Bridge to Healthy Smiles' Coalition Launches Statewide Campaign to Close Dental Care Gap

A crisis exists for the hundreds of thousands of Illinois families who rely on government-funded programs for their health care needs. These programs, such as Kidcare, All Kids, Family Care and Medicaid, are grossly under funded. In fact, reimbursement rates in Illinois are among the lowest in the nation.

The Bridge to Healthy Smiles coalition today is holding a 10 a.m. news conference at the Illinois State Capitol press room to launch a statewide campaign dedicated to bringing equitable and affordable dental care to all Illinoisans. The heart of the issue is the lack of access to dental care in rural and parts of urban Illinois. According to the Agency for Health care Research and Quality, 26 percent of poor or near-poor families see dentists annually compared to 40 percent of middle-income families and 54 percent of high-income families nationally.

"We are asking Illinois legislators to take important steps to close the dental care gap," said Dr. Keith Dickey, president of the Illinois State Dental Society. "It's alarming to know that 40 percent of all Illinois counties do not have access to dental care. We are committed to making family oral health care a priority for those who need it most."

To fill this dental care gap in Illinois, a comprehensive three-point plan is being announced today. The plan encourages:

-- Raising the Medicaid reimbursement for dental care;
-- Opening 10 dental clinics by 2010 throughout Illinois to reach people in need; and,
-- Encouraging new dentists to practice in underserved areas by forgiving a portion of their dental school loans.

"Too often, the parents of children who rely on public healthcare have a difficult time finding a dentist leaving kids in pain and unable to succeed in school. The passage of Bridge to Healthy Smiles legislation is critical to bringing much needed dental care to underserved areas in Illinois," explains Robyn Gabel, executive director of the Illinois Maternal & Child Health Coalition.

"This is a serious public health issue," said Dr. Sheila R. Brown, executive director of Lincoln Dental Society. "There is an undeniable link between general health and oral health care. It's time to stop penalizing working-poor families in urban and rural Illinois and begin offering equal access to dental care for all.

To learn more about the Bridge to Healthy Smiles Coalition's three-point legislative campaign including current legislation, a map of the 48 underserved areas in Illinois and a chart comparing national dental reimbursement rates visit http://www.BridgeToHealthySmiles.com.

About Bridge To Healthy Smiles Coalition

The Bridge to Healthy Smiles campaign is led by a diverse coalition working to improve oral health across the state. Coalition members include:

-- Illinois State Dental Society, representing more than 6,300 dentists, dental hygienists, dental lab technicians and dental students;

-- Lincoln Dental Society, an Illinois-based organization representing African-American dentists;
-- Hispanic Dental Association, dental professionals dedicated to promoting and improving the oral health of the Hispanic community and providing advocacy for Hispanic oral health professionals; and,

-- Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition, recognizing that healthy infants, children, mothers and families constitute the basis of our society. IMCHC is dedicated to promoting and improving their health and well being through advocacy, education, community empowerment and policy development.

# # #

Pre-taped interviews with Coalition spokesman in Baghdad, Iraq Tuesday

Radio Chicagoland's Tuesday show features pre-tapaed interviews with Rear Admiral Gregory Smith, spokesman for the Coalition Forces based in Baghdad, Iraq on the status of our troops. Also, the show Tuesday on WCEV 1450 AM Radio (4 to 6 PM) also features an interview with Bob Gusanders, co-publisher of the Southwest News-Herald Newspaper on the challenges facing community newspapers, the important role of community newspapers, and the Southwest News-Heralds expansion over the past several years into the Internet and recently into radio with this show, Radio Chicagoland. Also, I will be replaying an interview with political activist Bob Creamer, who wrote a new book "Listen to Your Mother, Standup Straight: How Progressive Can Win."

Thursday, we have an interview booked with David Astor, an editor at Editor & Publisher Magazine on the status of syndicated columnists and journalism around the country.

Ray Hanania