Oddly enough, looking at the speech yesterday night what was most vivid is how old and frail John McCain looked as he stood there. Old, frail, yet covered in makeup to make him look younger. He did not take pride in his age. He would talk of strength and yet his voice was weak. This is not meant as a critique of his age -- older statesmen have shown remarkable strength. It is not meant as a critique of the weariness that comes over every politician after a long campaign. It is just a fact -- his being did not match his rhetoric, and he seemed frail and out of place on that stage...

Choosing Palin for Vice-President, someone who is clearly NOT qualified to be President, is a slap in the face of all those who fought for the right of women to be judged by their strength and not by their gender. It is a giant step backward. It is affirmative action as understood by sexist and racist bigots, a way to give a crutch to those they consider to be inherently inferior. Women who want to be treated the same as men, to be given the same opportunities, are hurt by this choice. It shows that gender is still an issue, so much of an issue in fact that gender can be more important than qualifications. Hillary would have been a qualified candidate regardless of gender, that is why she was so exciting, that is why she was a step in the right direction, breaking stereotypes and showing true gender equality based on merit alone. Palin is an embarrassment, one that will help reinforce many of the stereotypes that are so dear to the Republican conservatives and to the righteous right, that a woman is inherently inferior to a man.

Gore's Nobel prize should come as no surprise to those that have been following this man throughout his career. Likewise, it should come as no surprise that a country that elected G.W. Bush, a man that sets the bar for mediocrity, would not want a Nobel Prize winner to be their President. After all we want mediocre, weak men to lead us, not the ones with a vision who might actually lead as opposed to follow opinion polls. Such is the nature of politics, where compromise wins, and mediocrity abounds, since it is after all based on the concept that majority rules. It is a choice we made long ago, and it has its pros and cons.

Ultimately it was a blessing for Al Gore and a blessing for all of us that he did not become a President. It allowed him once again to be free of the shackles of mediocrity, free from the opinion polls, and to pursue what really mattered to him. It so happens that what mattered to him also matters for billions of people. It also happens that he embraced one of the greatest challenges of our modern era, without having to worry about pleasing the majority, and in doing so might help lead the world in a better direction.

Perhaps the only reason to study history is to learn from the past. These pictures are an important reminder of what was done by American soldiers. Since there is no guarantee that this won't happen again it is important to publish these pictures. I am always amazed by this administration's willingness to resort to torture. We still hear of "enemy combatants" being force fed in Guantanamo Bay, of other "enemy combatants" being deported to countries that condone torture. We had the White House object to the McCain's bill against torture. Well, a picture is worth a thousand words, to use an old cliche'. Thank you for this very important reminder -- sadly it is still timely and relevant, and will continue to be until the day that we shall all take a stand against torture instead of making escuses and simply say "no more."