Wading In

Brazen burglar shouldn't be so cocky By Kelvin Wade | | September 24, 2009 17:26 The crime issue gets a lot of attention in Fairfield. Sadly, we've become used to gunshots and gang violence and we applaud measures like the gang injunction to help curtail it. We know what streets and neighborhoods to avoid. We've seen crime both taint and victimize our own local government. Crime is the source of a lot of local fear. But right now there's at least one person, who happens to be a criminal, who should be more frightened than any Fairfield resident. I'm talking about the 'westside burglar,' a fiend suspected of committing more than 30 burglaries in Fairfield. Westside burglar, what are you thinking? You usually break into homes on the west side of Interstate 80 between Waterman Boulevard and Oliver Road between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. You boldly break into occupied homes. Well, since you usually enter through open windows and doors, we...

Racism was behind remark By Kelvin Wade | | September 17, 2009 14:36 This week, former President Carter mentioned the elephant in the room. He feels that much of the hostility fueling protests against President Obama is generated by racism. The truth of that should not come as a shock to anyone. Of course, the majority of opposition to President Obama is ideological. His critics think that he's moving the country toward socialism or that he's too liberal. Those are legitimate arguments and opposition. After all, these same critics loathed Bill Clinton, too. Republicans will predictably and inevitably claim that the 'race card' is being played and that all opposition is being painted as racist. No one has claimed that but they'll attack that straw man with a vengeance. That there are people who dislike Obama because of his race cannot be disputed. During the campaign, people showed up at McCain-Palin rallies with Curious George dolls representing Ob...

Obama school speech illustrates confirmation bias By Kelvin Wade | | September 09, 2009 23:55 It's hard to understand how two groups of people can watch President Obama give a speech to millions of schoolchildren and come away with such divergent views of what was accomplished. One side sees a speech on personal responsibility, setting goals and working hard. Another side sees Chairman Mao-like communism. They see subversive propaganda in which all that was left was for Leni Riefenstahl to film it. I'm tempted to just caricature the Obama haters as knuckle dragging ignoramuses who are terrified of socialism yet can't spell or define it. It's easy to see a group of people who obviously don't have enough tinfoil in their protective hats that define themselves by opposing the four I's: illegals, infidels, immorality and intellectualism. But by doing that, I'm just as guilty as right-wing punditocracy who characterize progressives as nonthinking...