Robert H. Jackson (1945) Opening Statement -- Nuremburg 1945

Said to be one of the greatest pieces of oratory at the beginning of the Nuremberg trials of crimes against humanity and should be viewed and listened to among those of all nations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJj6NcWHkDE

Singularly Lucky

I cannot stop thinking of Paris. What can and should be done to ameliorate our fears? What can we do at this moment in our time? Would removing all western troops from the Middle East even help now? I suspect no it would not. It is much more complicated than that now and one blog or opinion cannot say it all so I summarize my thoughts.

I love the west which is no secret from those who know me. I love the freedom of expression, I love the freedom to believe OR not to believe in religion. The two most important freedoms -- the freedom to speak as one chooses and the separation clause of the US Constitution that implies you may say anything you want ... ANYTHING for or against religious belief and religion itself remains separate from the state.

One can say, most especially, anything for or against a political belief or for or against any political policy which god knows I utilize that freedom with consistency because I may do that here. I am not afraid of the NSA, the FBI, the CIA or any other government institution entrusted with this nation's security because I love and believe in this nation and the impenetrable Constitutional principles on which shoulders our way of life and our freedoms rest.

In elementary school I remember thinking how wonderful it was that I could ask my teacher anything. So young was I to appreciate even then the blessing that was bestowed upon me. I was singularly lucky and so are we all who were lucky enough to be born in the west!

Are there changes in Middle East policy we must address? To be sure there are many and our nation has done much wrong. Still, with all of our nation's faults at least we can discuss them and ultimately change them. Yes, we were singularly lucky to be born in the west! It is worth preserving and it is worth changing policy to ensure those freedoms, we often take for granted, do not disappear from our midst.