Friday Night Issues At Planet News Views

By Scott McLean

More than on a rare occasion, I've been known to spend my leisure hours in coffee shops, especially on Friday evenings.

The bar scene began to make less sense when I noticed gray in my sideburns, not as much hair on top and realized a more peaceful environment was the best place for a Friday night philosopher.

When I arrive, my first thought is to find a nice, comfortable table, where I'm a part of the action but too much a part of it, if you know what I mean.

Sometimes we don't have much of a choice where to sit. For example, one time the last seat in the place was near the entrance, which fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it) was just across from the desserts, which included some absolutely divine cheesecake, but I'm getting off the main topic...

Thinking about issues, Friday night and coffee shops all seem to go together.

On this Friday night, I had a latte and drove around, because it was getting near closing time, and I can't blame the workers for wanting to go home.

As the sun was setting, I found a place to park and began writing down my thoughts about the huge immigration dilemma in America. At the same time, the Iran and the threat of nuclear weapons also entered my mind.

Most smart-minded people don't like to think the United States could find it's way into another war. The Iraq war was successful in removing Saddam Hussein from power, but other than that the escalating costs and loss of American and Iraqi lives make it seem like a failure.

Obviously the low public approval of the job President Bush is doing at this time is a reflection of many issues. But it's clear that fewer Americans support the Iraq war than when it began a little more than three years ago.

Another war would receive even less support, in my opinion, especially if the U.S. started the war. The first-strike option is a horrible idea. The mere mention of it by the president and his Administration was a mistake, because people are expecting the worst now.

Of course what can be said about the President of Iran, who continues to speak in threats and refuses to stop Iran's nuclear ambitions. Rather than a dialogue, what seems to be playing out is a war of words, which seems to be the opposite of diplomacy the president said would be tried.

The immigration issue was too much for this Friday evening, so possibly I will have more thoughts in a few hours or days, when I'll post again...