I wish to discuss shame; primarily in a political context.

Shame of course is a personal variable.

We are supposed to experience a different feeling for guilt than that of shame.

I would experience guilt if I stole my neighbor's goods.

But at some point in time, I would begin to experience shame; the shame of a being a thief.

Thief being a status while thieving being the actual crime.

...through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.

The idea of confession (from an idealist's perspective) is that somehow we get rid of our guilt and our shame through the action of the priest (the representative of God on earth). Although penance might consist of reciting a few rosaries; we are also asked to make 'amends'.

Forget election year politics and polls for a moment, will the apparent negligent disposal by burning of Korans at Bagram signal the final conclusion of not only our 'fragile and reversible gains' there, (Gen. Petraeus, 2011) - but our entire mission? Perhaps speed an end to the whole campaign and occupation, and hasten our exit?

Should Obama have apologized for the Koran disposal? Should he have waited for the investigation to be concluded, as the Korans in question may have already been defaced with messages written by prisoners, and as such were a security risk. On the other hand, did Karzai apologize for the deaths of 4 Americans by Afghan personnel this week? Should we be apologizing or leaving?

Should Obama be quietly or loudly telling the Pentagon to speed plans for departure, leaving Afghans on their own sooner rather than later, while also withdrawing the billions in financing they get from the presence of US and NATO troops? Does Obama have the moxie to exit faster, or will he stick to the ridiculous plan to stay until 2014 or beyond? Would the Republicans pounce on an Afghan exit and say 'Obama lost the war'? Would voters say 'we left too early', or just 'we should never have gone in to start'? Are there enough non-fanatical Afghans, and do they care enough, to stay and stop a Taliban return, or will they just try to get out while they can?

If you support my 6-year-old daughter's radical lifestyle, please let me know and I'll hook you up with some Girl Scout Cookies! We've got all the good flavors:

--Secular Hu-Mints
--Tree-Hugger Shortbread
--Shout "Out of the Closet!" Shortbread
--Peanut Butter Prides
--Peanut Butter Parenthood Planners
--Radical Samoas (also known as Islamist De-Lites)

This past week has seen such an outburst of psychologically disturbing sexual and gender references by old white men---and for that matter, old white women---well connected to the socially conservative Republican Party that I have been puzzled as to what chemicals might have been put into their water supply---but I doubt that it is estrogen, because estrogen would presumably make men effeminate and cause prostate cancer whereas the outburst has seemed more like an overdose of testosterone.

While I'm not going to vote for you I certainly don't want Santorum to get the nomination because in an American Idol electorate like we have, a fluke could happen and Santorum would be a much worse option than you. So I'm offering you a few pointers on your speech, your body language, the telling of homilies---and suggesting you spend at least one weekend at Outward Bound.

The first thing you need to do is slow down your presentation. You look flighty, and fidgety, like you need to go to the bathroom. Stop all that. Stop looking like you know everyone in the audience---you don't, and you can't. It looks disingenuous. The best presenters pick one person in the audience and stay with him or her. A good speaker will have an image or person in mind. I would suggest Todd Palin, he is today's Mr. Republican, not you. He's the voter you need to hang onto.