MIKE PIRTLE, Post Publisher
Posted: Sunday, September 13, 2009 7:04 am

This world is crazy and too often sad.

We remembered that poignantly Friday as we observed the eighth anniversary of 9/11, certainly the most horrifying national event in this writer’s three score years.

The surreal image is etched vividly into my memory to this day:

Giant jetliner smoothly and gracefully banking through a blue sky. Then slamming into the World Trade Center.

Then learning the facts and imaging the terror of those onboard at what was happening.

The incredible courage of those who brought down their hijacked plane in a Pennsylvania field.

I just can’t imagine the fear, regret and plain horror of the victims in the planes, those caught in burning buildings. I am not afraid of dying (well saying that with the assumption it’s not lurking around the corner when my attitude may change), but I don’t want to see it coming.

It frustrates me to no end even today that we did not say focused on hunting down and killing Osama bin Laden until we had his nasty, ugly head on a stick. That would have done more than anything else to suppress those maniacs like him not to mess with us.

Merging dreams of 70 virgins with a gaunt head bobbing on the end of a pole defies even the twisted mind folds of fanatics.

Every day bin Laden lives he taunts us and, to my thinking, dishonors the memory of those he had slaughtered.

•••

Don’t know how you get down the road that murdering thousands of innocents is OK because of man-created differences, but one of the first steps was taken last week by South Carolina congressional jerk Joe Wilson who shouted, “You lie,” during President Obama’s speech to Congress on health care.

Wilson set a new low for congressional decorum that stretches back to our Founding Fathers.

Actually his accusation was a lie. Wilson reacted to the president’s assertion illegal aliens would not be provided benefits. The legislation at present says that, but Wilson and many others demand specific, stronger language. The actual difference is of the half-full, half-empty variety. That’s a difference of opinion or viewpoint, not a lie.

Wilson lied about the lie.

Showing the courage of his convictions, Wilson bolted from the chamber as soon as the speech ended.

Sure he apologized profusely, after his party fell on him like an avalanche, but he showed what’s in his heart.

A white South Carolina male exhibiting historically ridiculous disrespect for a black man is sure going to help that state’s reputation and really help his party and his cause.

•••

But, maybe Wilson deserves a second chance.

We’re pushing the envelope on that one, too.

Take the candidate for president of a historical and well-respected African American church organization he sued last week challenging its election rules because he wants to be the No. 1.

Well, the No. 1 again.

The candidate was president of the organization until he was kicked out after getting caught stealing $4 million from the church group for fancy cars, lifestyle and homes. In fact, he was caught when his wife set fire to the $700,000 beach house owned by the minister (?) and his mistress. Yeah, mistress.

The dishonored president said he was a changed man and deserved a second chance at being president.

Well, he might deserve a second chance at not being a scoundrel, but he certainly doesn’t deserve a second chance at stealing the organization’s money.

Lord help. How many times are we going to see powerful church leaders prove to be worst sinners than any in the flocks they purport to lead? Of course, they are doing a good job of proving the Biblical warning, “Pride goeth before a fall.”

•••

OK. I’m not making this up.

Somebody wants to make pole dancing an Olympic sport in 2012.

No, really. You can look it up on the Internet. Well, OK, on a reliable source on the Internet.

If pole dancing is approved, somebody will be in line to add skinny-dipping to the swimming events and streaking to the running competition.

•••

OK, I’m not a Facebook kind of guy. Too old, too crotchety, not terribly social.

But, I joined Facebook earlier this year to play a joke on my 20-something son.

Then people started wanting to be friends, well, OK in my case three including my sister.

Don’t understand why some stuff is posted but then when you are ancient, newfangled developments exceed your comprehension.

But, you never know what you might learn or be amused by.

And this posting by a friend last week explaining her weight gain while on vacation was pretty funny:

“If I get near sodium- I become the human Sham Wow!! Let's just say I had lots of sushi & soy sauce during vacation!!”