The Daily Dose/February 14, 2018
By Gaylon Kent
America’s Funniest Guy
Notes from around the Human Experience…
TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET: One of our duties as citizens is to keep tabs on what our government is doing to us. A current example is the case of Syed Ahmed Jamal, a native of Bangladesh who has lived in America for 30 years. Jamal was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel at his Lawrence, Kansas home in January for deportation back to Bangladesh. We deserve better than what our government is giving us in this matter.
Dry, Technical Matter: Jamal entered the US legally in 1987 to study at the University of Kansas. He overstayed his visa while pursuing a doctorate degree and was ordered deported in 2011, though that was not enforced and Jamal was allowed to stay in the US as long as he checked in regularly with immigration officials.
Up, Up And Away: Despite this, he was put on a plane for Bangladesh Monday, though a stay was issued from the Immigration Board of Appeals and Jamal is currently in a detention center in Hawaii. He may be sent to Bangladesh or he may be returned to his family.
Cue Circus Calliope Music: This is silly. While we applaud a vigorous enforcement of federal law, just like you do, deporting Jamal does not do anybody any good. If the Trump Administration is trying to look like they’re being tough on immigration they are failing in that attempt. They are making us, and themselves, look petty, silly and vindictive.
Now, if Jamal was merely one of many immigrants in similar circumstances being deported, OK, we could see this. We wouldn’t approve of it, but we would understand it. But Jamal is being singled out and deporting people for relatively minor violations of the terms of their visa is spiteful. Singling out one person for deportation is as mean as it is meaningless. All right, he overstayed his visa once. So what? This is not the most grievous crime in American history and Jamal can hardly be the only person guilty of this offense.
But he is the only being deported right now. The ICE still declines to say why Jamal was selected for arrest. This is bad. Jamal is entitled to know and his wife and three children are entitled to know and so are you and me, we the people.
The Bottom Line: From the time that whites first settled in what would become America, this nation has been built on the backs of immigrants. Anyone who denies that either has forgotten the history lessons they learned in school or never learned them in the first place. Instead of pestering these people, America needs to welcome them. We are better than this.
ON THIS DATE! ON THIS DATE!: The United States flag is rendered honors by a foreign naval vessel for the first time when a French ship issues a nine-gun salute to the USS Ranger on this date in 1778. At the time Ranger was commanded by Captain John Paul Jones.
FunFact: Jones, originally from Scotland, served the Continental Navy until Congress sold off all its ships after the Revolution, after which Jones secured a commission in the Imperial Russian Navy.
More Exciting Navy Crap: The United States Navy takes possession of its first diesel submarines when the USS E-1 and the USS E-2 are commissioned on this date in 1912. Both would serve until October 1920. Previous submarines had used gasoline engines.
Dry, Technical Matter: The E class boats were 135 feet, three inches long and 14 feet, seven inches wide. Their maximum depth was 200 feet.
Diesel Boats Forever: Though the first nuclear submarine was commissioned by the US Navy in the 1950’s, the diesel submarine era would continue until the USS Blueback (SS 581) was decommissioned in 1990.
Jinx? What Jinx?: Sports Illustrated puts a high school athlete on its cover for the first time when Lebanon, Indiana basketball star Rick Mount appears on this date in 1966.
Mount spent most of his basketball career in Indiana and, in fact, still lives in Lebanon. He attended Purdue, where he led the Boilermakers to the 1969 national championship game, losing to UCLA and played in the ABA for five seasons, including the first two with the Indiana Pacers.
Uh-Oh: Iranian leader Ruhollah Khomeini issues a death sentence, known in Iran as a fatwa, against British writer Salman Rushdie, author of the novel The Satanic Verses, which had caused some Muslims to get their shorts in a knot. Rushdie and his wife are placed under police protection by the British and for several months found themselves moving every three days.
Though Rushdie, who has lived in New York City most of this century, does not appear to be in any imminent danger, the fatwa remains in effect.
Quotebook: I had always been good company for myself. – Charles Bukowski, Ham On Rye
Answer To The Last Trivia Question: Jack Taylor, of Division III Grinnell College, holds the NCAA all-division record for most points in a basketball game with 138 on 11/20/2012 against Faith Baptist Bible College.
Today’s Stumper: The Trivia feature will return.
