Today in 1074 all married Roman Catholic priests were excommunicated, leaving them time to concentrate all their attention on altar boys.
Today in 1901 the Russian Orthodox Church excommunicated Leo Tolstoy. Well, why not?
Today in 1964 cross-dresser J. Edgar Hoover visited LBJ's White House to discuss Martin Luther King's sex life. Your tax dollars hard at work...
Today in 1967 in San Francisco the police bust shops selling "Let's Liberate Posters" posters. Hmm, I was there then, don't remember that one.
Today in 1969 CBS canceled the Smothers Brothers Show after they let Joan Baez dedicate a song to her husband David, convicted of draft resistance against the Vietnam War. (and we think America's right wing now! (Oh wait, there was that Dixie Chicks flap a couple of years back, wasn't there? And remember Freedom Fries? -- OK, yes, we're still in the thrall of the fascists -- but this is not a political posting or poster, so just forget I said that).
Today in 1972 the Detroit police burst in on four men playing cards; in the ensuing shooting, one of the card players is killed & the other three wounded - all of whom turned out to be off-duty Wayne County deputy sheriffs. Oops.
Today in 1979 the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting publication by "The Progressive" of an article on H-bomb secrecy, even though the information was compiled from public domain sources (including a children's encyclopedia). See there, Bush is not so secretive. The article was later published when the government dropped their case during the appeals process.
Today in 1982 the Washington Post revealed $19 million in CIA covert aid had been illegally given to Contra terrorists. My, my.
Today in 1984 the Senate Appropriations Committee rejects President Reagan's request for $21 million for the contra terrorists. But don't worry, there's more than one way to skin a cat, I've heard.
Today in 1994 Charles Bukowski died. "The more crap you believe, the better off you are." Or so he believed.
But I've keep the best and also the oldest for last. Today in 374 St. Ambrose wrote: "How far, O rich, do you extend your senseless avarice? Do you intend to be the sole inhabitants of the earth? Why do you drive out the fellow sharers of nature, & claim it all for yourselves? Nature gave all things in common for the use of all; usurpation created private rights. Property hath no rights. The earth is the Lord's, & we are his offspring. The pagans hold earth as property. They do blaspheme God." Amen. Now, if I can only convince the Pope to share some of God's gold held in the Vatican vaults with me, a Commie for Christ, I'll be on easy street and be able to end this damnable war come March the 17th.
Mike Geary [thanks to The Daily Bleed] ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html
