Op-Ed: Quick Takes on Issues in the News

By Steve Levy

1) Much Ado About Tacos and Fist Bumps

While the left-wing media often wallows in exaggeration and fake news.

The right wing media sometimes does the same. When they do, they need to be called out as well.

A perfect example was the inaccurate reporting that the First Lady, Jill Biden, called Hispanic-Americans "tacos."

What she actually said was that the “diversity of the Hispanic community is as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio.”

Big deal. It was meant to be complementary. Should Italians be offended if someone references their outstanding meatballs, or the Germans offended by praising an amazing sauerbraten dish? Chill out.

And what of the so-called scandal of Biden fist pumping the Saudi prince. If you blow off a handshake it’s deemed rude. If you bow, as Obama sometimes did, it’s a form of subordinating our nation.

The problem wasn’t the fist pump, but rather that Biden put himself in a position of having to grovel to these corrupt foreign leaders because he refused to allow America to tap its own natural oil, coal and gas resources. That’s the problem!

2) Why the Surprise that Military Recruitment is Sinking ?

The military is having trouble recruiting new members. Why is this a surprise?

The woke attack on so-called “toxic masculinity”, coupled with a propaganda program highlighting how racist, sexist and homophobic our country is, leaves fewer young people willing to want to fight to defend the nation.

If you want to have more people willing to fight for the nation, then stop disparaging it at every turn, and stop belittling those young Americans who are willing to serve.

3) Don't put that cable here

First environmentalists are opposed to Long Island's LI’s utility, PSEG, for erecting needed power cables above ground - because they "are an eyesore."

So, PSEG agreed to spend more money and started burying the cables underground

Immediately thereafter conservationists came out opposing burying the power lines - because the digging will be "disruptive" to the local animals.

4) And Why Do We have an Energy Crisis ?

Prior to the extreme green agenda taking off in New York during then Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s third term, the downstate region, depended upon fossil fuels for supplying 77% of our energy needs.

Then New York's government prohibited new natural gas pipelines and shut down the Indian Point nuclear power plant.

As a result – downstate New York’s reliance on fossil fuels - including much dirtier oil - has now increased to 89% !