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June 20, 2005

Two Unrelated Updates: The Gospel of Judas and the Judases

First, the picture of a codex that accompanied my most recent post on the Gospel of Judas and in the referenced press release is not the picture of the codex that contains the Gospel of Judas. It is a photo of "The Book of the Four Gospels." On the occasions that the link works, you can see it here. Thanks to one of Paleojudaica's readers for pointing this out.

Second, Capital Buzz reports that there are now only four Senators who have not signed up as cosponsors of the Apology for Lynching resolution. As you read their explanations ask yourself, "What harm would come from signing on that is greater than the publicity they are now getting?" Here are the four and their explanations, if they had one, as reported by Capital Buzz:

One,

Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), who stood his ground against a series of home-state news reports and editorials critical of his decision. Cochran has taken the position that the bill deals with the failure of previous Senates on the lynching issue, something he shouldn’t have to apologize for even though he would have supported anti-lynching measures had he been in the Senate during the civil rights era of the 1950s and 1960s.

"I don’t feel I should apologize for the passage of or the failure to pass any legislation by the U.S. Senate. But I deplore and regret that lynchings occurred and that those committing them were not punished," he said in a statement last week. [Emphasis added]"

Two,

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), who, like Cochran, would have voted "aye" if there had been a roll call vote on the matter, said that there were better ways to handle the issue, such as pushing forward-looking legislative issues rather than apologizing for previous inactions.

"The best way for the United States Senate to condemn lynching is to get to work on legislation that would offer African Americans and other Americans better access to good schools, quality health care and decent jobs," he said in a statement inserted into the Congressional Record. [Emphasis added]"

Three and four,

Two Senators, Trent Lott (Miss.) and Jon Kyl (Ariz.), could not be reached for comment about their decisions against signing on to the bill.

Come on. These four Senators have some political concern that is keeping them from signing on. I don't know what it is but I do know there is one. The other ten that signed on after the resolution passed must have had similar problems but the weight of the political pressure fell in favor of signing on.

Posted by DuaneSmith at June 20, 2005 11:21 AM | Read more on Odds and Ends |

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