Smashing Ikons

A project of Ethel C. Hale and W. Paul Wharton

Salt Lake City, Utah - U.S.A.

June 15, 2010


Paul’s introductory comments:

We have set out to smash ikons. “Ikon” is an older spelling of “icon”. We use the word in an older sense, too: “an object of uncritical devotion ... a traditional belief or ideal” - according to Merriam-Webster’s Third International Dictionary (unabridged) © 1961 and 1981.

The ikons I have in mind are the suppositions that underlie social, political, and religious lives in these United States.

I do not suppose that my ideas don’t appear anywhere else or haven’t been thought by others - but I hope that what I write will startle and challenge readers enough that they will think.

I attach my name to what I write, claiming authorship. Readers are welcome to copy and use whatever they find to be worthwhile. Do so accurately and credit me.

W. Paul Wharton, 2006


Ethel’s Introduction

Any and all sociopolitical commentaries that appear above my signature alone are my opinion and mine only.

There are no new ideas but I hope applications will be fresh. It is my intention to be informative in some entries, but mainly I hope to offer analysis and provocative opinion.

Copyright is inherent in any creative work; declaration and registration are for documentation and convenience. Any person or entity may use any writing above my signature on this Web Page, “SmashingIkons”, provided its use is intended to be accurate and honest, and is credited to my name. I may declare exceptions to this permission, individually, on some writings.

Ethel C. Hale, 2006


Table of Contents (click on the title-links)

Please note: In this Table of Contents, new entries are placed at the top.

June 15, 2010

2010:

300 Execution Rehash ethel’s words

299 Dignity ethel’s words

298 Pleasures Forbidden--Except Fat ethel’s words

297 The Dark Ride Of Jesse M. García ethel’s words

296 Immigrant: New Definition ethel’s words

295 Cars Cars Cars Cars ethel’s words

294 John Joseph Flynn words by ethel & paul

293 Homelessness--Nothing New ethel’s words

292 Whitewoman Raising Flowers ethel’s words

291 Swamp ethel’s words

 

290 Hummingbird Murder ethel’s words

289 Puny Minds ethel’s words

288 The Assassin Bug ethel’s words

287 Shoe Tree words by ethel & paul

286 SHAME on the CENSUS BUREAU paul’s words

285 Open Letter to the Salt Lake City Council ethel’s words

284 La Morena Cafe ethel’s words

283 The New Gentrification ethel’s words

282 Dumping Tires ethel’s words

281 The Pointer ethel’s words

 


Contents prior to 2010 --

2009:

280 Truth on Tobacco? Never ethel’s words

279 Cops: The Good, The Maybe, The Brutal ethel’s words

278 Cops and Their Victims ethel’s words

277 WEEPING IN AUGUST ethel’s words

276 Our Incursion into Viet Nam: Stretching Intent ethel’s words

275 Refugees Refugees Refugees ethel’s words

274 Equal Justice - Hah! ethel’s words

273 Recycled Environmentalist ethel’s words

272 University of Utah--Those Liberals! ethel’s words

271 Food and Jobs and Other Trivia ethel’s words

270 BEANS ethel’s words

269 NAME OMITTED ethel’s words

268 Good Morning. How’s Your Genitalia Today? ethel’s words

267 FAT ethel’s words

266 Four-Letter Words ethel’s words

265 Torture ethel’s words

264 The Tobacco Publicizers ethel’s words

263 Make-Work; Prisons ethel’s words

262 Revolution and Countr-Revolution--History ethel’s words

261 Great Nation? for Whom? ethel’s words

260 Who Are You? paul’s words

259 Hating Government paul’s words

258 Preserving the Red Rocks paul’s words

257 Is Earth’s Climate Changing? paul’s words

256 Street Beggars  (Different from Suite Beggars) ethel’s words

255 Ultimate Power--The Threat of Death ethel’s words

254 Mignon Richmond Park ethel’s words

253 Nagasaki, too ethel’s words

252 Who Benefits? ethel’s words

251 The Passing of a People ethel’s words

 

250 Producing White Tape ethel’s words

249 What We Dreaded Is Happening ethel’s words

248 Celebration or Lament? ethel’s words

247 LDS Mush in Paris ethel’s words

246 Bits of Paris--Pissoirs ethel’s words

245 Terrorists Under the Bed ethel’s words

244 Cunning Capture of a Convict ethel’s words

243 D.H. Oliver - A Black History Personality ethel’s words

242 The Caragana words by ethel & paul

241 Evo Morales ethel’s words

240 Self-Immolation and War ethel’s words

239 Turncoating of a Sort ethel’s words

238 Experience Learning or Learning Experience: Prisons ethel’s words

237 The Death of Jesse García ethel’s words

236 The B.B.O.S.--The Sixties ethel’s words

235 End Cancer ethel’s words

234 USA: EMPIRE SUB-ROSA ethel’s words

233 LEGISLATURE RETREATS ethel’s words

232 Saving Trees words by ethel & paul

231 Blakk Holy Hole of Mormonism ethel’s words

230 Footprints of TRAX words by ethel and paul

229 Trails and Trains ethel’s words

228 Easy Ways to Kill a Pub ethel’s words

227 A Bad Ad Dehumanizes All of Us ethel’s words

226 Oases of Liberty: Pubs ethel’s words

225 C. Wright Mills and the CIA ethel’s words

224 Energy Solutions Pays ethel’s words

223 Earth Without Life: Transformation of Earth ethel’s words

222 A Ride on a Train ethel’s words

221 Subject: Writing About Mormonism ethel’s words

 


2008:

220 A Notch Baby Bitches ethel’s words

219 Marriage and Religious Hubris ethel’s words

218 REMEMBERING WARSHAWS ethel’s words

217 Overhaul the Health Care System? paul’s words

216 ...establishing religion... ethel’s words

215 HATERS ethel’s words

214 Yet To Come ethel’s words

213 One of This Kind, One of That Kind ethel’s words

212 Skeletons That Tell The Tale ethel’s words

211 UTA Wants Much Money paul’s words

210 Stimulate, Stimulate, Heal a Dead Horse ethel’s words

209 Wal-Smarts and Begging Banks ethel’s words

208 Policing Pioneer Park ethel’s words

207 What Else Causes Cancer? paul’s words

206 Thanksgiving for Tobacco - November 27, 2008 ethel’s words

205 To Stop Slaughter and Torture ethel’s words

204 Nicotine Stimulates the Brain ethel’s words

203 WALL STREET 2008 words by ethel & paul

202 ELEPHANTS, CRUELTY, UTAH, AGAIN ethel’s words

201 Massive Cruelty: Elephants in Utah ethel’s words

200 Symbolism of Elevated Seating ethel’s words

199 YOUR VANISHING MONEY paul’s words

198 WHAT ABOUT THE POOR? ethel’s words

197 SAVE THE STUPID SYSTEM? ethel’s words

196 Rethinking Zoos ethel’s words

195 One Person, One Vote paul’s words

194 Mexican Deportation Continuing--Resurrected Racism ethel’s words

193 Remembered Heroes--Tijerina ethel’s words

192 They Are Coming For...--Who Is Next? ethel’s words

191 Veterans of Forgotten Wars ethel’s words

190 TORTURE AS A WAY OF LIFE ethel’s words

189 FOUR STOOD UP ethel’s words

188 Salute to Joe Redburn words by ethel & paul

187 THE STENCH OF PERFUME ethel’s words

186 THE BEAUTY OF WEEDS words by ethel & paul

185 AN IMAGINARY IOSEPA ethel’s words

184 Your Diet, Air, and Water: If Not Mammal, What? ethel’s words

183 Urban Landscaping, Salt Lake City: Add Wildlife ethel’s words

182 The Writ of Habeas Corpus paul’s words

181 THINKING THE WORST ethel’s words

180 The Torture of Barzee ethel’s words

179 The Use of Force--Barzee ethel’s words

 

178 Barack Obama--The New Movie Star ethel’s words

177 TEACHING FOR WAR ethel’s words

176 PARENTS INSULTING CHILDREN ethel’s words

175 FIRST, THEY WENT AFTER... ethel’s words

174 THE SIXTIES: HOLDING HANDS ethel’s words

173 THE SIXTIES: PUBLICATIONS ethel’s words

172 SPEECH IN THE SIXTIES ethel’s words

171 THE SIXTIES: OVERVIEW ethel’s words

170 Old White Woman Ponders the Black Experience ethel’s words

169 Say “Cheese-Cake” ethel’s words

168 Utah: Abu Ghraib for Children ethel’s words

167 Facts About Hale/Wharton and Mormon Media words by ethel & paul

166 The Federal Communications Commission words by ethel & paul

165 Torture and Murder of Children in Utah ethel’s words

164 AT PEACE GOOD BYE ethel’s words

163 POWER TO THE PEOPLE ethel’s words

162 WHERE DO THE OLD MEN GO? ethel’s words

161 THE STATE STREET DRAG ethel’s words

160 SOMEBODY SHOOK THE EARTH ethel’s words

159 THE OLD OFFICE CHAIR ethel’s words

158 I REMEMBER WIND ethel’s words

157 WAR ON DRUGS: MENACE TO CIVIL LIBERTIES AND INTERNATIONAL AMITY ethel’s words

156 CONVICTING THE INNOCENT ethel’s words

155 CIGAR BOXES ethel’s words

154 All We Need Now Is The Facts; Just The Facts paul’s words

153 Not Commander of United States paul’s words

152 The Media Are Republican ethel’s words

151 Birds in the “Natural” Garden words by ethel & paul

150 OMAR’S HORSES ethel’s words

149 IMAGINE A PRISSY PIONEER PARK ethel’s words

148 ROCKY ROCKS ethel’s words

147 Global Cooling Sun, Trees, Aerogel words by ethel & paul

146 POUNCE ON THE MEDIA words by ethel & paul

145 GUANTÁNAMO: SHUT IT DOWN ethel’s words

144 Punishment as Grounds for Punishment ethel’s words

143 VEHICLES: TOLERATED KILLERS ethel’s words

142 “Bi-Partisan” Is One-Party Rule--But We Must Vote ethel’s words

141 WAR GLORIFIES EVIL ethel’s words

140 Revisiting Watergate: The Mormon Role ethel’s words

139 NAME THE MADNESS ethel’s words

138 MEDIA LIES ON VIET NAM AND ELSEWHERE ethel’s words

137 THE DEAD DON’T TESTIFY ethel’s words

 


2007:

136 Mitt Romney Speaks: Mormon Through and Through ethel’s words

135 NON-MORMON MITT? ethel’s words

134 Utah’s “Leader and Follower” Customs Stifle Democracy ethel’s words

133 OLD AGE: A PERSONAL APPRECIATION ethel’s words

132 Why Is Medicare Going Broke? paul’s words

131 WHO MURDERS CHILDREN? ethel’s words

130 LOOK UNDER YOUR BED ethel’s words

129 WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT FOOD STAMPS ethel’s words

128 LANGUAGE AND ITS TABOOS ethel’s words

127 There Are Seven Dirty Words ethel’s words

126 Say It Again: Trees words by ethel & paul

125 Lies: Tools of Mass Deception ethel’s words

124 Blessings of Atheism ethel’s words

123 September Farewell ethel’s words

122 Mormon Fingers in the Money Pie: Musings ethel’s words

121 Grabbing the Public’s Lands--Endangered Parks ethel’s words

120 Tobacco Terrorism ethel’s words

119 Have Hope ethel’s words

118 A Piece of Paper: Voting and Lowdown Tech ethel’s words

117 Wishes to go Over Prison Walls ethel’s words

116 Praising Purveyors of Anguish ethel’s words

115 Jenny’s Dad ethel’s words

114 Same Old Corrupt Election Administration ethel’s words

113 Judicial Propriety: A Judgment by an Unlettered Observer ethel’s words

112 The Dog Question in Salt Lake City ethel’s words

111 THE WEALTH OF MEXICO ethel’s words

110 THE OLD DAYS ethel’s words

109 CITY ELECTORAL POLITICS--2007 ethel’s words

108 Trees Mother Life words by ethel & paul

107 PRAISE BROWN ethel’s words

106 COAL IS NOT NEEDED ethel’s words

105 ATTAINDER? A “Mark”? ethel’s words

104 WORDS: A FALSE POWER? ethel’s words

103 Open Letter to Rocky, June, 2007 ethel’s words

102 AUTOMOBILES IN YOUR LIFE ethel’s words

 

101 STAYING PUT ethel’s words

100 FOOD ON THE MOVE words by ethel & paul

99 Torture and Other Human Sports ethel’s words

98 Tin Lizzie Turned Terrorist ethel’s words

97 MAYOR’S MANDATE: An Opinion ethel’s words

96 GUNS OR EDUCATION - A CHOICE? ethel’s words

95 Money and Mormonism - Why Mormons Love War ethel’s words

94 CONSTITUENTS? ethel’s words

93 Theocracy 101 ethel’s words

92 Random Thoughts on Torture and Life ethel’s words

91 Fear and Consequences ethel’s words

90 Wasting Planet Earth ethel’s words

89 WAR: THE OTHER CONSEQUENCES ethel’s words

88 SENSE OF SMELL ethel’s words

87 The Lovely Valley of the Great Salt Lake ethel’s words

86 GUNS ARE HERE TO STAY ethel’s words

85 GLOBAL WARMING COOLER words by ethel & paul

84 Guest Workers: White Tape and Barbed Wire ethel’s words

83 DEAD PIGGY--WHAT IS IN IT? ethel’s words

82 THE BAFFLING WAL-MART FUROR ethel’s words

81 THE BELLOW IN YOUR BEEF ethel’s words

80 Tax on the Price of Food words by ethel & paul

79 Animal Cruelty: Who Gets Punished? ethel’s words

78 VALUES: BUSINESS OR PEOPLE? ethel’s words

77 Theft of Sovereignty: I Would Call It Treason ethel’s words

76 The Tattered Cry, “Organize!” ethel’s words

75 The Hapless Homeless ethel’s words

74 Thoughts on “Immigrants” from the Americas ethel’s words

73 Mexican Hospitality and Mormon Hostility ethel’s words

72 Cruel Deportation Needs Explanation ethel’s words

71 LIGHTNING! BELLS! FLASHES! TRUMPETS! words by ethel & paul

70 HOPE LOOMS for ENDING WAR ethel’s words

69 A CRACK OF DOUBT IN UNQUESTIONED CERTAINTY ethel’s words

68 WHITENESS WITHOUT HEART words by ethel & paul

67 EXECUTION: BURYING THE EVIDENCE ethel’s words

66 IF YOU SMOKE, SMOKE WITH JOY ethel’s words

 


 

2006:

65 TRUSTING SCIENTISTS ethel’s words

64 WHO POLLUTES? words by ethel & paul

63 POLLUTION OR SUN words by ethel & paul

62 PROHIBITIONS ERODE FREEDOM AND PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY ethel’s words

61 IS THERE A QUESTION ABOUT CANCER AND CAUSES? ethel’s words

60 WHY DID THEY LIE ABOUT IT? The Anti-Smoking Campaign ethel’s words

59 EXTRA DOPE IN YOUR SMOKES ethel’s words

58 NO SMOKING ON PLANET EARTH ethel’s words

57 HAVING A “NICKIE FIT” ethel’s words

56 DOPE ethel’s words

55 THE TOBACCO POLICE ethel’s words

54 BALANCED NEWS paul’s words

53 Lies Levitated - Ciggies In The Park ethel’s words

52 Mistakes That Kill ethel’s words

51 The Nazis - The Holocaust - World War II paul’s words

50 A Famous Black Man Blames the Victim ethel’s words

49 Rocky ethel’s words

48 The Gosiutes ethel’s words

47 Political Publicity ethel’s words

46 Mayor Rocky’s Protest Rally Against Bush ethel’s words

45 No Safe Place For Children ethel’s words

44 BUDGETARY POVERTY paul’s words

43 So, you want to build a wall paul’s words

42 War of Terror paul’s words

41 CHURCH DICTATORSHIP ethel’s words

40 RELIGIOUS LIES ethel’s words

39 BRIDGES AND THE MORMON CHASM ethel’s words

38 BASHING ethel’s words

37 DIVINE (UN)-FAIRNESS ethel’s words

36 WHENCE THE POWER OF CHURCHES? ethel’s words

35 RELIGIOUS VALUES ethel’s words

34 End Levity--End War ethel’s words

 

33 SPRING TRA-LA ethel’s words

32 Polygamy’s Flouting of Law ethel’s words

31 WALLS AND TROOPS? ethel’s words

30 POLYGYNY AND POWER ethel’s words

29 FATHER OF 47 ethel’s words

28 PETTINESS IN PRISONS ethel’s words

27 FRIENDLY SALT LAKE CITY ethel’s words

26 “IMMIGRANTS” AND THE IMAGINARY LINE DRAWN BY THE TREATY OF GUADALUPE-HIDALGO ethel’s words

25 IMMIGRANTS and the MONROE DOCTRINE ethel’s words

24 SCIENCE FICTION and MORMON POLITICS ethel’s words

23 SOLUTION FOR PIONEER PARK ethel’s words

22 Who Commits Crimes? ethel’s words

21 RESIDUAL MALE DOMINANCE ethel’s words

20 WAL-MART: CAN YOU BANK ON IT? ethel’s words

19 MINDLESS MORMON MASS PROTEST ethel’s words

18 EASY ENVIRONMENTALISM words by ethel & paul

17 IMMIGRANTS FROM MESO-AMERICA ethel’s words

16 ROADS, TRUCKS, GROCERIES paul’s words

15 WHOSE RIGHTS?  ALL PERSON’S RIGHTS paul’s words

14 The WORDS of CHIEF SEATTLE

13 The DISAPPEARANCE of JESÚS MARÍA GARCÍA ethel’s words

12 WAL-MART AND THE LOCALS ethel’s words

11 MASSACHUSETTS TO ENFORCE UTAH LAWS ethel’s words

10 WOMEN AND VIOLENCE ethel’s words

9 WEHRMINISTER RUMSFELD paul’s words

8 THE SO-CALLED “HATE CRIMES LAW” ethel’s words

7 WASTE OF WATER BY GOVERNMENT ethel’s words

6 SIXTIES THEATER ethel’s words

5 BILL OF RIGHTS or BILL OF GOODS? ethel’s words

4 TERRORISM AT HOME IN THE U.S.A. ethel’s words

3 Utah State SENATOR BUTTARS paul’s words

2 HB 148 paul’s words

1 GREETINGS to the NET ethel’s words