The pope has finished his trip to the U.S.  Everywhere he went he was a rock star.  I am not Catholic but I like this guy.  He speaks his mind but not down at other people.  He could have lived lavishly but he chose a simple residence.  He rides not in limos or SUVs but simple cars.  He is an important figure but does not act like one.  I hope he heads the catholic church for many years to come.

As popular as the pope is, he is being criticized by both sides of the political spectrum.  This shows how divided we are.  We can't even acknowledge a great man if he disagree with us on one or two things.  Wall Street is upset at him because they think that he is calling for the redistribution of wealth.  They call him a socialist.  I think catholic teaching demands that he speaks and advocates for the poor.  He is not anti-capitalism.  On the other end, liberals are upset that he is not for gay marriages and abortion.  Nobody could have become pope if he advocated those changes.  This is what he believes.  He made it clear that he would embrace those who are gay and those who have had abortions.  I don't think it is reasonable that one man can and would make changes that are so drastically different to the church.

I may not agree with pope Francis on everything but I do have great respect for him.  I think his critics should look at the whole man and not just the things that he disagree with them.  But I am not holding my breath since politics in this country is just preaching to the choir.

Regarding the case of the Muslim boy who was arrested for bringing a homemade clock to school, I have questions for many people.  First, did the boy do this just to impress the teacher or was there any other motives?  I don't know of many kids who would go out of the way to do extra work that is not related to what is being taught at school.  Listening to him talk, he does not sound like a nerd who sits in the basement making things to please a teacher.  Maybe I am stereotyping, but I am not ready to accept that he is a pure victim of discrimination without further facts.

Next question is, if the police thought that the clock maybe a bomb and they want to act out of extreme caution as they said, why did they not evacuate the whole school?   Was the bomb squad called?  If they did not do those two things, how can they say they are acting out of caution by arresting the boy?  And they had to handcuffed a kid and then interrogated him for one and half hour without his parent or lawyer present?  Seems to me they were trying to intimate the boy into confessing something so they can justify their actions.

Then we have Obama who invited the kid to the White House.  Really?  Without knowing more facts?  There are a lot of people who got discriminated against everyday.  What is the big hurry for the invite?  Same with MIT and others who want to show love to the kid.  What if we found out that there was publicity seeking?  I think the school, police and liberal institutions all over reacted for different reasons.

So the next GOP debate is in a few days and it is near where I live.  But I will not attend.  I don't need to hear more Obama bashing, immigrant bashing, China bashing and Trump insulting everybody.  Did you see where Trump insulted Fiorina's looks but then said he is talking about her persona?  If he meant her persona, why did he said her face?  This comes from a guy whose hair is the butt of jokes everywhere and whose face is not exactly attractive.  I mean, doesn't he own a mirror?  Of course, this is a guy who questioned McCain's bravery when he kept trying to get out of going to Vietnam.  Since the McCain comment did not hurt him, I suppose criticizing the looks of the only female candidate will not hurt him either.

About the China bashing.  I saw an interview on tv where they asked people in China if they knew Trump and if they do, what do they think of his comments about China.  Most of those interviewed had no idea who he is.  For those that do know him and know about the China bashing, they don't seem to care.  Some just think that is the politics of the U.S. and some think that in a way it means China has become important and a worthy rival of the U.S.  They said that in the past, China was irrelevant but now the bashing means that they have arrived.  They care more about the continued advancement of China than what the U.S. thinks.  Maybe we should learn from this and put our own house in order instead of blaming China and immigrants for our problems.

I don't understand how some GOP candidates are supporting the clerk in Kentucky who refused to issue marriage license to gay couples.  Regardless of her personal belief, she has to follow the law as a government official.  She cannot say she answers to a higher law, the law of God.  This would be same argument for Muslims who want to follow Sharia law.  I am sure the GOP or Democrats would not support that.  If it is against her religion to do the job, she should resign.  Unless she agrees to issue the licenses or resign, she belongs in jail.

The same reasoning goes for the Muslim flight attendant who refuses to serve alcohol because it is against her religion.  I don't drink myself and I believe that there is too much alcohol consumption in this country.  But since serving alcohol is part of the job of a flight attendant, I don't see why the airline has to accommodate her.  As with the clerk, nobody has a right to a job that he/she cannot fulfill completely.