Freedom Rock

Every year, for the last nine years, a talented artist, Ray (Bubba) Sorensen II, has done a Memorial Day tribute to our servicemen and servicewomen, both past and present, with a stirring tableau painted on a large granite boulder which stands next to Highway 25 in rural Iowa. The huge granite boulder came out of the nearby Schillberg Rock Quarry and it weighs approx. 56 ton and is 12 ft high.

For years this boulder was known as “the graffiti rock” and was decorated for high school rivalries, love interests, etc. Since the Memorial Day paintings began, the “rock” has remained with the annual tribute intact.

When Sorensen was 19, he saw Saving Private Ryan and he felt that patriotism was at an all time low and was not being taught in our schools and this motivated him to paint the rock. People were always driving by to see what was painted on the rock. Sometimes there were bad things and other times it was good. He knew if he painted the rock a lot of people would see it.
Sorensen paints over the previous year’s mural with white paint and starts with a black canvas. He draws a sketch of his idea on paper and then draws the design by free hand onto the rock. This takes him anywhere from one to three weeks to paint. He gets his ideas from books, movies, previous artwork and images by other artists.

Here are two pictures from last year’s mural. For more information, visit this Web site.

Resign or Die!

Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, a Republican, has suggested that AIG executives should accept responsibility for the collapse of the insurance giant by resigning or killing themselves.

The Republican lawmaker’s harsh comments came during an interview with Cedar Rapids, Iowa, radio station WMT. They echo remarks he has made in the past about corporate executives and public apologies, but went further in suggesting suicide.

“I suggest, you know, obviously, maybe they ought to be removed,” Grassley said. “But I would suggest the first thing that would make me feel a little bit better toward them if they’d follow the Japanese example and come before the American people and take that deep bow and say, I’m sorry, and then either do one of two things: resign or go commit suicide. And in the case of the Japanese, they usually commit suicide before they make any apology.”

Japanese executives often take responsibility for scandals within their companies by issuing public apologies on camera and stepping down. It is rare, however, that business executives have gone so far as to take their lives. In feudal Japan, ritual suicide was considered an honorable death under the samurai warrior ethic.

Grassley spokesman Casey Mills said the senator isn’t calling for AIG executives to kill themselves, but said those who accept tax dollars and spend them on travel and bonuses do so irresponsibly.

What do you think? Has the Gentleman from Iowa gone too far? Or, should some merit be given to what he has said? Do you think an apology is forthcoming from AIG? Or, do you think the Senator will be the first to offer an apology?