The END OF THE WORLD, No, But Part Of THEIR World Ended

My alarm clock went off as usual this morning.  As I groggily edged out of my bed, I could hear trucks running along the Loop.  Thus I knew that either the world had not ended or that, conversely, I had been culled to the left instead of to the right, as per the Good Book.  I sort of chuckled as I thought about all the hype that has been piled on us over the past two or three years concerning the dreaded "12/21/12."  The Mayan "long count" calendar ended in our own year of 2012.  Apparently other ancient predictors also pointed to 12/12/2012 as "The END."  But no, the world did not end.

Then I thought about all those affected by the killings in Newton, Connecticut as well as the two or three other multiple homicides around the nation since "12/14/12."  I thought about all the parents and siblings who have lost their children, brothers, and sisters.  I thought about the several sets of grandparents who had the lives of their beloved grandchildren suddenly snuffed out by this murderer.  And I realized that for many of these people, their world has stopped, at least temporarily, and not because of some obscure Mayan prediction.

Time has stood still for many of these people as they are caught up in the tragedy and sadness forced on them by the Newton shooter.   These families are slowly coming to grips with the idea that some of their dear children will not be a part of their Christmas, at least not a physical part.  How difficult it must be to go on with Christmas plans.  I am sure there will be some that cannot.  No, the "world" did not end, but a big part of their world is gone. 

As Christmas draws closer, I hope that all of you will join me in thinking thoughts of sympathy and compassion for the people of Newton, and that you will pray for the survivors.  The loved ones who were killed are in a better place now, and it is the ones left behind who must grieve, and who must face a new world without those taken from them last week.  May the Good Shepherd comfort them all, and even more so on Christmas Day.

Vicki Soto - A True Hero

I have had the honor (but not the pleasure) to honor a number of fallen heroes in my blog, most of them police officers or firefighters.  But today I would like to join many others throughout the nation who are honoring a young lady from Newtown, Connecticut, a teacher.  Not just any teacher, but one who loved her children so much that, knowing what her fate would be, placed herself as a shield between the Newtown killer and her young students.  For this, Vicki Soto deserves our highest honor and respect.

If you are like me, you had never heard of Vicki Soto until later on into the coverage of the Sandy Hook massacre.  I mean, Miss Soto was not known to you and me.  She was not a famous person, not a nationally recognized figure.  Maybe she was not even known very widely in her state, perhaps not known by very many outside the town of Newtown.  Miss Soto was just an ordinary teacher.  I think it is the fact that she is an ordinary teacher that makes her the hero.  But on a most extraordinary day.

For reasons known only to the Creator, December 14th was the day a certain lunatic chose to unleash his hatred on the rest of the world.  Miss Soto left her home and family as usual that day.  She parked her car and walked into her classroom that day, the same as she had done since early September, and for the past five years before.  She started her class the same as she did everyday.  But then all hell broke loose.  As the gunfire started, then drew nearer to her classroom, Vicki Soto seemingly had only one goal on her mind: Save her kids!

According to what has been learned from the investigation, Miss Soto stood at the door to her classroom and waited for the gunman.  When the killer tried to get in, Vicki stood her ground and shielded the little children from harm, as best she could.  She stood alone and unarmed against the gunman, hoping with all her heart and strength to save her children.  Ultimately her action cost her
her life, but all her children were spared.  I could not help but be reminded of the following words from the Good Book:

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)


These words are from Vicki's neighbor, George Henderson, a man whom she had helped when he was injured and could not shovel the snow off his sidewalk:

“I want to get this out there,” he said. “Instead of her just being a statistic or number on a piece of paper, I want people to know Vicki’s story and put a face behind what she did for those kids.”

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/newtown-teacher-vicki-soto-remembered-article-1.1221004#ixzz2FYV4OeYB

So today I am proud to honor this ordinary person, this school teacher, who gave her life for the lives of those children entrusted to her by their parents.  Not a cop, not a firefighter, just an ordinary lady on a very tragic and extraordinary day.  It was a day that called for heroes, and Vicki Soto answered that call.  She is there now in the hands of the Good Shepherd.  But here, on this dark plane where we live, she will from now on be known as a hero that saved the lives of so many precious children.  May God comfort her family and all of those affected by this tragedy.

A Christmas Carol - Today In History

It was on this date in 1843 that Charles Dickens published what must be the second most popular Christmas story of all time, outshone only by the story of the Good Shepherd's birth over two thousand years ago.  While "A Christmas Carol" is not the greatest story ever told, this tale by Dickens does cause us to stop and think, to consider our lives, to think about times past, today's times, and those yet to come.  It gives us pause to count our blessings, to consider how we have lived and how we have cared for those dear to us.

Charles Dickens himself had every reason to despise the Christmas season.  When Dickens was still a teenager, his father was arrested and thrown into the debtor's prison. Charles Dickens was forced, at this young age, to go to work in a factory.  In those days in England, the Industrial Age was well underway and labor was in high demand.  In fact, labor was in such high demand that children well under the age of eighteen were forced to work.  Although Dickens had to work because his father was in prison, many families were so poor that all of the children as well as both parents had to work to make ends meet.  The terrible things Dickens saw as a child laborer made indelible impressions in his memory that were never forgotten.  Dickens, however, was not defeated by these terrible events in his life; instead, he used these memories as fodder for many of his novels, including "A Christmas Carol."

While many of Charles Dickens' works were dark reflections of the oppressive lives commoners lived in France and England during his time, "A Christmas Carol" showed one man's transformation from an arrogant miser who's heart was dead to the world into a happy man who came to care for his relatives and his employee.  "Scrooge" even came to care for Bob Cratchit's family, including young "Tiny Tim," the sickly lad who survived only because of Scrooge's generosity.  Scrooge was forced to review his life through the Ghost of Christmas Past and the Ghost of Christmas Present.  Unlike you and I, Scrooge was allowed by the Ghost of Christmas "Yet To Come" to see exactly how his life would end if he continued on his present path.  Scrooge, as we all know, was a changed man after these otherworldly visitations. He, like that famous tax collector in St. Matthew's Gospel, agreed to share his wealth and to make amends to those he had wronged throughout his life.

At the time "A Christmas Carol" was published, Charles Dickens was already a famous author, both in England and the United States, as well as in several other nations.  Within a few years, "A Christmas Carol" was standard fare every Christmas, being adapted into plays, operas, and eventually into one of the most popular motion pictures of all time.  I remember as a younger child waiting eagerly each Christmas to catch "A Christmas Carol" on television.  Of course my favorite movie production of "A Christmas Carol" is still the old black and white version that was released in 1938 and that starred Reginald Owen as Ebenezer Scrooge.  Years later, in 1984, another great version of the movie was released, with George C. Scott in the starring role.

I have to say that I am eagerly scanning the channel guide this Christmas season in search of "A Christmas Carol" in the black and white version.  I love to sit back with the family (assuming Child A and Child B grace us with their presence), eat popcorn and Christmas cookies, and watch that grand old story.  It was a sort of "tradition" while the kids were younger.  These days we can't depend on the children to be present for the "viewing" but we still enjoy it ourselves.  And it was today in history that Charles Dickens gave us "A Christmas Carol."

Mass Murder, The 2nd Amendment, and Progress

One of the worst tragedies and one of the most horrific mass murders was perpetrated yesterday against a man's defenseless mother, classrooms of innocent children, and a handful of brave school administrators who died trying to save those children.  The perpetrator, a man whom I refuse to give the dignity of naming in my blog, had in his possession several weapons at the time he committed all these murders.  One of the weapons was a Bushmaster .223 calibre assault rifle.  The Bushmaster .223 rifle is nothing other than an assault rifle, the purpose for which it was designed. A rifle of this nature is loaded with a magazine clip that holds from fifteen to seventy rounds of ammunition.  What progress!

I am an avid supporter of the 2nd Amendment, the enumeration of our right to keep and bear firearms. Our founding fathers believed that the population needed to be armed, for various reasons. Today some of those reasons still exist. For instance, I am firm in my belief that an armed population is a great deterrent to the criminal element. Most, probably all, school districts in this nation have adopted a "zero tolerance" policy with regard to firearms, thus ENSURING that ONLY criminals will be armed on the school campuses. Yes, many campuses also have armed policemen, but seldom at the elementary and primary schools. Would this situation have ended differently if someone on the campus had been armed? We will never know. The criminal yesterday was armed with an assault rifle, so it may well be that no one could have gotten to the classroom in time, not before this man emptied a clip could have held fifty rounds or more. Again, this is merely vain speculation.

I have the right to bear firearms - an inalienable right, according to the Bill of Rights. But I doubt that even our brightest forefathers could have envisioned the kind of firepower that would be available to the average American just a few generations after the founding of this great nation.  I also believe the founding fathers would have laughed at the suggestion that the American people should be unarmed. After all, theirs was a time when a simple trip to church could have ended in the tragedy of an Indian depredation. Since then, I am sad to say, not a lot has changed. We no longer fear Native Americans, but we fear ourselves, that is, the criminal part of our population. Again, I believe our founding fathers, if they were alive today, would stand up before the Congress and the President and demand that the freedom to bear arms be forever safe. But...

Once again I have to say that I believe our founding fathers had no idea of the kinds of weapons that would be available to their descendants. How many bullets per gun are "enough?" It was obvious from the days of the Conquistadors to the American Civil War that single-shot weapons were not the best answer. What if a single soldier faced multiple opponents?  What if a traveller were set upon by two or more attackers? His one shot was hardly defense enough. The need for more shots without reloading was proven, and was justifiable. But, as with many modern inventions, "progress" took us beyond the point of necessary function, to the point of, well, overkill. We have passed beyond the point of filling a need, to the point of excess. Is mankind better off because a person can kill twenty or thirty people with a single weapon and a single load? I don't think so. I am sure the people of Newton, when they can see through their grief, will agree.

Is it hypocritical for one who is a proponent of our Second Amendment to also support the limitation on the types of guns, magazine capacities, and ammunition available to the general public? I do not believe so. I believe that we are all entitled, based on the Second Amendment, and on the Declaration of Independence, to have the means and ability to defend ourselves, as part of the life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness outlined in those two sacred documents. AND I believe that we have been graciously provided, by domestic and international gun makers, with all the firepower and stopping power we need for legitimate pursuits, including self-defense. And THEN SOME!

As I said, I firmly believe in our rights under the Second Amendment. I believe that those Americans who want to own guns should be able to do so, and those who do not should not be ridiculed or forced to own guns. I also firmly believe that armed, responsible people can intervene to prevent, or at least mitigate, the degree of tragedy and murder one man can inflict on innocent people. But now I have come to believe that our gun makers have gone above and beyond the call of freedom and protection. And we, the people, have allowed the gun makers to thrive by purchasing these weapons. I include myself in this number. I think we have truly reached the point where "enough" is too much!

I served as a police officer for over ten years. During most of that time I managed to survive using an antique known as a six-shooter, or revolver. It held but six shots. Yet at my best I was able to fire those six shots, reload and empty the revolver twice more, and place the bullets in the right spot on a target, all in eighteen seconds. During the last couple of years of my career, criminals developed a preference for high capacity semi-automatic pistols. These automatics held as many as eighteen rounds. Soon, as you might guess, the police felt they were outgunned. What followed was a weapons race between cops and crooks, with the gun makers getting paid by both sides. Then a third party joined in, sportsmen. This segment of the gun-owning population saw the higher capacity pistols and rifles, and wanted to join in the fun. Thus, by 2012 we have available weapons that raise the criminal's available firepower and stopping power to a level comparable to that of many modern armed forces. And I am sure "improvements" will continue into the next century.

My point is that the means of killing for soldiers, police officers, local militias, and sportsmen (as well as criminals) reached the point of fulfillment YEARS AGO. The need for weapons that fired more than six shots without reloading was never really a need at all. I suppose soldiers might disagree with me on this, but at least as far as domestic law enforcement, sports, and criminal activity are concerned, we have been in an overkill mode since the mid-eighties. Today, in 2012, as this tragedy illustrates, we have reached a point beyond that of good use and reasonableness. We have reached the point of madness, as far as the firearms race goes. I am not sure what can be done at this point. We are accustomed now to the availability of high capacity, military style weapons. Unfortunately, however, we have yet to come up with a means of keeping such weapons out of the hands of those who have sinister, murderous intent. No matter, though, the firearms manufacturers keep those new "toys" coming. And we keep on buying them even though we cannot count on all people to be reasonable, to use their weapons in a reasonable manner.

Many people, and many politicians, will use this horrible incident to call for the ban on certain guns and ammunition.  Many will in fact call for the outright ban on gun ownership by law-abiding Americans.  I said law-abiding Americans because criminals do not obey laws, registrations, or bans.  They always seem to find ways to get to weapons.  But, as tragic as the Newton murders were, the fact is that no laws were broken by any gun owners.  And the fact is also that no one at the school was armed is just as much of an indictment of those who would restrict our 2nd Amendment rights as those who advocate for total derugulation of the firearms industry.  And, the fact is that neither faction caused this tragedy.  A mean and sinister man decided to kill.  He stole guns from his mother.  He killed her.  Then he went on a rampage.  And in all of this, no gun registration law could have stopped him, because he illegally obtained these weapons.

I do not believe the "Government" needs to pass more laws.  The laws are all there on the books.  And I do not make a call for no more gun control without proposing an alternative; one that does not involve the government at all.  It involves ONLY the gun makers and gun dealers.  I believe they can be just as "right thinking" as anyone.  Conversely, they can be just as greedy, just as money-driven as the most corrupt and calloused politicians.  But I call on the gun makers and dealers to do the right thing.  I call on them to do the unimaginable...the unthinkable.  I ask the gun makers to stop producing such high powered guns with such high round capacities.  Sounds ridiculous, I know.

But let's play "What if...?" for just a moment...

Suppose gun makers and gun dealers would voluntarily cut back, would voluntarily reduce the firepower of their guns and ammunition.  I believe two desirable outcomes would be possible.  First, there would be no need for the "Government" to attempt to curtail our freedom.  Second, the potential harm and damage a criminal could do to innocent people would be reduced.  I know that the firearms industry would not be very hospitable to these ideas, and I know many Americans would not be very hospitable to these ideas, either.  Yet, while these ideas would not be popular, I believe that the firearms manufacturers' own initiatives in these areas would help gain the trust of many Americans who are not comfortable with such firearms, would stave off any attempts by our government to intervene and curtail our rights, and would still allow Americans the opportunity to own weapons which are capable of both self-defense and meeting the needs of hunters and sportsmen.  Yet these would be weapons that did not lend themselves so readily to mass murder.

Maybe this is just a dream of mine.  I realize Walt Disney is not running the gun making outfits.  Potential loss of profits is of course in the millions of dollars while these changes rippled through the firearms industry.  But I am sure that we have reached the point today in which the needs of gun-owning Americans have been far exceeded by gun makers.  Do we, any one of us, need weapons that fire thirty rounds without reloading?  Do we really need armor-piercing bullets?   I don't think so.  If muggers attack, there are rarely more than one or two.  A hunter can only shoot at one deer at a time.  Yes, a few shots are great in case we miss the first time or if we are facing multiple attackers.  But once a person is shot two or three times, there is rarely the need for further projectiles.  Again, I am excepting military and police needs here.  In battle or in law enforcement emergencies, the need for firepower is there, but so is the professionalism and skill of those using this extra firepower. 

As for people, for us, yea even for me, it is quite likely that as long as powerful weapons and ammunition are available, then we will buy them.  Mostly responsible people will buy guns, but also plenty of less than responsible people will as well.  And of course, criminals will continue to obtain guns by illegal means, as they have since the days of Yankee Doodle.  But if the gun makers gradually phase out such weapons, eventually people will be satisfied with the remaining stock.  I hope also that more people will obtain their own handgun carry licenses, and that more people will be prepared to take action in situations such as we saw yesterday.  Responsible people carrying legal and reasonable weapons, firearms dealers making and supplying only weapons that fill a reasonable need, and government not trying to stamp out our civil rights...now that would be progress!

God Holds Those Precious Children Tonight

Today it was a tragic thing at work to see the flags being lowered to half-staff, but the reason we were called on to lower the flags is even more tragic, and...OUTRAGING!  I do not know if that is a real word, but if it is not, is should be coined for today's latest killing of innocents by an inadequate coward who could only raise the courage to kill himself and end his apparently failed life by killing the precious, innocent children of strangers.  This tragedy is even more bewildering because this man killed his mother, the apparent focus of his anger, at her home.  He then went to the school where she taught kindergarten and killed all the children in the classroom.  He also shot several school officials before ending his pathetic life.  Some of you may want to tell me I should not be so judgmental of this guy.  I mean, after all, he MUST have suffered through some personal problems, perhaps YEARS of personal problems.  Perhaps he did not have the best parents in the world.  Maybe he was bullied during his school years.  Go on, name your own reason that this man was not responsible for the hell and the carnage that he wreaked today on so many innocent children and adults.  For me, I cannot hold anything in my heart for this pathetic individual except utter disdain and contempt...and ANGER.

I refuse to name this person in my blog today.  I do not have the names of the children, of course, and I do not know if I would name them either, out of respect for the parents and children who have lost sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, today.  I should say, who have had their children snatched from them by this contemptible man, just the same as if some child molester had stolen the children away at some playground or shopping mall.  But enough about this man.  I now join what I believe must be BILLIONS of people around the world today who are saddened for the suffering and loss of the people in Newtown, Connecticut, and who are frightened for the safety of their own children in the wake of this terrible event.  May God hold each of the grieving persons in his arms tonight; the same arms that now hold their little children.


       

 

"Kingsbury Returns" or: What A Difference A Day Makes!

With the only semi-surprising news (to THIS easy chair quarterback) of the departure of Tommy Tuberville to Cincinnati over the weekend (of course I did not know he would be going to Cincinnati, just "going") the various sports bigmouths immediately began speculating as to who would be Tuberville's replacement. Of the many speculations, two caught my eye immediately.  One of them I dismissed immediately; the second seemed the OBVIOUS choice!

Let me dispose of the first speculation...er...first.  Some of the more highly regarded sports-mongers immediately "named" Coach Art Briles to the newly-vacated Tech job.  Sports writers across the nation jumped on the Briles bandwagon.  But in Waco, neither Art Briles nor the Baylor University "powers that be" even raised an eye-brow.  Art Briles has brought Baylor back to the old Southwest Conference Days of Glory.  His supporters have assured that anyone attempting to "buy out" Coach Briles' contract would have to shell out several fortunes.  Surely no one really took this notion seriously!

But, as to speculation number two, Kliff Kingsbury, Texas A&M's offensive coordinator and quarterback coach, the obvious choice, many sports "authorities" dismissed this idea outright.  Kingsbury had no experience, they said.  He had never been a head coach, they said.  Texas Tech would not even CONSIDER him, they said.  But, as I write this blog, Kliff Kingsbury has in fact been the head coach at Texas Tech for over an hour!  And what a great choice, as far as this easy chair quarterback is concerned.

It was back before "the turn of the century" (I have always wanted to be able to say that!), in 1999, to be exact, that I became a die-hard fan of the Texas Tech Red Raiders.  It was in that very year that new Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach took over in Lubbock.  Things changed almost immediately, both because of Leach's coaching style, and because of his choice for starting quarterback, a young man from New Braunfels named Kliff Kingsbury.  It was only a couple of games into that year's football season that the Red Raiders were reborn.  It was a rare combination of a new coach's game strategy and a new quarterback's stunning abilities, both in the air and on the ground.  Several football powers were stunned that year, and Texas Tech was once again a nationally recognized football program that even the big boys like Texas, Nebraska, and (blech!) OU suddenly had to take very seriously.

Kingsbury was the first of a string of super quarterbacks under Mike Leach, and himself had some big shoes to fill, taking over the quarterback slot from Sonny Cumbie, a legendary quarterback under Coach Dykes.  While at the helm, Kingsbury COMPLETED over a thousand passes and generated over 12,000 yards of total offense.  He set numerous school, conference, and NCAA records during his collegiate career.  After college, Kingsbury went to play for the New England Patriots as well as in the Canadian Football League.  His playing years, both collegiate and professional, have been spectacular.  But, as the sports loudmouths said, he lacks experience.  Or does he?

After leaving professional football, Kingsbury joined the Houston Cougars coaching staff where he served first as an offensive quality control assistant, and later as offensive coordinator and coach of (you guessed it) quarterbacks.  Not surprisingly, Kliff Kingsbury was instrumental in developing the talent of a Houston Cougar quarterback named Case Keenum.  Kingsbury left Houston to take over as offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at Texas A&M.  The Aggies' successful debut in the Southeast Conference (such an understatement) is certainly due in part to Kingsbury's talent as an assistant coach.  That brings me back to the talking heads' main objection to Kingsbury as a viable candidate for the Tech head coaching job: Lack of experience.  From the easy chair wherein I sit, it would seem that Kliff Kingsbury has all the experience required to start as a college team head coach.  And the Tech AD agrees with me!

Do I think Kliff will take over the Raiders and there will be no mistakes, that there will be no learning curve? Of course not.  But Kliff Kingsbury has the playing experience, the coaching experience, and the personal character it will take to lead the Red Raiders back to the heights they experienced in the pre-Tuberville days.  It may take more than one season, of course, and that brings me back to something I said earlier.  The suddenness of Tommy Tuberville's departure from Tech, literally during a recruiting dinner, was the only surprise to me.  This easy chair quarterback had already pegged on Tuberville's dimming star at Tech.  In my opinion, Tuberville's demise was delayed only by Tech's victories this year over the Kansas Jay Hawks and the TCU Horned Frogs, both in overtime. Nonetheless his years at Tech were coming to an end. But the hiring of Kliff Kingsbury was no big surprise.  Instead, it was the obvious choice!  Guns UP, Raiders! And congrats to Kliff Kingsbury.  I wish him the best!  

   

Drones Over Pakistan

My curiosity got the best of me the other day and I decided to try to find out how many people have been killed by unmanned aerial drones owned by the United States.  This information was not difficult at all to locate.  Several organizations, as well as the US Government itself, keep track of this information.  I decided to focus my attention on Pakistan, because this is a nation in which US drone activity is quite rampant, yet this is a nation with whom we ARE NOT AT WAR at the moment.

It turns out that US drones have been operating in Pakistan airspace since 2004.  Keep in mind this is public information.  Who can say how long drones have really been operating in Pakistan or anywhere else?  Anyway, from 2004 to 2007, drone kill "stats" were not kept quite as accurately.  So for that three year period, roughly 300 Pakistanis were killed by American drones.  Of that number, as many as 200 of the people killed were known to be civilians, NOT militants.  Since 2004, a total of 3176 people have perished in US drone attacks.  Of that number, 310 were "officially" noncombatants.  These are the people that just happened to be standing too close (within a thousand yards!) of the drone attacks and were accidentally killed.  This is also known as collateral damage.  Apparently three hundred unintended victims is an acceptable number in drone operations.  Again, we are not at war with Pakistan.  But, if you check out the stats a little closer, you find that ANOTHER 315 people were killed in these same drone attacks.  THESE people were classified as "unknown." In other words, the drone operators did not know if these were civilians or "combatants" so they were just, well, killed anyway.  The show must go on, you know.

So it turns out that, from the armed forces' own statistics, at least twenty percent (2 out of 10) people killed during the "average" drone attack are not even involved in the "non-war."  Pakistan, while not overly friendly with the United States (for obvious reasons) is still not at war with us.  Why are we killing people there?  By "we" I mean President Open and Transparent Obama, who has let us know many times that he gives the ultimate approval for these drone attacks in locations such Pakistan, where we ARE NOT AT WAR.  This President, who has violated not only "international laws of war" but also the words and the spirit of the Constitution of the United States, was yet re-elected to carry on the Drone Wars against a nation with whom we are not at war!  So the drone strikes continue unabated.  I do not really see this turning around in 2013, either.

But I noticed something else about the Drone Kill "stats" as they continued from 2004 to 2012.  You see, from 2004 to 2011, that stats are actually pretty vague.  Some sources report fewer deaths than others.  Of course, some report many fewer civilian deaths than others.  But a "funny" thing happened with the 2012 stats.  Suddenly, in 2012, not only were fewer people killed, but the "stats" were much more precise.  I had to wonder if this improvement in quantifying death had anything to do with the 2012 Presidential Campaign.  Hmmmm...

Like I said, with President Open and Transparent Obama in office for a second term, this time literally untouchable and unaccountable, there is precious little chance that the drone attacks in Pakistan will stop in 2013 or for the foreseeable future.  I also have to wonder what is limiting the Drone War to Pakistan.  Yes, I know that drones operate in Afghanistan and Iraq, but we are sort of "at war" with those two nations (though not declared as the Constitution demands) and this blog does not deal with those two nations.  My fear and belief is that President Obama will expand the Drone War to cover Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and wherever else he decides he has the right to send drones in violation of international convention and in direct contrast to the supposed peaceable intentions of this great nation that Obama seems so intent in humiliating before the world. 

So the drones continue flying, the targets ever growing, and the President telling us we are justified in using this "tool" in the "War On Terror."  I would like to point out something to those who voted to keep this man in office, and to those who think our Government is so benevolent toward its citizens and the rest of the world, that there is NOTHING to keep our drones from overflying OUR NATION or any of OUR TRUE ALLIES.  This means that you or I could possibly someday be part of the collateral damage after some "militant" is attacked by a drone here in the United States.  Your friends living overseas, or you when touring overseas, are subject to the same risk.  Some "militant" could be driving down the street while you are browsing in a quaint gift shop.  As the drone "takes out the target" will you be one the "ten percent" acceptable civilian deaths?  You and I have the power, or I should say, can RETAKE the power, and demand that these drones be pulled out of all nations with whom we are not at war.  Oh, one more thing.  What is to keep some other nation from sending a drone over here to take out one of their "militants" who might be hiding in the United States? 

Well, I am DRONED OUT for tonight.  What are you going to do about it?  Drone warfare, I mean.  The President is here to stay, but he is only one man.  We STILL have Senators and Congressmen who will act for us, IF we demand it.  Are you DRONED OUT TOO?  Let your politicians know.  And, let them know THEY are accountable.  Because they ARE.  I hope you will join me in demanding that our Congress stop the Drone Wars in those lands with whom we are NOT FIGHTING.  For I can assure you that if the Drones Over Pakistan go unchecked, so will the DRONES OVER AMERICA in the coming months.  And yes, it will be THAT soon.

source: http://counterterrorism.newamerica.net/drones

 

Ban Bows And Arrows...NOW!!!

Has anyone heard the outrage and the hue and cry to ban bows and arrows?  Get BOWS and ARROWS....AND HUNTING KNIVES...out of the stores now!!!

I did not think so.  What's my point?  I'll tell you in just a minute.

Today's news stories are full of accusations and pointing fingers in connection with Jovan Belcher's murder of his girlfriend followed later by his own suicide. Yes, he used a handgun to do both these things.  So the papers, television, and Internet of course are full of cries to do away with handgun ownership rights.  After all, if Jovan Belcher had not had a pistol, maybe he and his girlfriend would be alive now!  Other stories tell us that the staff of the Kansas City Chiefs football team KNEW Jovan and his girlfriend were having problems, yet they did NOTHING!! Perhaps the winner for sensational journalism is the USA TODAY newspaper with its headline which incorporated a pistol into the NFL logo.  But all of these media are screaming in chorus that if only guns were not available, Jovan and his girlfriend would still be alive.

Now, lets go back to the great NEED to ban Bows and Arrows, and Hunting Knives.  You see, the very day that Jovan Belcher killed his girlfriend then himself, another young man in another state killed his father and the father's live-in girlfriend.  But, no gun was used in that crime.  Instead, a young man named Christopher Krumm walked into a community college classroom and shot his father in the head with a bow and arrow.  Unbelievably, the elder Krumm was able to physically fight his son AFTER being shot with the arrow, allowing students to flee the classroom.  Ultimately Christopher Krumm had to use a hunting knife to end the struggle with his father.  This was of course a tragic and incredible incident.
,
But I am amazed that no one is now calling for a ban on bows and arrows, and hunting knives.  No one is calling for a "five day waiting period."  Where is the Brady organization?  Surely NOW bows and arrows have been exposed for the dangerous things they really are!  Bows and arrows KILL PEOPLE!!  Oh yeah, the hunting knives NEED to go, too.  Think about it, really.  Seriously for a minute.  Can't we argue that if ONLY Christopher Krumm had not had access to a bow and arrow, his father and the father's girlfriend would still be alive?  No.  And everyone with any commonsense realizes this.  Yet a murder-suicide that took place on the same day as the grisly bow and arrow murder in Wyoming garners so much more attention in the media.  And that because GUNS were involved.

While we are at it, why stop with bows and arrows, and hunting knives?  Lets ban baseball bats as well.  I can recall the infamous case in which the two Menendez brothers so bravely attacked their sleeping father with baseball bats and beat the unconscious man to death. Now I think I can get back to my point.  That point is that a man decided to kill his girlfriend, then himself.  He chose to use a pistol to do it.  On the same day, another man chose to kill his father and the father's girlfriend.  Perhaps because no gun was available, he chose his bow and arrow for the job.  Perhaps, though, he thought he could inflict a little more pain and suffering with the bow and arrow, before finishing his father with the same knife he had used on the girlfriend just minutes earlier.  So what do we do?  Do we ban everything anyone could POSSIBLY use as a weapon?  That includes everything from a flower vase to a passenger jet loaded with travelers.  Or do we stop and try to understand what happened here?  I suggest we stop all the screaming and hype, and think about these terrible tragedies.

When we think about these things with a little bit of rationality, we realize that two people, for reasons no rational person will ever understand, decided to kill the persons dearest to them.  One killer opted for what was close at hand - a pistol.  The other man also opted for what was close at hand - in this case his bow and arrow set.  Both men were intent on murder.  Both men more than likely would have carried their evil plans through, regardless of what method of killing might have been available.  But, as usual, it is the gun crime that receives all the attention.  This is all the more surprising to me because of the grisly nature of the Wyoming murders.

I think the fact that no one is calling for the banning of bows, knives, vases, or whatever, makes it clear that gun-control fanatics are trying to capitalize on a high profile murder-suicide, while completely ignoring the DOUBLE MURDER/SUICIDE that did not involve a gun.  I believe that the people behind gun-control efforts (those with media influence) will in fact downplay, if not suppress news of murders and other crimes when no gun is involved.  I am saddened that a man decided to kill his girlfriend and himself by shooting her then himself.  But I am sickened that a man literally gutted his father's girlfriend with a hunting knife, then drove to the college where his father was teaching, shot his father in the head with his bow and arrow, then finished the second murder by stabbing his father multiple times.  And I say that if we who believe in the 2nd Amendment are called on to surrender our guns because of a few criminals' actions, then those same people should certainly call on all other persons to give up ANYTHING that could POSSIBLY kill ANYONE.  So, let us Ban The Bows And Arrows ...NOW!!! 

    

Christmas Time NOW

I titled this little post Christmas Time NOW because now it is actually post-Thanksgiving.  I realize we are all free to "feel the Christmas spirit" anytime we want, and I am certainly not opposed to feeling it the year 'round. It offends me to the point of offense, however, that the "Christmas Season" now starts prior to October 31st (also known as Halloween).  Before the kiddies have even selected this year's costume, the stores (particularly $&#Mart) have covered the remaining shelves with Christmas decorations and other Christmas-related items.  The toy aisle has overnight transformed itself into "your Christmas headquarters," while Christmas sales are running amok throughout the store.  Meanwhile, Halloween itself is still THREE WEEKS AWAY!!  Thanksgiving Day is all but forgotten during the "Christmas bustle."

Most retail stores make the biggest part of their profits during the "Christmas Season," so it stands to reason that store management would take advantage of this time.  I am certainly not begrudging the corporations their profit.  Perhaps I am in the minority now, but I look back with longing to the days when Christmas Time "started" after Thanksgiving; a time when we could pause and spend a day GIVING THANKS.  Yes, I knew that the next day was "the biggest shopping day of the year!!!!," but that Thursday the day was spent enjoying family and feasting beyond our means.  More the the point, prior to the Day After Thanksgiving, we could walk through the stores without the bombardment of remainders that it is "Christmas Season!!!!!!!!!!!"

Frankly speaking, I am sure that someone in "corporate" at $&#Mart realized that there was a problem with "Christmas Season."  The most profitable time of the year, this person reasoned, was...well, too short.  You see, from the fourth Friday in November to December 24th is, on average, about thirty days.  That was just too problematic, Mr. Corporate Planner, decided.  Problematic because profits could be nearly doubled, or maybe TRIPLED, IF Christmas Season were just a tad longer.  Maybe Corporate People in corporations all over the nation, nay encompassing the very GLOBE!, applied their collective minds to this problem.  Then one day...VIOLA!  The $&#Mart Corporate Guy (or Gal, I am not prejudiced!) came up with a BETTER WAY!  For the corporation, that is.  Yes, you guessed it!  Just make the Holiday Season THREE TIMES AS LONG and we can TRIPLE OUR PROFITS!.

Today we are all blessed with a Christmas Season that officially begins fourteen days before Halloween.  I guess in some ways this is convenient because now we can buy Halloween Costumes, Trick or Treat Candy, AND Christmas gifts all in one day and one stop.  That is true "one-stop" shopping, as $&Mart would have us know.  Of course, with Christmas Season now at least sixty days in length, $&Mart and the others hope that we One-Stop Shop several times before December 24th.  Then of course the stores will have the December 24th Last Shopping Day Sales, for those who were not able to find gifts in the sixty-three days preceding Christmas Eve.

I can honestly say that one thing has not changed for me, in spite of the best efforts of the corporate people at $&#Mart.  I STILL do the vast majority of my Christmas shopping on the last Christmas Shopping Day of the year.  I spend the remaining sixty-two days before Christmas boycotting the Christmas aisles and NOT reading the Christmas ads in the newspapers.  Yes, no matter what marketing strategies the Corporate People may throw at me, I still have the Spirit of Procrastination on my side.  That's right, Mr. (or Mrs.) $&#Mart Corporate Person.  You will not see THIS Christmas shopper darkening your doorstep until Christmas Eve at 4:30 PM.  So you might as just as well shorten your Christmas shopping days back to where they were pre-$&#Mart, because I am doing all my one-stop shopping just one day before Christmas.  Oh yeah, I won't be needing lights, either.  They are still up from LAST Christmas!

We Will Be Changed In A Moment, In The Twinkling Of An Eye

I Corinthians 15:52, as recorded in the King James Version of the Holy Bible, tells us that a day will come when we "will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye!" This verse goes on to say that a loud blast of the trumpet will sound and the dead will rise to be made perfect in the sight of God.


I have to say that I was reminded of this verse last week when tragedy overtook the parade of wounded veterans who were being honored by the City of Midland and as well as various civic organizations. By now most of you have heard on the local, and yes, the national news about the terrible accident in which a train struck and destroyed one of the trailers on which some veterans and their loved ones were riding. Four service men, who had narrowly escaped death on some foreign battlefield, were killed in the accident. Many others were injured. Indeed the local hospital was taxed to the limit in caring for the survivors.

The tragedy struck so suddenly, with only a loud trumpet blast from the approaching locomotive. Five or less seconds later four men were changed "in a moment." The accident was over in the "twinkling of an eye." These four soldiers were suddenly transformed and met God in whatever form humans assume to meet the Creator. At least one of these brave soldiers died in the act of saving another person's life when he pushed his wife to safety a split second before his own death. His poor wife made her way to his crumpled body seconds later, but he was gone.

I know that the writer of I Corinthians believed that he and his generation would see a day when a "great trumpet blast" would issue from heaven, and that at that time the graves would be opened and those who were "asleep in Christ" would arise, then they would all meet Christ in the air (See I Thessalonians 4:15). I am certainly not a biblical expert, but I did not read in the Bible anywhere that such an event did occur. I know that, in apparent fulfillment of some of the Revelation prophecy, there was a time when the Roman soldiers slaughtered so many Jews that the streets of Jerusalem ran knee deep in blood. Since that time, many Christians have been martyred, and many other Christians have died of in more ordinary ways right up to the present day.

So today I have to wonder to myself if this "loud and terrible trumpet blast" may be heard only by those who are called to their Maker at a given time. Or was this tragedy in Midland one of those occasions where "some were taken" while other were "left behind?" For certainly not all of those who heard the fateful trumpet blasts were "taken." But one thing is certain, not one person knew that morning that four people would be dead before the parade had gone its full route. Not one person who lined the street that afternoon had any idea of the terrible tragedy that would unfold just minutes later. The step from from joyous celebration to insurmountable tears was separated by only a trumpet blast and a sudden impact.

The accident in Midland was so very tragic. Now survivors are picking up their lives and carrying on. Across the nation, our fellow Americans are doing the same in the aftermath of that storm called Sandy. The truth is that whether we are picking up our lives from some tragedy, or we are living the good life with no cares in the world, there is waiting a "loud and terrible trumpet blast" for each one of us. Will that blast be heard by many, or only by one? The lesson to be learned from tragedies such as the Midland Parade accident, or Hurricane Sandy, is that we need to be prepared for the day, the hour, the minute when that trumpet blast will sound. That means living a full life, letting all our loved ones know that they ARE, and (yes I will say it) making sure our "lives" are "in order." Peace with the Good Shepherd may be one of those things lacking in your life. Peace with the Good Shepherd is so valuable in our lives that we should not wait until we are in trouble to get it. We all know tragedy can strike any time, but the accident last week serves to remind us just how quickly it can happen, and then all second chances are gone.

Jurasic Park's Dr. Ian Malcom, or Should We!

John Hammond: I don't think you're giving us our due credit. Our scientists have done things which nobody's ever done before...
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should.

 This is one of my favorite quotes from any movie.  I like Jurassic Park a lot, but I think the above exchange between Mr. Hammond and Dr. Malcolm was not only extremely appropo for that movie, but was profound in its application to our current situation.  By our current situation, I mean the state of science, and the state of espionage, in which we find ourselves today.  For instance, consider state of the art electronics.  Spy cameras are smaller and ever more powerful.  Tiny cameras are now mounted on small, insect-size robots known as nanobots.  A modern robot could now actually be the proverbial "fly on the wall" in your bedroom or your office, listening to your words and recording your actions, and transmitting this information to a dizzying number of state, federal, and even international law enforcement agencies, government agencies, and outright spy agencies.  Oh yes, private corporations can, and probably do, take advantage of the same technology.  And as each new discovery and application of such technology compounds the available and potential missions of such things, I have to wonder, were they so preoccupied with whether or not they COULD that they didn't stop to think if they SHOULD?!

On the other side of state of the arts electronics is the growing, expanding, ever-improving field of unmanned aerial drones, as well as similar land- and sea-going machines.  Drones, whether the size of a small kite, or as large as fighter jets, have become an invaluable weapon system in many modern militaries around the world.  I would like to stress that the United States does not have the monopoly on drone technology.  Last year, for instance, a small drone operated by the Mexican police crashed into a home in El Paso, Texas.  Our United States Congress has authorized, I should say DEMANDED, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to make plans to allow for the licensing of over 30,000 drones in the next couple of years.  These drones will be of all sizes, and will be operated both by our federal government and by private companies as well.  Given that our air traffic controllers can hardly keep up with the regular air traffic now, I am terrified as to what will happen when our skies begin to fill with these drones.  And once again I had to wonder, were scientists so preoccupied with whether they could that they didn't stop to think whether they should.

The truth is that many government projects, including those that involve gaining the ability to spy on Americans, intercept electronic communications, establish endless camera networks that are equipped with facial recognition technology, and to use all this technology to control us, would not be possible without the cooperation of scientists who are willing to invent these things apparently with no thought given to what is the ultimate purpose for and use of this technology.  I see all this technology and I have to wonder, WHAT were they THINKING?!!  Surely these scientists and technologists must realize that they themselves will be the targets of this technology sooner or later.  But again, they were so preoccupied with whether they could do it that they did not stop to think whether they should. 

At this point in America, it may well be too late to stem the tide of government control through emerging technology.  I hope not.  I also hope that our wiser scientists will someday apply the Jeff Goldblum question to decide whether the benefits of new technology outweigh the loss of personal freedom and liberty.  There are so many good things that technology can do, but it seems that many times useful technology is mostly applied to the science of spying on and of controlling people.  Drones, in their most modern form, have removed the "pilot" from the scene of the air strike.  Now the operator of the drone sits thousands of miles away from the attack, sometimes whole continents away.  The United States, through our lately re-elected President, now has the world in its sights.  Cars, buildings, or even individuals the world over can now be targeted and destroyed by drones so that no human flyer is ever at risk.  Again, we CAN do it.  SHOULD we do it?  

To make these matters really serious, it appears that no one person or agency can control the proliferation of this technology, nor, apparently, would anyone (with power) want to.  I had hoped that a new President would bring a new philosophy into the White House; a belief that this nation is a nation of law, that no one, including the President, is above the law.  Now that Mr. Obama has been given another term, I hold on the the faint hope that he will reverse his decision to allow United States drones to fly freely over other nations and rain down death on innocent persons, along with the terrorists that are the targets of these drone raids.  It appears that the power the advances in technology brings trumps the idea of NOT using some technology just because we can.  I hope I am wrong...I hope that our leaders, our scientists, and our technologists will take the time to think, to ask themselves this question: Are we preoccupied with whether we could, that we don't stop to think whether we SHOULD?

  

  

Christmas Is Already Here

Isn't it great that Christmas has already arrived?  I mean, just look at W#&Mart and other chain stores, and even a few unchained stores, too.  What I mean is, most of us still had stomach aches from consuming too many Halloween treats when these leading stores ushered in Christmas.  Thanksgiving is just an after-thought to the holiday season.  Wait a minute.  Actually Thanksgiving is a "before-thought" to that most hallowed of days...Black Friday!

Black Friday, that day when millions of otherwise normal and intelligent Americans suddenly go berserk, waiting in lines for hours just to buy video games and computers, or even the latest telephone!  It is so interesting that this, the biggest day of "Christmas Shopping," was named for one of the most terrible days in Wall Street history.  But what is even more interesting to me is that so many retailers cannot even wait for Black Friday anymore.  Christmas decorations and gifts go on "special" before the last Halloween costumes have been sold.

So corporate America forces us once again to ignore Thanksgiving Day by smothering us with Christmas even before November is old.  Yes, the stores are full of the trappings of the upcoming Holiday Season.  But I hope you will join me in slowing down just a bit, in remembering that between Halloween and Christmas, there comes another day, another holiday, one that is unique and significant to America.  I hope we all can put all the gift-buying and gift-giving hype aside, just long enough to enjoy all the things we have to be thankful for. 

I sometimes resent the way that stores try to nudge, no, shove us headlong, from holiday to holiday.  What is the harm in letting the seasons pass their natural course?  Let me answer my own question.  The first answer is that that the faster each holiday occurs, the faster we part with our cash.  The second answer is that the sooner that Christmas "starts," and the longer that Christmas "lasts," the MORE you and I will spend.  There is the bottom line: Increased corporate greed means that the big companies want you and me to spend more money; therefore, Christmas "season" has grown longer and longer every year, until now it starts while ghosts and goblins still fill the air.  I hope this trend stops someday.  If it does not, you can bet we won't be able to by flags and ribbons for the Fourth of July anymore.  Santa and his elves will be taking up all the shelf room.  I want to eat my turkey before roasting chestnuts over the open fire.  By the way...only 40 more SHOPPING DAYS till Christmas!

Football Saturday ...On Tuesday

Due to my so-busy schedule I have not only missed a lot of football games, but I have missed a lot of sleep as well.  But this past Saturday I was able to watch the LSU - Mississippi State footbal game before retiring Saturday night.  The Tigers were able to keep Mississippi State in its place, even if the game was not as pretty for the Tigers as usual.  Whatever, I was happy to see the Tigers win again.  The cool thing about watching college football these days is that usually while the game is in progress, a "ticker tape" runs at the edge of the football field.  This ticker constantly provides updates on the various games being played around the nation each Saturday.  It was this ticker that first alerted me to the epic game being played in Tuscaloosa. I have to say that I thought I had read the score backwards.  But it was true...the Aggies were 20 points ahead of the Crimson Tide and it was still only the first quarter.  Was an upset in the making?

Epic game or not, I stayed with the Tigers as they pulled further and further ahead of Mississippi State.  Even without the Honey Badger, the Tigers are an exciting team to watch.  The Badger will be missed, but the Tigers will GEAUX on!  On the other hand, the Red Raiders were giving all their fans a heart attack! In a double overtime thriller the Red Raiders overcame the Jayhawks 41 to 34.  I wished I could have seen it, but that other game was on and I was glued to it!  Unfortunately the Hurricanes lost another one.  This is not their year, but I love to watch them play no matter what.  In other bad news, for me, both Grambling and Marshall lost their respective games as well.

I know all these games were on Saturday, but that very day I slept only four of twenty-four hours, then worked another twelve.  In those conditions I had to let the blog go for a little while.  Also, I was still in a ranting mood about the Barack elections, so I did not permit myself to blog for at least the first twenty four hours after the election returns came in.  But Obamanitemare or not, I still managed to watch the LSU game, AND enjoy it, before hitting LaLa Land for a couple of hours before returning to work later Saturday night and into Sunday.

So it is now Tuesday night, and I finally have time to slow down and savor the victories, and sympathize with the less fortunate.  The LSU game was great, but it was the game I missed, A&M versus the Crimson Tide of Alabama that was the truly great game of the week.  The Aggies, newest team of the SEC, apparently feeling like they have something to prove, have been PROVING that something since the season started.  After losing the season opener to the Florida Gators, the Aggies went on a five gate winning streak - beating SMU, South Carolina, Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Louisiana Tech in the process.  The winning streak was broken by LSU, in a close game.  LSU was then destroyed by the Crimson Tide, never crossing the goal line in this upset.  How great the Aggies must feel in upsetting the Crimson Tide, the team that hammered the Tigers earlier in the season.

But alas, I missed the Aggies' game.  LSU was in the process of defeating Mississippi and my eyes were in the process of closing.  I gave in to the necessity to sleep before going back to work for another twelve hours.  My work schedule has been the bane of my football season, allowing me to watch only three full football games the entire season.  In just a couple of weeks the playoffs will be upon us.  I hope the overtime crunch is over and I am back to being free to watch the college games over the next couple of weekends.  In the meantime, congratulations to the Aggies and Johnny Football...oh yeah, and Geaux Tigers!  Guns Up, Raiders!

 

So Confused!!

Yes, I am so confused with the results of the 2012 Presidential Election.  So many people talked about wanting change, and not the kind of change we have seen under Mr. Obama.  So many people talked about their weariness at the deadlock between the White House and Congress. So many people complained about so many things.  But the results of the election, if anything, indicate that people voted for the status quo, that is the SAME PRESIDENT and the SAME CONGRESS.  For any real change to occur, something had to give, but it did not. 

Logically speaking, the incumbent in almost any political office has the edge during elections.  From county sheriffs serving five, ten, or more terms in office to senators dying before they retire, election after election shows that the man (or woman) IN OFFICE tends to stay in office, barring some truly outrageous misdeed or some particularly unpalatable misjudgment.  Those of us who are "older" remember the day President Richard Nixon spoke to the nation on television with those now famous words, "I am NOT a CROOK!"  Only days later he resigned rather than face impeachment and almost certain removal from office. After President Ford's "caretaker" administration, a man named Jimmy Carter was swept into office on a wave of popularity not quite as great as that of Obama, but still a wave.  President Carter, however, was disgraced by his handling of the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979.  As a result, Ronald Reagan easily won the 1980 election.  Carter served only one term.

In the Congressional elections, many officeholders were re-elected as well, again proving that the incumbent is usually the winner.  Unfortunately, since we kept the same president and virtually the same Congress, there is little doubt that we are in for another four years of political deadlock at the national level. 

I am confused, though, as to WHY we kept our current leader, President Obama.  I get that many Democrats would vote for the Democratic presidential candidate, no matter WHO that person was, simply because the person was a Democrat.  Voters in that category comprise a large segment of Obama's support.  Another large block of Obama's support comes from Hispanic voters, who tend to vote for the Democratic candidate.  Union members, young professionals, and liberals also tend to vote for the Democrat.  What I am confused about is that so many people who fall into the above voting categories are also good, decent, law-abiding Americans who believe in the Constitution and the American way of life.  I am absolutely BEWILDERED that these people, as intelligent as anyone, I am sure, were willing to re-elect Barack Hussein Obama!  I did not particularly like any of the Democratic candidates, but almost any of them were more palatable than President Obama.

President Obama is the most UNPATRIOTIC person ever to hold that office.  Although the media went out of its way not to portray this, President Obama was photographed on several occasions with his back turned to the flag as the Star Spangled Banner was played.  Neither does Mr. Obama pledge his allegiance to this nation, to the people who elected him, now twice.  In other words Mr. Obama has no respect for the very people who placed him in the highest office in the land!

President Obama has no respect for our Constitution, the law of the land.  He has instructed the Justice Department to enforce laws differently, depending on who violates the law, and on whom is the victim.  He has sanctioned the continued tyrannical authority of the Office of Homeland Security, particularly the Transportation Security Administration.  Recently he sanctioned and supported the Attorney General in the failed Operation Fast and Furious, the "sting" operation that resulted in the deaths of at least two federal agents and an unknown number of Mexican police officers.  President Obama continues to authorize, and indeed, to direct the use of aerial drones to kill US citizens who are not charged with any crime.  This is the ultimate trampling of our Constitution.  Yet the majority of American voters WANTED this man to serve ANOTHER term as our President!

President Obama has no respect for the American taxpayer.  His administration oversaw the most massive misuse of tax dollars ever, in the bailout of the American banking industry.  Bank administrators and CEOs kept their jobs after running their respective banks into the ground.  Many of these same people received huge "bonuses" when they were forced to leave the banks.  The housing industry collapsed along with the banks, forcing many Americans out of their new homes.  President Obama further wasted tax dollars by funding questionable "green businesses" which then "failed."  Once again, the executives of these businesses made out like bandits with their huge bonuses, but the tax dollars were lost forever.  Again, THIS MAN is the one SO MANY AMERICANS RE-ELECTED?!

President Obama did not keep his promises regarding the "wars" going on in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Obama the Candidate decried "Bush's War" and railed on about the lost lives of our young soldiers, not to mention the millions of dollars these wars cost the American people every day!  Shortly after assuming the presidency, Mr. Obama informed us that he had reconsidered these matters and that the "War On Terror" must continue, apparently for at least the duration of his first term in office.  Four years later we are still fighting in those two nations and no end is in sight.  Not only that, but no tangible gains have been made in the "War On Terror."  Yet here it is, 2012, Saddam is dead, Osama is dead, but the war goes on.  But we must really WANT President Obama to serve another term, BECAUSE HE IS OUR PRESIDENT AGAIN!

Speaking of soldiers, lest we forget, Mr. Obama himself led a great crusade...a crusade to deny our soldiers fighting overseas the RIGHT TO VOTE!  But Mr. Obama was re-elected.

Like I said, the re-election of President Barack Hussein Obama is nothing less than confusing to me.  While I am as tired as anyone of the stalemate between the President and Congress, I had strong hope that we would have a new President, one that could work with the present Congress.  But more important, I had extremely high hopes most Americans would have by now realized that our President was so wasteful with our tax dollars, so disdainful of the American people, and most of all, so UNPATRIOTIC towards this nation, that they would not even THINK of putting him back in that most powerful office.  I was so wrong, and now I am so CONFUSED.  I am still stunned that so many supposedly reasonable and supposedly informed Americans chose to reward this tax-squandering, constitution-bashing, murderer with a second term as President of this great (but confusing) nation of ours!



 

Goodbye To Big Tex, That Smiling Cowboy

Mixed in with all the other things going on Friday (Oct. 19th) was the stunning news that Big Tex, that famous smiling cowboy, had burned to the ground! Big Tex has greeted visitors at the Texas State Fair for more than sixty years now.  But we learned Friday that this icon was no more. As of today's blog, the cause of the fire is suspected to be within the decades old electrical control system that moved the statue's arm and head. 

I would be remiss in not saying a sad farewell to Big Tex.  He is one of the most famous modern Texas landmarks, being featured in the Texas State Travel Guide as well as many national and regional magazines each year.  I have to admit that it was an exciting experience to stand at his feet for a few moments when I attended the state fair several years ago.  It was a sad and shocking to sight to see him burn, as the strained and tearful faces of many of the bystanders who watch as Big Tex burned could attest.

But I think we can all take heart, my friends.  The organizers of the Texas State Fair are already discussing a new Big Tex, one with modern, computer-operated controls, one that is possibly even taller than our lately destroyed statue.  I believe the intention is that the new statue will be in place by State Fair 2013.  That is a tall order, but I have confidence that this goal will be met.  But in the meantime, I would like to join all those Texans (and adopted Texans as well!) who are saddened at the loss of our friend and Hero, Big Tex. 

The Democratic Republic of Nocompromise America

A friend of mine, while ranting about the inappropriateness of so much politics on Facebook, made a very profound statement.  He said, "My feeling at this point is this rabid outrage will be the undoing of this country. Everyone wants their way and no one is willing to compromise for the good of the country. Put that in your Blog. Democracy can't function in that environment."  That observation is so true, as witnessed by the history of this very nation some one hundred fifty odd years ago. 

The Congress of that era had lost its ability to compromise, almost to the point that some of the states were beginning to call for secession from the Union.  One reason for such rabid outrage, as my friend so aptly called it, was a law known somewhat ironically as the Compromise of 1850.  This law purported to settle several issues which divided America at the time.  These issues included the admission of California and New Mexico to the Union as either slave or free states (state's rights), the abolition of the slave trade in Washington DC (but not the continued ownership of slaves there), the forced enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act on the northern states (state's rights), the final designation of the northern and western borders of Texas, and the payment of ten million dollars to the State of Texas for those lands given up in the border settlement.  The Compromise of 1850 really settled nothing because national leaders did not support all of these laws; neither did the people.  The Compromise did not settle slavery issues, fugitive slave return issues, or issues of state's rights versus national authority.  The subsequent election of Abraham Lincoln by only a fraction of the nation's legal voters pushed the nation even closer to almost inevitable civil war.  The nation was polarized.  There was no integration of viewpoints. Compromise was not only impossible, it was not wanted!

That brings me to my friend's recent and profound words of wisdom.  No matter who should win the White House in 2012, no matter who is elected to Congress, the growing inability of our leaders to pass laws through compromise is an alarming signal that this nation is indeed in trouble.  But the Congressional impasse is no more alarming than the attitude of the people of this nation. We are no longer willing to look for the things that we share in common with our political adversaries (OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS!).  As I pointed out in a recent blog, the political views of President Obama and Governor Romney are not so greatly different.  They are both liberal politicians who both promote similar social programs for this nation.  As I also pointed out, the main difference between these two candidates is the President's most odious lack of patriotism for the this nation, for the PEOPLE who elected him to that highest office.  Senators and representatives will be elected, with much the same rhetoric to which we have become so accustomed.  These politicians have no interest in compromise, because they have become so polarized in their views that compromise is not wanted.  But with no compromise, laws will not be passed, and the deadlock will continue.  The thing that is most alarming is that this is exactly the situation the nation faced in 1850.  Our nation has been so polarized by politicians, the media, and our own fears, that compromise seems at times so far out of reach.

There is another alarming issue as well.  The constant clamour between various "sides" on various issues has divided Americans so much that we are unwilling to come together as a nation to take control of our government, to take back our freedom and our civil rights, to demand that certain terrible and unconstitutional laws be immediately repealed.  When our basic civil rights are in jeopardy, we should all be willing to compromise in some way, so that we can all act as a powerful force to demand that WHOEVER is President upholds the Constitution, and is respectful of this nation and its great symbols of freedom.  As my friend so aptly stated, the state of the nation at this point in time is such that "democracy cannot function in this environment."  Many people will vote for Barack Obama in the coming election.  As the incumbent, Mr. Obama has the advantage; Governor Romney is fighting the uphill battle.  For me, no matter who wins, I believe that the nation can go on, but only if we, whether Democrat, Republican, Independent, Socialist, or whatever, can come together and demand those laws that are so blatantly unconstitutional be repealed.  You and I still have the power to turn out office those representatives who refuse to "represent" us.  No matter who is President, it is Congress that makes and passes laws.  And it is ultimately those politicians who can make Congress function, while it is you and I who ultimately can make this nation function, or who can continue to yell and scream at each other until another civil war becomes inevitable.

 

A Tale Of Two Little Angels

While I was engaged in my duties at the local hospital overnight, I was suddenly thrust into the lives of two different families, each set of parents with a very sick child.  The first child, an infant girl of about six months, died of complications of her illness within a couple of hours of arriving in the Emergency Room.  The second child, also an infant girl, survived her illness, at least long enough to be whisked off into the early morning sky by a life flight helicopter.

I had a very small part in the events that took place, and I am sure that the families will not remember me, and that is fine. Mostly I was an observer.  What I observed (and in small way felt) was the terrible sadness and pain at the loss of such a young child.  Mother and father, some other adult relatives, and a young boy were all caught up in the terrible grief that only comes with losing a child.  But all the people who had worked to save the child, and yes, even those of us who only played such minor parts in the attempt, were saddened to the point of tears when the doctor called life-saving efforts to a halt.  For some reason beyond human comprehension (at least THIS human), this little angel was taken from its parents, from its sibling, its grandparents, and returned to that place where the Good Shepherd cares for little children such as these.  The child's family left the hospital a short time later and went somewhere to be alone and grieve. 

Meanwhile we, the day shift, did not have time to dry our tears before another little angel girl was brought in.  This child was having trouble breathing and was in dire straits.  The child's family was concerned, and with good reason.  The little baby was hovering near death.  As the medical staff went to work on this infant, AeroCare was called and responded a life flight to our hospital.  By the time the chopper arrived, the infant was in stable condition.  Again, for reasons known only to the Universe, this female child survived the short stay in the hospital and was in good shape as the helicopter lifted off the pad.  The parents were upbeat as they drove away.  They were spared the agony that the first family was only beginning to know.

Two little angels came to the hospital this morning.  One angel returned to the Father.  The other will receive medical care and, in all likelihood, will eventually return safely to her parents.  As the excitement these crises generated began to fade away and things returned to "normal" in the Emergency Room, I had time to ponder the events of the past couple of hours.  I had to wonder, once again, why one child was taken and the other left?  Why did one child die and one live on?  Why were one set of parents called to experience the worst pain parents can feel, while the other parents were given the joy of hearing that their daughter would live and would be reunited with them soon?  Where was the fairness in this...this tale of two little angels?

I pondered these questions for the remainder of the morning, until I was relieved at end of my shift, nearly five hours later.  As I thought about it, I realized I did not have anymore answers than I had before these traumatic events occurred.  Not only did I have no answers, but I began to have the feeling that maybe there WERE no answers.  Were one set of parents better than the other?  Did some member of the family somehow "deserve" to lose this little baby?  I thought of the our own little angel, Bryan, as the events brought his memory vividly before me.  I recall now that years ago some of these same questions ran through my mind.  What had we done?  Why was our baby taken?  The only comfort I had then was knowing that Jesus was holding Bryan and comforting him.  The years have taken edge from the pain, but the memories are there still, and always will be.

As I have gotten older, I cannot say that I am wiser, especially given the events of the past year.  I know I am not wiser because I know I am no closer to the answers to these questions than I was twenty-six years ago when Bryan was taken from us.  And today, all these questions were laid bare as I helped prepare one baby to be carried to a funeral home and helped prepare another to be carried away on a helicopter.  It was a tale of two angels, but the mystery was only made deeper today, the understanding was hidden as far away from me as the twilight is from the dawn. 

In the end all I can do is pray for the comfort of one family; for the other, the recovery of their child, and the hope that they will treasure this child as a miracle for years to come.
 



 

Lance Armstrong Gets The Woods Treatment

Lance Armstrong, our most famous cyclist and cancer survivor, is currently embroiled in what I call the Woods Treatment.  As the scandal involving Armstrong's POSSIBLE use of performance enhancers grows, as more and more of his team mates and rivals come forward with accusations, Armstrong's sponsors are fleeing his presence faster than AT & T and Golf Digest could dump Tiger Woods after his sexual exploits hit the headlines.  Of course the difference is that Tiger Woods eventually confessed his transgressions.  At this point Armstrong continues to deny his use of performance-enhancing drugs during his cycling career.

Accusations of steroid use have been flung at Lance Armstrong from time to time over the years, but he has consistently denied these accusations, just as he has consistently won his races.  I once heard an old adage to the effect that a lie, repeated many times, begins to take on its own truth.  I have no way of knowing whether Lance Armstrong used performance-enhancing drugs or not.  All I, as a news consumer, can know is that many people are now coming forward with such accusations against Armstrong.  Adding further fuel to the "it MUST be TRUE" fire is the news of a few weeks ago that the International Organization of Cyclists had stripped Lance Armstrong of all his Tour De France titles. 

Like I said, I do not know if the accusations against Lance Armstrong are true, but I do know that it will be a sad thing if yet another sports legend falls to the wayside because of the use of steroids.  And I would like to point out that we do not yet, even more than a month after Armstrong was stripped of his titles, know whether he actually used the drugs in question.  On the other hand, we DO know that Armstrong PASSED numerous drug tests over the years at the various cycling competitions he entered.  I admit that, as they say, the evidence is indeed stacking against Armstrong, but I also point out that to date we have been shown no tests results indicating that Armstrong was using steroids.  I hope we can all apply the innocent till proven guilty principle until we know at some point what the truth really is.  I know, you ask, why would so many people lie about Lance Armstrong?  I do not necessarily believe these people are lying, but I do believe that Armstrong has been tried and convicted on less than hard evidence.  And his sponsors are not waiting for the truth to set them free.  Despite the lack of physical evidence that Lance Armstrong cheated, his sponsors are giving him the full Tiger Woods treatment. 

I am still waiting for some confirmation of the facts.  It may be that test results showing Armstrong used drugs will be made public someday.  More meaningful to me would be Armstrong's admission of his drug use if these accusations are indeed true.  I guess it is natural that people want heroes they can look up to; heroes that seem larger than life.  Indeed we demand sometimes that they be larger than life. So when our heroes fall, when they are proven to be not really so much larger than life after all, it seems their fall from grace is all the harder.  Lance Armstrong is one of my heroes.  It hurts, in a way, to see him getting the Woods Treatment.  I hope that the truth that emerges will clear his name.  If not, I hope the truth leaves no doubt that Armstrong indeed deceived the people. In the meantime, I guess we can all go back to our search for sports heroes. For Lance, I send my prayers as the Woods Treatment goes on...

 

Change Needed Regardless of Which Candidate Wins The Whitehouse

On my Blog, I have made no secret of the fact that I am violently opposed to Barack Obama being allowed the privilege of serving another term as President of The United States.  I have done my best to spread around the Web the fact (Not the OPINION) that Mr. Obama is the most UNPATRIOTIC person ever to hold that office.  Why do I say FACT and not Opinion?  Only because, even though the mainstream media has done its best to conceal this, the current President does not salute the flag of the United States, does not recite the Pledge of Allegiance, and has repeatedly turned his back on our American Flag during state occasions when our National Anthem is being played and Old Glory is being raised.

President Obama claims to love Our (and his?) nation, claims to respect Our Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen, claims to honor those things we prize, such as Liberty and the United States Constitution, which have been paid for many times over by the blood of our service men and women.  But the President's actions speak much louder than his hollow words.  I have also stated in my Blog that our President has the right to express his political beliefs in any way he chooses.  I have stated in my blog that the one point of respect I have for Mr. Obama is that HE DOES STAND UP FOR HIS BELIEFS, even in the face of what should be strong public outrage at his behaviour.  But he was elected President, and I respect him (only!) for the fact that he did not change his beliefs and his public behavior after his election.  My belief, and my political opinion, is that Mr. Obama DOES NOT DESERVE RE-ELECTION so that for four more years he can make a mockery of the great emblems of this nation and the brave sacrifice of this nation's soldiers.  Even Hilary Clinton is more palatable as a Democratic candidate.  At least she would salute the Flag!

Unfortunately we will find that there is very little difference in the political beliefs of President Obama and Governor Romney.  Both are liberal, both support socialistic healthcare programs, both support the disgusting USA PATRIOT Act, and both support the new National Defense laws that were passed recently.  It is my opinion (as I have not closely researched Romney's politics) that the major difference between the two men is that Romney will not turn his back on OUR FLAG, will not fail to salute during the playing of the National Anthem, and will not fail honor the brave fighters, both the living and the dead, that have fought and still fight for our freedom.  Mr. Romney is clearly now the only candidate that can defeat Obama.  So, obviously, either Mr. Obama or Mr. Romney will be our next President.  Regardless of which man might be elected, our nation will go on.  And regardless of which man is elected, there are some changes that must be made, whether the President supports them or not.

One of the laws that we should all demand that our legislators repeal is the USA PATRIOT Act.  This act was authored by persons who wanted to consolidate power within the Executive Branch.  These people knew that what they desired was UNCONSTITUTIONAL and that even the most arrogant President would not even dream of requesting or demanding such power.  But with the attacks of 9/11, sufficient numbers of lawmakers were either afraid to stand up to the President or were caught up in the hysteria of the times and thus were willing to allow USA PATRIOT to pass without even reading the three thousand-plus pages that made up this law.  President Bush II was right there with these people, yelling that we needed this law, these "tools" to combat terrorism.

The National Defense Authorization Act should be the second law on all freedom-loving Americans' hit lists of tyrannical and illegal legislation.  Do you think I am over-reacting or being an "alarmist?"  Listen to this:  On September 17, 2012 federal judge Katherine Forrest, New York, ruled certain parts of the NDAA unconstitutional.  Wording in this act allowing the arrest and indefinite detention of any person, including American citizens, who "in any way" supported or had "any affiliation" with "terrorists" was too vague to be understood by citizens.  In other words, you and I have the right to understand what law we might have broken, and by whom we are being accused.  My friends, these two concepts are the the very cornerstones of our American legal system.  By definition, a law that is so vague that a "reasonable person" does not even know what he has done that is illegal has been denied his right to "due process" as defined in the Fifth Amendment.  Obviously, being held without the possibility of contacting a lawyer, and without ever being charged with an offense is unconstitutional.  Even an Obama appointee like Judge Forrest knows this.

Yes, regardless of who wins the 2012 Presidential election, the loser will be all of US if we cannot get together and force our representatives to repeal the USA PATRIOT Act, the National Defense Authorization Act, and any similar legislation.  I hope that Americans will see how close we really are to losing our precious civil liberties, and will demand of our politicians, including our President, that the first order of business be the preservation of our freedom, as defined by our United States Constitution.  President Obama ran for President in 2008 on a platform of "change."  Instead we have the same old wars, the same old domestic problems, AND the same threats against our civil liberties as when President Bush II was in office.  If you want the same old UNPATRIOTIC President we have now, vote for Obama.  If you want a patriotic, but STILL liberal President, vote for Romney.  But either way, I hope all of us can agree to unite and retake our freedom.  I hope you will join me in saying "thank you" to judges with enough fortitude and character to to uphold the Constitution even when such a "radical" stance "stuns" the President and his cabinet.  I for one am not so afraid of the terrorists that I am willing to give up my freedom.  I am not so dependent on the "government" for my safety that I want our press to be censored by USA PATRIOT or similar legislation.  And I know most of my fellow citizens feel the same.  The "change" I am seeking, President Obama and Governor Romney, is the end of the trampling of our rights and our freedom.

Charles Stobaugh Headed To Appeals Court

I learned a couple of days ago that Charles Stobaugh has definitely filed an appeal on his 2010 murder conviction in the death of Kathy Munday Stobaugh.  Although he pleaded his "indigence" at one point, the good judge in the case saw through all that maneuvering and told Mr. Stobaugh that if he wanted to appeal, he would have to furnish his own court transcript; the State (You and I) would not do that for him.  The idea of going to prison indeed brought Mr. Stobaugh out of his "indigence" and he was miraculously able to afford the transcript.

What exactly will the Stobaugh attorneys appeal?  There are a few things that could be brought into question. One item of appeal will more than likely be that a Denton reporter who, according to the defense, possessed information that could have cast doubt on Mr. Stobaugh's guilt refused to name her source of information and did not testify at the trial.  Prior to the trial, the judge did not require this reporter to name the source of her information.  The reporter (believing in freedom of the press as provided for in our Constitution) refused to reveal her informant.  The judge further refused to require this information at trial, nor did he order the reporter to testify, as requested by counsel. 

A second issue that will probably be raised was the fact that the same judge did not require a certain police investigator to testify at trial.  This officer, whether state or local I am not sure, made a statement to the effect that he personally believed there was "no way" that Charles Stobaugh could have committed the murder, and that there was actually no proof that a murder had occurred.  This officer's statement may not have been made on official record.  The defense of course contends that a fair trial was denied Mr. Stobaugh since this officer did not testify.

It will be interesting to see the outcome of this appeal.  I suspect that by the time all motions and briefs are filed, there will be more issues on appeal.  The one thing that is not on appeal is this man's guilt or innocence.  Without a strong defence, the only recourse is a tough offense, in this case, attacking procedure rather than fact.  I believe that the appeals system works (usually) in a similar fashion to the now familiar "play review" cameras of college football.  Without a strong and convincing argument against these issues, the guilty verdict in the original case will not likely be over-turned.  Not being a lawyer, of course, I could be completely wrong here, but I think not.

The verdict in the Stobaugh Case has upset many defense attorneys across the nation because Stobaugh's conviction adds one more precedence to case law indicating that a murder conviction CAN INDEED be had even though the body of the victim is not located.  The Texas justice system has become a strong advocate for victims of murder, in that prosecutors around the state are no longer willing to "reward" a criminal by not filing a murder case "just because the killer hid the body really well."  Project Innocence and other such defendant-oriented organizations are certainly watching this case, and its appeal, with rapt attention.  I, for one, am pleased that Charles Stobaugh, based on the evidence presented to jurors, was convicted

The Sky Is Falling! or The Gators Defeat The Tigers

If I had seen Chicken Little yelling, "The SKY is falling! The SKY is falling!" I would not have been more surprised than I had the misfortune of being Saturday as the final second ticked away in Gainesville.  I had watched it!  I had seen it all! But I did not want to believe it.  The Louisiana State University Tigers had fallen to the Florida Gators.  The scoreboard did not lie, and it was there plain to see - Gators 14, Tigers 6.  The worst part of it, besides the lost game, was the fact that the Tigers had not even crossed the goal line.  Their score was the result of two field goals. 

Now, to be honest, I love the Gators, only slightly less than I do the Tigers.  But when they play each other, I of course am a true Geaux Tigers Fan.  It is true that the Honey Badger is gone, but the Tigers are a good team, nonetheless.  They have potential and they will play better games as the season progresses.  It is truly heartbreaking, though, to see my beloved Tigers holding on to Ninth in the AP College Football Rankings.  The Gators, on the other hand, jump from 10th place up to Number 4.  I am proud of the Gators for that, but it is a bittersweet thing, after all.  Both teams go on to better things in next week's football game line up, and I can't wait.

My other teams did not fare very well, either.  Texas Tech (GUNS UP!!!!!!!) was soundly defeated by the Sooners.  I had hoped for a better Raider performance.  West Virginia University sacked the Longhorns.  The TCU Horned Frogs were de-horned by the Cyclones of Iowa State to the tune of 37 to 23.  I love to watch the Cyclones play, and I have since Seneca Wallace lit up the grid-iron nearly a decade ago.  But when TCU and the Cyclones are on the same field, I cheer loudly for the 'Frogs.  My beloved Hurricanes were spanked hard by the Fighting Irish.  Yes, I know the 'Canes are not by any means a contender team this year, but the final score was still heartbreaking for me.

What about the Thundering Herd? The kids from Marshall lost a good one to Tulsa.  I wish Marshall could have won, but losing by only a touchdown to Tulsa says a lot for the Thundering Herd.  And the Grambling Tigers, a mostly-Black college team that I have watched since I was a teen, lost to Prairie View A & M.  Grambling football has not seen the heights the team reached in the days of its famous coach, Eddie Robinson, who had won the most college games in history until Coach Joe Pa broke his record in 2011. 

But on the positive side of the ledger, the Texas Aggies won their game, defeating Southern Mississippi 30-27 in what was one of the more exciting nail biters of the day.  Gig 'em Aggies!

Yes, most of "my" teams lost Saturday, but it was nonetheless a very exciting football afternoon.  And it just goes to show that on any given Saturday, in any given college ball game, anything can - and does - happen.  But I know I will remember this past weekend for quite a while; the weekend the Sky fell in and the Gators beat the Tigers, who did not even score a touchdown.  How long since that has happened? 

But I can't wait for next week.  Who knows, maybe the Sky will fall again!  Maybe it fall on those pesky Gators!