Hyphenated Americans

African-American, Hispanic-American, Asian-American. Oxymoron-American. That’s what I think of hyphenated Americans.

If I see a black person, I don’t have to guess where his ancestors were from. Anyone who sees me knows, should know right away that my ancestry is not European or African.

What chaffs the hell out of me is the number of white people that seem to want to know how long I have been in this country. Sorry, white folks, but you have some REALLY dumb people or people who do not know their history very well.

We never hear about German-Americans, Anglo-American, French-Americans. We may hear of some Americans of Irish or Italian descent. Hopefully, you get the picture.

Why marginalize ourselves. If we were to return to our ancestor’s homeland, we would be looked upon as traitors especially if our children no longer spoke the language of our ancestors.

Every holiday I have with my children, I thank god for being an American.

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Social Security Will Be Saved. Not

We keep hearing the promise that social security will be saved by gradually increasing the retirement age to 70.

What a load of caca. Social security will go belly up before my adult children reach age 70.

Don’t believe me? Well, take yourself to the nearest all you can eat buffet o hamburger joint and take a look at all the fat people gorging themselves. I know; the pc term is obese. Any way you say it, these people are fat, fat ,FAT.

In the not so distant future some bureaucrat will be ok-ing their disability application because after all it’s not his money

Being fat is not a disease or disorder. It’s loss of self control plain and simple.

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Deadly Force

I am amazed at the flack police get whenever they have to resort to deadly force.

Now, with every TV news department having a facebook page, anyone can be a commentator. “He should have used his tazer.” “He should have shot him in the leg.” “He could have subdued him.” Yada, yada, yada.

And, TV dramas leave the impression that the police can talk down anyone with a gun in his hand. The public is so dumb they can’t distinguish TV drama from reality. An actor gets to come back next week to battle the forces of evil. A cop may only have one chance to save himself and any public that may be in danger from some deranged person.

The very same people that call the police when some situation may have gotten out of hand generally seem to be the first to turn on the police if deadly force is used to defuse the situation.

It’s easy to quarter back a situation from the comfort of our home and on the testimony of some witness. How many innocent persons are now in prison because some witness testified that he saw a defendant commit a crime?

I personally don’t get emotional because I wasn’t there and witnesses are notoriously wrong most of the time. What is totally lacking in our times is a dose of skepticism. We have a news media giving too much credence to witnesses and a rush to judgment before all the facts are in.

We have all kinds of counseling for the victims. But, what about the cop? Will he be able to walk away alive the next time he finds himself in the same situation?

Police Brutality

“There is more law in the end of a policeman’s nightstick than a decision of the Supreme Court.” Inspector Alexander S. Williams-The Gangs of New York by Herbert Asbury p.219

Cops can’t catch a break. If something tragic happens, they get blamed because they “should have done something”. If they kill some dumb ass, the family and the whole community come out demanding “justice”. Never mind that the dumb ass brought the shit down on himself. It’s the “racist” cops always at fault.

A few years ago, a cop was caught on tape (there always seems to be a camera somewhere) beating up some dumb ass. Here’s what happened: that idiot took off with his girl friend’s kids and wound up being pursued by the police. For some reason (this happened quite a number of years ago) he abandoned his vehicle and tried to escape into some nearby woods. The cop that caught him started to beat on the ass hole. He wasn’t aware of the news helicopter overhead.

I have no problem with cops expending some street side justice once in a while. We all need to occasionally get some licks in even if it’s vicariously.

A couple of years ago I was invited to a summit at a black church. There were blacks, Hispanics and Muslims in attendance. When the moderator, who just happened to be black, began to inquire into how many blacks there were in the police department, I thought, “Oh, hell. Here we go again.” So, I promptly left.

More recently, a Fort Worth policeman shot a dumb ass after said dumb ass rolled up his window and drug the cop two blocks before being shot. The community was outraged that a policeman would shoot someone with his kids inside the car. They even had one of the kids at a news conference commenting, “He shot my daddy.”

Hello! Maybe if daddy hadn’t been a dumb ass he’d still be alive.

Anyhow, blacks and Hispanics need to stop defending bad asses and dumb asses. I couldn’t care less if some drunken Mexican got shot while going for his cell phone. The cop’s duty is to go home to his family at the end of his/her shift.

In all my years of driving, when stopped by the police, I have always kept my hands on the steering wheel. I don’t tell cops, “You should be chasing some real criminals.” I don’t speed anymore, so it’s been quite a while since I was last ticketed. I’ve even had police thank me for my courtesy.

I’m not making a blanket endorsement about police departments. They are not all perfect but they sure are a hell of a lot better than 40-50 years ago. Well, at least in the metropolitan areas where they have to undergo extensive training. Can’t say the same for small town cops.

Recently, we watched the movie “Crash” again. It seems everybody was fighting his own private battle. If you haven’t seen it, check it out. And, if you haven’t seen it in a while, see it again.

One last word: I’m sure white people don’t look at a cop’s race. He could be red, yellow, black or white; they don’t care.

Fit or Fat

Go into Barnes and Noble or do a search on Amazon and you are presented with hundreds of choices on healthy cooking, dieting or fitness. They all promise miracles with very little on your part.

I read an article over 50 years ago, probably in Readers Digest that the cure for a healthy body was to either to eat less or get more exercise. Nothing has changed in the intervening years.

I have never forgotten that article but it wasn’t until I had a stroke that the full impact finally hit me. I’ve had spurts where I would jog or exercise then fall back to drinking beer. It’s only beer, right?

Same goes for eating. Pizza, fried chicken, chicken fried steak, tacos, hamburgers, shakes, French fries. And, of course, beer.

I see pictures of myself from just a few short years back and man; I was fat; not obese but an unhealthy fat. I haven’t fully recovered from my stroke and I don’t know if I ever will. I sold my guns because I know I cannot get out into the woods like I would like. I don’t blame anyone but myself thinking I was bullet proof.

I motivate myself to go walking or to the gym. I walk around my neighborhood because if I walk a mile I know I have to walk back. It’s not as easy as just getting off the tread mill.

I have to remind myself that the extra weight didn't magically appear. I put on that weight by having certain habits, not exercising, eating an unhealthy diet, or not getting rid of stress.

Take this as gospel and act accordingly

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Buzz Words

“Ronald Reagan conservative”, “secure borders”, “fair share”

All these and many more have special meaning to particular people.

“Ronald Reagan conservative” is spouted by some conservative, but what does it mean? I heard Michael Reagan a while back that the term “conservative” has a different connotation different than it did 30 years ago and that Ronald Reagan probably could not get the nomination today. So apparently the term “Ronald Reagan conservative” only means something to a select few.

Likewise secure borders mean we have too many Mexicans so let’s stop the flow. And yet people shop at Wal-Mart.

People that pay no taxes are up in arms when it comes to taxing other people. Idiots; half the people in America pay no Federal Income Tax so what are they bitching about. They ride on highways paid for by other people or ride on public transportation paid for by other people. If they don’t own a car, their groceries get to the store on trucks driven over the highways paid for by other people.

Don’t even get me started on food stamps. Every time my wife and I go to the store, we see healthy people driving better vehicles than ours and paying with a Lone Star debit card (that’s the Texas replacement of food stamps).

Call me jaded but I’ll be glad when the dog and pony show called the elections is over.

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You will know the truth

and the truth will make you mad.-John 8:32

^{John 18:38} Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?

Now a days everyone seems to know the truth. Not I; I believe the only people to know the truth are mad- like nuts or insane. The truth can be a powerful thing. That is why most people would rather give their thinking over to someone else. Jack Nicholson was right in the movie A Few Good Men when he told Tom Cruise, “You can’t handle the truth”. If I remember correctly he was taken out of the court room babbling.

Maybe it’s a good thing not knowing the truth. Maybe delinquents turn to violence because they see no future. No home, no education, no one to love.

Far be it from me to make excuses for anyone. We have always had an underclass. However now more than any at other time we have do gooders telling people they should expect more and not settle. So, if they can’t have, they take and anyone that gets in the way be damned.

Truth can make people mad and not in a good way. During the Crusades, good Christians killed in the name of god. In Iraq and Afghanistan fanatics kill themselves and other innocents in the name of Allah.

Don’t tell me these are sane people.

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Reality TV

I don’t much care about reality TV. Mostly it’s about greedy people trying to get over on other people or people acting like idiots. However, I happened on “Shark Tank” a few weeks ago and have been looking forward to Friday nights since then.

Four lucky individuals get a chance to go before four really rich guys and one rich woman and pitch their need for capital. One of the rich dudes is Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks. Some people choke up and leave empty handed but a few get their opportunity to make their dreams a reality.

I really get into the drama that sometimes I yell “Take it, take it” at the TV to some deal the sharks are proposing. Other times I tell my wife, “He’s not going to get it”.

America is still the greatest place to live. Dreams can become a reality if one puts forth the effort. Be sure and catch the “Shark Tank”.

Another reality show I’ve liked is “The Colony”. This one deals with an apocalyptic event in which a group of people are thrown together and must learn to work together after a catastrophe.

It’s a ten week experiment in which they must start from scratch to rebuild a community. It is interesting to see American ingenuity go to work to solve all kinds of problems. It makes me proud of being an American.

Since this program was originally on cable, I saw it on Netflix

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“Sin is a demon...

... lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his maser.”-Gen. 4:7 New American Bible

³¹ The second command is this: 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself. There are no commands more important than these." Mark 12:31 New Century Version

Some churches must be populated with godly people because they never preach about sin. Some churches want to save everybody because they preach about sin incessantly.

But, just exactly, what is sin?

Some denominations believe sin is violating the Ten Commandments. Now, that’s a good start. Other denominations believe drinking and dancing are a sin. They don’t believe anyone should have any fun.

The deacon got my attention a few Sundays ago. I normally couldn’t tell you what the sermon was about but this sermon was so compelling. He left such an impression on me that here I am weeks later writing about it.

Basically Hollywood has so trivialized demonic possession such that no one believes in a person being possessed. He talked basically about addiction and how no one sets out to be an addict. A person will begin with recreational drugs or a drink to unwind from work, and then become a casual user and finally winds up being a full blown addict or alcoholic.

Which gets me back to Genesis, “Sin is a demon lurching at the door”? America does not like to accuse anyone with bad behavior. Instead we like to say a person has bad habits. The two biggest bad habits (sins) in America are over eating and out of control drinking. No one is an alcoholic instead we say “He’s happy go lucky” or “Has a drinking problem.”

I’ve known people with a “drinking problem.” Believe me it was no joke. They lost their business or job or freedom. Some lose their families.

I like beer; a lot. But I love my daughters and grand children more. So, I have taken the cardiologist’s advice and basically quit drinking. I’ll have a beer or two once or twice a year. And then I don’t think about it again.

And for fat people, we like to make all kinds of excuses.

Let’s heed Jesus’ admonishment, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself”. I firmly believe that it all starts with self love; not narcissism but a genuine belief that you are special and must do everything within your power to preserve your selfhood. If a person loved his neighbor as he loved himself, there would be no need for the Ten Commandments. I believe the Serenity Prayer and the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi should be part of every person’s daily ritual.

Whatever it takes. A person should seek whatever help they may need whether spiritual or otherwise

My Spanish teacher in college once commented, “Everything good in life is either a sin or fattening”. Many things in life can possess us: booze, lusting for things we cannot afford, food, pornography. Anything that can harm us or another human being is a sin. OK, maybe a short coming. But let’s remember the admonition, “His urge is toward you, yet you can be his master.”

So, what demons do you struggle with? Are you master or slave?

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I was once a Democrat

Believe it or not, I was a liberal Democrat some 40 years ago. And, I didn’t have to get mugged to change. Conservatives used to say a conservative was a liberal that hadn’t been mugged yet.

I believe what changed my views were nature shows. Yes, nature shows. In nature you see winners and losers. Some die so that others may live. And it got me to thinking (dangerous thing: thinking). How can humans be any different?

I began to notice people in dire circumstances due to their bad behavior. Brought back some of the religious teachings I had learned as a youngster. My own wayward ways and bad company had led me astray. Once I began to associate with a different crowd my life changed for the better.

I was stern with my children because I know how trying to be “cool” can get you into all kinds of mischief. I have a foster brother that spent over 45 years, three fourths of his life incarcerated. He tells me he had to get his head straight. It took him a long time but he realizes he did it to himself. He doesn’t whine about the bad breaks. He just soldiers on.

I’m saving my rant on poor people for another post.

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Best Movie Ever

I used to watch “The Magnificent Seven” so often that daughter number one gave me a VCR copy for Father’s Day one year.

I must have seen that movie at least thirty times before it dawned on me that ultimately this was a movie about redemption.

These were men who hired their guns out to whomever could pay for their services. In the end they did what we Americans do best: protect the underdog. Most of the gunmen died fighting and two of the remaining three rode off, leaving us to wonder whatever was to become of them.

The farmers knew they couldn’t depend on the government to protect them so they took it upon themselves to rectify their situation. In the end, they had to get into the fight themselves if they wanted to be free. The farmers redeemed themselves by fighting with everything they could lay their hands on.

The sequels were a dud and never up to the original. I own many action movies but in my estimation none are equal to “The Magnificent Seven”.

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Illegal Immigration

It seems we have two opposite views on immigration: those that want open borders and those that would have ALL illegals rounded up and deported.

Allow me to tackle this one at a time.

Firstly, open borders will only lead to anarchy. If things are bad along the border now, have you thought what will happen if anyone can enter without impunity? I’ve heard the pro-illegal crowd say we are separating families when we sent parents back to their country of origin. Well, the state had no problem breaking up my brother’s family when he was sent to prison. The state does it every day when they send one or both parents to prison. Now, don’t tell me persons coming illegally are all good people just trying to better themselves. THEY COULDN’T WAIT.

It’s a slap in the face to all the good folks that followed the rules to offer blanket amnesty to all illegal aliens. Although many are hard working and stay out of trouble, there aren’t enough jobs to keep everyone out of trouble. And then there is the bunch that will load up on everything they can.

It’s chicken shit to call the Governor of Alabama a racist. His state can’t afford to keep educating illegal’s children and curing them in the county hospitals or keeping them in jail.

I’ve heard the weak argument, “They contribute more than they take”. Toro caca. Why are Catholic churches where aliens have become the majority in such a sad condition? Because they don’t contribute their fair share.

To the anti-illegal crowd I say, “You’re peeing against the wind”. You should know that while your congressman may stump against illegal immigration, he’s not going to do anything. Sure makes for a good public persona but campaign monies come from the very corporations that profit from a cheap labor pool.

It seems the only people that are offended are the Latinos that feel they must kiss Mexican ass. THEY should be kissing OUR asses. I once told some Latino liberals that found the term illegal aliens offensive that maybe we should call drug dealers unregistered pharmacists and hookers, unlicensed entertainers, burglars, uninvited guests.

The Minute Men are at least trying to do something not just bitch. Bravo, Minute Men.

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Old Dead, White Guys

"Freedom is never an achieved state; like electricity, we've got to keep generating it or the lights go out." -- Wayne LaPierre

A few years ago it was fashionable to bash old, dead white guys.

Figures; only morons could come up with something that dumb.

Let’s see; what did those old, dead white guys give us?

Well, for starters they gave us democracy. Granted, women did not have a voice outside the home and their whole economy was slave based. Still, they made attempts that hither forth would light a fire in men’s hearts and that fire has not yet died.

They gave us some of the greatest minds known to man. Men like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. They gave us literature, drama and political theory. Some of the world’s greatest art is from Old Dead White Guys.

While Americans take their liberty for granted, we can see in the nightly news people the world over wanting to be free. Hundreds may die tonight for their hope to be free.

Some of those dead, white guys risked life and limb to explore new worlds. Men like Christopher Columbus and Lewis and Clark. Granted, things may not have gone too well for the indigenous people but don’t blame them. They were only the messenger.

It’s easy for us to condemn in hind sight what happened in the past, but let’s not forget that it’s in the past. We can’t go back and change what went before.

I got an email once that stated “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a present. That is why it’s called the present”

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Skepticism Is Next to Godliness

Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because if there be one he must approve of the homage of reason more than that of blindfolded fear. -Thomas Jefferson, letter to Peter Carr, August 10, 1787

I think we ought always to entertain our opinions with some measure of doubt. I shouldn't wish people dogmatically to believe any philosophy, not even mine. Bertrand Russell

Daughter number 2 once asked me if she should question her parents. My response was “Of course”. Parents like everyone else have an agenda. I don’t believe that the good book meant that children should blindly honor their parents. What if the parents are thieves or worse, murderers; should a child honor their parents’ wishes? I think not.

I thank “god” my daughters are free thinkers and are successfully following their own path.

I know older people who are stuck in antiquated thinking because mom or dad believed such and such. They do not want to admit that mom and dad might have been ignorant. My parents were ignorant through no fault of their own. They had been conditioned NOT to question their elders.

The problem with America as I see it is that no one seems to have critical thinking. Folks have let the preacher, news person or politician take over their brains. Seems like “American Idol” or “Survivor” is the most important thing in their lives.

And then they keep bitching about the country going to hell. Wake up; think for yourself, fool.

As Voltaire said, "Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd”.

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Another Dumb Gesture

Well, Obama and Company are at it again. They are falling all over each other trying to kiss Middle Eastern and Islamic ass because some Marines pissed on some dead Afghans.

Never mind these animals drag our troops through the streets and chop off heads like some kid roasting marsh mellows. Obama and his Democrats want to punish the Marines far beyond punishment for conduct unbecoming.

I will allow that they should have some kind of disciplinary action, but criminal charges? Give me a break.

But, that’s a Democrat for you. They’d rather switch than fight. If you’re old enough, you should know where I appropriated that from.

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Hero

As I sit down to write this post, I am 70 years old. I want my children and grand children to know that their grandfather and great grandfather was a hero. No, he didn’t have super powers but he was a REAL hero just the same.

My daddy never earned more than $50.00 a week yet he managed to support a wife and two kids and on some occasions, my mom’s sister and her kids. My parents would later adopt two of the girls.

He built our home in the evenings after supper. My brother and I were too young to be of much help. We were poor and didn’t know it. He couldn’t do that now a days because of building permits and codes and such things. Progress is good but sometimes it’s at the expense of personal initiative and motivation.

I sometimes find myself comparing myself to my Dad and find myself falling short. I did not come to realize until later in life that my Dad was a true hero.

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Living In the Recent Past

REMEMBER THIS: Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter. Mark Twain

I was reading a blog recently where the blogger was writing as to why women spent so much time in the kitchen during the Dark Ages. Turns out that was the warmest part of the hut.

It got me to thinking of my own childhood and I asked my wife about her’s. I wanted to know if they had ever had a wood burning stove. Her family was in the country; my family was in the city although we were literally “on the other side of the tracks”.

We spent our first winter in a street car that was on the property. My mom cooked and heated the place on a wood burning stove. We had an outhouse for the first number of years. Remember, we were in the city.

After my dad built a two room house with some help from friends we graduated to a two burner kerosene stove. Still had the outhouse.

Young people today cannot appreciate the sacrifices our parents made to give us an education. And, if hard times ever come again (which they will, no doubt about it) will they be able to keep it together?

I wonder how many people under the age of, oh, 50 can bathe in a generous two gallons of water or use an unconventional toilet or cook over a small fire. I can exclude campers; they know a little of the primative life.

Being caught up in a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina or the aftermath of a devastating tornado is not the time to learn these skills.

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Change We Can Believe In

No, I’m not talking about the kind of change Barak Obama promised.

Recently in church there was a power point slide on the wall announcing that soon contributions can be made online.

My wife commented how some people were losing their jobs because of technology.

Well, it got me to thinking how change has gotten us to where we are now. Not just modern technology but subtle changes throughout the ages.

Like it or not war has played a vital role in our progress. The first hospital improvements came about in treating injured soldiers in the field. Emergency room procedures can thank war for any life saving techniques which are now routine.

Canned foods may have had origins in war. Certainly GPS and cell phones had their genesis in war. I’m not trying to glorify war; just pointing out some modern day benefits you may not have known.

As for people losing jobs, like it or not that’s progress. Wagon builders had to adapt or go out of business. There was no need for whip makers once we gave up horses and began to drive automobiles.

Every day we may not notice some business is not there anymore. Let’s stop and see what’s coming next.

Why go through all the hassles of writing a letter when we can send email. And, now we can see the person we are talking to on the new cell phones.

I suppose I could go on but, hopefully you get my jest.

Red Neck Is More Than a T Shirt

Red necks get no respect. I’m talking about real red necks not some dumb piece of white trash. I once saw a T-shirt on a young lady that read, “It’s a red neck thing”. If you have to advertise it, you’re not a real red neck contrary to what Jeff Foxworthy may say.

Red necks get blamed for everything that’s wrong with America. But, has anyone wondered or questioned where the term originated? What happens to light complexioned people when they stay out the sun too long? They sun burn. What happens to a man plowing a field with a mule team or on a tractor? He gets sunburned. And, what part of his body gets the least protection? The neck; hence the term red neck.

Those of us blessed with a little color have a bit of sunscreen built in. We may tan but we don’t sun burn.

Anyhow, thank god for the REAL Red Neck.

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