(The following was published in the Newsleader on May 29, 2009)
There are many forms of child abuse. Certainly the most familiar come to mind. Is it possible that denial of medical care could also be a form of abuse? As we examine the matter here in Minnesota with the thirteen year old boy and his mother, I ask whether she should be considered an abuser of her son. If an adult with their wits about them refuses medical care for whatever reason, that is their choice, but when they participate in the denial of care for a minor with limited understanding of reality, that becomes something else entirely.
Quite correctly in this case, the state stepped in and attempted to legally force the mother to seek conventional care for her minor child. Medical experts say that with chemo therapy the boy has about a 90% chance of a cure. Without this therapy he has something less that a 5% chance of survival. Under the law the state has a compelling interest in protecting minor children from abusive or inattentive parents. The court correctly found that the child must be treated conventionally and as you know the mother then took her son and tried to run away. On Sunday they returned home and we will watch what happens next.
There are among us many people who choose alternative forms of treatment. Some believe in so-called faith healing. I am sure you have heard the stories of group prayers asking for miracles for sick people. I have no problem with asking for Divine help in these matters. I even advocate it as long as it also includes conventional medical care. If adults take this route, that is their choice. Children don’t have a choice however. They are the subjects of their parent’s beliefs. It is when prayer takes the place of conventional medical treatment that I have a problem.
Consider this. Perhaps chemo therapy is a miracle. Maybe blood transfusions, x-rays, surgery, organ transplantation, and all modern medicine are today’s miracles. If one believes in Divine intervention, is it not possible that these modern discoveries are divinely inspired? Don’t you suppose that Native American tribes would have preferred conventional medical care rather than peyote buds and witchcraft? Today medical people travel to poor countries throughout the world to provide medical care for those who would otherwise not be treated at all. I am sure that within those desperately poor countries herbal medicine is used when possible, but I am also sure that most would much prefer modern techniques.
I don’t criticize those adults who choose alternative forms of treatment. I have no quarrel with faith and its role in healing. My problem comes when adults deny medical care for their underage children who have no choice. Perhaps, when they are mature and able to make their own decisions, assuming they survive to adulthood, they may also choose alternate medical treatment. That would be their informed adult choice. While they are yet minors however, the state must continue to step in and protect them.
I have high hopes for the young boy who has returned to Minnesota. I believe his best chance for life rests with the medical people who will be treating him now. I further hope that his chemo therapy will be tolerable. I hope we all see a miracle of healing for this youngster.
Ron Scarbro May 26, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
SUPREME COURT CHOICE
President Obama is set to name his choice for the Supreme Court very soon. There has been a lot of speculation. It should be a woman or it should be a minority, such as a Hispanic. How about a Hispanic woman? Most of this speculation is coming from the media as usual.
The problem isn’t the media this time however. The problem has come from the words of the President himself. He has said that the choice must be a person who will have empathy for the under classes. The choice must have compassion for the lesser among us.
I don’t believe anywhere in the Constitution is an allocation that Supreme Court Justices must have compassion for the so-called down trodden. No, they should be scholars who specialize in law and the Constitution.
The job of the Supreme Court is simple. They should decide legal cases based solely on the law, not the financial condition or the class of the plaintiff or the defendant. They should have empathy, yes, but empathy for the Constitution and the law only.
It is clear from recent decisions that The Court has long ago lost track of their true mission. Most of their cases are decided along political party lines. The founders of this Republic would turn over in their graves to see what we have become. Retiring Justice Souter has been a big disappointment to those among us who believe in our Constitution. His replacement will no doubt continue in his leftist liberal ways regardless of whether that replacement is a woman, a minority, or whomever. I say that because of who will make that choice.
The problem for the country of course, is that the liberals won the election and they will govern from the left. Their decisions affecting this country will be based on their beliefs in liberal politics. It will take many years for America to recover from this experiment in Socialism we are undertaking. One can only hope that the Supreme Court will hang on to enough true scholars who believe in the law to survive the current administration.
If you have had a chance to read my last newspaper column which has been posted to this blog just prior to the current posting, you will see my position. We are indeed becoming two separate countries. Several states have begun the process of passing legislation to extract themselves from Federal law and interference. As I pointed out in the piece, this is just in its infancy. It is sad that states have found it necessary to try and reaffirm their sovereignty in the face of Federal heavy handedness.
We have huge problems facing us. Over the next short period of time we are going to have to deal with North Korea, Iran, Pakistan, and who knows who else. The last thing we need at this time is a battle between the states and the Federal Government. Our job in the Gulf isn’t finished and may not be anytime soon.
As we go forward, we will need all hands on deck. The Feds need to understand that they will need the full co-operation of all the country to face the problems confronting us. These little irritations are not going to go away. North Korea and Iran are having internal problems and those are leading to this saber rattling, but it could provoke their neighbors into a confrontation. Israel has too much at stake to allow Iran to become a nuclear threat.
Please, President Obama, as you make you decisions, consider the effect of those decisions. Not just on you and your party’s future, but on the country’s future. The Constitution as written has served us for our history and it will continue to if it is allowed. Seeking justices who want to make law instead of interpreting law serves no one but those justices. You will need Oklahoma and Montana as well as Texas, Tennessee, and everyone on your side. I don’t care if your choice for the Court is an empathetic person, a minority, or a woman as long as they interpret law based on the Constitution.
Ron Scarbro May 25, 2009
The problem isn’t the media this time however. The problem has come from the words of the President himself. He has said that the choice must be a person who will have empathy for the under classes. The choice must have compassion for the lesser among us.
I don’t believe anywhere in the Constitution is an allocation that Supreme Court Justices must have compassion for the so-called down trodden. No, they should be scholars who specialize in law and the Constitution.
The job of the Supreme Court is simple. They should decide legal cases based solely on the law, not the financial condition or the class of the plaintiff or the defendant. They should have empathy, yes, but empathy for the Constitution and the law only.
It is clear from recent decisions that The Court has long ago lost track of their true mission. Most of their cases are decided along political party lines. The founders of this Republic would turn over in their graves to see what we have become. Retiring Justice Souter has been a big disappointment to those among us who believe in our Constitution. His replacement will no doubt continue in his leftist liberal ways regardless of whether that replacement is a woman, a minority, or whomever. I say that because of who will make that choice.
The problem for the country of course, is that the liberals won the election and they will govern from the left. Their decisions affecting this country will be based on their beliefs in liberal politics. It will take many years for America to recover from this experiment in Socialism we are undertaking. One can only hope that the Supreme Court will hang on to enough true scholars who believe in the law to survive the current administration.
If you have had a chance to read my last newspaper column which has been posted to this blog just prior to the current posting, you will see my position. We are indeed becoming two separate countries. Several states have begun the process of passing legislation to extract themselves from Federal law and interference. As I pointed out in the piece, this is just in its infancy. It is sad that states have found it necessary to try and reaffirm their sovereignty in the face of Federal heavy handedness.
We have huge problems facing us. Over the next short period of time we are going to have to deal with North Korea, Iran, Pakistan, and who knows who else. The last thing we need at this time is a battle between the states and the Federal Government. Our job in the Gulf isn’t finished and may not be anytime soon.
As we go forward, we will need all hands on deck. The Feds need to understand that they will need the full co-operation of all the country to face the problems confronting us. These little irritations are not going to go away. North Korea and Iran are having internal problems and those are leading to this saber rattling, but it could provoke their neighbors into a confrontation. Israel has too much at stake to allow Iran to become a nuclear threat.
Please, President Obama, as you make you decisions, consider the effect of those decisions. Not just on you and your party’s future, but on the country’s future. The Constitution as written has served us for our history and it will continue to if it is allowed. Seeking justices who want to make law instead of interpreting law serves no one but those justices. You will need Oklahoma and Montana as well as Texas, Tennessee, and everyone on your side. I don’t care if your choice for the Court is an empathetic person, a minority, or a woman as long as they interpret law based on the Constitution.
Ron Scarbro May 25, 2009
THE TIMES THEY ARE A' CHANGING
(The following was published in the Newsleader on May 22, 2009)
When a new administration is elected, it is assumed things will change. What one group considered legal and proper, another might see as improper. That is a perfectly legitimate consideration. The trouble begins when the new administration seeks to indict and punish the previous administration for its views of legality. One result of this activity is that the next administration will seek to punish the current administration. It will never end. Another result is that more wedges are being driven between different groups within this country.
I worry that we are becoming two separate countries. The changes being instituted by the current administration with their majority is having, in some cases, an unintended side effect on other parts of the country. Right now several state legislatures are enacting laws which will in effect negate the Federal Government’s power over that state.
It seems that we now have two basic philosophies at work. The liberal or so-called progressive, and the conservative or so-called traditional. Today the liberals are in charge. They won the election. That doesn’t change the fact that within this country are many states which are home to the more traditional philosophy of government.
The differences are so stark and so pronounced that several states are now advocating secession from the Union. Does any of this sound familiar? Wasn’t that at the root of the Civil War? The issues might have been different but the result was a bloody war between brothers and countrymen. Don’t think for a moment that it can’t happen again.
There is no doubt that the Federal Government has in many cases ignored the tenth amendment to the Constitution. That amendment guarantees states’ rights. Many states across this union are now enacting laws within their states that will take back those rights. These states are for the most part the more conservative among us, but do not be deceived, they are serious. They will restore their sovereignty whether the Federal Government likes it or not.
This has been in the works for a long time. This didn’t start with the current administration. Congress, with the blessing of a politicized judiciary, has passed laws which attempt to set the Federal Government up as the super power over states. We seem to have forgotten our history and as everyone knows, those who forget history are bound to repeat it.
The movement of these states toward the regaining of their sovereignty is a growing movement. It is just in its infancy. Ignoring these actions will be at our peril.
So what are we to do? What are we to think? What is our role if any?
Being the simplistic and naïve observer that I am, I offer a few thoughts. We all need to restrain our political conversation. We all need to observe and obey the law. We need to recognize that the Constitution is the law and not a “living” document that can be changed to suit the whims of whomever is in power. Politicians from all parties must learn how to get along. This country is not served by the constant bickering and back stabbing that has prevailed for so long. The opposition must be the loyal opposition. Practice patience.
Finally to any who would read this essay, go back and re-read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Understand why these documents have served us since our beginning. We all need to re-dedicate ourselves to this country. It is the greatest country on earth.
Ron Scarbro May 16, 2009
When a new administration is elected, it is assumed things will change. What one group considered legal and proper, another might see as improper. That is a perfectly legitimate consideration. The trouble begins when the new administration seeks to indict and punish the previous administration for its views of legality. One result of this activity is that the next administration will seek to punish the current administration. It will never end. Another result is that more wedges are being driven between different groups within this country.
I worry that we are becoming two separate countries. The changes being instituted by the current administration with their majority is having, in some cases, an unintended side effect on other parts of the country. Right now several state legislatures are enacting laws which will in effect negate the Federal Government’s power over that state.
It seems that we now have two basic philosophies at work. The liberal or so-called progressive, and the conservative or so-called traditional. Today the liberals are in charge. They won the election. That doesn’t change the fact that within this country are many states which are home to the more traditional philosophy of government.
The differences are so stark and so pronounced that several states are now advocating secession from the Union. Does any of this sound familiar? Wasn’t that at the root of the Civil War? The issues might have been different but the result was a bloody war between brothers and countrymen. Don’t think for a moment that it can’t happen again.
There is no doubt that the Federal Government has in many cases ignored the tenth amendment to the Constitution. That amendment guarantees states’ rights. Many states across this union are now enacting laws within their states that will take back those rights. These states are for the most part the more conservative among us, but do not be deceived, they are serious. They will restore their sovereignty whether the Federal Government likes it or not.
This has been in the works for a long time. This didn’t start with the current administration. Congress, with the blessing of a politicized judiciary, has passed laws which attempt to set the Federal Government up as the super power over states. We seem to have forgotten our history and as everyone knows, those who forget history are bound to repeat it.
The movement of these states toward the regaining of their sovereignty is a growing movement. It is just in its infancy. Ignoring these actions will be at our peril.
So what are we to do? What are we to think? What is our role if any?
Being the simplistic and naïve observer that I am, I offer a few thoughts. We all need to restrain our political conversation. We all need to observe and obey the law. We need to recognize that the Constitution is the law and not a “living” document that can be changed to suit the whims of whomever is in power. Politicians from all parties must learn how to get along. This country is not served by the constant bickering and back stabbing that has prevailed for so long. The opposition must be the loyal opposition. Practice patience.
Finally to any who would read this essay, go back and re-read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Understand why these documents have served us since our beginning. We all need to re-dedicate ourselves to this country. It is the greatest country on earth.
Ron Scarbro May 16, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
THE CONTINUING SAGA OF NANCY PELOSI
As a blogger and writer, Nancy Pelosi is the gift that keeps on giving. I could not, if I were a writer of fiction, come up with situations that would compare with Pelosi’s adventures.
Nancy Pelosi, Democrat, California, Speaker of the House, Third most powerful individual in America, is violating three of the most basic tenets of Washington politics.
Number one. The crime is rarely as bad as the attempted cover up. How many times have we seen this in Washington? Often silly little misdeeds are blown completely out of proportion by trying to cover them up. Lies pile on top of lies until the truth, which always eventually comes out, seems even sillier that the original indiscretion. These events are too numerous to count.
Pelosi’s assertion that she wasn’t told of CIA water boarding is of course untrue. The CIA regularly briefs Congress and keeps them updated as to all their activities. The Speaker didn’t object to this enhanced interrogation because it would not have been politically expedient to do so. The reason she now denies she was informed and didn’t object is that now it is politically expedient to hold this new position. In fact she is so politically expedient that she may not ever know what she truly believes. That is such a sad state of affairs.
This brings us to the second violation of Washington tenets. When you are in a hole, stop digging. Don’t these people ever pay attention to what is going on around them? She cannot dig her way out of this mess and can only exacerbate her situation by continuing her denials. She was briefed in 2002 and the CIA director Porter Goss was with her at the briefing. He has stated this fact and will testify to it if necessary. Goss is not the only person who knew of her involvement. They will all be called to testify if it becomes necessary.
The next tenet of Washington political reality then is just this. Everything these politicians say or do is recorded, photographed, or written down by someone. Those recordings are ready and available to be shown at the drop of the hat. There are truly no secrets in Washington. Somebody is watching everything that goes on. Does this come as a surprise to Pelosi? Has she had her head in the sand for the past few years? Nancy, the microphone is always open.
My conclusion is simple. Pelosi is either a liar, an incompetent, or just extremely naïve. Any way you look at it however, she is not the right person to be third in line for the Presidency of the United States.
There are some other realities that she and other elected officials in Washington need to pay heed to. There are in this world people who want to destroy us and our way of life. We have hired individuals to protect us. They work under the rules they are provided with. If the powers that be want to change the rules, let them do so but, don’t try then to prosecute the terror fighters for obeying the rules they were previously given. The current administration will be judged by their successes and their failures. Then the next administration will be elected and new rules will be enacted and they will be judged. It is our American way of life.
Politicians are temporary. What they do however often lives on. We the people need to make sure that the politicians we elect will enact rules that protect our country not destroy it.
Ron Scarbro May 16, 2009
Nancy Pelosi, Democrat, California, Speaker of the House, Third most powerful individual in America, is violating three of the most basic tenets of Washington politics.
Number one. The crime is rarely as bad as the attempted cover up. How many times have we seen this in Washington? Often silly little misdeeds are blown completely out of proportion by trying to cover them up. Lies pile on top of lies until the truth, which always eventually comes out, seems even sillier that the original indiscretion. These events are too numerous to count.
Pelosi’s assertion that she wasn’t told of CIA water boarding is of course untrue. The CIA regularly briefs Congress and keeps them updated as to all their activities. The Speaker didn’t object to this enhanced interrogation because it would not have been politically expedient to do so. The reason she now denies she was informed and didn’t object is that now it is politically expedient to hold this new position. In fact she is so politically expedient that she may not ever know what she truly believes. That is such a sad state of affairs.
This brings us to the second violation of Washington tenets. When you are in a hole, stop digging. Don’t these people ever pay attention to what is going on around them? She cannot dig her way out of this mess and can only exacerbate her situation by continuing her denials. She was briefed in 2002 and the CIA director Porter Goss was with her at the briefing. He has stated this fact and will testify to it if necessary. Goss is not the only person who knew of her involvement. They will all be called to testify if it becomes necessary.
The next tenet of Washington political reality then is just this. Everything these politicians say or do is recorded, photographed, or written down by someone. Those recordings are ready and available to be shown at the drop of the hat. There are truly no secrets in Washington. Somebody is watching everything that goes on. Does this come as a surprise to Pelosi? Has she had her head in the sand for the past few years? Nancy, the microphone is always open.
My conclusion is simple. Pelosi is either a liar, an incompetent, or just extremely naïve. Any way you look at it however, she is not the right person to be third in line for the Presidency of the United States.
There are some other realities that she and other elected officials in Washington need to pay heed to. There are in this world people who want to destroy us and our way of life. We have hired individuals to protect us. They work under the rules they are provided with. If the powers that be want to change the rules, let them do so but, don’t try then to prosecute the terror fighters for obeying the rules they were previously given. The current administration will be judged by their successes and their failures. Then the next administration will be elected and new rules will be enacted and they will be judged. It is our American way of life.
Politicians are temporary. What they do however often lives on. We the people need to make sure that the politicians we elect will enact rules that protect our country not destroy it.
Ron Scarbro May 16, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
MAY'S MORON OF THE MONTH
Once again the field of possibilities is rife with candidates. Washington gives us people like Nancy Pelosi and Barney Frank. Academia gives us the University of Wisconsin who forbade the shaking of hands at commencement due to “swine flu”. Business gives us Chrysler executives who now apparently believe they are no longer required to restrain their pay, as required by the bailout, because they now work for Fiat. While those folks are tempting candidates, they pale when compared to this month’s honoree. He is none other than Perez Hilton.
“Perez who?” you may ask. Well I’m about to tell you. Perez Hilton was the judge in the Miss USA beauty pageant who asked the question of Miss California, what were her thoughts on gay marriage. That would have been ridiculous enough but what came next is the reason this particular individual has been chosen as this month’s moron.
Because Miss California answered the question honestly and expressed her opinion as she should have, she was viciously attacked by Hilton and his “Gay Gestapo”.
Like approximately 90% of Americans, she is opposed to marriage between people of the same sex. Certainly not a radical opinion. The problem comes from the fact that this is not the answer Perez Hilton wanted to hear. In response to her answer, an all out attack was waged on this beautiful young girl. She was vilified in the press and on the blogisphere. They sought to have her crown removed. In that bastion of tolerance known as Hollywood, no opinion other than theirs is permissible. Perez Hilton is apparently their go to guy for all things tolerant.
Perez Hilton is a vile little individual who seems to believe that his particular perversion should be the law of the land. Why is he judging a beauty pageant of beautiful women? The whole concept is ridiculous. How could we have a judge who himself appears to be uncertain of his own sex? He needs to crawl back into his little dark hole and pick on someone else.
This essay is not a statement on the homosexual lifestyle. My philosophy is live and let live. It is instead an indictment of Gestapo tactics which seem to come out of the woodwork whenever it pleases the so-called offended parties. Homosexuals probably represent about one or two percent of our population, although they would have you believe their numbers are much higher. I am always amazed at how loud they can be and how they can command so much publicity. When you think about it, here I am writing about them. Oh well.
Since this has all hit the fan, Donald Trump, owner of the beauty pageant, has declared that Miss California will indeed keep her title and the Gay Gestapo’s wishes will be ignored. Perez Hilton will have to find someone else to offend him so that he can unleash his venom on them. I have a suggestion. How about me? I am a good prospect for your viciousness. Miss California and I are of the same opinion on same sex marriage and we are about the same height. I have to admit though that she is a little prettier than me, but what are you going to do?
I learned as a small child, “wishing doesn’t make it so.” If an individual wishes to live an unnatural lifestyle, that is their choice. That doesn’t mean that I have to accept it as natural. I will tolerate it but I ask in return that my more normal lifestyle be equally tolerated by them.
Ron Scarbro May 13, 2009
“Perez who?” you may ask. Well I’m about to tell you. Perez Hilton was the judge in the Miss USA beauty pageant who asked the question of Miss California, what were her thoughts on gay marriage. That would have been ridiculous enough but what came next is the reason this particular individual has been chosen as this month’s moron.
Because Miss California answered the question honestly and expressed her opinion as she should have, she was viciously attacked by Hilton and his “Gay Gestapo”.
Like approximately 90% of Americans, she is opposed to marriage between people of the same sex. Certainly not a radical opinion. The problem comes from the fact that this is not the answer Perez Hilton wanted to hear. In response to her answer, an all out attack was waged on this beautiful young girl. She was vilified in the press and on the blogisphere. They sought to have her crown removed. In that bastion of tolerance known as Hollywood, no opinion other than theirs is permissible. Perez Hilton is apparently their go to guy for all things tolerant.
Perez Hilton is a vile little individual who seems to believe that his particular perversion should be the law of the land. Why is he judging a beauty pageant of beautiful women? The whole concept is ridiculous. How could we have a judge who himself appears to be uncertain of his own sex? He needs to crawl back into his little dark hole and pick on someone else.
This essay is not a statement on the homosexual lifestyle. My philosophy is live and let live. It is instead an indictment of Gestapo tactics which seem to come out of the woodwork whenever it pleases the so-called offended parties. Homosexuals probably represent about one or two percent of our population, although they would have you believe their numbers are much higher. I am always amazed at how loud they can be and how they can command so much publicity. When you think about it, here I am writing about them. Oh well.
Since this has all hit the fan, Donald Trump, owner of the beauty pageant, has declared that Miss California will indeed keep her title and the Gay Gestapo’s wishes will be ignored. Perez Hilton will have to find someone else to offend him so that he can unleash his venom on them. I have a suggestion. How about me? I am a good prospect for your viciousness. Miss California and I are of the same opinion on same sex marriage and we are about the same height. I have to admit though that she is a little prettier than me, but what are you going to do?
I learned as a small child, “wishing doesn’t make it so.” If an individual wishes to live an unnatural lifestyle, that is their choice. That doesn’t mean that I have to accept it as natural. I will tolerate it but I ask in return that my more normal lifestyle be equally tolerated by them.
Ron Scarbro May 13, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
FLU AND OTHER ASSORTED SCARES
(The following was published in the Newsleader on May 8, 2009)
(Editor's note: An updated death toll in Mexico attributed to the H1N1 flu has been revised recently to 15.)
This morning the news is all about the so-called swine flu. The breathless report I just heard is that one hundred fifty people have died in Mexico since the outbreak started. You cannot turn on any news report or read any major newspaper without seeing almost total emphasis on the flu. It is as if there is nothing else going on in the world.
I would like to try and offer some perspective. First let us consider Mexico. The population of Mexico is at last count just over 110,000,000. With 150 deaths that represents just .00013% of the population. I wonder how many people died from bee stings in this same period of time. How about snake bites? This does not mean that the flu deaths were any less tragic or that they were less important. It only serves to put this matter into some semblance of perspective. Would you be surprised to learn that since January several thousand people in our own country have died from the so-called normal strain of influenza?
Some may remember a column I wrote which The Newsleaders recently published entitled “We’re All Going to Die”. This column dealt with the fears and the fear mongering that seems to prevail in the media. There is no doubt that there is a lot out there to be afraid of, but remember perspective…perspective. If we spend our lives in fear, we have a better chance of dying from stress than from any of the calamities threatened by the news.
Now don’t get me wrong. We definitely should take serious this flu warning as we should take serious all threats to our health and security. As things stand right now however, you have a better chance of getting clobbered in the head by a meteorite than from dying of the swine flu.
So what should be our response? How shall we deal with the information with which we are being inundated? I offer these few suggestions. Be smart. Be safe. Be careful. As with all flu seasons, cover your cough. Avoid sick people. If you are sick, stay at home and don’t go to work or to school. Wash your hands regularly. Get your proper rest and nourishment. If you do get the symptoms, get yourself to the doctor and get treated. Protect others in your life by staying clear of them for a while. In a short time this will go away as do all such threats.
It is interesting to note that when this same strain of flu showed itself on our shores in the past, only one person died from it. It has been reported that several hundred people died from the vaccination to prevent that flu. As I said earlier, perspective, perspective.
Incidentally, you cannot get swine flu from eating pork products. As a matter of fact, the use of the term swine flu is improper. Influenza is a respiratory ailment that infects people and pigs as well as birds. The virus mutates and is constantly changing. I am told the proper name for this disease is North American Flu. There is medication available to treat this strain and soon I am sure there will be vaccines to prevent it all together.
As for me, I just hope that fish don’t get it because I plan to have a very close personal relationship with several in the very near future.
Ron Scarbro April 29, 2009
(Editor's note: An updated death toll in Mexico attributed to the H1N1 flu has been revised recently to 15.)
This morning the news is all about the so-called swine flu. The breathless report I just heard is that one hundred fifty people have died in Mexico since the outbreak started. You cannot turn on any news report or read any major newspaper without seeing almost total emphasis on the flu. It is as if there is nothing else going on in the world.
I would like to try and offer some perspective. First let us consider Mexico. The population of Mexico is at last count just over 110,000,000. With 150 deaths that represents just .00013% of the population. I wonder how many people died from bee stings in this same period of time. How about snake bites? This does not mean that the flu deaths were any less tragic or that they were less important. It only serves to put this matter into some semblance of perspective. Would you be surprised to learn that since January several thousand people in our own country have died from the so-called normal strain of influenza?
Some may remember a column I wrote which The Newsleaders recently published entitled “We’re All Going to Die”. This column dealt with the fears and the fear mongering that seems to prevail in the media. There is no doubt that there is a lot out there to be afraid of, but remember perspective…perspective. If we spend our lives in fear, we have a better chance of dying from stress than from any of the calamities threatened by the news.
Now don’t get me wrong. We definitely should take serious this flu warning as we should take serious all threats to our health and security. As things stand right now however, you have a better chance of getting clobbered in the head by a meteorite than from dying of the swine flu.
So what should be our response? How shall we deal with the information with which we are being inundated? I offer these few suggestions. Be smart. Be safe. Be careful. As with all flu seasons, cover your cough. Avoid sick people. If you are sick, stay at home and don’t go to work or to school. Wash your hands regularly. Get your proper rest and nourishment. If you do get the symptoms, get yourself to the doctor and get treated. Protect others in your life by staying clear of them for a while. In a short time this will go away as do all such threats.
It is interesting to note that when this same strain of flu showed itself on our shores in the past, only one person died from it. It has been reported that several hundred people died from the vaccination to prevent that flu. As I said earlier, perspective, perspective.
Incidentally, you cannot get swine flu from eating pork products. As a matter of fact, the use of the term swine flu is improper. Influenza is a respiratory ailment that infects people and pigs as well as birds. The virus mutates and is constantly changing. I am told the proper name for this disease is North American Flu. There is medication available to treat this strain and soon I am sure there will be vaccines to prevent it all together.
As for me, I just hope that fish don’t get it because I plan to have a very close personal relationship with several in the very near future.
Ron Scarbro April 29, 2009
COUNTING ON YOU
A while back I decided to install a “Stat Counter” on this blog. The purpose, if you are not familiar with the counter, is to track visitors both by number and by location. It is truly an amazing device. It lets me know where my visitors are coming from and how many there are.
Initially I thought it would be just fun to see how many people were reading my rants, but a sudden realization came over me. Intellectually we all know that the internet is a world wide web, but until you see that reflected on your “Stat Counter” it may not hit home.
In the past few weeks I have had readers from Germany, France, and India. On the one hand it is somewhat flattering to see visitors from all over the world. On the other hand it causes me some concern.
It is possible that someone in a far corner of the world may come to a conclusion about our country by what they read on the internet. I ask myself if I truly want people to form an impression of America by what they read on my blog. I have gone back and re-read some of my rants to see if I am okay with the content from that perspective.
These are my conclusions. First, I am pleased to let any reader know that I have the freedom to express any opinion that I have on this blog. Nobody censors its content. More important than the content is the fact that free people can opine as they choose without regard to the position of any subject who may be the target. That probably is not true in all the countries this blog reaches.
Secondly, I am now acutely aware of the responsibility I have to show the value of free speech to those corners of the world where it doesn’t exist. That may sound a little arrogant to some of you but I think that any act of freedom shown to people who don’t have freedom can have beneficial results. We take our freedoms for granted in many respects. Imagine for a moment if we could not express ourselves without fear of punishment or imprisonment. Imagine if our newspapers were censored by government officials. Consider our lives if we could not gather together and protest our own government when we feel the need to do so.
We are truly fortunate people to live in America. It is my hope that those readers from across the world who might stumble upon this writing may come to understand what living free really means.
If you are reading this now and you don’t have the freedoms that I have mentioned, remember freedom is not free. We have spent our entire history securing and perfecting those freedoms. We have had to defend them many times and may have to again. The true patriots in this country stand ready at any time to answer the call if necessary. I would wish for you the same kind of life that I enjoy. If you live under a repressive government, I hope you find the courage and where-with-all to change your system. Your life and the lives of those who come after you may be at stake.
Finally, here in America we often gripe and complain. It’s what we do. But don’t get us wrong. We love our country and our way of life, and would defend both to the grave.
Keep reading. Learn from us. Share your thoughts with us that we may be better able to understand what your life is like. I look forward to hearing from you.
Ron Scarbro May 9, 2009
Initially I thought it would be just fun to see how many people were reading my rants, but a sudden realization came over me. Intellectually we all know that the internet is a world wide web, but until you see that reflected on your “Stat Counter” it may not hit home.
In the past few weeks I have had readers from Germany, France, and India. On the one hand it is somewhat flattering to see visitors from all over the world. On the other hand it causes me some concern.
It is possible that someone in a far corner of the world may come to a conclusion about our country by what they read on the internet. I ask myself if I truly want people to form an impression of America by what they read on my blog. I have gone back and re-read some of my rants to see if I am okay with the content from that perspective.
These are my conclusions. First, I am pleased to let any reader know that I have the freedom to express any opinion that I have on this blog. Nobody censors its content. More important than the content is the fact that free people can opine as they choose without regard to the position of any subject who may be the target. That probably is not true in all the countries this blog reaches.
Secondly, I am now acutely aware of the responsibility I have to show the value of free speech to those corners of the world where it doesn’t exist. That may sound a little arrogant to some of you but I think that any act of freedom shown to people who don’t have freedom can have beneficial results. We take our freedoms for granted in many respects. Imagine for a moment if we could not express ourselves without fear of punishment or imprisonment. Imagine if our newspapers were censored by government officials. Consider our lives if we could not gather together and protest our own government when we feel the need to do so.
We are truly fortunate people to live in America. It is my hope that those readers from across the world who might stumble upon this writing may come to understand what living free really means.
If you are reading this now and you don’t have the freedoms that I have mentioned, remember freedom is not free. We have spent our entire history securing and perfecting those freedoms. We have had to defend them many times and may have to again. The true patriots in this country stand ready at any time to answer the call if necessary. I would wish for you the same kind of life that I enjoy. If you live under a repressive government, I hope you find the courage and where-with-all to change your system. Your life and the lives of those who come after you may be at stake.
Finally, here in America we often gripe and complain. It’s what we do. But don’t get us wrong. We love our country and our way of life, and would defend both to the grave.
Keep reading. Learn from us. Share your thoughts with us that we may be better able to understand what your life is like. I look forward to hearing from you.
Ron Scarbro May 9, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
LIFE AFTER PEOPLE?????
Environmental activists, especially the radical ones, have long been harping on the idea that people are destroying the earth. We are hearing about such things as global warming, weather pattern changes, and other assorted calamities for some time now. I was recently treated to the epitome of their radical thought with a show on the cable network about what the world would look like after all the people are gone. Maybe some of you saw the program.
To show you where I stand on many of these issues, I do not think that so-called global warming, if it is even happening, is caused by anything humans are doing or have done. I do believe the evidence shows that some climate change is under way but climate change has been happening for eons. It probably is just a part of our solar system. This planet has experienced ice ages and warming periods. We may well just be in a phase of warming that has been under way for centuries. We didn’t cause this and we can do nothing to alter it.
So back to the program about life after people. My first question would be, “Who cares?”. If there were no people, who would report these facts? To whom would those facts be reported? Humans are nothing more than mammals inhabiting this earth for this time in history. I believe the earth was here before humans and will no doubt be here after humans. I’m okay with that.
Humans have, however, done more to tame and control their environment than any other animal in the history of this planet. Humans have developed ways of warming themselves when they are cold and cooling themselves when they are warm. Humans have made roads through otherwise impenetrable forests and over high mountains. We have also invented vehicles to travel on those roads. Humans have even gone so far as to invent vehicles that fly through the air as well as vehicles that are able to travel beyond this earth and into space.
No other animal has done so much to make his life on earth more tolerable and fulfilling. Some would say that man has had Divine help. Some would say that man is just a part of a Divine plan. You will not get any argument from me on that thought.
So what are we to think of those among us who would seek to indict us for perceived crimes against “Mother Earth”? When we see their idea of a utopian earth where no human lives, what are we to think? Don’t these nitwits know that if no human exists on the earth that would include them?
Don’t get me wrong. I do not believe any one of us should squander or waste any of our natural resources. We should respect our environment and do anything we can to protect it, but at the same time we should recognize our limitations. It is pure arrogance to think that we could in any way alter the course of this earth. The next time you think you can, put your hands up and try to stop the wind. Make the rain stop so you can enjoy your picnic. Throw the lightning back into the sky.
Personally I wouldn’t want to live on an earth where I was the only human inhabitant. That would not be my ideal. If I am wrong in my observations, you have my permission to bring any legal action you wish when all the humans have been removed from the earth. Oh wait a minute. Where would the lawsuit be heard and by whom? How would a judgment be rendered if there were no people? The whole concept is just nonsense.
I plan to live out the remainder of my life respecting my home and her inhabitants. Life is great here on Mother Earth. I suspect it will be for generation after generation to come.
Ron Scarbro May 1, 2009
To show you where I stand on many of these issues, I do not think that so-called global warming, if it is even happening, is caused by anything humans are doing or have done. I do believe the evidence shows that some climate change is under way but climate change has been happening for eons. It probably is just a part of our solar system. This planet has experienced ice ages and warming periods. We may well just be in a phase of warming that has been under way for centuries. We didn’t cause this and we can do nothing to alter it.
So back to the program about life after people. My first question would be, “Who cares?”. If there were no people, who would report these facts? To whom would those facts be reported? Humans are nothing more than mammals inhabiting this earth for this time in history. I believe the earth was here before humans and will no doubt be here after humans. I’m okay with that.
Humans have, however, done more to tame and control their environment than any other animal in the history of this planet. Humans have developed ways of warming themselves when they are cold and cooling themselves when they are warm. Humans have made roads through otherwise impenetrable forests and over high mountains. We have also invented vehicles to travel on those roads. Humans have even gone so far as to invent vehicles that fly through the air as well as vehicles that are able to travel beyond this earth and into space.
No other animal has done so much to make his life on earth more tolerable and fulfilling. Some would say that man has had Divine help. Some would say that man is just a part of a Divine plan. You will not get any argument from me on that thought.
So what are we to think of those among us who would seek to indict us for perceived crimes against “Mother Earth”? When we see their idea of a utopian earth where no human lives, what are we to think? Don’t these nitwits know that if no human exists on the earth that would include them?
Don’t get me wrong. I do not believe any one of us should squander or waste any of our natural resources. We should respect our environment and do anything we can to protect it, but at the same time we should recognize our limitations. It is pure arrogance to think that we could in any way alter the course of this earth. The next time you think you can, put your hands up and try to stop the wind. Make the rain stop so you can enjoy your picnic. Throw the lightning back into the sky.
Personally I wouldn’t want to live on an earth where I was the only human inhabitant. That would not be my ideal. If I am wrong in my observations, you have my permission to bring any legal action you wish when all the humans have been removed from the earth. Oh wait a minute. Where would the lawsuit be heard and by whom? How would a judgment be rendered if there were no people? The whole concept is just nonsense.
I plan to live out the remainder of my life respecting my home and her inhabitants. Life is great here on Mother Earth. I suspect it will be for generation after generation to come.
Ron Scarbro May 1, 2009
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