My thirteen year old grandson, Nic, a regular reader of this blog, gave me a line to use in this column. Before we hand over this country to Nic and his peers, he asked if we could not “open up a can of common sense.” While this column is a pipe dream, it is an attempt at common sense. I recognize, however, this dream will never come true. The reason is simple, those charged with making the change would be the ones most directly affected by the change. Read my thoughts and tell me what you think. The title of this piece is “What If ?”.
What if there was no possibility of re-election, period? I am saying one could be elected for one term to a particular office but could never serve in that job again. And like other contest prizes, only one to a family and only once in a lifetime. No retirement benefits and limited medical insurance coverage. Just do your job and go home. Consider, if you will, how this change would affect us all. One of the first benefits to the constituency would be no seniority. Another, there would be no campaign “war chest” to receive so-called political campaign donations. Individuals would be elected and serve their one term, doing the people’s business, then return to their civilian life. They would not enter office with the foremost thought of being re-elected before they even start doing the people’s business.
How? Pretty simple really. First, we would extend the term of the House to a four year term instead of two. Elections could be staggered so that at any particular time we would be electing only half of the Congress at a time. That should help with those who would need on-the-job time to learn what their job is. We would treat the Senate the same way except we would also reduce their terms to four years. There would be no need to alter the Presidency in any way except no possibility of re-election, period.
Briefly now let us consider the benefit to the country. First and foremost this takes the money out of politics. Several years ago Assemblyman Jesse Unruh, D, Calif., said that money is the mother’s milk of politics. That crap needs to stop. John McCain said that money corrupts good people. I see it a bit differently. I think corrupt people seek out ways to get money. Today, being elected to the Congress is akin to winning the lottery. That is just ridiculous. Politics should not be a career. Serving in the Congress should be an honor and those who serve should be of the highest character and integrity. Is that what we have today? Could be that is why their approval rating is 13%.
The next phase of this new plan deals with the money. No one could ever contribute or accept any money for any political campaign. Any person or company contributing money or any candidate caught receiving any money would immediately be put in prison for a minimum of twenty years. Let’s face it, a bribe is a bribe. If that sounds harsh, it needs to be harsh. These clowns we have now in the Congress are destroying this country. We need to bring it to an end. I can already hear you screaming at me, “Only the rich would be able to run for office if we had this in place.” I understand your concern. All of these matters could be worked out. For example, we could have publicly financed campaigns. Persons wishing to run for office would submit petitions showing a modicum of support to qualify for public financing. There would also be limits on how much of their own money they could spend on any campaign. Violations of the laws regarding money for campaigns would be enforced from the beginning. Believe me, while it would cost some money to have publicly financed campaigns, it would not be nearly as expensive as it is now with Congress for sale to the highest bidder.
I told you from the beginning this piece was about common sense and so it is. One thing is clear. We the people have to get a handle on our government. We have to reduce the influence of money in Washington. We cannot compete with the big moneyed special interests. Can you imagine what this country would look like if honesty and integrity prevailed and our elected representatives just said no to the money? “What if?”
Ron Scarbro August 28, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
WHAT WOULD IKE DO?
The so-called hikers in Iran have been found guilty and sentenced to eight years for the so-called crimes committed against Iran. Was there ever any doubt of what the outcome of that little fiasco would be? I have some thoughts on this issue.
Today I am ashamed of my State Dept. and of the President for allowing this crap to continue. Nobody, including the Iranians, believes these morons are spies. All I know about them is they are Cal Berkeley graduates who decided to tempt fate by wandering around in a war zone. Stupidity, however, should not be a crime. And so I ask myself. What would Eisenhower do? What would Harry Truman do? What do you suppose Reagan would do?
Personally I don’t care about the two idiots who are being sent to jail. When you play with fire, you are likely to get burnt. What I care about is being made to look like a punk by a third world government who is a cancer on the rest of the world. How do you think the world is viewing our response to this blackmail? Do you believe they see us as diplomatic for sitting on our thumbs while a backward little dictator makes us look foolish? Or do they think we are cowards? You be the judge.
I will tell you what my response would be. I also think the former Presidents I mentioned earlier would have a similar reaction to events like this.
I would put the message out to Iran loudly and clearly for them and all the world to hear. The message would be that Iran has twenty four hours to deliver these two hikers to a destination of my choice and in perfect health. No excuses would be considered or allowed. Failure to comply with this demand would result in the immediate attack on a target of our choice, such as a nuclear facility, or an army base, or possibly even a small city. If that did not get the job done, another target would be chosen and a lot more Iranians would die horrible deaths and cities would be leveled. I am confident this would end the matter for all time.
To those of you who think others in the world would rise to Iran’s defense, that is not going to happen. The reason is simple. They would not expose their own countries to the immediate fury of an irate America.
When these morons who caused this mess were retrieved, they would be imprisoned here for the situation that resulted from their idiocy.
Readers, I am tired of being treated like a punk. I am tired of backward little countries slapping me in the face. I am ashamed that they seem to do it with relative impunity and little or no penalty. The wusses in our government need to grow a set and step up. Our continued failures to hold these criminal governments responsible will only encourage them until we will have no other choice but to get much harsher. The time is coming when our electorate will finally choose a qualified individual who will not put up with this crap and then tens of thousands will be put in jeopardy. We need to end this before that happens.
How do you think Harry, or Ike, or Ron would handle this? I think I know. Are there no others out there like them? How long must we put up with these girlie men who would offer themselves as the “Leader of the Free World?” When will we decide to elect true leaders who would never permit these warrant-less attacks on our sovereignty and our citizens? What we are witnessing is shameful.
Ron Scarbro August 21, 2011
Today I am ashamed of my State Dept. and of the President for allowing this crap to continue. Nobody, including the Iranians, believes these morons are spies. All I know about them is they are Cal Berkeley graduates who decided to tempt fate by wandering around in a war zone. Stupidity, however, should not be a crime. And so I ask myself. What would Eisenhower do? What would Harry Truman do? What do you suppose Reagan would do?
Personally I don’t care about the two idiots who are being sent to jail. When you play with fire, you are likely to get burnt. What I care about is being made to look like a punk by a third world government who is a cancer on the rest of the world. How do you think the world is viewing our response to this blackmail? Do you believe they see us as diplomatic for sitting on our thumbs while a backward little dictator makes us look foolish? Or do they think we are cowards? You be the judge.
I will tell you what my response would be. I also think the former Presidents I mentioned earlier would have a similar reaction to events like this.
I would put the message out to Iran loudly and clearly for them and all the world to hear. The message would be that Iran has twenty four hours to deliver these two hikers to a destination of my choice and in perfect health. No excuses would be considered or allowed. Failure to comply with this demand would result in the immediate attack on a target of our choice, such as a nuclear facility, or an army base, or possibly even a small city. If that did not get the job done, another target would be chosen and a lot more Iranians would die horrible deaths and cities would be leveled. I am confident this would end the matter for all time.
To those of you who think others in the world would rise to Iran’s defense, that is not going to happen. The reason is simple. They would not expose their own countries to the immediate fury of an irate America.
When these morons who caused this mess were retrieved, they would be imprisoned here for the situation that resulted from their idiocy.
Readers, I am tired of being treated like a punk. I am tired of backward little countries slapping me in the face. I am ashamed that they seem to do it with relative impunity and little or no penalty. The wusses in our government need to grow a set and step up. Our continued failures to hold these criminal governments responsible will only encourage them until we will have no other choice but to get much harsher. The time is coming when our electorate will finally choose a qualified individual who will not put up with this crap and then tens of thousands will be put in jeopardy. We need to end this before that happens.
How do you think Harry, or Ike, or Ron would handle this? I think I know. Are there no others out there like them? How long must we put up with these girlie men who would offer themselves as the “Leader of the Free World?” When will we decide to elect true leaders who would never permit these warrant-less attacks on our sovereignty and our citizens? What we are witnessing is shameful.
Ron Scarbro August 21, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
JUST ASKING
A new Gallup poll was released this past week-end which showed Obama’s approval ratings. The numbers were 36% approval with 54% disapproval. These are somewhat remarkable numbers, not because 54% disapproved, but that 36% approved. As I considered these results, I had a few questions.
Who exactly are these 36% and what is there about the last three years that has so enamored them that they approve? Is it the fact of nine plus percent unemployment that they approve of? Nine plus with no relief in sight. Do they think this is a good job on the part of the president? Just asking.
How about a stagnant economy with a falling stock market and a down grade of our credit rating for the first time in our history. Maybe it is the sour business climate that is causing owners and managers to sit on their money with no desire to risk growth and hire anybody. Steve Wynn, a devout democrat who owns many huge resorts and casinos in Las Vegas, has stated for the record that he will continue to shy away from any growth until the government gets out of the way and lets business happen. Is this what the 36% like? Just asking.
Possibly it is the new health care law pushed by Obama and shoved through the Congress. A law which will doubtlessly be ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court and tossed. A Federal Appeals Court has just found that to be the case for the 20 plus states which filed the suit. This law which has proven to be the primary reason business has, across the board, decided to adopt a wait and see attitude before even considering any new growth or hiring. Maybe this is the reason 36% of the respondents found favor with Barak Obama. Is this it? Just asking.
I’ll bet it is the fact that real estate has been in the dumper for all the time Obama has been in office with no relief in sight. That’s probably it. Who cares if your home isn’t worth what you paid for it? Maybe you can just hang on to it until things get better? Just asking.
Of course there is this. Our reputation all over the world is also in the toilet. Vladimir Putin says we are a parasite on the world’s economy. Vladimir Putin? Are you kidding me? China, who holds billions of our debt, has said we had better clean up our act. China? Are you crazy? These are the facts folks. These have to be the reasons 36% of those polled think Obama is doing a good job. Do you agree? Just asking.
I also read recently that regardless of whomever the Republicans nominate for President, at least 40% of voters will vote for Obama. It apparently is a party thing. Either they aren’t paying attention or they really believe this new direction is the proper way for us to go.
I have a different opinion. It seems to me that four or five more years of what we have just been through might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. I truly do not know if we are strong enough to repel this nonsense. We have an increasing number of dependent people coming out to vote. I am sure this is where you would find the 36% who found favor with Obama. He promised change and by golly, we have seen change. I am not alone in my belief that the real change the liberals want is the abolition of capitalism. I am sure they see government as the be all and end all.
Finally I do not believe capitalism and socialism can co-exist. One of them has to go. If you think you would like to live in a socialistic state, consider most of the European countries. After a few months, you may well change your mind. Is this what we as a country want? Just asking.
Ron Scarbro August 18, 2011
Who exactly are these 36% and what is there about the last three years that has so enamored them that they approve? Is it the fact of nine plus percent unemployment that they approve of? Nine plus with no relief in sight. Do they think this is a good job on the part of the president? Just asking.
How about a stagnant economy with a falling stock market and a down grade of our credit rating for the first time in our history. Maybe it is the sour business climate that is causing owners and managers to sit on their money with no desire to risk growth and hire anybody. Steve Wynn, a devout democrat who owns many huge resorts and casinos in Las Vegas, has stated for the record that he will continue to shy away from any growth until the government gets out of the way and lets business happen. Is this what the 36% like? Just asking.
Possibly it is the new health care law pushed by Obama and shoved through the Congress. A law which will doubtlessly be ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court and tossed. A Federal Appeals Court has just found that to be the case for the 20 plus states which filed the suit. This law which has proven to be the primary reason business has, across the board, decided to adopt a wait and see attitude before even considering any new growth or hiring. Maybe this is the reason 36% of the respondents found favor with Barak Obama. Is this it? Just asking.
I’ll bet it is the fact that real estate has been in the dumper for all the time Obama has been in office with no relief in sight. That’s probably it. Who cares if your home isn’t worth what you paid for it? Maybe you can just hang on to it until things get better? Just asking.
Of course there is this. Our reputation all over the world is also in the toilet. Vladimir Putin says we are a parasite on the world’s economy. Vladimir Putin? Are you kidding me? China, who holds billions of our debt, has said we had better clean up our act. China? Are you crazy? These are the facts folks. These have to be the reasons 36% of those polled think Obama is doing a good job. Do you agree? Just asking.
I also read recently that regardless of whomever the Republicans nominate for President, at least 40% of voters will vote for Obama. It apparently is a party thing. Either they aren’t paying attention or they really believe this new direction is the proper way for us to go.
I have a different opinion. It seems to me that four or five more years of what we have just been through might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. I truly do not know if we are strong enough to repel this nonsense. We have an increasing number of dependent people coming out to vote. I am sure this is where you would find the 36% who found favor with Obama. He promised change and by golly, we have seen change. I am not alone in my belief that the real change the liberals want is the abolition of capitalism. I am sure they see government as the be all and end all.
Finally I do not believe capitalism and socialism can co-exist. One of them has to go. If you think you would like to live in a socialistic state, consider most of the European countries. After a few months, you may well change your mind. Is this what we as a country want? Just asking.
Ron Scarbro August 18, 2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
PRECIOUS MEMORIES
For the most part this blog deals with political events and current events. I try to offer opinions on pressing issues and generally create discussion. I hope I have been successful in that effort. Today, however, my mind is wandering back to an event from my past that re-emerged recently and has haunted me until I decided to write this piece. I hope this has value for you. It has for me.
Several years ago I was driving with my aunt, who at that time was a recent widow. I don’t remember where we were going or why, I just remember that we had gotten ourselves lost. When I finally decided that I didn’t know where I was, I brought up the matter with my aunt. I noticed that she was crying. I thought this is crazy. We are going to figure out where we are in a few moments and everything will be fine. As it turns out, that was not the reason why she was crying.
She said “I used to get so mad at your uncle. It seemed every time we went driving, we would get lost. He would never prepare for a trip by checking a map and he wouldn’t stop and ask for directions. It used to just drive me crazy. Today though, I would give everything I own just to be lost with him one more time.” That comment stuck in my mind and as I said re-emerged recently.
My aunt died a few years later and went on to join my uncle. Who knows why such events come back into one’s memory. Perhaps they are lessons we are taught that from time to time come back to us to help us along our life’s journey. I am sure we all have those experiences.
Now that I am in my seventy-first year on this earth, I think of these things. How would my life be if I suddenly had to face it without my life partner? How important are those little irritants that are a part of life. Would they still be irritants? Or would they become precious memories? Our lives become so fixed and in some ways mundane. We eat, sleep, and the next day do it all over again. We fret about our kids. We worry about the market. And the next day we do it all over again. The reality is that this is my life. These are the memories that will sustain me if I were suddenly alone.
Some time ago I wrote a piece about living like you are dying. Don’t let a day go by that is wasted. You will never get to see it again. While it is easy to say, it becomes more of a challenge to live it. This is what I am going to do. I plan to live out my days with the understanding that all that is my life may well need to be the memories that sustain me later. Even the little irritants. I plan to hold those as precious memories. I hope you might do the same.
Ron Scarbro August 13, 2011
Several years ago I was driving with my aunt, who at that time was a recent widow. I don’t remember where we were going or why, I just remember that we had gotten ourselves lost. When I finally decided that I didn’t know where I was, I brought up the matter with my aunt. I noticed that she was crying. I thought this is crazy. We are going to figure out where we are in a few moments and everything will be fine. As it turns out, that was not the reason why she was crying.
She said “I used to get so mad at your uncle. It seemed every time we went driving, we would get lost. He would never prepare for a trip by checking a map and he wouldn’t stop and ask for directions. It used to just drive me crazy. Today though, I would give everything I own just to be lost with him one more time.” That comment stuck in my mind and as I said re-emerged recently.
My aunt died a few years later and went on to join my uncle. Who knows why such events come back into one’s memory. Perhaps they are lessons we are taught that from time to time come back to us to help us along our life’s journey. I am sure we all have those experiences.
Now that I am in my seventy-first year on this earth, I think of these things. How would my life be if I suddenly had to face it without my life partner? How important are those little irritants that are a part of life. Would they still be irritants? Or would they become precious memories? Our lives become so fixed and in some ways mundane. We eat, sleep, and the next day do it all over again. We fret about our kids. We worry about the market. And the next day we do it all over again. The reality is that this is my life. These are the memories that will sustain me if I were suddenly alone.
Some time ago I wrote a piece about living like you are dying. Don’t let a day go by that is wasted. You will never get to see it again. While it is easy to say, it becomes more of a challenge to live it. This is what I am going to do. I plan to live out my days with the understanding that all that is my life may well need to be the memories that sustain me later. Even the little irritants. I plan to hold those as precious memories. I hope you might do the same.
Ron Scarbro August 13, 2011
Saturday, August 6, 2011
IMMIGRATION, WHAT IS IT?
There is a serious debate going on in this country. That debate is about immigration. In 2006 I wrote a column that was published in the paper and I thought I would revisit it and update it a bit for this blog.
Yes, this nation is indeed a nation of immigrants. There is no doubt about the contributions they have made over the years and there is no doubt about the contributions they will make in the future. So, what is the problem? It’s really quite simple. What’s going on here is not immigration, no, what I am talking about is illegal trespassing.
Consider this. Let’s say you own some property. Let’s say you have fixed up the back yard the way you like it. You have a beautiful garden, fruit trees, and lovely landscaping. For reasons that you choose as a free American property owner, you decide to post the property with no trespassing signs. Then, out of the blue, along comes a family who decides to move into your backyard. They disregard your signs. They pitch a tent and set up house keeping. They decide to go into your garden and pick your vegetables. They climb your fruit trees and pick your fruit. Their children run wild and tear up your beautiful landscaping. It even goes beyond that. One of them gets sick and decides to go to the hospital. You are billed not only for the ride to the hospital, but also the entire bill for the hospital, doctor, and the medicine. Beyond that they expect you to change all the road signs to a foreign language so they won’t be in any way inconvenienced. It goes further. They decide to send their kids to school. For this to be successful you must provide the children an education in a foreign language. Now, to put the frosting on the cake, you can’t get rid of them. Some of your neighbors band together filing frivolous lawsuits, with the help of the ACLU, trying to prevent you from evicting them because they are poor. They are under-privileged and have no other prospects. This could go on and on, but I think you get the picture.
Immigration on the other hand goes something like this. A family from a foreign country wants to become Americans. They go through the proper channels, fill out the necessary paperwork, begin to learn to speak English, and wait their turn. When they arrive, they obey the laws. They get jobs, get educated, join clubs etc. In other words, they assimilate into our society. They become Americans. They do not try to turn this country into the cesspool they just escaped from. They go on to produce as any natural born citizen and contribute the same as anyone else.
Simply put, immigration is good, and illegal trespassing is bad. Is that so difficult to understand? Like you, I have heard all the arguments. My favorite is they take the jobs that natural born citizens will not do. Hogwash. They work cheap and drive down wages for everyone else. Another argument is if we kick out the illegals, avocados will cost five dollars apiece. That’s BS. If I want an avocado, I will pay what it costs or not. If the farmer who raises avocados cannot produce them at a profit, he will produce something else. I am not required to guarantee him a profit by subsidizing his illegal labor force.
The arguments fall on my deaf ears. We cannot continue to accept any and all the poor and downtrodden from all over the world. Depending on whom you believe there are around twenty million illegals living in our country taking American jobs and availing themselves of our resources. That is totally unacceptable. Let’s get control of our borders and keep them under control. We should continue to welcome new Americans to our shores. Legal, mind you, not trespassers who flaunt our system and our laws.
August 6,2011
Yes, this nation is indeed a nation of immigrants. There is no doubt about the contributions they have made over the years and there is no doubt about the contributions they will make in the future. So, what is the problem? It’s really quite simple. What’s going on here is not immigration, no, what I am talking about is illegal trespassing.
Consider this. Let’s say you own some property. Let’s say you have fixed up the back yard the way you like it. You have a beautiful garden, fruit trees, and lovely landscaping. For reasons that you choose as a free American property owner, you decide to post the property with no trespassing signs. Then, out of the blue, along comes a family who decides to move into your backyard. They disregard your signs. They pitch a tent and set up house keeping. They decide to go into your garden and pick your vegetables. They climb your fruit trees and pick your fruit. Their children run wild and tear up your beautiful landscaping. It even goes beyond that. One of them gets sick and decides to go to the hospital. You are billed not only for the ride to the hospital, but also the entire bill for the hospital, doctor, and the medicine. Beyond that they expect you to change all the road signs to a foreign language so they won’t be in any way inconvenienced. It goes further. They decide to send their kids to school. For this to be successful you must provide the children an education in a foreign language. Now, to put the frosting on the cake, you can’t get rid of them. Some of your neighbors band together filing frivolous lawsuits, with the help of the ACLU, trying to prevent you from evicting them because they are poor. They are under-privileged and have no other prospects. This could go on and on, but I think you get the picture.
Immigration on the other hand goes something like this. A family from a foreign country wants to become Americans. They go through the proper channels, fill out the necessary paperwork, begin to learn to speak English, and wait their turn. When they arrive, they obey the laws. They get jobs, get educated, join clubs etc. In other words, they assimilate into our society. They become Americans. They do not try to turn this country into the cesspool they just escaped from. They go on to produce as any natural born citizen and contribute the same as anyone else.
Simply put, immigration is good, and illegal trespassing is bad. Is that so difficult to understand? Like you, I have heard all the arguments. My favorite is they take the jobs that natural born citizens will not do. Hogwash. They work cheap and drive down wages for everyone else. Another argument is if we kick out the illegals, avocados will cost five dollars apiece. That’s BS. If I want an avocado, I will pay what it costs or not. If the farmer who raises avocados cannot produce them at a profit, he will produce something else. I am not required to guarantee him a profit by subsidizing his illegal labor force.
The arguments fall on my deaf ears. We cannot continue to accept any and all the poor and downtrodden from all over the world. Depending on whom you believe there are around twenty million illegals living in our country taking American jobs and availing themselves of our resources. That is totally unacceptable. Let’s get control of our borders and keep them under control. We should continue to welcome new Americans to our shores. Legal, mind you, not trespassers who flaunt our system and our laws.
August 6,2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
I was listening to a local talk radio program here recently. The subject of discussion was a shooting in a local housing authority complex. It seems that shootings at this complex are not necessarily rare. So the question arose, why? Why do people who are generally poor resort to violence and other uncivilized acts to resolve their differences? In most cases these are welfare recipients with subsidized housing and food stamps and they come from a long line of welfare recipients. They also have subsidized medical care and all other sorts of state care. Drugs are rampant in this area and dealers regularly ply their trade. I am sure this incident is not uncommon in housing authorities elsewhere.
The discussion among the listeners centered on the fact that these people were just ungrateful for the help they received from the state. As is always the case, no real solutions were offered during the discussion.
It occurred to me as I listened that I saw things a bit differently. I will take this forum to offer those thoughts. First, these people, for the most part, are irresponsible. They were not born irresponsible. They were trained to be irresponsible by the “Massa” of the plantation. That “Massa” is the government.
Liberal governments have for years believed it was necessary to subsidize this large segment of the population, probably to get their votes. This care has created a culture of dependence that pervades and chokes an entire society. Families are destroyed by absent fathers. Babies are born to little girls who themselves are children. The fathers of these babies show no responsibility for their offspring. They wouldn’t recognize responsibility if it hit them in the face. Many turn to illegal activities because there is little punishment. They use the excuse that they make much more money selling drugs than they could ever make doing legitimate work. The truth is that they probably can. Young girls say their benefits from welfare increase with every new baby they produce. That is also probably true.
The big question is would anybody want to change this way of life? What is in it for them to change? Generation after generation has been trained into this dependence and it is not going to end with a flip of a switch. Schools have been rendered impotent. The public school system has practiced discrimination through low expectation. The victims of that discrimination have responded by continuing their victimization all through their lives thus reproducing new generations of victims.
Here is a reality. You cannot expect responsible behavior when you encourage and reward irresponsible behavior. Why is that so difficult for the powers that be to understand? Insanity has been defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. If the “Massa” truly wanted a different result, the “Massa” has to try a different approach. It kind of makes you wonder if our government truly wants a different result, doesn’t it?
So who is responsible? Is our government content with warehousing a huge segment of the population in housing authorities with no way of escape short of death or prison? Is a large segment of our population content with this plantation way of life with no escape? I personally cannot believe either of these choices is absolute.
For now, if you are in that life and you choose to get out, here are some recommendations. First, you must learn and use English, not street slang. You must dress in civilized clothing, not thug uniforms. Pull your pants up. Turn off the rap music. Stay in school. Keep your pants zipped up. Get a real job. Successful lives are not gifts for bums. They are reserved for deserving people who are willing to work hard and not look for excuses for failure. If you came to me looking for a job with your cap on sideways, pants down to your knees, and talking street crap, I wouldn’t even consider you. If you don’t like that, that’s just too bad. I regularly discriminate against morons. Incidentally, so do most employers in this country.
So who is responsible for this situation? I will let you be the judge. One thing is clear. It will not change until responsible people, either victims or perpetrators, decide to change it.
Ron Scarbro August 3, 2011
The discussion among the listeners centered on the fact that these people were just ungrateful for the help they received from the state. As is always the case, no real solutions were offered during the discussion.
It occurred to me as I listened that I saw things a bit differently. I will take this forum to offer those thoughts. First, these people, for the most part, are irresponsible. They were not born irresponsible. They were trained to be irresponsible by the “Massa” of the plantation. That “Massa” is the government.
Liberal governments have for years believed it was necessary to subsidize this large segment of the population, probably to get their votes. This care has created a culture of dependence that pervades and chokes an entire society. Families are destroyed by absent fathers. Babies are born to little girls who themselves are children. The fathers of these babies show no responsibility for their offspring. They wouldn’t recognize responsibility if it hit them in the face. Many turn to illegal activities because there is little punishment. They use the excuse that they make much more money selling drugs than they could ever make doing legitimate work. The truth is that they probably can. Young girls say their benefits from welfare increase with every new baby they produce. That is also probably true.
The big question is would anybody want to change this way of life? What is in it for them to change? Generation after generation has been trained into this dependence and it is not going to end with a flip of a switch. Schools have been rendered impotent. The public school system has practiced discrimination through low expectation. The victims of that discrimination have responded by continuing their victimization all through their lives thus reproducing new generations of victims.
Here is a reality. You cannot expect responsible behavior when you encourage and reward irresponsible behavior. Why is that so difficult for the powers that be to understand? Insanity has been defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. If the “Massa” truly wanted a different result, the “Massa” has to try a different approach. It kind of makes you wonder if our government truly wants a different result, doesn’t it?
So who is responsible? Is our government content with warehousing a huge segment of the population in housing authorities with no way of escape short of death or prison? Is a large segment of our population content with this plantation way of life with no escape? I personally cannot believe either of these choices is absolute.
For now, if you are in that life and you choose to get out, here are some recommendations. First, you must learn and use English, not street slang. You must dress in civilized clothing, not thug uniforms. Pull your pants up. Turn off the rap music. Stay in school. Keep your pants zipped up. Get a real job. Successful lives are not gifts for bums. They are reserved for deserving people who are willing to work hard and not look for excuses for failure. If you came to me looking for a job with your cap on sideways, pants down to your knees, and talking street crap, I wouldn’t even consider you. If you don’t like that, that’s just too bad. I regularly discriminate against morons. Incidentally, so do most employers in this country.
So who is responsible for this situation? I will let you be the judge. One thing is clear. It will not change until responsible people, either victims or perpetrators, decide to change it.
Ron Scarbro August 3, 2011
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