HAPPY NEW YEAR

I think I just heard a collective sigh of relief. 2020 is finally coming to an end. What a year it has been. Let's take a quick look at what we have been through and what, possibly, we have next to deal with. But for now I will just say, wow, what a year. 

 

First, let's look on the bright side. We have a vaccine. By early spring everyone who wants the shot will get the shot. We, as a group, will have "herd" immunity and this particular ugly little virus will have been kicked to the curb. Covid will rapidly just become an ugly memory. That should take care of one of our problems. 

 

Our next problem will not be so easy to deal with. That being a Joe Biden presidency. Personally I believe he is up to his ears in illegal dealings with foreign governments. I also believe all of this will soon be proven for all the world to see. Biden's future has yet to be decided. How will we deal with this? I cannot answer that question.

 

That brings us to our next problem. Kamala Harris. Is there any sane individual in this country who honestly thinks she could actually fulfill the job of President of the USA, the most powerful person in the world? Not me. Pure nonsense. 

 

This country is going to be tested yet again because today we are two countries separated by politics. One side, the Republicans, who believe in the traditional America. A law-and-order country governed by a Constitution which has served us since our beginning. A country whose people are willing to work and be responsible for their own destiny. 

 

That other country seems to want to change our system of government into European socialism. They apparently believe that the money supply will never run out. They want to eliminate police departments, open our borders to anybody who wants to show up. I think they have this idea that if everything was legal, we wouldn't have any crime and therefore no need for police departments. They want everyone to be dependent on the government. In addition, they want to eliminate private gun ownership. 

 

Well, I have some bad news for them. Their pipe dream is never going to happen. The people who own guns are not going to "turn them in" or sell them back to the government, or any other silliness the liberals can come up with. One doesn't have to look far to find countries where guns were confiscated. Armed people are citizens. Disarmed people are subjects. Those of us who own guns know that well and we will choose to continue being citizens, not subjects. 

 

So here comes 2021. How will it be different? Will it be different? This virus has shown us clearly how vulnerable we are. Tin horn politicians have shown us clearly how easily they can become dictators. Sadly, we have shown them how easily we can be bulldozed by "executive orders" that even most police departments won't enforce. 

 

The future is truly up to us. I do not believe we can continue on the path we are on. Matters are going to arise early in the new year which will test our resolve.

 

But we have been tested before. We survived Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. Can we survive Joe Biden? Of course we can and will. Remember in just two years we will have another election. That will be our opportunity to set things right again. I don't know if Biden will last that long, but hopefully he can't cause that much damage in such a short time. 

 

In the meantime keep the faith. Thursday will be the year 2020 and Friday will be 2021. If 2021 is a better year, it will be up to us. Have a great new year, get your shot, and stay healthy. 

 

Ron Scarbro New Year 2021

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

It will soon be Christmas. I know what it means and I trust you do as well. It has always been my favorite time of the year. I love the greeting, "Merry Christmas". It is cheery and bright. Who couldn't love such a greeting? Well, I found out. 

 

A few years ago I served as Chairman for a discussion and coffee group. I decided one year to invite a Jewish professor to our discussion to explain the Hanukkah holiday. She came and did a great job of explaining that tradition. During the question and answer period I asked what I thought was an innocent question. When someone greets you with Merry Christmas, I asked, does that offend you? I admit I was not prepared for her answer. She said she most definitely was offended by that greeting. She was even repulsed by it. And not only the greeting but all of our Christmas traditions.  The trees, the lights, the music, and all of it. 

 

After a bit of ranting we moved on to other subjects and I was left to wonder at what we had just experienced. Who could take offense at this innocent but heartfelt greeting? 

 

I came away from that discussion feeling sorry for that lady. I also don't plan to get her any presents. I will however, continue to offer the greeting “Merry Christmas” to anyone I see during this time of year. I do not plan on asking their religious preference beforehand either. If they are offended, they have my sympathy.

 

Is it just me, or are people more prone to being offended these days? When I greet someone with a seasonal greeting, it is not intended to offend. On the contrary it is offered for what it is. Just a cheery hello. I have never sought to determine the religious affiliation of the person I was greeting, if any. It doesn't matter to me. 

 

Of course you remember Ben Stein, a very funny, yet extremely intelligent man. Ben is also very Jewish as are all his ancestors. He was asked a similar question about Christmas. He said he loved the season and all its traditions. He is especially fond of "bejeweled, tinsel covered", his words, trees. He also loved that they were called Christmas trees. 

 

I am sure you are aware that some people choose to call them "holiday" trees. Well they are but the holiday is Christmas and no amount of political correct nonsense will ever change that. 

 

So then. In this free country you are free to celebrate any holiday tradition you wish or to not celebrate at all. As for me and my house we will celebrate Christmas as the birthday of Jesus and we will keep the traditions of centuries before us.

 

To you, with no offense intended or implied, we wish a very Merry Christmas and the hope that your new year will be healthy and happy as well.

 

Ron Scarbro Christmas 2020

 

HERE COMES THE POSSE

Here comes the vaccine. Here comes the posse that will rid us of this terrible scourge. The creation of this medicine is a virtual miracle. Never has our government moved this quickly. 

 

All during the Presidential campaign we were told that Trump had no plan to deal with this mess. They were clearly wrong, but what else is new. The Democrats should apologize for their rhetoric, but of course they won't. Fortunately, we have a bit of time to distribute the vaccine before Biden takes the reins. Hopefully we can get it to the majority of our citizens before the Dems mess things up. 

 

Our next political contest is, of course, the runoff election in Georgia. All I want, and I believe most of the people of this country want, is an honest election. Did you hear me Stacy Abrams? Stay out of this. Everything you touch has a stench about it.

 

We all know what is at stake. Basically the future of this Republic. And if we have learned nothing else from this "pandemic", it is that our republic is very fragile. It is hard for me to believe how many governors, mayors, and local administrators could become dictators so quickly and that the people would allow it.

 

This vaccine is happening just in time because it is clear that the good citizens of this country are fed up with the arbitrary rules and regulations issued by officials who have no authority to issue such rules. The moronic mayor of New York City just warned there could be a complete shutdown of restaurants and bars for maybe a couple of months. If he honestly thinks that's going to happen, he might be dumber than even I think. Any law or regulation is only as good as people's willingness to obey or the State's ability to enforce. Like I just said earlier, the people are fed up. 

 

I just hope we can be patient just a bit longer. All this crap will be behind us soon and we will return to normal, whatever that means.

 

And to the would-be emperors and czars who decided they would make laws and pass edicts. Your days are numbered. If you want to make laws, get elected to a legislative body. That's where laws are made. Enjoy your last few days in the limelight because you will soon be relegated to the trash heap of bad choices. 

 

The next situation which will be front and center for all of us is the economy. There will be a bump in activity in the near future which will make it appear that we are back but it is going to take a while to recover. No doubt an aid package from our government would be helpful. Time will tell if that is forthcoming. Anyone who understands basic economics knows any money put into the hands of the people who suffered at the expense of government regulations will be spent and put right back into the economy. Restaurants didn't close down because they wanted to. They closed because the government forced them to. It is now time that same government came to their aid.

 

In the meantime I counsel patience. This too will pass.

 

Ron Scarbro December 15, 2020

 

VISIONS OF SUGAR PLUMS

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. My wife has decorated our house for the holiday. We have mostly traditional Christmas music on our system. It is all beautiful.

 

Another thing that has happened is the weather. Here in southern Georgia we usually have very mild winters. But, since the beginning of December, the weather has gotten much cooler. Now, I understand it is nothing like what is experienced up north, but it is a shock to the systems of us southerners. It also is quite nice because cooler weather is a lot more Christmasy. 

 

In years past when our kids were small, it was always a treat to shop for their presents. I also enjoyed shopping for gifts for my wife. I have to admit though, when I saw the toys available to my kids, I was a bit jealous. They were much more elaborate than when I was a youngster. Had they been around then I would have had a problem growing up. 

 

I remember well the looks on the little one's faces when they saw the presents under the tree on Christmas morning. One Christmas stands out. A friend of ours got my son a toy power lawn mower. When he pushed the mower around the house, he almost broke the sound barrier. It sounded like a real mower. Guess what we got to hear all day. 

 

Well, they grew up and have families of their own. Even the grandchildren are now grown. We have decided there is no way to shop for their Christmas anymore so we take the chicken's way out and just write checks. It isn't as exciting, but it gets the job done. Besides, we just cannot keep up with all the electronic gadgets that are out there.

 

The next big change in our Christmas is the receiving of gifts. Like so many people our age, if we want something, we go get it. Our Christmas list today would cover things like pandemics and world peace. A cure for cancer would be nice also. Obviously those items cannot be bought. 

 

So, we give thanks for what we have. We give thanks for our family. Thanks for the blessing of another day and the good health we enjoy. Some of our family will be with us for Christmas dinner. I will prepare prime rib, twice baked potatoes, roasted asparagus, and we will top it off with another of my wife's special homemade pecan pies. That is our traditional Christmas feast. We ask everyone to park their special diets at the door for this meal. 

 

Finally, we give thanks for the holiday and for the true meaning of it all. It is a celebration of the birth of the Christ child. We will play the traditional carols that proclaim the event for all to hear. We will sing along. Regardless of how we sound, we know our music will be heard in Heaven. We will relish the peace and the love that the season brings. And as we sleep and dream, visions of sugar plums will dance in our heads. We hope the same for you.

 

Ron Scarbro December 7, 2020

 

OBAMA 2.0

Have you been paying attention to Biden's cabinet picks? I have. It's Obama 2.0. Including none other than the valor stealing, medal tossing, war deserter, John Heinz Kerry. If Ocasio Cortez and Bernie thought they were going to get Biden to commit political suicide by adopting their socialist agenda, they best rethink that pipedream. 

 

Before Biden is done he will have offered jobs to every unemployable political hack in Washington. He is refilling the swamp, and it appears there is no shortage of swamp dwellers to choose from. Fortunately, there will be another election in two years and the healing can begin, again.

 

Now for my predictions. First, I believe both of the Republican Senatorial candidates in Georgia will win their run-off elections in January. Their opposition is beyond lame and downright dangerous. 

 

Next, I do not believe the Democrats are anxious to return Pelosi to the Speakership. There will be, at the very least, a royal battle. Regardless of whom the Democrats go for, the Republicans will pick up enough seats in the next election to be the majority party and will then pick their own Speaker.

 

I further predict that the Senate will see a net gain of several Republicans in the next election. Certainly enough to neutralize the so-called progressives. I also believe Biden secretly hopes they do to give him a firewall against the squad and the Bernie crowd. It will also be a firewall against Democrat leftist nonsense.

 

Essentially Biden will have just two years to screw up everything before the Republicans come back to repair the damage. 

 

When you examine the Washington scene, what we are seeing is the good old boy network. I believe they see themselves as the ruling elite. That is the primary reason Trump was so despised. He wasn't one of them and wouldn't play by their rules. I have heard talk of him running again in 2024. I sincerely doubt that. He has given enough to this country. He should just return to his billionaire lifestyle and give the naysayers his middle finger. 

 

Elections have consequences for a certainty. The country makes their choices and lives with the result. It is painfully obvious what the consequences of this last election will be. At the very least we will see the third term of Barack Obama. If, like me, you didn't like the first two terms, you absolutely will not like the third. 

 

Basically, the only real hope we as a country have, is to retain the Senate. If Biden has the Senate and the House, the damage they will create will take years to repair. The economy will be the first victim. Next will be our status as a world power. Finally, citizenship will lose its value as millions of illegal aliens will be ushered into citizenship. 

 

What has always amazed me about the Democrats is they continue to do the same old things they have always done expecting a different result. Some call that the definition of insanity. It just never works. 

 

We do have the good fortune of a Constitutionally committed majority in the Supreme Court. Thank you, President Trump. That will also slow the leftist movement of some in this country. And no, the Democrats will not pack the court. They would have to have a lot of help from moderate legislators to accomplish that and it doesn't exist. 

 

We just have to toughen up and survive two years of crap before we have to fix it again.

 

Ron Scarbro December 1, 2020

 

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD

I see trees of green

Red roses too

I see them bloom

For me and you

And I say to myself

What a wonderful world.

 

I am sure you all recognize the words to that famous song, "What A Wonderful World.” Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, among many others recorded it. 

 

Thursday is Thanksgiving Day. Now I know 2020 has been a difficult year and it's not over yet, but you and I are on the right side of the grass. We will survive. We all have so much to be thankful for. Just look outside. As the song says, it's a wonderful world.

 

In this holiday season we all have to consider the blessings of just being alive and living in the greatest country on earth. For many of us the election was terrible. The pandemic keeps hanging on. Many people have suffered financial reversals due to this virus. Will this never end? 

 

Well guess what. In just a wisp of time this will all be behind us. As the saying goes, this too will pass. The vaccine, just discovered, will neutralize this virus and we will go back to normal. 

 

There will be another election in two years and our country will have the opportunity to heal itself from past election mistakes. I have lived through many elections in my time on this earth. Some of them were terrible but many were great. We are the same country who elected Eisenhower and Reagan. We also elected Trump. Trump gave us what we needed when we needed it. Primarily judges and justices who will adjudicate based on the Constitution, not on politics. He also cleaned up the mess left by Obama and Biden. We will doubtless have another mess to clean up in 2022.

 

Another accomplishment from the Trump Administration was the fast track creation of the Covid19 vaccine. I believe most of the population of this country will be vaccinated by early Spring 2021, and possibly most of the free world.

 

I see skies of blue

And clouds of white.

The bright blessed day,

The dark sacred night.

And I say to myself

What a wonderful world.

 

That song says it all. Our future is what we make it. If we are positive, we will have a positive future. If we only see the negative, then you know what that means. I choose to look on the bright side. We, as a people, are stronger than any one election or any virus.

 

Since it is Thanksgiving, let's talk turkey. Our meal will be completely traditional. That means roast turkey filled with cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potato casserole, fresh green beans, chardonnay wine and finally home baked pecan pie, all using the good china and glassware. I say traditional because this has been our holiday meal for many years. That is my kind of tradition.

 

I hope your holiday is filled with the joy of family, friends, and good food. Let us all put our minds to making 2021 a better year. Let us be kinder to each other. Let us be more tolerant. Count our blessings. They are many.

 

The final verse of the song goes like this.

 

I hear babies cry,

I watch them grow.

They'll learn much more 

Than I'll ever know.

And I think to myself

What a wonderful world.

 

Ours is truly a wonderful world. 

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Ron Scarbro November 24, 2020

 

IT'S REALLY QUITE SIMPLE

It's heating up again. The conversation about the virus. Apparently the number of cases has risen and the politicians are up in arms. Cancel Thanksgiving and Christmas. Don't let your family in for the holidays. Cancel church services. Close down all commerce. Destroy all sports, amateur and professional. Make wearing a facemask required by law. Give your local elected officials more power to control your life. Let them become the dictators they so want to be. Do you remember last March? We were told to "shelter in place". It would take a couple of weeks and we would "flatten the curve" and defeat this virus. That turned out not to be true. That was eight months ago and we appear no closer to the end of this than when we began.

 

I have an answer for all these would be Emperors. It comes from a famous line from an old TV show, "I don't think so, Tim". What Cuomo and his ilk seem to be forgetting is that this is America. We are a free country. We don't handle dictators too well. In fact we reject them outright. 

 

This is not to say that our citizenry wouldn't do what was necessary to deal with this latest virus. We have dealt with difficulties before and quite successfully I might add. The government's job is not to dictate to us and close down our economy. Wouldn't it make more sense to just get this new vaccine to the public and to do it quickly? Then the economy would take care of itself.

 

Coronavirus has become a political disease. The liberals want to shut everything down and put the government in charge. Traditional Americans believe the best government is the least government. Open up and leave commerce alone. 

 

So, what should a government do? This is what I want my government to do. We have been told for several years now that a number of people have openly broken the law. Hillary Clinton, for example. James Comey, high officials in the FBI and the Justice Dept. People have lied to the FISA Court, or so we are told. Hunter Biden sold influence to Ukraine and China collecting millions of dollars which, we are told, was shared with his father, Joe, who by some accounts has been elected President of these United States. 

 

We have been told that a major investigation has been under way for months by US Attorney, John Durham.  Where is that report? If all of these people have broken all these laws, why has no one been arrested? Why has no one been indicted? What are we waiting for?

 

Now, it appears to all who have a functioning brain that a fraud has been committed against the people of this country on Election Day. I don't have any confidence in any of the election results. I don't know who our President is or who will be President for the next four years. And, I don't know who to believe. 

 

You surely can't rely on polls. They seem to be an overpriced scam designed to affect results rather than predict results. You absolutely cannot depend on the major media, either print or broadcast. Forget social media. That is just whatever someone wants it to be. No, sadly there are no reliable places to turn to for truth. 

 

Our government has a role for sure in dealing with this virus. Get the vaccine into the hands of the people. That's their role. Not killing the economy. If we have law breakers going unpunished, our government's job is to go get them. Orange jumpsuits and perp walks. 

 

How many millions have we spent investigating the crimes committed by high government officials? We do not have separate laws for the Washington elite. Indict and arrest. Do your job. 

 

Get the vaccine to the people and leave the economy alone. It's really pretty simple. 

 

Ron Scarbro November 17, 2020

 

BECAUSE OF A POWERFUL MILITARY, LIFE GOES ON

To say I am disappointed would be a true understatement. But life goes on. America goes on. I am convinced there was fraud in this election and it probably wasn't the first time the American people have been the victims of fraud. Sadly, it probably won't be the last time either. Our job is clear. Make sure we find the crooks and prosecute them. Did you get that Sen. Graham?

 

Today my mind is on another matter. Veterans Day. Without a strong military we wouldn't even have elections. Without people willing to put their lives on hold to serve, there would be no America.  

 

Today is Veterans Day. A day we set aside to honor those who, at some point, signed a contract offering themselves to our country. They didn't know what that service would turn out to be, but they signed up anyway.

 

When I enlisted there was no war going on but that could have changed on a moment's notice. By the time I got out of basic training, I was ready for anything. Fortunately nothing blew up during my few years in the military. Not everyone was so lucky. 

 

On Veterans Day we honor all veterans. We honor the war fighters for their sacrifice. Especially the ones who didn't return. We honor those who left body parts on battlefields all over the world.  We also honor those who entered the service and never had to face the ugliness of war. They were trained and ready to go if needed. Their very presence is a deterrent to all tinhorn dictators who want to rule the world.

 

We also should never forget the sacrifice of the families of veterans. Mothers and fathers who gave their children and are left with nothing but a triangle folded flag. The families who had to deal with wounded returnees. Lives were definitely changed forever. 

 

Most veterans are like me. I never had to face a hot war. But, like so many others, I put my life on hold to serve my country. I just read that less than eight percent of our citizens actually served in the military. I would have thought it would have been more. Back when I was a teenager you either joined or you were drafted. Not so today and I believe we are poorer for it.

 

Personally I am richer for having served. I went from the hills of Tennessee to all over the world. I was stationed in Germany. I got to see what happens to a country when madmen get power. I also got to see the sweeter side. I went to Paris and London. I traveled to Amsterdam. Yes, I am definitely richer for having served my country. 

 

When someone says thank you for your service to me, I always feel a little overwhelmed. I am the one who is thankful. I am thankful to be living in a free country. I am thankful people still enlist in the service of this great country. I am thankful for my fellow veterans. It is my sincere hope that we, as a country, never take our freedom for granted. 

 

Happy Veterans Day

 

Ron Scarbro November 11, 2020

 

A TRULY UGLY ELECTION

Today is Wednesday, the day after the election. We don't have a sure winner yet. There are votes yet to count. Both sides have basically claimed victory but the final numbers are not in yet.

 

This has been the absolute worst election campaign I have witnessed in my life. It has been ugly beyond belief. The ugliness has not been reserved by any one political party or candidate. It has been spread around equally. I have never seen such disrespect by either party. If I had young children, I would have shielded them from what should be an educational process. 

 

Now I know politicians in the past were pretty vicious, even resorting in some cases to duels. I think I would almost have preferred a duel to what we were shown. All this having been said, I will try to comment on what we are left with. 

 

In my last week's post I said America is stronger than any one election or any one politician. After all we survived eight years of Barack Obama. Granted it has taken the better part of Trump's first term just to try and fix the Obama/Biden mess, but he did. If this country is blessed with another four years of Trump, we should see serious advancement. 

 

But, on the other hand, if Biden pulls this off, we will have two years to find candidates for Congress who can win and help us recover from Biden. Another serious matter to consider is that Biden may well not last even two years. Let's face it, he's mentally weak and physically questionable as well. The big problem with that is Harris. She, in my view, is completely incapable of anything close to governing this great country. These are not good options, but it may be what we have to deal with. 

 

We have at least two major problems facing us as a country. Number one, an educational system which seems more interested in indoctrination than education. Higher education has become a socialist nightmare. The second problem facing us is a media which is far more interested in their leftist agenda than actually reporting the news. When did that become okay? 

 

Clearly there are many more issues facing us, like a huge and growing dependent class. I believe the time will come when the producers in America will say to those who depend on their productivity, no more. If you are too lazy to feed and house yourself, too bad. Find someplace else to live.

 

There is good news though. We are never more than two years from our next election. More good news. The traditional-thinking American people are armed and will never accept socialism. I really don't like the chances of the lefties fundamentally trying to change our form of government.

 

It is now Thursday and still we have no declared winner. Trump has filed lawsuits against some states in an effort to get them to count legitimate votes and discard the illegal ones. It is hard to say how it all will end. One unusual matter is the Stock Market. It continues to gain in value as if nobody cares about the Presidential election. Normally with no results being known, the market would be uneasy. We will see. 

 

We are coming into my favorite season of the year. I choose not to allow this election to take up any more of my attention. As for me and my house, we look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas.

 

Ron Scarbro November 5, 2020

 

A DARK WINTER AHEAD?

This will be my last column before Election Day. I have done everything in my power to help produce the right outcome. I have already voted and of course I voted for Trump. To me it was an easy decision.

 

I believe Biden is a crook. I believe, along with his son, Hunter, he has pocketed millions of dollars illegally, and lied about all of it. I believe most people in this country will never hear the evidence that proves beyond a doubt that he is guilty. The media refuses to report anything that would hurt Biden's chances because they are all in the same boat.

 

I don't know why. I wish I did. I cannot figure out how Democrat tax-and-spend policies benefit the media.

 

Did you hear Biden's prediction at the last debate? He said we are headed for a dark winter. I guarantee if Biden is elected, we will in fact be headed for a dark winter. For reasons I cannot understand, liberals see everything as negative. Trump, on the other hand, has a very positive outlook on everything. He is the picture of optimism. 

 

Speaking of optimism, we will probably have the long awaited vaccine very shortly. It will be available quickly because Trump accelerated the process. Do you suppose Obama will take credit for that too? That vaccine will put Covid 19 on the same status as other flus.

 

This is going to be very tough on the would-be Dictators like some governors who have made real ugly names for themselves. They will have no place to hide. Their stupid decisions will come back on them big time. 

 

I am writing this on Sunday ahead of the Senate confirmation vote on our newest Justice, Amy Coney Barrett.  Regardless of the outcome of the election, the Supreme Court will finally be in a position to return to the Constitution for our laws. It is clear the Democrats don't want a Supreme Court with Justices who believe in the actual words as written in our Constitution. Barrett's confirmation makes it much more difficult for them to change this country into their radical idea of a socialist form of government. Thank you President Trump.

 

So, where do we go from here? Like most of you I have lived through many elections. I have learned that America is stronger than any one politician. America is stronger than any single administration. We are stronger than any one election. We will survive regardless of who serves as President the next four years.

 

If Biden is the choice of the voters, we will be able to show once again how socialism doesn't work. Even if he is elected, he doubtless will not serve the entire four year term and that is not good news. Harris is a true moron who owes her soul to radical lefties. 

 

If you haven't voted yet, it is crystal clear for whom you should cast your ballot. I don't want to look forward to a dark winter. I'm more into a bright, sunny spring. The decision is in the hands of the American people. Please God, help them make the right decision.

 

Ron Scarbro October 25, 2020

 

EIGHTY GREAT YEARS

Sunday was my eightieth birthday. I have seen and experienced a lot in these eighty years. Some of it has been good and of course some has been bad. I think of all the great discoveries and accomplishments that have happened in these last eighty years. I think of how the world has changed. 

 

When I was a young child, we lived very near Oak Ridge, Tennessee. That was the place where our country was developing the atomic bomb. We all knew that our enemies would try to destroy our facilities there. That was quite frightening to a young child. Of course the "red menace" kept their distance and we did indeed come up with a great weapon which all but guaranteed total annihilation if we ever had to use it. Well, we did use it and brought Japan to her knees thereby saving thousands of lives, both Allies and Japanese. 

 

I remember polio. We weren't allowed to wade in wading pools because we might get polio. Polio was a dreadful disease and then along comes Jonas Salk with a vaccine and polio is all but eliminated. Many, many killer diseases have been neutered over these past years. Leukemia scared me as much as any disease. Especially when I was blessed to have children. Danny Thomas built St. Judes and while the disease has not been cured, it is no longer an automatic death sentence. How fortunate we are to live in this time. 

 

Politics has changed a lot also. In my earlier time, politicians were cordial and respectful to each other and to their constituents. I remember Republican President Ronald Reagan and his relationship with Democrat Tip O'Neill. They spent hours together over adult beverages working out the issues facing the country. Wow, has that ever changed. Both sides of the aisle seem hell bent on the destruction of the other side. The "loyal opposition" has disappeared. 

 

Today our President is treated with such disrespect that we should all be embarrassed. Open sedition and treason seem to be okay. Ever since Trump was elected, an all-out effort has been put forth to get rid of him. Lying and conjuring up phony dossiers were used. Creating tales about Russian involvement were widely distributed. It all fell apart when the truth finally came out. Trump has survived and is probably more popular now than ever. 

 

High government officials have committed Federal crimes, lied to courts, spied illegally, and done everything they can to change the outcome of a legitimate election. It all disgusts me. It is my fervent hope that these guilty officials are brought to justice, and soon.

 

On the positive side, medicine has greatly improved. In the year of my birth, 1940, eighty-year-old people were quite rare. Now they are among the fastest growing population in America and in the world. Personally, I have an artificial shoulder and knee. My ankle is held together with screws and metal bands. I wear eyeglasses, have hearing aids, some false teeth, and sleep with a CPAP machine because of sleep apnea. Eighty years ago they probably would have just put me down. I believe today that I have many more years of life left in me thanks in large measure to modern medicine.

 

Intellectually I know that most of my life is behind me, and I have loved all of it. It has been a great life. I don't know what is ahead of me, but I plan to live and enjoy all that is left. 

 

I worry about my country and the growth of socialism, though. Young people today have no idea how destructive such a form of government is. This country may well have to find out the hard way. I hope not. 

 

I wish you well and pray for the best.

 

Ron Scarbro October 20, 2020