ON RACIAL MATTERS, ETC.

I listened to Senator Obama’s recent speech on race relations and his attempt to try to explain away Jeremiah Wright. I admire his attempt but I wasn’t convinced. I came away wondering what is the state of race relations today?

I guess I am what Senator Obama calls a “typical white person”. Personally I don’t really know what a typical white person is. Those of you who know me know that I was born and raised in the South. An examination of my family tree often gets a little fuzzy. Some have even said that my family tree doesn’t fork. Regardless, I appear to be more white than anything else. So, I have a question, does a typical white person automatically have bias or prejudice against black people? Do black people have that same prejudice against white people? If so, would you call them typical black people? Who is responsible for the state of racial relations in America? It is with this in mind that I offer this essay.

It seems to be generally accepted that unless you are black, you cannot comment on the black experience. Does that mean that because I am not a woman that I cannot comment on women? I am not gay so I cannot comment on gays? I am not wealthy so I cannot offer any opinion on the rich?

To all of these so called rules I say nonsense. This essay however turns out to be less about race and more about personal responsibility and choices.

America’s prisons have a disproportionate number of black inmates.
Some will say that the judicial system is skewed against minorities. Others will say that blacks are in prison because they commit the great majority of the crimes. There is also a group who believe poverty is at the root of all of this crime. It’s all about the money. Drugs, prostitution, and robbery pay much better than slinging hash at the local eatery. Regardless of your belief, one thing is clear. Unwed mothers are producing babies at an epidemic rate. Black crime is out of control. The plight of black people in America is deteriorating. Granted, not for all but definitely for many.

Does anyone honestly believe that black lives are improved by the likes of Jeremiah Wright? When a so-called Christian pastor begs God to damn America for its perceived sins and blames the government for 9-11 or for the introduction of HIV aids, are black lives made better? When the audience jumps up from the pews and cheers, does that mean that this message of hate resonates? Is this church an anomaly or is this message being preached in all the black churches? Does Senator Obama share these views? He has since said no. If that is truly the case then why is he a member of such a church? Many years ago when the verdict was announced in the O. J. Simpson murder case, a local TV camera was trained on a large group of well educated, intelligent, black engineers at Boeing in the Seattle area. When he was pronounced “not guilty” they erupted with cheers. Were they cheering the fact that a cold blooded murderer was being released back on society or that a black man had gotten over on the white man? Just a question.

As a so called “typical white person” I choose to be presumptuous enough to believe that all people can improve their lives. Whether you are black, white, Asian, or Latino you and only you are ultimately responsible for your destiny. Here are some thoughts which may be helpful.

· Stay in school. Get educated. Study hard and follow the rules.

· Speak proper English. Whether you like it or not, it is the language of America and American business. Stay away from street slang.

· Pull your pants up. Turn your cap around. If you look like a street thug, or a punk that is what people will think you are. And, yes, it is important what people think.

· Don’t mark up your face and neck with piercings and tattoos. They are permanent and difficult to hide.

· Keep your pants zipped up. Unwed parents almost always guarantee their own and their children’s poverty.

· Obey the law. A prison record isn’t very good on your resume.

· Forget victimology. Accept responsibility for your life. Quit blaming others for your problems. Get over it.

· Stop looking for handouts. As long as you are a ward of any government, you will never be free or successful.

· Be very wary of those who would presume to be your leaders. Their motives may not be so innocent.

There are many more suggestions and you may have many of your own, but I think you get my drift.

Three of my heroes happen to be black and if you had studied any of their writings or speeches you may well find that they would say these same things. Those three are Bill Cosby, Dr. Thomas Sowell, and Dr. Walter Williams. You all know of Mr. Cosby but Dr. Williams may be new to you. He is former Chairman of the Economics Dept of George Mason University. Dr. Sowell is a renowned economist from California.

We all have choices. George Jones recorded a song a few years back that went something like this. “I’ve had choices since the day that I was born. There were voices that told me right from wrong. If I had listened I wouldn’t be here today, living and dying with the choices I made.” If you want to be successful in America, join America. That doesn’t mean you can’t be black, Asian, or Latino or that you have to be white. It means that America is not going to join you. That is a profound reality. It’s your choice. As a “typical white person” I would welcome your presence and your success.

Ron Scarbro

March 24, 2008

MORE ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

As some of you may know I wrote a column recently concerning an accident which occurred in southern Minnesota. That accident happened last month involving a woman who t-boned a school bus killing four kids. It was widely speculated that the woman was an illegal alien and was reported as such. It has subsequently been learned that she was indeed here illegally and was using stolen identity. She has since been arrested by the FBI for identity theft and faces numerous state charges including four counts of manslaughter. The column was published in the paper on March 7.

A response was published last week written by what appears to be one of the very apologists I wrote about. It included the words I would have expected from them. I was indeed taken to task. My purpose in writing this blog is not to defend myself from this person or anyone who might take exception to what I say. It is instead to further the discussion of illegal immigration.

A friend sent me the following excerpt of a speech delivered some time ago. It is as follows:

Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

I did go to Snopes.com and verified this excerpt.

I cannot add anything to what he said. It seems clear to me.

One of the criticisms I received was my observation that the woman who caused the accident spoke only Spanish. The critic did not seem to believe that English was such a great language and that our insistence on its use was not neighborly. It appears that Roosevelt would have taken exception.

He also opined that we should welcome anyone to our shores who comes legally or illegally to improve their standard of living. Again I think the critic is in the minority.

We face a very real problem in this country with the rapid influx of people from all over the world. Most seem to be undereducated, under medicated, desperately poor, and completely unprepared to live in a free society. They appear to congregate in areas of the country where they think they can blend in. But, they continue to speak their native tongue. They bring to our shores the very problems and issues from which they just escaped. If they choose to be here and be Americans, there are ways to do that, but it doesn’t start by coming here illegally.

The sooner we as a country get a handle on this problem the sooner the quality of life improves for both American citizens and the immigrants who come here legally. Let’s face it, if those people coming here would do so legally, they wouldn’t have to hide. They could get driver’s licenses and they could get insurance. They also wouldn’t have to steal identification. Imagine how their life would improve.

I will continue to offer opinions on this matter and welcome your response.

Ron Scarbro March 15, 2008

Global Climate Change

I have resisted the urge to comment on this phenomenon until now for a number of reasons. The first is that I am not a climatologist nor am I a meteorologist. What I am is a person who has developed an opinion. My opinion has no more or less value than your opinion or anyone else’s. That having been said, here goes.

There is a contingent which reasons that our planet is warming to a degree that we soon will not be able to recover. They further opine that humans are the primary cause of this warming. They cite such things as greenhouse gasses caused by human excesses, burning fossil fuels, and mowing down the forests etc. The list is probably a lot longer because if a human is involved then it has to be bad. This group has the Hollywood elite and the media on their side. Because they are so loud they seem to be a much larger group than they truly are.

On the other hand, and there is always another hand, a vast number of people, scientists, educators, climatologists, and others say nonsense. Their belief seems to be that climate change is a normal function of the sun. Throughout earth’s history the climate has changed. There have been ice ages and there have been warming periods. It would appear that the earth has always been in a state of flux. There was very little human activity during the last ice age or the subsequent warming period. Survivors of these phenomena have learned to adapt. Our world as it is today is the result of flora and fauna adapting and changing.

So what to make of the debate? How does one decide? I have learned over the years to make decisions based on a simple process. If the left elite and the big media are for it, I am against it. If the Nobel Committee awards their once coveted peace prize or the Academy Awards confers their Oscar, my strong inclination is to steer clear of it. That simple method of reasoning has held me in good stead for my entire lifetime to date.

What is called global climate change is probably a scientific reality. What the left calls global warming is more of a religion. They even have chosen a high priest. None other than Al Gore. So convinced is this group of their opinion, no other explanation could have any plausibility. They may well be just another world-wide terrorist group. They certainly approach this issue in the same way fundamentalists approach their religion. A cursory examination of the evidence available on this continuing event however offers many possible causes other than human activity, but that doesn’t fit into this crowd’s pre-set dogma.

I have never advocated wasting anything especially the earth’s resources. I believe we are required to respect our environment and to protect it. Using overpriced mercury filled fluorescent light bulbs may well cause more harm than good. Using one square of toilet paper, as suggested by a well known folk singer, will do nothing more than soil underwear thereby causing extra wash water and soap. These are silly suggestions being offered by silly people.

In my final analysis, the earth was here millions of years before humans arrived and will be here millions of years after we are gone. Our presence may well be just another experiment of Nature. At any rate I further believe we have a good several thousand years before we have anything to worry about. Of the things we have to contend with, controlling the sun strikes me as a fool’s game. If you were in Minnesota today, like me you could well use some global warming.

Ron Scarbro March 2008

On Growing Old

When I was a youngster, a person my age would have been considered old. I remember looking at my grandparents and being amazed at how old they were. They were in fact probably younger than I am now at that time. So, when is a person old? How do we know? Is age only a number? This essay seeks to examine some of these questions.

The modern concept is that yesterday’s sixty is really today’s forty. Yesterday’s eighty is today’s sixty. That would mean that as we get older, we are actually getting younger. Does that make any sense?

This is what I know. Recently I was putting my boat away for the winter. In the past this was a simple task that I accomplished with little effort. This time however, I had to have help from my wife. The job took much longer than it should have. We both came away from the experience with pains and pulled muscles. We got the job done but we asked ourselves, “How much longer can we do this? How much longer do we want to do this?”

I have taken note of many other things in my life that have changed. The old saying is that I used to be able to do that all day. Now it takes me all day to do that. I suspect all this is normal. I chide my aging friends that all of us must make concessions to our advancing years.

Growing older beats the alternative to be sure. Physically I can see changes, but mentally I am as young as ever. With each passing day I find myself more curious than ever. I continue to seek knowledge. I want to learn. This doesn’t strike me as traits of an old man.

Another thing I have learned is that there is a penalty for growing older. That penalty is to have to say good-bye to friends and loved ones. People come into our lives and people leave. People whom we knew in years past return to our thoughts and we suffer the pain of losing them to life’s only destination. Our lives are better for having known and loved them. Our memories are rich with thoughts of loved ones past and present. Our memories are a reward of our old age.

I look at my children and grandchildren and know they are my legacy. They are my gift to the world. As a father I am proud. The little ones are bright and inquisitive. They amaze me. They may have great accomplishments to give the world or they may just live out their lives as good citizens. Either way I feel proud as a grandfather as I watch for their latest exploits.

So how shall I spend the rest of the time allotted to me? I choose to continue to try to learn. I choose to try to continue to write and share my thoughts and opinions. I hope some of these writings may benefit a reader somewhere.

When one first lights a candle the flame is small. As the candle burns, the flame grows larger but the candle itself begins to grow smaller. At the end of the candles life, one is left with a wrinkled up mass of wax that doesn’t resemble its original shape or size, but the flame is at its brightest and warmest. Perhaps this is a metaphor for our life.

For me, life is a journey not a destination. I intend that my trip shall continue to be exciting, educational, and rewarding. Humans invented time and time is how some count our years on earth. We can choose to measure our lives by years or months or days or we can measure our lives by how we lived. We can measure our lives by our accomplishments. My fervent hope is that my obituary will read, “His was a life well lived.”

Ron Scarbro February 2008

Ethanol Production Versus Food Production

Two very important stories appeared in the media recently. The first entitled “Drive for biofuels could hurt at pumps”, and the second, “Food costs increase in past year.” These items each were frightening enough when read separately, they were all the more ominous when linked together.

The biofuel item suggested that gasoline production probably will be curtailed in the future because of the increase in ethanol availability. Refinery owners say that to increase their production would mean spending billions to increase capacity. In addition Congress has demanded that auto manufacturers increase fuel efficiency. This will, the refiners say, reduce public need for their product. That then becomes their excuse for not building any more refineries. That could be the truth. Or the truth could lie somewhere between their comments and the following scenario. Consider this possibility. The refiners do not want the competition of ethanol. They also do not want Congress further requiring auto manufacturers to increase fuel efficiency. The price of gasoline is where it is because of two factors. Supply and demand. The supply is controlled by the refiners and the demand is controlled by the consumers. As long as oil companies are the only game in town, they get to call the tune. Is it possible that they are letting everyone know who is really running this show?

Ethanol becomes a competitor for fossil based gasoline. You have surely heard that competition is healthy. Well it is healthy for the consumer. It is not so healthy for the competitors. As long as oil companies control the production of fuel, they have a much better chance of controlling the price. When an interloper such as ethanol enters the picture, they lose some of their competitive edge. They then lose their opportunity to control the price of their product.

The second article had to do with food costs. Just recently I was shopping at a local grocery store and happened upon a posted notice near the dairy section. The ominous warning advised that the price of milk was going to be going up dramatically. According to the other story in the media, food and beverage costs increased 3.9 percent from May a year ago. That, it seems, is just the beginning. All sorts of reasons are offered for these increases. Of course there are the old standbys of energy costs as well as bad weather. There was another reason given also. The demand for corn by the ethanol industry.

As I am sure you are aware, corn is the basic feed of most livestock. It is utilized extensively in the production of milk and eggs. Humans also eat corn products from the vegetable itself to corn meal, sugar, and corn oil. Corn is one of the most commonly consumed agricultural products grown today.

Here then is the link. Oil companies, in order to insure control over their price, will probably cut back on gasoline production, thereby driving the price upward. Ethanol producers will probably make as much ethanol as their refineries will allow to take advantage of the higher price of gasoline. Dairies, livestock feeders, and hatcheries will have to pay through the nose for feed. Food processors will also. This, of course, will force the price of all basic food commodities to go higher and higher.

Who wins and who loses? I can remember when gasoline and milk was twenty five cents a gallon. Bread was fifteen cents a loaf. Those days are over forever. The question is, are the days of ten dollar milk and ten dollar gasoline, as well as five dollars for a dozen eggs just around the corner? I don’t know the answer but I see some truly ominous signs.

Ron Scarbro February 2008

THE FUTURE OF THE MIDDLE EAST

I was just watching news coverage of the election in Pakistan. Some thoughts have struck me as I have tried to understand this culture. I use the word culture quite loosely. The first thought is that a very promising candidate to run that country was assassinated. That was Benazir Bhutto. She was a bright, educated, and probably caring individual who could have made a major difference in that extremely backward country. By the same token she no doubt carried with her some serious baggage. Her first and apparent biggest sin was that she was a woman. Some have said that she was taken out because of just that fact. The rallying cry was that no Muslim country could be run by a woman. There is also the possibility that her presence was a problem for the opposition. She was very popular. So let us consider these facts.

If one examines the entire Middle East, one comes away with some interesting observations. One of the most notable is the lack of value they all seem to place on women. You have seen the requirement that women be covered from head to foot. Just recently a woman was arrested in Saudi Arabia for sitting at the same table with a male co-worker discussing business matters. Women and young girls are beaten and murdered, often by their own male family members, for all sorts of real or imagined crimes. The crime most often charged is rape. The female is of course punished even though she was the victim of the rape. These are called “honor killings”. We have all seen women being beaten with whips and belts just because it pleases some men to do so. This appears to occur with impunity. Here’s my question. How would you feel if someone walked up to your wife, daughter, or even your mother and started beating them just because it pleased them to do so? Would you just allow that to happen? Would you join in on the punishment? Or would you take out the perpetrators of this abuse?

This seems to be common in the entire backward Middle East not just Pakistan. The explanation most often offered is that this behavior is a requirement of their religion.

Well ladies and gentlemen this is 2008. Women are not cattle, not here and not in Pakistan. They are not owned property. For any government to condone this ridiculous behavior is criminal. For them to avert their eyes to what is going on is also criminal. For our government to have a relationship with any such country is worse than criminal. This crap has to stop.

The Middle East has a lot of problems and they are not going to be solved until they first deal with this most basic issue.

Technology is changing the world. Great strides are happening and will continue to happen. Challenges of global warming and reduced fuel supplies are maybe just one computer click away from solution. All persons on the earth have value. Consider that any one of the young girls murdered by their brother could have held the secret to cancer cures. The arrogance of any religion or government that allows this egregious behavior is just unacceptable.

The western world has to stand up and be counted. Don’t tell me it is not our problem because it just may be soon. In Canada just recently, a father murdered his own daughter because of the way she wanted to dress.

His lame excuse was religion. Nonsense. It is time for the intelligent in the world to end this.

Ron Scarbro February 18, 2008

The "R" Word and Other B.S.

THE ‘R’ WORD AND OTHER B.S.

The “R” word is of course recession. B.S. is self explanatory. Recession is defined by the experts as two consecutive negative growth quarters. To those who believe we are in recession may I point out that we have not had one negative growth quarter yet let alone two. So much for the word.

Now let us consider the other B.S. If you read the newspapers or watch television news you would have to believe our economy is going straight into the toilet. For the last six months there has been a loud and consistent cry of agony. Foreclosures are through the roof. Unemployment is rising at an unbelievable rate. We probably will never recover. The government should do something. Bail-outs are the only answer. Banks should be forbidden from foreclosing on past due home loans. Adjustable rate loans should be frozen at the introductory rate even though the contract that was signed by the borrowers clearly called for such adjustments as rates changed. If we don’t act, people could lose their houses and cars. Oh woe is us.

Well guess what. If people fail to pay their loans as they agreed in their contracts they should lose their homes and cars. If banks suffer huge losses, how is it the problem of the taxpayers? If bankers loaned money based on suspicious appraisals to less than desirable borrowers they should lose that money.

This is not the earth shattering problem the media would have you believe however. We are not experiencing a recession. We are in a business cycle. Consider this. An individual is on a staircase and he is playing with a yoyo. As he walks up the steps, the yoyo goes up and down. Sometime the yoyo is up and sometime it is down, but the individual continues to climb the stairs. The individual is the economy and the yoyo is business cycles.

Now for some more B.S. When the banks made these bad loans, they bundled some of the contracts together and sold them to other banks at a discounted price. The banks buying the discounted loans thought they would make millions because everybody knows that real estate will always gain in value. Well guess what. When builders over build and banks over loan and realtors over sell and buyers over buy, disaster ensues. A housing surplus occurs. Inventories grow. Credit tightens. Buyers can’t buy and therefore sellers can’t sell. Values decline. You wind up with what is happening now.

Is this the end of the world the media would have you believe? I say no. What we have here is one of the great opportunities of a lifetime. Several years ago in Seattle, Boeing had some reversals and laid off a lot of people. Houses were vacated as people just up and left. There was even a sign on one of the highways going east that read, “Will the last person leaving please turn out the lights”. Some very smart folks decided to buy up all the houses they could and now they are millionaires. They took advantage of a business cycle and didn’t succumb to the hype.

The problems facing our economy right now are for the most part inventions of the media. Our unemployment numbers have been very steady. Inflation is virtually non-existent. The people who are having money problems are probably the same people who would be having problems regardless of economic conditions. Sometimes hype becomes epidemic. People see their very solvable problems as bigger than they are. The victims among us who think they have been taken advantage of by the banks, and the realtors are finding an excuse for their excesses.

It is time for smart people to gobble up these steals that are available. Don’t buy the hype. The business cycle will turn upward probably as soon as the latter part of this year. Take the “R” word and the B.S. and make lemonade. This country needs a few more millionaires.

Ron Scarbro Feb 2008