THE GIFT OF LOVE

About ten years ago my grandchildren were busy playing in their room. Nic was eight and his sister Scout was five. Things suddenly got quiet, very quiet. Now if you are a parent you know this can’t be good. Rambunctious kids are loud and rarely quiet. Things happen when children are left in the care of their father. Later when my daughter, Heather, got back home, what she found was troubling at best as well as frightening.

It seems the kids had decided that Scout needed a haircut. She even decided she would pay her brother twenty-five cents for the job. Nic, ever the helpful one, jumped at the chance to earn the quarter. He became the beautician. He grabbed his scissors and cut her hair. All of her hair. When the dust settled Scout had a very boyish look. You can imagine what she looked like after an eight year old decided to shear her locks.

Heather immediately scooped her up and took her to her best friend, Cindy, who happened to be a world class beautician. Cindy began the process of attempting to make a presentable hairdo out of the mess. It worked. She had a sort of pixie like cut which just made her even cuter to her grandpa. I loved the look.

Well Scout didn’t. She lived with it for a while but decided in the end that she would let her hair grow forever. She kept that promise to herself until today.

Over the Christmas season Scout began to think of gifts, both the receiving of gifts and the giving of gifts. She did some research and discovered there were many young girls who, because of medical conditions as well as cancer treatments, had no hair and couldn’t grow hair. She came to another decision. She decided she would cut her hair and donate it to Wigs for Kids.

Her gift was a tress of hair that measured about two feet in length, naturally curly, and a beautiful honey brown color. We hope and trust that it will be put to good use creating wigs for young ladies who have suffered the loss of their natural hair.

I’m telling you this because I am so proud of this young lady. She, of course, will be as cute as ever if not cuter. But her heart is and will always be beautiful. She loved her long hair. She wore it in many ways. She would sometimes feel sophisticated and wear it up in a stylish “French Curl.” Sometimes she would just allow herself to be a young girl and put in a pony tail. In all these years I have never seen her hair in need of attention. Even as she loved the hair, she decided to gift it to others who were not so fortunate to grow their own. That is truly a gift of love.

I understand as her grandpa I might be a little prejudiced but I have every reason to be. She is smart, gorgeous, and headed for a bright future. She plans to attend the Naval Academy and make the Navy a career. She has been home schooled and has passed her ACT with flying colors.

Both she and her brother are headed in the right direction with a complete understanding of the value of a gift and the value of love. In fact Nic insisted that he be present when Scout had her hair cut for the donation and he filmed the entire event. As for me, I guess as grandpa I’ll just continue to be amazed, oh and I’ll  continue to brag.

Ron Scarbro

P.S. I just learned that Scout has set up a fundraising site to help transform her donated hair into wigs.  For more information visit her site at "Help Me Help Kids"  event page. http://wigsforkidsday.donordrive.com/campaign/EmilysHair.  Thank you.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH, OUR MOST IMPORTANT RIGHT

I watched on TV as a young black girl, probably a student, explode in a profanity laced tirade against a professor at Yale University. Her mother must be very proud. The issue was a letter which the professor’s wife apparently had written stating that people should be a bit more tolerant of others choices of Halloween costumes and not be so offended. Seems innocent enough to me, but no. According to this young lady, along with others in the perpetually offended community, it was not innocent. This young lady apparently believes she should not have to face any expression that displeases her. The new thinking seems to be that no one should ever have to experience offense, period, and that no one has freedom of speech or expression that is offensive to her. Well I’ve got some bad news for this young girl. In this free country we do have that freedom and if she is offended by anything someone says, tough. She, nor anyone, is guaranteed a life free of offense.

There is a serious movement on some campuses today to repeal the First Amendment. In other words, some want the right of free speech to be curtailed so as not to be offensive to anyone. Certain words cannot be used. Historical flags must be destroyed. History must be rewritten to keep anyone from being offended. As a test of this new thinking, independent filmmaker Ami Horowitz recently visited Yale University attempting to get signatures on a petition to repeal the First Amendment. In less than an hour he had fifty signatures. These obviously spoiled youngsters have no knowledge of what this country is all about.

Today I offer you this lesson. Some say certain lives matter. Really? Do you want your life to matter? Then do something that matters. Create, build, discover, do anything that makes your life and others better. Get an education, get a job, respect law, be a good citizen. That’s how you make your life matter. One matters because of who they are and ultimately what they do, not what they are. No group in this country should be separated out for any special reward or punishment simply because of their race.

We are rapidly approaching a point in this country when the majority will no longer tolerate the whining and complaining of any minority group. If you are a citizen of America, you already are ahead of most of the world. How many people throughout this world do you think would trade places with the poorest American living in the worst ghetto? I would guess millions.

So then part two of the lesson today is to look around you. See what you are blessed to have. To the young lady screaming profanities at the Yale professor, how many people do you suppose would love to be a student at one of the most prestigious universities in the world? You are fortunate beyond your wildest dreams. If you don’t mess it up by your terrible attitude and your foul mouth, you will probably graduate with the prospect of a great career and fantastic earning potential.

All of us have the choice of being a force for good or being a part of the problem. As Americans we are all guaranteed opportunity but there is no guarantee for success. That is determined by our talent, our intelligence, and our hard work. This world is going to continue to need intelligent movers and shakers. The society of the perpetually offended will rightfully fall by the wayside.

Ron Scarbro

WE DON'T FEAR, WE CREATE FEAR

Did you hear what the Disney Corporation decided? They are going to install metal detectors and body scanners at the entrance to all their parks. It’s probably a good idea. After all a park full of happy, laughing children on a holiday would be a great target for sadistic, barbaric baby killers. Disneyworld and Disneyland would be the  softest of soft targets. I am sure these mongrel Islamic terrorists would relish the thought of a pile of babies all blown to smithereens by their bombs. They would be dancing in the streets.

We take our shoes off at airports, suffer through body scanners at all sorts of public venues. We submit to body pat downs by TSA agents and allow our persons to be sniffed by dogs. No place is safe, we are told. We should look over our shoulders and be on constant alert. Our privacy is invaded on a regular basis. Our very freedom is compromised. We should be afraid, very afraid.

Okay, I understand this caution. I understand this need to be aware and alert. In our present situation caution is necessary. But fear is not.

I have a slightly different approach. This alertness and caution is because of radical Islamic terrorists who have as their life’s mission, killing us and our society. They have been somewhat successful at spreading their fear. I am sure they see themselves as something of a puppet master pulling the strings on the west.

My approach is simple. What if we decided to eliminate the need for all this extra caution by eliminating the threat itself? What if ISIS woke up one morning soon and saw a couple divisions of US troops and Marines bearing down on them? What if they looked over their shoulder and saw the 82nd and the 101st Airborne Division parachuting out of the sky? What if down the road came a couple Armored divisions under the command of a true warrior ready to lay waste to the open cesspools which serve as their homes? What if, instead of being afraid, we became the purveyors of fear?

Years ago I had a hard nosed supervisor. He used to tell me, “I don’t have ulcers, but I am a carrier.” In other words, while he didn’t suffer from ulcers, he certainly knew how to cause them in other people, like his employees.

So, what if we, instead of fearing terrorists, caused them to fear us?

We can’t kill them all. They are master recruiters. They keep getting new soldiers for their evil plans. This is what we are being told. Okay, what if these new recruits saw the barrel end of some of our more sophisticated weaponry and felt the sting of their power? We don’t have to kill them all. Killing a few will discourage the many.

But Ron, there would be collateral damage. You mean some of the breeders of these mongrels might be killed? I don’t see a problem with that. These people are going to have to come to the understanding that there will never be a world like they envision. There will be no Caliphate. There will be no super Caliph who will rule the world under sharia law. It ain’t gonna happen. They and they alone have to decide how many of theirs have to die before they get the picture. Remember they started this and we and we alone will finish it.

There used to be a t-shirt which showed a picture of an American flag in full color. The caption read, “These colors don’t run.” We do not run. We stand and we fight. We don’t fear, we create fear.

Ron Scarbro

CHRISTMAS CONTINUES TO BE MAGICAL

It has been my pleasure this past year to write and publish columns on this blog site. There is much wrong in the world but there is so much more that is right. I rarely find it difficult to find a subject for these columns.

Today, though, I just want to concentrate on Christmas. It is my favorite time of year. From the time I was very young to now when I am old and gray, Christmas continues to be magical. And so today Linda and I wish you and yours the happiest of Christmases. We pray for this great country that we will once again find our way. We would love to have the spirit of this season descend to the whole world so that peace and goodwill could prevail and take hold. Our fervent hope is that good common sense strikes the hearts of voters and serious leaders come to our rescue. It is all up to us after all.

Have a Merry Christmas. May you create sweet memories for you, your children and your grandchildren.

Ron & Linda Scarbro

REALLY IT IS ALL ABOUT CHOICES

Is it presumptive of me, when encountering a stranger on the street, to wish that stranger a cheery “Good Morning?” It seems innocent enough. It intends no harm. It is only my wish that this stranger have a good morning. But wait. What if this stranger, unbeknownst to me, is not a “morning person?” What if he actually hates mornings? He stays up late at night and maybe drinks heavily, suffering possible hangovers. Besides he is just crabby and out of sorts in the morning. He decides to take offense at my cheery greeting. Am I supposed to care if this stranger is offended?

Today’s political correctness would have you believe that my greeting, while innocent on every level, might be considered “passive aggressive.” What? Are you kidding me? What could be aggressive about wishing someone well? I apparently should never assume that this stranger or anyone would welcome my cheery greeting and that I should care if they are offended. Sorry. I really don’t care.

Of course this brings us to the point of this column. I regularly wish people at this time of year “Merry Christmas.” I don’t pre-qualify whether they are Jewish, Hindu, or anything else. I regard them as human and wish to share with them the joy of the season. How could anyone, unless they just happen to be a member of the “habitually offended set”, take offense at such a greeting?

Again the PC police are quick to point out that, under their interpretation of the rules for this time of year, some people don’t celebrate Christmas. Okay. I don’t care. I do celebrate Christmas and a part of my celebration is sharing the joy of this season.

In my zeal to tweak the humorless and the Christmas season impaired, I often will ask of someone saying “Happy Holiday” to me, which holiday are you referring to? While I am not at all offended, I am often amused. The lame attempt by some to de-Christmas Christmas is silly on so many levels. Like renaming the Christmas tree a holiday tree. What other holiday, pray tell, uses a lighted, decorated evergreen tree as a part of the celebration?

Life is all about choices. I have little interest in your choices, as long as they don’t affect me, and you should do the same for me. Some folks enjoy prime rib for Christmas dinner. Some have ham or even lamb. I even know of some who order takeout Chinese. I’m really, really okay with that. I’m even okay if you don’t eat anything for Christmas or any holiday. You can even have a veggie burger. That is your choice.

To me and to most traditional Americans, we celebrate Christmas. It is for us first and foremost a religious holiday as we are remembering the birth of Jesus Christ and secondly as a family time together. At my house we exchange gifts, eat great food, occasionally drink some adult beverages, and listen to the most beautiful music ever produced. It is a time filled with joy and love.

You are welcome to share in our joy. You are welcome to wish and hope with us for peace on earth. You are welcome to share in our prayer of good will to men. You are equally welcome to ignore my greeting and good wishes. That is your choice.

Merry Christmas.

Ron Scarbro

MODERATE MUSLIMS BY THEIR SILENCE GRANT TACIT APPROVEL

Because of the season I had planned to write a light hearted column. I wanted to talk about peace and love and Christmas. But I don’t feel very light hearted right now. In fact I feel downright angry. I feel let down by a government that is supposed to be protecting me and its citizens.

So what do we have here in San Bernardino, California?  We have Muslim extremist jihadists hell bent on the destruction of everything we hold dear. We have a young man born in this great country who decides that he is too good for the country that spawned and nurtured him. He goes across the ocean to find a bride who appears to be a sadistic murderer. A woman who had no problem abandoning her baby, strapping on guns, and committing a bloodthirsty massacre. A woman who incidentally lied on her Visa application to get into our country to kill innocent neighbors who were doing nothing more than celebrating a Christmas party. Neighbors who had recently held a baby shower for her and her new baby. These killers are the epitome of human filth and waste. This also speaks to our ability to vet people coming into this country.

The PC police would have me not be unkind to Muslims. They want me not to offend. Well guess what. Today I don’t care if Muslims are offended. They should be offended and they should be embarrassed and ashamed. By their silence they are granting tacit approval of the actions of their brothers and sisters in the Muslim Community. If I were a Muslim, I would be ashamed to show my face and they should be too.

What exactly do you suppose these idiots see as the end game of their killing sprees? Are they so stupid as to believe the free world will allow themselves to return to the twelfth century where Muslim men lead their several wives around by collars and leashes? Where Sharia Law is the law of the land? Where nobody enjoys freedom of speech and thought? Are they really that stupid? I guess so.

I’ve got some bad news for them though. It ain’t gonna happen. What will happen instead is that the Muslim religion may well be destroyed by these very jihadists themselves. In a battle between goat herders and modern free people, the goat herders lose every time. There is no doubt that there will be some interruption of our lives and it will be painful, but in the final analysis, it won’t even register on the scale of human events.

To any Muslim who might be reading this. You can’t have it both ways. This is America. We are free people who live by laws handed down to us by our forefathers. We are never going to give in to your threat. We are far more likely to rush your trip to paradise and your journey will be far more horrendous than you could have ever imagined.

To the so-called moderate Muslims. If you and your religion intend to survive, remember this. Your days are being numbered by the very brothers and sisters you seem to want to ignore. ISIS, like so many arrogant philosophies before it, will crumble and all the people who attend that ignorance will crumble with it. Speak up and take charge of the thugs who have hijacked your religion. Clean up your act before it’s too late. The entire free world is after you and the clock is ticking.

Ron Scarbro

WITH ALL THAT'S GOING ON, WE HAVE A CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE

So let’s see now. Russia and Turkey are on the verge of all out war. And since Turkey is covered under NATO, all of the Western World is now at odds with Russia. ISIS is killing and beheading all over Africa and others are killing and bombing in Paris. Their threat is real and being dealt with all over Europe. Tens of thousands of refugees are traveling around Europe trying to find someone who will take them in. Tens of thousands of illegal trespassers are daily trying to enter our country with very little opposition. Black people in this country are on the march because of perceived mistreatment of a few thugs. And in the face of all this, President Obama thinks the best thing for him to do is attend a “Global Climate Change” convention in Paris.

That’ll show them. ISIS can’t scare us. Mess with us and we will back over you in our Prius or we will hit you over the head with a solar panel. ISIS is far more likely to suffer a hernia from uncontrolled laughter at the thought of this response than to be concerned about global climate change. There are evil people who are barely human and who worship death. They could care less about the climate of the globe.  To top this all off, Obama wants the Congress to approve a two billion dollar, with a “B”, fund to give to third world countries in an effort to get them interested in this “Mickey Mouse” science. Sometimes I just have to scratch my head in disbelief.

The word from the White House is that the global climate thing is important to Obama and to his legacy. Once again I should remind you and them, his legacy is already established. He has been the absolute worst president in the history of our country. Now he is offering even more proof that he is also tone deaf. Now that’s a legacy.

The Republican Senate with their majority has already said they will not approve the two billion dollar request so the whole deal is dead on arrival in the Congress. So, what’s the point? Does Obama really want to show just how out of touch he is with the rest of the country? Is this the public image Democrats want as they try to win election in the next cycle? Somebody on their side needs to get into a private discussion with their champion and let him know just what the country thinks about his ridiculous actions. After the so-called nuclear deal with Iran, it should be clear to even the densest Democrat that this is not what the country wants.

But hey, it isn’t my place to tell the Democrats what they should do. They seem hell bent on destroying themselves. I’ll just be a semi-interested bystander.

It really doesn’t matter what Obama wants at this point. He is a lame duck president who is poisoning his party’s chances of winning any future election. One would think that reasonable concerned Democrats would step up and ask for some moderation of the idiocy that keeps coming from this administration. As for me, I’ll just let the voters decide.

Ron Scarbro