IT IS BETTER TO HAVE LOVED...

 

I’ve never been a senior citizen before. I’ve never experienced life as a seventy- seven-year-old either. Let me tell you it is an interesting and often terrifying time.

Among my many new discoveries are ailments and pains in places I never even knew I had places. Eating the common foods of my entire life suddenly throws off my blood sugar and cause alarm bells to go off at my doctor’s office. A walk to the mailbox has become a tortuous journey. An afternoon nap, which used to be quite rare, has almost become a necessity. Bette Davis said it clearly, “Getting old ain't for sissies.” I can remember running all over the mountains chasing deer and elk, or wading beautiful streams in search of the elusive trout. But, alas, no more.

Another thing which has become much too common is learning of ailments and sickness of old friends and loved ones. As a younger man I witnessed my parents go through this and now it is my turn. Just in the last few months I learned of a cancer diagnosis for a sister, two sisters-in-law, and an old friend of over fifty years. Fortunately, today all are doing okay with their treatments and getting well.

Just today though, I learned of the death of the husband of a dear friend of over fifty years. God rest Pat’s soul.

All of this points me to the inevitable conclusion that one of the penalties of living to an old age is having to say goodbye to old friends and loved ones. So now I am working on this philosophy, it is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all. It is better to have known and loved our friends and family than to have never had them in our lives. I know sometimes it’s painful. Sometimes you might say, if I had never known that person, I wouldn’t be hurting so much. Maybe, but look at what you would have missed. Let the good memories replace the pain of losing them. If you had never known them, you would have missed all the good times, the fun times, the hugs and the laughter. Be flooded by the good memories and the good times.

None of us are guaranteed a tomorrow. None of us are guaranteed a life without pain. We take each day as it comes and try to accept those things which we cannot change. We take our medicine, try to watch our diets, once in a while try a little exercise but even at that there are no guarantees.

This I also believe. None of us are given more than we can handle. Sometimes it may seem impossible to deal with but we will deal with it. We will be stronger and better for having known our lost loved ones and life will go on.

To quote Tiny Tim, “God bless us, everyone.”

Ron Scarbro

COMMON SENSE ANSWER TO IMMIGRATION ISSUES

The President and Congressional leaders have been meeting to solve the “immigration problem.” The DACA issue as well as border security have been on the agenda. Then, of course, there’s the matter of cost. In a nutshell apparently the Democrats want these offspring of illegal aliens who arrived here with their parents, given a free ride to citizenship. The Republicans want to build a border fence sufficient to keep out any new trespassers.

To me and to many of us out here in fly over country, it all seems strange. Did you know we already have laws on the books against illegally entering this country? Did you know we already have laws on the books against overstaying one’s visa? Did you know that it is also illegal to hire an illegal alien or anyone for that matter who cannot provide proof that they’re in this country legally? As far back as the 1960’s I was hiring individuals for my company and I had to personally view that person’s Social Security card and photocopy it to send to Main Office with their employment package. It was simple enough, no proof of legal residence, no job, period. What changed?

Today it would appear that persons from anywhere in the world can sneak into our country, get a driver’s license, open a bank account, apply for and receive welfare benefits, and enroll in public school. They can rent a home or apartment, go to any hospital and receive free medical treatment, and they can get food stamps. If they want a job, it seems simple enough to get one because nobody seems to care to check on their legal status.

Oops, it seems we have happened onto the real problem. Nobody seems to care. I think we have these immigration issues because we want these immigration issues. Their activity is already illegal and punishable by prison time. The Democrats think that by granting amnesty for these millions of illegals that they will soon become Democrat voters. Many probably already are.

Deporting them is a waste of time because they just turn around and reenter. Many of them have been deported and reentered dozens of times. Giving them a court date and releasing them is also a waste. They just don’t show up for court, and why should they? Remember, nobody cares.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record I am going to once again offer my solution for this problem. First we must remove the incentive for entering this country illegally. The how is simple. E-verify anyone looking for a job, welfare benefits, food stamps, school entry, hospital visits, or for any benefit or service offered to our citizens. That means checking their Social Security number to see that it is authentic.

The second part of this solution should be just as simple but it probably would get complicated. Arrest anyone who violates the e-verify requirement. That would include any employer, welfare organization, hospital, school, bank, or landlord. The penalty for violating this law would not be a slap on the wrist. No, this would call for jail time. Jail time for employers, hospital administrators, mayors and city councils as well as governors, and anyone else who refuses to obey the law. Remember, we already have these laws on the books. We just have to enforce them. If we in fact did what I suggest, we wouldn’t have to deport anybody. They would deport themselves. We wouldn’t have to build a wall. Without the incentive to trespass, these so-called migrants would find another country to invade.

If we needed workers, we would establish a visiting worker program and it would be strictly enforced.

But Ron, if we did that, avocados would cost ten dollars apiece. Okay. I don’t care. If I wanted an avocado, I would pay the cost or do without. I prefer that to subsidizing illegal activity.

What I have just offered is common sense. That’s why it will never be tried. It has to go through Congress.

Ron Scarbro

WISHING WILL NOT MAKE IT SO

WISHING WILL NOT MAKE IT SO

I guess the actual results of the Presidential election of 2016 were just more than the losing side could handle. They decided to ask for recounts. Sadly, for them, everywhere they recounted resulted in more votes for the winner. So, that didn’t work.

Then they decided to start a vicious rumor that the election was tainted by collusion with Russia. They spent millions compiling a phony dossier and conducting endless investigations. They found nothing because there was never anything to be found. After all it was nothing more than a story they themselves concocted for the purpose of undermining and delegitimizing the election. The whole matter was doomed to failure before it even got under way. In reality the only thing the investigation has discovered so far is the fact that any collusion may well have been by the losers. All of that will soon be made public.

So, rather than just give up and go about their miserable lives, they have now decided to proclaim that the winner, Donald Trump, is actually crazy or at least incapable to serve as President. Mentally unstable they claim. Now remember the people who are suggesting that our President is mentally unfit to serve are the same ones who believe we have landed a man on Mars and that the Island of Guam is floating and could capsize. Anyone with a functioning brain knows that a person cannot be deemed mentally unfit unless that individual is examined by proper medically trained doctors and put through test after test. No such examination has occurred and none is likely to ever occur. Donald Trump is probably the most fit both mentally and physically we have had in the White House in years.

But for now and for the foreseeable future we will be treated to moron after moron droning on about the mental instability of our elected President. The national media is always on board when the nonsense is salacious enough.

The motive is clear. They have this idea in their pea brains that if they can make this ridiculous claim and get enough people to believe it, they could proceed with impeachment. This would be done under the authority of Article twenty-five of the Constitution which allows for removal of the President if he is found to be unable to continue serving due to death or disability, either mental or physical. I don’t like their chances.

Here’s a little message for those on the left. Something my mother always told me. “Wishing will not make it so.”  Trump won and Hillary lost. Get used to it. He was the better candidate and by far the better choice for the American voters. Hillary needs to find another profession. She is never going to be a national candidate for anything again and the sooner she comes to that realization, the better for all of us. I don’t think public speaking or writing are her forte either.

Due to their continuing propaganda campaign against Trump, the left has caused a backlash they will regret. The Clinton slush fund is now under serious investigation. The pay for play scheme that they ran successfully for so many years is about to blow up in their faces. Hillary could have just faded away, but no, she decided she would try to stay in the spotlight. Well here’s a lesson for you spotlight seekers. You just make yourself a better target.

Haven’t we had enough yet? This whole resistance thing is hurting our country and it needs to stop. Our national media has lost credibility. Hollywood is looking more moronic than ever. News isn’t news anymore. It’s just more propaganda. It is time we got back to the America I once knew.

Ron Scarbro

WELCOME TO 2018

Last Friday, the day before a three-day weekend, we had the classic “document dump.” This time however the dump came from the Justice Dept. and it was several thousand emails from Huma Abedin to her then husband, former Congressman and now convicted sexual predator, Anthony Weiner. What a perfectly named individual, but I digress.

In these documents were several emails marked classified. Now remember, at no time were any classified materials supposed to be transmitted over any unsecure servers or computers to any individuals who did not have proper security clearance. Every bit of this activity was illegal and punishable by prison time.

James Comey, when learning of this activity, excused it with the explanation that Abedin probably wasn’t aware that her actions were illegal. Excuse me. Unaware? Are you kidding me? When I was a youngster of eighteen, I was given a security clearance by the Army in order to do my job as a radio operator who sent and received coded messages. I learned early on the meaning of that clearance and clearly knew of the possible punishment for any violations. If Hillary Clinton or her trusted aide Huma Abedin were so ignorant of the law, how in the world could they ever have been entrusted with US secrets? The entire mess stinks and should be put before a Grand Jury for indictment and arrest. We don’t have one set of laws for our citizens and another set for the political elite. Oh, and by the way, ignorance of the law is never an excuse or a defense.

Another little item caught my attention last week. The Democrats plan to attack the Republicans this year in an effort to win back control of the Congress. So far, so good. I expect that. But their plan to attack the Republicans is based on the economy and the tax reform package that was just passed into law. They plan to use that as fodder in their effort to woo voters to their side. What? They plan to attack Republicans based on a booming economy, a soaring stock market, and the lowest unemployment rate in decades? When people discover more money in their paychecks and consumer confidence at all-time highs? The Democrats seem to believe their strategy will work. I guess they have forgotten the words of one of the biggest loud-mouthed Democrats of all times, James Carville, who famously opined, “It’s the economy, stupid.” Carville was right then and he is right now.

I sincerely hope the Democrats follow through with their threat and pursue this line of campaigning. That will all but guarantee the Republicans even larger numbers in both the House and the Senate. Even with the non-mainstream media on board, they won’t be able to fool the vast majority of Americans. Money talks, period. As a very young man I was told that the quickest way to become a Republican was to get a wife, a job, and a mortgage. That’s when reality strikes. It sure did in my case.

And finally, I am amazed that there is a single American Jew who wouldn’t be a President Trump supporter. Israel has never had a better friend. Even lifelong Democrat, Harvard professor emeritus, Alan Dershowitz sings Trump’s praises. He clearly understands the value of Trump’s support for Israel and her objectives as well as his willingness to reign in Iran and her nuclear ambitions. Israel is even talking of naming a major train station in Jerusalem after Trump. The Democrats have never done anything for Israel. Remember that in the next election.

Welcome to 2018. It is going to be a great year.

Ron Scarbro