ITS A DIFFERENT WORLD

(The following was published in the Newsleader on March 5, 2010)

I serve as moderator of a coffee/discussion group that meets weekly. Recently we had as our guest author Sharon Schulte who has written a new book entitled "The Children Remember". The book is a compilation of memories of Minnesota people who were children during World War II. Sharon went throughout the state interviewing and recording the thoughts and memories of people who are now in their sixties, seventies and older to make a record of how life was at that time. I recommend the book. It is available on Amazon.com as well as most normal book sellers. It is so revealing and reflective of a simpler time when our attitudes were so different. The discussion that followed her presentation was the inspiration for this essay.

I too was a child during that time. I can remember rationing stamps, war bonds, and other sacrifices. As kids we saved tin foil. We would peel the waxed paper off gum wrappers and start a big ball of tin foil to help make ammunition. Being a youngster at that time meant that I felt my life was normal. I didn't realize we were giving up anything because of the war. I do remember the fear however. We lived near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and we were told that spot was a great target for the bad guys. I was aware of friends of my parents going off to war. I was acutely aware of the fact that some never returned. Families of servicemen and women had flags which had stars for the number of family members who were serving in the military. They were flown proudly. The military was respected above anything else. It was a great treat to see anybody in their uniform.

The purpose of this writing is just to ask the question, "What happened?" What was the change that caused the American people to lose their regard for the military? How is it possible that while we have thousands of men and women in foreign lands putting their lives on the line for us, our lives here at home continue as normal? No one is sacrificing with rationing stamps. No one is buying war bonds. No Hollywood movie star is making movies about war heroes and helping the war effort by selling bonds. They are instead making nice with our enemies and committing treason. Fifty years ago they would have been arrested and tried as criminals. At the very least they would have been shamed out of existence. It truly is a different world.

I believe some of the changes have occurred because the Press has taken such a turn to the left that they no longer reflect the thinking of the majority of American people. TV networks report what they want you to hear and skew the news to their agenda. The "Educational Community" has become an apologist for all things liberal to the detriment of this country as a whole.

We all need to think about our feelings. I believe we need to return to a time when patriotism was the rule rather that the exception. We need to hold our military in higher esteem. We need to see the so-called Hollywood elite as what they truly are, for the most part, morons.

Finally, if we are to send troops into any war, we need to win it. Stop this nonsense of limited war. By any definition, war is an all out action. If it is worth the single life of an American soldier, it is worth winning. We have wasted far too many lives trying to be modern day war fighters. Let us end this now or just leave. If the idiots in these countries want to keep on killing each other over some perceived difference in their religions, let them have at it. Then, if any country harbors terrorists who attack this country, we should just take that country out swiftly and completely without a single American boot on the ground. We don't need to send troops. Then we would truly have a different world.

Ron Scarbro September 26, 2009

SEPTEMBER MORON OF THE MONTH

I couldn't wait any longer after hearing this latest bit of stupidity from the mouth of one who should know better. I am talking about none other than former President Jimmie Carter, this month's "Moron of the Month". There are many reasons why he would qualify for this month's dubious honor but one statement that he recently uttered leaves all of the other ridiculous things he has said in the dust. That statement was to accuse the Congressman from South Carolina, Joe Wilson, of racism. You will remember Rep. Wilson was the one who yelled out "You Lie" during President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress earlier this month. Carter went on to say that the outburst was another example of white America's inability to accept a black man as President.

First of all Mr. Carter, white America elected a black man as President. The black vote, while it is significant, could never elect a President. To be elected to the Presidency, you must carry many segments of the population. You have to generate millions of dollars to even consider a run at the White House. Where do you think that money came from? For better or worse, all America elected Barak Obama as President. His acceptability as President will be what he does as President, not the color of his skin.

Maureen Dowd, columnist for the New York Times, is also spreading this particular bit of hate speak in her column. Maureen probably doesn't know any better and not that many people read her nonsense anyway. While that is no excuse, it at least puts her comments into perspective. Former President Carter is another story however.

In my almost seven decades on this planet I have seen tremendous strides in the overall acceptance of different peoples in America. Like Carter, I was raised in the South. I remember how it was and it was ugly. But I have seen the change and the change has been for the better. The state of the black man in America has never been more positive. His life has never been more secure, safe, and filled with potential. There is no other place in the world where black people have more opportunity or more potential for personal wealth and success. This is not the result of runaway racism. No this is the result of brotherly love, compassion, and acceptance of others who might be different from ourselves.

Are we completely out of the woods concerning racism in this country? Certainly not. Are we making tremendous advances in our ability to live together and get along? Absolutely. Is the state of Black America served in any positive way by the likes of Jimmie Carter and his stupid remarks? I think you would agree with me that Carter has set race relations back years by his outburst.

I have two words for you Mr. Carter. Go Away. You were an unsuccessful president and it took years of hard work to overcome your mismanagement of America. Don't compound your errors by continuing to inflict yourself on this country. You, Mr. Carter are insignificant and your legacy is fixed in the minds of most thinking Americans. The vast majority of our country does not care what you think about anything least of all your opinion of racism in this country. Be kind to the country which gave you so much and just fade away into your retirement. Just go away.

Ron Scarbro September 18, 2009

SOME MORE WORD FATIGUE

Recently during the reporting of Edward Kennedy's death a phrase was thrown about which I began to examine. That phrase was public service. The Senator had 47 years of public service.  Now I am not going to pick on Kennedy. History, if allowed to be truthful, will deal with the Kennedys. No, this essay will deal with some more words which seem to have selective meanings. In other words, they have definitions which satisfy the agenda of the user of those words. Politicians use the term public service and I would use the phrase feeding at the public trough. As we go forward in this writing I think you will get my drift.

The next word is lobbyist. That word sounds so professional, so clean, so legitimate. What if we used the true term and called them bribers or extortionists? Another good definition might be influence peddler. After all, what do they do? They buy legislation for their clients. Groups like the AMA, the AARP, the Trial Lawyers, and too many more to count throw money around Washington to make sure that their client's turf and wealth are protected. When this practice is done by a lobbyist it appears so legal. But we should call it what it is.

This then brings us to the next phrase, campaign contribution. Humorist and philosopher Will Rogers once said many years ago, "We have the finest Congress money can buy." Nothing has changed except for the amount of money flowing into the hands of a few elected representatives of the people who become very wealthy in just a short time in Washington. Consider this. You feel very strongly about a particular candidate for office so you decide to contribute $100.00 to his or her campaign. Let's just say that a large corporation also feels very strongly that this same candidate, if elected, could be very instrumental in forwarding their agenda. So you both contribute but the corporation gives $10,000.00 to the campaign. Your candidate is elected and you want to access your new Representative for an issue that is in opposition to the corporation's agenda. Who do you think is going to be favored with both the access and the favorable legislation? The one hundred dollar contributor doesn't have a chance. In other words, money talks.

Of course the next of many words is campaign war chest. That is nothing more than the wealth amassed by the "bribe-e" contributed by the "bribe-er". This amassed money serves to insure that the particular Representative will continue to have the means to defeat any challenger in the future. A statement credited to an Assemblyman in California, Big Daddy Jesse Unruh, was that money is the mother's milk of politics. Unfortunately and sadly that seems to be very true.

I could go on about how words are changed to reflect the agenda of the user. It is not the exclusive province of politicians. Advertisers do it. Salesmen do it. What we the people must do though is not just blindly accept what Washington is selling and examine the true meaning of the words that they are using. If you are satisfied with legislation being passed by people who accept bribes, then this rant is probably not for you, but if, like me, you are fed up with this practice, then scream loudly and long until it is brought under some kind of control. We cannot compete with big labor unions, or teacher's groups or big pharmaceuticals, but we can remember on election day. Your one vote is worth more than all the money the bribers can spend. Spend your vote wisely.

My final word today is skeptic. That pretty much identifies me and I hope all who read these musings.

Ron Scarbro September 7, 2009

AUGUST MORON OF THE MONTH

I have said many times in the past that the problem of selecting a moron of the month is not a shortage but an abundance. Let's face it, we could have picked Sheila Jackson Lee. You will remember this is the Congresswoman who took phone calls during a question from a constituent at a town hall meeting. You may also remember that this is the same moron who doesn't know the difference between the moon and Mars. She thinks we have landed a man on Mars. Identifying her as a moron would be just stating the obvious. Of course there is that bastion of wit, intelligence, and good humor, Barney Frank. Who couldn't be happy with him as this month's selection? No we have once again traveled to California, a state which seems to grow morons on vines in clusters. It would be bad enough if California voters just elected these people for their own state but no, they have to inflict them on the rest of the country by putting them in the Congress. I refer today to Barbara Boxer. Excuse me, Senator Barbara Boxer.

I am only going to cite a couple of instances where she has strongly identified herself as worthy of this month's honor. The most egregious was in her interrogation of General Michael Walsh, a man whose boots Boxer is not qualified to shine, at a committee hearing. During her questioning of General Walsh, he responded to her question and referred to her as Ma'am. She was aghast. She was offended. She then took it upon herself to try and embarrass the General by insisting he refer to her as Senator Boxer, not as Ma'am. Senator Boxer, there are a few little things you should understand, Ma'am. First, as a southern raised boy I was taught Ma'am is indeed a title of respect. As a former military man I was instructed to refer to women, especially older, or higher ranking women, as Ma'am. I am certain the General meant no disrespect. I today, on the other hand, am not under the restraint of those good manners.

The second of the latest incidences where Boxer has shown her true colors was in her description of town hall protesters of the new health care legislation now being debated as too well dressed to be actual protesters. Apparently to qualify as a protester in Boxer's world, you have to be dirty and poorly dressed. Well excuse me for bathing and dressing to go out in public. California is only one state in this great nation and in most of the country bathing and dressing is a normal activity. If she is more comfortable with dirty rag tag hippie type protesters, maybe she should return to that once great state of California to be with her people and leave the rest of us alone.

As I sit here in front of this keyboard I am in awe and wonderment. Are you telling me that in the entire state of California, Barbara Boxer and Nancy Pelosi are the most qualified, the most intelligent, the most worthy of high office in that state? If that is the case, I truly feel sorry for you. I know California doesn't have the franchise on electing idiots to the Congress, but they do seem to elect the loudest. I am embarrassed for you.

Ron Scarbro August 24, 2009

WORD FATIGUE

I love words. I especially love words when they are strung together by great authors, poets, song writers, and stirring orators. Words are the paint and brushes by which writers create their art and speakers grasp and hold the attention of their audiences. The problem I have today is that some great words have been hijacked by special interest groups and have become quite hateful. Not all words, just some words and some of these words just make me tired. This essay will examine a few such words that have become tiresome to the ear and to the eye.

The first great word is green. I used to love the word green. It is the color of money. It is the color of trees and grass. But now if I never hear the word again it wouldn't bother me. It has been driven down my throat by so-called environmentalist radicals to the point of torture. This lovely innocuous word has, to me, become a swear word. I am a conservationist and an environmentalist but I am not green. Frogs are green.

My next word is eco-anything. Do you understand what I mean? I have lost all interest in anything that starts with eco. To those who insist that I pay particular attention to this, sorry, you have lost me with your zeal to advance your agenda. I guess I have eco-fatigue.

Word number three is diversity. This used to be a very acceptable word. It described differences. Well guess what? Today there are not supposed to be any differences. Today everything is supposed to be the same. Again I offer my apologies. There are differences, and as the French would say, "Viva la difference." Being different doesn't make you bad, it just makes you different. One can still be equal while being different. Whether or not you are acceptable to the majority is mostly up to you. It is not up to law or any other societal mores. Spare me any other mention of the word diversity. I will continue to share my time with those I wish, not with those I am supposed to.

My next problem word is bio-anything. Again an overused under-necessary word. This is another example of agenda driven political correctness. I have grown to detest anything that starts with bio, especially bio-diversity.

That brings up the next word. Organic. I believe this word serves only to increase the price of a commodity. This again is an over used worn out word that has lost all of its original meaning. I wouldn't eat anything organic if I had to starve. First I don't believe the claims of organic farming and secondly most have been proven to be false. I will just continue to wash my hands and wash my food. If that doesn't take care of it, oh well, my bad.

Rap is a tiring word also, but my music was criticized when I was young so I guess I 'll just let that be. Still, though, it is hard to use the word music and rap in the same sentence.

My final word is gay. This is definitely a word that has been hijacked by a special interest group who apparently didn't like the word homosexual. The dictionary says it means joyous and lively. That definition works for me. As for me, when it is necessary to write about homosexual people, that is how I will refer to them. I will save gay for its original meaning.

I am sure if I thought about it, there would be a lot more words that have been destroyed by people or groups for their own benefit. I am going to try to stay true to my understanding of the original meaning of words. I will continue to endeavor to write words using their original meaning and hope that you, my readers, will understand the message.

Ron Scarbro August 16, 2009

HEALTH CARE REFORM

(The following was published in the Newsleader on August 7, 2009)

Health care reform will prove to be one of the most difficult programs for our government. There are embedded traditions and habits that will not be fixed without pain. This essay will not offer all the answers but will pose some very serious questions.

Question number one is why do we need reform? To me this is obvious. It, the medical industry, costs too much and because of the cost it is not sustainable for the future. I have been asked, "What is it supposed to cost?" My only answer is that the cost must be so reasonable that the consumer of the product can and will pay. An example of this ridiculous cost is my mother-in-law's final days. She was hospitalized for three days. During this stay she was given no treatment and wasn't even fed. She received a damp sponge to keep her mouth moist. That was it. The bill was $38,000.00. I attempted to learn how this bill could possibly be justified. I was told that all of the bill would be paid by Medicare and her private insurance so why should I even care? After a great deal of effort I finally was told that many of their patients pay nothing and this is how they help pay for those. This appears to be common practice.

I know of another situation where a young man who without any health care insurance suffered a catastrophic condition. His care now costs over $300,000.00 per year. He is also now totally disabled and cannot work. Even if he had insurance, his co-pays would be $60,000.00 per year. Where is that supposed to come from? We the taxpayers are paying for his care through Medicare. He incidentally could not even buy health care insurance prior to his sudden illness because of high blood pressure. That is one of those famous and pesky preexisting conditions you have heard so much about.

The second issue which I believe is very important is the cost to the medical profession of malpractice insurance. Any reform of our health care must include tort reform as well. Of course Congress is made up of lawyers so what do you suppose are the chances of this reform? Malpractice judgments are too much like jackpots in the lottery. Medical people must be liable for their mistakes but there has to be some common sense involved. If the plaintiff lost his case and was liable for the court costs and a money judgment, don't you think that might have some cooling effect on the lawsuits?

Here is another controversial issue. I think it is unrealistic for young doctors coming out of school to expect to make incomes in six and seven figures. I suspect that ours is the only country where that is even possible. By the same token, I believe the cost of medical school is ridiculous. Young medical people coming out of school should not be facing huge debt for their education.

How about this question? Why does the same medication manufactured by the same company cost less in Canada and Mexico than it does here? Is it because our government is allowing the drug companies to charge more here? Does that mean that we, through our purchases, are subsidizing the medical cost for these other countries?

Some things are clear. We are not going to allow people just to die from lack of available medical care. There will continue to be provisions made for the uninsured and the poorer among us, but at what cost? I have been trying to learn what is in the current bill that the President is trying to get passed. I cannot seem to get the answers. I honestly don't think most in Congress know either. That should be concerning to us all.

This also is clear. The goose that laid the golden egg is dead. Reform is going to happen. We can only hope the change will be for the better and not plunge us into total bankruptcy. Ultimately we the people must decide the direction this reform will take. Stay informed and stay involved.

Ron Scarbro July 24, 2009

KOREA’S FIGHTING DAYS ARE OVER???

(The following was published in the Newsleader on June 5, 2009)

KOREA’S FIGHTING DAYS ARE OVER???

 

It was back in the early
1950s. I was a newspaper carrier. In those days when a big event happened, we
were given extra copies of the paper to sell on the street after we had
delivered to our regular customers. The event at that time was the end of the
Korean War.

 

As I was given the extra
copies, I was told that I should yell loudly that the war was over. The best
phrase, I was told, was “Korea’s
fighting days are over”. People did stop on the street and bought up all of my
extra copies of the newspaper. I remember one particular customer who stopped.
He said to me that it is foolhardy to believe that Korea’s fighting days are over. Mark
my words, he said, they haven’t been totally defeated. Maybe he was right after
all.

 

Their beloved leader and all
around moron KIM Jong Il, dictator of North Korea, seems to have a death wish, not
only for himself but also for the entire population of North Korea. His people
are either too hungry, most of their food goes to the Army, or too stupid to
see what they are facing in the world. Regardless of the reasons for their
apathy, they will be the ones to have to deal with the consequences of their
dictator’s actions. Those consequences could be severe.

 

The UN has tried general
trade sanctions and other attempts to rein in this little dictator to no
apparent avail. The time now is rapidly approaching when Kim will get his wish.
South Korea, Japan, and Russia
cannot allow North Korea
to continue its belligerence. We cannot allow North
Korea to sell nuclear weapons to the Middle
East. No, this has to come to a halt and come to a halt now.

 

I am not suggesting an all
out war with this little backward country. My suggestion is much simpler. One
of our nuclear armed subs, which is ambling about in the depths around North
Korea, should just surface for a second or two and release a couple of its
missiles and make a mud hole where Pyongyang used to be. End of story. No
ground troops. No other material at risk, just total destruction. To end Japan’s war
making in World War II, we had to bomb two of their cities. It worked. All of
the fight went out of them in an instant. Granted there was great suffering,
but the people of Japan
allowed their country to participate in the war with their apathy and inaction
and as always is the case, the people are the ones who suffer.

 

KIM Jong Il is picking at a
scab. He has apparently decided that the Armistice agreement his country signed
to end the war and prevent their total destruction is no longer valid. Regardless
of the reasons, he is putting his entire country at risk. If we don’t bring
this nonsense to an end soon, it will only create a bigger problem and sooner
or later we will have to deal with it.

 

We all know that freedom is
not free. Sometimes hard decisions have to be made. I wish we didn’t have to
intervene. I wish China
would stop this before we have to, but their record is not very good. China
stands to lose almost everything they have created for themselves if they do
not get involved and soon.

 

My customer’s comments of years
ago still ring in my ears. You just think Korea’s fighting days are over. This
time we need to end it once and for all.

 

Ron Scarbro May 30, 2009