I AM THANKFUL TO BE AN AMERICAN

On Thanksgiving Day my wife and I will host our family for the big Thanksgiving meal. It has been our tradition for most of our married life. We are thankful that we have the opportunity to have our daughter and her family with us for Thanksgiving. We know not everyone is so fortunate.

Prior to the big day we let everyone know that they will be called on at the table to let the group know what they are most thankful for. This gives them the time to consider what they will share with the family. It has always been great to hear from the grandchildren. Sometimes they surprise us.

I love that tradition. It has caused me to think for myself what I am most thankful for. Most of the time when I sit down to write a column it is to complain about something or someone. Let’s face it, there’s a lot to complain about. But, for today and for the season I choose to find things for which I am grateful.

Of course the first thing on my list is my wife, Linda. Next month we will celebrate fifty-two years of marriage. Every day of those years has been a blessing for me. Then of course my family. I love my life as a father and a grandfather.

I am thankful to be an American. How blessed we are to have the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I am thankful for the best military in the world and for what that deterrent means to this country. I am thankful for our political system which allows us to pick our leaders and to get rid of those who don’t get the job done.  Not everyone is so fortunate.

I am thankful for the opportunity that I have to sit at my computer and rant about whatever I choose and to have those rants published. I never have to worry that there will be a knock at the door from some government official asking me to explain. Our freedom of expression is what makes our country possible.

And for religious freedom. There is no state religion. There is no requirement that I have to believe anything or anyone about anything if I choose not to. I am free to worship in any way that I choose and any God that I choose.

I am thankful for debate. You don’t have to believe anything I say and I don’t have to believe anything you say either. You and I are free to disagree. We are free to discuss and debate any issue. Which brings me to this point. How grateful we all should be that we have newspapers that have the journalistic integrity to publish all sides of issues. We have an opinion page where we all can not only  express our thoughts but are encouraged to do so.

We truly are fortunate to be Americans. We can travel as far as our legs will carry us. Regardless of our origins, we have the freedom to rise to whatever level our talents and abilities take us.

So now we have a day set aside for thanksgiving. Don’t call it turkey day. Call it what it is, Thanksgiving Day. Be thankful for what you have, for your health, your liberty, and your freedom. Be thankful that you live in a country where freedom reigns today and everyday.

Ron Scarbro

GRANDPA, WHAT'S A VETERAN?

“Grandpa, what’s a veteran? My teacher told us tomorrow was Veteran’s Day and I don’t know what it means.”

Well a veteran is any person who has ever served in the military service. “Why do they have a day? Are they special or something?”

Well little one, you are asking questions that deserve well thought-out answers. Let’s sit for a time and I’ll try to answer all your questions.

All through history it has been necessary for countries to have military forces to defend themselves when others try to invade and take their countries away from them. That is called war. America has had to defend herself many times since we first became a sovereign country. I served in our military and so did your Uncle Pete as well as your Aunt Thelma.

“So girls can be veterans too?” Yes they can and are. All through the years men and women together have stood side by side in defense of our country and our way of life. For many years women served only as nurses and other support services but today they can even join the fighting at the front of the battle. Many are flying jet fighter aircraft and driving tanks. They are warriors too.

“Tell me about war, Grandpa. Why do we have to have wars? Don’t people get hurt fighting in wars?”

Indeed they do. Hurt and even killed. But, military members have always been willing to give their all for their country. They do that so you can live free. They do that to protect your way of life. They do that because service is the sacred duty of a free people.

I don’t know why we have to have wars. I wish we didn’t. But what seems to  happen is people in a far away land decide that their religion is the only true religion or that they just want what we have. Some see our free way of life and they are just jealous. And some people are just evil. They are evil and cunning. They get themselves in positions of power in their countries and they decide to start wars. They want to make their countries bigger. They want the natural resources that belong to their neighbors and so they start wars. It has been that way since the beginning of time.

“Are veterans just people who fought in wars, Grandpa?” No, in fact most aren’t. Most are just individuals who put their lives on hold to enter the military service to fulfill their duty to make sure our deterrent force was capable of defending this country. They served their time and returned to civilian life. Most are probably a lot like me. They are proud of their time in the service and are happy they served.

On Veteran’s Day, though, we honor all who served. We honor those who fought wars. We honor those who were wounded and those who died fighting and didn’t return. We honor their families, their moms and dads, their sisters and brothers. We especially honor their wives and husbands. Their sacrifice can never be truly known or appreciated by anyone but them. We also honor those who only gave their time; those who joined but were never asked to fight. They all signed the same blank check payable to America, willing to serve and die if necessary that we all might remain free.

And so, little one, we set aside one day each year to especially pay tribute to our veterans.  If you see a veteran, thank him or her for their service. Thank them for the life you have and the freedom you enjoy. I am thankful for Veteran’s Day. In fact I wish every day was Veteran’s Day.

Ron Scarbro

UNBRIDLED ELITIST ARROGANCE

Have you ever heard of Jonathan Gruber? Gruber is an economist and a professor at MIT, the Massachusetts Institution of Technology.  Gruber also served as a consultant on a panel which wrote the language in the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. As a consultant he was paid over one million dollars.

I am going to paraphrase some of what this individual has recently said regarding the language of the act. He claims they had to use “tortured” language in order to get by the Congressional Budget Office. The CBO would have had to call the individual mandate a tax unless they essentially lied about what was really going on. He went on to say that the American voters were too stupid to know what was good for them. In his view the lack of transparency was necessary to get the bill by the voters because if they knew what was really in the Act, they would be just too stupid to vote for it. He further added that he would rather lie to get the bill passed than to tell the truth and have the bill die because the resulting Obamacare was good for the American people. That, by any definition, is unbridled elitist arrogance. What he is actually saying is that you, the American people, are too stupid to know what is good for you. You need some elitist arrogant snob to make your choices for you. You cannot be trusted to decide for yourself.

Well let’s see what has happened since this law was passed. First, the Supreme Court has found that in fact the individual mandate is a tax. And, in response to that finding, the “stupid American voters” rejected the Congress people who voted for it. The next thing that is going to happen is bills to repeal Obamacare will be reintroduced in the new Congress. Without doubt the president will veto them but, Democrats who watched in horror as their colleagues were trounced in the midterms may want to rethink their positions. Obviously the final chapter on Obamacare has not yet been written.

This column is not about the merits of Obamacare, though. This piece is about the arrogance of some individuals who think they know what is best for us. From the foods we eat to the light bulbs we use to the kind of cars we drive. Obamacare will live or die on its own merits or lack of them. Elitist arrogance, however, goes on forever. These self anointed guardians of the public can’t seem to understand that America was founded upon the proposition that we are free people. We are responsible for ourselves and our choices. If you lie to us to get your point across, we will find out and we will respond. And you are probably not going to like our response.

And now a special message to Professor Gruber and people of that ilk. There is not a person on this earth who is intellectually or emotionally qualified to make my decisions for me. I will choose for myself as have my forefathers. I and I alone am responsible for my choices and their consequences as are you. I promise not to interfere in your life. Please show me the same respect, whether you think I am smart enough or not. If my choices are unwise, I will suffer the consequence. I am neither your servant nor your subject. I am a free person and I choose to live that way and I pity your seeming inability to understand that basic American  notion.

Ron Scarbro

HOOF IN MOUTH DISEASE

You expect it from Joe Biden. He opens his mouth to speak and he inserts his foot. It’s just Joe, we are told. Well it is time we exposed another politician who suffers from hoof in mouth disease. That would be Hillary Clinton, of course.

We know of her infamous “Who cares” comment at a Benghazi hearing. “Who cares?” Really, Hillary?  Her latest tops that ridiculous remark. In a recent speech she literally said don’t let anyone fool you. Businesses and corporations do not create jobs. Is that not the dumbest remark anyone could make? Who, Ms. Clinton, do you think does create jobs? Do you think it is the government? How about the other liberal fantasy of bottom-up economics?

It is the simplest of the simple. The consumer wants or needs a product or service. A business or corporation builds or makes that product or service available. Of course the business must have employees to do the work of creating the product or service. The business sells their product. The company makes a profit. The employees are paid wages based on the value of their labor. Those employees then become consumers in the same marketplace buying products and services. Money changes hands and an economy is created. How simple is that?

Government, on the other hand, produces nothing. Did you hear that Hillary? Government produces nothing. To any business or corporation government is an expense just like the costs of raw materials and labor. In fact if there were no successful businesses or corporations, there would be absolutely no need for government, period.

To those of you who might say that government builds the roads, I would answer yes, but they get their funding from successful business. If there were no successful business, there would be no need for roads. Look at Afghanistan. They have no businesses or corporations. They have no roads. They have no infrastructure. They are settlements of goat herders and opium growers who are constantly at war with each other for entertainment if for no other reason.

Politicians often reveal their true selves at times when the microphone is on and their brain is off. But I don’t think Hillary would take back her statement even if she could because, in her warped view, she truly believes it. Like so many politicians and Washington denizens, she has never had a real job. She has never had to manage a for-profit company. She and they live in a fantasyland of government gobbledygook and bureaucratic speak. They don’t create anything but regulation and problems for the taxpayers to pay or solve. They are a liability, not an asset.

The idea that Hillary Clinton could ever be the President of the United States is repugnant to me and should be to all thinking individuals. I read today that she is favored by 47% of Democrats to be their nominee in 2016. Surely even the Democrats could do better. On second thought her only competition seems to be Elizabeth Warren. God help us if either of these extremely unaccomplished individuals ever darkens the doors of the White House. If you think this country is in trouble now, you have no idea of what could be.

This brief suggestion to Hillary’s handlers. I don’t know if there is any cure for “hoof in mouth disease,” but before she gets in front of another microphone you might want to check her meds.

Ron Scarbro

THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE IN TROUBLE, CALL A HIPPIE

Within the coming month, we are told, the Grand Jury will issue their findings concerning the case of the shooting death of Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, MO. They will either find the policeman legally culpable for that death or not. Some of the findings have been leaked to the consternation of Attorney General Eric Holder. They seem to favor the police officer’s version of events.

The police department is bracing for what could be an all out assault on the city if the officer is exonerated. Some of its citizens have apparently already decided Officer Wilson is guilty regardless of the evidence. It is no wonder they are in such an uproar. The entire area has been stoked to violence by the race baiting so-called leaders of the black community. They came to Ferguson determined to fan the flames of racial hatred without regard to the aftermath. They will go back to their penthouses after the riots and look for new opportunities to cause trouble. Ferguson will be left in ruins at the hand of their own citizens. How does any of that make sense?

Consider this. How would you feel if you were the police officer who, in the performance of his duty, was forced to use deadly force? What if it turns out that he was completely justified on his actions? Do you honestly think that this mob, armed for a fight and armed with a complete disregard for truth, will just go home and resume their lives? Me neither.

Another scenario which causes me considerable distress is, what if even if the officer was justified and yet for the sake of expediency, he is thrown to the wolves? What if the officialdom of the city decide that they would rather sacrifice one police officer than face another riot? What then?

If that happens I hope every police officer in the state of Missouri turns in his badge and lets the state deal with their considerable crime problem without them.

Police officers don’t go looking for individuals they can execute. I have talked with officers who, in the performance of their duty, had to use deadly force. For the most part they are people just like you and I and they feel the pain of taking a life the same way you or I would. Some take years to get over it. Some never do. Fortunately most officers never have to unholster their weapons.

Individuals I have known who become police officers are people who believe in service to their fellow man. Back in the sixties when the “Hippie Era” was going strong, many of the so-called hippies referred to police officers as pigs. I remember a bumper sticker of that period which said, “If you think police officers are pigs, the next time you are in trouble, call a hippie.”

Like you I don’t know all the facts in this case. But I believe in the system. I believe in the integrity of the Grand Jury. I believe in the fairness of our laws. If this policeman murdered this defendant without just cause, then I hope he is dealt with legally. If, however, he is exonerated by the Jury, he should be given a medal for bravery. If the people of Ferguson, Mo. want to continue to be victims, that’s their choice.

If Michael Brown caused his own death by his actions, he was not a victim. He was a criminal. If you attack a police officer and try to take his weapon away, you should be prepared to die.

Ron Scarbro

FIRST AMENDMENT UNDER ATTACK IN HOUSTON

For most of my life on this earth homosexual activity has been illegal. It was described by various laws as “sins against nature,” or “crime against nature.” Either way it was illegal and punishable by imprisonment. Personally I am glad we got smarter and that these activities are no longer illegal. I believe it is nobody’s business what goes on in the privacy of one’s own home.

That having been said, something has come up recently which absolutely stretches the limits of my imagination. The City Council of Houston, Texas has passed an ordinance called the HERO act, Houston Equal Rights Ordinance. It seems simple enough on its face until you get into the details. For example, the new law allows men to use ladies restrooms and vice versa if they feel inclined to do so because of their perceived gender identity. All they have to do is declare their perception and walk right in.

Some religious leaders and pastors in Houston have objected and put together a petition with 50,000 signatures calling for the repeal of this ordinance. All they needed was 17,000 signatures. Well the City Council threw the petition out claiming they could not prove the signatures.

Oh, it gets better. The Mayor, Annise Parker, herself an avowed lesbian, has taken this illegal act a step further. She has declared that pastors in Houston must send their sermons to her for approval under penalty of contempt with a fine of $5000. Her contention is that pastors cannot use their pulpits for political speech, especially if they disagree with her. She and the City Council of Houston, the fourth largest city in America, have decided that they do not have to abide by the first amendment to the Constitution. Freedom of speech and religion only applies if they agree with your speech and your religion.

Well I’ve got some news for Mayor, emperor pro tem, Parker and her co-conspirators. You are violating the basic law of this country. Perhaps you all should read up on the first amendment to the Bill of Rights. It deals with things like freedom of speech and freedom of religion. The state of Texas is not going to allow this to go any further. Petitions are already being prepared to recall both the Mayor and all on the Council who signed on this silly ordinance. Very soon you all will be relegated to be the brunt of jokes and laid to rest on the dung heap of lousy politicians. And the sooner the better.

I really don’t care who the Mayor sleeps with. Her choices and lifestyle are her business. I do care when people in positions of authority decide to require me to knuckle under to their particular nonsense. Mayor Parker can sleep with her goat if she chooses but she cannot, under any circumstance, have edit authority over any sermon from any pastor, now or ever, nor can her goat.

Finally, the real problem here is that a city like Houston would elect someone like Annise Parker to be their Mayor. It doesn’t say much for their intellect, does it?  Electorates in cities, counties, states and finally countries make election decisions which they sometimes regret. Make wise choices. Elect competent people. The country you save may be your own.

Ron Scarbro

WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT

Maybe it was because I was young. Maybe I was just naive. Whatever the reason, I used to be able to trust our government to, one, tell the truth, and two, do the right thing. That no longer is the case. It seems this entire government is built on lies.

Do you remember when we decided to go to war in Iraq because, among other reasons, they had chemical weapons? It made perfect sense. Saddam Hussein had used them already on his own people. Well, when we get there, we can’t find any. So the media begins the crucifixion of Pres. Bush. “Bush lied and people died.” What a mantra. Well guess what, they did find the weapons and they found them by the thousands. The Pentagon covered up the fact that they were found. Soldiers, many of whom were harmed by the discovery of some of those weapons were told to keep their mouths shut. Cover it up as if it never happened. Why? Why would our own government lie about this? Who gained what by this lie?

Let us consider Benghazi. Again, obvious lies. First we were told this was all about some silly video on the internet. Then we were told it was just a little group of upset militants. Three of our people died including our ambassador. The lies are still flowing. Who is being covered for? Is it Hillary? Is it Obama? And why? Why can’t these people man up and face the music? Or would they prefer to be remembered as just liars?

How about the IRS scandal? It is patently obvious that Lois Lerner is lying. She obviously destroyed her e-mails. When called before Congress to testify, she perpetuated her lies and refused to talk. Her punishment? She has retired to receive her substantial pension from the very government she tried to destroy by her lies.

I could go on and on but I think you understand the gravity of my comments and my concerns. My simple question is how much longer will we put up with the lying?

Here is a simple primer on American Government. Number one, Obama is not the government and he doesn’t own the government. He is a civil service employee who is responsible to the people. The Congress is not the government and they also do not own the government. They too are civil servants who are responsible to the people. The Judiciary is not the government and the judges do not own the government. They, like the previous employees I discussed, are merely civil servants who work for and are responsible to the people.

We are the government. We all are the government. Regardless of our station in life, we share equally as owners of our government. Those people in Washington, D.C. work for us, not the other way around. We get to choose them and we get to remove them. In fact, another election is just around the corner where we will choose again who will work for us. Don’t take that responsibility lightly. Do you want to continue to put liars in office? Or do you want to get someone in office who can be trusted to at least tell the truth?

I long for the day when I can trust government officials. This isn’t a party thing. Liars come from both sides of the aisle. Our world is a dangerous place. Now, more than ever, we need trustworthy people in positions of leadership. On Election Day, choose wisely.

Ron Scarbro