Mother's Day A Week Early

With spring forcing itself out of oblivion, I am energized when I can get out in the yard. One of the rites of spring I most enjoy is watching the Killdeer go through their mating ritual and hatch their first batch of eggs.

When they protect their nest they can be ferocious! They stare you straight in the eye, screaming their heads off, and seem 20,000 feet tall. Such happened to me this afternoon. I immediately stopped the tractor to search for the nest. They are tremendously well camoflaged and difficult to find but I was lucky. Those hatchlings couldn't be more than a few hours old.

It's enough to make you forget, for one brief shining moment, all the ugliness in the world!

When The Media Gets It Wrong

If I were a Tea Party member and saw these guys coming down the street toward me, I too would be a tad bit unnerved. The headlines, shortly after, blared that Obama and the secret service called out the swat team to keep the Partiers under control.

Nothing could be further from the truth though I must say the riot gear is a bit of over kill. The secret service did indeed ask for police, not the SWAT team, to clear the roadway for the Pressident's motorcade. No one was there to threaten the Tea Partiers into submission.

The same type of hyperbole is accompanying the new Arizona law to weed out illegals. It's just like the Gestapo they scream. What is more like the Gestapo than asking for ones "papers"? Please. When you go to Europe you are advised to keep your passport with you at all times and it is perfectly legal to be asked to produce it. Me. A white, anglo saxon atheist! What should I make of that?

Then there is the cry that the law is unconstitutional. I've heard it over and over! Pundits, letters to the editor, you'd think the sky was falling. I have yet, however, to hear just exactly what in the law is unconstitutional! Spelled out by those who claim it as an absolute truth!

All this over reaction is exhausting. When listening to the talking heads, and our august Senators, talk about finance reform, it's easy to see how many people don't understand how the system works. Just listen to the questions coming from the Senators if you can get past the profanity!

People are confused, anxious or down right angry because the media isn't doing it's job. The papers are disappearing. NBC news is a joke. Ann Curry visiting a submarine is not news!

It seems to matter little, however. More don't care than do. I'm willing to wager people spend more time on Facebook and Twitter then they do following the news. That, my friends, is for the birds. Tweet!

Is It Only A Matter Of Time?

The grumbling has been going on for some time now though you only hear it if you're listening closely. There has yet to be an all out rebellion. The press is not happy with Obama!

Wow. Who would know? Unless you listen to FOX on a regular basis it seems the love affair is still hot. Especially on MSNBC. But no, it seems the White House press corp is getting frustrated with Press Secretary Robert Gibbs giving them the run around. They're getting frustrated with the President's tone the few times he deems it absolutely necessary to speak with them. He sounds like what he is. A parent taking his kids to task. As an adult I'd resent that tone too!

It has always fascinated me. The strained relationship between the press and the administration. Any administration. This one is, however, taking it to new heights.

Though it seems they sometimes forget their job, the press is supposed to ask the tough questions to keep we folks informed. Too often softball questions are asked in order not to offend. That's no way to inform the public and it gives the administration ample opportunity to stick with their talking points. What would happen if the designated speakers were no longer available for the week end talk fests because they didn't like what they were asked? I know what I'd do. I'd make it perfectly clear who declined and make a huge point of the reason why.

Even stranger is the timing of this animosity. Mid-term elections are on the horizon. Immediately after them the campaign for 2012 will begin. Why would the administration be alienating the press?

I can see no good coming from it other than the entire roster of talking heads on MSNBC might find themselves without jobs. Even if they stay faithful, their ratings are so low they'll not be able to win the election for Obama on their own.

It's just curious. The press made Obama President. They fell all over themselves building his image into something the man isn't. Some gratitude. Dismissing them.

One wonders who they'll choose next to elevate upon their pedestal of unlikely credentials, accomplishments and expectations. If this rift isn't soon mended it's a wide open field. Fickle bunch, that pesky press corp!

They Will Always Slip Through

You have your ticket. You arrive at the airport. You pay what you need to for your luggage to get lost. Security comes next. All your body parts are where they're supposed to be and there is nothing untoward to set off sirens. So far so good. You get to board. As long as you don't have to use the lavatory for a half hour you figure you're good to go.

Oops. Not so fast. It would seem a nut case got through after all! According to the AP, just that happened on a Delta flight going from Atlanta to Paris earlier today.

An American passenger, after having boarded and the plane in the air, claimed to have a fake passport and explosives in his luggage. What? Explosives in his luggage after all the screening? Security couldn't tell a fake passport? Oh well, you didn't want to get to Paris in a timely manner anyway.

The plane was diverted to Maine and the TSA and other officials took over. Last heard there is doubt the passport is fake. There will probably be no explosives found in man's luggage either!

This just goes to show that no matter how stringent they make security measures, how invasive they may be to our person and luggage, they can do nothing about what may be in someone's head!

So we're being subjected to all of this why? To keep us safe, to dissuade those who would do us harm? Whether or not this particular person proves to be a real threat or not, you can be sure someone, somewhere will be and there's not a darn thing that can be done to stop it.

The Long Brown Line

If illegal aliens looked like the fellow in the picture, we wouldn't have a problem. Even with twelve million of them floating around the country they'd be easy to spot, round up and send back to their own homeland. Unfortunately, they aren't green blobs. Along our southern border they resemble the Hispanic community because that's who they are. It doesn't matter if they are Mexican or Colombian or Guatemalans, they share characteristics and skin tone.

First of all, we are facing two problems. One is the steady flow of newcomers. The other is what to do with those already here. The government, of course, wouldn't ever break anything into workable pieces. Big, massive programs just don't work because they put in place more pork than workable solutions. So they talk and talk...and talk. Arizona finally said, "Enough!"

My issues today are the illegals crossing the borders and Arizona's attempt to curb it. The bill they passed isn't perfect but since the Feds are doing nothing but talking and scolding, I'm squarely in Arizona's corner. You can bet a fair number of those turning out to protest this new legislation are themselves illegal, but how are we to know? It's estimated there are 460,000 of them living in just Arizona. Then there are the other border states - Texas, New Mexico and California.

California, where there are signs on the freeway warning you to watch for illegals trying to cross traffic. There are times they don't make it.

Arizona, where ranchers have to patrol their own borders to protect their property and families.

The Hispanic community could help the situation immensely if they would turn in those they know to be illegal rather than shouting foul. This would be good advice to the Muslim community too regarding those who are potential jihadists!

When a thirteen year old complains that he won't be able to walk to school any more, or even be on the streets without the "pigs" thinking they are illegal, there is definitely an attitude problem. Could he be part of it?

Let's face it, there comes a time to face reality. If illegals and terrorists are to be stopped from entering the country we are going to have to close the borders with inordinate man power. Period. Once within the borders, if we are to apprehend them we will have to do racial profiling. Those who are here legally should understand most of all. It's the illegals who are causing them to be questioned. Stop the illegals and the questioning will stop. It seems pretty simple to me!

Having lived in Texas, Southern California and spending a great deal of time in both New Mexico and Arizona, I know how many Hispanics there are in relation to whites. Rather than protesting a law that's trying to help them, why don't they pitch in?

Always being the victim runs thin after awhile and in this case it has about run its course.