We Live In Two Different Worlds...Or Three Or Four

Rachel Jeantel is not on trial.  Neither is Treyvon Martin but you'd never know it from the media coverage it's getting.  It's the Treyvon Martin trial.  Does anyone know the name of the actual defendant?

Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but the attention being focused on a 19 year old under educated girl who was Treyvon's friend is criminal in itself.

We can't all be perfect by even our own standards but is it necessary to pick apart this girl?  She is what she is.  She was the last person to talk to Treyvon before he died.  Therefore she is a witness.

It is said she'd rather not be there.  I can't blame her.  I've never been a witness at a jury trial but it seems to me it would be somewhat intimidating under the best of circumstances. She's nineteen years old.  She's surrounded by white authority figures.  She has lied.  Was it with malicious intent or a misguided attempt to escape further involvement?  Is she racist because she used the "cracker" word?  How do you want to define racist?  My guess is that nearly everyone living in her socioeconomic range  and educational level is racist.  Just like the Paula Deens of the world who grew up in the deep south where contempt for blacks and divisive language was commonplace.  You are the product of your environment and your upbringing.

Should she have polished her act for court?  Well, it's obvious she's been coached but you can't change who she is.  Take her testimony, be done with it and let the girl go back to her nail salon or where ever she hangs out.  Where she has her friends, is comfortable and happy.  Don't try to make her into a You Tube sensation or the subject of a made for TV movie. Both would be nothing more than exploitation.

Then get back to the trial.  Is George Zimmerman, the man actually on trial here, guilty of second degree murder or was the killing of Trevon Martin self defense?

The jury is a strange one to begin with.  All women.  That's hardly a jury of Mr. Zimmerman's peers, but then I'm not the one to question how the system works. I hope they can block out the theatrics and come to a reasonable conclusion as to what happened.

The death penalty isn't involved but lives are.  George Zimmerman's and in a great many respects, so is Rachel Jeantel's.  The question is can people from very diverse worlds really judge one another fairly?  In this country it's vital that they do.  It's part of living in a country that's a melting pot.  The problem is  there's not enough melting going on. Just stirring.  Mostly by the media. The result is a trial where a witness gets more attention than the defendant.

The Hypocrisy Of Immigration Reform

Does Congress really wonder why the voters have such a low opinion of them?  Just look at the Immigration Bill. It's at 1200 pages and counting.

Remember Obamacare? The legislation no one read in it's entirety before voting on it?  Remember the special exemptions that were made to get crucial votes?  Fortunately many were backtracked, but never-the-less, the offers were made and initially accepted.  Forcing many into legislation they didn't want any part of while those lucky enough to have a Senator who resisted were exempted.  Bah!

You'd think there would be a few in leadership who understand that these comprehensive bills just don't work.  Better no bill than a bad one, especially when the President threatens to veto anything but the bad one.

This is a bill being formulated for a host of wrong reasons.  It shouldn't be about getting the Hispanic vote nor  cheap labor.  It should be about fixing the incredible holes in our current system along with ways to attract the most able of people who wish to come to this country.

The way it's being presented by the media is that it's a fight with the illegal migrant workers trying to sneak into the country. So build more fence, hire more border patrol and incorporate more electronic devices and drones.  At the discretion of the Secretary of Homeland Security.  Rubio says he would take this out.  He hasn't.  And Madam Secretary thinks the border is already secure.

You'd think the idea that people come into this country perfectly legally and over stay their visas never occurred to them.  What kind of system has one way tracking? Well, ours does. Do these people give a whit about becoming citizens?  Probably not. The bigger question then would be what do they want?   And where have they gone.

 And that employers that don't use e-verify can be punished.  What's the point of having it if employers who don't abide by it go scott free?

Perhaps the most irritating of all is the hypocrisy of some of the "bipartisan" gang of eight who have added pork to favor their constituents,  Big names.  Lindsey Graham, R-SC, more visas for the meat industry in his state.  Marco Rubio, R-FL, of all people, added additional visas for cruise ship workers in his state.  Not to leave out the Democrats there is Chuck Schummer, D-NY, adding visas for Irish workers.  Irish workers??  Because NY has a lot of them?  Please!

Then too, others that have jumped on the pork mobile include Harry Reid, D-NV, we all know him, allowing the Secretary of the Treasury to  flood the travel industry with up to $100 million to promote travel in certain areas of the country with no cut off date.  You don't suppose that includes Las Vegas and Reno do you?

And to woo Alaska's Murkowski, D,  the bill has deemed seafood processing jobs to be shortage occupations allowing for low skilled cheap labor to be brought in.  Alaska will be the only state to have this privilege.

I won't even get into idiocy like genius visas that allow the likes of Piers Morgan entry.

Every time I see a glimmer of hope, these bone heads slip right back into their wayward mode.  They see nothing on the outside.  They hear nothing they don't want to hear. And they speak with forked tongues.  It's absolutely pathetic.

The Perils Of Paula

So the Food Network has decided not to renew Paula Deen's contract.  I don't blame them.  After all, what does she expect for having hidden the fact that she's diabetic while continuing to promote foods that while tasty are grossly unhealthy.

What?  That isn't the reason?  It's because this denizen of the Deep South at one time used the 'n' word?  For which she apologized having explained it happened a long time ago? Haven't we all made comments in our past that we wouldn't think of making today?  Like calling the Washington football team the Redskins.  We know how offensive that is. So we're told.  In the context of racial reference is the 'n' word any worse?  Both are derogatory racial references.

It's bad enough one could be fired for being politically incorrect for something that happened recently though many are reprimanded, sent to sensitivity school and that's the end of it.  Don Imus seems to be alive, well and flourishing.  So who at the Food Network has it in for Ms. Deen?

Frankly I'm tired of all these food programs.   The egos of the chefs match the biggest in all entertainment. The Iron Chef competition is fixed  and after a time downright boring.  There's a certain sameness to all of it.  How many times can you watch Guy Fieri try not to drip onto his shirt and still want to try what he's eating? Actually the only show we watch at all is Nadia G's Bitchin' Kitchen.  Not so much for the food she prepares but because she's so ridiculously funny.  Hardly politically correct though, would you say?

Or take the prime example of bad temper, rudeness and foul language Gordon Ramsey?  I can't think of anything about the man that is a redeeming quality.  He's offensive.  Period.

So why Paula Deen?  I wish she hadn't made her tearful plea for forgiveness. Neither deny nor dignify something said years ago as a result of the one time culture of her upbringing. Give the gal a break. Or if you're intent on letting her go make it for a reasonable reason.

Bowe Bergdahl - High Hopes Or More Heartbreak?

The Taliban knows how to play us like a fine violin.  They want to trade young Bowe Bergdahl, a U.S. soldier, for five of their own being held at Guantanamo.

They know young Bergdahl will tug at our heart strings.  I'm not sure the government is doing his family any favors by raising their hopes that we may actually accommodate them.  But you never know these days.

There was a time it would never have been an issue.  We don't negotiate with terrorists.  Period.  But with this administration anything is possible.  Especially since the President is intent on convincing us the war on terror is over.  So what if we return some of their former militants?

There are puzzling circumstances surrounding Bergdahl.  On the plus side for him is that since his capture he has twice been promoted.  On the other hand the reason he was captured is because he walked away from his base.  There are those who consider him a deserter.  Add to that the fact those wanting to negotiate aren't sure which of their associates actually have him and I'd question as to whether or not he is even alive.  It has also been suggested that he has gone to their side. What is the truth?  And do they think we are really so naive that we won't investigate?  Probably.

Why this is getting the headlines it is puzzles me.  The five the Taliban want back include the former deputy minister of intelligence, a former Taliban governor and military commander, the former army's chief of staff, the former Taliban governor of Herat province and a former commander that had ties to numerous terror groups.  Granted it would take them time to get back up to speed having been incarcerated for so long, but just in time to be primed and ready for the retaking of Afghanistan after we leave next year.  Have no doubt, they will challenge the Afghan government once we are gone.

One could argue that whether or not Afghanistan survives on its own is their problem, not ours and if releasing these men gets one of our own back then so be it.

On the other hand, do we have any idea just who will be coming back to this country other than a name and a vague recent history?  And do we really want those five on the loose?

This is what happens when a country has no specific policy regarding much of anything other than the wishful thinking of the Commander-in-chief.

It has been suggested that a rescue mission be mounted, but when no one seems sure where he is that's not likely.  Besides, we're not big on rescue missions.  After all we wouldn't want to put those going in in peril.  Just ask those who watched Benghazi go up in flames.

We can have meetings until we're blue in the face with everyone involved and give all those concerned a sense of hope.  After we're gone, however, it will all have been for naught.  The Taliban doesn't give a fig about what we think or want any more than al Qaeda does.

Yet we muddle along getting excited about the bone they've thrown to us.  Like the Iranians electing a moderate.  No, they didn't, by our definition of moderate.  Only by their own determination of those the mullahs allowed to run. I expect the same is true in the case of the Taliban and Bowe Bergdahl.

I would love to see a happy ending here but I cannot  imagine it possible.  Both sides must be of honest intent and we know full well one isn't.  It's sad that a citizen of the United States and a member of our military has ended up being the bone.

  

Hillary - Is She All The Democrats Have?

A headline on The Hill announces that the Democrats are beginning their transition from Obama to Hillary. A couple of Senators have already endorsed her.  I'm wondering if this is faith or folly.

Many will say she had no stellar accomplishments to her name as either a Senator nor Secretary of State.  She has the spectacle of prostitute chasing drug indulging security personnel to clear up not to mention the truth about her part in the Benghazi debacle. Will a cult like following be enough to get her to the Presidency?  Remember she will be 69 years old and has already had a run of bad health from overdoing her schedule as Secretary of State.

Who would be the fall back should she decide not to run or is unable to run?  Joe Biden?  Our current champion of foot in mouth disease, though Chuck Hagel is becoming a good runner up.  I don't think Hagel has Presidential ambitions though.  Joe's age, too, could be an issue. Would the fact he's the Vice President who didn't get the endorsement of his boss be a drawback?  Would the Dems jump on his band wagon after throwing him over in favor of Hillary? How far can false enthusiasm carry a candidate?  Look no further than McCain and Romney to see how that works.

If there is no other known entity waiting in the wings, and I can't think of one, it would appear the Republicans are really in better shape.  Forget whether or not you like the men or their policies, there are just more of them.  You have Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul and Ted Cruz all talked about as potential candidates. And Hillary.

With Hillary you'll have to take her on blind faith.  With no competition not much will be revealed in debates, not that there ever is.  With the Republicans, there are enough serious contenders to have something to which it would behoove you to pay attention.

There's one more factor that may work against Hillary.  Party fatigue.  After eight years of Democratic rule will the people be tired of them?  Will they see that beyond grandiose rhetoric there is little if anything positive to show? Their policies didn't work?

Or will they once again be swayed by celebrity and this time gender rather than race? Who knows.  There was a time I could read the American people pretty well.  We were more alike than different in those long gone days. We had the same goals, just differing approaches as to how best to accomplish them.  We used to be able to compromise. We used to be civil to and about one another.

Now no one trusts anybody.  We lie. We cheat. We name call. We have few convictions and pay little attention until a crisis looms.

I guess for the time between now and 2016 the game will be handicapping possible  Republican candidates.  The Democrats appear to be a slam dunk. That's no fun - a game with no players. Handicapping Hillary against the Republicans, however, should prove interesting.  I only hope it's as easy as it should be.