Immigrants ARE Welcome Here

The idea that immigrants are unwelcome in this country is absurd.  That's why I have little patience with this Day Without Immigrants exercise.

If it's still being taught in schools, everyone knows that this country was built by immigrants from day one.  That being said, it is no crime, or shouldn't be, in this time of turmoil, to be sure that the immigrants who do come here have no criminal nor terrorist intent.

The people coming across the Mexican border illegally are committing a criminal act.  That they are searching for a better life should fall upon their country of origin.  It is their responsibility to make conditions in their countries acceptable for their citizens.  It is not our responsibility to serve as an opportune refuge.

You look at the strife under which the refugees from terrorists like ISIS live and you cannot help but feel compassion for them.  We should and do provide refuge for great numbers of these people.  The problem is when they refuse to adapt to our ways and that is the case with many. They are the ones that are noticed because they live in their own enclaves and do not assimilate.  Due to the world climate, right or wrong, that makes them suspect.

The President wanting to stop immigration from certain heavily Muslim countries until we have a mechanism in place to properly vet them is not banning all Muslims by a long shot.  It is a prudent thing to do considering the influence jihadists have over people who come from the same regions where they hold sway.

As for the millions of others, they are subject to the same procedures as any other immigrant wanting to come here.  No more.  No less.

Of course a lot of resentment could be alleviated if the tech firms and others like them would hire Americans for the jobs for which they recruit immigrants.  Why?  For the cost benefit of lower salaries?  Or are they really that much smarter.  If so that presents a whole different problem to address.

Having gotten that off my chest I'm going to head down to a little place I know and chow down on the best Mex in the area.  Owned and operated by Mexicans.  Legal Mexicans.  Living their version  of the American dream.  All good and proper.  What could be better than that?

Social Media Isn't Very Social

Yesterday I had lunch with a friend who is a few years my senior, but not so much that we aren't peers.  Our conversation turned to politics and we both wondered when and why we as a people have become so mean and nasty.

I pop over to Twitter every once in awhile and look up what a favorite columnist or talking head might be saying.  They are identified as who they actually are.  Not so those who respond. Hiding behind their made up names they become unbelievably foul.  Unfortunately many of those being accosted do the same in return.

Why do they behave this way?  My friend contends it's because they can.  Pure and simple.  Is that really all there is to it?  That they can it's permissible to be not only foul but cruel as well?  I don't get it.

This is nothing new.  It has been creeping into social media from roots in blogging.  Like this one.  For quite some time after I began this blog I was know as Dogwalk or DWM.  I have always, though, tried to be civil even when in disagreement with a commenter or being attacked by one.  I could see no point in being otherwise.

But now. Whew. It has overflowed into every aspect of society.  The media, the celebrity world, politicians including the President,  everyday ordinary people amassing protests, many times over no more than a buzz word.

My friend stated quite emphatically that this isn't her America.  It's not mine either, at least not the one in which I grew up. I shouldn't have to brush it off as a generational thing.  That times are different now so get over it.

No.  I won't get over it because it's unacceptable.  I hope Twitter's problems generating revenue bring about its demise.  I hope people leave Facebook because there are more ads than comments from friends.  How many do you have to scroll through to find a friend's comment? Too many.  I have no problem with going back to e-mail or even good old fashioned snail mail with a real handwritten letter.  I know that won't happen in this era of instant communication, but it would cause people to take a time out and maybe consider what they are about to say.  Even e-mail can do that much.

The pendulum tends to swing both directions.  I hope it has nearly reached the far side of incivility and is ready to swing back.  Before the country finds itself in such a state that the pendulum is stuck.  Broken.  As will be the country.  And probably beyond repair.

Let's ALL Quit Tweeting!!!

Angry birds rule in 140 characters or less!  Maybe it's time for all of us to quit tweeting.  First, 140 characters can rile you but do little to calm you.  They've become so mean spirited and nasty ~ and in many cases vulgar, its hard to read them.

Okay, I'll admit I seldom tweet.  I just don't have a lot of one offs in me.  The only reason I even have an account is because early on I subscribed to everything social media.  Well not everything, but more than enough.

This is not an age thing as I thought it should be.  I say that only because our President isn't a whole lot younger than me.  He is, however, a whole lot more vitriolic.  We knew when he was elected this is what we were getting.  There is always the hope he will grow out of this phase but since he has apparently known no discipline in his life I doubt that will happen.  He is indeed a man/child.

The rest of us, however, could follow suit. We're boycotting everything else, why not Twitter?  Or at least Trump's account.  Let him chirp away but just don't respond to it.  Don't answer, don't comment, don't report on what he's said.  Just ignore it.  It would drive him crazy.  Even more than he already is.  Because he thrives on it.

It might even prove to be a calming mechanism.  It could quiet things down enough that something might actually be accomplished.  Oh my, why do I write stuff like this.  It's all a pipe dream.

This country is for the birds. Their songs are all different and provide nice background that is easily ignored or just plain not heard.  Until they get angry.  Then they get your attention. And now that's all there is.  Angry birds with angry tweets.  No wonder I'm often all a twitter.

Listen To The Godfather!

I'm no fan of Rahm Emmanuel but the Democrats should listen to him when he says 'chill'.  All this posturing and protesting is just making them look silly and sad.  As in pathetic.

Emmanuel has a plan for them to get back into the position of winning if only they will listen.  He admits it is a long term process but the first and foremost precept is to win.  What a concept.First they need to get some decent leadership.  I don't think Mr. Ellison nor Mr. Perez are the best choices but then I'm far more centrist than either. Next they need to find viable candidates to run in Republican districts.  Emmanuel has that scoped out too. The Republicans have already learned how to choose candidates that appeal to the populace and they have also provided them with a vision.  That's why they won.  They had something concrete to vote for that they believed in.  Even if the person leading the charge was so unlikely and imbued with negatives!

Personally I hope they don't listen and continue with their incessant pouting.  It gives the Republicans, as shaky as they are, a leg up. Their albatross is their own President.

Now if Mr. Emmanuel could come up with a plan as good to get the gang violence in his city under control he'd really be riding high.  Maybe you'd even see him on the national ballot at some point.

Nah. He doesn't have the charisma.  But you never know when the most unlikely candidate this last go round came out on top.  Tells you what the voting public thinks of main stream politicians.

Patriots Vs Patriots

Wow, that was some Super Bowl.  The Atlanta fans were devastated that their team could be so close to a win yet lose. Sound familiar?

And the Patriots!  Probably the most disliked team in America due to their reputation as cheaters plus the fact that fans are just plain tired of them, their dominance.

I couldn't help but compare the game and it's out come to our current political situation. Yet it is very different. Let's equate the Falcons with the Democrats for a moment.  So sure of that win yet the ensuing loss.

Then the Patriots as Republicans.  Nobody really wanted them to win.  The difference here between sport and politics is that many expected they would win even if they didn't want them to. Yet they did.

The huge difference between sport and politics was in the aftermath.  There was no violence.  No protests.  No looking for safe places to cry their eyes out.  Just the morose acceptance of a game not so well played in the end and a wait for another year, another season and hopefully a job better done.

The media too was far different.  Around here the sports columnists were mostly for Atlanta yet you would never have known it from the coverage this morning.  It was high praise for Tom Brady, coach Belichick and the entire Patriots team.  As Tom Brady was Tom Terrific you could say the Patriots were Team Terrific. No one was trying to take that away from them or boycott anything New England or Boston!

I saw a few nasty comments on Facebook this morning from those who truly hate the Patriots, but not much, at least among my circle.  They were more excited about the snow that fell in the mountains. The game is over.  The Patriots won.  Next year.  End of story.

I guess the moral of the story is the so called American patriots who won't except the election nor any of the new Presidents appointees should look to football fans.  Games over.  Move on.