Air Farce One—UPDATE !!

In the face of escalating prices for custom photography, roughly $350,000 for a picture of Air Force I flying by the Statue of Liberty, we couldn’t afford a reprint for you. You’ve seen it endlessly reproduced anyway. Go to your favorite site or this one which has better photo skills than ZB and look carefully at the shot.

There are three tell-tale details to look for in this official release. First, take note of the trees on the island and observe that they are all leafed out in their green finery. Second, if your shot is enlargeable, that there is no visible person in line. The visitors would be in line on the walk at harbor side waiting their turn. Third, note the beautiful sunny conditions and the shine on Miss Liberty’s face.

Let’s deal with each in order. First, the pictures taken of the fleeing mobs of terrified people in New York reveal absolutely no sign of leafing on the trees in the background on that date. Second, any prior visitor, that would be your host on several different occasions, can assure you there is always a long line patiently awaiting entry to the monument. It occupies the entire length of the pleasant walkway around the base. And third, the National Weather Service and observers that day note that it was overcast and combined with typical big city pollution and not a very good day for photography.

There are only three conclusions available: the shot is a fake, the reason for the trip was a lie and, given the obvious lack of transparency in this White House, we will likely never know the truth.

Compared to budget deficits in the trillions, $350,000 seems like chump change and not worth the bother. Here we turn back to NYC for their famous “broken window” success in bringing down their crime rate. The theory goes that if you bring down the full force of law on the most minor infractions, it will then rise through absorption up to the tort level and alert criminals to the law enforcement presence and thus it will lessen more serious crime. It works!

Sin is sin, is sin. As Christians, we fully realize the folly of separation from God at any level. When gossip is shared, is it any different from the utterances of one who screams blasphemy? Both separate us from the Almighty so it boils down to a matter of degree. We fully realize that degree is not an acceptable measure. Both are hurtful to the hearer and to our Heavenly Father. Many of us, to avoid offense to our Maker, rely upon the old stand-by; “shun the appearance of evil.” It works as well.

Almost every one with a nose has an opinion as to what the motivation might have been for this fiasco. Some say sightseeing for a load of “fat cats.” Some say just plain joy-riding. Others say a preliminary run for a repeat of 9/11. Since we have no plausible, confirmed stated purpose for this misadventure and, since the “photo-op” doesn’t fly, we are then left to our own devices and every looney-toons idea that folks can come up with.

That piece of equipment, along with its escort, is the property of people of the United States. Persons who use it should be held accountable for their stewardship of this valuable property. The money expended to operate it is also the property of the people and they are entitled to know the truth in the details of the trip. None of this belongs to any man of any party. It’s ours and we would like an answer without spin.

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon