A Teachable Moment II

Had this picture been available, it would have been included in yesterday’s post.



One guy is heading for the beer, the other is helping his fellow Irishman. Sgt. Crowley and Professor Gates have that heritage in common in equal measure. Each has one parent who is 100% Irish.

If you needed assistance which of the able bodied men would you rather have close? If, indeed, Gates is a long-time friend would “the one” not realize his pal might need a hand? I guess if you’re going to throw him under the very crowded undercarriage of the bus it really doesn’t make any difference.


In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

A Teachable Moment

What a load that is! Inherent in “a teachable moment” is the suggestion that there is someone who has a learning disability and the hour of their education has arrived. The speaker, no doubt, identifies with the educator. Nothing could be further from the truth in the recent “beer garden putsch” engineered by the white house to expose Crowley as the recalcitrant student. (Ed: Teachable moment, my Aunt Fannie; it was clearly a staged Kodak moment designed to make Himself look like one of the guys. He will never be one of the guys. He's a one man horror show.)

The whole affair simply demonstrates the unbelievable arrogance of the commander-in-chief. To assume that he has something to teach Sgt. Crowley about race relations or the manner of conducting police business in that highly mixed demographic arena is insane. Any officer with Crowley’s experience in a “town and gown” environment exacerbated by a racial component hardly needs advice from a serial lawbreaker from that same community. You do realize, don’t you, that Obama cleared up 17 unpaid parking tickets in Cambridge before he ran for president. No doubt they represent a youthful indiscretion left over from his Harvard days but are still, in the aggregate, evidence of avoiding a lawful summons and thereby breaking yet one more law. This is the same guy they selected as president of the Harvard Law Review.

Sgt. Crowley also took the opportunity to hand-deliver a letter from his fellow officer, Sgt. Leon Lashley, to the president regarding references made about the officer being an “Uncle Tom.” The letter, also copied to CNN, asserts that the issue has done irreparable harm to race relations in the community. He would probably know since that is his “beat.” There is a very special relationship between men who daily face armed enemies which transcends race and other petty differences. The man who “has your back” in the next unknown encounter is reverenced for his skills and abilities—not his skin color. These two officers clearly understand this relationship and the mutual respect it engenders.

We have heard little from Gates as a result of this encounter in the make-shift beer garden on the white house lawn. It is possible that he had been forewarned to keep his pie hole shut and not aggravate the situation any further. This is otherwise referred to as a “teachable moment.”

Throughout all this Sgt. Crowley has shown the evidence of his extensive training, devotion to his duties, rigorous attention to procedures not of his making, consideration of his entire community, and one more less definable characteristic—class. He is obviously well respected and liked by his peers in addition to clearly understanding his duties as a sworn officer.

Sgt. Crowley, I respect you for your courage but I have just one word of warning. You really should reconsider the company you keep when you go out for a beer.



In His abiding love,



Cecil Moon

Obamascare

The principal difficulty of absorbing the proposed health care initiatives floating around congress is two-fold. The first, and most obvious, is the cloud of lies surrounding the offerings.

You can keep your own doctor. No! You cannot keep your own doctor.

We will save a ton of money. No! What government agency or function ever operated at a savings? Are you old enough to remember the 3¢ stamp and twice a day mail delivery? How about the time it takes to process a license renewal at the DMV? Would you be interested in a $500 hammer?

We will not kill your grandma. No! Every five years or so of her dotage we will have a “sit-down” and discuss the gain in quality of life/death and make a choice between the red and the blue pill. Gramps, keep those running legs in shape so you can avoid the inevitable.

Duplicity, misdirection, and pure, unadulterated distribution of bovine feces have become an art form for this administration. An old-timer I once knew alleged that a certain neighbor would “lie when the truth would do better.” Unfortunately, this condition is not the exclusive property of the party in power but rather epidemic in our nation’s capital and capitol.. Although the Democrat branch is currently in the lead in the lying game, others in the minority can claim some success as well.

Unlike our ancestors, we fortunately have YouTube, citizen reporters, cop car dash cams and a surge in recording devices to verify or deny what has or has not been said. In this case, I guess we can only rely upon nine Commandments; more or less. The downside is the reluctance of the population to take advantage of the modern facilities available to actually check on the veracity of some of this clap-trap. It takes some degree of effort to keep up but it is possible.

The second problem we face with the upcoming legislation is the unwillingness of the congress critters to actually read what is contained in the proposals. They are paid a princely sum to do just that and they continue to balk at the prospect. I have made many trips to the Grand Canyon but have never been tempted to enjoy the grandeur wearing a blind fold. This is precisely what the representatives are doing. The only difference is that they are doing it with our lives at stake—not theirs. There is no provision announced that they would be subject to the same health care as those who elect them.

The most recent polling numbers indicate a 7% approval rate for our congress. Does this mean that 93% of their number in the house will not be returned to commit additional crimes in the next session? I doubt it! Partisan politics will assure the re-election of most of these people and we can start all over again in the next session.

In the “Sturm und Drang” of political struggles for control of the population there is a tiresome repetition at each election of what seems more like “football” favoritism than good sense. If one lives in Chicago or Saint Louis either the Bears or the Rams are obviously the best possible teams in the NFL. They are forgiven every miscue because of local loyalty and blind devotion.. We wear their colors, plaster their stickers on our vehicles, argue their skills with our brother-in-law and generally make fools of ourselves simply for the privilege of identity—not actual accomplishment. People in Cleveland can easily relate.

This not a game! Turning the control of 16% of the budget and more important, our lives, over to the well established incompetence of government is absolute insanity. The fact that the issue was even brought up is evidence of mental imbalance. If you are willing to trade your future well being for pure partisan politics then you will be right at home with the upcoming new health initiatives.

It is an absolute necessity that you make your wishes known. Our country is at a crossroads and you must be informed, aware and active. Have you contacted your representatives? Have you discussed your feelings on the issues with anyone? Have you attended a rally? Have you written to the editor of your local rag? In a word have you become involved? It is not necessary for you to be a helpless victim. At the least put up some kind of a fight.

The people who wish to change everything about America which makes it the greatest country in the world are tireless in their efforts. Your active response is absolutely essential if they are to be thwarted. Redundancy should be your guide in putting forth your opinions since your life depends on it.


In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

Monday Morning Rant 102

The past week was marked by blessed rains, the demonstrated need for a computer replacement, and the exposure of an elitist, arrogant academic. One good thing out of three isn’t bad.

Rural living without services and infrastructure typical of urban neighborhoods does keep your focus more on the natural aspects of life. Indeed we share all the conveniences of city dwellers but the delivery systems vary. Our electricity comes from a consumer owned cooperative. Our water is from our own well and is fresh, clean and extremely tasty. It also varies consistently with the water table levels. Our dead end road is always the last one cleared of any obstruction. Our waste disposal is through a septic system which is very efficient. As a result of an all-electric home, our expenses for utilities are all wrapped in one bill a month—from the Ozark Electric Coop.

We are subject to inconvenience only in the event of a flood, ice storm, fallen trees or other natural occurrence. So far, God has provided the tools and the energy to cope with minor interruptions in our services. We are blessed by our conditions with economies and relative independence. Everyone should have as much.

Since many of our common on-line providers have stopped or plan to stop services based on our operating system (Windows 98) we must make a replacement. In the process of finding a new unit, I have discovered that many of the prominent features in the current market don’t really apply to our use. We spend little time listening to downloaded music (we prefer to make our own,) watching memory-hogging videos, or using built-in web cams. The shopping for a new one is frustrating but entertaining. Since we are in advance of actual need (for now) we can afford to be amused by the efforts of sales people and websites advancing the latest technology. Happily, the costs have diminished considerably since our last purchase. For greater utility, we have decided upon a laptop with all the horns, bells, and whistles. At about a third the cost of the original (actually the third) unit it offers far greater mobility with satellite capability. We can only hope that the transfer of data does not hinder our efforts to keep in touch.

The issue over the arrogant academic will be dealt with in later, more comprehensive post.

Good News in Polling

This poll is predicated on the response of “likely voters.” It is good to keep in mind that Rasmussen was the pollster who nailed the actual percentages in the 2008 elections. Detractors will claim that people generally, as interviewed by others, indicate the president’s popularity; not true. As a predictor of future events a poll needs to involve only those persons who actually have a voice. That would be the voters. If one does not vote; one is not heard.

This demonstrated lack of confidence in the president, although heartening to his opponents, can be transitory. The much maligned Tea Parties are obviously a strong component in the following illustration but it’s not like a ball game score. There is no permanence to these numbers, which highlights the necessity of continuing the struggle to defeat the Marxist trend to completion. We can not just say “we won” and drift into complacency. We need to continue, on a daily basis, to carry the message to others in public events and private conversations.

These numbers will be excused away by the powers in Washington until they reach a sufficient proportion---15%, -20%. or better -25%--and the realization occurs to them that they are riding a dead horse. Then and only then will it be possible to realign political thrust to return to the original intent of the founders of this magnificent nation. The threat will remain if we forget that old Ozark homily: you can kill a snake but it won’t die until sundown.

Washington ’s snake has more than one head. In addition to Obama, the message must be sent to Pelosi, Reid, Frank, Dodd, Boxer, Murtha, Kennedy and the rest that their jobs are in jeopardy as well. If this nation is to survive, we must continue our efforts to unrelentingly keep the pressure on. We can do this because America is worth saving and average Americans know it.

A Note on Marital Bliss

This came in the mail and the only one who doesn’t understand it will be a single person who was raised in an orphanage.

“Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right, and the

other is usually the husband.

When our lawn mower broke and wouldn't run, my wife kept hinting to me that

I should get it fixed.

But, somehow, I always had something else to take care of first: the truck,

the car, e-mail, ball games. Always something more important to me.

Finally, she thought of a clever way to make her point. When I arrived home

one day, I found her seated in the tall grass, busily snipping away with a

tiny pair of sewing scissors.

I watched silently for a short time and then went into the house. I was

gone only a few minutes.

When I came out again, I handed her a toothbrush. 'When you finish cutting

the grass,' I said, 'you might as well sweep the driveway.'



The doctors say I will walk again, but I will always have a limp.”

A Genuine Apology

Regular readers are well aware of my attitude toward apologies. Generally they are a slippery affair designed more to elevate the offender with qualified remarks regarding the offense. Finally, in the matter of Jeff Bezos of Amazon and the discontinuance of a book on Kindle we find the genuine remorse and repentance so lacking in most efforts to apologize. The entire entry is here but I am going to quote his statement here:

“This is an apology for the way we previously handled illegally sold copies of 1984 and other novels on Kindle. Our "solution" to the problem was stupid, thoughtless, and painfully out of line with our principles. It is wholly self-inflicted, and we deserve the criticism we've received. We will use the scar tissue from this painful mistake to help make better decisions going forward, ones that match our mission.

With deep apology to our customers,

Jeff Bezos
Founder & CEO
Amazon.com “

The link is provided above to enable you to gauge the customer reaction to his obviously heart-felt apology. My deepest congratulations and best wishes to Mr. Bezos—you sir, are a “stand-up” guy.

And Finally

Brother Wells brought the message at Fellowship Baptist this morning and he pointed out, with a huge volume of scriptural backing, that church attendance is not intended for occasional spiritual cleansing. Regularity is commanded by God. Failure to support one’s church routinely is a sin. It’s in the book.

The bird feeder is still occupied by the usual suspects. As I look out the window, I see a rather bland looking hummingbird which is moving too fast for me to satisfactorily identify. What a remarkable piece of work he is. Otherwise all is well on our bluff-top hide-a-way as we await our next exciting moment. It will come; it always does.



In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon