Stuff that's been bubbling in the back of my head for a spell needs to be disgorged and I'll try to not maunder too much.
Early today, around dawn's early light, an old friend wandered up the drive that I'd not seen for a spell. My "pet" bobcat. She was mucking it up by the compost pile where I'd put out some fish scraps, and as usual was not terribly coy. We go back a ways and the last time I saw her she had two kittens with her. Time passes, stuff happens.
I reflected briefly about how different species survive in the "wild" and in general term they do so by adopting strategies within their means and adhering with some diligence. Over time they adapt to change, but their foundation remains relatively constant. Cats don't swing from vines in the trees, cows don't have claws, etc., etc.
There was a brief blurb on Fox News early this AM about college kids these days thinking that Thanksgiving is pointless and not worthy of celebration. Of course there were some humorous comments directed back at them, all with merit to various degree. Kids these days....our future...
I consider the changes I've witnessed in my life, the big events and aftershocks. I see chaos, contention, mendacity and a bucket full of stupid here and there. These things are sometimes of global nature, now and then local, and on other occasions just the US of A being what we are. Case in point: Couple days back in the local paper there was a piece about a hometown "boy" that had been arrested for a violent felony. He had 9 prior convictions for similar transgressions, but this one will have a different result. I say that because his case will be heard by our very own Judge Rick Howard, the local version of Roy Bean. The boy will never walk the streets again in this life and everyone knows it. Judge Howard swings a heavy gavel, 7 days a week. Why didn't any of the previous judges sweep this scum off the street? I dunno.
We have in this country the largest prison population on the planet. We have kids that think "thanks" is irrelevant, and a rather daunting list of other maladies that need fixing. Are we going to fix this or just go down the drain with the rest of the planet?
We are either a nation of laws or we aren't. Public servants either administer those laws or they don't. Personal opinion (mine exclude of course) has no place in the arena of public service. Servants do not get to saddle their masters with unnecessary or inappropriate burdens. Educators do not get to teach our kids what to think, but they should give them the basic foundation that allows them to form their own conclustionis and function within our society. Read: The 3 R's....with a healthy dose of history and civics thrown in for good measure.
Florida has a "3 strikes" law re: violent felonies that says if you do it 3 times you go away forever. It is not universally enforced by the judicial branch and I view that with disdain. Furthermore, the people are improperly burdened by having to provide 3 hots and a cot to any among the prison population. I would prefer to see "3 strikes and you're dead". Quality life is worthy of protection, we do not need to understand why a felon did what he/she did, but we do need to resolve the problem. Trash is trash, it needs to go to the dump.
A few things I'd do if King for a Day::
-Repeat felony perps would be executed. They would be entitled to a single appeal that would be heard within 90 days of the initial conviction of their second offense.
-Education would go back to the fundamentals. Teaching agendas or philosophies would be grounds for termination. College admission(s) would be based on merit only and funding would be the responsibility of the student or parents. One does not need a college education to be successful, just some determination.
-The draft would be reinstated. The military would not employ women in the combat arms for ground or seaborne ops.
-Illegal immigration would be halted immediately and violators would be deported by air to their place of origin. If they infiltrated with a parachute they would be allowed to take it with them.
-Acts of war perpetrated by foreign nations, directly or via proxy representatives would receive a nuclear response based on review of post action intelligence.
-Failure to exercise diligence to one's oath of office would be grounds for removal at all levels of government. The first and foremost litmus is found in the words "...uphold and defend the Constitution...".
-The act of presenting false news in the media, or pressing forward with a political agenda in similar formats would merit felony charges against the perpetrator.
-Willful acts intended to benefit a corporate entity that circumvent the spirit and/or intent of public law will result in felony charges against all officers and directors of that entity.
I've probably got a few other things to rant about, but that's enough for the moment. I have a lot of faith in most of the people we call Americans in general, a even more in what we are capable of doing. It isn't difficult to differentiate good and bad choices, but it is quite necessary that we do so.
DD
