Stop it!

Paula Deen has lost her Food Network Gig and some spokesman roles, for truthfully admitting, that in the past, she had used the N word.

How many of us have? There was a time in America when we were so proud of our great "melting pot". People of diverse ethnic and nationality backgrounds came together as proud Americans. We had varying social characteristics, which became stereotypes, and we pretty much laughed at those stereotypes... ours, and theirs.

 Remember when we told 'Pat and Mike' jokes, about two dumb Irishmen. And, Irish were considered drinkers. There were unending Polish jokes. Italians were chided for their manner of speaking English: American sailor, "Is that a U-Boat?" Italian sailor, "No, That's nota my boat." Asians were considered bad drivers. I had a close friend who was an Italian immigrant. When he entered the United States, his documents were marked "W.O.P.", meaning "without papers". He called himself a Wop.

Mexicans were pictured in a sombrero, asleep under a palm tree. Both Scotsmen and Dutchmen were considered tightwads. Jews were money-hungry, always seeking to "Jew someone out of" something. Germans were Krauts. Frenchmen were frogs. Blacks were called the N word. Nobody hated anyone. We laughed at our differences and moved on, abandoning many of those terms over time.

I am sure some people were hurt by this practice, although I hold it was mostly folks who did not have strong self-confidence. My guess is that the word, itself, was not too painful, since many black comedians and black youth use the word freely. I suspect it is who uses it that matters.

Years ago I worked with a wonderful young woman who was Jewish. She told me, "Jews love Jewish jokes - when they are told by other Jews. When told by non-Jewish people, we are never sure if they are laughing with us - or at us." Fair enough. I get that.

I, for one, have never understood exactly why black Americans were called the N word. The definition of the word, after all, is a meanly stingy person. Doesn't fit any black people I know! Think Joe Louis, the heavyweight boxing champ who made lots of money and gave it all away, 'treating' his friends.

Then, something happened. Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, et al, learned they could become rich and famous, while destroying their enemies, by claiming victimhood. Some of those terms were declared to be hate speech and people bought those definitions. The meanings changed entirely. Like the now-despicable C word. Once a vulgar, slang name for a part of the female anatomy, it morphed into a demeaning term for women. Where did that come from?

I never advocate violence, but I wish the mother of the lawyer who interrogated Paula Deen could grab him by the ear and wash his mouth out with soap for using unacceptable language.

He asked Deen if she had every used the N word. She could have just lied and said, "No". But she told the truth and is vilified. Has she been accused of truly demeaning any person because of their skin color? Has she exhibited racial prejudice in hiring practices? Hardly.

What about that planned "plantation wedding", with blacks as old time servants, posing as slaves? I am sure everyone would have been well paid and the 'actors' appreciative of the gig. If she had just had cameras rolling and called it a movie, it would have been wonderful.

Since these race-baiters have successfully turned certain terms into "hate speech", we, including Paula Deen, have quit using them. 

It is time to stop this divisive nonsense. If Sharpton and Jackson really deserve the "Rev." prefix before their names, let them go back to their congregations and preach the Gospel. Stop destroying people with this victim nonsense. 

It couldn't. Could it?

World news gets scarier every day. There is civil war in Syria. Not just unrest, but war, with tens of thousands dead.

There have been massive riots in Greece, protesting some action by their government.

More riots in Turkey. Sparked by announced plans to build a shopping mall in a park.

Now riots in Brazil, over... gee, I forgot what they were protesting.

So I settle back in my chair and think "Thank heavens I am in America where ths sort of thing doesn't happen."

Then comes the news that busloads of protestors supporting the cause of illegal immigration, descended upon the Kansas City area home of Kansas' Secretary of State, Kris Kobach. An estimated 200 persons, screaming in English and Spanish. such taunts as "Kris Kobach come on out, we'll show you what Kansans are all about!"

Happily, Secretary Kobach, his wife and four young daughters were not home at the time. But, imagine 200 angry, screaming people on your front porch!

Someone called the police. They were on the scene in just 15 minutes. Imagine what an angry mob could do in 15 minutes!

I am not faulting the police. Most police departments are so under paid, under staffed, over worked and loaded with stupid tasks, it is impossible to be everywhere in their jurisdiction in a moment's notice.

A former sheriff of my huge home county once told me, "sometimes in an emergency, the nearest available deputy can be 40 miles from the scene."

A State Police official once revealed that he cautions his officers with this warning: if you make a highway stop 'out in the middle of nowhere', do not talk yourself into a dangerous confrontation. Back-up may be a half hour away.

I am not involved in government. I am not a policy maker. It is impossible to imagine a mob descending on my home. But I'm willing to wager that before last Saturday, Secretary Kobach would have imagined it improbable, if not impossible, for a mob to rally on his front porch.

Secretary Kobach says it is vital for all Americans to be armed, to protect themselves and their families. I agree.

But, arms are most effective when you have ammunition. In the Army, we were taught how to use an unloaded rifle to defend ourselves. That, too, may become necessary. Locally, Wal-Mart stores (open 24/7), say customers begin gathering at 2:00 a.m., waiting for the store's daily shipment of ammunition to arrive. The more popular calibers are instantly sold out.

Think they are kidding? Stroll by the sporting goods department of your nearby Wal-Mart and note the empty shelves in their ammunition department.

Things that make an old man cry!

In a June 14 column, Deroy Murdock revealed that 'Petrona Smith told her Bronx Spanish students that "black" in that language is "negro." Some took offense, and she got fired.'

Also, that NBC News recently profiled Oregon's South Medford High School and its 21 valedictorians. At Alabama's Enterprise High, 34 students are "first in their class."

Recently, Arnold Ahlert wrote that 'kids can no longer do simple mathematical calculations such as making change. While their ignorance is mildly amusing, it represents a paradigm shift in the way people think for one overriding reason: math is the gateway to logic. Rob a child of the ability to think logically and anything becomes possible.Especially totalitarianism.'

Celia Rivenbark revealed  that "At the grocery store produce counter last week, a clerk saw me pondering a huge selection of greens. He smiled approvingly and said:

"Always remember: Red and green keep a colon clean!"

Are you kidding me? I don't want to think about my COLON when I'm buying vegetables. What next? Do these cukes go with my pancreas?"

The world is buzzing

with talk about Edward Snowden, the self-identified leaker/whistle blower who revealed the NSA practice of gathering meta-data on phone calls. To some a traitor, to some a hero.

I find both points of view very compelling. But I make no judgement on something I know so little about.

There is, however, one side of the story that is upsetting. News reporters are declaring, with alarm, that Snowden has no higher education credentials! How in the world did he get that job?

Don't you see... if you did not 'go to college' and graduate with a piece of largely worthless paper and a mountain of student loan debt, you cannot be very smart!

Surprise! Snowden probably got the job because he was the smartest computer whiz kid to come along.

Another amazing point of view: How did someone with so little formal education get security clearance? And, do you realize there are over 4 million Americans with high security clearance? Shocking!

Not really. As of June 1, the U.S. Population stands at 316 million. About 200 million of whom are of 'working age'. I see no reason why the vast majority of those adults would not qualify for security clearance. Are we to believe that American citizens cannot be trusted?

In the military I held high level security clearance. As Chief of the Radio & Cable Section at an Army base in the Philippines, I handled message of all levels of restriction.

I have known civilians with high level security clearance. Doesn't take too much to get. An applicant for a job requiring security clearance is interviewed by the F.B.I. From that interview, they learn a lot about you, your friends, your habits, previous employment, etc.

Next, the F.B.I. interviews just about everyone you know. They ask a lot of questions that might indicate your character, etc. When they are satisfied with your probable trustworthiness, when you swear to protect and defend the Constitution of The United States and take an oath of secrecy, you are issued clearance.

Snowden claims to believe that the secrecy he swore to keep put him in conflict with his oath to protect and defend the Constitution.

We shall see how it all plays out. But, please, let's not assume that persons without a college degree cannot be trusted, or are not intelligent.

Funny about history.

Knowledge of past human failures and successes is vital. But history is so frequently re-written, we often damn past successes and glorify colossal mistakes.

I just read a detailed column, written last Saturday by Dutch Parliament member Geert Wilders. Wilders provides detailed evidence that Islam is destroying Europe.

That made me think centuries back, when Islam very nearly did destroy Europe. They conquered Spain, and spread their influence. Native Europeans finally had enough. They set about to fight back, launching what history calls "The Crusades". Their purpose became mangled. They accomplished some goals, failed at others. But, I was always led to believe the Crusades were an unending effort to punish innocent Islamists. Innocent, indeed! It was Islam that had waged unending war on Western Europe.

Wilders clearly distinguishes between Muslims and Islam. In another case of learning from badly re-written history, many Muslims believe the story of 'Religion of Peace'. and live their lives accordingly.

But, Wilders stated, and I find it entirely credible to believe, that  "Islam is a totalitarian political ideology which aims to impose its legal system on the whole society. Islam is an ideology because it is political rather than religious: Islam is an ideology because it aims for an Islamic state and wants to impose Islamic Sharia law on all of us. Islam is totalitarian because it is not voluntary. It orders that people who leave Islam must be killed."

How can Islam be considered a Religion of Peace?

I implore people to study history. But you cannot just skim one writer's impression of history. Check more than one source. Satisfy your mind that you are getting the more accurate story. We cannot learn from past successes or failures, unless we clearly recognize both.

Scandals at high places in government:

Something new? No.

The Federal Government is caught surreptitiously snooping through news reporters emails and phone records. The president checks it out, and announces, "Nothing wrong here, everything's okay!"

That is just one of several current scandals, all of which have been brushed off in similar fashion. Some think this sort of thing has never happened before!

Go back to the early years of the Truman Administration. V.P. Truman, on April 12, 1945, became president upon the death of Franklin Roosevelt. Before being chosen as FDR's running mate in 1944, Truman had been a United States Senator from Missouri. Before that, he held a small time political position in Jackson County, MO (where I was born and raised).

Just as Barack Obama was helped in his early political career by domestic terrorist Bill Ayers, Harry Truman was supported by the notoriously corrupt Kansas City political boss, Tom Pendergast. As a result, scandals plagued Truman throughout his presidency.

At one point, another alleged scandal, rooted in Truman's Kansas City past, erupted. Maybe it was related to Truman's long-time friend and adviser, fellow Missourian Harry Vaughn, I no longer remember which scandal was the headline du jour.

So, President Truman traveled to Kansas City to 'get to the bottom' of the story. Shortly he appeared on the front steps of downtown Kansas City's Muehlebach Hotel, to address gathered reporters. "Well, boys," Truman announced, "You can go home now. I have checked this thing out and there is nothing to it." Whereupon, the reporters closed up their notebooks and 'went home'!

My father was infuriated. That was not 'the bottom of the scandal', but it was the end of the scandal!

What happened to Truman? In spite of his scandals, his colossal foreign policy mistakes, for which we are paying yet today, Truman is revered as the no-nonsense, 'The buck stops here' president, the epitomy of clean and honest government.

One day they'll be building a huge monument to Barack Obama.