Obama's "Vacation"

Ok, people, I cannot resist. The President of the United States takes a "vacation" to Maine and the right goes ballistic? Excuuuse me? When I operated a small business, I would take a few days, and (ask my children and wife) the cell phone, laptop, and contact list were ever at my side. I know the President of the United States is no different; yes, he may be away from Washington, but as (Paul) Begula has commented, the President is President wherever he may be. As for his being "away" while the Gulf crisis continues, President Obama is much more on task than the CEO/Chairman of BP, (whose profit-at-any-expense-chasing company caused the disaster) who says he "just wants his life back", whist attending a yacht-racing competition. Give me a Break! I could, but won't, mention the frequent trips by the previous President to Camp David and to Crawford, TX during national crisis; I could mention, but won't, the lack of regulation over deep water drilling during the previous administration; or the lack of concern for adaquate safety procedures that should have been in place when this deep water well was started, but again, I won't go there today.

Notes for this Weekend (July 16-19, 2010)

I have special company coming for a visit, and may not be posting here through the weekend. I will be back next week for sure! Meantime, feel free to scroll down and put your comments on the pages! Again, this blog is a private blog, and your posts are for this blog only. All of the readers/authors that are allowed here are people I can personally vouch for as being "good" people!

The Madness Continues

Now it appears that an employee of the Utah State Government is responsible in part for the "list" of 1300 "illegal" immigrants. An employee of the Department of Workforce Services has been implicated in the release of records, records that are supposed to be private. Some of these records, however, do not fall under Utah State Laws, but are part of the Federal information, such as Social Security and Medicade/Medicare records. Is this how "Big Brother" is watching over us? Would YOU be comfortable with having your Social Security number, date of birth, and the expected arrival date of your child to be made public information; if you happen to be on unemployment, or receiving Medicare/Medicade benefits, would you want your neighbors, friends and the checkout person at the grocery store to know this? To have it published to the media? I think not, I know I would be very uncomfortable with the release of this type of information without my knowledge and consent. If these charges, the release of confidential information, are found to be correct, the individual or individuals responsible must be held accountable to the highest level, and punished to the highest extent of the law. Our Governor has promised a through and complete investigation, it is the responsibility of the citizens to hold him and his administration fully accountable for the crime, and for a proper punishment of the wrong-doers.
This list has an entire community in an uproar, rightfully so; if the effort is to stamp out corruption and waste in our government provided "benefits", then the "Concerned Citizens of the United States" should also have "outed" all of the non-Latino population as well, and come forward with their own identities. If they choose not to do so, then this is nothing more than vigilante justice! (Which is a poor excuse for true justice.) This crime, incorrect receipt of benefits, is not an issue strictly to one group of peoples.
Agree or disagree, those are my thoughts, please comment as you wish.

Thinking of Adam on his birthday

Adam
Or 5/4/80

Without our plan,
You came into our lives
In a time of trouble
And strain.

You put us back together
That night.
You made us realize
Nothing is as important
As Life.

In sixteen years,
You showed many people
What true love
Is all about.

Your best friend
Was eighty five.
You protected
Your sister on the bus.
And fought like cats and dogs
At home.

You always thought of others,
Your mom, Grandmother,
Grandfather.
You worked hard, always strove
To be your best.

I remember…
A deck, completed.
You were going to
Drink that beer
No matter how much you
Disliked it!
I wish we could fly,
Adam and I,
My son and I.
Those words ring in my ears
Every time I think of you.
We flew, my son,
We flew.

Your time here was much too short
I think of you often.
How much you loved
Nature and people.
Do you remember
Being a ranger
At Yuba, for a day?

Adam and I,
My son and I.
It’s been 14 years
I miss you every day.

I am not sad,
Nor melancholy
I know you are at peace
With Grandpa Ed.
Making up stories
About the one
That got away.

I feel your presence
In long, lonely nights.
When I cannot sleep,
You come to me.
With that open smile,
That welcoming grip,
You bring me back
To what matters most.


Your time on earth was
Short, and to the point.
You moved people
In so many ways.
Adam and I
My son and I.

I cannot forget
Your calm acceptance
Of the fates before you.
As I watched you pass,
I was impressed
With your brave demeanor.
You never forgot
To say a word of thanks
To anyone who
Helped you along.

Adam and I
My son and I.
This would have been
Thirty Years.
I wonder how you would be?

Your easy style!
I could not believe
You started to drive;
Like everything you did
With style, grace, and
A racer’s skill.
You were so natural
In all that you did.

Rest well, my son.
May I have the grace
You showed to the world.
My I have the strength
That you always displayed.

Oh, by the way
The lawn needs mowing,
And the dishes need doing.
You never shirked
Any duty.
Though you thought
It was your sister’s turn.

Every time I pull
The RV out
I think of you
And your broad
Smile.

Rest well, my son.

Tribute to my youngest Granddaughter, with my thanks!

Martha Anne

Walk and play
Little one!
Reach out
Pick up your blocks,
Your stuffed animals!
Taste and feel them
Enjoy the sensation
Of something new,
Smile and giggle
When you find
Something funny.

Set yourself down
Play with the remote
Doesn’t matter
What you do,
You’re learning
To be.
Amuse Granny and I
We discover ourselves again
In You.

Vigilante Justice

Vigilante justice has been a part of the American culture for centuries. Even in the days of the Puritan colonies, the righteous people “outed” those considered subversive of the culture, so-called witches, warlocks, and harlots; with death being the only sign the accused were in fact innocent. During the expansion into the west, the foreign workers for the railroad were subjected to countless purges and discrimination. The KKK, riding covered in white robes and hoods as symbols of their innocence, terrorized "undesirables" such as African-Americans, Jews, and Catholics, for the better part of a century. During the hysteria leading up to and into World War II, American Citizens of Japanese descent were "relocated" out of unfounded fear, fear that their loyality was to the Japanese Empire and not to the country they loved respected, and had raised their children in. Neo-Nazi groups continue to this day to protest groups they consider to be not pure Americans, not pure whites.
So it is today in Utah. A group hiding under the name, “Concerned Citizens of the United States” is attempting to out a select group they consider to be dangerous and subversive. Names on this list have already been found to be legally entitled to be here, to be naturalized citizens. (Peg McEntee, SL Tribune, July 15)
Unless you claim to be "Native American", you are in fact an immigrant, and for many years there was no control upon who could enter this country; many of our colonies were started by peoples who left their homelands seeking freedom..freedom of religion, of politics, freedom to associate with each other without social status, race, or religion being controlling factors. When we as a people cast a broad blanket of guilt upon an entire group, and entire peoples, we ourselves beome the vigilantes of the current day. As my learned Grandmother used to say, "there is good and bad in all sects in society. Reward the good with your respect, and let the law deal with the bad."
This current state of affairs is NOT the America, home of the free, that I want to leave to my children and grandchildren. If you are truly a concerned citizen, act within the accepted norms of justice and social interaction, hide not your name and action from public view. Respect those who have come here seeking a better life, and leave the justice for the bad to the proper authorities.

Will you vote?

I don't care how you lean politically, I just want you to vote! Voting is a privilege we, as citizens of this contry, are granted by birth, and it is also a sacred duty; for only by voting can we elect to Congress those individuals whom we believe best represent us, who can best work and deliver on the promises of America. I do not subscribe to the arguement "my vote doesn't count" for this reason: in all save the presidential election, our votes count, the candidates are granted office by a simple majority of votes. Your vote, coupled with your fellow citizens'votes, will decide the course of this country for years to come. If you are not registered to vote, get thineself registered, and then vote! For the good of your country! And, if for no other reason, when you want to complain about the elected officials, at least you will be able to say.."And I voted!"