What happened to the old cartoon strips showing people painting themselves into a corner? I suppose most folks can no longer relate to varnishing or painting floors. But alas, it certainly comes to my mind considering the situation Obama has found himself in; he has in fact painted himself into a corner.

We can hope McCain will choose a VP people can have some confidence in, many of us realizing the Senator’s geriatric side is too much in evidence to expect him to carry the whole load. But as I was recently sharing with a friend, the Democrats are in such disarray one wonders how McCain can possibly lose no matter who he chooses as his running mate. As extreme as that sounds, it’s the way I see it.

Politicians are not noted for being artists, so I don’t wonder Obama has painted himself into a corner and wants to slide concerning his relationship with his mentor and spiritual advisor Wright and some others, that he wants a pass demanding Imus be fired while his own hypocrisy like that of Jackson and Sharpton be overlooked by voters. But this is not going to be overlooked by voters, and the more the MSM tries to spin in favor of Obama the more convinced voters are going to be he is a racist demanding his own double standard of Affirmative Action be applied in his favor. And should he win the Democrat nomination, which I very much doubt, things are going to become increasingly ugly.

The more charitable might think of the expression “Please be patient; God isn’t finished with me yet.” In this way some people have expressed the idea they are a work in progress and perfection should not be expected of them, that on the contrary mistakes are going to be made along the way as God attempts to smooth out the rough spots in people, the potter fashioning the clay. But the threats we are facing as a nation do not allow of much patience; the threats are real and real specifics addressing them, real action is demanded to be taken in the face of these growing threats.

But it may be our species is a “work in progress” by God and this would indicate he (she, or they) has a great deal of patience. The great works of sculpture like those of Michelangelo evidence not only the artistic genius, but the enormous patience of the artist. So if the universe is the work of God, as I believe, a work of Intelligent Design, it seems reasonable to me to suppose it began in the mind of the artist and each part of it requires not only the genius of the artist but extraordinary patience and an extraordinary amount of attention to detail. At that, even the greatest works of art upon close examination are going to show some imperfections. It is because of these imperfections real artists never believe they have done the best of which they are capable. And perhaps it is this way with God as well.

The Old Testament does grant the possibility of errors on the part of God, and there is the recurring theme of certain individuals being a disappointment to him, failing of his expectations of them. How very like family, these failings are; no perfect parents or children, aunts, uncles, and so on. All may be said to be works in progress ongoing to the time of their death, and in most cases a great deal of patience is required all along the way, both on the part of the persons for themselves as well as toward others.

When I was involved with the gun business a fellow brought me a new Browning semi-auto in .30-06 caliber. It was a beautiful rifle, but he wanted to trade it in for another gun. When I asked why he wanted to trade it he pointed to an infinitesimal scratch on the top of the receiver. He explained that while attempting to mount a scope he slipped with a screwdriver and made the scratch. This fellow was such a perfectionist that despite this being easily covered by bluing he would always know it was there, and this ruined the rifle for him. True story.

While inconceivable to most people, this fellow had what some might call a “fetish” concerning his demand for perfection; at least when it came to guns. I didn’t bother pointing out to him that if he looked closely enough he would find tool and machining marks in the finest gun ever made; that no gun existed that would fail to show such things upon close examination. But I did understand his explanation concerning the imperfection resulting from his own carelessness, and while some might call this a nearly psychotic reaction it is something to be found among many people about various things; it is even reflected in the story of the Deluge and God’s intention to destroy all of humankind.

My novel “Donnie and Jean, an angel’s story” is largely autobiographical. In the book I write about a stepfather that was a master machinist, and one of the things he could do was construct model airplane engines from the casting of the parts to the final machining of them. He especially loved to build model airplanes, and one that I recall was a beautiful model of a Piper Cub, so complete it had a joystick that would actually operate the control surfaces exactly like the real plane.

We lived at the time in a second story apartment in Cleveland, Ohio. When my stepfather had finished the model, he took it out to the back porch with me following. I thought he might try sailing it from the porch to the backyard as I had seen him do with some others. But no; to my utter consternation he set fire to the beautiful model and then tossed it from this upstairs porch! Why do people do such things? Maybe the stepfather demanded such perfection of his work he had to destroy the model because somewhere along the line it hadn’t measured up to his standard? I have read of similar incidents with artists and in a way this stepfather was such an artist.

America could do with an artist, and while we don’t really expect one as our next president and none are being offered neither would we want one so temperamental as to demand the kind of perfection exhibited by that stepfather or some “Hitler” that would destroy the nation because it failed to meet his standards. For the most part we Americans are pretty practical people; what we want is someone capable of doing the job. The job doesn’t have to be “perfect” by the standards of an artist, but it does have to be practical; and while we may appreciate artists we need someone practical.

“My head is made up!” I loved that line by William Bendix in “The Life of Riley,” and the program was a favorite of mine on radio during the 40s. Of course, there was also that signature line “What a revoltin’ development this is!” and “Digger” O’Dell “the friendly undertaker” always made us laugh. But that line “My head is made up!” reminded me of Obama’s speech and something in “To Kill A Mockingbird.”

When Calpurnia takes Scout and Jem to church with her Reverend Sykes welcomed the children, but she is upbraided by some in the congregation for bringing “white chillun” to their church. As one of them accusingly pointed out to Calpurnia “they got their church, we got our’n.”

After church the children are trying to make sense out of things. So Calpurnia tries to explain it by telling them “You’re not gonna change any of them by talkin’ right, they’ve got to want to learn themselves, and when they don’t want to learn there’s nothing you can do but keep your mouth shut or talk their language.” In other words, as per Chester A. Riley “their heads are made up.”

It was while my good friend Byron, the Episcopal Priest, and I were discussing the issue he gave me a very nice compliment saying I made a good apologist for Obama’s mentor and spiritual advisor Jeremiah Wright. From my own experience in places like Watts I had told Byron I understood the anger and hatred Wright had for Caucasians and America; that once you come face to face with the abject hopelessness and despair of those trapped in the ghettos of our nation you have to accept some of the ugly realities of the racism of Wright not learned in any softer fashion.

That Jeremiah Wright is voicing the hopelessness and despair of so many Negroes is understandable. But it would be a mistake to think Obama believes any differently now than during the twenty years he has attended Wright’s church. The leopard has not changed his spots no matter how hard he tries to disavow them, no matter how some in the MSM try to spin and defend Obama. There was no declaration of an epiphany from which he emerged changed, suddenly realizing he had been brainwashed for twenty years and all at once saw the Damascus light blazing about him.

However, anyone that belongs to an exclusive club and mixes only with those in such a club invariably becomes secluded from the real world about them. Such a fantasy world is commonly that of politicians, not excepting Obama, the wealthy and powerful, but also applies to those of fanatical religious beliefs that only associate and mix with those likeminded. Of such is Jeremiah Wright and those of his congregation like Obama.

But as an apologist for Wright I go back to the beginning of slavery in America, to Lincoln’s War and what happened during “Reconstruction,” the decisions by the Supreme Court and actions of politicians that increasingly made for the situation Negroes find themselves in today that have created those like Jeremiah Wright and his followers.

I have the utmost regard for Tyree Toliver, the pastor of St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Bakersfield for many years and have written about him several times, often tuning in to his broadcast Sunday mornings. His sincerity is so unfeigned as to remind me of the words of Jesus about Nathaniel, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile.”

Both Toliver and Wright know the conditions of Negroes in America, they both know the obstacles but Toliver preaches an old time Gospel message of hope and redemption devoid of any hatred while Wright preaches a “gospel” of hatred for Caucasians and America. The real difference is a matter of choice based on a point of view. But when someone’s “head is made up” and “when they don’t want to learn there’s nothing you can do but keep your mouth shut or talk their language.”

Some thirty years ago I read a very short article about an old fellow who was quite a storyteller. In old age he lived with his son and daughter-in-law but he had a group of youngsters including his grandchildren eager to hear his stories of the old west, of battles he had fought, of rustlers and gunslingers, cowboys and Indians, and the children would hang on his every word. But one day, his son brought home a TV and placed it in the living room where his aged father would sit and the children would gather about him to listen to his stories.

In no time at all it was that TV that captured the attention of the children, and the old man found he had lost the audience for his stories. A few weeks passed as the old fellow would sit there, trying to get used to this “monster” that had stolen away all he had that made life meaningful to him and had left him alone with none of the children any longer interested in either him or his stories. But one day, the old man couldn’t take it any longer. Drawing out an old “Peacemaker” he had carried for years while actually living the events of the past he would describe to the children he took aim and fired a bullet right through the TV screen.

It is impossible to calculate the loss to children of the storytellers that used to be a part of their growing up. Due in large part to TV very few children today are growing up exercising their imagination the way children of my time did, and there are very few parents now that were blessed with storytellers during their own childhood. And not a few my age can relate to the old fellow shooting that TV, something George Lucas obviously understood in his “RadioLand Murders.”

Harper Lee was correct about the storytelling tradition of the South. The opportunities to visit theaters, art galleries, museums, opera houses, the things the cities of the North had in abundance were scarce in many southern states where the average populations of towns might consist of only a few hundred people and “big cities” were few and far between. Harper Lee called attention to this, emphasizing how important storytellers were under such conditions, of how children would become so imaginatively inventive in creating their own “theater” in the games they would improvise, and how important reading was under such circumstances. Sinclair Lewis and others could poke fun at the provincialism, but the great southern writers like Harper Lee knew the depth of literary riches the small southern communities offered those with imagination encouraged by the storytelling tradition she referred to during the interview by Roy Newquist that appeared in his book of interviews, Counterpoint, published in 1964.

Ms. Lee observed “There are people who write, and then there are people who must write.” And among the latter those who must write bend their efforts to learn how to write well, serving a very long apprenticeship mastering the discipline of writing while devouring the very best of literature that will help guide them in their own writing. And those who have served the proper apprenticeship have learned how important the mechanical parts of language are in conveying their often complex thoughts in written expression, things such as making sure a comma is not lacking or misplaced for example, as well as paying close attention to things like syntax and choosing their words with the utmost care.

But storytelling such as Harper Lee and I knew and experienced as children along with writing of much let alone great value has fallen on hard times throughout America, even in Harper Lee’s beloved South due to the proliferation of TV and electronic devices that do not encourage imagination, human contact and interaction. The stories are there amongst some of us oldsters with a background like that of Harper Lee steeped in the traditions of the South and the stories that come out of such a rich heritage. But children no longer gather around to listen to our stories; the electronic media no longer has a place for storytellers like that old man or those to whom Harper Lee refers. Along with the loss of children reading good books, the loss of a literary heritage is the loss of the storytellers that once meant so much to making America the greatest nation in history.

 It’s a charming and fetching scene in “The Da Vinci Code” toward the end of the film when Audrey Tautou “tests” her foot on the surface of the water of that pool; then shaking her head in the negative turns with a smile toward Tom Hanks, and as she walks away says to him in farewell perhaps she will do better with the wine.

Miracles, if there are any such, are a never ending source of both contention and debate. Some of the better known stories of the Bible describe various miracles such as the ones Audrey refers to of Jesus walking on water and the turning of water into wine. The problem with miracles is the difficulty of replicating them in such a manner as to dispel doubt among skeptics. There are many instances in which something of the miraculous does in fact occur, things that defy any rational explanation, but they just don’t occur in such a manner they invite scientific scrutiny in the laboratory.

So I understand the punch line; would the flesh and blood descendant of Jesus destroy faith, or would she renew it? And I understand what matters is what you believe. The historic problem with beliefs is separating these from knowledge, and punishing those who do not share someone’s beliefs. This problem is not confined to the religious realm by any means but happens in many other areas of life, though religious beliefs for the most part have earned the infamous distinction of being the more detrimental to world peace. One might well include politics as being dangerous to world peace but politicians are not subject to any system of belief apart from their seeking their own self-interests, and readily change their position in a moment if it serves their self-interest. The same cannot be said of those that are fanatical about their religious beliefs.

I have asked myself the question if all the stories of miracles were removed from the Bible, what would be left and how would the stories of the Bible then read? The same question suggests itself about other stories throughout human history. How might things turn without stories of miracles, stories of various deities, witches, conjurors, seers, and shamans, without astrology and alchemists, and so many other similar things? Would we be the richer or poorer for the lack of these things; would the lack of them destroy faith or renew it? We might conclude there is a need for stories of the miraculous, things beyond any rational explanation, and further conclude it would depend on the story and how it is told.

But there is a difference between hope and belief. I hope there is a hereafter where I will rejoin my departed loved ones and friends, a place where all tears are wiped away, where love prevails and everything will be right with no place for injustice or inequities. But when I ask myself honestly whether I believe this I face some difficulty. I know death may be the end and that will be that. So, do I live in hope or belief? This is not an easy question to answer. And because I have difficulty with the question I have to suppose there are others who face a like difficulty. But I also know how a strongly held belief can confuse anyone looking for answers to such questions.

I believe we humans are spiritual beings; I believe there are angels and demons and the many myths and legends, many of the stories of miracles, have a factual basis. But when I examine my beliefs about such things I discover my hope of a hereafter as I describe is not contingent on these beliefs. It is a hope, and attempting to convince myself I believe this presents difficulties for me; so much so that I cannot conceive of punishing any who disagree with my beliefs. So what kind of “demon” drives some that will commit actual atrocities against those that do not share their beliefs? It is at that point my own beliefs concerning angels and demons come to the fore.

The consolations of religion are many, but the rational part of my mind declares those that believe they have a religious duty to punish any who disagree with them brings on those personal beliefs concerning angels and demons. And if I am to have angels and demons in my own belief system, then it must admit of miracles as well. This is where things become somewhat obscure once more. Do I hope there are in fact angels and demons, miracles, or do I really believe this?

The Bible describes faith as the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But can you have hope that is not based on belief? Is faith a synonym for belief? Some suppose so; but I don’t find it necessarily so. The last verse of I Corinthians chapter 13 has it there abides faith, hope, and love, that the greatest of these is love. I certainly have no argument with the conclusion, but it seems the writer wanted to distinguish between faith, belief if you will, and hope. Perhaps the writer faced the same difficulty I have with hope and belief.

While I have experienced things miraculous, things that defy rational explanation, no part of my hope is based on these. Nor do I have any beliefs about such things I am willing to punish others who do not share a like belief. Ah, but when I lay my head on my pillow at night I go to sleep in hope. And it isn’t miracles or beliefs that get me through each day; it is hope. However, it is not the hope that things will eventually come right in a demon-haunted world, which I believe it to be, but in the world to come. Or as the Bible has it, hope that is seen is no longer hope. Opposed to beliefs that can injure yourself or others I don’t think anyone is made to suffer for hope.

 It was fascinating to read the recent article about how baby sand dollars manage to survive. Ah, if only we humans had the same degree of intelligence. But we seem bent on proving we aren’t even as smart as baby sand dollars.

Once the dust has cleared perhaps Barack Hussein Obama will check into a celebrity rehab center and his wife will announce she is no longer proud of America. The people who hoped for real change through Obama have my genuine sympathy; but now that he has made himself a pathetic figure asking everyone to believe the unbelievable about many years of the relationship with his mentor, the unabashedly racist Jeremiah Wright, he is doomed. His attempts at disavowal have made him appear not only pathetic but willing to sacrifice anyone, even his closest friends, in seeking power. No one can survive the issue of hypocrisy and betrayal of trust on such a scale. Obama is now thoroughly discredited and tarred with the racist brush and he can’t escape it. If he ever had a chance at the nomination, which I very much doubt, that is now gone.

Well, there may very well be riots but little can be done about that; it is just too easy to fan the fires of racial hatreds. Much like the cries to impeach Bush and bring the troops home now to secure our borders some things just seem unpreventable or beyond our power to accomplish. And given the immense power of the money interests on a global scale controlling our government it would seem such unrest as with the refusal to secure our borders for the sake of slave labor serves the purpose of these interests. It’s all well and good to point out knowledge is power, but without wisdom knowledge only becomes a tool of those with the power of wealth making knowledge a servant to their purposes.

Giving him credit for his avowed purpose to make knowledge the servant of wisdom, this would explain the assassination of John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert. But we have come to such a sorry pass as a nation that not only do we not know the truth of these assassinations, we have been lied to for so long and on such a massive scale no one knows when those in our government are telling the truth about anything. If there are in fact conspiracies involved with things like the Kennedy’s and 9/11 they are on such a scale as to leave us numb with incomprehension, that such evil on such a scale could exist in America! We accept such things commonly happen in third world countries, but in America? Unthinkable!

Well, not really. There was such a time in America, but not anymore. And especially not in an America when gold hits $1,000 an ounce, oil is well over $100 a barrel and our government is so blatantly in bed with moneylenders while bread and milk are becoming “luxury” items for ordinary working Americans. And given a government that has proven itself to be capable of lying on a massive scale, without any accountability to ordinary Americans but takes care of its own it isn’t any wonder few of us are not willing to credit conspiracy theories of some kind.

But it is a great weariness to write of such evil over which none of us have any control; the masters and rulers throughout human history have never deviated from an evil course in pursuing power and wealth, and those having the rule over America are of kind. So, how about a different kind of conspiracy, one in which scientists and archeologists conspire to withhold the truth?

As though reports of UFOs and government cover-ups about these were not enough to cause speculation, all those squared stones used in walls and monuments of the past just could not have been done by humans without some “outside” help. This might be considered a flight of fancy on my part, a welcome diversion from the evil men do threatening to ruin America, but there is just something about watching programs viewing the stone walls and monuments of the ancient past that causes me no little consternation.

Many of you have watched programs dealing with the issues of Atlantis including the one in the sea off the coast of Japan. There have been many computer generated images of Minoan architecture along with “reconstructed” castles, the cities of the Mayans and so on. My own fascination with ancient Egyptian culture and monuments like the three pyramids of Giza has led to my questioning the theories of those purporting to be “experts” about such things, and the attempts to demonstrate how such things might have been done are for the most part very unconvincing.

I’ve had a lot of experience in the building trades, and I am expert in masonry. But when I see videos of walls and structures built of very large, squared stones I am nonplussed. How many of you have ever taken a large stone weighing about a hundred pounds and tried to shape it into a smooth rectangular shape? Then try to imagine doing this to a thousand such stones for a wall or other structure. I can envision a few hundred laborers working like ants to do something like this, but it seems improbable all these hundreds are skilled masons.

Like the various theories of how those three pyramids of Giza may have been built and how great obelisks were set in place none of these make any practical sense to me. And when attempts are made to demonstrate such things on a smaller scale, they fall far short of being the real thing, much like comparing a kite with a modern airliner.

I can’t bring myself to believe those who have dedicated their lives to science and archeology are involved with a vast conspiracy. But neither can I accept many of the theories I read and programs we see on TV as “explanations” for some things that simply make no sense according to the theories offered. Every once in a while something pops up to tell us ancient people had access to technology not thought possible to them.

It was fascinating to read the recent article about how baby sand dollars have learned to survive; and I couldn’t help thinking that if only we humans were capable of exercising the same degree of intelligence as a baby sand dollar we wouldn’t be bending our efforts toward “bigger and better” means of our extinction as a species, but rather would be attempting to be more user friendly toward our planet and dedicating more of our efforts to understanding how those thousands of stones were squared off and proving we can be just as smart as baby sand dollars.

 “Sowing their wild oats” has been given the imprimatur of tacit approval for young men, but young women doing the same thing are called “sluts.” It is a hypocrisy ongoing throughout history and not likely to change, but it does point up the fact the world is neither fair nor just and we are expected to do our best to muddle through life best we can.

Thoughts of exogenesis in its various forms have been around since at least the time of the Greeks. Recently it is getting some renewed attention with a more thorough examination of meteorites that some are speculating anew might be a plausible means of “seeding” life. It may be as I have speculated the universe itself was a kind of “seeding” process much as in the Parable of the Sower in the Bible. I am inclined to the belief there is good seed and bad among humans, there are good souls and bad, that the soul itself is a planted seed that may or may not mature, and if it grows to maturity may be a foxtail or cornstalk.

Politicians are in the foxtail group. Economics, race, and religion continue to be the witch’s brew of politics they have ever been. But I hold firm to the dictum no truly good person ever wants power and authority over others, that politics is a dirty business that attracts only those willing to roll in the mud with other bottom feeders like lawyers. When it comes to politics it has never been something attractive to good people with good hearts, and much as some might trumpet the merits of their particular candidate over others a moment of sober reflection would impress upon sober minds the choices are seldom between good and bad candidates, but the lesser of evils.

But it is an evil system born of evil men, and the most some hope for is to come out of it alive in the end, a vain hope in too many cases of the various governments throughout history since their doom is invariably that of those driven by the lust for power and riches that become rulers over the masses. At present, there is little prospect of change for the better though the lesser of evils precludes anyone like Obama who obviously presents the greater evil.

However, it continues to boggle the mind that Democrats could have been as purblind to believe anyone like Mr. Obama would be a viable candidate, or fail to realize his candidacy would be one fraught with risks of great magnitude. Unlike Ms. Clinton, Mr. Obama poses a more immediate threat of race riots in America fomented by those like Mr. Obama’s spiritual leader and every malcontent blaming Caucasians for the woes of Negroes. So, while I see this as the Devil’s work throughout and it isn’t likely Mr. McCain will solve the woes of America there is our Hobson’s Choice, made so by what at least superficially would appear to be disastrous decisions and blunders by the Democrat Party.

Alas my fellow Americans, we are in the hands of thieves and liars, 545 of them having the rule over America. Much like Mr. Obama attempting to distance himself from his church and spiritual advisor publicly, who believes we will be under the rule of a noble leader no matter who wins the presidency. All of them lie to get elected and lie to stay elected and there is no honor among them. Once more, because of an evil system led of evil people, bad seed, bad souls, our “choice” is as usual the lesser of evils.

But the Democrats have only themselves to blame they could offer nothing better than Clinton or Obama. A woman like Ms. Clinton or a Negro like Mr. Obama should have been immediately dismissed from the start. Were they that hard up for choices without so much politically “inconvenient” baggage? And it is puzzling why this was not obvious to the leadership of the Democrat Party? It reminds me of a story Thoreau told of his ax sliding to a hole in the ice of Walden and falling through as though guided by the hand of some evil genii. Many of us have had a like experience, something inexplicable we could not have accomplished had we intentionally attempted to do so. It is at such times not a few of us have been willing to credit some malevolent supernatural force at work.

But since Satan is not divided against himself, what do you suppose he has in store for America because of this debacle by the Democrat Party? Nothing better; of that much I am certain. Alright, dismiss Satan as only a figment of religious superstition and belief. Questions surrounding the Democrat choices of candidates much like Thoreau’s ax still remain unanswered by any ordinary means.

 Not to excuse Republicans, but what would we be hearing if the presidential contenders were actually saying openly what they thought of each other personally? I have no doubt it would never get past the media censors, and if it should would probably draw hefty fines wholesale from the FCC. The realities are quite ugly once you get past the pandering and patronizing condescension of political correctness, and no one doubts both Ms. Clinton and Mr. Obama would really love to tear the lungs out of each other all the while declaring hypocritically “Race isn’t an issue!” when such a thing is so blatantly obvious to the whole world. Race has always been an issue in America just as it has been throughout all the nations of the world. Just who are these fools that keep trying to sweep this under the rug with the pretense of calling it a “non-issue?” As Emerson and Thoreau pointed out, civilized manners are the only thing that keeps people from coming to blows. However, civilization is only a veneer in too many cases, and is easily stripped away by ugly and cruel circumstances; especially those of economics, race, and religion.

But it appears America is fast losing the civilized manners of a civilized nation as barbarians increasingly use guns to terrorize and take what they want from their helpless victims, including wanton murder! Like most normal people I wish everyone could just get along together, that we could all live in peace with one another; but the monsters of Want and Ignorance will quickly disabuse any that believe once these two monsters are unleashed on a large enough scale such is possible. And America is facing the prospect of these monsters being unleashed on a scale large enough with the potential of bringing our nation to ruin!

There are too many monsters among us taught to hate just like the Muslim suicide bombers, murderers we read about every day. There are too many here in America taught to hate because they have been taught from birth society “owes” them, and they have the right to excuse the most heinous barbarisms against those they feel have “cheated” them of the riches and easy lives they see on TV.

How many votes do you think Obama lost because of the recent atrocity committed against a defenseless young Caucasian woman, Eve Carson, murdered in cold blood by two monsters that happen to be Negroes? Who could be so naïve as to think such an atrocity won’t cost him votes? And why didn’t she at least have a gun to protect herself from such monsters? Because society has taught the monsters they are free to prey on the helpless and defenseless while continuing to prevent such young women from arming themselves against such monsters; just as those attempting to excuse the criminals by pointing out the jails and prisons hold a disproportionate number of minorities choosing to ignore the fact these commit a disproportionate number of crimes.

But when the whole world is watching this barbaric, murderous atrocity committed against a helpless victim like Eve Carson play on TV what is seen are two ugly and vicious monsters without conscience and nothing of any redeeming value taking the life of a beautiful young girl, a university student body president who would have made a valuable contribution to society. How can such things fail to engender hatred toward such monsters casting further suspicion upon Obama and cost him votes in the process! It’s not about “fair,” it’s all about perception no matter what spin is attempted to disarm the suspicion and hatred. Certainly Caucasians commit atrocities, but this is only useless patronizing to point out because of perception. And it is more than merely perception to point out for example a Negro or Latino is safer in a Caucasian neighborhood than a Caucasian would be in a Negro or Latino one. This is an ugly fact, but a fact nevertheless and one that won’t go away simply because it is politically incorrect to talk and write about such a thing.

America is becoming increasingly divided by race where entire cities are given over to gang violence and terrorism, places where the barbarians are well armed and law abiding citizens are helpless to defend themselves against the barbarians and the police are emasculated from protecting the helpless. Pretending this is not the case borders on criminal negligence on the part of politicians and the MSM!

As ordinary working American citizens face an increasingly hostile economic environment watching the obscenely rich getting obscenely richer while bread and milk are becoming “luxuries” and workers have increasing difficulty making ends meet, there is going to be a growing hostility toward those like politicians and illegal aliens. But with increasing economic hard times for so many millions of ordinary working Americans there is also going to be an increasingly intolerant and even belligerent attitude toward all those getting a free ride on the backs of taxpayers, especially those on welfare. The lessons of history are immutable when it comes to harsh economic realities. The Biblical injunction to care for widows and orphans distinguishes those who are “widows indeed” for example.

Geraldine Ferraro hardly in a position to cast stones might have pointed out the more obvious problem with Barack Hussein Obama’s candidacy. Notwithstanding the normal and quite legitimate questions and suspicions concerning his background, associations, and many not wanting a “Hussein” in the White House, what if Obama does not win the nomination; will there be riots? What if he wins the nomination and loses the election; will there be riots? What if he is assassinated at any point in time; will there be riots? Of course! It shouldn’t be surprising if Muslim fanatics haven’t considered this as a means of throwing America into chaos, and what will Farrakhan, Jackson, and Sharpton do to attempt to soften the attitude of their constituencies toward Caucasians in any of these eventualities; faint hope for anything of that nature from these individuals. On the contrary, there is no denunciation by these of atrocities committed by Negroes against Caucasians, only the other way around.

As I asked when Obama first began to become a serious contender, what in the world was the thinking of Democrats? Couldn’t they foresee what a potential calamity Obama presented? Well, apparently not since they put the country at risk of those “burn baby burn” riots by even promoting someone like him as a presidential contender. Apparently those like Ferraro either did not recognize the problem or failed to bring it up in the very beginning.

Even more incredulous is how the Clintons with their vaunted political perspicacity and machine could possibly have been blindsided by the Obama candidacy? Something about this strikes me as diabolical, something Satan might contrive to throw America into upheaval. But if not, where did Ms. Clinton ever get the idea she was a viable candidate? Could it all be a consuming passion for power that blinds such people like the Clintons and Obama to the realities? Certainly that’s possible given the egos involved, but it still appears the Devil’s work to me.

Just who is being served by the Utopian idiocy of preaching a “multicultural colorblind” America? “Oh, if we all just do our part and try to work together” does not play in the real world no matter how much the universities and MSM preaches this “gospel.” Aren’t the mug shots of Negroes that have committed horrendous atrocities against young, attractive Caucasian women enough to inflame the passions of those who believe the hatred of some Negroes against Caucasians is already being played out by criminals without any semblance of a conscience across America without putting forth a Negro candidate for the presidency thereby inviting disaster? No matter what spin is put on it race is an issue in this campaign, and the more it is ignored as though it does not exist, the more people are penalized and called “racist” and “bigot” for addressing the issue the more dangerous the situation becomes.

Having been a high school teacher in Watts during the 60s I know what real racial hatred is directed at Caucasians. I had a front row seat during the riots and never want to see such a thing again. But when such a minority has had decades of propaganda directed at them telling them they are “victims” of Caucasians and are “entitled” and are encouraged in this by corrupt politicians that pass laws in effect stigmatizing minorities making them increasingly odious to the majority you are going to eventually reap a whirlwind of that hatred coming to a boil as it did during the riots of the 60s I witnessed and those that have followed.

The so-called “music” associated with some Negroes denigrating women and glorifying criminal violence and drugs obviously serves to associate all Negroes with these. As false as it is, in all honesty perception is what matters the most. It’s bad enough so many well qualified Negroes in positions of authority anywhere, especially in the schools, are viewed with suspicion about their genuine qualifications because of Affirmative Action and not being held to the same standards as Caucasians. But for some to engage in barbaric lyrics dehumanizing women, glorifying criminal violence and drugs, attacking Caucasians in the name of “entertainment” only adds considerable fuel to the fires of suspicion and even hatred.

Want and Ignorance are going to be an increasing threat to America as jobs continue to become scarce for unskilled labor due to outsourcing and open borders. The outsourcing of jobs for skilled labor threatens our manufacturing base and national security. In all of this, the absence of leadership capable of addressing these problems America is facing portends catastrophic consequences for all of us. It’s all well and good to “have a dream,” but dreams do not rule nations; harsh economic realities rule nations no matter how bright and worthy the dreams.

That America has been betrayed and sold out for power and profits by a Federal Tyrant, a Federal Dictatorship encouraging the monsters of Want and Ignorance is quickly turning the brightest dreams into nightmares for all of us. Dreams are the source of hope, but hope quickly fades when it is no longer possible to dream. But I speak of dreams in the best sense of the word, not the Pollyanna dreams of fools or the baseless hopes of fools that continue to believe there is any such thing as a free lunch. Life is neither fair nor just and no amount of laws, no amount of socialist Utopian dreaming will make it so; and shibboleths remain what they have always been throughout human history and this is no time to temporize given the grim threats our nation is facing. As it stands, it would appear Democrats are determined to hand the election to Republicans by default; and if so, then what?

 Not to excuse Republicans, but what would we be hearing if the presidential contenders were actually saying openly what they thought of each other personally? I have no doubt it would never get past the media censors, and if it should would probably draw hefty fines wholesale from the FCC. The realities are quite ugly once you get past the pandering and patronizing condescension of political correctness, and no one doubts both Ms. Clinton and Mr. Obama would really love to tear the lungs out of each other all the while declaring hypocritically “Race isn’t an issue!” when such a thing is so blatantly obvious to the whole world. Race has always been an issue in America just as it has been throughout all the nations of the world. Just who are these fools that keep trying to sweep this under the rug with the pretense of calling it a “non-issue?” As Emerson and Thoreau pointed out, civilized manners are the only thing that keeps people from coming to blows. However, civilization is only a veneer in too many cases, and is easily stripped away by ugly and cruel circumstances; especially those of economics, race, and religion.

But it appears America is fast losing the civilized manners of a civilized nation as barbarians increasingly use guns to terrorize and take what they want from their helpless victims, including wanton murder! Like most normal people I wish everyone could just get along together, that we could all live in peace with one another; but the monsters of Want and Ignorance will quickly disabuse any that believe once these two monsters are unleashed on a large enough scale such is possible. And America is facing the prospect of these monsters being unleashed on a scale large enough with the potential of bringing our nation to ruin!

There are too many monsters among us taught to hate just like the Muslim suicide bombers, murderers we read about every day. There are too many here in America taught to hate because they have been taught from birth society “owes” them, and they have the right to excuse the most heinous barbarisms against those they feel have “cheated” them of the riches and easy lives they see on TV.

How many votes do you think Obama lost because of the recent atrocity committed against a defenseless young Caucasian woman, Eve Carson, murdered in cold blood by two monsters that happen to be Negroes? Who could be so naïve as to think such an atrocity won’t cost him votes? And why didn’t she at least have a gun to protect herself from such monsters? Because society has taught the monsters they are free to prey on the helpless and defenseless while continuing to prevent such young women from arming themselves against such monsters; just as those attempting to excuse the criminals by pointing out the jails and prisons hold a disproportionate number of minorities choosing to ignore the fact these commit a disproportionate number of crimes.

But when the whole world is watching this barbaric, murderous atrocity committed against a helpless victim like Eve Carson play on TV what is seen are two ugly and vicious monsters without conscience and nothing of any redeeming value taking the life of a beautiful young girl, a university student body president who would have made a valuable contribution to society. How can such things fail to engender hatred toward such monsters casting further suspicion upon Obama and cost him votes in the process! It’s not about “fair,” it’s all about perception no matter what spin is attempted to disarm the suspicion and hatred. Certainly Caucasians commit atrocities, but this is only useless patronizing to point out because of perception. And it is more than merely perception to point out for example a Negro or Latino is safer in a Caucasian neighborhood than a Caucasian would be in a Negro or Latino one. This is an ugly fact, but a fact nevertheless and one that won’t go away simply because it is politically incorrect to talk and write about such a thing.

America is becoming increasingly divided by race where entire cities are given over to gang violence and terrorism, places where the barbarians are well armed and law abiding citizens are helpless to defend themselves against the barbarians and the police are emasculated from protecting the helpless. Pretending this is not the case borders on criminal negligence on the part of politicians and the MSM!

As ordinary working American citizens face an increasingly hostile economic environment watching the obscenely rich getting obscenely richer while bread and milk are becoming “luxuries” and workers have increasing difficulty making ends meet, there is going to be a growing hostility toward those like politicians and illegal aliens. But with increasing economic hard times for so many millions of ordinary working Americans there is also going to be an increasingly intolerant and even belligerent attitude toward all those getting a free ride on the backs of taxpayers, especially those on welfare. The lessons of history are immutable when it comes to harsh economic realities. The Biblical injunction to care for widows and orphans distinguishes those who are “widows indeed” for example.

Geraldine Ferraro hardly in a position to cast stones might have pointed out the more obvious problem with Barack Hussein Obama’s candidacy. Notwithstanding the normal and quite legitimate questions and suspicions concerning his background, associations, and many not wanting a “Hussein” in the White House, what if Obama does not win the nomination; will there be riots? What if he wins the nomination and loses the election; will there be riots? What if he is assassinated at any point in time; will there be riots? Of course! It shouldn’t be surprising if Muslim fanatics haven’t considered this as a means of throwing America into chaos, and what will Farrakhan, Jackson, and Sharpton do to attempt to soften the attitude of their constituencies toward Caucasians in any of these eventualities; faint hope for anything of that nature from these individuals. On the contrary, there is no denunciation by these of atrocities committed by Negroes against Caucasians, only the other way around.

As I asked when Obama first began to become a serious contender, what in the world was the thinking of Democrats? Couldn’t they foresee what a potential calamity Obama presented? Well, apparently not since they put the country at risk of those “burn baby burn” riots by even promoting someone like him as a presidential contender. Apparently those like Ferraro either did not recognize the problem or failed to bring it up in the very beginning.

Even more incredulous is how the Clintons with their vaunted political perspicacity and machine could possibly have been blindsided by the Obama candidacy? Something about this strikes me as diabolical, something Satan might contrive to throw America into upheaval. But if not, where did Ms. Clinton ever get the idea she was a viable candidate? Could it all be a consuming passion for power that blinds such people like the Clintons and Obama to the realities? Certainly that’s possible given the egos involved, but it still appears the Devil’s work to me.

Just who is being served by the Utopian idiocy of preaching a “multicultural colorblind” America? “Oh, if we all just do our part and try to work together” does not play in the real world no matter how much the universities and MSM preaches this “gospel.” Aren’t the mug shots of Negroes that have committed horrendous atrocities against young, attractive Caucasian women enough to inflame the passions of those who believe the hatred of some Negroes against Caucasians is already being played out by criminals without any semblance of a conscience across America without putting forth a Negro candidate for the presidency thereby inviting disaster? No matter what spin is put on it race is an issue in this campaign, and the more it is ignored as though it does not exist, the more people are penalized and called “racist” and “bigot” for addressing the issue the more dangerous the situation becomes.

Having been a high school teacher in Watts during the 60s I know what real racial hatred is directed at Caucasians. I had a front row seat during the riots and never want to see such a thing again. But when such a minority has had decades of propaganda directed at them telling them they are “victims” of Caucasians and are “entitled” and are encouraged in this by corrupt politicians that pass laws in effect stigmatizing minorities making them increasingly odious to the majority you are going to eventually reap a whirlwind of that hatred coming to a boil as it did during the riots of the 60s I witnessed and those that have followed.

The so-called “music” associated with some Negroes denigrating women and glorifying criminal violence and drugs obviously serves to associate all Negroes with these. As false as it is, in all honesty perception is what matters the most. It’s bad enough so many well qualified Negroes in positions of authority anywhere, especially in the schools, are viewed with suspicion about their genuine qualifications because of Affirmative Action and not being held to the same standards as Caucasians. But for some to engage in barbaric lyrics dehumanizing women, glorifying criminal violence and drugs, attacking Caucasians in the name of “entertainment” only adds considerable fuel to the fires of suspicion and even hatred.

Want and Ignorance are going to be an increasing threat to America as jobs continue to become scarce for unskilled labor due to outsourcing and open borders. The outsourcing of jobs for skilled labor threatens our manufacturing base and national security. In all of this, the absence of leadership capable of addressing these problems America is facing portends catastrophic consequences for all of us. It’s all well and good to “have a dream,” but dreams do not rule nations; harsh economic realities rule nations no matter how bright and worthy the dreams.

That America has been betrayed and sold out for power and profits by a Federal Tyrant, a Federal Dictatorship encouraging the monsters of Want and Ignorance is quickly turning the brightest dreams into nightmares for all of us. Dreams are the source of hope, but hope quickly fades when it is no longer possible to dream. But I speak of dreams in the best sense of the word, not the Pollyanna dreams of fools or the baseless hopes of fools that continue to believe there is any such thing as a free lunch. Life is neither fair nor just and no amount of laws, no amount of socialist Utopian dreaming will make it so; and shibboleths remain what they have always been throughout human history and this is no time to temporize given the grim threats our nation is facing. As it stands, it would appear Democrats are determined to hand the election to Republicans by default; and if so, then what?

Historically, men having power over women do not want to legalize prostitution since this is a device to maintain male dominance. So, call the woman a “whore” but men get a pass. Make it a felony for women to solicit sex for money, but for men willing to pay and they get arrested it is only a misdemeanor any other mitigating factors aside. In just this manner women are not equal with men, women are considered of lesser value than men. The patent injustice of such a thing is there for all to see; but women should get smart to the fact that men want it this way in order to maintain their dominance over women.

 

Recent events having to do with prostitution are justification to repeat something I wrote back in January, 2007. Now, perhaps, more people are willing to admit the reasonableness of my suggestions back then:

When I wrote an article questioning whether marijuana is now Kern County’s real cash crop few dared respond to that. But as the noose tightens around the quasi-legal dispensaries statewide we have to wonder where the money trail leads for a failed and phony “war on drugs?” But you know, I have written about this for so many years now it just doesn’t seem to be worth the effort any longer. If I’m going to tilt at windmills, I would like to leave a Quixotic legacy of my vision for making my hometown of Bakersfield the envy of merely pretentious people that roll their eyes over any mention of Btown by my continuing to suggest to the city fathers that turning the Padre Hotel into a world class pleasure palace is the right thing to do.

 

I deign to say if a poll were taken most people would agree politicians are whores. But in my opinion this is demeaning and degrading to “working girls,” since there is really no honest comparison. Politicians treat elected office as a license to steal; they enjoy the drugs and prostitutes they treat as perks coming with election all the while denying such things to We the People. We even see celebrities facing charges that politicians routinely escape.

 

There is no denying the hypocrisy of the whole thing. Neither is there any motive but money in denying We the People the same perks like drugs and prostitutes politicians demand as though they were the only truly privileged class in America. But then, I remind myself that one of the benefits of old age and having no empire to protect is being able to speak my mind. No one has to listen. But now honestly; what real argument can be made against my suggestion for the Padre? For those at least mildly interested in my proposal for the Padre, here is a brief recap of a few things I wrote to justify my position:

January 21, 2007

A kindly word for the “working girl”

One of the things I would like to see here in the Kern River Valley and in downtown Bakersfield is a “gentleman’s club,” you know, a brothel. But not just a whorehouse, an upscale nicely appointed palace of vice right out of a Hollywood production. Ideally these places would also provide marijuana legally. Such establishments properly regulated and taxed would be a real boon to local economies.

 

For that very small minority that might object to such a thing, consider the fact Walt Kelly made so clear in Pogo when discussing the presidential elections a “Vice Party” was suggested and Churchy asks Owl, “Deep down, wouldn’t you be for vice too … given the chance?” My dear brothers and sisters, no matter how you slice it a Vice Party is exactly what both Republicans and Democrats represent. Were these honest vice parties I would find no fault in that. But one of the problems I have with this is politicians of every stripe allow of every kind of vice among themselves including prostitution and illegal drugs, often at taxpayer expense, but hypocritically deny these vices to We the People! And quite frankly this makes me mad as hell! Why should the very vices politicians treat as their personal domain coming with elected office be made illegal and denied ordinary American citizens?

 

While historians and behavioral scientists have not made it much of an issue, sexual frustration may account for many of the wars of men as well as many of the more noble achievements. After all, for many men and women a cold shower just does not suffice; and much of our history as a species may well be understood in the light of sexual frustration on the part of both men and women.

 

Now I am all for traditional marriage and families as the foundation of all civilized societies. I am a staunch supporter of the sanctity of marriage, the sacredness of the marriage bed. But I am at least equally opposed to the kind of hypocrisy that denies sex is a normal function of the human species and makes it a crime for relieving one’s sexual frustration by simple mechanism of economics. There is all this foofaraw over abortion, so many women claiming they have the right to determine what to do with their own bodies while at the same time denying the “working girl” the same right. And what of the men in Congress and elsewhere that legislate and pass laws self-righteously denying women this right to their own bodies? Hypocrites!

 

The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness should have included prostitution. After all, this was thriving at the time of the Founding Fathers, it was quite acceptable in most of the civilized societies at the time and throughout history, and it is doubtful the early years of our government could have been successful without a plentiful supply of bordellos. If our early legislators did not see these establishments as threatening to home and hearth, what happened to change their minds? All the other biological functions of the body are carefully attended, enormous amounts being spent on bathrooms for example, why the normal function of sex is suppressed is the stuff of history and books by the thousands...

 

However, the historical male dominance that makes whores of women while men have escaped any such pejorative appellation, at the same time denying the same right to women hiring themselves a man to satisfy their normal sexual desire, does make for the steamy novels, plays and films that take full advantage of this dichotomy in most cultures. And the refusal of men to accept women on the same basis they excuse themselves makes for an industry where women pander to the lust of men, making fools of men in the process. But men seem to excuse their foolishness in this regard while penalizing women and holding them in contempt. Consider the man playing the fool exclaiming “I never had to pay for it!” as though that was a proclamation of his “manhood.”

 

Since I am known as a writer of humor, it was gratifying to receive so many notes from people who got a laugh out of my suggesting I would like to see a “gentlemen’s club” in downtown Bakersfield. While many people commenting understood the significance of my support for legalizing prostitution and treated it with the seriousness such a thing deserves, it was the name “Bakersfield” being associated with a fancy, legal whorehouse that tickled not a few funny bones. And by golly, I’m tired of Bakersfield being the butt of derisive jokes having this image problem and propose doing something about it!

 

While I was born in Weedpatch, I have always considered Bakersfield my hometown. And I have fond memories of the Dust Bowl folks among whom I was raised, many fond memories of our little church and grocery store on the corner of Cottonwood and Padre, and I know firsthand the kind of nobility associated with the best of those Okies and Arkies with their polite southern manners and speech so characteristic of long held traditions of such things.

 

But let’s face it folks, when anyone says “Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Malibu, San Francisco” these names conjure up a certain image. And, when anyone says “Bakersfield” this conjures up a certain image; and it certainly is quite distinct from that of the other cities mentioned. And people are not going to confuse CSUB with Stanford or Berkeley. However, perhaps because of my being born in Weedpatch I may be a tad more conscious of and sensitive to the name of one’s birthplace, and maybe that has something to do with my sticking up for Bakersfield. That said I do understand the importance of perception, and I want to do my bit in changing the perception of Bakersfield. And in my opinion a world-class brothel in Bakersfield would do exactly this.

 When confronted by God, Adam was quick to blame both God and Eve for his transgression: “The woman you gave me; she did it!” And ever since that time women have borne the brunt of the curse all the while “seducing” and “defiling” men and called by many men and their religions “unclean” and “a sin by definition.”

Harper Lee had some marvelous insights about religion in her masterful novel “To Kill A Mockingbird,” in which she has Aunt Maudie pointing out to little Scout how some fundamentalist preachers denounced women as “a sin by definition.” Then to emphasize this, Harper Lee has Scout asking Aunt Maudie “Is that why Mr. Arthur stays in the house, to keep away from women?” Aunt Maudie replies, “I’ve no idea.” She goes on to explain “… but sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whiskey bottle in the hand of—oh, of your father.” When Scout protests her father never drank whiskey in his life, Aunt Maudie replies in explanation that men like Scout’s father Atticus at their worst were better than some men at their best.

An old friend of many years once wrote me he thought women confused sex and religion. As I thought about that it occurred to me women do seem to have a predilection for “men of the cloth,” and as I began to write about this, putting some of my speculations and conclusions on the subject in my book “Birds With Broken Wings,” one of the reasons for women being such easy targets for the clergy goes all the way back to The Fall. The story of Eve tempting Adam and his succumbing resulting in God’s curse upon all humankind has made women as the temptresses and the cause of such trouble throughout human history looking for a way to cleanse themselves of their being “a sin by definition.” And there is the ancient legend of “Lilith,” the seductive wiles of Delilah, Jezebel, and so many others to add fuel to the smoldering passions leading men astray concluding women are a sin by definition.

Now Mr. Arthur, Boo Radley, was the neighborhood boogeyman, someone children were warned to stay far away from. But Harper Lee must have taken delicious delight in having little Scout ask Aunt Maudie whether this neighborhood madman stayed in his house in order to keep away from women so as to stay pure and not to commit sin with them and cheat himself of his chances at going to heaven. I can just imagine how Harper Lee loved putting that question on the lips of little Scout to Aunt Maudie; talk about getting in a proper jab at the Bible Thumpers, professional “Celibates” and Pulpiteers across America!

But, who better to get close to than some rabbi, priest, or preacher as a way for women getting closer to God and wash away their sins? That this sometimes results in the preacher running off with the choir director is almost legendary. So it was my old friend mentioned how women sometimes confuse sex and religion, and this too often is the case.

So, when someone like Governor Spitzer falls prey to a smoldering temptress who are we to judge him harshly? Well, maybe because like Harper Lee the stench of hypocrisy and mendacity surrounding such men is more than we can bear and we recognize the preacher is the one at fault; not the choir director. And we know the Bible in the hand of some men is worse than a whiskey bottle in the hand of some others.

 Several things in my opinion are not wrong, but they sure are illegal. Drugs, gambling, prostitution, but where would those like Governor Spitzer be without these things being illegal, how would Al Capone and The Godfather have made a living? Of course, when something is illegal those on the wrong side of the tracks breaking the law do time and politicians like Spitzer et al. usually get a pass, and if all money laundering schemes were abolished I doubt any politician could possibly survive. It’s just as well I’m not in control of things because I would abolish capital punishment, make marijuana and prostitution legal and require mandatory birth control for those unable to provide a proper home for children.

What I wish both liberals and conservatives would do is go after businesses like Countrywide that as far as I am concerned are really into money laundering, something I mentioned in WG when the ads began appearing. When you have hundreds of billions of dollars worldwide coming in from illegal sources, a primary reason for politicians refusing to secure our borders, you must have a number of entities to wash the money and many of those in the United Nations are in my opinion complicit. After all, the love of money doesn’t have any scruples or recognize any borders or other limitations.

Here in America, apart from the mortgage money lending scams, don’t you wonder about some of those commercials and know in your bones they simply can’t be selling enough of that junk to turn a profit? Moneylenders are infamous for extortion, but what about the junk peddlers? Ever ask yourself how some of these outfits including those at the local level, I refrain from mentioning some in Kern County, are selling enough merchandise to afford those endless commercials? Sometimes when viewing these I get the feeling TV stations are in a “don’t ask, don’t tell” mode concerning advertisers.

But just try to get a handle on the whole real estate business and you are soon drowning in a sea of paperwork designed to obscure the trail of slime and money laundering that includes everything from the lowest real estate peddlers to architectural combines, the construction industry, escrow and title companies, all of which have bought politicians and judges at the local, state, and federal levels; and sometimes, albeit rarely, one of these is caught and brought to justice; though more often those like the Clintons and Whitewater get a pass and Bill hands out pardons wholesale in the end. But the Clintons, Bush, Cheney, et al. are just symptoms of the disease and such is the way of the world we live in.

Speaking of the United Nations, eight years ago when I proposed a Constitutional amendment to protect children from molesters I enquired of the UN whether any nation in the world had a provision in their foundational charter of government directed specifically to the welfare of children. Not surprisingly, none have any such provision. Because of this I eventually became involved with UNICEF because a few thinking people realized after doing the research this was a rather unusual situation and it aroused their curiosity. It isn’t often someone approaches the organization with an original query. But as things began to unravel because of so many scandals and money laundering schemes, I lost all confidence in those at the UN and UNICEF being genuinely concerned for the welfare of children.

If you don’t read The Huffington Post you are missing something good. Unlike Ann Coulter, Arianna has never asked to be removed from the mailing list for The Weedpatch Gazette; and, after all, even Alec Baldwin is capable of making real sense at times and Arianna has done a terrific job of garnering some of the best and brightest to her publication.

For example, this morning I went to Jamie Lee Curtis’ brief article about looking up rather than down and really enjoyed her simple and direct writing about the problem of too many devices in our lives that prevent eye contact, human to human communication. And though Jamie did question parenthetically whether there ever were any “good old days,” my being old enough to pronounce on this I can assure her that when it comes to human communications there were indeed some good old days in which this took place; but you have to go back to an age before TV to really appreciate this having been the case, a time when children and adults read good books and magazines, listened to radio, saw really good films, and so forth. These things gave us all something to talk about, and there was a far greater sense of “community” at that time in America than there is now.

Admittedly I have a pretty dim view of the world; and especially of America’s prospects for the future. But those of us raised in Norman Rockwell’s America, the nation that fought and won WWII and reflected in the values of Little House on the Prairie, The Waltons, and Mayberry had every reason to believe in the future of America. But to all the “Toto’s” out there, we aren’t in Kansas anymore. How well I recall seeing the Wizard of Oz when it was released; sheer, wondrous magic for me; but I can’t go back to 1939 and see it for the first time again; however, as with the America I recall from so long ago how I wish I were able to do so.

 “Cabin in the Sky” was a very memorable experience for me. I saw the film at the Fox Theater in Bakersfield when it was released in 1943, and as a youngster the impact on my imagination was considerable. Being born and raised among Christian Fundamentalists and grandad being the preacher in our small Little Oklahoma church on the corner of Cottonwood and Padre in southeast Bakersfield I had considerable Bible learning with which to assess the film, and a pretty good understanding of it throughout. Grandad’s thunderous preaching of hellfire and damnation had made a mighty impression on me, so I was rooting for Gabriel, Little Joe, and Petunia throughout the movie.

It was easy for me to relate to the business of Lucifer Junior and Gabriel doing battle for the soul of Little Joe and Petunia doing everything she could to thwart Junior’s plans, and the scene of the Devil’s headquarters with all that refrigeration equipment reminded me of my grandparents’ ice house on the corner of 4^th and Chester downtown; though the teaching I had received about hell being a place of fire and brimstone did cause me to wonder about the Devil and his minions needing such an icebox to be comfortable. I had the idea hell filled with flames was the Devil’s proper abode.

Just goes to show how things can get a little mixed up in a child’s mind when it comes to religious instruction. The Lake of Fire is where the Devil and his angels along with all those damned to perdition are going to end up; so why wouldn’t that refrigeration be appropriate to hell’s headquarters while concocting plans to get the soul of Little Joe? But this still jarred with the idea of hell being the Devil’s domain and his being comfortable in the heat without need of air conditioning. Then to confuse matters further, there is the Bible teaching of the lost being cast into outer darkness. This doesn’t seem to jibe with the flames of hell. Well, the thousands of books, literally, written on the subject have only added to the confusion, which, given it is all speculation anyhow is understandable.

To be fair, it isn’t just religion that becomes confusing about things like heaven and hell; just try to make sense of our own government. I’ll say it again; politics is a dirty business, it attracts only those that want power and authority over others, something no truly good person wants, it appeals to many of the worst traits in human beings and no truly good person wants to become a politician. Politics is a dirty business and it appeals to dirty people that lie to get elected and lie to stay elected, reflecting the opinion of Sam Clemens that an honest politician “is one that hasn’t had time to sell out.” But I go a step further in saying the person has to sell out in order to become elected in the first place, something with which Emerson and Thoreau agreed; and upon further reflection I am sure Sam would have agreed as well.

But I never think of politicians among the “saved” or any of those that are going to escape the flames of hell, or that outer darkness whatever it may consist of. Politicians are among the “lost” of the Bible in my opinion. Jesus said not many are going to be saved, a pretty grim assessment, and I doubt there will be any politicians among them.

However, when it comes to the distinction between saved and lost my mind is drawn to the parable of the Sower and I keep thinking about seed and life. Studies of Soteriology include not only the doctrine of Free Will but that of Election as well, Predestination as some have it. But just who are these “elect” of Scripture? It is virtually impossible to come to agreement on the issue as the literally thousands of books on these subjects bear witness; whole schools of theology have grown up around the issues oftentimes setting “brother against brother” in the process.

The matter of “nurturing a tender conscience” as the Scripture has it requires an effort of the will. But where does this leave those like babies that have not matured to that stage where they can even consider matters of conscience? Now if I were farming I would not choose to plant foxtails, however in thinking about the universe filled with galaxies I do wonder about the Sower of these, if in fact the universe itself is not a reflection of the enemy in the Parable of the Tares coming in under the cloak of darkness and sowing foxtails in the lot. Maybe Jesus was really on to something in this, since in the end the angels are sent in to separate the good from the bad.

This is how I view the world, that both good and bad seed are planted. Some seed does not have the germ of life, some never produce fruit for one reason or another, some grow to be politicians or the monsters that prey on women and children, the tyrants and despots of history. But as Jesus pointed out, every tree is known of its fruit and you don’t expect both bitter water and sweet from the same fountain. And this is how I view politicians in particular.