Stray Thoughts

By

William D. Dannenmaier

Congress and President Bush are united in providing “rebates” of five hundred or so dollars to the population.  This dole should arrive in mailboxes shortly before the elections.  It reminds me of how Roman emperors, following the fall of the Republic would throw coins to the peasants, a practice followed in medieval times by the nobility of various European nations on special occasions.  So our “nobility” are planning on throwing pennies to the people, pennies that serious economists, based on historical evidence, claim will only hinder economic progress, not help it.  Still, people will enjoy the pennies, and the thoughtless will praise the givers.  Who will pay for the pennies?

Driving to the Cardiac Club, the atmosphere changed suddenly.  I commented to Sheila that a black and white kitty had either been run over or had gotten angry at some passing car.  Ruminating on, I said that we were fortunate in this country that skunks were not better organized.  If they were to all get together along the sides of major highways and then spray simultaneously, they could stop traffic and seriously upset the economy.  The only solution would be if we could get members of Congress, Representatives and Senators alike, to line the opposite sides of the highways.  The skunks would leave.  There are some things even they cannot stand.  They are too intelligent, unlike too many voters.

Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, who likes the limelight, must be feeling neglected.  Not an expert on climate and having never lived in “tornado alley” he has proclaimed that “global warming” is the reason for the recent tornados.  Probably he is right, but consider the alternative.  If there were no “global warming” earth would be like Pluto – frozen.  There would be no life.  Thank you God, for global warming.

I read where a member of the “Jena 6” has been arrested for beating up another student at the high school to which he was transferred.  At six foot six inches and nineteen years of age, I assume the other student was smaller and younger.  Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton will probably lead a parade to protest the arrest of this “innocent,” youth and he will be featured on the “Black Awards” night, unless, of course, the other student was black.

Black on white crime appears acceptable, even worth praise, never is it a “hate” crime under Federal law.  Living in the Boston area, the news one day was that a gang of young black men ran through the one subway train beating up all whites.  But the government immediately insisted it was not a racist hate crime.  When a group of young black men in Knoxville kidnapped, raped, tortured and killed a young white couple walking home from the library, it was not a race crime.  When a group of athletes at Duke were falsely accused of rape, students at a nearby black college argued they deserved to be punished anyway because of slavery.  When is the liberal media going to recognize that the worst racism, the most widespread racism, in this country is black racism, that the prevalent black racism actually does more harm to the black population than it does to all others, as blacks such as Bill Cosby, Star Parker, Dr. Williams and Dr. Sowell insist.

I continue to chip away at the tree that came down in the front yard, narrowly missing the house.  I’m now down to the last log.  Out of curiosity, I measured it the other day.  At the stump, it is 25 inches in diameter, at the other end, where it branched out; it is 36 inches in diameter.  It takes some planning, with a sixteen inch chain saw, to cut off pieces.  Fortunately a friend, Tommy, at the “Cardiac Club” told me how to do it. 

Working on it the other day, I thought of all the people who have “volunteered” to help in exchange for the firewood.  I have offered it to six people, five of whom said they wanted some.  Only three have shown up, and all three took the pieces I had already cut into firewood, none returned to help cut and split or even for more wood.  I don’t really mind the one lady.  She lives alone and is dependent on firewood for heat.  I am now taking her the split firewood. 

All of those I offered it to are considerably younger than I and healthier.  Five of the six would be described, at best, as poor, perhaps poverty stricken.  It occurred to me that the difference between poverty and comfortably poor is often one of planning.  The ones who did not return for more firewood will need more for next year, but why plan ahead?  They took enough for their needs – for now.  Instead of thinking ahead, they only took for the immediate.  They will be desperate again next winter.