Posted by
William D. Dannenmaier on Saturday, May 07, 2011 9:44:08 AM
Tennesseans love Bradford pear trees, they are planted everywhere. They remind me of Hollywood actors and actresses: beautiful, shapely and completely worthless. They have short lives, provide no nutrients in the form of seeds or fruit for human or beast and their soft wood is useless as lumber or firewood. They should be called “Hollywood Pears.”
Speaking of Hollywood, I heard a rumor this morning at the Cardiac Club. I can’t believe it is true, but its absurdity appears to fit in with the television and movie crowd. I was told that one of the television channels is planning a series starring Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan. It is to be titled “Two and a Half Grams.”
I have been reading H. L. Mencken’s “Notes on Democracy” – a birthday present from Sheila. Mencken rants against the self-serving behaviors – think Biden’s airport and the corruption of elected officials, including Presidents, Congress and judges. He also had things to say about the stupidity of the people who elected them. I was shocked. I thought he died long ago and here he was describing current our politicians and judges. Then I looked at the date. He published that book in 1926. Things haven’t changed much, have they?
Janet Napolitano and Gary Locke in an article in the Wall Street Journal (The Southwest Border is Open for Business, April 4, 2011) proclaim the safety of the border with Mexico. As examples of the dropping crime rates along the border, they cite Arizona and Texas. Is this the same Janet Napolitano who incited or encouraged (I don’t know which) Obama’s Attorney General to file suit against Arizona for enforcing their own and Federal laws by arresting and deporting illegal immigrants who were criminals? Is it just possible that the drop in crime rates in Arizona and Texas has anything to do with their arresting and deporting illegal invaders from Mexico – which she opposes?
Sheila and Andrew spent Easter Sunday at her folks where the church and family were celebrating her mother’s birthday (I rested at home) after attending sunrise service at the little Baptist Church Mission in Cumberland Furnace. (Little! There must have been close to two hundred people there!) She said everyone in Nashville was talking about the weather, they couldn’t remember when there had been so much wind and rain. What did they expect after Obama was elected? The wind was obvious from the start and the economy is certainly being rained on.
Speaking of the state of our nation, my most conservative children are worried about the future of our nation. More interestingly, the two most radical, liberal, members of the family want to move to Europe. Why? They voted for, and support, the nation they have.
Patrick J. Buchanan wrote a thoughtful and worth reading article on the Pastor Jones Qu′ran burning and its aftermath, “Who Are We Fighting For?” (Human Events.com, 5 April, 2011). His article and Ann Barnhart’s blog (http://www.youtube.com/watcg?v=Qeyrp-V3Jvc) do a much better job of addressing Pastor Jones behavior and its consequence than I can, but I would like to bring up an issue on which neither of them have focused. President Obama, General Petraeus and Senator Graham have denounced Jones behavior. I have yet to hear of any of them denouncing Hamid Karzai, the President of Afghanistan for publicizing it, a publicity which has led to dozens of assaults and deaths.
Personally, I think Pastor Jones is a rather foolish man seeking publicity, but that is not the point. I would have been much, MUCH, happier with President Obama or General Petraeus or Senator Graham if they had replied to Karzai, that in the United States people are free to express their opinions and that was Pastor Jones’ right, a right that millions of Americans have fought and died for over the years, rather than have them apologize to that Muslim dictator. They might even mention that if he and the other dictators of the Muslim lands would permit such freedom, they might have fewer revolts. The reason a tea kettle has that little spout is to permit steam to escape; otherwise the kettle would blow up. In the United States, resentment can escape, in Muslim nations bottled resentment leads to bloodshed.