Lessons from Mexico

Earlier this month, Texas executed a Mexican citizen for the heinous 1994 murder of a teenager in Houston. Mexican authorities were quite upset that Governor Perry did not issue a stay of execution. Their beef is that the man was not told that he had the right to contact the Mexican consulate for legal help.

But what struck me as really funny were some of the quotes from Mexican officials. Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan wrote Governor Perry that "Our nations are bound not only by their common border, but also by a mutual commitment to the rule of law." Really? Anybody have any idea how many revolutions they've had in Mexico? Have you read recently about the drug gangs taking over Mexico, running guns, and killing anybody who gets in their way? Did you read about the young man murdered last year on Falcon Lake? I just wonder if Ambassador Sarukhan had a straight face on when he wrote that ridiculous assertion.

One of the murderer's lawyers said, "If the Mexican consulate had been involved at the time, Leal would have had highly qualified lawyers who would have transformed the quality of his defense." Yeah, I'm sure -- just like the ones they provide for the prisoners in Mexican jails.

If I couldn't have come up with any arguments better than those, I think I'd have just kept my mouth shut.

"Mexican's execution is likely." The Dallas Morning News; July 7, 2011; p. 1A.

Pardon that man!

Jerome Ersland is a pharmacist. He had a drug store in Oklahoma City. He was found guilty of first-degree murder in the May 19, 2009, shooting death of Antwun Parker. He was sentenced to life in prison.

I am a real law and order type of person, but this man deserves a pardon from the Governor. Why am I taking up for a murderer? Here's how the "murder" went down. Antwun and one of his brothers from the 'hood, Jevontai Ingram, came into the pharmacy wearing ski masks and demanding money and drugs. Ersland shot Antwun in the head. He then chased Jevontai from the store.  When he came back in, he grabbed another gun and fired five more bullets into Antwun.

I can't say as I wouldn't have done the same thing. When Antwun and Jevontai entered that store, they didn't care who got hurt. Ersland just made sure it was not the innocent people in the pharmacy. Ersland's son, Jeff, stated it quite eloquently: "We believe that armed robbers who enter our businesses and threaten our lives bear the responsibility for the outcome of an armed conflict that they initiate."

Jeff has circulated a petition asking Governor Mary Fallin for a pardon. He has 17,000 signatures. I'd gladly add my name to it!

"Pharmacist gets life in teen's shooting." The Dallas Morning News; July 12, 2011; p. 4A.

Character - you either have it, or you don't.

The Atlanta, Georgia, school system is involved in one of the largest cheating scandals in U.S. history. Teachers and principals are accused of changing student test answers in order to increase the scores, leading to job security and higher pay for themselves.

The newspaper says pressure to meet testing targets was a major reason for cheating by 178 educators in 44 Atlanta schools. I disagree. The major reason for cheating is the lack of an ethical standard.

DeKalb County teacher Laura Pittman said she was convinced that teachers would be forced into more cheating. "Anybody whose job is tied to performance, it is a setup." What a sad way of thinking! In essence, what she is saying is, "We have to cheat because you expect us to do our jobs."

In today's society, it seems most people don't want to do what's right. They want to do what will get them the most in the shortest amount of time. Young college grads don't want entry level positions -- they want to be CEO's. People don't want to save a down payment for a home -- they want a sub-prime mortgage. People who can't afford a new car think they deserve it anyway. And teachers who don't want to put the time and effort into educating their students have to cheat on tests. For sure, it is a testing issue -- a test of character. And the teachers are failing.

"More cheating scandals loom, some say." The Dallas Morning News; July 12, 2011; p. 2A.

How to Make a National Fool of Yourself

This woman was protesting outside the Casey Anthony trial. Perhaps if she'd spent less time getting tattoos and more time in school, she wouldn't have made a national fool of herself.

The kicker: This sign was the correction. The first one read "Gulity of Muder."

Paris News funny: In a caption to a photo of some recent storm damage, the News reports that a tree branch was ripped off its roots. FYI, Mr. Caption Editor, trees are ripped up by the roots, and branches are ripped from trees. 

Paris News funny #2: Mary Walker Clark describes Marilyn Stephenson, a retired Sergeant. "Her gate is forward and deliberate, and she speaks with Army punctuated precision." If that gate is forward and deliberate, she might try some WD-40 on it.

Freedom OF Religion -- not FROM Religion

There is a group of atheists and agnostics who call themselves "The Freedom from Religion Foundation." If they are telling the truth, they ignorantly believe they are upholding the 1st Amendment. But they need some basic civics instruction. First, the text of the amendment:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

So that immediately negates the significance of their name -- we are not guaranteed freedom FROM religion. The current burr under their saddles is Governor Perry attending a prayer and fasting event scheduled for next month and encouraging others to join him. They claim that amounts to the government endorsing a religion. News Flash! The 1st Amendment enjoins the government only from making a law establishing a religion. That's it!


You notice, though, that they don't like the rest of the amendment, for they are asking Governor Perry to give up the rights he has: they do not have the right to forbid him the free exercise of his religion or the right to forbid him to peaceably assembly with whomever he wishes . . . no matter what office he holds.

I say it's really too bad we don't have more politicians like Rick Perry. I can't know his motives, but his actions are certainly a refreshing alternative to a President pushing a gay-rights-and-redistribute-the-wealth-and-spend-ourselves-into-oblivion-and-blame-it-all-on-George-Bush agenda.

"Suit filed to stop Perry's prayer event." The Dallas Morning News; July 14, 2011; p. 3A.

You have to administer the medicine for it to work!

People are incensed that a doctor in Burleson gave a prescription to Courtney Capps for her 5-year-old son, Isaiah. The prescription was to "Apply large paddle to bottom of child anytime he needs it."

Courtney has filed a complaint with the Texas Medical Board, and Dr. Carl Gossett has been fired from Huguley Memorial Medical Center. That's too bad. Can you imagine how that child must have been running amok in his office for the doctor to prescribe such a thing?

I'm sure his prescription was just what the doctor should have ordered. But Courtney disagrees. "My kids are my world. They're my everything." Most parents feel that way, Courtney. That's why they discipline their children . . . sometimes with that large paddle to the bottom.

I have a feeling we'll be hearing about little Isaiah in 15 years or so . . . when he's sentenced to TDC.

"Mom says doctor prescribed spanking for son." The Dallas Morning News; July 15, 2011; p. 2B.

I take it back!

Several weeks ago, I commended The Dallas Morning News for standing on principle by not publishing same sex "marriage" announcements. There is no such thing as same sex marriage in Texas (or anywhere else for that matter, no matter what the law says), and such announcements are a sham and a slap in the face to those who believe God means what He says.

I hereby take back my commendation. In the July 17 edition, there were three marriage announcements. One bride was pictured without her groom. The other two "marriages" involved four grooms. Not content with a standard size photo, these perverts have a 5 1/2" x 5" poster plastered on the page. How "in your face" is that? But they just want tolerance. Yeah, right, and Hitler just wanted a little piece of Europe.

The Dallas Morning News; July 17, 2011; p. 11E.

Why do the poor have kids?

David Armstrong is upset that people are complaining about having to wait in line at the DMV in Texas because of a lack of staffing. In a typical liberal oranges to apples comparison, he says we should imagine having to wait at a low-income clinic because we're on Medicaid.

David waxes poetic (which, I guess, is appropriate since he says he's from Poetry): "Imagine if that were a sick infant, and you had no other choice regarding care."

Well, David, we have choices. The appropriate choice here is to not have kids for whom you can't afford medical care. If the infant is sick with an acute illness, take him to an emergency room. They can't turn down emergency cases. As far as waiting, I've spent all afternoon in my doctor's office before, and I pay for adequate insurance coverage. The wait has nothing to do with what I can pay. It has to do with the doctor's availability. If you're getting free care, you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth and be so ungrateful as to moan about having to wait for awhile.

But, David, don't fret. When Obamacare fully kicks in, it will save us all!

"Long lines in Texas." The Dallas Morning News; July 17, 2011; p. 2P.

I'm not a bum!

Some weeks ago, Dallas City Councilwoman Angela Hunt took some criticism for tweeting about the bums hanging around the Main Street Garden. She felt their presence was menacing to visitors and families who might want to enjoy the downtown area.

Julian Arredondo, whose photo she used, was indignant. "I'm not a bum," the 72-year-old man said. "I don't steal from nobody. I don't bother nobody."

So if he's not a bum, just who is Julian Arredondo? He sleeps each night at the Bridge homeless shelter. He has a felony conviction. He served two years in prison for assault with a deadly weapon. He stabbed his victim with a pocketknife. Just the kind of person I'd like to introduce my kids to! And he's not a bum!

"Homeless man upset at Hunt's 'bum' rap." The Dallas Morning News; July 9, 2011; p. 2B.

Obamacare -- More than We Asked For!

Guess what? There's a shortage of physicians in this country, and fewer people choosing to enter the medical profession due to the uncertainties of Obamacare.


So the Obama administration has decided they're going to figure out just what those doctors are doing. "Mystery Shoppers" will disperse across the country to make appointments with physicians to see how difficult it is to get treatment. It just might be very difficult when your ailment is fictitious!


The administration says this is to address a "critical public policy problem." And just who do they think created this "critical public policy problem." Notice how they won't say it's a problem with this whole health care scam. This sting operation will try to discover if doctors are turning away patients with government insurance while accepting patients with private insurance. Well, Duh! The private pay insurance isn't cutting reimbursement rates like the government is trying to!


Next, they'll be coming in to the exam room with you and telling the doctor what he can and cannot do. So I've come up with a campaign slogan for Obama's 2012 run -- "OBAMACARE -- MORE THAN YOU ASKED FOR!"

"Survey targets doctor deficit." The Dallas Morning News; June 27, 2011; p. 1A.

How many chances?

I didn't check back, but I think I've written before about all the chances Lavar Horne has been given. At least the name and the circumstances sound very familiar to me.


Lavar, a Dallas Police officer, has used up another chance. He was arrested this month for stealing a gun from a motorist. He could get up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, but if history is any indicator, he'll get his job back with the PD.


Lavar initially applied to the department in 2001, but he was rejected, because he failed the civil service exam. He was deemed "unable to logically process information." He applied again in 2002 and was hired. I guess he got logical during those few months. He was fired in 2003 when the department discovered his drivers license was suspended. He was reinstated in 2004. From 2005 to 2007, Horne received three disciplinary actions. In 2008, he was suspended for 20 days when he turned in a forged doctor's exuse for a work absence. There was also suspicion about that time that he had tipped off a club about an impending raid.


I expect he'll be back on the job before the end of the year.

"Officer fired after arrest in gun theft." The Dallas Morning News; June 30, 2011; p. 1B.

You just have to wonder.

I just have to wonder about some people. John Williamson of Plano is upset with Bob Sweeney who wrote a letter to the editor in which he said that the answer to homelessness was not jobs and housing but recovery.


John says that, absolutely jobs and housing are the answers. He says what Sweeney said is a slap in the face to him. After all, he's only been homeless and looking for a job for 16 years. But it's not his fault -- it's the unjust hiring practices and the lack of labor law rights in this country that are to blame. With that mindset, if John got a job or a house, how long do you think he'd keep it? I think he just proved Mr. Sweeney's point.

"Other reasons to be homeless." The Dallas Morning News; July 1, 2011; p. 20A.

Sadly, it isn't a joke!

A federal lawsuit has been filed against the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance. Did you know there was such a thing? The judge has ruled that the alliance can limit the number of heterosexual participants on its teams.


I think the lawsuit stems from the fact that a team was stripped of its championship because it had too many heterosexuals on it. I can't imagine a straight person wanting to play softball with a bunch of perverts, but can you imagine the outcry if there were a North American Heterosexual Amateur Athletic Alliance?

"Softball case raises question: What qualifies as gay?" The Dallas Morning News; July 1, 2011; p. 10A.

They did it backwards.

As many as 12,000 people in federal prisons for crack cocaine related crimes will get their sentences reduced as the result of a new law that brings the penalties for crack into line with those for powdered cocaine. According to the federal courts, the sentences for crack were discriminatory, because those who use crack tend to be inner city thugs instead of wealthier thugs who can afford the powder drug.


It's OK by me if they make the penalties the same for each drug -- a drug dealer is a drug dealer. But instead of increasing the penalties for powder cocaine possession, they reduced the penalties for crack possession. And the U.S. Sentencing Commission has decided to make it retroactive. So that means thousands of crack pushers are going to be released on our streets. Makes you proud to be an American, doesn't it?

"12,000 inmates may get crack sentences reduced." The Dallas Morning News; July 1, 2011; p. 1A.

Oxymoron?

I don't find the oppression of women funny in the least, but this article struck me as a bit ironic. It's about an Irani fashion model. Don't you think that's a bit of an oxymoron?


I can envision the runway show now.


"Our first model is Farnaz in a cocoa brown burqa. Note the exotic eyeslits."


"Our second model is Zahedi. Zahedi wears an ebony burqa. Zahedi goes a bit daring this summer by showing her wrists."


"Next on our runway is Marjaneh. Marjaneh goes wild in a navy blue burqa. Note how it can pass for black for those evenings when she's serving formal dinner to her husband and his friends."


"And, finally, Jalala models that all purpose slate gray burqa -- it doesn't show dirt so it's perfect for haggling with the street vendors. You'll be the envy of all the other women in this lovely number -- unfortunately, you can't enjoy it, because they won't be able to see who in the heck you are."

"Dress code getting even stricter." The Dallas Morning News; June 26, 2011; p. 16A.

Two Classy Ladies

These two classy ladies are singing, "Going to the Chapel." They plan to marry (each other) in New York. I think I understand why there's no man involved in this wedding. Ewwwwwww!

OK, Mr. Defense Attorney.

Jamal Applewhite has had a bunch of chances. When he was 13 years old, he murdered his best friend, hid his body, and tried to make it look like someone else did it. He went to TYC. When he got out of TYC, he committed three thefts. Then he got caught carrying a handgun. Then he tried to run over a man with his car after the two had a fight. Then in April 2010, he shot a BB gun at another motorist on LBJ Freeway.


Applewhite's mama says her son didn't have a chance to grow up -- they robbed him of that at TYC. No, "they" didn't rob him of anything. He robbed himself. As to the BB gun incident, Applewhite's attorney says that a BB gun isn't a real gun. In arguing for probation, he said prosecutors just wanted to punish Jamal again for the murder he committed. "They want you to demonize him," Ezekiel told the jury. "We're going to ask you to punish him appropriately."


The jury granted Ezekiel's request to punish him appropriately. Jamal will be spending the next 15 years in prison.

"2nd chances end for DeSoto man." The Dallas Morning News; June 25, 2011; p. 1A.

Disheartening

I had the TV on the other day when Governor Cuomo of New York signed gay marriage into law there. It was quite disheartening. When he signed the bill, the crowds erupted into cheers. I looked at it as another signature on the death warrant for our nation. We cannot continue to spit in God's eye and at the same time expect Him to bring us out of all our troubles.


There was a photo in the paper of a wild-eyed, spiked-hair homosexual holding a couple of signs. One of the signs said, "Marriage is defined by: Commitment not Gender." I disagree. Marriage is defined by God, not man. The other showed two women surrounded by hearts: "Equality is God's way." Equality has nothing to do with it. That's just a term the perverts have co-opted because no one wants to say he is opposed to equality. Furthermore, the only time God talks about equality of persons is when he speaks of the availability of salvation. In that sense, homosexuals are equal to every other sinner -- "Whosoever will may come." But they don't like the kicker -- "Whosoever will may come," but he must come in repentance.


Thomas Duane, a Democrat state senator from New York and the "Senate's first openly-gay and first openly HIV-positive member," said, "We are leaders and we join other proud states that recognize our families and the battle will now go on in other states." When did we fall so low that we count it honorable that a state senator is gay and bears the sickness of his perversion? I mourn for our nation.

"Lawmakers legalize gay marriage." The Dallas Morning News; June 25, 2011; p. 8A.
http://www.tomduane.com/bio.html

I call it assault.

The gay guys have come up with a thing they call glittering. I call it assault. Representative Michelle Bachman, Newt Gingrich, and Tim Pawlenty have all been victimized by the glitter throwing morons. The morons say it's a fun way to get their message across.


Many years ago, when I was in junior high and the streets were safe at night, some of my buddies and I dressed up for Halloween and went down to the local elementary school carnival. After we had hung around there for a bit, we decided to walk down the block to the convenience store to get an Icee. On the way, a bunch of boys hiding behind a bush jumped out and threw glitter on us. It was fun, all right -- one of my buddies got an eye full of the stuff. We were scared to death she would go blind. We took her into the store, and the clerk there got some eyewash and washed her eye. It took quite a bit to get it all out, and her eye was extremely bloodshot for quite a while. As my mama always used to say, "You'll put your eye out."


Jake Goodman of Queer Rising says it's a way to publicly shame these offenders. Jake is a clueless idiot. It's not the ones getting the glitter in the face who are shameful. . . it's the perverted morons doing the throwing.

"Activists ambush with glitter." The Dallas Morning News; June 23, 2011; p. 8A.

There is another option.

People are funny. They'll give you an either/or option when it suits their purposes and neglect to mention that there just might be a third option.

Last month, there was a Rave in Dallas. Rave is just a euphemism for a wild, heavy metal, drug party. As a result of the one in Dallas, at least two people died and several were hospitalized, and fire codes were violated. People are concerned that this travesty took place on city property -- at Fair Park -- despite knowledge that the Rave promoter has had similar problems in other cities.


Jared Keller of Mesquite is one of the poor misguided young people who thought they were having a good time at the Rave. He says the reporting is biased, but I'm not quite sure how reporting that two kids died and several were arrested on drug charges can be biased. Jared says that banning these events from public venues will do nothing but exacerbate the problem. "Would you rather these 23,000 attendees go party in the underground rave scene where police, EMTs and free water are unheard of?" So, it's either go to Fair Park or go underground. How about that third option -- stay away from drug infested concerts no matter where they are?

"A good rave experience." The Dallas Morning News; June 25, 2011; p. 20A.

Get a bumper sticker.

The State of Texas is facing a controversy over license plates. The state contracts with a private company called My Plates to make specialty plates which bring in less than a million dollars in state revenue each year. The various charities, etc., that commission the plates take in a collective $2.5 million. And the counties that issue the plates get a collective $56,800.

The controversy surfacing is that the NAACP doesn't like the plates commissioned by the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Their logo contains {Gasp!} the Confederate battle flag! They find the symbolism offensive. "You might as well have a plate with a lynched black person on there as well as that one because of the signal that it sends. . .Clearly what it's about is racial hostility and hatred," says NAACP Director Gary Bledsoe. Get real, Gary! Just for the record, Essie finds all the MLK and Cesar Chavez Boulevards offensive. And she finds it offensive when Black Panther thugs intimidate voters at the polls and get away with it.

I think the solution is for the state to eliminate specialty plates. What they make off them is less than a drop in the bucket, and that drop plus more is expended fighting ridiculous lawsuits because somebody is offended by one of the plates. The charities will just have to find some other way to raise their funds, and those wishing to display their loyalties on their vehicles can go buy a bumper sticker.

"Rebel flag license plate war not over." The Dallas Morning News; June 23, 2011, p. 5A.

How sad.

An analysis of census statistical data shows that more than half of the children under age 2 in the U.S. are minorities, and the share of black households headed by single women exceeds black households with married couples.

Laura Speer, coordinator of the Kids Count project for the Annie E. Casey Foundation said, ". . .we're living in a different world than the 1950's where married or two-parent heterosexual couples are now no longer the norm. . ."

How sad.

"Majority of children under 2 are minorities." The Dallas Morning News; June 24, 2011; p. 7A.

Did you know . . .

. . .there are approximately 1.5 million households in Texas drawing food stamps? . . .that Texas issued $5.45 billion in food stamps in 2010? . . . that an additional 696,000 households are eligible for food stamps? . . . that the department measures its success by how many new families it signs up? . . . that if the additional eligible families are signed up, it will cost the taxpayer an added $2.5 billion?

Oh well, what's another billion or two? We have plenty of money.

"State praised for better handling of food-stamp cases." The Dallas Morning News; June 17, 2011; p. 3A.

Obama's Stimulus at Work

Obama has admitted recently at a big jobs council meeting that there weren't as many "shovel-ready" projects as he thought when he pushed through his huge stimulus boondoggle. In fact, you can probably count them on two hands. The bulk of the stimulus money didn't go toward creating real jobs but instead went to social programs. The money people like you and I worked so hard to earn went to people who sit on their tails and watch Oprah gush about the Michelle and Barack. And a bunch of it went to new government employees who administer the money to the people who sit on their tails and watch Oprah gush about the Michelle and Barack.

This big meeting was held at Cree Inc., an LED light bulb maker. Cree got $5.2 million in stimulus money to create jobs. How many jobs do you suppose they were able to create with that $5.2 million? Five hundred? A hundred? Fifty? Ten? No, folks, our $5.2 million bought three jobs. We'd have been much better off if we had taken that $5.2 million and pulled five taxpayers' names out of the hat and given them $1 million each. When they went on their spending sprees, THAT would have created jobs!

"Obama's grave mistake on job potential." The Dallas Morning News; June 20, 2011; p. 13A.

Why be a Methodist?

Why would anyone want to pastor in a denomination that holds beliefs contrary to one's own? Some pastors in the United Methodist Church say they will not obey a church rule that prohibits them from officiating at same-sex marriages. Amy DeLong is one of those pastors. Her photo accompanied the article in the newspaper. I must say, having seen that photo, that I think I understand why she supports same sex marriage. Amy has received a 20 day suspension for defying church policy.

At any rate, why would someone who believes he is called by God to preach not just leave the denomination he's at odds with and preach on his own or join a denomination that shares his beliefs? I can think of only one reason -- he'd have to give up a steady paycheck.

One retired Methodist pastor, Richard Harding, has been defying church policy on the issue for years. He says the policy is "out of touch." Well it's certainly not "out of touch" with God! At any rate, as more and more pressure is put upon church officials to abolish the ban, he says that "There are signs that the pole of justice is beginning to lean the proper way. I think we'll see even more of this. We aren't going to go away."

I would remind Mr. Harding of the words of Isaiah the Prophet: "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!"

"Pastors flout ban on gay weddings." The Dallas Morning News; June 20, 2011; p. 6A.

How much is enough?

You'll find few people more patriotic than I am. I believe in the principles upon which our nation was founded. I believe in a strong defense, and I believe we should support the people who make up our armed forces. We do owe those men and women who place their lives on the line to protect our freedoms.

However, I'm just a little concerned with the attitude that because my husband serves in the military, you should give me whatever I want. Here's my example.

Anne Curtis lives in Harker Heights near Ft. Hood. Her husband is currently serving in Iraq. Anne had an iPhone. She lost it. She says it is causing extreme difficulty for her and her two sons, because they cannot receive calls from her husband. She thinks it is unfair that she is expected to pay the $400 replacement cost for the phone, because she opted not to take out insurance on it. But, she says, she only paid $49 for the original phone. But that was an offer contingent upon her signing a contract with the company. She says she was not told when she bought the phone that she could take out insurance. I find that difficult to believe. When was the last time you bought any sort of electronic gizmo that salesman didn't try to get you to take the insurance? It's so prevalent, that I recently bought a $59 desk lamp at Office Max, and they wanted to know if I wanted the extended warranty on it.

She says she feared for her family's economic well-being if she had to pay for a new phone. I say that if money is that tight, she shouldn't be spending money on a cellphone. Yes, it's nice to be able to communicate with your loved ones who are far away, but what does she think military folks did in Vietnam, Korea, and WW II? They depended on the mail or occasional phone calls.

Instead of saying, "I really messed up when I didn't buy the insurance, and I wonder if the company might graciously cut me some slack," Anne wonders " . . . if this is just the way that cellphone companies can treat customers these days."

So, AT&T, afraid of negative publicity, I'm sure, has sent Anne another phone. I think Anne has an entitlement attitude, and I am not impressed.

"Serviceman's wife gets help replacing lost iPhone." The Dallas Morning News; June 19, 2011; p. 3B.

Field of Dreams

Remember "If you build it, they will come"? Evidently, that's the case with free meals. More than 5000 sites across Texas are offering summer nutrition programs courtesy of the USDA. It's not enough that we feed kids on the taxpayer dime at school -- now we have to take care of them all summer. They don't have to apply or fill out any paperwork. Anybody up to 18 years old can come. What happened to kids 16 and over working during the summer? Especially if their families are so poor they can't afford to feed them?

Bryan Black, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Agriculture which administers the program in Texas says, "Clearly, we are seeing a trend of more children needing this assistance." That's debatable. Just because they come get a free meal doesn't mean they need it. If you offer it, they will come. In Garland, the number of kids participating doubled in three days. Word travels fast. "Hey, Pedro, there's free food down here, amigo!!!!" There are 954 sites in the Dallas area. Black says he hopes to see that number grow. Huh? He wants more needy kids so he can open more sites?

Dora Rivas, the Dallas school district's executive director of food and child nutrition services says, "It is not a welfare program." Well, excuse me, but just what is it? If you're taking tax dollars from one person to feed another person's kids, that sounds like welfare to me.

And as far as nutritious? The photo of the kid they ran with the article showed him eating pizza. Don't tell Michelle.

"The eat is on, and it's free." The Dallas Morning News; June 14, 2011; p. 1B.

ZAP!

You know, God doesn't often strike people dead right when they deserve it most, but sometimes He does.

Isabel Chavelo Gutierrez, a registered sex offender on parole from a sentence for aggravated sexual assault and indecency with a child, died June 2 while in the act of raping a 77-year-old woman. ZAP!

"Man died in act of rape, investigators say." The Dallas Morning News; June 14, 2011; p. 4A.

Are they kidding?

Some Metroplex area school districts are quite upset about funding cuts. Why, they're going to have to shut down their planetariums!

I couldn't quite believe my eyes when I read that several school districts have planetariums. That's all well and good if you have a private benefactor who wants to enrich the students' science experiences, but do the taxpayers really need to fund these extravagances? It costs the Mesquite ISD $300,000 a year to fund their planetarium. They say it's too difficult to plan a field trip to another facility. And the students can't afford the trip to the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science. My stars, the district could pay for all the students to go for what they're paying to keep up their own facility. Anyway, there are area colleges that have planetariums that I feel sure could be used -- UT at Arlington has one, and nearby Texas A & M at Commerce has one.

The teachers say the planetarium experience is much more than just star photos and canned videos. The $300,000 is worth it. "One recent week, students learned the order of the planets." I have news for them -- when I was in about the 4th grade, I learned the order of the planets, too -- from a little solar system mobile that probably cost my teacher $1.98.

If this is what our education dollars are being used for, then the legislature did the right thing when they drastically cut the funding.

"Heavens! Cuts shut planetariums." The Dallas Morning News; June 10, 2011; p. 1B.

Oops! Not such a good example!

The first week in June, Obama went to a Chrysler plant in Toledo, Ohio, to try to brainwash the people there into believing his policies and bailouts have saved us from the brink of destruction. He mentioned how the auto industry bailout had saved other businesses such as New Chet's Restaurant in Toledo. New Chet's has been in business since 1973, so it survived Jimmy Carter.

Oops! Just a week or prior to the Savior's visit, owners New Chet's owners Richard and Berlyn Lawrence had made the decision to shutter the business due to tough times. As I've heard someone else say, "Congratulations, Jimmy Carter! You are no longer the worst President in U.S. history!"

"Restaurant touted by Obama set to close Sunday." The Dallas Morning News; June 10, 2011; p. 10A.

Media bias?

When the newspaper reported the new laws in Alabama, do you think it was biased? One of the new laws is similar to Arizona's illegal immigrant laws, but it goes a bit further -- if you transport illegal aliens or hire them, you are subject to prosecution. Students will be required to show evidence of citizenship; however, under federal rules, they'll still have to allow illegals to go to school.

At any rate, the headline states: "Strict Alabama law targets immigrants." NO, IT DOESN'T! It targets illegals and those who aid and abet them. Linton Juaquin of the National Immigration Law Center says, "It is a sweeping attack on immigrants and people of color in general." NO, IT ISN'T! The law doesn't apply on the basis of skin color. It doesn't apply to legal immigrants. It applies only to ILLEGALS no matter what color they are.

And these laws do work. Next to the article on Alabama's law was one detailing how illegals are fleeing Georgia. Georgia passed similar legislation which went into effect July 1. One of the illegals who is leaving said, "I believe the law should be for criminals, not us." News Flash! If you're here illegally, you ARE a criminal.

"Strict Alabama law targets immigrants." The Dallas Morning News; June 10, 2011; p. 1A.
"Illegal immigrants fleeing Georgia law." The Dallas Morning News; June 10, 2011; p. 8A.