Liberals are soooooo compassionate!

Unlike hardhearted uncaring conservatives, liberals are the epitome of compassion and caring. Take this quote about the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan: "The human toll here looks to be much worse than the economic toll, and we can be grateful for that." Who said this? It must have been George Bush. Or John Boehner. Or Clarence Thomas. Or Rush Limbaugh. No. . .guess again. It was liberal CNBC anchor Larry Kudlow. Freudian slip? "Talking Points." The Dallas Morning News; March 20, 2011; p. 1P.

Where were mom and dad?

Jon Thomas Carmichael was 13 years old. He was a student in the Joshua school district. Last year, he hanged himself at his family's farm. His family is suing the Joshua school district, the superintendent, and other staff members.

Jon Thomas was the victim of what his family and their attorney call bullying. What the child suffered is unconscionable. On different occasions, he was thrown into a trash bin, stripped, and had his head "flushed" in the school toilets. His family says the school ignored his plight.

My question is where were mom and dad? These were not childish pranks. These were criminal assaults. If it had been my child, and I received no help from the school district, I would have called the police. In fact, why have the boys who perpetrated these assaults not been charged?

We hear far too much about bullying. Verbal taunts and juvenile pranks are one thing. Kids should be taught to stand up to them, because there will always be those in life who don't like you and who will taunt you. Physical assault, however, is not mere bullying -- it's a crime. And if mom and dad were negligent in reporting the assaults against their son, how can they now blame the school district?

"Parents of boy who killed himself sue district." The Dallas Morning News; March 30, 2011; p. 7B.

Que pasa?

Interesting fact. Did you know that the majority of Texas public school students are hispanic? There are currently 2.48 million hispanic public school students. Any guesses as to how many of those are illegal?

"Latinos now a majority in state's public schools." The Dallas Morning News; March 24, 2011; p. 1B.

Rights or Giveaways?

Carl Crain of Richardson is upset with the government attempts to reduce spending. He says the "GOP is reducing our rights through the vast budget cuts they are proposing. . ." I, for one, would like to know what "right" the GOP is reducing by cutting the budget. I can't think of a one. Surely Mr. Crain understands that handouts from the taxpayer via the government are not rights. Surely Mr. Crain understands that a quality education does not have to cost the billions we are spending. No, the only "right" involved here is the one being restored -- the right of the wage-earner to keep that for which he has labored.

"Time's ripe for a recall." The Dallas Morning News; March 29, 2011; p. 10A.

An Honorable Way to Die

There is a trial going on now in Arizona. James Ray is a self-help author. He's one of those guys who tells you how to have a better life while he, himself, rakes in your money.

In 2009, a bunch of people paid him $10,000 to $15,000 each to participate in his spiritual warrior camp. He did things to them like telling them to go out in the desert for long periods of time with no food or water. Meanwhile, he's back at the camp making sure he's hydrated and fed.

One of his activities was a sweat lodge. He bragged to the participants that this one would be hotter than any he had ever done. He didn't lie. Three people died from the heat. The irony is that these people all thought this experience would teach them to be independent thinkers. Yet they literally followed his instruction to the death.

One of the people who was pulled unconscious from the sweat lodge but survived testified in the trial that she surrendered to the possibility of death just before she lost consciousness. She believed it would be an "honorable way to die." I think it was a stupid way to die.

"Nurse recalls blacking out in sweat lodge." The Dallas Morning News; March 26, 2011; p. 5A.

You are wrong, Jimmie

Jimmie Loyd of Tyler doesn't understand the voter ID bill currently in the Texas legislature. When enacted, the bill will require a Texas drivers license or concealed carry license or Texas ID card or military ID or passport to vote. Jimmie says that since her mother is in a nursing home and doesn't have a drivers license, she will be unable to vote. Simply not true. She can take her mother to get a Texas ID card. If her mother is not able to leave the nursing home, she can still vote by mail. Jimmie says the Republicans think her mother is going to commit voter fraud. Again, Jimmie, simply not true. The law is as much to protect your mother from someone stealing her vote as it is to protect the election process. Seeing as your mother is not, as you say, disenfranchised by the bill, I have to wonder, Jimmie, why you are so opposed to it. "Voting for others hypocritical." The Dallas Morning News; March 27, 2011; p. 2P.

The Dirty Truth

When I was a kid, I enjoyed nothing more than playing in the dirt. At my grandmother's house, there was a shady corner in the backyard where grass refused to grow. When I was just a little tyke, we took our little shovels and pails out there and dug a hole big enough for us to lie in. Then to our mother's horror, we got the hose and filled the hole with water to make a "swimming pool." I'm sure we were a sight to behold!

Then there was making mudpies and sand castles and digging for treasure and burying treasures and all sorts of other neat things to do with dirt. Sometimes Grandma helped us plant a dried bean in a little cup of dirt so we could watch it sprout. We "helped" Grandpa every spring when he turned up his garden.

There was sandy dirt which was good for digging in and there was clay which was good for mudpies. There was black dirt and red dirt. The red dirt left stains on us. The black dirt mixed with our sweat and formed little black beads in the crinkles of our necks. We were quite the dirt experts.

Kids now evidently don't know what dirt is, because London has a new museum exhibit . . . "Dirt: The Filthy Reality of Everyday Life." It "explores the good and bad of dirt." It explains to people that "soil" as in "soiled sheets" is bad; but "soil" as in where we plant our seeds is good. I swear this is not an April Fool prank. The dirty truth is that we have sunk to a new low when we have to have a museum exhibit to explain "dirt"!

"Exhibit digs into pros, cons of humanity's ties to dirt." The Dallas Morning News; March 27, 2011; p. 15A.