Aw, Judge, give him another chance!

James Giraldo pleaded guilty to manslaughter for killing 27-year-old Juliana Rincon-Cuartas in October 2008 as he drove drunk the wrong way on the Dallas North Tollway. He begged the jury for leniency. He says he thinks about Juliana every day. He has her picture on his refrigerator. "It's one of the most difficult things I've ever had to deal with in my whole life . . . I think about her family. I think about what I took away from the family because of my own stupidity."

I think James is a good actor and just doesn't want to go to prison -- because if he really was so remorseful, it's not likely he would have been arrested again last August driving drunk on the Dallas North Tollway.

His attorney asks if justice is always imprisonment. Maybe not always, but unfortunately, the death penalty can't be used in this case. And the jury saw it that way, too. They imposed the maximum sentence.

"Drunken driver asks jury for leniency." The Dallas Morning News; February 5, 2010; p. 3B.

What are our schools teaching?

I have suspected for quite some time that the education our kids are receiving is something less than adequate, that morals are certainly not up to par, and that the younger generation tends to the lazy side. A recent column in the newspaper seems to confirm my fears.

The Dallas County Sheriff's Department advertised for deputies. Applications were accepted from 206 individuals. Those applicants were required to take a test covering things they should have learned before graduating high school -- reading comprehension, grammar, and analytical ability. Out of 206 people, 39, fewer than 20% passed the test.

The next phase was a physical fitness test -- nothing too strenuous for young, healthy people. It consisted of 21 push-ups, 29 sit-ups, a vertical leap of 15.5 inches, and a 1.5 mile run. This test eliminated 23 of the 39 applicants left.

Next was the background check. Another 6 people were eliminated. A polygraph eliminated another. Two more went down after a psychological evaluation.

After two people voluntarily dropped out, only 5 people out of 206 made it to the academy. As an aging American, I fear for my health and safety.

"Two discouraging snapshots of society." The Dallas Morning News; February 7, 2010; p. 1B.

Pigs to the Trough

Tessa Savicki isn't married. She gave birth in 2006 to her ninth child. She's suing Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts, because when she had her last child by Caesarian section, the doctors did a little more work -- they tied her tubes. She says her current partner wants another son, and she can't give him one. She's afraid he'll leave her.

Tessa says how many children she has is no one's business but hers. I beg to disagree. You and I are paying for all her illegitimate kids. She's a welfare moocher. Professor Linda Fentiman of Pace University School of Law sees things Tessa's way. She says that some people " . . .think poor people shouldn't have the same rights to reproduce as everybody else." Their reproductive rights are not the problem here -- their drain on hardworking sensible people is. What idiot thinks having nine children when you can't put food on the table is a wise thing to do? Tessa's lawyer says, ". . .it just blows your mind, because you see how ingrained the bigotry is against poor people." What a crock! Being resentful of welfare cheats has nothing to do with bigotry against the poor. I have every sympathy for the poor. I have nothing but contempt for moochers like Tessa.

Fentiman further says that we have a lack of respect for "women's reproductive autonomy." I say that if a woman really wants to be autonomous, she'll take care of her own children and not expect the taxpayers to foot the bill.

Tessa says, "Does it really matter how many kids I have? They sterilized me without my permission, and here in the United States you have your rights. No one can tell you to do anything." That sounds good, but let's analyze it. Does it really matter how many kids she has? Not if she's paying for them, but when I'm paying for them, it does. "Here in the U.S., you have your rights -- no one can tell you to do anything." Guess the IRS hasn't heard that one -- they tell me every pay period how much they're going to take out of my check and hand over to Tessa and her ilk. They sterilized her without her permission -- and they're my heroes for having done so!

"Sterilizing the poor." The Dallas Morning News; January 31, 2010; p. 6P.

But I don't know him . . .

State Representative Terri Hodge was convicted last month of taking bribes and failing to report them on her income taxes. This was all part of the big Dallas City Hall corruption scandal involving Don Hill and others. Ms. Hodge was up for re-election, and her name remained on the ballot despite the fact that a convicted felon cannot serve in the position she held.

What amazes me are people like Gloria Hogg, the Democratic precinct chair for Hodge's district. She said, "If Hodge's name is still on the ballot, then I will vote Terri. . . . We don't know a lot about Mr. Johnson [Hodge's opponent in the race] . . ."

Does she have to know anything about him? She knows that Hodge is a thief, a liar, a tax cheat, and a convicted felon. That should be enough to ensure a vote for her opponent -- in all probability, he's more honest than she is. I wonder if Gloria is from Chicago?

"Talking Points." The Dallas Morning News; February 7, 2010; p. 1A.

Just suppose . . .

Suppose Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity, in evaluating Obama's State of the Union speech, had said, "I forgot he was black tonight for an hour."

Do you think there would have been an outcry? Do you think all the liberals and the blacks would have been demanding their heads?

Now suppose MSNBC's Chris Matthews said it. What do you think would happen? Well, he did say it, and nothing happened. The story was buried on page 9 of the newspaper. Guess it all depends on who you are and/or which network you work for.

"'Black' remark stirs furor." The Dallas Morning News; January 29, 2010; p. 9A.

P.T. Barnum was right.

Have you heard about the latest preacher scam? Franklin Frisby says God has entrusted him with hundreds of billions of dollars (it's all in a Swiss bank somewhere). He's going to distribute that money ($50 million each) to people who pay him dues. Some suckers have been doing that for five years or more. How many do you think have received their $50 million?

Frisby says he knows the money is good. He knows "a guy who works for the FBI who knows the CIA, and he knows the banking business." He confirms everything is real. But Frisby didn't tell us his FBI guy's name. See, it hasn't been distributed yet because it's coming from the "international foundation department" of the U.N. And you know what that U.N. red tape is like. The thing is, the U.N. doesn't have an international foundation department.

Well, you see, according to Ingrid Jeffrey who is a consultant for Frisby, this money was "accumulated by governments in World War II." She says she's well-qualified to authenticate all this -- she has a 164 IQ and a Ph.D. in finance from California State University at Fullerton. The thing is, Cal State at Fullerton doesn't offer a Ph.D. in finance. And they never heard of her.

Tamara Guy is a spokesman for Frisby in North Texas. She says the FBI, the CIA, and everybody else has checked Frisby out and he's OK. And what's her source for this information? Frisby, himself.

Yes, folks, this man has grown rich by taking P. T. Barnum at his word.

"Pastor's Pitch: pay dues, reap millions." The Dallas Morning News; January 31, 2010; p. 1A.

If you can't do the fine, don't do the crime.

The Texas Driver Responsibility Program was designed to assess additional fines on motoring offenses such as drunken driving. If the money is not collected, the offender's license is supposed to be suspended.

Well, this isn't fair to poor people says state Senator Elliott Shapleigh. He wants a provision that indigent people don't have to pay the fines. He says people can't pay their fines, they get their licenses suspended, then they have no way to work. Uhhhh -- Senator Shapleigh --- if they weren't violating the law, they wouldn't have a problem now, would they? And a large portion of those currently in arrears were cited for not having a drivers license in the first place.

Mary Moody is an Austin resident who was cited for no insurance. She says that it is hard to see why a program that criminalizes so many Texans would be allowed to continue. Mary, the program doesn't criminalize Texans. I'm a Texan and it hasn't bothered me any. That's because I buy insurance, I don't drive drunk, and I keep my drivers license current. No Texan who does those things need worry about becoming "criminalized."

"High traffic surcharges uncollected." The Dallas Morning News; January 31, 2010; p. 1A.