Does Hillary speak for you?

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks for the nation at the U.N. Human Rights Council when she says, "Gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights." That's a stupid statement with no substance. It means nothing, but it sounds enlightened and benevolent. The emperor has no clothes.

"It should never be a crime to be gay," Clinton said. "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination," God said. Which one speaks for you?

"Clinton: U.S. supports gay rights worldwide." The Dallas Morning News; December 7, 2011; p. 11A.

Matter of Interpretation

The news reports that arrests of illegal immigrants along the U.S. border with Mexico are at the lowest level since the Nixon administration. This indicates, according to the newpaper, that fewer people are attempting to cross the border to live and/or work in the United States. Therefore, they say, the debate on illegal immigration will move from securing the border to handling the illegals who are already here.

I have a different interpretation of the data. Fewer arrests means border security has been weakened in recent years. It's not that fewer people are coming across the border; it's that more of them are coming across without being apprehended. The motive for this misinterpretation of the data is clarified in their conclusion -- let's just quit worrying about the border and come up with a way that those already here can stay.

That's kind of like the plumber who comes to your flooded kitchen to fix the hole in your waterline. His solution to your problem: let's just mop up all this water and not worry about that hole. Sounds pretty stupid when it's put like that, doesn't it?

"Border arrests at low point." The Dallas Morning News; December 7, 2011; p. 1A.

Cost isn't the only issue.

Charles Mikkelsen of Dallas contends that universal single-payer health care would be cheaper, especially for businesses, and would cover everyone in the country. I doubt that's true. Somebody has to pay for health care -- the user, the business owner, or other taxpayers. Mikkelson contends that we should be like other countries, and if we don't agree with him, we are obstinate and shortsighted.

However, for the sake of argument, let's concede Mikkelson's original point that a single-payer system would be cheaper. The next question is whether or not we really want to be like other countries. Do we want to wait three years for a gall bladder operation? Do we want bureaucrats telling us which procedures we need and which we don't? Do we want politicians deciding who gets medicine when there's a shortage? Besides all that, it doesn't appear single-payer systems have done much for the economies in all those countries Mikkelson considers to be enlightened.

Perhaps Mr. Mikkelson needs to be reminded of the old saw "you get what you pay for."

"Single-payer would be cheaper." The Dallas Morning News; December 6, 2011; p. 14A.

Hoist on His Own Petard

Let's just say that Christopher Scott Furber is not the brightest bulb in the box.

Christopher committed the perverted act of putting a hidden camera disguised as an air freshener inside a recreation center restroom in Plano. How do they know Christopher did it? His photograph is the first one the camera snapped.

"Arrest made in case of restroom camera." The Dallas Morning News; December 6, 2011; p. 2B.

From my WIST file . . .

Some words of wisdom:

•  You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.
• What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.
• The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.
• You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.
• When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.

Harold Cooperman

Richardson, Texas

I am offended.

You can call me a redneck, a bigot, a racist, un-pc, or whatever you want, but I am one of those people who believes mixed race marriages are asking for trouble. I find the recent trend in advertising to be especially offensive -- a kind of "in your face" pairing of black/white couples when there's really no need for it.

So -- Macy's, Lexus, Dentyne, K-Mart, Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese, and all the other companies trying to prove how tolerant you are, I am offended by your ads. But since I'm a conservative Christian, I doubt that bothers you.

What has happened to gratitude?

Before the Thanksgiving turkey even had time to get cold, people began their surge to black Friday sales. Don't get me wrong, I love a good bargain as much as the next person, and I and my family had a great time shopping, selecting gifts, and opening presents. But can we not take even 24 hours to be thankful for what we have without obsessing over how much more we need to get?



People (idiots if you really want to be honest about it) camped out in front of stores for days before Thanksgiving. One woman talked about how they manned their tent in shifts so each of them could have a chance to go home for the Thanksgiving feast. Stores opened at ridiculous hours for fear the competition would get more sales than they did. Even at 4 in the morning, people jammed the doorways waiting to get in. People were pepper sprayed, trampled, and assaulted -- all for the chance to get 50% off. People mistakenly thought one store in California was opening at midnight. The store was actually scheduled to open at 4 a.m. When the unsuspecting employees who were stocking shelves failed to open the doors at midnight, the barbarians knocked them down and stormed into the closed story, neglecting to pay for the merchandise they helped themselves to. And all this under the guise of celebrating the birth of the Savior.


No, Thanksgiving and Christmas just don't seem to mean what they once did to the masses. The holidays seem to be much less about thanking God for His goodness and reflecting on His abundant blessings and much more about greedily beating the other guy to the big bargain -- legally or illegally. May God forgive us our selfishness and ingratitude, and may we all remember in 2012 that the important things in life are not things.