George A. Sprecace M.D.,
J.D., F.A.C.P. and Allergy
Associates of New
London,
P.C.
www.asthma.drsprecace.com
RAPID
RESPONSE (Archives)...Daily Commentary on News of the Day
This is a new
section. It will
offer fresh,
quick reactions by myself to news and events of the day, day by day, in
this rapid-fire world of ours. Of course, as in military
campaigns,
a rapid response in one direction may occasionally have to be followed
by a "strategic withdrawal" in another direction. Charge that
to
"the fog of war", and to the necessary flexibility any mental or
military
campaign must maintain to be effective. But the mission will
always
be the same: common sense, based upon facts and "real politick",
supported
by a visceral sense of Justice and a commitment to be
pro-active.
That's all I promise.
GS
TO CONNECTICUT REPUBLICANS AND TO HEREDITARY, BRAIN-DEAD CONNECTICUT DEMOCRATS: "You Can't Beat Something With Nothing". A
neophyte New York self-proclaimed Socialist beat the the U.S. House
fourth-ranking Democrat...who "assumed" that he had the Primary in the
bag. See "Insurgents Look To N.Y.'s Ocasio-Cortez As Trail Blazer" (in ctmirror.org, June 29, 2018). That's
what Ct. Republicans "assume": that they will always lose, despite the
execrable state of this State and of the City of New London after forty
years of Democrat control. WAKE UP! And Wake Up our moribund
reflexive Democrats, many of whom have had it up to here with stupidity
and corruption. As was the case nationally in 2016 and will be the case
in 2018 and 2020, many people are ready for change and are repelled by
the words and actions of the Leftists. But "you can't beat something
with nothing". Develop a true Republican Plan, approach ALL Ct. voters
(Republican and Democrat), and WAKE UP!
GS
RR#3
AMENDMENT 1 TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. "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." I have always considered this the Most Important and consequential of the ten amendments of the Bill of Rights. And although I did not realize it until recently, Justice Anthony Kennedy for thirty years has been "The First Amendment's Undisputed Champion" (Opinion article by Floyd Abrams, in WSJ June30 - July 1, 2018, pA13. Talk about "leaving a Legacy". This is his Legacy. Add
to that the Right guaranteed by the Second Amendment...and you have the
ability of citizens to monitor the deeds and misdeeds of Government -
and if necessary to overthrow that Government. These rights were
earned with blood during America's first civil war - a war in which 30%
of colonists were Loyalists; and during the Civil War of 1860-65: "so
that government of the people, by the people and for the people shall
not perish from this Earth." All enemies of this America, external
and internal, should know that its citizens are prepared to fight
again, at the ballot box and elsewhere if necessary, to preserve this
Nation.
GS
RR#4
MAKES SENSE.
GS
IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM"
WRITTEN BY A 21 YEAR OLD FEMALE.
Wow, this girl has a great plan! Love the last thing she would do the best.
This
was written by a 21 yr. old female who gets it. It's her future she's
worried about, and this is how she feels about the social welfare big
government state, that she's being forced to live in! These solutions
are just common sense in her opinion.
This was in the Waco Tribune Herald, Waco, TX.
PUT ME IN CHARGE . . .
Put
me in charge of food stamps no cash for Ding Dongs or Ho Ho's, just
money for 50-pound bags of rice and beans, blocks of cheese and all the
powdered milk you can haul away. If you want steak and frozen pizza,
then get a job.
Put me in charge of Medicaid. Then,
we'll test you for drugs, alcohol, and nicotine. If you want to use
drugs, alcohol, or smoke, then get a job.
Put me in
charge of government housing. Ever live in a military barracks? You
will maintain our property in a clean and good state of repair. Your
"home" will be subject to inspections any time and possessions will be
inventoried. If you want a plasma TV or Xbox 360, then get a job and
your own place.
In addition, you will either present a
check stub from a job each week or you will report to a "government"
job. It may be cleaning the roadways of trash, painting and repairing
public housing, whatever we find for you. We will sell your 22-inch
rims and low profile tires and your blasting stereo and speakers and
put that money toward the "common good."
Before you
write that I've violated your rights, realize that all of the above is
voluntary. If you want our money, accept our rules. Before you say
that this would be "demeaning" and ruin your "self-esteem," consider
that it wasn't that long ago that taking someone else's money for doing
absolutely nothing was demeaning and lowered self-esteem, also called
stealing!
If we are expected to pay for your mistakes,
we should at least attempt to make you learn from your bad choices..
The current system rewards you for continuing to make bad choices.
I love this one....
AND
while you are on Gov't subsistence, you no longer can VOTE! Yes, that
is correct. For you to vote would be a conflict of interest. You will
voluntarily remove yourself from voting while you are receiving a Gov't
welfare check. If you want to vote, then get a job.
Now,
if you have the guts - PASS IT ON....I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO GET THIS
BACK, IF EVERYONE SENDS IT, I WILL GET OVER 220 BACK! I WOULD KNOW YOU
SENT IT ON! Isn't it weird that in AMERICA our flag and our culture offend so many people... but our benefits don't?
FRIDAY,
June 29,
2018
RR#1
"TRUE, TRUE, AND RELATED" Crying "FIRE" in a crowded theater is Not Protected Speech.
"YOU WANT THE TRUTH?...." Read or scan the Wall Street Journal. Many people still think that the WSJ is all and only about business and finance. Wrong. It
is also the single most comprehensive and reliable print news source in
the mainstream media today. Its offerings on the Opinion page are
regularly excellent in topic and in scope. And as a bonus it provides
in its Review on Saturdays great reviews of books and topics of
historical and general interest. Just one example: the June 28 edition. "Kennedy Quits Court". "Week's Events Draw Deeper Partisan Lines". "Ruling On Public Unions Strikes At labor Finances". "The Court After Kennedy". "The Supreme Court's Banner Year". "The Rule Of Law Prevails In The Travel-Ban Case". "America Can Ride The 21st Century's Waves Of Change". "Italian Populist's Tough Talk Resonates"...resonating throughout Europe and especially with Angela Merkel's Germany. And much more. Try it. We all have a personal responsibility to avoid joining the "Wha' Hoppen" crowd of air-heads.
GS
THURSDAY,
June 28,
2018
RR#1
A LUCID DESCRIPTION OF WHAT OUR PEOPLE AND OUR ECONOMY NEED: ALL OUR PEOPLE AND THE ENTIRE ECONOMY.
PUBLIC EDUCATION POLITICS.
For many years, I have maintained a growing section in this web-site
under the same name...to spotlight the disaster that has been public
education in America's large cities for decades under the monopoly hold
of the Teachers' Unions. This shameful affair continues, stupidly with
the mindless support of its main victims: minority parents and their
children.
Now comes yet another attempt to articulate the choices that such
victims should have - and would have - were it not for the Teachers'
Unions and their Democratic Party dependents.
See: "The
Moral Logic Of School Choice", by former Governor Bobby
Jindal (in WSJ June 26, 2018, Opinion, pA17.
GS
RR#2
'IS AMERICA'S ADMINISTRATIVE STATE UNCONSTITUTIONAL".
With that question begins an article on a vital subject which I have
also recently addressed in this Rapid Response section. More recently
it has come to be referred to as "The Deep State" - but that term
carries with it anti-Trump connotations that are not necessary to the
issue involved.
In fact, the massive Administrative State, comprising millions of
unelected bureaucrats wielding unchecked power in scores of
Departments, is the MOST UNCONSTITUTIONAL "branch" of Government in
America today.
That is a large part of the reason why the Constitutional Branches of
Government (Executive, Legislative, Judicial) are so hamstrung in any
efforts to meet the nation's changing needs.
Understand this. Bureaucrats operate under two constant rules:
1) No Change;
2) No Decisions...or at least no timely decisions while they seek
effective means to CYA.
See: "Regulatory
State Has A Bad Day In Court", by Adam J. White (in WSJ June
25, 2018, Opinion, pA17).
So: apart from the real dangers of the "Deep State" properly
understood, this state of affairs warrants serious attention by "we,
the people."
He died a billionaire at 56yrs of Pancreatic Cancer and here are his last words on the sick bed:
"I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world. In others’ eyes my life is an epitome of success.
However, aside from work, I have little joy. In the end, wealth is only a fact of life that I am accustomed to.
At this moment, lying on the sick bed and recalling my whole life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth that I took so much pride in, have paled and become meaningless in the face of impending death.
You
can employ someone to drive the car for you, make money for you but you
cannot have someone to bear the sickness for you.
Material things lost can be found. But there is one thing that can never be found when it is lost – "Life".
When
a person goes into the operating room, he will realize that there is
one book that he has yet to finish reading – "Book of Healthy Life".
Whichever stage in life we are at right now, with time, we will face the day when the curtain comes down.
Treasure Love for your family, love for your spouse, love for your friends...
Treat yourself well. Cherish others.
As we grow older, and hence wiser, we slowly realize that wearing a $300 or $30 watch - they both tell the same time...
Whether we carry a $300 or $30 wallet/handbag - the amount of money inside is the same;
Whether
we drive a $150,000 car or a $30,000 car, the road and distance
is the same, and we get to the same destination.
Whether we drink a bottle of $300 or $10 wine - the hangover is the same;
Whether the house we live in is 300 or 3000 sq ft - loneliness is the same.
You will realize, your true inner happiness does not come from the material things of this world.
Whether you fly first or economy class, if the plane goes down - you go down with it...
Therefore..
I hope you realize, when you have mates, buddies and old friends,
brothers and sisters, who you chat with, laugh with, talk with, have
sing songs with, talk about north-south-east-west or heaven and earth,
.... That is true happiness!!
Five Undeniable Facts of Life : 1.
Don't educate your children to be rich. Educate them to be Happy. So
when they grow up they will know the value of things not the price.
2. Best awarded words in London ... "Eat your food as your medicines. Otherwise you have to eat medicines as your food."
3.
The One who loves you will never leave you for another because even if
there are 100 reasons to give up he or she will find one reason to hold
on.
4. There is a big difference between a human being and being human. Only a few really understand it.
5. You are loved when you are born. You will be loved when you die. In between, You have to manage!
NOTE: If you just want to Walk Fast, Walk Alone! But if you want to Walk Far, Walk Together!
Six Best Doctors in the World 1. Sunlight 2. Rest 3. Exercise 4. Diet 5. Self Confidence and 6. Friends
Maintain them in all stages of Life and enjoy a healthy life.
RR#5
A TRIFECTA FROM THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT. The
decisions handed down from the USSC this week, followed by the reported
decision of Justice Kennedy to retire are the best news for this nation
since the defeat of Bonnie and Clyde. Added to the very promising
expectations from the meeting with North Korea and the firm positions
taken regarding our allies and "allies", President Trump brings the
American Ship of State fully rigged into the always dangerous waters of
Putin and his Russia at their coming meeting. Onward.
GS
TUESDAY,
June 26,
2018
RR#1
INTERESTING.
Regarding illegal immigrants and the Constitution.
"SEVERAL NOTABLE
MEDICAL SOCIETIES HAVE ISSUED ETHICAL STATEMENTS DISCOURAGING
PHYSICIANS FROM TREATING FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS."
This statement
is too sweeping and is generally wrong, especially in today's health
care delivery climate...where every patient needs a diligent advocate.
Furthermore, all of my patients are my friends, as are my family
members.
In
the informative discussions presented in this article, Dr. Gold is more
doctrinaire than informed; Dr. Prager is too anxious; and Dr. Abbate
presents the best of the arguments.
In the final analysis, "it takes two to tango". Doctor and Patient
should make the decision for themselves.
"SHOCKED, SHOCKED".
Politicians doing what they do best.
"Ct. Dems 'shocked' about condition of immigrant detentions at border"
(ctmirror.org, June 23, 2018).
These
Ct. decades-long majority party Democrats should have much to be
"shocked" about in their own State, which stands - nearly bankrupt -
46th or 47th among the 50 United States in all of the bad categories.
To quote from the article:
"Democrats
believe they have reaped a political gain from the immigration crisis
that was created by the Trump administration's imposition of the 'zero
tolerance' policy, an move made to appeal to the GOP's conservative
base". WRONG.
In fact, this article should be read in context with the article about
the on-going European debacle:
"Debate Over Flood Of Migrants Divides European Union" (in The Day,
June 24, 2018).
A country without defended borders is not a country. It is a prelude to
civil war.
GS
RR#3
WOW! WHAT A CONCEPT.
They are "underestimating their weight". What happened to the Scale and
the Mirror?
Once again, with feeling: 50% of All Health Problems are directly
related to Life Style!
THE HEALTH INDUSTRY AND ITS PARTICIPANTS: PART II.
GS
I
remember when the Health Care Industry represented 8% of GDP. So, they
went along just doing the same old things, like employer and employee
tax deductability for health care expenditures, like suppressing health
savings accounts that would bring patients back to caring about what
they seek in health care, like making no effort to address the 50% of
health care costs (ie. sickening life styles), like letting insurance
companies run amok, like treating health care providers (the only ones
who can really affect health care demands and costs) like the enemy,
like Legislating a Prohibition against the Government being able to
negotiate drug costs, like treating potential patients (ie. all of us)
just as votes ("a chicken in every pot, a car in every garage").
So now, Health Care costs represent 17+% of GDP. What was that that
Einstein said?
GS
RR#6
IF YOU NEED AN ANTIDOTE TO DAVE COLLINS' FEVERED ARTICLE IN THE DAY
(JUNE 24, 2018),
read the article in the same edition by Cal Thomas:
"The Politics Behind Separation Anxiety".
"Just the facts, Ma'am. Just the facts".
POLITICIAN TURNED TRAITOR.
This man should be subject to Recall by his Arizona constituents.
Really, "Trump-Phobia" is a very virulent sickness. See also the
current comments by George Will, another victim.
Meanwhile,
you can immunize yourself - besides considering President Trump's
actual accomplishments to date - by reading the 2015 book by Dick and
Liz Cheney entitled "EXCEPTIONAL: Why The World Needs A Powerful
America" (Threshold Editions - Simon and Schuster, Inc.).
NOW HERE IS A LOOMING, EVEN EXISTENTIAL, CHALLENGE,
extending from every modest kitchen table to the Oval Office.
"TIME BOMB LOOMS FOR AGING AMERICA" (in WSJ June 23-24, 2018, pA1).
How
are America's aging parents - and their children - going to survive
financially, let alone thrive, into their eighties and nineties?
• Existing savings will not do it.
• Current middle class jobs and earnings
will not do it.
• A population wherein 50% of all
illnesses are Life - Style Related.
•
The excessive borrowing by both parents and children - for whatever
reason and including for education, is corrosive.
• The unrealistic expectation that
"Government" will take care of us.
What to do?
• Save more.
• Work more.
• Forget "Retirement". Prepare for
"career change" right into your 80's.
•
Get rid of the junk food, the smoking and alcohol, the weight gain, the
sedentary life-style, the poor sleep patterns and their causes, the
dangerous life-styles....
• Emphasize Family Life,
life-long, where parents and children can dependably support each other
in every way Throughout Life.
• Plan on little
help from Government, unless you are willing to give up your personal
freedom in return for the promise of a pittance.
"LA VITA E' BELLA". Life is beautiful, if you take personal
responsibility for your own life.
DO YOU KNOW WHEN HUMAN LIFE BEGINS?
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I
appointed you".
Jeremiah 1:4-10.
"Hear me, O coastlands,
listen, O distant peoples.
The Lord called me from birth,
from my mother's womb he gave me my name."
Isaiah 49:1-6.
ANY QUESTIONS?
"NOW GO, AND SIN NO MORE".
GS
RR#6
HOW DID I MISS THIS BOOK, PUBLISHED IN 2015?
"EXCEPTIONAL: WHY THE WORLD NEEDS A POWERFUL AMERICA" (Threshold
Editions / Simon and Schuster, 2015).
Besides
being an excellent primer on twentieth century America, especially to
inform the latest generation of air-heads, it is a searing indictment
of former President Obama and the Obama years. This is the Obama
"Legacy".
And it is also a detailed blueprint to guide the next
President, then not yet elected - or even considered. It is this
nation's latest great good fortune that it is Donald Trump - and that
he seems to be following that blueprint in order to "Make America Great
Again".
This is not hyperbole. It is not some kind of
hero-worship. It is just Fact, as is the Fact that the effort is being
constantly obstructed by Leftists, by Rinos, by self-dealing cynics,
and by true delusionals - not to mention the possibility of actual
traitors.
WAKE UP, AMERICA. THESE ARE AGAIN DANGEROUS TIMES, THIS TIME FROM
WITHIN.
GS
FRIDAY,
June 22,
2018
RR#1
"THE DEEP STATE" SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING DISNEY MADE UP.
It
isn't. It is a massive, very powerful, non-elected and
self-perpetuating group of Federal agencies for which there is no
direct provision in the U.S. Constitution but for which an entire body
of Law (Administrative Law) has developed.
See the remarkable
Table listing this "Fourth Branch of Government", its 17 separate
components, with their total employees, their 2017 budgets and their
annual weapons purchases (in The Philadelphia Trumpet,
July 2018 edition).
See the Linked article wherein the USSC just addressed this abrogation
of Constitutional authority by the SEC.
See
the Linked article on current efforts by the Trump Administration to
reduce and reorganize this, a major component of "The Swamp".
Remember: massive, very powerful, non-elected and self-perpetuating.
And "keep your powder dry".
Maybe
this Canadian mayor will legally immigrate to the U.S. and run for
mayor in one of our so-called sanctuary cities. He's got my vote
already!
Now this is a good one and a big Hooray for this Mayor...
Let's hear it for a Quebec mayor..."PUT SOME PORK ON YOUR FORK"
A commercial promoting pork says: "PUT SOME PORK ON YOUR FORK"
The MAYOR REFUSES TO REMOVE PORK FROM SCHOOL CAFETERIA MENU and
EXPLAINS WHY:
Muslim parents demanded the abolition of pork in all the school
canteens of a Montreal suburb.
The mayor of the Montreal suburb of Dorval has refused, and the town
clerk sent a note to all parents to explain why.
"Muslims
must understand that they have to adapt to Canada and Quebec, its
customs, its traditions, and its way of life, because that's where they
chose to immigrate.
"Muslims must understand that they have to
integrate and learn to live in Quebec." They must understand that it is
for them to change their lifestyle, not the Canadians who, so
generously, welcomed them.
"Muslims must understand that Canadians
are neither acist nor xenophobic. Canada accepted many immigrants
before Muslims showed up (whereas the reverse is not true, in that
Muslim states do not accept non-Muslim immigrants)."
"Just like other nations, Canadians are not willing to give up their
identity or their culture.
"And,
if Canada is a land of welcome, it's not the Mayor of Dorval who
welcomes foreigners, but the Canadian-Quebecois people as a whole.
"Finally,
they must understand that in Canada (Quebec) with its Judeo-Christian
roots, Christmas trees, churches and religious festivals, religion must
remain in the private domain."
The municipality of Dorval was right to refuse any concessions to Islam
and Sharia.
"For
Muslims who disagree with secularism and do not feel comfortable in
Canada, there are 57 beautiful Muslim countries in the world, most of
them under-populated and ready to receive them with open halal arms in
accordance with Sharia.
"If you left your country for Canada,
and not for other Muslim countries, it is because you have considered
that life is better in Canada than elsewhere. We will notlet you drag
Canada down to the level of those 57 countries."
"Ask yourself
this question - just once: "Why is it better here in Canada than where
you come from?" "A canteen with pork on the menu is part of the answer."
If
you came to Canada with the idea that you will displace us with your
prolific propagation and eventually take over the country, you should
pack up and go back to the country you came from. We have no room here
for you and your ideology.
RR#3
THE DAY EDITORIAL BOARD IS TOO PREDICTABLE.
However
logical and well-argued some of its opinions may often be, they too
often succumb to illogical and distorted Trump-bashing.
A most recent example is the June 20, 2018 Editorial:
"Growing Corporate Power Threatens America's Strength - Its Middle
Class."
Right...but
solving this problem cannot be a zero-sum process. Democrats demonize
the business sectors while ignoring the truism of Engine Charlie
Wilson, late of General Motors: "The Business of America is Business".
The
Trump administration is trying to balance the requirements of Business
while restraining its excesses in order to help the Middle Class. Of
course, many "Republicans" are resisting any change out of
self-interest.
This is a constant battle. Join in.
GS
RR#4
THE UNITED NATIONS IS THE SUM OF ITS PARTS:
nearly 200 countries, some barely deserving of that
reference. It is becoming rotten at its core.
See the report in the NYTimes, June 21, 2018:
"Horrific
details about chemical attacks in Syria were left out of a U.N. report.
An early draft leaked to The Times shows the omissions."
America
must be increasingly selective in its participation in this
organization. The Trump administration recently made the right move in
leaving the laughingly named "Human Rights" section.
GS
RR#5
THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY AND ITS PARTICIPANTS:
the patient- public, health care professionals, payors, government...
This industry is approaching 20% of the GNP, a vital part of us.
Three
recent articles in the WSJ will provide a detailed primer to the facts.
And they augment several decades of personal writings on the subject.
(See the relevant sections of asthma.drsprecace.com)
• "A
Health Fix For Mom And Pop Shops", by Alexander Acosta, June
19, 2018.
• "Exit
From ObamaCare", Editorial, June 20, 2018.
• "Health
Savings Accounts for Everyone", by Scott W. Atlas, June 20,
2018.
The physical, mental and financial health you save may be your own.
GS
THURSDAY,
June 21,
2018
RR#1
MORE AND MORE. WORSE AND WORSE.
Barack Hussein Obama. "The Manchurian Candidate"...and President.
MONDAY
through WEDNESDAY,
June 18 through 20,
2018
RR#1
IT LOOKS LIKE, FOR THE LATEST AND THE LAST GENERATIONS, ADOLESCENCE
NEVER ENDS.
Stupid!
GS
Teen Vaping Is Risky Business - Breaking News From Newsmax.com
By Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Mike Roizen, MDs
Many
celebrities have credited e-cigarettes for helping them quit smoking.
But actress Katherine Heigl might have brought the most attention to
vaping with her appearance on "The Late Show With David Letterman" in
2010.
She and Letterman smoked from her e-cig.
"This oughta get it done," said Letterman. "I know," agreed Heigl. "You
have no excuse now to smoke a real cigarette."
It turns out that's not the positive public health message it seemed to
be — especially when it comes to teens and vaping.
The
exotic-seeming, sweet-flavored e-cigs have become a high school craze.
A 2016 report from the U.S. surgeon general found a 900 percent
increase in e-cigarette use by high school students from 2011 to 2015.
And the 2016 National Youth Tobacco Survey reported that 1.7 million
high school students had used e-cigarettes in the previous 30 days.
Those kids are getting bombarded by many harmful chemicals that are
produced during vaping.
A
new study published in Pediatrics analyzed urine samples from 103
teens, 67 of whom used only e-cigarettes, 16 of whom smoked regular and
e-cigarettes, and 20 of whom smoked neither.
They found that teens
who vaped had three times the levels of metabolites of chemicals such
as acrylonitrile, acrolein, propylene oxide, acrylamide, and
crotonaldehyde in their urine than those who didn't. Several of those
are known carcinogens.
So, while you're teaching your kids about the
dangers of smoking cigarettes (it's working; smoking rates are
dropping), make sure they understand that vaping is no better.
RR#2
ANOTHER EDITION OF "AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 OPINIONS."
1) The July - August 2018 edition of Foreign Affairs promises to be an
interesting read, despite its chronically Globalist bent.
"Which
World Do We Live In: Warming; Marxist; Liberal; Tech; Tribal;
Realist?". See also: "Is American World Order Over?" (in NYTimes, June
17, 2018, Sunday Review, pSR 1). Informative despite the alarmist
posture.
2) "How America Got Hooked On A Deadly Drug" (in
ctmirror.org, June 17, 2018). Check out also the segment on 60 Minutes
this past Sunday.
A POX ON ALL THEIR HOUSES, especially the politicians.
3)
"Here's Proof That You Get Wiser And Happier After Age 50" (in The Day,
Reviews, June 17, 2018, pG3). Meanwhile, it's in the decade of one's
Fourties that "it hits the fan".
4) Is the nation "going to pot"?
Figuratively, maybe. Literally, I hope not. See two related articles in
the WSJ, Opinion, June 11 and 15, 2018.
5) A Cautionary Tale: Former
Governor John Rowland. After a distinguished career in Politics (is
that an oxymoron?) spanning decades, he went to jail. Now he is doing
something different and more productive. See The Day, June 17, 2018.
How about we let him do it - without recurring back-biting? Christian
Charity, anyone.?
6)
"Should Liberty Icon Faneuil Hall's Slave Ties Mean Re-Naming?" (in The
Day, June 18, 2018). You don't re-write History; you Learn from it.
7)
"Lower Costs, Fewer Benefits In New Health Insurance Option" (in The
Day, June 19, 2918). Just what the doctor ordered: Choice,
Affordability, and Individual Responsibility. Just like Health Savings
Accounts, which continue to be suffocated by the health insurance
industry and their political whores.
8) Former House Speaker Newt
Gingrich never minces words. "The Liberal media have declared WAR on
Donald Trump". And he includes elsewhere the entire Democratic Party.
My sentiments exactly, as most recently seen in the "debate" over
Immigration. THIS IS WAR, between America as we have built it over two
hundred years and a totalitarian, socialist and debased society that is
threatening it. It is a War that must be joined, fought and Won, thus
far by words, ideas and elections. And there can be no "conscientious
objectors" here.
GS
RR#3
"THE WORST HUMAN PAIN."
"The distress of a grieving parent has been described as the worst
human pain".
So
begins an excellent article on 'the paradox of a child's death", by
John M. De Figueiredo, M.D., Sc.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at
Yale University School of Medicine.
It is worth reading in full, by
parents who have experienced this tragedy, by people who may then be
better able to console others, and especially by physicians and other
health care professionals - whose own "compassion, encouragement, and
dedication, when balanced with personal attributes such as optimism,
imperturbability, and equanimity, appear to guide their intellect to
overcome the worst human pain by appealing to both reason and
imagination and fostering a union to something larger than themselves."
(Connecticut Medicine, June - July, 2018, Volume 82, Number 6, p377).
HAPPY
FATHER'S DAY.
And with
the appreciated assistance of this day's edition of The Day, I can keep
this commentary entirely positive. For there are four articles that
deserve attention and approval.
1) "Dismiss
The Empty Rhetoric, There Is No Easy Fix To State's Problems".
I
tried, back in 1990 when I ran - as a Democrat - for the State Senate
from the 20th District, offering detailed proposals for reduction in
State government before thinking about a State income tax, which had
not yet been passed. For that, I was rewarded with defeat.
2) "More
Dark Clouds Over 2016 Election".
Here
is an inventory of the mess that was that Presidential election
process. The bright spot was that the VOICE OF THE PEOPLE, as defined
by the U.S. Constitution, was heard loud and clear with the
overwhelming election of Donald Trump as President of the United
States.
3) "Uncasville
Medical Marijuana Dispensary Thriving In New Spot, Owner Says."
I
agree with and support the carefully prescribed and monitored use of
Medical Marijuana, by ingestion and Not by inhalation. I reject the
"recreational use" of Marijuana: "Stupido. Stupido. Stupido".
4) "Rick's
List - Pomp And Circumstance Edition".
Here,
Rick Koster reminds us of the fine book "Boys Life" as a primer for
growth into actual adulthood. This of course would be instead of the
faux "adulthood" being lived by too many children who never had a
Father or an actually effective Father in their formative years.
So: HAPPY FATHER'S DAY - to those males who deserve the accolade.
Meanwhile, to The Day: WRITE ON!
GS
THURSDAY
through SATURDAY,
June 14 through 16,
2018
RR#1
TRUMP WORLD: THE WEEK THAT WAS.
1) The North Korea Initiative: Brilliant in form; highly promising in
substance, because North Korea and China need it.
2)
The G7 divisions: predicted and predictable. See two very informative
articles on the subject of America, Europe and "the New World Order".
"Why
Trump Clashes With Europe", by Walter Russell Mead, in WSJ
June 12, 2018, Opinion, pA15.
"Who
Unraveled The New World Order?", by David M. Smick, in WSJ
June 13, 2018, Opinion, pA21.
3) Immigration: Politics at its worst, trying to dig itself out of a
self-made hole.
a)
We have so many illegal immigrants here because of decades of "that
great sucking sound", having drawn them into this country by the
illegal actions of American business looking for cheap labor and by the
conscious acquiescence of official Washington in not enforcing existing
laws. Now,"Amnesty"? Hogwash. Do
the right thing, finally.
b) DEFEND OUR BORDERS!
c) Fault and punish the "Dreamers", brought here through no effort of
their own? Who thought up that asinine idea? Do the right thing, finally.
Will the current belated Congressional effort actually become Law?
It's almost too much to ask of these clowns. Almost.
"RACISM". DON'T LOOK UNDER THE BED.
It's right in front of your nose.
And once again, it continues to marinate the failed public education
system. In Connecticut, Governor Malloy recently vetoed a Bill that
tried to set standards for dealing with dangerous students in class.
His reason: "because it would have had a disproportionate impact on
students of color and students with disabilities".
Then see the article in The Day, June 12, 2018: "Connecticut Educators
Debate Next Steps On Discipline".
Then check out the excellent expose by Jason L. Riley in the WSJ June
13 (Opinion, pA21) entitled "The Attack On Educational Excellence".
So what else is new? Certainly not the definition of "idiocy" by Albert
Einstein: "Idiocy is continuing to do the same thing and expecting a
different outcome". To our Black Communities:
"CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?"
GS
RR#3
Direct...and comfortable: The President's statement and news conference
after the meeting.
GS
RR#4
...AND THIS IS NOT HYPERBOLE.
GS
Get
a nice glass of wine OR a cold beer CAUSE here is one for you to
reflect on this weekend - read slowly - absorb quickly - stay
scared! And your thoughts are?
I do not know the source of this essay, but it is an interesting read: Two
or more sides disagree on who runs the country. And they can’t settle
the question through elections because they don’t even agree that
elections are how you decide who’s in charge.
That’s the
basic issue here. Who decides who runs the country? When you hate each
other but accept the election results, you have a country. When you
stop accepting election results, you have a countdown to a civil war.
The
Mueller investigation is about removing President Trump from office and
overturning the results of an election. We all know that. But it’s not
the first time they’ve done this. The first time a Republican president
was elected this century, they said he didn’t really win. The Supreme
Court gave him the election. There’s a pattern here.
What
do sure odds of the Democrats rejecting the next Republican president
really mean? It means they don’t accept the results of any election
that they don’t win. It means they don’t believe that transfers of
power in this country are determined by elections.
That’s a civil war.
There’s
no shooting. At least not unless you count the attempt to kill a bunch
of Republicans at a charity baseball game practice. But the Democrats
have rejected our system of government.
This isn’t
dissent. It’s not disagreement. You can hate the other party. You can
think they’re the worst thing that ever happened to the country. But
then you work harder to win the next election.. When you consistently
reject the results of elections that you don’t win, what you want is a
dictatorship.
Your very own dictatorship.
The
only legitimate exercise of power in this country, according to
Democrats, is its own. Whenever Republicans exercise power, it’s
inherently illegitimate. The Democrats lost Congress. They lost the
White House. So what did they do? They began trying to run the country
through Federal judges and bureaucrats. Every time that a Federal judge
issues an order saying that the President of the United States can’t
scratch his own back without his say so, that’s the civil war.
Our
system of government is based on the constitution, but that’s not the
system that runs this country. The Democrat's system is that any part
of government that it runs gets total and unlimited power over the
country.
If the Democrats are in the White House, then the
president can do anything. And I mean anything. He can have his own
amnesty for illegal aliens. He can fine you for not having health
insurance. His power is unlimited. He’s a dictator.
But
when Republicans get into the White House, suddenly the President can’t
do anything. He isn’t even allowed to undo the illegal alien amnesty
that his predecessor illegally invented. A Democrat in the White House
has “discretion” to completely decide every aspect of immigration
policy. A Republican doesn’t even have the “discretion” to reverse him.
That’s how the game is played. That’s how our country is run. Sad but
true, although the left hasn’t yet won that particular fight.
When
a Democrat is in the White House, states aren’t even allowed to enforce
immigration law. But when a Republican is in the White House, states
can create their own immigration laws. Under Obama, a state wasn’t
allowed to go to the bathroom without asking permission. But under
Trump, Jerry Brown can go around saying that California is an
independent republic and sign treaties with other countries.
The Constitution has something to say about that.
Whether
it’s Federal or State, Executive, Legislative or Judiciary, the left
moves power around to run the country. If it controls an institution,
then that institution is suddenly the supreme power in the land. This
is what I call a moving dictatorship.
Donald Trump has
caused the Shadow Government to come out of hiding: Professional
government is a guild. Like medieval guilds. You can’t serve in if
you’re not a member. If you haven’t been indoctrinated into its arcane
rituals. If you aren’t in the club. And Trump isn’t in the club. He
brought in a bunch of people who aren’t in the club with him.
Now
we’re seeing what the pros do when amateurs try to walk in on them.
They spy on them, they investigate them and they send them to jail.
They use the tools of power to bring them down.
That’s not a free country.
It’s
not a free country when FBI agents who support Hillary take out an
“insurance policy” against Trump winning the election. It’s not a free
country when Obama officials engage in massive unmasking of the
opposition. It’s not a free country when the media responds to the
other guy winning by trying to ban the conservative media that
supported him from social media. It’s not a free country when all of
the above collude together to overturn an election because the guy who
wasn’t supposed to win won.
Have no doubt, we’re in a civil war between conservative volunteer
government and a leftist Democrat professional government.
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR...OR WORK TOWARD.
Observational
and scientific discovery, from the wheel and fire, and even including
atomic fission and also fusion (what fuels the sun) have been about
developments that have been and can be controlled by human beings. But
now, developments in the fields of Genetics and of Artificial
Intelligence threaten and almost promise to escape the control of man.
Genetics is about to be able to create de novo human beings to order.
AI threatens realistically to outstrip the powers of human intelligence
and thereby to become man's master.
Please read the article in the NYTimes entitled: "Moguls
And Killer Robots"
(June 10, 2018, Sunday Business, p1). Although introduced with a
whimsical title and using an "on the one hand...on the other hand..."
approach, the author (Cade Metz) ultimately seems to accept the better
position: "Be afraid. Be very afraid". That is my position also,
although I have a secret belief: that when God sees man threatening to
achieve God-like powers, He will pull the plug on His favorite
creation.
Actually, that's reassuring.
GS
RR#3
You could hear a pin drop!
GS
Once
upon a time when our politicians did not tend to apologize for our
country's prior actions, here's a refresher on how some of our former
patriots handled negative comments about our great country.
These are good.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JFK'S
Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, was in France in the early 60's when
DeGaulle decided to pull out of NATO.
DeGaulle said he wanted all US military out of
France as soon as possible.
Rusk responded, "Does that include those who are buried here?"
DeGaulle did not respond.
You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When in England , at a fairly large conference,
Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury
if our plans for Iraq were just an example of
'empire building' by George Bush.
He answered by saying,
"Over the years, the United States has sent many of
its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for
freedom beyond our borders.
The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return
is enough to bury those that did not return."
You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was a conference in France
where a number of international engineers were taking part,
including French and American.
During a break, one of the French engineers came back into
the room saying,
"Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done?
He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia
to help the tsunami victims.
What does he intend to do,
bomb them?"
A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly:
"Our carriers have three hospitals on board
that can treat several hundred people;
they are nuclear powered and can supply
emergency electrical power to shore facilities;
they have three cafeterias with
the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day,
they can produce several thousand gallons of
fresh water from sea water each day,
and they carry half a dozen helicopters for
use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck.
We have eleven such ships;
how many does France have?"
You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A U.S. Navy Admiral
was attending a naval conference
that included Admirals from the
U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies.
At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with
a large group of officers that included personnel from most of those
countries.
Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks,
but a French admiral suddenly complained that,
whereas Europeans learn many languages,
Americans learn only English.
He then asked,
"Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences
rather than speaking French?"
Without hesitating,
the American Admiral replied,
"Maybe it's because the
Brit's, Canadians, Aussie's and Americans
arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak
German."
You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE:
Robert Whiting,
an elderly gentleman of 83,
arrived in Paris by plane.
At French Customs,
he took a few minutes to locate his passport in
his carry on.
"You have been to France before, monsieur?"
the customs officer asked
sarcastically.
Mr. Whiting
admitted that he had been to France
previously.
"Then you should know enough
to have your passport ready."
The American said,
"The last time I was here,
I didn't have to show it."
"Impossible..
Americans always have to show their passports on
arrival in France !"
The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look.
Then, he quietly explained,
''Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on
D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country,
I couldn't find a single Frenchman
to show a passport to."
You could have heard a pin drop.
SATURDAY,
June 9,
2018
RR#1
HMMMMMM.
REAL NEWS VS. FAKE NEWS VS. "FACT-CHECKERS".
Read the article "Skepticism Beats Snopes As An
Antidote To Fake News",
by Amar Bhide, WSJ June 9-10, 2018, Opinion, pA13.
Often,
before using a particular article to support my Rapid Response
offerings, I seek confirmation, often from my children who are much
more adept at accessing Snopes or other sources. But I have had my
suspicions about "fact-checkers". "Snopes's
myth busting can't stop fantasy masquerading as fact either. It's a
for-profit business whose complete reliance on advertising exposes it
to the same forces that stoke fakery. Survival requires more web
traffic than debunking true urban legends can easily attract. And
according to critics, Snopes is biased to the left".
Therefore, be skeptical of everything, "a vital civic virtue".
And CROSS-READ!! - something that I have been doing and recommending
throughout my life.
The Truth is out there, somewhere.
I
FIRST STARTED READING THIS EMAIL & WAS READING FAST UNTIL I
REACHED
THE THIRD SENTENCE. I STOPPED AND STARTED OVER READING SLOWER AND
THINKING ABOUT EVERY WORD. THIS EMAIL IS VERY THOUGHT PROVOKING. MAKES
YOU STOP AND THINK.
READ SLOWLY!
You know ... Time has a way
of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It
seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my
new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I
wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have
glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams.
But,
here it is.. The back nine of my life and it catches me by
surprise...How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where
did my youth go?
I remember well seeing older people through the
years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and
that I was only on the first hole and the back nine was so far off that
I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.
But,
here it is...my friends are retired and getting grey...they move slower
and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape
than me...but, I see the great change....Not like the ones that I
remember who were young and vibrant..but, like me, their age is
beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see
and never thought we'd become.
Each day now, I find that just
getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not
a treat anymore... it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free
will... I just fall asleep where I sit!
And so...now I enter
into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains
and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I
had done but never did!! But, at least I know, that though I'm on the
back nine, and I'm not sure how long it will last...this I know, that
when it's over on this earth...it's over for here. A new and better
adventure will begin!
Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I
hadn't done...things I should have done, but indeed, there are many
things I'm happy to have done.
It's all in a lifetime.
So,
if you're not on the back nine yet...let me remind you, that it will be
here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish
in your life please do it quickly! Don't put things off too long!! Life
goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure
whether you're on the back nine or not!
You have no promise that
you will see all the seasons of your life....so, live for today and say
all the things that you want your loved ones to remember...and hope
that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done
for them in all the years past!!
"Life" is a gift to you. The
way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a
fantastic one.LIVE IT WELL! ENJOY TODAY! DO SOMETHING FUN! BE HAPPY !
HAVE A GREAT DAY ! Remember "It is health that is real wealth and not
pieces of gold and silver.
LASTLY, CONSIDER THIS:
~Your kids are becoming you.......but your grandchildren are perfect!
~Going out is good.. Coming home is better!
~You forget names.... But it's OK because some people forgot they even
knew you!!!
~You realize you're never going to be really good at anything like golf.
~The
things you used to care to do, you aren't as interested in anymore, but
you really don't care that you aren't as interested.
~You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV 'ON' than in bed. It's
called "pre-sleep".
~You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF"
switch..
~You tend to use more 4 letter words ... "what?"..."when?"... ???
~You notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless"?!!!
~What used to be freckles are now liver spots.
~Everybody whispers.
~You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet.... 2 of which you will
never wear.
~~~But Old is good in some things: Old Songs, Old movies, and best of
all,OLD FRIENDS!!
Stay
well, "OLD FRIEND!" Send this on to other "Old Friends!" and let them
laugh in AGREEMENT!!! It's Not What You Gather, But What You Scatter
That Tells What Kind Of Life You Have Lived.
TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU'VE EVER BEEN; YET THE YOUNGEST YOU'LL EVER BE,
SO ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.
RR#2
LOYAL AMERICANS WILL CELEBRATE THIS NEWS.
As for the others...
I'LL
BET ON THE DOCTORS BEING WRONG - AGAIN -
when they predict the time of death of a patient.
The patient usually seems to take as a challenge...and wins a
few more months or years.
Here's praying for you, Dr. Krauthammer. A very good man.
Take
a little trip to Valley Forge in January. Hold a musket ball
in
your fingers and imagine it piercing your flesh and breaking a bone or
two. There won't be a doctor or trainer to assist you until
after
the battle, so just wait your turn. Take your cleats and
socks
off to get a real experience. Then,
take a knee on the beach in Normandy where man after American man
stormed the beach, even as the one in front of him was shot to pieces,
the very sea stained with American blood. The only blockers
most
had were the dead bodies in front of them, riddled with bullets from
enemy fire. Take
a knee in the sweat soaked jungles of Vietnam. From Khe Sanh
to
Saigon, anywhere will do. Americans died in all those
jungles. There was no playbook that told them what was next,
but
they knew what flag they represented. When they came home,
they
were protested as well, and spit on for reasons only cowards know. Take
another knee in the blood drenched sands of Fallujah in 110 degree
heat. Wear your Kevlar helmet and battle dress.
Your number
won't be printed on it unless your number is up! You'll need to stay
hydrated but there won't be anyone to squirt Gatorade into your
mouth. You're on your own. There
are a lot of places to take a knee where Americans have given their
lives all over the world. When you use the banner under which
they fought as a source for your displeasure, you dishonor the memories
of those who bled for the very freedoms you have. That's what
the
red stripes mean. It represents the blood of those who
spilled a
sea of it defending your liberty. While
you're on your knee, pray for those that came before you, not on a
manicured lawn striped and printed with numbers to announce every inch
of ground taken, but on nameless hills and bloodied beaches and
sweltering forests and bitter cold mountains, every inch marked by an
American life lost serving that flag you protest. No
cheerleaders, no announcers, no coaches, no fans, just American men and
women, delivering the real fight against those who chose to harm us,
blazing a path so you would have the right to "take a knee."
You
haven't any inkling of what it took to get you where you are, but your
"protest" is duly noted. Not only is it disgraceful to a
nation
of real heroes, it serves the purpose of pointing to your ingratitude
for those who chose to defend you under that banner that will still
wave long after your jersey is retired. If
you really feel the need to take a knee, come with me to church on
Sunday and we'll both kneel before Almighty God. We'll thank
Him
for preserving this country for as long as He has. We'll beg
forgiveness for our ingratitude for all He has provided us.
We'll
appeal to Him for understanding and wisdom. We'll pray for
liberty and justice for all, because He is the one who provides those
things. But there will be no protest. There will
only be
gratitude for His provision and a plea for His continued grace and
mercy on the land of the free and the home of the brave. NOW CAN
WE GET THOSE SON'S OF BITCHES OFF THE FIELD?
THURSDAY,
June 7,
2018
THE OLD AND
CONTINUING PROMISE OF POLITICIANS:
"A chicken in every pot. A car in every garage"
THE NEWER AND CONTINUING ALARM OF POLITICIANS:
A Russian under every bed.
There
is no question that Russia since the 1918 revolution has been totally
untrustworthy and has been a world-class exporter of instability -
especially with regard to its bete noir, America. Its current leader
sees challenging America at every turn as its guarantee to relevance in
today's world. And American leaders have accommodated V. Putin with
attempted isolation and efforts at irrelevance. That, for a nation with
9 time zones, a comparable population and a comparable nuclear arsenal.
Could it be that President Trump is attempting a different
approach, one that recognizes and accepts Russia's central role in
today's world affairs - as a partner if possible? I think so...and I
think that such an approach would go far to rein in the expansionist
tendencies of China.
But not so the cold warriors like Senator John McCain and this retired
Lt. Colonel.
See the attached articles for the latest naked accusations about our
President.
At long last: "WHERE'S THE BEEF?"
Time to "put up or shut up". They and the delusional Leftists are the
ones who are doing great damage to this country.
CRAZY LIKE A FOX.
President
Donald Trump has been accused - by the Leftist delusionals, no less -
of being all kinds of bad things: insane, despotic, stupid, racist,
sexist, ...ist, ...ist, etc.
Meanwhile, he has accomplished more good for the nation in less than 18
months than any President since FDR.
But
there's more. He has unmasked the hypocrisy of the Rhinos and Fellow
Travelers in Congress who really might as well be obstructionist
Democrats. (Republicans and Independents take note in the November
elections.) He is testing the boundaries of Executive power and
prerogative...by using the legal system instead of by ignoring it (with
media acquiescence) as Barack Obama did. This is a service to the
nation: clarifying the scope and intent of the U.S. Constitution. He is
well on track to achieving on the Korean peninsula what no other
administration has been able to do since 1950. He is bring to heel the
greatest supporter of terrorism in the world - Iran - while pursuing a
"Grand Mideast Strategy", according to a recent report (see "Is
Trump Following A Grand Mideast Strategy?",
in WSJ June 6, 2018, Opinion, pA17). And he is challenging frontally,
by tweets, by campaign-style speeches and by action - the current
strangle-hold that the Leftists have placed upon honest discourse and
difference of opinion - in the public square and even in our supposed
Halls of Higher Learning. See "A
Tale of Two Indecencies Shows How We Got Trump", by Andrew
Klavan, in WSJ June 5, 2018, Opinion, pA15.
This
Is A Leader: the precise kind of leader that America needs now and
through the 2020 elections. We still have the power to make that happen
through the electoral process. MAKE IT HAPPEN!
REGARDING
"END OF LIFE" DECISIONS, BY PATIENT, FAMILY AND PHYSICIAN.
Without
dealing with the entire question, the main issues here are
considerations of : 1) Patient Right of Self-Determination, articulated
when mentally competent, and reduced to an "Advanced Directive",
accompanied by a "Power of Attorney for Medical Care" in the hands of a
trusted family member or friend; a treating physician's right and
obligation regarding not providing "Futile Care; the patient or family
right to have the patient's care transferred to a different and
accepting physician.
The critical point here is to take action in timely fashion, before a
crisis develops.
A recent discussion of the subject may be found in the National
Catholic Register, June 10, 2018, by Brian Fraga.
GS
SUNDAY,
June 3,
2018
RR#1
SO MANY ISSUES - AND OPINIONS. SO LITTLE TIME.
1)
An article in ctmirror.org on May 29 reports on deaths attributable to
Hurricane Maria. Only in the 6th paragraph are we told that most of
those were the result of disruptions in medical care, already in
Intensive Care in Puerto Rico before the storm. But that does not
prevent our fearless Connecticut legislators from alleging some
skullduggery by our present Federal government.
2) Several
articles in The DAY report on promising developments for New London
related to proposed nearby wind energy projects and improvements to
State Pier. Did I hear that word "POTENTIAL" again?
Only if the
people and leaders of New London purge themselves of their "Win - Lose"
mentality and embrace a "Win - Win" approach to this city's great
history, natural resources, location - and yes...people.
3) The
recent Editorial in The Day correctly describes what happens when a
candidate for Governor of this failing State (Mike Handler) calls for
"very strong medicine": he LOSES. "You're doing a heck of a job,
Brownie".
4) President Trump's many - and ignored - successes. As he
recently tweeted: "When will this very expensive Witch Hunt Hoax ever
end? So bad for our Country". Indeed! Meanwhile, it's great to have the
leadership of this great nation back in the hands of Realistic Adults:
Trump, Mattis, Pompeo, Bolton.
5) And now about another great
nation nearly ruined by feckless and cynical leaders: ITALY. See the
article in The Day (6/3/2018):
"New
Italian Government Vows To Create Jobs, Expel Migrants"
ATTENZIONE!!
6) "Pushed
By Voters, GOP Moderates Rebel On Immigration".
(in The Day 6/3/2018). On this issue, why the need for rebellion from
the Stupid position of "Conservatives" regarding "Dreamers" and
regarding "Amnesty"? Why not try Justice, Reality and Charity for a
change?
7) "In Prison, 'Reimagining Justice' - And A Governor's
Legacy" (in ctmirror.org, 5/31/2018). Let's give Governor Malloy credit
for this - at least.
8) Articles all over the place about
INEQUALITY, including two in ctmirror.org, 5/30/2018. The Lord said:
"The poor will always be with you..." and guaranteed it through the
vast disparities in human capabilities and in geographic resources that
He established. So: why not Capitalism with a Conscience? Certainly not
Socialism with a Gulag.
Meanwhile, the foundation of America guarantees "LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE
PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS". "Entitlements"? What's That??
9) And finally, something I really know about: Ticks and Tick-Borne
Diseases. Please remember the following advice:
a) Wear occluding clothing
when in the woods;
b) Spray with caution regarding over-exposure, especially for children;
c) Immediately upon returning from the woods, SHOWER!;
d)
Any sensation of "Flu-like symptoms", with or without a rash or other
symptoms, occurring from March - November warrants medical advice and
probably a screening blood test.
e) There seem to be two distinct
populations of people in tick areas: those who have had Lyme Disease
two or more times; and those who have never had Lyme Disease despite
many contacts with ticks. In which category are you?
See, In
battle against ticks, most burden still lies on humans to avoid bites
"ONCE AGAIN, WITH FEELING".
Leftists,
in all nations including our own, have always been totalitarians,
seeking ever more power, hiding and distorting ever more facts,
disparaging and ultimately destroying ever more people who resist. In
America, we still have the means to defeat them at the ballot box...for
now.
AT THE PRESENT TIME, WHEN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA ARE NO
LONGER RELIABLE,
it is all the more important to stay reliably informed.
To that end I strongly suggest a subscription to the Wall Street
Journal.
As a sampler, I offer titles to the following articles - all of which
appeared in the WSJ during the last 10 days.
• "The Tragedy of Venezuela". Another
socialist paradise.
• "Colleges Give The Disabled More
Leeway". But what means "disabled"?
•
"Conservatives Can Benefit From Liberal Colleges". Absolutely. I
intentionally attended a university that was a den of agnosticism and
atheism after 12 years of Catholic education - and learned more about
my Faith there than beforehand.
• "I'm In Prison for Practicing
Politics", by former Governor Rod Blagojevich.
• "Taking The Long Way Around". The land
grab where " This Land is Our Land".
• "The FBI Spied For LBJ's Campaign".
• "The Real Constitutional Crisis". "The
FBI and Justice Department continue evading congressional oversight."
And
then there is a book, originally published in1968, to which I was
recently referred: :The Way It Spozed To Be", by James Herndon,
Boynton/Cook Publishers, Portsmouth, NH. Read it and weep - and fume
all over again about the rape of Public Education in this country
during the last 60 years. Or you can simply review the section on this
web site entitled "Public Education Politics", about which I have been
writing for decades.
THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF PEOPLE:
PEOPLE WHO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN;
PEOPLE WHO WATCH THINGS HAPPEN;
AND PEOPLE WHO ARE CONSTANTLY SAYING "WHA' HOPPEN".
Which kind are you?
