Everything You Wanted To Know

Is if possible to efficiently type on one’s laptop while hiding under the bed to escape the meltdown of our economy?  And won’t the sinus infection from which I currently suffer be worsened by the dust that my political activities have allowed to amass under the same said bed?

The current economic crisis isn’t really a situation that should be made humorous or interesting.  It is, instead, a cause for grave concern in the minds of all Americans.  We are each affected, regardless of one’s individual stock market portfolio or lack of investments.

This crisis is the worst single issue to face most of us in our lifetime.  Only those who are a surviving member of the Greatest Generation have faced similar experiences.  You not only suffered through the Great Depression, but also made huge sacrifices during World War II to assure the freedom of our planet.

The time for blame is not now.  That can come later – when the crisis is solved.  Wise choices, made by the leaders we have chosen to make decisions on our behalf, are the key to preserving the world in which we have always walked.

Not only is judgment and leadership required, but also the decision to surround oneself with the wisest counsel available.   There has never been a more important time for correct choices to be made.

November 4th is the date when the future of our great country will be decided. 

Will the choice be that of a continuation of unqualified, partisan, political appointees?  Or will the choice be, instead, that of electing an individual who will surround himself with the most qualified advisors, regardless of political persuasion.

We The People will make that choice. 

A long anticipated event for political junkies was the first Vice Presidential debate of this historical campaign season.  As the starting time drew near, our household gathered around the television anxiously awaiting the moment with as much enthusiasm as a sports fan excited over the opening kick-off of the Super Bowl.

It actually was the Super Bowl, the final winner being an individual who receives much more than just a trophy and signature ring.  The winner instead is the individual who could be empowered to lead the greatest nation on this earth.  Should some unforeseen event affect the ability of the President to serve, the Vice President would step in and assume the office in his or her stead.

Never will I forget the day I was sitting in a Union High School classroom and heard the stunning announcement over the school intercom of the tragic death of President Kennedy.  As the decades following that moment continue to pass, I still remember the exact room, teacher, and seat that I occupied.  Vice President Lyndon Johnson was immediately sworn in, and a smooth transition of government occurred.  Upon the resignation of Richard Nixon, Vice President Ford became the nation’s Chief Executive Officer.  It does happen.  And it has also happened in the lifetime of many of you who are reading this opinion today.

Therefore the choice of a running mate should not be about which states one can bring into the party column.  It shouldn’t be about personality, charm, and charisma.  It shouldn’t be about how well one can read from a teleprompter.  It shouldn’t be about appealing to a target demographic or offsetting strength in the opponent’s campaign. The choice of a Vice Presidential candidate should be about choosing the individual who is best able to step in and assume the reins of government should the President not be able to serve.

Did we see the answer to that question on Thursday night?  The answer should be a unanimous “Yes”. 

Senator Biden displayed a calm, intelligent and deep understand of the difficult issues facing our nation.  He expressed care and concern for all citizens of our beloved country, not just a privileged few.  And he continues to touch hearts with a history of serving our country as a highly effective United States Senator while raising small children as a young, widowed Dad.

After the Vice Presidential debate there should be no doubt in any voter’s mind as to the judgment of the respective Presidential candidates regarding their running mate choice.  That decision is the first, and best indicator of the choices they will make as leader of the free world.

Senator Obama has shown the good judgment to choose an individual who is highly qualified to serve, not just as a possible successor, but also as a positive, intelligent Face of America to those other countries who share our moment in time on this planet.

Thank you, Senator Biden, for your Thursday night validation of Senator Obama’s choice.

Mr. Webster must certainly be making a valiant attempt to escape from the grave to update his dictionary to meet new 21st century definitions.  The current wordspeak, seemingly straight out of George Orwell’s “1984″, has taken many words and twisted them into an intent that was never conceived by previous generations.

The most battered of all those terms appears to be the word “Elitist”.  Webster’s New World Dictionary (the 1984 edition) defines elite as “the group or part of a group regarded as the best, most powerful, etc.”  The same edition Thesaurus groups the term with the words:  society, nobility, celebrities, and aristocracy.  Not so according to certain politicians and pundits……..

One is now a elitist based on what they eat, where they shop, how their spend their leisure time, and how they dress.  Aren’t these all personal choices empowered to each individual by the Founding Fathers in their attempt to secure personal liberties and freedom for future generations?  And weren’t some of the earliest immigration waves a search for a land in which their own choices superceded those of a totalitarian government?

Why should one be considered an elitist because they choose arugula over collard greens?  And please, don’t be caught shopping at Whole Foods! 

What is wrong with preferring a sushi bar to a hamburger joint?  And why should one be denigrated for driving down the highway with the loud blare of an opera aria, rather than country music?

If one is an elitist for considering a “Theater” to be a stage, rather than a screen where one views a movie, then definitely put me in that class.  And if one is considered an elitist because they don’t follow a sport where cars race around in a circle and you can’t even tell who is ahead, then mark me down in that column.  If preferring orzo and couscous to macaroni and cheese is a really bad thing, then chain me up to a whipping post and get out the strap.  And the crime of all crimes is, of course, choosing to have a glass of wine rather than a beer.

Aren’t we all Americans?  Don’t we each have the right to have personal preferences without being categorized?  If we were all alike it would be a very boring place.

Let’s forget about how well one can bowl, whether they eat pancakes for breakfast, and how comfortable he or she is with drinking a beer at a neighborhood bar with the guys.  What really matters is judgement, diplomacy, intelligence, and a strong feeling of concern and care for ALL Americans.

Thanksgiving is a terrible time to spend at our Neshoba County, Mississippi farm. The culprit that denies an escape from our hectic life is the beginning of deer season.

The 78 acres that is an integral part of my heart and soul have not been farmed since my precious grandfather’s 1962 death. And the house is not peopled unless my siblings and I are in residence. Therefore the land is a virtual wildlife refuge.

If one arises at dawn and ventures into a lawn chair in the back yard, a very still and quiet individual can sip coffee and be one with families of wild turkey and deer. Following coffee, the next order of business is to don farmer’s knee boots and walk the hay fields, wet with morning dew, while one city slicker golden retriever runs wildly in a manner not possible in the world in which she normally exists.

Deer season ruins that retreat from the world. Perfectly normal individuals lose touch with reality. Nothing matters except the thrill of the kill.

Since it is common knowledge that our farm is not a permanent residence, the intrusion of gunshots is continually heard from trespassers who threaten the creatures we so lovingly protect.

Not being one who ever feels threatened or afraid, I take to the fields in my 4-wheel drive vehicle. My normal route is to traverse the perimeter, continually blowing my vehicle horn in a loud and obtrusive fashion. Every single deer on the property then makes a rapid retreat to the sanctuary of the overgrown woods.

My next task is to don an orange vest and walk deep into the forest, traveling all the paths that my brother has cut with his four wheeler. A bell ringing in my hand, I periodically yell, “I have a cell phone and a gun and I know how to use it!”

Now the truth of the matter is that I do have a cell phone. It doesn’t have reliable service in that rural area. So obtaining quick protection might not be a thing that would happen. And the gun threat is quite a stretch. If I did actually have one, I wouldn’t have a clue how to use it. But it serves the purpose of both scaring off the hunters and the deer. My husband fears for my life during this part of my quest, saying that one day some one will certainly shoot me. I dare them to do just that.

The Second Amendment promises citizens the “Right to Keep & Bear Arms”. As adverse as “Shooting Bambi” is to this animal lover, I respect the rights of those who choose to do so. But please….. Do it on your own land, not mine.

And I also respect the choice of Americans who feel the need to own a hand gun in protection of their home and family. It is a right that the Founding Fathers felt important to protect.

But is there really a need for the ordinary citizen to own assault rifles? And are semi-automatic weapons a useful tool to kill Bambi? Whatever would a law abiding citizen want to do with a weapon designed to kill in mass? Should there not be checks and balances to assure that the right to bear arms is not abused?

There are parents who will celebrate Christmas with great sadness because of the senseless shootings at Virginia Tech. There will be empty places under their tree, where the gifts for those dear family members should rightfully be. And there will be hollow empty places in the hearts of grieving families because of the loss they so tragically experienced. Should assault weapons have been sold to the individual who stole their childrens’ lives?

The right to bear arms comes with responsibility for good judgement and sensibility regarding the persons in whose hands those weapons are placed. That obligation should apply not only to the ordinary citizen, but also to the government agency that violates the rights and privacy of the innocent by accident. Tragic mistakes can never be recalled. Each life that is lost is a robbery of its path into the future, needlessly blocked.

Shooting a poor defenseless Moose in Alaska may be a thrill to some. But how can taking the life of one of God’s creatures, unless it is necessary for food and substinance, be considered a sport?

The right to bear arms……… How far should it be extended?

Newspaper reports concerning the root cause of the election of Virginia’s new Senator appear to be a simplistic explanation of what was a much more complex choice. I am the moderate voter who delivered the Senate into the hands of a different party. My vote was in no way a validation of one particular issue. My vote was, instead, a resounding “Yes” for a candidate who doesn’t come along very often. This was a man who might just be an elected official who placed the good of his constituents over misplaced party loyalty. And he has turned out to be exactly the Senator I envisioned in my dreams.

My vote against the incumbent was a “No” to his lock-step march with party leadership. It was a vote against huge tax credits for big business, pork-barrel spending, big government, rewarding incompetence, no-bid contracts, the Iraq War, the Patriot Act, No Child Left Behind, the Medicare Prescription Drug Bill, Hurricane Katrina failures, ignoring the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, illegal wiretapping of American citizens, out of control lobbyists, and government corruption.

My vote was in favor of a return to the United States envisioned and conceived by our founding fathers. It was a vote in favor of rejoining the international community. It was a repudiation of arrogance and deceit.

Letters sent to our previous Senator received responses that were not polite replies indicating that my opinion would be taken into consideration. The responses were, instead, long missile espousing his party’s talking points. Government shouldn’t work in that manner. An elected official who behaves as such will surely be defeated.

The philosophies espoused by our Founding Fathers are still as valid today as they were in the 18th century. When wage earners are penalized with a heavier tax burden than they can bear our entire economy will be placed in jeopardy. Can it ever be considered ethical to take hard earned dollars from the ordinary citizen to reward a greedy corporate elite? Our glorious republic was founded as an exciting experiment in democracy when similar taxes were imposed in favor of the crown.

Elected officials must listen to the voters who entrust government to their care. Otherwise, come November, the offending parties may join the unemployment rolls.

Most of the time when things change in one’s life the reason is because that person have moved on. Life experiences continually amass to form a more solid base for beliefs.  The evolution of our country’s major political parties has reversed that normal process.

During the early part of my adult life I considered myself to be a member of one of the parties in question. My dear departed father was a strong supporter of that party. The time was an era when the party in question didn’t field candidates in most Mississippi electorial races. Of course the entire family followed our father’s lead.

At that time the party in question represented sound fiscal policy, small but effective government, and individual freedoms as espoused by our founding fathers.

As time marched on their priorities made a sudden and drastic change. Sound financial choices lost their importance. Narrow social issues favored by a vocal minority were emphasized instead. Congressional votes were based on party allegiance rather than constituent needs.

It became difficult in elections to discern their candidate’s views. Each campaign became, instead, a nasty mudslinging affair where millions were spent and nothing was accomplished. Trust became a word that was not normally applicable.

Writing a letter to one’s Senator or Congressman no longer resulted in a return response thanking the constituent for his or her opinion and vowing to take the position into consideration in upcoming votes. Return replies from members of that party evolved into nothing but a long dissertation of the party’s “talking points” on the issue. Written in a condescending manner, those letters usually ended up as trash can filler before the entire missile had been read. One then determined to choose another candidate when the ballot box next came calling.

Shouldn’t an elected official consider their constituents’ needs rather than simply espousing the talking points conveyed to them by strong armed party bosses? What can be good and right about choosing the party line rather than personal convictions to further one’s political aspirations? Shouldn’t the importance be placed, instead, on the needs and support of those individuals whose votes empowered each to make decisions on their behalf?

The party in question seems to not understand why their grasp on power slips as they step further and further away from the belief structure of the electorate. Can it be a surprise that I (and the majority of my family) am now a strong, solid supporters of the opposite party?

Why did the mysterious disappearance of VCU college freshman Taylor Behl have to end so sadly? The beautiful young face in the newspaper pictures should have returned safely to her dorm room. Her story should have continued with a college degree, marriage, and the opportunity to grow gracefully older.

Where does the fault lie for this story ending so tragically? Of course we can blame the perpetrator and the fact that society let such a criminal walk the streets of Richmond, VA. Critiques of the case will probably also find reason to blame campus security, city government and even twenty first century familial relationships. I’m not sure changes in those institutions would have saved this child.

What I do believe is that if Taylor Behl had not felt compelled to allow her roommate a private visit with her boyfriend in their dorm room, she would still be alive.

A dorm room is an individual’s dwelling place. It’s the spot a person retires to for privacy, relaxation, sleep, and study. Entertaining a boyfriend in one’s dorm room is a complete violation of the privacy of the individual who shares the room.

Freshman love the freedom they suddenly acquire when home is left behind for an out of town college campus. Should that freedom be so immediate?

In an earlier time dorms were private living spaces. Girls resided in one dorm and boys in another. Opposite sex visits were a violation of the rules. One was free to walk down the hall in hair rollers and nightgown without the possibility of being seen by an interesting male. It was only when a co-ed stepped into the dorm lobby that the outside world was received. Couldn’t that have been a better thing?

I blame the current laxity of college rules for the untimely death of Taylor Behl. She and her roommate were much too young to make an intelligent decision about how the evening would end. Their college should have set the structure for that decision to be a safe one.

We entrust our precious children to their university of choice. Each of those institutions should step forward to ensure that their learning journey is a safe one - even if there are a few rules that they don’t like.

Drawing simplistic political conclusions from election results appears to be an ingrained habit of the Virginian Pilot editorial staff. A scant 12 hours after the polls closed the newspaper proclaimed the Kaine gubernatorial win to be a validation of the recent Commonwealth tax increase. That deduction is an insulting underestimate of the Virginia voter’s intelligence level.

Election choices are rarely about one issue. Intelligent voters (and there are many, whether the newspaper believes so or not) consider all of a candidate’s positions, then pick the candidate who they feel is the better choice. It would be highly unlikely for a voter to find a candidate that matched his or her belief structure on every issue. Therefore an election outcome is never a mandate for any one particular issue the candidate espoused.

What was the true reason for the Tim Kaine vote? It was simply the fact that he was perceived to be the best choice, given the three candidates. One candidate ran a negative campaign which included assertions that were obviously not true. How could citizens entrust the management of our commonwealth to someone who hasn’t been completely honest with the voters?

The candidate in question also overemphasized issues that are not high priority for the average Virginian. And is the inclusion of Family Values in a campaign platform anything more than a smoke screen to hide behind when one has no clear agenda? Good people from all political persuasions believe in family values. One faction alone doesn’t have a lock on morality.

I’m tired of dishonesty. I’m tired of our elected officials refusing to represent their constituents, choosing instead partisan loyalties. I’m tired of sweeping legislation that hurts rather than helps. Its time for big change at the ballot box.

And that, Virginia, is why Tim Kaine is governor.

The new “congestion toll” study proposed by VDOT is a good reason to clean house. And the Commonwealth of Virginia needs to use a big broom to sweep this malfunctioning agency clean.

The theory is to price tolls based on real time congestion on the highway in question. Should the roadway be happily moving along then there would be no toll. Barring all the other problems associated with this plan, the implementation logistics alone should send this proposal to some bureaucrat’s trash can.

Please tell me how this theory could be implemented. In order to determine actual congestion the road would have to be equipped with sophisticated sensors that would regulate the toll amount. The taxpayer dollars spent on this equipment could be put to a much higher use by applying the funds to the cost of our highway wish list.

Pray tell me how “congestion pricing” could practically be staffed. Would the highway sensors feed into some sophisticated phone notification system that would ring the toll takers at home and have them appear for work at a moment’s notice? Then would the same system send them home 15 minutes later when the traffic had cleared?

Most certainly VDOT would, instead, base the toll on an arbitrary division between “rush hour” and “non rush hour”. Such a plan would immediately void the mission. It would not be a “congestion toll” at all, but someone’s value judgement regarding when the road might logically be crowded.

An argument used to support the plan is the statement that “About 10 percent of all morning rush-hour vehicles are occupied by people on nonessential trip such as shopping or personal errands.” Has Big Brother been at work monitoring Virginia highways? How can a government agency realistically know the composition of the automobiles on a given highway? And who can make the determination as to whether a person’s trip is essential or non-essential? I would suspect that most people making a trip on our region’s highways during rush hour would consider their trip essential.

Don’t punish our citizens for driving to work, school, or a doctor appointment. If you want to use tolls to raise money for road construction then that’s an acceptable plan. But it is a fair plan only if you impose the toll on all drivers using the highway in question, regardless of the time of day. Don’t arbitrarily punish the people who have to work for a living. Toll Everyone.  Or Toll None!