Archive for October, 2006

The buck should start here

Saturday, October 28th, 2006

Or maybe, the buck stops here? You’ve heard this expression. I think it’s been given some new meaning by the Orlando police chief. Orlando is having a record year. A record number of murders, that is. Already at 50 when the old record was in the 30s, we still have 2 months to go in the year. That is a horrible record, a sobering statistic.

So what is Orlando doing about it? The police chief flew to Washington to beg for money to “fix” the problem. What is wrong with this picture? Sure, it is nice to get federal money, but hey, that’s our money already. Our senators and congressmen should already be making sure that we’re getting our fair share. We do not need the police chief “grandstanding” in Washington.

What we need is pressure on local government to cough up the bucks to help deal with the problem. This idea that someone else has responsibility to fix our problems is ridiculous. There is nothing stopping local government with raising the money necessary to help deal with the situation. Who best to know what needs to be done, than those who live here. Why expect politicians a thousand miles away to care? Or to be involved? Why just ask for money to be thrown at a problem.

The Orlando police chief and other local officials and politicians need to “shit or get off the pot.” Why wait for someone else to fix our local problems. We need to take the bull by the horns and get the ball rolling here and now, whatever it takes. That is, if it’s important to us. Think about it!

Excuses, excuses

Thursday, October 19th, 2006

I see where former Congressman Mark Foley is out and about making excuses. Now he says he was “abused” by a priest as a young boy. Well, that’s too bad. It should not have happened.

But, is that an excuse for his behavior? No! He needs to ‘fess up and admit that what he did was wrong. A 50-something year old man knows that he should not be “hitting” up on boys that are not old enough to make a rational decision. Shame on him.

Celebrating My Heritage

Wednesday, October 11th, 2006

I bought a Polish Flag on eBay the other day. I plan on displaying it proudly on selected holidays. I think the first will be Brother Martin day. I have no problem with ethnic groups celebrating their heritage, but it seems to me that if we institutionalize some one heritage, then we are playing favorites. Where’s the federal holiday for Pulaski Day? Huh? Where?

Latinos are welcome to celebrate Cinco De Mayo, but it does not need to be a federal holiday. Blacks are welcome to celebrate the contributions of Martin Luther King Jr., but it does not need to be a federal holiday. If it weren’t for the contributions of Pulaski and Kosciuszko, perhaps the revolutionary war would have failed. But we don’t celebrate them with a federal holiday. Why?

So, I will proudly fly my Polish Flag on holidays or any other day I see fit, to celebrate my heritage. And I will still fly the American Flag on federal holidays such as Veteran’s Day, Independence Day, and the like. I hope you celebrate your heritage, too, but also celebrate with me our common heritage.

Bad things happening to good people

Thursday, October 5th, 2006

Let’s face it. It’s a bit of a commentary on the “god” that I was taught when I was in Catholic grade school. Bad things happen to good people. And, good things happen to bad people.

Had bad news in the family today. For one of my “in laws,” their sister’s husband, a young guy in his 40s, died suddenly of a heart attack today. His wife is currently battling cancer, too. They have a high school senior daughter.  Bad things happening, and these are, belive me, good people!

I can’t explain it. It breaks my heart to see such things happening to great people. It’s not “god’s fault,” by any means. Is just happens. “Shit happens,” as they say. This does not make it any easier to accept. But, it’s an opportunity for the rest of us in the world.

Another person I know related a story today of a time many, many years ago, when she had 7 (yes, seven!) small kids at home and her husband had surgery for a brain tumor. They lived in a small town. To this day, she has no idea who  paid their electic bill for a number of months. She received $20s and even $50s in the mail, anonymously. People paid other bills without saying who they were. This is what “community” is all about.

Bad things happen to good people. But this is “our” chance. It’s a time for the rest of us to step up to the plate and help out. We can’t change the bad things that happen. But we can show love, compassion, and humanity and do what we can do.

Not only CAN we show love, compassion and humanity, we MUST. If we don’t, we’re really sunk as human beings.
Yes, bad things happen to good people. And other good people step forward, showing and proving their goodness. We have to,  to be good….

Sad times

Tuesday, October 3rd, 2006

No, I’m not talking about war or politics or even the state of the Democratic party. I’m talking about the recent violence at some schools. A man with a grudge, yesterday, went into an Amish school in Pennsylvania and executed several young girls, before doing us all a favor and blowing his head off. He just had the order of things wrong. What could cause a person to do such a thing? Or, last week in Colorado (I think), another man went into a school, took some girls hostage, molested a few, and killed one or two before killiing himslef.

What has gotten into some people? I imagine we’ll eventually read about some “traumatic” childhood, or “deep seated” resentments or “unresolved rage” or other psycho-babble. The bottom line is, each of these people had some sort of problem and society–we–did nothing about it. Maybe we ignored the warning signs. Maybe we didn’t listen to them. Maybe we didn’t take them seriously. But I think, to some extent, that society shoulders some responsibility for not “heading them off,” though certainly not the blame for their actions.

It’s scary. To think that the guy next to you could suddenly come unglued some day, and come to work or school or the store you’re in or the place you’re visiting–to come in with a gun and just start blasting away. How can you prepare for that? You cannot. You can just live your life the best you can, each and every moment, and be thankful for what you have and what you can accomplish today. Tomorrow will take care of itself. You must take care of yourself today.

Shame, shame, shame!

Sunday, October 1st, 2006

Yes, shame on the (now former) Florida Congressman who resigned on Friday for sending highly inappropriate email and text message to underage teenage boys who were pages in Congress. This from  “holier than thou” republican who in public bragged about his protection of children from the perils of the Internet, and from sexual predators. Here, he’s one of them.

This points out one of the big perils of a lot of republicans. They stand up with the religious right, known for their self-righteous attitudes. But in reality, they’re no better than anyone else. And, in the case of Rep. Foley, actually worse!

I am sickened and disgusted by this type of reprehensible behavior. It makes me wanna puke. Why is that so many Republicans give lip service to high ideals, but don’t live then in their lives.

Of course, the same can be said for many Democrats, no doubt. But then again, the Democratic party does not pretend to be full of a bunch of conservative Christians. No, the Democratic party is often the party of many left-wing minorities. And I’m sure there are many scum democrats too. But this Foley guy should be punished severely for his inappropriate behavior, and anyone who knew about it and did nothing is equally guilty.

See how the mighty fall when they claim to be holier than thou….