live from the guillotine

Now What?

There has been a good deal of ink spilled over the Time cover, "Is Your Baby Racist?".  Much has been made of the contentions of the authors, for good reason, but after reading the article I have two observations that I think have not been made due to the outrage surrounding the article itself. 

My youngest two children spent their K-6 years being homeschooled in what might be considered a multicultural haven.  We have a very diverse neighborhood and many times my kids were the only white kids at our house.  Not to put to fine a point on it, but their best friends in 6th and 7th grade, respectively, were not white. 

We didn't spend a lot of time discussing race issues at our house.  If it came up, it came up.  If it didn't, who cared?  One of the ideas behind the article is that we all need to talk about race, differences, and inclusion to make it happen.  I never did and we had a virtual politically correct Saturday morning cartoon of races represented here on any given Sunday.

That gradually changed to some extent as soon as I sent my kids to public school.  Some of their friends went to another junior high.  Some of their friends continued to home school.  Perhaps instead of it being the parents, it's the school and the other kids and their attitudes that influence these things.  Perhaps your group is simply those you spend the most time with?

Certainly we all say we want our kids to be colorblind and not notice race, but to judge people by the content of their character and treat them accordingly.  It's most assuredly what I wanted to achieve as a parent, but given the context of the culture we live in today could that end up to be partially a bad thing for my kids and their friends?  It was tonight.

My daughter and one of her best buddies from the cheer team, still in their cheer outfits from the volleyball game,  were in dining room making posters.  Not that it should make any difference, her friend is black.  But it did make a difference, you see.  My son walked in the back door, saw them working on their posters, and joked, "We don't want your kind here!!"

As my two kids laughed at my son's joke, the look on the friend's face was amazingly awful.  For a few agonizing seconds, she had absolutely no idea he was talking about cheerleaders.  They had absolutely no clue, until I pointed it out to them later,  that she didn't immediately realize it was a cheerleader joke. 

She did nothing wrong.  They did nothing wrong, but it's something I'm going to be thinking about for quite some time.   I don't want my kids to spend their lives tip-toeing through a minefield, worrying how people will take every comment.  On the other hand, I don't want them accidentally hurting other's feelings because they're completely oblivious to the fact that there are possible mines to be stepped on. 

The Protest of the Tea Party Protest

So.  Yeah.  About 15-20 people showed up to counter our Tea Party/Tax Day Rally with signs of their own.  Hey, it's a free country.  Loved the one that says," Tantrums Equal Anti-American".  So it's okay NOW that Obama's in charge to question people's patriotism?  Check!  Also loved the Insani-Tea.  No argument really, just, you're crazy! Take that!  I don't really get the, "Don't Pee On My Leg and Call it Tea", thing:

But urine figured in on this sign on the right as well, so this pee-pee meme could take off.  You're peeing on me.  _____________?  Obama!!!  Plus this middle sign, which is short and sweet, much like President "I won", "You guys lost.  Get over it."  Just like you guys in 2000?  We'll get right on that. 

They'd perched on a slight incline behind us and after our tea party was over the crowd turned to leave and the counter-protesters were directly in the path of the perhaps crazed, possibly violent, could turn ugly at the drop of an economic down turn right-wing extremists who also believe in God, life, and border enforcement.  Even the ones with strollers and toddlers, because this insaniti-TEA fest is close to Ft. Hood and you just don't have ANY IDEA how many disgruntled veterans may be running around giving combat tips, when strollers attack lessons, and paramilitary training to parents, children and the elderly .  We had scads of veterans and insane folks, who like the founding fathers were fairly pissy about federal spending and oh so radical about state and local rights.  I felt fairly certain, based on the recent Department of Homeland Security report of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy (Hey Hillary! Good to see you again!  Nice pantsuit!  Who's your new friend Janet?)  that it would end in mayhem and bloodshed. 

I can still hear the tormented screams of the counter-protesters as they were crushed under the stroller wheels.  I will never forget the shrieking as the stampeding grannies beat them with signs, and also that goth girl whose shriveled them as they fell with a dark look of indifference.   I'd guess they pee'd themselves as they fell, but that would be tacky. 

But seriously, there was this interesting sign face off.  The tea party attendees walked until they were about 10 yards from the counter-protesters and then they did the unthinkable.  I was hiding behind a tree.  They brandished their signs:

And then the dread God talk, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, Psalms 33:12".  Terrifying indeed!  

As they faced each other off I did so want to yell, "Red Rover, Red Rover, Let the Liberals Come Over!!"

Amazingly enough, they just flashed their signs at one another and called it a day.  Another day in the republic if we choose to keep it.  Mr. G pointed out the only really troubling thing about the counter-protesters. Practically no American flags.  Why don't these folks self-identify as proud Americans?  This is the most amazing country, of endless opportunity, in the history of the world.  Even when we don't like the direction of any administration, when and how did we manage to forget we are the most blessed people on earth to live here and wave our signs and flags? 

When, exactly, did we as a nation stop being Americans first? Fighting about things?  Sure.   Taking it outside the family?  I don't get that.  At least in Texas, I felt confident that I could have walked over to the counter-protesters, introduced myself, taken pictures, and had a fine time.  I didn't think for a minute that if my car wouldn't start after the rally, any one of them wouldn't have given me a boost, handed me a cell phone, or given me a ride home.  This is Texas, after all.  I'm not so confident about the rest of the nation.  I hope I'm wrong. 

And just to dot the i's and cross the t's there was this lady:

In so many ways she's right on the money!   People were confused by her dual message, but I think she had it just right.  We let Bush get away with all this spending and now Obama's taking it on the World Road Tour!!!  Republicans have contributed to this mess, no question.  The Democrats are worse, don't get me wrong, but it is only a matter of degree.  If you've been electing the bums of either party, throw them out!  It's the only way we'll survive as a nation. 

Seriously?

Let me see if I understand this correctly.  North Korea launches a long range missile and one of the few cuts we can possibly "afford" in Obama's gargantuan budget is in...missile defense.

Is it just me or is our current President attempting the heretofore impossible goal of actually rehabilitating Jimmy Carter's prestige on the world stage?

And to my fellow Americans who elected this dope and change.  Congratulations!  It's landing soon in a city near you! 

Assume the position. 

Congratulations, America!

Obama’s Victory

A victory for the hysterical Oprah Winfrey, the mad racist preacher Jeremiah Wright, the mainstream media who abandoned any sense of objectivity long ago, Europeans who despise America largely because they depend on her, comics who claim to be dangerous and fearless but would not dare attack genuinely powerful special interest groups.

A victory for Obama-worshippers everywhere. A victory for the cult of the cult. A man who has done little with his life but has written about his achievements as if he had found the cure for cancer in between winning a marathon and building a nuclear reactor with his teeth.

Read the whole thing.