Jekyll Island Beach 2012

Jekyll Island Beach 2012

Monday, July 25, 2016

H is for How I See It

The Rogue Speaks:

I have been away from my blog lately, because sometimes life gets too complicated and causes one to not be able to think in a reasonable manner.  However, so much is happening in our country right now, that I feel compelled to express my thoughts on the issues at hand.

Before I comment on those issues, I would like to tell you a little story about a dentist, William T.G. Morton (1819-1868).  Morton, in the 1840's, began using inhaled ether on his patients in his dental practice.  Prior to that time, extracting a bad tooth was horrendously painful.  The patient screamed, moaned, and gripped the chair, while the dentist grabbed the offending tooth with a pair of pliers and twisted, pulled, and yanked until the tooth came out.  People flocked to Morton and his new invention in droves to have painless extractions, and inhaled anesthesia was invented.

There was a glitch in this wonderful invention, however, and it was with the surgeons whom Morton approached with his invention to make surgery pain-free.  The surgeons actually believed that screaming, writhing, and bellowing in pain while one's limb was being cut off, or one's appendix was being removed was the way it was supposed to be. Surgery always came with pain.  That was the hard and fast rule.  This is no joke, people!  These doctors REALLY believed that!  If you don't believe me, Google can help you out with this.  It was quite a while before these doctors finally came to the realization that Morton's invention made their lives and the lives of patients easier when they were treated humanely with a few whiffs of ether before the mutilation began.  Some people find it very difficult to let go of their archaic thinking, either out of stubbornness, ignorance, fear, or all three.  Sad, don't you think?

 
 
 
On the subject of undocumented Mexicans, here's how I see it:  In the mid to late 1800's, the US brought hundreds of thousands of Mexicans into the southwest to work on the cattle ranches and in the fields, harvesting fruits, etc.  They were hard-working, and they were cheap labor.  During the wars, they were sorely needed because American men were off fighting.  Working in America became a way of life for Mexican immigrants. Today, it seems to have been built into their genes, and they just can't seem to stay away, no matter the cost.
 
In 1924, the Border Patrol was established, for one reason or another, and even though the public didn't see Mexicans as "illegal aliens," the law said they were fugitives.  That did not stop farm and ranch owners from hiring them, or protecting them, however, because they kept the costs down, and gave the owners more profit.  And don't kid yourself, they're still doing it.
 
 
 
The door closes, the door opens.  In 1942, we were at war again, and Mexicans, illegal or otherwise, were once again needed.  Whenever America let them, they came.  And if it were not for those hard-working people, America would not be the most lush agricultural center it is today.  If all of those workers leave America, and go back to Mexico, never to return, don't even think about buying all those fresh fruits and vegetables you enjoy.  You will not be able to afford them unless you are part of the 1%. 
 
Donald Trump has absolutely no class.  Every time I hear him yelling about immigrants, rape, murder, etc., and see that silly comb-over flapping in the breeze, I get a little throw-up in my mouth.  The problem is not with the undocumented Mexicans, the vast majority of whom are just trying to work hard and take care of their families, but with the wealthy, sociopathic drug-lords.  Trump should be able to identify with them, because he most definitely is a sociopath as well.  He will trample anyone to get what he wants.
 
 
In the case of gay marriage, here's how I see it:  Our Founding Fathers came to this country searching for religious freedom.  Anyone who believes otherwise is woefully ignorant.  They did not come to America to insure that we lived in a "Christian nation."  They gave us our Constitution.  In that document, the only reference you will find to God, are in the words "In the year of our Lord," which was the accepted way of stating the date at that time.  Most people haven't even read the Constitution, and merely take the word of some other person as to just what it says.  Pretty lazy, I think.  Read it yourself.  I did.
 
 
 
Whenever anyone starts trying to explain the science of sexuality to the "conservative" element, they all stick their fingers in their ears and sing, "Lalalalalalalalala!!!!" at the top of their lungs.  Why  they choose to remain so ignorant is just beyond me.
 
Evangelicals are literally choking on their screams that homosexuality is a sin.  They are quick to quote Leviticus, that old testament book of laws that supposedly God handed down to the Children of Israel.  I am not one of the Children of Israel.  I am not Jewish--I am Northern European and English/Irish.  If the book of Leviticus ever applied to anyone, it definitely is not me.  I eat bacon.  I love shrimp. I wear poly/cotton blends, and I don't believe in stoning anyone for any reason.  Not only that, the word homosexuality appears  NO WHERE in either the old or the new testament, UNLESS someone has re-written the Bible to suit their own beliefs.  If you have studied the Bible, you should know that re-writing it is a no-no.
 
To those Bible-thumping, mean-spirited, close-minded people who claim to be "Christians," how about following the teachings of Christ for a change.  You remember him--that radical, socialist Jew, swarthy, with long hair and sandals, who said in John 8:15, "Ye judge of the flesh; I judge no man."
 
Before I jump into my final rant, I would like to give you a little background on the Pledge of Allegiance.  It was written in 1892, by Francis Bellamy (1855-1931), who was a socialist minister.  When I was a little girl, saying the Pledge every day in school, the words "under God" were not part of the Pledge.  It was changed in 1954 at the urging of Dwight Eisenhower, who was president at that time.  Bellamy's daughter was very much against the change.
 
As to the Confederate battle flag, here's how I see it:   Segregation, rednecks, moonshine, KKK, ignorance, stupidity, arrogance, and hate.  One would think that over the centuries, with all the advances in science, genetics,  history, etc., that the human beings in this country could have reached a consensus that, as our Constitution reads, all men really ARE created equal.  There is just no mystery about that.
 
 
 
Whew!!! This is the longest I have been at the computer in MONTHS!  If you've a mind to, I would love to hear your views on these subjects.
 
This is actually a re-post, written when all of us were participating in AlphabeThursday.  I really miss it!!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 

19 comments:

Annesphamily said...

America is in a mess! If I printed here what I really wanted to say I'd be transported to Guantanamo Bay before you could say what!

There is not one presidential candidate I would give a dog bone to much less a vote!

I worked for doctors over 30 years til one got his redneck, black hatin sister-in-law in the office and they gave me the boot! She once called a meetin and said (to three Mexican employees, one white (myself) and herself (redneck)"You can force a Mexican to work but not a N _ _ _ _ _ !!!!!!!"

As always Judie, you tell it like it is!

Doctors, they are overeducated people usually with greedy botox filled wives or trophy wives. No regard for them and they are not GOD! They wake up and put their clothes on like the rest of us! They just fill their pockets with insurance money. No biggie!

Lmkazmierczak said...

Good to see you on your soapbox...I suspect Trump is just the side show to keep the media happy so they have soundbite every day. I do hope the kids of illegal aliens would see the passage of a solid path to citizenship as America is missing the opportunity to get these kids functioning for our future...I am most concerned about the economy and our rising deficit as a nation. The same sex marriage thing seems to be a done deal....fine by me. I am much more concerned how much porn has seeped into every niche. How has that become such a hobby?#@! Ok I'm done♪ http://lauriekazmierczak.com/hazy-sun/

bluzdude said...

I hit two out of three of these topics last week. Even if you didn't see them, I bet you know where I stand... 100% with YOU.

Gattina said...

Where is the so praised freedom if you can't even write your opinion without fearing to land up in Guantanamo ? It was really nice to read your post which shows that not all Americans are stupid and one should never generalize. Sometimes when I read an American blog, I just could pull out my hairs ! They are narrow minded, praise their religion, are proud that grandpa teaches shooting with his 6 years old grandchild in the backyard etc ...
Our former prime minister was gay and nobody cared about that ! He did a good job and that was all what counted. Live and let live if homosexuals want to marry, why not ? Emigrants are always needed when there is too much work. As soon as the situation changes, they are parasites and take the jobs from the honest local people. Who wants to clean public toilets ??? Emigrants of course ! All the dirty work which nobody wants to do, is for them.

Susan Anderson said...

Hi, Judie. I almost hesitate to accept your invitation to share my views, but we have always managed to disagree amicably (and respectfully), so here goes:

On immigration, I agree that our country has benefited and will always benefit from immigration. I just want the immigration to be legal. Why? So that we can exert some control over the numbers, making sure that our infrastructure can support them. Having grown up and raised my eldest children in Southern California, I can tell you the importance of having enough money and services in place to support immigrants. I also bristle when politicians imply that everyone who wants to put a stop to *illegal* immigration is either anti-immigration or a bigot. I am neither one, but I do want control over our boarders and an organized process for immigration that allows us not only to be sure we are ready, but to know to the best of our ability who is coming and what their intent is.

I share your feelings about Donald Trump, by the way, and cannot believe anyone is taking him seriously. He strikes me as a pompous, self-important blowhard.

As for gay marriage, the die is cast. This outcome was inevitable, given the beliefs of the majority in this country. I wish the Court had let the matter continue to evolve along the course it was clearly taking, state by state, but I respect the decision. My personal view would favor gay couples having all of the rights of a married couple but under a different name. My religious belief is that marriage was and is a sacrament before it is a secular institution. Having said that, I accept the law and am glad gay couples will have the rights I feel they deserve. I do have some concerns that a few gay activists may try to trample on the rights of religious people to self-determine. I am not happy, for instance, with the case where a baker has been fined over a hundred thousand dollars for refusing to decorate a cake in a way that went contrary to his belief system. In my religion, we do not drink alcohol, though it is socially acceptable. Still, I would not feel comfortable selling it as a means of making money. It is merely a case of personal integrity for me. I strongly support other people's right to drink it, but I cannot in good conscience be complicit in that choice. Another example of this mindset is that my husband turned down the best and most lucrative job offer he ever got because it was working for one of the large coffee-selling companies. Because drinking coffee is against our beliefs, he felt that making money from that process would undermine his personal integrity. I understand that most people think some of our beliefs have no validity, but what's important is that we DO believe them and need the freedom to live and act in accordance with them. This does not mean I don't wish gay couples well, because I do. I just need the autonomy of choice not to be an active participant in their marriages.

As for the pledge, I remember when the "under God" was added. I am saddened that times have changed to the point where many are no longer comfortable with that. Nonetheless, I agree with an atheist who doesn't want it there. It is understandable, and the pledge should be secular if that's what the majority prefers.

Finally, I agree that the confederate flag is a symbol that makes many citizens feel disrespected or worse and should not be flown from a government building.

In an issue you didn't even mention that is entirely my own, I don't agree with specifically singling out a nativity scene to be banned from holiday decor when it is standing alongside expressions of other disciplines that are not targeted. That has happened in my state. And the inequity of it really bugs me.

Thanks for the opportunity to express my thoughts, Judie. You know I think you're a great person, despite our differences of opinion. I always admire your passion for what you feel is right.

=)

carol l mckenna said...

Jenny is a gift to host Alphabe ~ As for your H rants ~ you are 'spot on' and those in power need to be brought to the reality of America ~ We are proud people and should be but the country I knew several year ago is not as strong now ~

Regarding helping me find a place with Jekyll Island would love some more information ~ I have not given up on it ~ Yet still exploring and would appreciate any input you might be able to find ~ Thanks, xo

Happy Weekend to you,
artmusedog and carol

21 Wits said...

First Jenny is a gift, and I have been away from the post for awhile, but still blogging! Just changed my postings a bit. I am always delighted to see your posts, and always, ALWAYS miss you when you're gone. You always know to say just what I often am feeling, thinking, pulling my hair out of my head over, but as we all know it seems no matter what we say..... there will always be blockheads! We need more Charlie Browns or maybe not, who knows. But do know that you are also a very special gift to us all too! Keep on blogging, even if it's month at a time, just do it! We need your determination, and you!

SarahBeth said...

I agree 100%.... so I'm not going to get on my soapbox just to repeat. But I will say this.... Howard Trump and his hair on a pair of water skis. Picture that!!

Judie said...

My thanks to everyone who has posted so far, and a very special thanks to Sue Anderson, who is not a member of the choir. She is a sweet, gentle, gifted soul, and I have the utmost respect for her. Over the years, we have managed to dialogue successfully, and for that I am grateful.

Susan Anderson said...

Thanks, Judie. I seem to remember that we do have some common ground, though. Gun control, for instance…and I would guess climate change and the environment. I do have a few liberal bones in my body.

;)

Judie said...

Hahahaha! You are right about that, Sue! We probably have more in common than you know.

Su-sieee! Mac said...

It takes two to tangle. People come into the country to find work because they can. If people are really serious about controlling our borders to keep undocumented workers out, then they need to look at whose hiring them and regulate them. I would not be surprised if Trump's construction managers have hired them. If the well of jobs is dry, people won't come. Easy as that.

Gay couples being able to get marriage licenses. Big deal. It's not the end of the world. And, it won't bring on the end of the world. Climate change will. Or, insensitive, inexperienced leaders will by putting us into unnecessary wars.

As long as our Constitution is intact, our country is not in a mess. It's people who are the mess. The ones who yell "Wolf!" and the others who continue to believe them.

I enjoyed your post, Judie. Thank you for giving us the space to talk. And, yes, verily, Jenny is a peach!
The View from the Top of the Ladder

Sarah said...

Sadly we have not progressed much, and seem always lag behind other countries on social issues. On the bright side, this is still a great nation that I'm happy to call home. The fight continues...

Jenny said...

Oh, sweet Judie.

I am quite behind and my brain is in a state of fizzle that is hard to manage.

I read your post thrice, though.

Living in AZ we hear so much about the illegal immigrants. I think the process is broken. Let them in, let them work, keep it documented and let them pay taxes just as we do to receive the services we often take for granted.

Did that make sense?

Trump? He's a media circus. Whenever you starts up I think of Howard Stern for some reason. Let's just make as many waves as possible and be as outrageous as we can. I think Trump is like so many other men I've been around. Insecure, unloved with so much money that they feel immune to being a person they can look at in the mirror.

Oh.

Crap.

See?

See what I mean?

I'm all tangled up in my words and thoughts.

And with that being said, I'm taking my foot out of my mouth.

I can, however, comment on the weather in Payson. It's beautiful.

And that's about the extent of my conversational skills for the past five weeks.

Hugs Miss Judie.

I think of you every time Santa watches me pee!

A++++

Judie said...

Jenny, believe me when I say I KNOW how you feel!!! My poor brain gets more and more scrambled every day. And I, too, can talk about the weather--horribly hot and humid, and even dangerous for me. I haven't been able to play golf or even stay outside for long for fear of having a heat stroke. I've been to the beach only once since June, and could hardly wait to get back home to cool off. Payson sounds divine!!!

Gattina said...

I stumbled over this post by pure coincidence ! The worst nightmare has happened, the entertaining clown won ! America lost all credibility in the world except Putin, he is happy ! Poor America, I hope that there are enough members in the opposition,so that he can't do what he wants !

Splendid Little Stars said...

stopping by to see what's up with you.
I love your rant and the ensuing dialogue. I believe in the end we all really want the same basic things in life--security--love, shelter, food, good times with family and friends, the ability to pursue our talents and dreams.

We all know the outcome of this election by now. Somebody got lots and lots of attention from media and those of us craving un-boring news. See where that got us? Truth--so complex and often mundane (in comparison) has been waylaid.

I hope you are doing well.

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