April 2, 2021

I got my COVID shots courtesy of Pfizer, and headed two weeks later to Florida for my version of spring training. Fifteen rounds of golf in thirteen days. The weather was terrific. It’s hard to believe we live in the same country. Beaches, sunshine, eight lane highways, cars, BBQ joints, gated communities, and strip malls as far as the eye can see.

It was pretty easy to figure out the politics as Fox News was the default TV program everywhere. I can see why people think the way they do. Despite not having any direct political discussions with my Florida friends, which is our version of don’t ask, don’t tell, I heard what I assume was an intentional mispronouncing of the name of the Vice President of the United States. I suspect I was being trolled. The infrastructure package was referred to as the “tax package.” And they were certain that Joe Biden had no intention of completing his first term, in which case the person whose name they could not pronounce would take over. There were various complaints about wokeness and political correctness.

There definitely weren’t any discussions about the COVID rescue package, gun safety, voter suppression, or climate change. Like most Republicans, they were on the wrong side of the American people and history. Like most Republicans, there was scant attention paid to the future, and what was needed to improve it. Republicans have become the “Repeal and Replace” party. They want to prevent Democrats from doing anything, but have no ideas of their own. GOP should stand for the Grand Obstructionist Party. Mitch has already said there will be no Republican votes for an infrastructure package. The only plank they have is the one they will be using to walk off their sinking ship.

March 24, 2021

Sen. John Kennedy recently tried to compare our gun terrorism problem with drunk driving. Here is a golden oldie I blogged over a year ago.

January 31, 2020

Gun Control

It is a matter of fact that the United States has the most gun-related deaths per capita than any other country in the world by orders of magnitude. And it is also a fact that we do not suffer from mental illness more than any other countries. We love our guns. We also love our cars and trucks. So why can’t we regulate guns the same way we regulate motor vehicles? After all, we obviously consider cars and trucks lethal weapons when in the wrong hands. Here is how we should regulate firearms, which is analogous to the way we regulate cars and trucks.

• Must be sixteen years of age to operate

• Must take and pass a course in gun safety

• Must pass a shooting proficiency test in the presence of a police officer

• Must take an eye exam

• Must have a gun owner’s license with photo ID

• The license should be subject to renewal

• Guns must be registered

• Guns must be insured

• Must have established procedures for transferring ownership of a firearm

• Gun owners must go through a criminal background check

• Gun owners must store their firearms in a secure location.

• Gun owners must report stolen firearms

• Gun owners must not carry a firearm while intoxicated

• The size, characteristics, and capacity of firearms must be regulated

• Guns should be taxed

• Guns should have inspection stickers

• Guns must not be concealed

• Gun owners must be subject to “red flag” laws

March 12, 2021

Spring has sprung. We saw our first robin this morning, and the rest of the birds at the bird feeders are chirping their tiny little brains out. It’s great to see the finches, sparrows, tufted titmice, nuthatches, chickadees, cardinals, blue jays, juncos, woodpeckers, doves, blackbirds, wrens, flickers, and more helping themselves. Tomorrow night is daylight savings. St. Patrick’s Day is on Wednesday. Opening day is right around the corner, and will soon be followed by The Masters. I actually played golf yesterday.

Joe Biden and his team have their arms around the pandemic. My family is almost totally immunized. Financial help is coming for people who need it. Children will be going to school shortly. I will be traveling to warmer climates to shake the rust off of the golf clubs. It will be tough to beat last year, but I do need to shoot my age. Hopefully, the shorts still fit. I will be going dark for a couple of weeks because, after what we have been through, dark life matters.

March 8, 2021

I was taken to task recently in the Letters to the Editor section of the Springfield Sunday Republican for being a “prolific basher” of Donald Trump. All I can say in my defense is that I am guilty as charged, and will take it as a compliment. At least it was more respectful than some of the nastiness I have received in the mail. I really did want to move on from Trump after the election in November, but “the other guy” won’t go away like other Presidents. He destructively and maybe illegally contested the election results; he promulgated conspiracy theories; he fomented an insurrection of the U.S. Capitol; and then he and and his wife received their vaccinations in private.

Frankly, I would rather write about climate change. I would encourage everyone to read Bill Gates’ new book, “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster,” to get an idea of the immense challenges facing us. I would like to see an infrastructure bill get passed so I might be able to take a high speed train ride from Springfield to Boston one day before I pull into my last stop. I would like to see discussions of Mr. Potato Head turn into discussions about how we get potatoes for all of our citizens. I would like to see a discussion from our Republican friends as to how they can possibly defend the hundreds of proposed laws around the country designed to restrict the vote of minorities.

I will stop bashing when he stops being a threat to democracy. In the meantime, I will try to focus on more productive issues.

March 5, 2021

What is wrong with Texas? With apologies to New Hampshire, Texas really is the “Live Free or Die” state. In the immortal words of Ted Cruz, “FREEDOM!” First, it gives all of its citizens the right to die in an epic winter storm because no one is going to tell Texans how they are going to run their electric grid. As former Texas Governor and Energy Secretary Rick “Oops” Perry said, Texans would rather die than let the federal government get its hands on their energy. Then, just to prove that having a moronic Governor was not a one off, Greg Abbott announced that Texas was open 100%, let the science be damned. The Lone Ranger will be the only Texan wearing a mask. Texas will now be remembered for more than just The Alamo.

They will make fun of Massachusetts for “canceling” Dr. Seuss, which wasn’t canceling at all but self-editing in the name of political correctness. An unfortunate encounter between a black student and a janitor at Smith College wasn’t cancel culture either. If you want to dredge up old news, they could mention the canceling of West Side Story at Amherst High School because it was unflattering to Puerto Ricans, but that was just the “Berkeley of the East” being overly PC. Lastly, Amherst College changed its name from the Lord Jeffs because Lord Jeffrey Amherst brought small pox to the Indians centuries ago. In the scheme of things, these are insignificant events that make living in western Massachusetts both charming and perplexing. Fortunately, the only thing anyone has died from is embarrassment.

March 1, 2021

Cancel culture is a modern form of ostracism in which someone is thrust out of social or professional circles – whether it be online, on social media, or in person. Those who are subject to this ostracism are said to be “cancelled”. Merriam-Webster notes that to “cancel”, as used in this context, means “to stop giving support to that person” while Dictionary.com defines cancel culture as “withdrawing support for public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered objectionable or offensive.” Cancel culture constitutes a form of boycotting involving an individual who is deemed to have acted or spoken in a questionable or controversial manner. For those at the receiving end of cancel culture, the consequences can lead to loss of reputation and income that can be hard to recover from. Thank you to Wikipedia.

The Radical, Right wing, Regressive Republicans have decided that this is their new talking point, taking the place of fake news. To make their point, they have gone after controversies that can at best be considered inconsequential. Without going into details, they have railed against Dr. Seuss, Mr. Potato Head, the Muppets, a dust up at Smith College, and something about San Francisco that no one really knows or cares about unless you live in San Francisco. These are not examples of cancel culture. This is what we used to call political correctness. Regardless, it’s not important in the scheme of things.

What is important is the pandemic, voter suppression, climate change, immigration, infrastructure, and more. The RRRR is bankrupt of ideas. They have no platform. They have canceled themselves.

March 3, 2021

One of the major debates in Washington today involves relief for debt-burdened students. Progressives are proposing debt relief of $50,000 per student. President Biden is at $10,000 with proposals for free education at community colleges. Conservatives are not part of the discussion. I am okay with whatever proposal makes it through as long as it is based on need. It needs to be targeted aid, and not a shotgun approach.

I made it through college with no debt when tuition, room and board were approximately $3,000 per year. My parents paid the portion that was not covered by financial aid. For spending money, I did what I had to. I flipped hamburgers, worked in factories, drove a cab, cleaned dorm rooms and toilets, baby sat for the children of alumni, and offered my body to medical science. Loans were not part of the package. However, graduate school was a different story. We had substantial loans that had to be paid off, which we got done after several years. Because we paid off our loans, you may be thinking that I am totally opposed to student loan forgiveness, but I am not. Things change.

The staggering amount of debt that many students graduate with today is not comparable to what it was. The cost of a college education has grown much faster than average incomes. Financial aid and loans help at the elite schools, but there is no trickle down economics in education. Unless the school you go to has a multi-billion dollar endowment, you are dependent on parents, scholarships, student loans, and term-time work. Excessive debt affects employment choices, quality of life, and the ability to consume. It is clearly a direct result of income inequality, which then gets exacerbated by students unable to continue with their studies. If a worthy student needs a break, it’s okay with me.

February 26, 2021

How would you feel if…

…members of your community or your family were unfairly targeted by police resulting in unnecessary deaths

…your family was separated at the border, and brought here in chains

…your national protest was characterized as an anti-fascist conspiracy

…state houses around the country were devising schemes to keep you from voting

…one of the major political parties was attempting to invalidate your vote

…white supremacists who attacked the Capitol believed the Presidential election was stolen by people like you

…large numbers of people were buying even larger numbers of guns because they are afraid of you

…you and your family were dying in far greater numbers from the pandemic

…you and your family have much shorter life expectancies than others

…the first person of your group elected President is attacked for not being born here

…a major figure on talk radio called the first person from your group to be elected President a “magic Negro.”

…terrorists attacking the Capitol called police officers like you the “N” word.

…you suffer from inequality of opportunity and income

…the President of the United States told people like you to go back to the s#$thole countries that you came from

How would you feel?

February 24, 2021

We are all taught to not speak ill of the dead, but, in Rush Limbaugh’s case, I will make an exception because he spent his career maligning people, who he disagreed with. He disparaged them in the most heinous of terms. In a Springfield Republican op-ed, Cal Thomas says we need to understand the people he appealed to. Donald Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida ordered flags to be flown at half mast. However, Rush Limbaugh did more damage to the United States than any other media figure short of Roger Ailes. Ultimately, he gave us Donald Trump.

Limbaugh, like Trump, was an entertainer and a rank opportunist. He didn’t criticize. He insulted and ridiculed. He didn’t question the biases of his listeners, he amplified them. He called President Obama a “magic negro.” He made fun of gays. He coined the term “feminazi.” He referred to the NBA as the “Thug Basketball Association.” He called a law student a “slut” and a “prostitute.” He mocked Chinese. He referred to Chelsea Clinton as a “dog.” He said, “Indians have casinos, what’s to complain about?” Finally, he denied the results of the Presidential election. There is lots more, but I think the point is made. He is not to be honored. He is to be reviled. He did not give voice to the “silent majority.” He gave it license.