THE NUMBERS GAME

300,000,000 AMERICANS, BUT ARE THOSE COUNTED ALL CITIZENS OR ARE SOME LESS THAN LEGAL?

12,000,000 DOLLARS OWED BY WESLEY SNIPES TO THE IRS, BUT HOW COULD HE AS A HIGH PROFILE PERSONALITY HAVE ESCAPED NOTICE FOR 6 YEARS?

130,000 EMPLOYEES OF BIG STEEL, BUT WHY ARE THEY PROTECTED BY TARIFFS WHICH PREVENT FREE TRADE?

27,000 HOCKEY REFEREES IN THE USA, BUT WHY WOULD THEY WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN A VIOLENT, UNCIVILIZED SPORT?

200 TEACHERS IN NORTH CAROLINA CITED FOR SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS WITH STUDENTS, BUT WHY ARE THEY NOT ROLE MODELS?

28 MONTHS AS A SENTENCE FOR A LAWYER WHO AIDED AND ABETTED THE TERRORISTS WHO ATTACKED THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IN 1993, BUT WHY NOT PUNISH HER GOAL OF SABOTAGE?

ONE INDIVIDUAL LIKE MYSELF, BUT WITH NO USE FOR ILLEGALITY, FRAUD, PROTECTIONISM OR DEGRADATION, PROMISCUITY OR TREASON? AM I ALONE?

CAN AMERICA'S FOUNDATION STAND UP TO A CLOSE EXAMINATION? AM I MYOPIC TO CONCENTRATE ON OUR ROTTING CORE? LONG TERM, I CAN'T AFFORD TO BE PESSIMISTIC, BUT IN THE SHORT RANGE WHERE DO WE LOOK FOR LIGHT? I DISAGREE WITH DR. PANGLOSS IN VOLTAIRE’S SATIRE, CANDIDE., WHO IRONICALLY BELIEVES THAT OPTIMISM IS "THE MADNESS OF MAINTAINING THAT EVERYTHING IS RIGHT WHEN IT IS WRONG." THIS WORLDVIEW IS UPENDED. OPTIMISM IS THE SANITY OF CORRECTING WHAT IS WRONG IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN WHAT'S RIGHT. EASIER SAID THAN DONE. WHERE DO WE START?

175,000 SPECIES OF BUTTERFLIES INHABIT THE WORLD. STOP, LOOK, AND APPRECIATE JUST ONE.