ON FATHERS DAY

FATHER'S DAY'S AROUND THIS WEEKEND AND MONKEY BUSINESS CARRIES
ON AS USUAL IN MYRIAD VENUES. EVEN THOUGH A HOME DEPOT AD TELLS ME IT IS "A PROUD SPONSOR OF FATHER'S DAY, I KNOW AMERICA'S NARCISSISM UNDERPINS NATIONAL HOLIDAYS AND EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES. I HEARD THAT ATHLETE-SCHOLARS WILL BE HONORED LOCALLY, YET I KNOW THIS TERM IS AN OXYMORON. I HEARD A BASEBALL COACH DISCUSSING THE "STARTING MENTALITY," OF HIS LOSING TEAM. ONE PLAYER'S 'ERA' (?) IS 71/2, BUT HE HOPES THEY DO BETTER BECAUSE THERE ARE 80 PLUS GAMES TO GO. I AM UNINTERESTED KNOWING STUDENT SPORTS HAS STIFLED THE OXYGEN TO THE ACADEMIC LOBES OF DEVELOPING BRAINS. I HEARD A COMMUNITY SERVICE ORGANIZATION BRAG ABOUT ITS "FUNDING BENEFITS BECAUSE THEY ARE ON THE CUSP OF APPALACHIA." THEY CAN OFFER A FREE SEMINAR ON HOME OWNERSHIP, WITH FREE FOOD (INCLUDING PIZZAS) FROM 3 LOCAL PROVIDERS, WITH WORKBOOKS THAT DISCUSS FAIR HOUSING AND PREDATORY LENDING, WITH 0% DOWN FINANCING AND 2 1/2 % INTEREST FOR 30 YEARS TO FIRST TIME HOME OWNERS, MANY OF WHOM ARE ELDERLY OR SINGLE MOTHERS. IT'S PITIFUL. TAXPAYER DOLLARS CARRYING THE MESSAGE THAT POOR CHOICES, THAT LEAD TO IMPOVERISHMENT, PAY OFF. BUT THEN I HEARD THAT FREE MONEY IS AVAILABLE FROM A GOVERNMENT AGENCY FOR SCHOOL CLOTHES, UP TO $200, AND FOR AIR CONDITIONING BILLS, UP TO $500, TO THOSE WHO QUALIFY AT 200% ABOVE THE POVERTY LINE. IS IT LEGITIMATE TO RAISE THE POVERTY LINE 200% JUST TO JUSTIFY GIVE-A-WAYS? YEARS AGO, EVEN AS I RESTED IN A SHADED, BREEZY PLACE BECAUSE I COULD NOT YET PAY CASH FOR A WINDOW AIR CONDITIONER, I NEVER ONCE CONSIDERED ANY OPTION BUT A SELF-SERVICE OPTION.

I AM REMINDED TODAY THAT 50% OF AMERICA'S ELECTRICITY COMES FROM COAL, BUT SINCE WE WILL NOT BUILD NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS TO DO THE JOB, WE ARE USING 3 TIMES MORE COAL NOW THAN IN THE 1980'S. SUCH DATA ABOUT DUMB GOVERNANCE IS DELIBERATELY SEQUESTERED FROM THE PUBLIC'S VIEW BY POLITICIAN'S WITH AGENDAS. I HEAR ABOUT CROSSOVER VEHICLES (?) BUT AS A LUDDITE HAVE NO NEED TO KNOW WHAT CONSTITUTES ONE. I READ ABOUT A MOTHER-DAUGHTER VACATION TO WATCH THE WHALES BUT I DIDN’T NOTE ANY FEELINGS FOR THE KRILL, SMALL FISH AND PLANKTON CONSUMED BY THE NOBLE PREDATOR. WAVING FLUKES ARE FAR MORE POLITICALLY CORRECT THAN OCEANS OF DEATHS. THE EARTH MAY BE 14 BILLION YEARS OLD, BUT WITH ONLY 200 YEARS OF WEATHER DATA, GLOBAL WARMING ACTIVISTS WANT ME TO BELIEVE WE CAN EXERT CONTROL OVER NATURE. BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR RELIGIOUS CONVERTS TO GLOBAL WARMING IS TO SIMULTANEOUSLY PREACH SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT AND ABANDONING IT TO HIS PRISTINE STATE.

THE POWER OF CONTRADICTION BUYS RIGHT INTO POPE BENEDICT XVI'S MESSAGE THIS FATHER'S DAY THAT THE "LOGIC OF POWER AND POSSESSING DOMINATES MORE THAN OF SERVICE AND LOVE." YET AMERICANS CLAIM THEY CAN DO IT ALL, HAVE IT ALL WAYS. AN EXAMPLE OF A PRESSING QUESTION PREVALENT TODAY IS WHETHER A MAN SHOULD PRIMARILY, PROVIDE FOR HIS FAMILY OR PURSUE A CAREER. THE TWO PROPOSITIONS MIGHT BE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE, BUT MEN FROM MARS TRY TO HAVE IT BOTH WAYS.

FATHER'S DAY, LIKE MOTHER'S DAY WILL BE CELEBRATED RIGHT SIDE UP AND UPSIDE DOWN. PLATITUDES ABOUT ABSENTEE FATHERS, MANLINESS AND MORAL EDUCATION WILL ARE BANDIED ABOUT. LIBERALS WILL CONTINUE TO TALK OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF THEIR MOUTHS AT ONCE AND ACT CONTRADICTARILY WITHOUT TAKING NOTICE - HELL BENT ON IMPOSING THEIR BELIEFS ON ALL CITIZENS. ( THINK ABOUT THE NON-SMOKING BAN). PARENTS WILL CONTINUE TO NEGLECT, ABUSE OR MURDER THEIR CHILDREN OUT OF IGNORANCE, AS ADOLESCENTS WILLINGLY PRODUCE MORE CHILDREN.

I AM LEFT WITH RE-STATING THE WISDOM OF TEDDY ROOSEVELT DIRECTED TO ONE OF HIS SONS: "I WOULD RATHER HAVE A BOY OF MINE STAND HIGH IN HIS STUDIES THAN HIGH IN ATHLETICS, BUT I WOULD A GREAT DEAL RATHER HAVE HIM SHOW TRUE MANLINESS OF CHARACTER THAN SHOW EITHER INTELLECTUAL OR PHYSICAL PROWESS. " EVEN OUR FORMER PRESIDENT TRIED TO LIVE FULLY, IN THREE AREAS. AMAZINGLY HE GENERALLY SUCCEEDED IN ACADEMICS, ATHLETICS AND MORAL RECTITUDE. CAN WE SAY THAT MUCH FOR FATHERS TODAY?