Friday, September 5, 2008

Politicians and Other Peculiar People

Labels on people or even on critters have always made me somewhat uncomfortable. It reminds me that children can be made to feel very inferior simply by being called some stupid name--even if a child's parents were the idiots who came up with the name. We can overcome someone calling us fatty or fancy prancy or skinny ninny and such silly things. Childhood bullies have been collectively condemned by parents with that old saw: sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me. Male bovine excretia! Words hurt just as much as any rock up against the back of your head. For one thing, we have a tendency to remember only the bad stuff we hear people say. That's probably why gossip has such a long life. It never grows weaker, only worse!

Today someone sent me a video of an Australian politician who was explaining that it is very uncommon for the front to fall off one of those oil tankers. After all, it was hit by a wave and THAT is a very uncommon event on the sea. The commentator asked where the ship was taken and the politician said that it had been removed from the environment. Removed? asked the commentator. The politician explained that it had been taken out to sea where there was no environment, just birds, fish, and sea. Oh boy.....

It must be very difficult to be bunched together in the same group of people as such a man as that and others like him. What kind of person must one be to have the courage to call oneself a politician? I suppose for the devil of it we could compare a couple of politicians. Let's see, who would fit the bill on one hand and leave an honest person on the other hand? Thinking.....

Well, while I am thinking, I will just do a little Texas comparison: Red Adair and Sarah Palin. If a person knows anything at all about wildfires in oil wells, thinking about the waste of resources and the extreme danger of putting out the fire might give a little bit of a picture of what it would be like to try to keep from wasting one while controlling the other in government. If we manage our resources and do our best to prevent waste, we might have a better chance of controlling the wildfire of government spending. Red Adair did it with nitroglycerin--dynamite or little tiny vials of high explosives. I think that just about describes Sarah Palin. Does it sound as if I might admire the lady? Dang skippy!

Oh, Texans are a breed apart from the rest of the group. Go to any country and tell folks you are from Texas and they want to hear you talk, see you walk, and watch you draw your shootin' iron. Texas is, indeed, a state of mine--mind. We know a spunky woman when we see one and we call a liar a liar when we hear one. Personally--not speaking for other Texans here--I look forward to seeing some decent government programs coming up next year with McCain and Palin. One is a veteran and the other a common sense woman who can "get 'er done." Now that is a perfect combination. Foreign policy and domestic policy riding in together to clean out the lawbreakers and the dadgummed lawyers! If they need a Texas ranger, we will be happy to loan 'em one. That's usually all it takes--just one. But these two--McCain and Palin--may be all set to change the brand on the face of politics. 'Bout time.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

As an educator, I am SHOCKED that you "admire" Sarah Palin. Have you SEEN her interviews? Specifically the ones with Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric?

It was painful to watch her. Do you think, with whatever intelligence you possess as a teacher, that this woman is QUALIFIED to possibly run our country??

I'm guessing you'd say "Dang Skippy!"

If I hear ONE MORE TIME how John McCain was a POW, I'm going to vomit. And Palin having foreign policy experience because she can SEE Russia from her state? That's pathetic. Absolutely PATHETIC!

Right now I'm thinking that what they say about Texans being dumb rednecks has got to be true, because if you think this woman presents herself as someone who is CAPABLE, then I can't imagine what you've been watching or listening to. I'd guess FOX News.

But then again, you believe that religion belongs in school too. Not surprising.

Read this: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/27/opinion/27herbert.html?_r=1&em&oref=slogin

And then go to YouTube and watch those interviews again. Even Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric had looks on their faces like, "I absolutely CANNOT believe what I'm hearing." I can't believe they had the restraint not to say that very thing.

You should prepare yourself and make peace with the fact that Barack Obama will be our next president. President Obama.

And really, as a teacher, you should consider being less biased - especially in the classroom.

Julia H.
juliahigginsnyc@yahoo.com

Nancy Dickerson said...

Dear Julia, this blog was created for my amusement and as a way of expressing some of my off-the-wall opinions. You have every right to express yours, too. I don't take things personally because I reserve my respect for those who actually serve and who have the same basis of trust as I do. I respect Governor Palin because she cares about real people in a real world. I respect my friend who has the WebEnglishTeacher site because she serves students, parents, and educators.

Once in a while I get on my high horse about mixing religion and politics, but I try to do so without questioning anyone's beliefs in God or anyone's patriotism. I am sure you will not have that problem if the Lord above ALLOWS your candidate to become president.

One of the professors I had back in college could not understand why so many Texans did not support Richard Nixon as president since he had so much foreign policy experience. The professor came from Egypt and had never been exposed to some of the characteristics we admire here in Texas--honesty being foremost among those. I wonder if Dr. Kawi would support the candidacy of Obama. Hmmm Somehow I rather doubt it.

Anonymous said...

I'm interested to know what you find HONEST about John McCain or Sarah Palin?

Would it be that John McCain stood with another dishonest Republican, George Bush, more than 90% of the time?

Do you think it was HONEST that he supported a war that we got into for dishonest reasons? A LIE that was told to the American People?

Do you think John McCain was HONEST when he started dating Cindy McCain and was still married to his wife?

Do you think Cindy McCain was HONEST when she stole prescription drugs from her workplace to support her drug addiction?

Do you think Sarah Palin was honest when she took earmarked money for a bridge she initially supported but then never built? Oh, but kept the money?

Do you think it was HONEST of Sarah Palin to claim she didn't ask her local librarian about banning books when she actually did? As a teacher, I would think you'd find that type of censorship APPALLING.

Do you think John McCain was HONEST when just last week he claimed how great our economy was doing and now this week, they are scrambling to save the very people who tanked it?

If you believe someone and support someone who has voted with George W. Bush over 90% of the time, then you deserve the war we're in, you deserve the incompetent idiot that we currently have for President, you deserve this failed economy and you deserve whatever troubles come your way as a result of it. I hope your house is paid for because you deserve to lose it if you continue to vote the way you seem to have voted in the past.

Will all of you only wake up when you are living in trailers? Not that most of Texas doesn't already live in trailers, but it seems as if the people with the least vote for the person who continues to keep them down.


And for your twisted, religious information - the "Lord" doesn't "allow" anyone to become president. And by you implying that your professor from Egypt doesn't hold the same views on honesty as you do, tells me that you aren't very tolerant of other people or cultures. You believe your religion is the only way to go.

And what I find particularly interesting about this (and others like you) is that although you call yourselves "Christian" and you spew the "word of the lord" whenever you have a chance, interjecting it into conversations where it isn't at all relevant, you are the least tolerant people I know.

I believe Jesus' whole concept was to love and accept others. And by trying to pass laws to control what others do in their lives, is not accepting them for who they are. If you're so "fond" of the military, then you should stand by the very reason our ancestors fought for our freedom. Freedom to be gay, freedom to be Muslim, freedom to practice Buddism, freedom to have an abortion, freedom to read what we want, freedome to speak as we choose, freedom to marry who we love....all of the very freedoms we have.

I look forward to the change our country is going to experience when Obama gets into office. Perhaps you've forgotten what it was like before the Bush Administration ruined it. Maybe someday we'll be able to travel to other countries without the people there wanting to spit on us. Every time I travel, I tell people I'm from Canada - they love the Canadians, and I get to hear what they really think of our country and the embarrassment George W. Bush is. He's a laughingstock and like McCain, I agree with them 95% of the time when they actually come out and say it.

Julia H.
juliahigginsnyc@yahoo.com

Nancy Dickerson said...

Honey, if you feel you have to claim Canandian citizenship every time you travel out of the U.S.of A., you don't understand the meaning of honesty.

Anonymous said...

Typical Republican - not answering any of the questions asked.

My claiming to be Canadian may be dishonest in your eyes, but it's only to protect myself from the barrage of hate spewed towards Americans thanks to George Bush and people like you.

The Bush Administration and the Republicans lies have hurt EVERY American.

I'd say there is no comparison between what you consider my "little white lie" and your party's economy and morale destroying lies. THOSE lies have destroyed families, caused the loss of lives (The war and oh, let's not forget Shrubs speedy response to Katrina...ah yes, he was eating cake with John McCain), caused the loss of people's homes, caused the loss of people's jobs, caused the loss of American's dignity and good standing in the world, and has brought great despair to our country.

Yeah, I don't think the two lies are the same.

Read my last comment again, Teach.

Anonymous said...

Oh, and maybe you can explain this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEtZlR3zp4c

Probably not, but I'll let you give it a whirl.