Editorial

How will Democrats celebrate the Fourth?

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Headlines

From the Kansas City Star: "Westboro Baptist speakers spark change in FBI policy" The group of lunatics best known for its protests at the funerals of fallen military service members has been sending speakers to the nation's top law enforcement training sessions, per the Star. Reportedly the speakers were to help the FBI be better able to deal with groups with which it disagrees. Once the sessions became public knowledge they were halted.

Actually, I credit the Star with getting the headline more correct. Most of the headlines about this story stressed the "church's" anti-gay beliefs as opposed to protesting soldiers' funerals, as if the anti-gay policy is more important than protesting soldiers killed defending their right to protest.

From Fox Business: "Testing Kids for a Sports Gene: Would You Do it?" There are now companies out there that for a few hundred dollars will swab a youngster's mouth and determine whether or not they have what it takes to be the next superstar athlete. I can see where a case could be made for actually doing something like this and am not surprised at all that this service is offered. I would even predict this to be a growth industry in the future if (and scientists may already be able to do so) it's possible to determine other genes that can lead to a successful career path. I'm not saying it's right and I'm not saying it's wrong. I'm just saying. Even those companies marketing the service acknowledge there's much more that goes into making a superstar than just genetics.

From various news sources: "Harvard: July Fourth Parades Are Right-Wing" The obvious question is how Democrats will celebrate the Fourth of July? According to this "Haw-vawd" study the only purpose July Fourth celebrations serve is to energize Republicans, turn kids into Republicans and boost Republican turnout on Election Day. Before you brush this off as being totally absurd, it's important to remember there are people who really believe that study and some of them are making decisions that affect your life.

I haven't heard from local Democrats on the subject, but suspect it will be possible to run into them on the east end of town watching the fireworks celebration so maybe I'll ask them then. Nor have I heard from our local Harvard alumni but suspect I will have the same opportunity to get their feedback. I read, and can't recall where, so it's not my original thought and may not even be correct, but could very well be; President Ronald Reagan is credited with saying, "Republicans Celebrate July 4th; Democrats Celebrate April 15th."

"President Obama Cancels Fundraising Golf Trip to Work on Debt Ceiling" Okay I haven't seen this headline, but it's one a lot of the country is waiting on. After 33 fundraising trips and 13 consecutive weekend golf outings it might be time to stay home and do some heavy lifting.

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Down pour

It was a perfect evening. Not a cloud in the sky. Stars are brightly shining (sing it with me). Spent time with the new grandson and just seen him tucked into bed. It was time to head home.

Get into the Tahoe, open up the moon roof and crank up some old-time rock and roll. About a 20 minute drive home past fields sprouting with cotton, rice and maybe even a few corn fields.

Life just couldn't get any better. That's obviously what one of our local fellows was thinking one evening last week just after dark.

Splash! Where did that cloud burst come from? He was soaking wet and there wasn't a cloud around for miles. The moon was winking down at him even yet water was everywhere.

He pulled over and looked around.

It was then he saw the pivot spouting water onto the roadway and realized he had run right through the water. Being dark he couldn't see the water, but he sure felt it.

I won't embarrass the poor guy further by revealing his name here and it wasn't all bad news. At least he wasn't wearing the shoes he struggled to try on for Katelyn Geary's wedding.

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More driving hazards

It's been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. That may have been going through Mark Wallace's mind several days ago when he opened his mail.

There was a beautiful photo sent especially for him. Actually, I think there may have been two photos in the envelope. One photo was of the front of his SUV, the second was a shot of the rear of his SUV. The good camera work was courtesy of the Union City, Tenn., police department.

Accompanying these two fairly clear photos was a notation about the local speed laws and how fast the shutter speed of the city's two cameras had to be to snap these photos.

Mark wasn't overly concerned because he knew he had not been to Union City.

* * *

Enjoy your July Fourth celebration, even if you profess to be a Libertarian.

Bud Hunt is regional vice

president, publisher of the

Daily Dunklin Democrat, Daily Statesman, Delta News-Citizen, Missourian-News and

North Stoddard Countian.

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