Memorial Day Weekend

May 28, 1994. A beautiful day for a wedding in Liberty, Missouri. At the alter of the Second Baptist Church, my first born married her dear husband. Their reception was held in the ballroom of the famous Elms Resort & Spa in Excelsior Springs. It was a glorious holiday weekend. Where the past 12 years have gone, I do no know. They are a wonderful couple and I love them dearly.

Happy Anniversary!

From Capital Hill Blue... The Rant

Lock 'em up and throw away the key
By DOUG THOMPSON
May 24, 2006, 06:49


My, my. The gaggle of crooks, con-artists and thieves also known as the United States Congress got pissed because the FBI actually had the audacity to raid the office of a Congressman to collect evidence of corruption and criminal activity.

How dare they? What gives them the right to expect elected officials to obey the laws of the land? Why, the next thing you know we'll be sending members of Congress to prison for their crimes.

Wait a minute. We already have. Former California Republican Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham is in stir, hopefully serving as the love slave to a big bruiser named Bubba. So is former Ohio Democratic Congressman Jim Trafficant, another corrupt, scandal-ridden piece of crud. With any luck, a sleazeball named William Jefferson (D-LA) will soon join them along with slimeball Tom DeLay (R-TX).

But the weekend raid of Jefferson's offices has House leaders in a snit.

"I clearly have serious concerns about what happened and whether people at the Justice Department have looked at the Constitution lately," said House Majority Leader John Boehner.

Got a news flash for you Johnny Boy. It's the blatant ignorance of the Constitution that got you and your gang of wise guys into trouble in the first place. You and Speaker of the House Denny Hastert preside over a corrupt, lice-ridden, foul-smelling institution that has ignored the law for too long and deserves to be led away in handcuffs. I worked on Capitol Hill and in Washington long enough to realize that you, the guy the Republicans picked to replace a crook named Tom DeLay, are dirty too and, with luck, maybe you and Duke can share Bubba in the federal pen.

I'm sick of pathetic political posturing by elected officials who belong behind bars. The Senate is run by another con-artist, insider trader Bill Frist, and overrun by the usual suspects. Both houses of Congress are cesspools of crime, corruption and decadence - Republican and Democratic.

On the other hand, the FBI raid, while long overdue, stinks to high heaven because it was a political move no doubt instigated by a Justice Department determined to shift focus away from the many legal and ethical problems facing the Bush Administration. If not, why didn't the raid Cunningham's offices earlier? Oh, I forgot. He's a Republican. My bad.

In one sense, Boehner's probably correct when he wonders if the people of the Justice Department have looked at the Constitution. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, while serving as White House Counsel, wrote that the document that is supposed to define the land of the free and home of the brave is "an outdated document." We already know that Bush uses the Constitution to wipe his ass after he shits on the freedoms it once guaranteed.

But the holier-than-thou reaction of Congress to the raid on Jefferson's office demonstrates just how out-of-control our government is in these days of bribery, corruption and votes for sale to the highest bidder.

In theory, nobody should be above the law - not the White House, not Congress, not state governments, not local entities.

In reality, however, they are. Our government is rotten to the core, dominated by corrupt men and women who truly believe they are beyond the reach of justice, and it will take much more than a politically-timed FBI raid on a Congressional office to eradicate the stench of corruption that covers Washington like a toxic cloud.


© Copyright 2006 by Capitol Hill Blue
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Church or Circus

For a good giggle, click here ---> Church or Circus

Happy Mother's Day

There are two large trunks full of photographs in this house. It's true I didn't dig clear to the bottom, but you'd think I'd be able to find a fun picture of me and my mother within the first foot or so. But no. The only ones I found were taken at the luncheon following my dad's funeral. Not the happy mother-daughter photo I was hoping to find.

I did ran across a couple of just my parents, before they married and on their wedding day circa 1946. So happy, so beautiful in both. Here's to her.

Happy Birthday Miss Ruffle Butt

She's still a Miss Priss, but that's probably my fault. Never could resist those sweet girly girl outfits. To this day she calls "blush & bashful" her signature colors.

Born at 3:32 AM on May 7, 1974; 5 lbs. 11 oz; 18" long. We named her Erin Elizabeth. Another girl! I was ecstatic having secretly wished for just that. At three days old she weighed only 4 pounds. She was allowed to go home with me if I promised to return her daily to the emergency room for blood tests for two weeks. (She's allergic to the world just like her mother.)

This photo was taken on Mother's Day...her actual due date. First church visit and Mom's first day out "after the baby." She's dressed in her pink "ruffle butt" onesie. (They are hard to see in this photo but there are three rows of lace ruffles right across her cute little tush.) The pink booties were hand knit by a friend. So small, so fragile, so precious.

Today, she's 32.... the time evaporated. She's my teacher, working hard for little pay. I'm so proud of who she has become and love her dearly.

Happy Birthday Double E!

Cute side story:
At 2:40 AM that morning I woke up thinking I had to pee.... again... instead, my water broke. The rehearsed plan was in motion. Hubby called the doctor at home... I called my sister to come babysit Kim. She lived only a few blocks so when she didn't arrive in almost 20 minutes I was getting pretty concerned. Finally, she dashed into the drive and breathless when she came inside.

Being awakened from a sound sleep makes you do funny things. Jumping out of bed in her nightgown she grabbed for her jeans and shirt. As she dressed she realized she didn't need to take the time for that and put her nightgown back on... aware that was just as unnecessary she changed again. When she came into our house she was wearing her nightgown over her clothes!

We got to the hospital at about 3:10 ... you can do the math!

Part 2, My Favorite Response

"Homosexuality isn't a personal choice, but bigotry is"

Letter to the Editor
Published May 2, 2006
Re: Homosexuality is about morality, not civil rights or discrimination, letter by J M H of Dunedin, May 1.


-- The writer of the letter makes too many assumptions for my tastes.

The first is, he assumes that everyone shares his moral code. While I can certainly appreciate his strong ethics and his need to adhere to his own personal moral code, I do not appreciate his assumption that everyone else shares and wants to live by that same code.

If the writer has a moral problem with homosexuality and the attendant lifestyle, then by all means he should not be a homosexual. He should not seek to obtain a same-sex marriage, a civil union or attend a celebration of the lifestyle. That is his right, and I support this right. But who is he to enforce his moral code on others?

He also assumes that homosexuality is a "moral choice." Perhaps the writer is unaware of the facts of the matter: There is evidence that there is a biological difference in the brains of heterosexual and homosexual individuals. How is this a choice? Also, homosexual behavior exists in the animal kingdom. Animals are not capable of making sentient choices, so this would argue that homosexuality is a perfectly natural behavior.

I have a good friend who realized his orientation as a teenager. He was beaten by his father, rejected by his mother, ostracized by his friends, and discriminated against in his employment and housing. He tried to "cure" himself so he could once again be someone worthy of the love he once had. The "cure" was worse than the ailment and he ended up trying to take his own life - a scenario played out entirely too often in our society.

For someone to say that my friend "chose an immoral lifestyle" boggles the mind. What person in his right mind would choose to suffer such pain and rejection?

By the letter writer's own definition, bigotry arises from things that are beyond the recipient's control. It is becoming more and more evident that in the vast majority of people homosexuality is beyond their control. It simply exists as another facet of a personality. It simply is. Bigotry however, is a choice too easily made in fear and ignorance - something our society seems to encourage wholesale these days.

I personally find it much more "immoral" to attempt to write legal discrimination of any form into our state and nation's Constitution under the disguise of legislating morality. That is an obscenity beyond words.

Kudos to you, Dunedin Mayor Bob Hackworth.


-- I F, Clearwater

Homosexually is a Fad!

This evening I had the opportunity to catch up on some newspaper reading. In the Clearwater section of today's St. Petersburg Times,there was a letter to the editor response to Monday's publication.

I wanted to share the letter but decided it would be a good idea to post the original first. So, I am posting that one now... Eliminating the letter writers name to protect him from further embarrassment. Tomorrow, a very eloquent response......

"Homosexuality is about morality, not civil rights or discrimination"
Letter to the Editor
Published May 1, 2006
Re : Organizers shoot high with annual event, story, April 21.

Not so fast, mayor.

It is interesting to see Dunedin leaders so enthusiastically get behind the gay and lesbian "Pride in our Diversity" event, sponsored no less by baseball's Dunedin Blue Jays. Mayor Bob Hackworth was quoted as saying, "We have pride, not prejudice," and "We reject intolerance and discrimination."

Citizens should expect a little more discernment and wisdom from the mayor of Dunedin. Mr. Hackworth apparently does not comprehend that homosexuality is a moral issue, not a civil rights or discrimination issue.

The mayor is essentially beating his chest to proclaim that this is "the exact opposite of what happened in Hillsborough County last year." It was Mark Twain who said, "It is amazing how common it is to find people with physical courage, but yet how uncommon it is to find people with moral courage." Attempts to disparage others who point out the immorality of homosexuality are misplaced and merely part of a philosophy that attempts to legitimize behavior that is simply not legitimate, and is, in fact, inherently immoral.

Bigotry can only apply when one is disliked (or even hated) due to factors outside of one's control. Racial bigotry is the obvious example. However, one can control moral choices. There can be no legitimate claim of bigotry when the debate is based on a difference of values, character and/or moral behavioral choices.

Can we treat all persons in Dunedin with dignity and tolerate those with alternative lifestyles? Absolutely. Must we accept and celebrate immoral lifestyles? Absolutely not. Most of us opposed to homosexual conduct do not hate those involved, but rather compassionately wish to see those persons liberated from the lifestyle.

Voters should take note that Mayor Hackworth, and perhaps other commissioners, are showing a propensity to follow the latest pop culture fad. However, the vast majority of Americans (see recent statewide marriage amendment voting) are not buying into it.

Does Mr. Hackworth's reference to "we" properly represent the interests of the majority of Dunedin residents? Our cities need leaders with backbone, character and the willingness to stand up for moral values. Our elected officials should be leaders in our society, not simply followers of the latest trend. Those trends will pass, but character, morals and values will endure.

The gay debate is a moral issue, not a civil rights issue. It is not an issue of equality, it is an issue of right and wrong.


-- J M H, Dunedin