Billboard Cuteness

 BILLBOARD CUTENESS

Within a week, having spent two full days of it on the road, certain observations merit comment. Throughout the rural areas of Minnesota and Iowa, one comes across billboards reflecting the cuteness of babies and the wonder of life.  One presumes that these postings are placed by people and organizations who are opposed to abortion and further it must be presumed that objections to abortion are normally based on religious beliefs.    

What I found interesting though, was that every single representation of a baby that I saw was a picture of a white baby.  There were no black babies, yellow babies, or brown babies represented anywhere that I could ascertain.  One is required to make inferences when the facts suggest inferences are appropriate.  The inference one must make from these observations is that we must protect white babies to the exclusion of non-white babies.  How could you infer otherwise?

Apparently the local deities who initiate the placement of these billboards are white.  If we had a black deity, one would presume that the billboard would reflect a black baby, or a yellow deity suggesting a yellow baby, or a brown deity calling for the representation of a brown baby.   Apparently, only aborting white babies is contrary to God's will in Minnesota and Iowa. 

Possibly elsewhere there are pictures of black, yellow, or brown babies on anti-abortion billboards, but I will leave it to others to offer their observations.   But still, we have this interesting limitation to white babies.  As with many things we do unconsciously, what we do has meaning.  In this instance, the mind set of the people placing these billboards is whiteness.  When they object to an abortion, it is objecting to a white woman having an abortion; and more significantly, presumably limited to white women.

You know folks, I am only pointing out what is obvious, but with the added note that what is represented here is more than just a moral and religious belief that abortion is wrong, it also represents a total immersion in whiteness and a rejection of blackness, yellowness, or brownness - - or any other hue for that matter. 

The current attitude in this country can only be characterized as the return of white supremacy and rampant racism.  I suppose there have been cases, but I have seen nothing that reflects it, that  ICE is out and about grabbing white folks and sending them to concentration camps or to countries from which they do not come such as Uganda or Guinea.  Can you imagine you are in the states, have a job, a house, a couple of kids in school, paying taxes and poof - - you are now in Uganda.

I find it difficult to believe that we, as a society, have regressed so.  I personally remember when restaurants had a white side and a colored side and coloreds simply wouldn't get served in professional offices nor were able to vote.  We have come a long way thankfully and now we have those who want to undo it all.  

Richard E H Phelps II

Mingo

The Rich Candidate

 THE RICH CANDIDATE

The rich people, I mean the really rich people are responsible for a huge share of political donations - - the money that elects our politicians.  When a person donates huge sums of money to get you elected, you pick up the phone when they call.  Rich people have access.  I don't have Senator Grassley's phone number and even if I did he wouldn't answer a call from me.

Our elected officials really don't care about us; one can not dispute this looking at the legislation they pass.  They don't care about the price of gasoline or hamburger; they don't care if there is public transport or you have a car that gets you to work; they don't care if you have access to health care, or need dental work you can't afford, or an optometrist for a decent pair of bi-focals.  They don't care and why should they; they have everything they need many times over.  

It is becoming easier to believe that many of the rich in this country are really rich and many more are becoming semi-really rich.  The semi-really rich imitate the really rich - - they don't care either?  Take a peek sometime at the Wallstreet Journal and the houses they feature everyday.  This will be enough to convince you that there are a whole lot of really rich people in this country who want to get even more rich and buy more real estate from 2,000 acre ranches in Montana to ocean side villas in Florida.  In the meantime they give and give and give to our elected officials and you know, they don't even live in the districts to which they donate.  To them political donations are investments; they expect a return on those investments and they get it.

One does not need a college degree to understand this - - those who work at a job are not rich.  Those working at a job worry about the cost of gasoline and hamburger.  Those working at a job worry that they won't qualify for a needed medical procedure or have the money for a cap on a bad tooth or find the funds necessary for prescription glasses or have the ability to pay for prescribed medication.

I have a solution:  vote for the politician who takes the least money from rich donors.  Don't listen to the TV ads; don't decide based on what party the politician represents.  Very simple.  One issue voting - - clear and concise.  Determine who is donating scads of money to whom.  Normally there are reports throughout the campaign season of who has the most money and from whence it came. 

Our voting decision can be simplified drastically.  Find out which candidates have the most money from big donors and vote for the other guy.  One issue.  How simple is that?  And if we begin to elect the people who are not beholden to really rich people or even the semi-really rich people, just maybe the officials we do elect might pay attention to us, the people who go to work every day and are always worrying about how to pay for what we need; and most importantly, those of us who vote for them.

Richard E H Phelps II

Mingo

Presidential Toys

PRESIDENTIAL TOYS

We have a president who views things like aircraft carriers and fighter jets as presidential toys - - just toys to play with, for amusement and conversation, and boasting for sure.  Hey look, I've got an aircraft carrier and you don't - - ha ha ha!  And the missiles I have - - hang on and I will just show you - - boom boom!   I can blow up a bunch of stuff and always get more - - I'm the president. 

Today I'm going to blow up a bunch of ships in Hormuz that belong to Iran (I think) and tomorrow I'll have our military intelligence find some other fun targets to immersate (this is word I just heard in a meeting so I think I'll use it even if I'm not sure what it means).  You know, I'm president. and I can do this for a long time.  Just think for how long we have been spending gads of money that we don't have on building ships and planes and tanks and bombs and such.  I have so many toys, I am actually overwhelmed and some days don't even know where to start.

Now, don't think that I'm simply being silly here.  Presidential amusement is necessary to maintain equilibrium in a most tiring and boring job and this is especially so in a person of uncertain mental capacity and maturity.  One does wonder which would be the critical factor here, if not a combination of the two, but this is for another time.  After all, one can only post so much nonsense and graft so much money that after a while other amusements become necessary just to fill the waking hours.

I could pardon some more rich felons and other miscreants who in turn will help me along the road to untold wealth.  You know, I've always wanted to be a billionaire and finally got there by being president.  I could have told you as much.  With as much power as the American president has, thanks to Congress, untold wealth is a given - - just put your mind to it.  

But, I did get beside-the-point.  I started out with toys, presidential toys, and as usual, got sidetracked.  As the president, I found it quite depressing that the servicemen on that aircraft carrier over there somewhere were bitching about how long they had been at sea.  How can a bunch of sailors tell me, the president, how to operate his toys?  We can't have that; it qualifies as a mutiny and those complaining must be punished.  I need a list of names; it's unacceptable to interfere with presidential recreation.

And it is recreational, you know.  I get all kinds of information from military intelligence about what we blow up and bodies everywhere lying about.  It can't be helped - - the bodies I mean.  If they weren't where the bombs land, they wouldn't get blown up.  It's their own fault being at legitimate targets.

So folks, give me a break here.  Everyone needs a little time off and recreational pursuits are necessary to help with the more demanding aspects of the job.

Richard E H Phelps II

Mingo