The Baffled Right

Reason alone establishes the concept of freedom, and passion collides with it.

Immanuel Kant
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Hello Arlene
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Lately I've been noticing a particular kind of faulty and incongruous thinking on the part of some Conservatives. It seems as if there has been some sort of brainwashing going on to convince people of conditions that are the opposite of what they really are.

Take the case of the woman who erected a flag pole on her front yard and flew an American flag. She was told by a member of the neighborhood organization to remove it. She was shocked. She said she would have expected that if she lived in a liberal neighborhood, but was amazed that it happened the conservative neighborhood she was in. What?

I wanted to tell her that if she were living in a liberal neighborhood no one would be knocking on her door to tell her to take down her flag. That's what liberalism is about, individual rights and freedoms of expression.

Then there's the case of the young boy who killed his neo-Nazi father. The boy is in serious trouble, but the grandmother took the man's other children away and proudly informed the media that they were being cared for in a conservative home. What?

Those children should be in a good liberal home, as far away as possible from conservatism and especially the influence of the extremist conservatives such as the neo-Nazis.

How can two otherwise intelligent people be so confused about things and guilty of such miscalculation unless somewhere along the road they were convinced that both Liberals and Conservatives are something they are not. The problem is those two people and others like them vote.

President Ronald Reagan, whom some Conservatives still consider to have been a great Present in spite of his economic flop, once said "The Liberals have got it wrong again." That remark helped to sew confusion about the reality of the political scene. He should have been President of the United States. Instead he was President of the Republican Party alone.

I may be dreaming, but I hope the day comes soon when both the Liberals and Conservatives have their positions in the country honestly and not misleadingly stated and are spear headed by intelligent and reasonable people who can earnestly present their philosophies to the country without all the emotion and false drama and then let the voters decide.

Some day I may write on how Liberals misunderstand Conservatives.

DB - Vagabond
Never Give Up
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AUTUMN QUESTION

What event over the past year changed your life, a lot or a little?

3 answers so far.

dbdacoba@aol.com

I await your answers.
DB
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Liberty Up To A Point

Claiming for ourselves liberty of conscience, liberty to worship, we shall see to it that every other individual enjoys the same right.

James Larkin
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Mine is the true religion. We have freedom of worship in this country so you can go on wearing your strange clothes and doing your silly rituals, even though God is not listening to you. And no, you are not welcome to build your "house of worship" or whatever you call it, in our community.
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Hi, I'm Jack from the Neighborhood Association. I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but you're going to have to remove that American flag and the flag pole from your property. We have rules against such things.
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He: "Excuse me but does this book store have any books on Judaica?"
She: "Yes. I think we have a few."
He: "Where would I find them?"
She: "In the occult section."
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Buddy, you better remove that "Smith for Congress" sign or I'll remove it for you.
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"He was safe. My son was safe. Why did you call him out? Change the call. No? Here's my fist in your face, maybe that will improve your eye sight.
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Folks, I have a list of authors and some books that are inappropriate and offensive. I have a court order to have them removed from the town library. Meanwhile my Co-Chair is checking through the school libraries and the local book stores. If anyone of you would like to read some of these awful publications to see what I'm objecting to, they will be in my office.
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This gay rights nonsense has gone too far. Those queers are everywhere. Now they even let them in the military, smearing the reputation of our good fighting men and women. Next thing you know they'll be wearing green berets. Won't that be cute. They are getting married to each other. What a laugh. Homosexuality is a sin. It goes against the Bible, the Constitution and everything America stands for. I wouldn't let my son near one of those faggots. As a Scout leader I can assure you absolutely, there is no homosexuality in the Boy Scouts.
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We certainly don't want Smith representing us in the legislature. So I suggest a recount, and during it we can make some minor adjustment in the results so this voter mistake won't affect anything.
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Why did you bother rechecking those figures? It doesn't matter if they're not 100% accurate. Send them through anyway. You're wasting the company's time.
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"The Doctor amputated that patients leg."
"What was wrong with the leg?"
"Nothing. They gave the Doc the wrong X-ray to look at."
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Now children, before we start there will be no wearing of scarves in my class. Isaac take off the little beanie, and Maria put away the cross. OK class, now we can begin.
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No Miss, you are not going to that civil rights demonstration. I don't care about your politics or your feelings, no daughter of mine is going to be seen with a bunch of loud, dirty, ass pinching anarchists.
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DB - The Vagabond
Never give up.
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SUMMER QUESTION

Summer is moving along, people.

It's a long, hot, sticky summer, so here's a hot, sticky question for you.

Same sex marriage. Should it be legal or not? If so, why? If not, why not?

dbdacoba@aol.com

15 answers so far.

You have until the last day of summer, but don't dally.
I eagerly await your answer.

DB
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I'm A Yankee Doodle

It's not enough to get the breaks, you gotta know how to use 'em.

Huey Long
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THE DAY I HALTED THE PARADE
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It was the Fourth of July back in the early 50's. I was living in a small town, a suburb of New York City. I managed to scrape enough money together delivering papers to buy a uniform, so I joined the Boy Scouts.

I knew there was going to be a parade down main street ad that the Boy Scouts were invited to march in it. At first I was reluctant to join them. It was a holiday, a day off, a day to relax, take it easy, listen to the radio and do nothing. But eventually I decided to go, so I put on my uniform and went downtown. That was my first mistake. When I got there the parade was about to start. I found where the scouts were lined up on a side street and got on the back of the line.

Mr. Tuttle was the town recreation director for school kids. He was the one who took care of our summer programs, took us to the ballpark and kept his eye on us in the playground. On this day he came up to me at the back of the line and asked me to come with him. I did. That was my second mistake.

Whether it was because I was taller than the other scouts, or whether he wanted to honor me (which I doubt) or whether it was my diabolical destiny, he said "I want you to carry the American flag."

I was taken to the very front of the parade and given a leather brace with a cup to hold the bottom of the flag pole and the flag. I took it. That was my third mistake. It was a heavy flag with gold braids hanging from it and at the very top a golden eagle.

Next to me was someone I didn't know carrying the New York State flag. Behind me was the high school marching band. Behind them was an open air car with the mayor and some other dignitaries. Then came a float from the Kiwanis Club, a fire engine loaded down with children. Then I think I saw some baton twirlers but I don't remember what else was back there. Soon everyone was in place, Mr. Tuttle gave the signal, the band began to play "The Stars and Stripes Forever" and we started marching all together, proudly down Main Street.. But the parade went for less than 50 feet before it came to an abrupt halt.

There were only a few trees hanging over the main street of that town, but I immediately found one. The eagle on the top of the flag pole got tangled up in it's branches and would not shake loose. I pulled, tugged and twisted. No good.

Mr. Tuttle and one of the other men came up, They pulled, tugged and twisted. No good. The eagle had landed.

A shop keeper came out with a step ladder, but even standing on the top of it he couldn't reach the eagle. Meanwhile the band was playing through it's whole repertory of Sousa marches.

Finally somebody produced an A ladder, set it up, climbed it and freed the eagle. After waiting for them to take down the ladder and carry it away, the parade went on to entertain the curious and frustrated spectators.

When we reached the village green, I surrendered the flag and went home, which is where I should have been in the first place.

Since that embarrassing day no one has ever asked me to carry the American flag, or any other flag. Which is just as well.

DB - Vagabond Journeys
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WEEKEND PUZZLE FOR THE DANCE OF THE INDEPENDENTS

All of these questions have to do with United States history.
(Wikipedia here they come.)

1. In which hand does the Statue of Liberty hold the torch?
2. Who was Martha Skelton?
3. Which was the last of the original 13 colonies to ratify the Constitution?
4. Who was Emma Lazarus?
5. What happened on Christmas, 1776?
6. Who was Alexandre Eiffel?
7. Which was the first of the original 13 colonies to ratify the Constitution?
8. Who was Martha Custis?
9. How many stripes on the US flag are red?
10. Who was Frederic Bartholdi?
11. What does the Statue of Liberty hold in her other hand?

Good luck
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SUMMER QUESTION

It's a long, hot, sticky summer, so here's a hot, sticky question for you. Don't let the recent New York State decision rob you of your thunder.

Same sex marriage. Should it be legal or not? If so, why? If not, why not?

dbdacoba@aol.com

7 answers so far.

You have until the last day of summer, but don't dally.
I eagerly await your answer.

DB
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