Just Doing Their Jobs

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Had to repost thanks to ill-informed jerks with political agendas. Back to permission only comments, I guess... sigh. I reposted with Velvet's comment in the text.

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I was going to post something funny today but heard that Ramos and Compean are headed to jail today. 2000 miles from home. So sad.

If you don't know these two names, you should. These men are heroes and our president has made sure they will have no justice. They are border patrol agents and got into a scuffle with an illegal alien drug smuggler. in the chaos, (forgive me, the story is actually so old, I forget who did the shooting!) one of the agents saw his partner on the ground and fired his weapon. The illegal alien drug smuggler was shot in the butt. He lived. And he talked... a lot.

Basically, our government prosecuted these two men for DOING THEIR JOBS. And now, these men, with families, and lives and mortgages, have no job, no income and are headed to jail for more than a decade! The whole prosecution stinks. It's clearly coming from the White House.

And the really frightening part: now that we know law enforcement officers can be punished with prison time for doing the job they were hired to do, what motivation do any of them have to uphold the law??

To read more, Agent Ramos' family has a blog.

Velvet Sacks said...
This situation is SO twisted. This may be the first administration where the exceptions outnumber the rules.
4:11 PM

Presidential Head

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Ah, Get your minds outta the gutter... this is not the Clinton era.

I was pondering who may become our next president after seeing John Edwards on Leno last night. I like Edwards a lot. I prayed he would've been in office this go-round and was terribly disappointed when Kerry was chosen for the top spot. I really felt it should've been the other way around.

And then I hear Giuliani my be running for the Republican spot. I should explain at this point, I'm one of those annoying voters pollsters and parties hate: I swing both ways and am still convinced the one election should have demanded a recount was when Perot ran (Go Ross!). Everyone I know voted for him and not Clinton. I was raised to vote for the man and not the party. It's sort of a family motto. And that's the only rule I stick to.

That being said, I like Giuliani a lot. I thought he was a terrific leader even before 9/11. I would find it a real toss up between two decent choices if these two men were in the forefront of our next national election.

And then I realized, every elected president since Kennedy and the era of television has one quality poor Rudy does not: really good hair. And while I hate to think that this is an actual criteria that voters consider, I don't put it past the average American to be that shallow. Does dear Rudy even have a shot??

Fishing for Soldiers

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My 15-year-old Godson came over after school to work in my shop. (I'm still dealing with that massive wholesale order from before Thanksgiving...darn thing is almost ready to ship!) In the process of packing 66 kits (of 250), the boy had MTV on - something I don't really watch. I stopped watching cause everytime I tuned in there was NO music. And today, the shows were all on minor celebrities and how they live. (MENTAL NOTE: #2 Question for God: How do you decide who you give too much money to??)

OK - the shows were mindless enough and not distracting while we were packing but the thing that astounded me was that the commercials were SO LOUD. And many of them were for the military. Each one tried to really make it sound cool. Not like hard work or something you could get killed doing.

Mind you, I come from a long line of military heroes and to this day, I cannot meet a veteran of any age that I don't get a lump in my thoat and try to find some way to shake his / her hand and thank them for their service.

But maybe, it's this war and this president that makes these commercials seem so vile to me. As it is, my boy already has a rather dangerous career in mind. He wants to be a helicopter pilot for the fire department. He goes out for Fire Explorer every year even though he is too young and knows he'll be cut. He's hoping that his face will be so familiar when he is 16 that they will just sign him up on the spot. I shiver at the very thought of him fighting a fire, much less flying a helicopter into a raging inferno.

But for now, he's still my boy. His face has not changed since he was about 4 months old. And when I look at him, he is no longer 6' tall. He's just a wee boy that I can make laugh so hard, he falls over. And no matter how much taller he gets (a doctor in Hungary predicted 6'6" when he was still in utero!), he will always be that little boy to me. And I really wish the Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines & Coast Guard would fish in other waters.

Revelation

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I found myself a little angry with God this morning. I had one of those rare moments of clarity about my life and was suddenly so pissed this info comes about 20 years too late.

This week is an anniversary of sorts for me. 20 years ago today, I was waking up in the Dallas home of my then boyfriend's mother. I had driven in the day before, had a lovely traditional New Year's Dinner - his mom made sure I found the lucky penny in the cornbread - and hit the town with the man that has become known to my circle of friends as the Jackass.

We were up very early the next day...he was driving me to California. This task wasn't originally meant to be his. It was to be my mother's. But 1985 was yet another dreadful Christmas. It was the last time my mother ever struck me. And in addition to her being so difficult to be around, Christmas was topped off with a family friend getting stabbed to death and my cousin's last attempt at suicide (she lived).

Mother used these events to back out of moving me to California. I really think she believed I would not go if she didn't take me. But she underestimated me. When I suggested the Jackass (she adored him; our dog didn't.... hmmmm), her response was to wonder what the neighbors would think of my traveling across the country and sharing a room with him. I still remember the astonished look on her face when I asked, "How will they know if you don't tell them?"

So 20 years ago today, the Jackass and I set out for Cali. I wanted to be a producer or so I thought back then. It only took me 15 or so years to realize that someone doesn't move that far from home to chase something. No, you move vast distances when you are running from something.

We had a blast driving here. He was the driver, I was the DJ. The car was so loaded down, I couldn't get out without placing a few cases and boxes on the ground beside the passenger door.

I was snoozing as we approached California. He tapped my arm and asked, "You were born in 64 right??"

"Yep."

"Find a 64 coin in your purse. Hurry!"

I dug around a bit and announced, "The best I can do is a 69 penny."

"O.K....Let me think... that's 5 years. O.K. add a nickel."

"Got it."

Silence.

"Can I ask why I sitting here with six cents in my hand?"

"Just wait."

Moments later, he was pulling the car off to the edge of the highway. We were right in front of the California State Line sign.

"Get out!"

"Wha?"

"GET OUT! Come on, hurry. It's cold." He dashed out of the car. I followed.

We jumped the barricade and ran west a few feet. He grabbed my shoulder to keep me from running into California. I straightened up and tried to see whatever it was he was so intent on showing me. It was cold and windy and I really had no clue what we were doing on the side of that highway.

He placed his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer to him.

"Look at that."

I looked at him questioning his sanity.

"That is California. Everything you've ever dreamed of is going to happen to you there. Everything you ever wanted to be, you will be there. You are home."

I had a huge lump in my throat. He had managed to address all my fears. Would I make it or would I tuck my tail between my legs and head back home? Would I even find a job? Could I just stay there long enough to not embarrass myself?

"Now, lean over and make a wish and place your coins over there."

I did as I was told, dropping my coins in the California sand.

"Now, take something for a memory."

I took a pretty rock. Still have it somewhere.

"Now that you're home, you drive. Let's get out of here. It's COLD!"

I raced back to the car to get out of the wind. As I was jumping the barricade, I realized he wasn't with me. He appeared to be digging in the dirt.

"What are you doing? I yelled.

"Covering up your money."

"Huh??"

"You never know when you'll be passing back by and need six cents!"

As I was thinking of this journey and what this man has been through the years in my life, I realized that his driving me here was truly the nicest thing he ever did for me. And I was suddenly dumbstruck with the revelation that this trip, this kindness was his ONLY job in my life.

Couldn't I have gotten this knowledge many, many years ago???

He wasn't the man I was "supposed" to marry. He certainly wasn't worth all the grief and anguish he put me through. He wasn't worthy of my faith or my love. He was only supposed to get me here. And that's just fine. He took me home and now, twenty years later, I finally realize what he was trying to tell me. This is my home. And home feels so good.

Velvet & Denim

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I had two New Year's last night: one fancy and one down-home style. First I got all dressed up in a Velvet pantsuit and headed to one of the casinos with Mom for a really nice dinner. We had seats overlooking the Mississippi at sunset and feasted on boiled shrimp, Alaskan crab legs and the most succulent Louisiana style marinated crab claws.

My sis and BIL picked me up and we headed out to Watson to my cousin's house. He had shrimp and corn soup, creyfish, pork roast, beer braised hen, and lots of other munchies. I changed into jeans, my coat, hat and gloves and we built a huge fire in his driveway. We bought a bunch of fireworks and watched the kids race about having a great time. My little cousin yelled "Happy New Year!" at every passing car. The adults took bets on which of the three kids would not make it til the new year. I bet on the youngest...the last new year I spent with them - 2005 - he dropped right smack in the front yard at 11:40 p.m. We just threw a blanket over him and woke him up at midnight. But this year, it was his older sister that faded. She went to sleep in our aunt's lap. All that well-wishing to passing cars must have sapped her strength.

It was great fun being with my cousin and sister. The three of us have been a real source of strength for each other - even though my sister is much older than my cousin and I. It brought back some great memories of all of us camping throughout my childhood.

All in all, a very pleasant evening. And Mom? She phoned from the casino at 7 this morning... she had just hit a jackpot. So maybe she'll be a little happier for a few days at least.

Best wishes for a joyful 2007 to all of you!