Monday Morning Musings

On Sunday, Mallard Fillmore, in his inimitable way had this commentary  about the significance of today: "As most of you know tomorrow's Inauguration Day holiday Martin Luther King Day and Squirrel Appreciation Day all fall on the very same day. This phenomenon won't occur again in our lifetime... And it's significance is already being felt by federal employees across the nation."

Then a federal employee chimes in, "Three holidays but only one day off?"

And Mallard signs off with, "More on this as it develops."

When we finished chuckling over the strip, my husband said, "Maybe we can get the squirrels to dance at the inauguration ball."

Photo Courtesy National Geographic

Which made me wonder why we have to have another huge inauguration with all the parties. Why not just have a swearing in ceremony and a nice quiet dinner at the White House? Why do we have to spend thousands of taxpayer dollars for basically an instant replay of four years ago?

Granted, it is important to honor our president, but we don't have to do it to such an extreme. And it is too bad that the media coverage will be such that it will dwarf the other significance of today - honoring one of the great men of history.

Some people don't think any more of Martin Luther King Day than the fact that it is a holiday and a day off work. Thank goodness, there are many more who recognize the importance of what he did and the need to celebrate and honor that.

And thank goodness that we teach our children and grandchildren the legacy that King left us. I was proud to be active in the Civil Rights Movement, and we have made strides in acceptance and equality. Yet prejudice and bigotry still impact our society way too much. Dr. King's mission will not be complete until that no longer happens.

Dr. King left us a lot of memorable quotes and this is one of my favorites, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

Wonderful words, but only wonderful if we take them to heart and act on them.

Photo Courtesy of the Nobel Peace Organization

Book Review - A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

A Lesson Before Dying 
Ernest J. Gaines
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Vintage; 1 edition (September 28, 1997)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0375702709
ISBN-13: 978-0375702709

A Lesson Before Dying, is set in a small Cajun community in the late 1940s.  Jefferson, a young black man, is present at a liquor store shoot out that leaves three men dead, including the white store owner. Because the two robbers are dead, Jefferson alone must pay for the crime. He is convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Grant Wiggins, the teacher at the plantation school, is not-so-gently persuaded by his aunt to visit Jefferson and help him find some pride. Miss Emma, Jefferson's godmother heard a white man refer to Jefferson as a hog, and she wants him to "be a man."

Grant has little faith in the white justice system, and little faith in a God who allows some people to be trapped in years of prejudice and bigotry, and he has no idea how to impart any wisdom on a man who is about to die. As he tries to fulfill the promise to Miss Emma to help Jefferson "walk like a man," Grant wrestles with his own demons.

Some reviewers have compared this book to To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee's classic, and that is a fair comparison. Both stories have a number of lessons for the reader, especially readers far removed from the years when a black man had to stand for hours just to speak to a white man in authority.  

The cast of characters in this story are very realistic and well-drawn, and Gaines did not hold back in portraying what life was like for people in the deep south in the 40s. The story is powerful and for the most part very well-written. I did, however, find the use of vernacular overdone. There were places I had to read sentences over and over to decipher the fractured English. Granted, that is the way uneducated people speak, but I have been told by writing instructors not to use vernacular to the point of confusing a reader.

Still, this is a book well worth the read.

Friday's Odds and Ends

Talk about super sensitivity. I know we do have to be respectful of other people in how we act and what we say, but this recent item made me wonder if we have gone too far.  Texas State Representative Rafael Anchia  demanded that a candidate running for the Texas congress apologize for calling a rival candidate an "errand-boy" for big county employers. Anchia said, "Describing a 41-year old African American male as a boy in any context is unacceptable and offensive."

First of all, the word "boy" in that context does not have the same meaning or implication as when it was used as a derogatory term when white people said that to black people out of bigotry. Secondly, being called an errand-boy is equally insulting to any successful white, brown, black, purple person in the world. If we keep nit-picking like that, pretty soon we won't be able to say anything without fear of being called out for insulting some group.

"My endorsement evolved," says Herman Cain in explaining why he is now supporting Mitt Romney as the eventual GOP nominee for president after his earlier endorsement of "the American people" and Newt Gingrich.

That makes a good soundbite. And apparently a number of political PR people are on the same page as we have heard lots of "evolving" from lots of politicians, even the president whose stand on gay marriage "evolved." However, the bottom line is that "evolving" is simply a way to do what is most beneficial politically. In the case of Herman Cain, should Romney win the nomination and then go on to win the White House, think of the favors  owed back to Cain. So much for the concern for "the American people."

And now on a lighter note. We are preparing for the Nite of Comedy at the art center where I am the Theatre Director. I work with an incredible troupe of actors, and my young players are terrific. Last night we had a brainstorming session to write some skits, and the kids came up with some great stuff. It made me think of those neighborhood shows my friends and I used to put on in my basement and how much fun we had doing that. Remember those?

Our show will include one-liners that the players will pop on stage and deliver - "Laugh-In" style for those who remember that show. Here are just a few:

If man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkeys and apes?

 What was the best thing before sliced bread?

 Why is the alphabet in that order? Is it because of that song?

Why is there an expiration date on sour cream?

How is it possible to have a civil war?

 If the "black box" flight recorder is never damaged in a place crash, why isn’t the whole airplane made of that stuff?

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Have a great weekend.

Friday's Odds and Ends

First I want to acknowledge all my new followers. Glad to have you aboard and hope you find your visits worthwhile.

A recent letter to the editor in the Dallas Morning News responded to the lack of civility in public discourse. The person wrote, "As repugnant as it can be sometimes, this country embraces freedom of speech and permits the right to hate for all."

True, but that doesn't mean that we should all go into some sewer to make a point or join a debate.

We would all like to believe that bigotry is dead, yet people on Grand Isle in Louisiana got nervous when a group of minority workers showed up to keep beaches free from oil during the Gulf oil spill. According to a news story, the people were nervous because they were not used to seeing a "mass of people of color coming onto their isle."

Hmmm. What colors are their maids and gardeners?

Some company is offering bikini waxes for 8-year-old girls.

Not even worth a comment.

And finally, this word from the political arena.  The $600 million border security bill was passed in the senate recently with 98% of the chamber empty.  Senator Charles Schumer from New York and one other senator opened the session for 31 minutes and passed the bill. And Schumer actually nerve to gave a speech thanking "Everyone for their bipartisan support of the bill."

To whom was he speaking?

Any absurdities you might want to add to my list?