Friends Frequently Flicking Flames Betrayal

I feel betrayed  by the smokers of America.

 

You see, as  a non-smoker,  I have observed the almost religious zeal of the anti-smoking crowd and I have been appalled.

 

We all know the dangers of smoking but we can't treat smokers like lepers because they make an unwise choice.

 

How many among us have other habits such as drinking or gambling or other repulsive addictions?

 

Keeping second-hand smoke away from non-smokers is important but I think often we have gone too far in vilifying smokers.  There are places where smokers are not permitted to smoke OUTSIDE!  In addition,  if a tavern owner wants to create a haven for smokers he should have that right.  Let's be smart but let's be fair and apply common sense.

 

Which brings me to the betrayal.

 

Many smokers continue to engage in throwing the glowing cigarette butt out the car window while driving.  Their attitude seems to be that  there is some  exception to the littering law when it comes to smokers  who drive.

 

The anti-littering campaign  began in the 1960's with a Television Ad featuring an American Indian with a tear rolling down his cheek,  observing the trash cast about his otherwise beautiful amber waves of grain.  America has become litter-conscious since that time.

 

For some reason,  smokers behind the wheel didn't get that memo.  I challenge you to drive  around your neighborhood for a half day without  coming across the flick of the butt.

 

The most pristine and well kept avenues in this country are dotted by the remnants of Marlboro and Winston.   Environmental groups estimate that 26 billion cigarette butts are thrown from  the driver's window   annually in America.  TWENTY SIX BILLION!

 

That disgusting statistic doesn't even account for the danger.  Drivers have had the  glowing butt fly right back into the car and set the family station wagon on fire.

 

             Throughout the nation brushfires are frequently caused by the anonymous carelessness of the Virginia Slim bouncing from  Grandma's minivan.  Can you say "Left Homeless in Arizona" ?

 

This one will break your heart.  This past April,  a thoughtless driver tossed his cigarette  butt which landed in the back of a trailer  carrying horses.  The driver of the trailer was not the driver who flicked the tobacco stick.  The six horses died a terrible death as the hay-lined trailer went up in flames in no time .

 

That is why I feel betrayed.

 

Smokers, I have been  your best non-smoking friend  when it comes to being the voice of reason.

 

Why do you turn on me by purposely  fouling  the roads I travel and putting yourselves and others in danger.  DO NOT EVER THROW YOUR BUTT OUT THE WINDOW.  PLEASE.

 

You are making it hard to be your friend.  

 

David M. Lynch

Where Seldom Is Heard A Discouraging Tweet

The other day the First graduating Class of Wyoming Catholic College celebrated its inaugural commencement in Lander, Wyoming.

 

This would not normally be particularly newsworthy except for the fact that these young men and women had survived.

 

You see,  these brave souls in caps and gowns have been subjected to the cruel  unique policies of the university that distinguished this place of learning as a  true social torture chamber. To be honest with you, I am shocked that the ACLU or Al Sharpton haven't shown up on campus to end the awful  conditions that have been imposed on the students at Wyoming Catholic College.

 

What kind of cvilized society allows this kind of abuse of our young people?

 

You should know of such heinous practices so you can protect  those in your family from similar outrages.

 

It's almost  too unspeakbale to reprint here but we must name evil in order to confront it.

 

THEY DON'T ALLOW CELL PHONES!

 

Not anywhere on campus.  Not in the dorms.  Not in the quad.  Not in the hallways.  Not ever anyplace.

 

And it gets worse.  No computer has internet access except for  library workstations where a human monitor observes the student.  No secret laptop hidden in the frat house to connect with cyberspace. Computers owned by students  may be used only for word processing to prepare homework and papers. No television and no video games on campus either.

 

Oh the Humanity!

 

The President of the University,  Father Robert Cook, tries to justify the atrocity of enforcing these inhumane rules by explaining that  his students are free from distractions, promoting a more moral environment.  He adds that  the rules force more direct interaction between students and between faculty and students. People are forced to communicate face to face instead of through technology creating an impersonal barrier between them.

 

As far as the internet goes,  Father Cook,  a Stanford-trained attorney, tells the students that God gave them the greatest computers ever created in the form of their own minds.  He argues that its healthy to leave inferior technologies behind for four years and then return to them after graduation if they choose.

 

If you as a citizen are concerned that our college attendees are the targets of such insanity as described in this column,  contact your congressman.

 

After all,  without cell phones and email on campus,  how will congressmen be able to send illicit photos to unsuspecting  coeds?

 

 

 

 

 

David M. Lynch

Bloody Susan G. Komen

    Imagine that the year is 1940, and you are asked to support a worthwhile charity that also donates funding to a women's health clinic operated by the Nazi party in Germany.

 

    My guess is that you would take a pass on supporting this otherwise well intended charity. You would tell the solicitor that allowing any money to go to the Nazi party is immoral, even if the monies involved supported only  limited beneficial services carried out by Hitler's followers.

 

    In fact, it would seem obvious that the evil atrocities of the Nazis in torturing and murdering millions of Jews are so heinous that Der Fuehrer's success in providing hospital services to non-Jews could never prove to be a justification for allowing one dollar of your money to find its way into Swastika-emblazoned  coffers. Even if you could be certain that your dollar went to provide medical service only.

 

    Fast-forward to a graduation ceremony I attended at a large well-known Catholic University just a few weeks ago. An honorary degree was bestowed upon a wonderful lady who supported this college for many years in many ways. One of the achievements of her life trumpeted during her introduction was her dedication to  the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

 

    I almost fell off my seat.

 

    The Susan G. Komen Foundation donates millions of dollars to Planned Parenthood   to provide breast cancer screening and other medical services to women in poor neighborhoods.

 

    The largest provider of abortions in America is Planned Parenthood. In the United States alone, Planned Parenthood reports that they average 300,000 abortions under their roof every year.

 

    Someone very close to me in my family is a breast cancer survivor and to all that know her she is a real hero, conducting herself with grace and courage. She supported the Komen Foundation in the past but now refrains because of Komen's willing support  of Planned Parenthood.

 

    There are many other organizations and research institutes fighting breast cancer. Find them and support them if you want to participate in the battle against this dreaded disease.

 

    Whatever you do, make sure that the pink ribbon you display does not mean that you've donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Even the Komen Foundation admits that  childbirth reduces a woman's likelihood of getting breast cancer.  In another words,  abortion increases the cancer risk.

 

    I've seen the Planned Parenthood facilities in Shaker Heights and Bedford. Body parts of little pre-born children are trucked away from the back  of the building like so much useless garbage.

    The scene reminds me of those sickening grainy films of the death camp at Auschwitz where a bulldozer moved limbs and torsos  and skulls from one part of the camp to another.  In this deathcamp,  Dr. Josef Mengele, the Third Reich's "Angel of Death",  specialized in unspeakable experiments often involving dismembering men, women, and children while they were alive.

 

    Repulsive. Horrifying. Evil.

 

    Bloody Susan G. Komen, why must you do this?

 

    Fight the good fight against breast cancer but stop sending millions to the organization that embodies genocide in the modern world.  The blood of the innocents oozes out of the surgery room at the local Planned Parethood center and leaks into the room where other services are offered.  Get away from this toxic association with evil.

 

    It's 1940 all over again and we must stand up for those unborn children who can't make their voice heard over the whine of the electric scalpel and suction device.

     Spread the word.

    Do not support Bloody Susan G. Komen. 

    At least not until Bloody Susan is willing to tell Dr. Mengele that she will no longer associate with his murderous exploits. 

David M. Lynch

Stop: A Hero Passes

Jim Daly, President of Focus of the Family, recently mentioned a  poignant  incident he experienced a few years ago while traveling.

 

            Busy businessmen and harried vacationers all paused and became silent  in the cabin of a jetliner that had just arrived at the gate of a congested  terminal at an International Airport in a major American city.

 

            The captain announced on the PA system that a recently killed U.S. serviceman's remains had been traveling with them throughout the flight and the captain thought it would be meaningful if the passengers waited while the  coffin was removed from the cargo section of the plane.

 

            The world stopped moving while 192 important travelers focused together on one man and the ultimate sacrifice he paid so that we might live free.

 

            The crated coffin was gently removed and the travelers didn't care about their stowed away items in the overhead compartment.

 

            Connecting flights were suddenly trivial.

 

            Making sure ground transportation was all set to take someone to a meeting seemed less than secondary to the moment.

 

            It took only a few minutes.

 

            A few tears were shed.

 

                A few salutes were made.

 

                A few prayers were recited.

 

            Amazingly, cell phone calls and texting were at zero level.  Not one email was sent.

 

            Flight attendants, crew, and all others on the flight felt almost like they were in church or perhaps at a cemetery like Arlington.

 

            Some claim they heard taps at a distance though no bugler was in sight.

 

            Do you stop everything to remember our fallen heroes?

 

            You should.  Because of them we have our families to raise in this increasingly rare air of liberty.

 

            Would  you die for our country?  They did.

 

            Would you have been part of this unanimous spontaneous tribute of respect for someone that could have been your son or daughter?

 

            I hope your answer is yes.

 

            Make sure it is by pausing and saying thank you.

 

            Today. To a veteran and to a veteran's family. 

 

            God Bless America.

 

 

David M. Lynch

Yahoo! for Mr. Netanyahu

In late December of 1941, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill addressed a somber joint session of the United States Congress.  His words were inspiring and rang true like the bell in a church steeple on an otherwise quiet morning.

 

He spoke of liberty and democracy and the unique role of the United States of America as a beacon for freedom throughout the world.

 

Some of you may not have noticed, but last week , Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, delivered a similarly stirring appeal to the American lawmakers in another somber joint session.

 

If you have access to YouTube, invest 45 minutes  in viewing and listening to Netanyahu's inspiring words. He fully illuminates the role of Israel as the last best hope for the survival of democracy in the Middle East.

 

He also demonstrates the importance of America fulfilling its destiny as the champion of those who seek to break the shackles of tyranny. If America turns its back on the embattled democratic nation of Israel, dire consequences await.

 

Netanyahu draws clear parallels between Hitler's march across Europe and militant Islam's expansion throughout the Middle East and Europe.

 

The rousing words of this courageous Prime Minister contrast sharply with President  Obama's  recently expressed desire that Israel shrink its borders back to where they existed prior to the Six-Day War in which  Israel   drove back three powerful Arab nations that threatened to wipe out this tiny Jewish nation.

President Obama's words feel like appeasement Neville Chamberlain style to me.

             We should never forget that Israel was created by the Allies after World War II in order to ensure that the chosen people of the Old Testament had a safe national land where the threats of another Holocaust could never materialize.

 

Six million Jews perished at the hands of satanic forces wearing a Swastika.  

The leaders of Iran and Palestine continue to reassert their objective of annihilation of the Jews. They even deny  the existence of the concentration camps that housed unspeakable atrocities.

 

The miraculous Six-Day War  victory in 1967 provided Israel with new borders that created a secure buffer for the infant country which can not be reduced without inviting further attack by those sworn to destroy the every Jewish citizen.  The speech last week in the Capitol made that much clear.

But this speech did much more. 

It reminded Americans of what it means to be an American.  It means standing up for justice and being counted when liberty is under attack, especially when the attack is against our long term friends and allies.

I hope the President watches that speech as well.

As we celebrate Memorial Day,  Mr. President,  remember our friends who also shed blood for the cause we hold so dear: Liberty. 

The border can not go back and America must stand tall against despots.

Three cheers for Mr. Netanyahu.

David M. Lynch

Eye of Newt Twitching Uncontrollably

Back in the 60s one of my very favorite sitcoms was an  absurd contrast to the white bread perfect middle-class American  family called the Addams family.

 

Whenever Morticia was cooking up a magic potion, she always added one very meaningful ingredient called Eye of Newt.

 

Just recently Eye of Newt has become a very important ingredient in American politics. And in this case the eye of Newt is twitching uncontrollably.

 

Only a few days after announcing his candidacy for the Republican nomination for presiden,t former speaker of the house Newt Gingrich described the spending plan of  Congressman Paul Ryan, Republican wunderkind from Wisconsin, in rather unflattering terms.

 

Appearing on Meet the Press, Gingrich described the house budget committee chairman's spending program as, and I quote," a radical step toward right wing social engineering."

 

Of course a firestorm erupted shortly after this in which various conservative luminaries such as Bill Bennett, Rush Limbaugh, and Bill O'Reilly expressed doubts regarding Gingrich's ability to engage his brain before putting his mouth in gear.

In a world in which every gaffe is caught on tape and in which Joe Biden has purchased a lifetime membership in the gaffe of the week club, Republicans could be urged to exercise some restraint in their criticism of the former Georgia congressman's very lonely trip off the reservation of central Republican party philosophy.

 

What made it so difficult for Gingrich is the fact that Congressman Ryan is considered to be the dynamic young face that much of the Republican Party is pinning its hopes on in years to come. Ryan projects a sense of confident courage and faith in the belief system that tells us government must shrink before it overwhelms all of us in red ink and socialistic management of our lives.

 

Ronald Reagan used to say that the 11th commandment was" thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican."

 

One would think that Gingrich would have been able to weather this storm because we are early in a campaign in which the news cycle switches over to the next big story in just a few days.

 

Unfortunately for Professor Gingrich, he made things worse by following his Meet the Press appearance with a statement on Fox News where he told the world that his criticism of the Ryan plan  is " inaccurate and unfortunate." And then he really stepped in it. He told the Democratic Party that they better not run any ads quoting his Meet the Press statements.

 

What do you think happened the very next day?

 

The Democratic National Committee, fast on its feet, ran commercials all over the country replaying the video of Newt's attack of the Ryan program.

 

The Republicans are, generally speaking, forgiving of those who make mistakes and learn from them.

 

In this case, Newt Gingrich handed the Democratic Party a loaded gun and then with his challenge regarding the ads, practically invited the Democrats to fire that gun point blank, aimed at the centerpiece of the Republican platform.

 

In more recent television appearances, Newt Gingrich has eyes twitching almost uncontrollably with distress because he  managed to sabotage the lift-off of his own candidacy.

 

Eye of Newt is an ingredient Republicans are likely to see very little of going forward for the Republican convention.

 This candidacy is over.

Give Cops and Firefighters the Right to Strike

 

            Policemen and firefighters should have the right to strike.

 

            Especially now.

 

            Sound Radical?  It is.

 

            But in the light of recent changes to public employee law in Ohio, it's only fair.

 

            As a former municipal official, I've been observing the fracas  over collective bargaining in Columbus.

 

            Here's the background.

 

            Years ago, Ohio law was overhauled to create the SERB (State Employee Relations Board) Statute.

 

            This Ohio Revised Code provision created an independent hearing officer to make a binding determination deciding labor contract questions and pay disputes between cities and safety personnel.

 

            City governments hate this law because they were stuck with the mandatory binding decision of this hearing officer.  Even if they were ordered to pay raises they couldn't afford.

 

            Of course, unions were also stuck, forced to accept  what may have been an unfair decision regarding pay scale or employee contribution for health care.

 

            What no one is talking about is the reason this system was created.

 

            It was created because safety forces do not have the legal right to strike.

 

            This leverage of the threat of striking is at the core of labor rights.

 

            Without the right to strike, the union has no leverage and might as well not exist.

 

            You can't call it collective bargaining if you strip unions of their only truly meaningful bargaining tool:  The right to strike. 

 

            Over in Europe, Lech Walesa's Solidarity movement was based on this most basic theory:  you don't have to pay us as we demand, but we also may choose to walk.

 

            This movement, along with a little help from a Polish Pope now on his way to sainthood, eventually played a major role in the downfall of the Soviet Communist empire.

 

            Our public officials in Columbus have missed this completely.

 

            They took away the system designed to balance the scales in light of a public employee's inability to strike.

 

            So you see, I understand the concerns of cities facing a budget crunch.

 

            However, if you are going to eliminate laws created because striking is illegal, you must give that tool back to the worker.

 

            You must let them have the only meaningful ace in the hand dealt them in the poker game of labor negotiations.

 

            It's not a fair game when the dealer reserves the aces for only one side.

 

            That's what happened in Columbus.  They tried to fix the SERB Law to protect the public coffers, but forgot about the delicate balance of fairness to workers.

 

            The right to strike is a human right.  Just ask Lech  Walesa and a bunch of brave Polish workers.

 

            Give it back Columbus, give it back. 

 

   

David M. Lynch