From the Wichita eagle’s Letters to the Editor, February 8, 2013

STOP CARNAGE: President Obama said at a rally Monday that we need to stop the carnage of gun violence, that we need to control guns. Well, if you want to talk about carnage, what about abortion? About 1,000 abortions are performed per day. This is carnage. Do we hear from the president on this matter? Leroy H. Keiter, Colwich, KS

I am pro life. I don’t like abortion. However, I am also for the right of a woman to make choices for her own body, health and welfare. And when a medical problem arises that endangers both the pregnant woman ands the fetus, and only one can be saved, then which life am I in “pro” of? Awkward sentence construction, but the point is clear. One life can be saved. Which one do I declare should die?

More essential to this letter would be to ask Mr. Keiter where he gets his information? Dos he call millions of Americans each day to see if they have had an abortion that day, or plan to have one that day?

We have hospital records to help gather statistics on live births. We have a national census every ten years which might further aid In determining a fairly accurate estimate for the number of births over that period of time.

I’m not sure if we can get an accurate record of the number of abortions. I’m not sure if the Pro-Life folks count – or attempt to account for – miscarriages, D And C’s procedures, back alley/kitchen table illegal abortions, or any medications that can cause a woman to terminate pregnancy.

I understand the fervor of those pro-active groups that openly protest against abortion. I understand their zeal in claiming that there are millions of abortions. I just don’t know what kind f fact gathering they do. We have over 11,000 birth each day in America, somewhat upward of 4 million births a year. According to Mr. Keiter, we have about 365,000 abortions per year, an average of 20 abortions a day in each of our 50 states.

I think people such as Mr. Keiter, concerned as they are, make a lot of shit up.

I wonder if Mr. Keiter is one of those who would shut down abortion clinics that provide safe care to pregnant women in favor of a dirty table in the back room of a flop house?

I wonder if Mr. Keiter would have government reuse assistance to women in need of medical services that might provide assistance in helping a woman make an optional choice? I wonder what Mr. Keiter would say if his daughter or granddaughter was pregnant du to a rape, or if a medical test indicated that the fetus was likely to be born with a debilitating health condition? I wonder if Mr. Keiter might be a whacko like Scott Roeder, and determine that murdering someone such as Dr. George Tiller wasn’t a sin against his god, but rather something his sky fairy would applaud?

I wonder if this gentleman would be willing to forego medical treatment that would keep him alive? He is willing to dictate to a woman what her choice should be – save the child even if it endangers to woman’s health, even her very life.

No man can ever put himself in the same mindset as a woman when it comes to reproduction. I’ve known grown me to cry when passing a kidney stone through their urethra. I wonder if thy know what it would be like for a woman to pass a bowling ball sized critter? Mr. Keiter. Kindly go fuck yourself, the gag on your own ignorance.

The post office plans to drop Saturday delivery starting in August. They will probably still have mail sorters, and people to stuff post office boxes. They will still have package deliveries. After all, they will still have to compete against Fed X, and similar companies who will continue their weekend package deliveries.

Why is the post office in a financial mess? People don’t send as much mail these days. E-mail and text messaging is convenient, and cheaper o a per unit cost basis.

The Social Security folks have decided not to mail out retirement checks and disability checks. Retirees, and others getting federal assistance will have to have a bank account to receive their monthly checks. Banks, credit card companies, and some retailers, ask patrons to go ‘paper-less’ – even offering financial incentives to do so.

The post office will save some money in gasoline by reducing Saturday deliveries of regular mail. Staff numbers will probably be reduced. That can be accomplished through normal attrition or early retirement incentives. Some part-time and temporary employee positions can be eliminated. Over-time might well be reduced.

Here, though, is evidence of an individual with a grudge. This opinion was in today’s Wichita Eagle, and it shows how a person can’t see beyond their own narrow view point,

“The only ones against eliminating Saturday delivery are postal unions, which are the reason the Postal Service is broke. When you cannot fire incompetence, incompetence will prevail.”

1. Other persons are also against eliminating Saturday delivery.

2. There are many reasons why the Postal Service has lost money: Competition in services, the reduction in the quantity of mail because people rely on sending and receiving data through electronic mans, and big corporations urging people to opt for paperless statements. There was a time when people’s cancelled checks were returned to them, by the bank, with their monthly statement. Then for years, one would get only their monthly statement in the mail. Now even the monthly statement, in stead of being mailed, can be obtained on line.

3. Actually, being a member of a union does not mean one cannot be fired. There are processes for disciplining employees, even dismissing them. That may take time, but unions were historically organized for two basic reasons – to ensure professional/trained workers, and to have a means of negotiating with management. Before there were unions, we had sweat shops, child labor, no insurance or guarantees of any kind. A man could work for thirty years, lose a leg in an accident at work, lose his job and not be compensated in any manner – for the injury or the loss of a job.

I have never belonged to a union. Even as a teacher, I didn’t belong to a union. I don’t defend unions, not do I object to them. I don’t pretend that unions are perfect, but have seen abuses in those companies where the individual worker is at the mercy of management. There are pluses ad minuses in all endeavors, but the opinion stated above, in the paper, is obviously by someone who wants a single ‘baddie’ to be responsible for all the ills in the world. So sad to be that fucking ignorant!

America’s longest running war continues in Aghanistan. Cinese New Year was once more celebrated with firworks as it has been for 1400 years. We are busy trying to make the war in Afghanistan beat that record.

John and Ana Betar celebrated their 80th wedding anniversary on November 25, 2012. They have been declared America’s longest married couple. At 101 (John) and 97 (Ann) they  are an inspiration to many.

The Hug Lady, 72-year old Elizabeth Laird, is the official hug lady of Fort Hood, Texas. Bravo! Too often in arguing U. S. involvement in foreign affairs – from wars to peace keeping and security – it is the troops who get forgotten, or criticised, or besmirched. It is often the veteran who gets neglected upon return to civilian life.

After months of months, there is rain outside my window. I’m afraid to go outside. This is, after all, Kansas, and water melted the Wicked Witch, so it makes me wonder if I’ll melt should I get wet.

Phones are not dumb. End of discussion.

However, people who use them sometimes are dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb ………………………………………………………………..

When my friends seem depressed, I care, I worry and I but in.

Today’s Wichita Eagle’s opinion are interesting.

“America does not need immigration ‘reform.” It needs immigration reversal.”

(JRM Comment: Shall we reverse it back to the year 1620?)

“If women want to be on the front line of combat, all women should be in the next draft as well.”

(JRM Comment: Not all women want to be in the military, and not all military women necessarily want to be in combat. When we actually had a draft, not all eligible men wanted to be in the military, and not all male military draftees wanted to be in combat.”)

“It’s hard to see the necessity to be able to record five TV programs at once when I can’t find one program to watch.”

(JRM Comment: Who claims it is necessary, rather than just being possible? But it is possible to record five different programs simultaneous, even if the person who wrote this poorly expressed opinion can’t find one show that he/she is interested in watching.)

The caption to one opinion reads as follows: “Immigration action leaving Kobach behind.

(JRM Comment: This is wonderful. Not only do I think Kobach is A behind, I’m happy to think his ideas are being left behind.)

“What would Sgt. Carter say to Gomer Pyle about Pyle’s recent marriage to the man friend in Seattle?”

(JRM Comment: Carter and Pyle are fictional characters, and I doubt the subject would have come up on the sitcom, Gomer Pyle, USMC, that aired from September of 1964 to May of 1969. Frank Sutton (Sgt. Carter) died at age 50 I 1973. We can’t ask him what he thought.; especially since Jim Neighbors and his partner have been together for 38 years, and Carter has been dead 39 years. Perhaps we can intuit what the person who wrote this opinion things about the matter.)

The Kansas Supreme Court has ruled that exotic dancers are employees of the club(s) where they work, not independent entertainment contractors.

I predict that some team will win the super Bowl before the clock stikes midnight.

Truth will out …!

I generally walk my neighbor’s dog twice a day.

It was 11 degrees at 7:30 this morning. I’m waiting until noon to fetch the pups for their first walk of the day.

Above, Mack and Murphy are featured on the little stuffed bear’s sweatshirt.