Late Fragment.

Hiding Out in Treetops.

Dear person in South Lake Tahoe,

You are kind of freaking me out.  Could you email me at the addy on this page and let me know if I know you?

Thanks.

Bn'B

Where the Kids Are Alright.

Last week, near where I live, a 15-year-old girl shot a classmate to death, apparently after being spurned romantically by her.  She told police "I wanted her to feel pain like I did."

This weekend, a senior at my daughter's school was stabbed during a fight with a classmate.  He died as a result of his injuries.

When I was a kid, the most dangerous thing that could happen at the hands of your classmates was that you'd be embarrassed, and lose face and social standing.

It would have never occurred to me to use deadly force to settle my scores - not when I was a teenager and not now. 

I do not know what is wrong with the world.  I only know that I am scared to death about letting my kid grow up in it.

You May Be Right.

The Ten Cannots.

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot establish security on borrowed money.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's initiative and independence.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.

-- Rev. William John Henry Boetcker, 1873

I Can't Explain.

Truth is that I don't much care about the outcome of the election.  As I've said, I wasn't going to feel good about it, no matter who won.  I'm glad it's over and I look forward to moving on.  I am not surprised.

But can someone please explain this to me... my state gave all of its electoral votes to Obama, and still voted to change the state constitution so that a marriage is a union only between a man and a woman.  By a LANDSLIDE. 

How is this possible?  How?

I do not understand this world I live in.  Not at all.

I Went to See My Congressman.

I know I've been totally lame lately.  I don't know.  Life just kind of rolls on by. 

But today, I want to talk about something.

I remember being a kid, going with my mom and standing outside the voting booth while she cast her vote.  I think she's the one who first gave me the idea that your vote was secret, and that you didn't have to share whatever choice you made with anyone else. 

I remember being with my dad and asking him what "impeached" meant, when that word was bandied around in the Nixon days.

I remember being handed my first voter's registration card, by Inspector's father, with the R already stamped on it.

I remember campaigning in 1988, going door to door and driving little old ladies to their polling places. 

I remember the casting a vote for Bill Clinton way back in 1992 in someone's garage in Manhattan Beach, California and being so full of hope and promise... and I remember casting a vote against that same man four years later.

This weekend, I stood in line for over three hours to vote.  But this time was unlike any time before.  I honestly had no idea who I was going to vote for until the moment I had the ballot in my hand.  One of my paralegals opined yesterday that anyone who was still undecided was "a retard".  Hell, I've already voted and I admit, I am still undecided.  I'm not sure if that makes me a retard, or a realist, or what.  But I am worried that neither of our choices is qualified to lead us through what lies ahead.

You know what though?  I still voted.  It's important.  We, as citizens, have an obligation to participate.  And I am proud that I did, especially in an election that I feel so ambivalent about. 

And you should too.  We get the government we deserve.  Let's try to be worthy of better four years from now.