Blog 618 – 04.30.2017

Would We All Were Ambidextrous

I love Don Williams song, I Believe In Love, where he lists a lot of things he no longer believes like:

“That right is right
And left is wrong,
That north and south can’t get along,
That east is east and west is west,
And being first is always best,
But I believe in love.”

My daddy was left handed and he told a story of a teacher trying to force him to use his right hand. She did not know who she was messing with. My daddy even as a boy marched to his own drummer and I admire him and anyone who does that. Sheep are just not that interesting. I think part of the reason we were each given a mind of our own, with both right and left hemispheres, was to figure it out for ourselves. Far sadder than one life that ends tragically because some explorer or adventurer is blazing a new trail and makes a wrong turn is a whole herd of sheep following a false shepherd off a cliff. History is littered with sad tales like that and as they say ignorance of history is a sure way to repeat the errors of the past. We the people are ultimately responsible for keeping our country great, not our leaders, they work for us, public servants not kings or lords, we need to keep that straight or trouble is always around the corner. Every individual has a responsibility not just to follow but to get the best education he or she can and to exercise freedom of speech, to speak up and let your voice be heard.

Because I expressed an opinion regarding public education recently someone asked me what union I was a member of. You can’t insult me calling me a union member. I have in my lifetime been the member of several unions. Time was in this country when labor was so poorly paid and treated that labor unions were organized to give the little guy a little say.  Oh, have there been abuses on both sides, to be sure. But just because someone has a lot of money or power it does not mean they will treat their employees fairly. We have made a mistake surrendering the raises, better working conditions, and benefits that labor unions worked hard to negotiate for their members. Non union members also benefited.

All U.S. citizens are members of a Union yes even those of you in the ole South. Tried to get out but Lincoln and the Union wouldn’t let you and I am so glad or I might not have had the wonderful privilege to be born in the U.S.A.  I mean you guys love that Lee Greenwood song, can you hear him singing, God bless the C.S.A? Me either. So let’s quit pretending that we want the South to rise again. What we want is for our Union to thrive and to be that city set on a hill, the envy of all the world. We can do that by staying true to ourselves and being the best we can be. Never surrender the power of the people ever again to a prince or pretender to the throne. The highest title in these United States for over two centuries has not been President, Senator, Governor, Congressman or C.E.O but “Citizen” and I hope we keep it that way.

I did not always agree with my daddy. If anyone had called him a Communist Pinko he would have probably punched them. But if anyone had called my daddy a lefty he would have probably said, “Damned straight, and proud of it.”

Your friend and fellow traveler,
Jake White’s boy and proud of it too,
United we stand, divided we fall.
David White