Dogs and their people needed help

I had to run (okay...drive) all the way to Beckley today to get printer ink. On my way to stop by Kroger, I saw this young couple with a dog. They had a sign about needing help. I don't like to hand out money so I bought them a few things in Kroger. Not much; some stuff like apples and crackers. I didn't have much to spend. I also got some dog biscuits and some bottles of cold water. So when I got back over there, I discovered they also had a cute little puppy.


I know there are those who will say I'm a fool and I've been had but it felt right to help them. I don't think that makes me special or anything. I just think that could be me or one of my sons or our puppies that need help. What if we ended up losing our home--we ain't that far from it--and had no way to keep our dogs? I know there are people who would say give them away or take them to a shelter. I'm not an overly sensitive and emotion person. I try to be realistic and practical. But those people have no heart. I don't see any way I could give up any of my puppies; they're part of the family. If it came down to it, we'd go live on the mountain even without a house. We could build a shelter of some sort. We'd manage. When Mighty Dog was young and we had a rough time keeping her (and us) in food, Clyde would go shoot a squirrel for her dinner some days.


As I was walking away, the girl was opening the bag and I heard her say in an excited voice, "Apples!" I had to sit in my car and cry for a while before I could drive home. Some think that people who are having a bad time must have done something to cause it or deserve it. I guess it makes them feel better for not caring or helping, and maybe it takes away the fear that it could happen to them.

It's so sad that there are people who have no place to be; no food; no access to clean water or even a drink of water. Even people who used to have a decent life who now have lost it all. There have been people who have had to give up their own children because they could no longer feed and shelter them. Not their dogs but their CHILDREN! Can you imagine how that would feel?


I've been researching this because I'm writing a paper for school on this topic. There are people who had a nice house and decent income who have lost it all. There are children who had their own room and nice toys and clothes and who always knew there would be dinner who had to give all that up. There are families who had to give up their pets because the other choice was to watch them starve because they couldn't even get food for their own children.


What is wrong in this country when things like this are going on? What is wrong when people go out and buy themselves and their kids new stuff when there are those who have nothing, not even hope? Do you think by helping them you're encouraging them to not try? Maybe by not helping them you're encouraging them to die. Think about that. Believe me, I'm not saying I'm any better. I went most of my life never even thinking about stuff like this. It's only come to me recently and I feel the need now to make sure everyone knows. Once you know something, you're responsible to act.


Did y'all know there's a homeless shelter in Beckley? There are food pantries in Raleigh and Fayette counties. Maybe these places could use some help.


The New Homeless

Homeless Pets

Homeless Family

Groping at the airport

There is a new horror story going around now about a 6-year-old girl being groped. Honestly, I'm getting tired of it. No, I don't mean the obvious: "I'm tired of people being groped." I mean I'm tired of hearing people complain about being groped. Enough has been known about this that by now, if you are a parent standing in line with your child, you know perfectly well that your child is likely to be groped. Yet you took that precious child and got in line. I don't want to hear about it.

The only way this will ever end is when people just stop flying. Not just on a certain day; that's just symbolic of our powerlessness. DO NOT FLY AT ALL. Yes, this will be extremely difficult for some but most people have options however inconvenient those options may be. Stop flying, people! That is the only solution. How long do you think it would take if the airlines were losing that much money? I don't want to hear your excuses. Protecting our freedom is inconvenient.
Do you suppose that Paul Revere--on being told he'd need to carry the message that the Redcoats were coming--said, "Gee, sorry guys, but I always have dinner with the family on that evening."

Do you suppose there was a conversation at the Boston Tea Party planning meeting that went: "Well, sure it's a great idea. But I have to work the next day so I need my sleep. I'm sure there will be a big enough turn-out without me."

Or signing the Declaration of Independence: "I don't know fellas. We could get in a lot of trouble for this. You know they keep a list with our names on it. Things aren't that bad, are they? Maybe if we wait a while, it'll all blow over. Maybe when the next king comes to the throne things will be different."  

You get the idea. This whole matter depends on each of us. Protecting our freedom depends on YOU. Not just in the matter of the TSA but in the matter of our personal, individual, daily freedom.

But, as for the matter at hand: Don't fly. If you cooperate, you only encourage them. If you make a fuss at the gate, you will be used as an example. Just don't even get in line. By getting in line, you are volunteering to be groped. By putting your child in line... well, I think it's obvious what I think about a parent who would put their child in that situation. It's not just what is going to happen to them but--maybe even moreso--what they are going to learn from it. How will they view their freedom and rights as adults after you've shown them that it's okay to kneel to authority? Is that what our soldiers have fought and died for?

I don't care how wonderful Disneyland is or how much I love dear old aunt Matilda who lives across the country, I will not put myself, much less my children, in a line to be groped. It will be a long car ride or nothing. Life's full of sacrifices; this is one of many. 

Either you want to live free or you don't. I'm certainly not going to teach my children that "sometimes" it's okay to set aside their rights and submit to authority. Not gonna happen.

We all talk about how America is the greatest country on earth; about how free and brave we all are. Talk is cheap. Let's see some action. 

 Earthchild has spoken. Thanks for listening.

Christopher Hitchens born this day in 1949.

After I let go of my religious beliefs, I was reluctant to let others know. Not only could I not talk about it with family and long-term friends but I wasn't able to express my opinion on issues from my point of view.

That's changed now and I'm getting more and more comfortable as time passes. There are several people that I can thank for this. Richard Dawkins, Michael Shermer, Brian Keith Dalton... and several others have shown me not to be afraid to speak up. At the top of the list is the man whose birthday is today. That man has inspired me to say what's on my mind and not to be worried about whether someone isn't going to like it. That man is Christopher Hitchens.

I saw Hitch recently on an interview expressing how he didn't understand why all of these people took such an interest in him. Could he really not understand how he touches so many of us and inspires us to be who we are? I wish I could tell him.

In addition to the inspiration to accept my beliefs about god and the lack thereof, Hitch has also taught me about death. From what I've read and from interviews I've watched, he has the peace and dignity that I hope I will have when my time comes.


I am thankful that he was born so today I want to add my voice to the chorus of people who are wishing Christopher a wonderful and joyous anniversary of his birth and--and this means more than when it's said casually--MANY MANY MORE. An abundance of more. 

Peace and comfort to Hitch and to his family and loved ones.

"The only real radicalism in our time will come as it always has — from people who insist on thinking for themselves and who reject party-mindedness." Christopher Hitchens

For fear of offending someone

I am so sick of hearing people [let's call them peopleA] say they can't do or say this or that for fear of offending someone. I get these emails and see this on Facebook a lot. They say things like "We can't make all the schoolchildren attend a mandatory Billy Graham Crusade for fear of offending someone. Well, this loyal American has had enough. Who has the guts to join me in demanding that all schoolchildren are required to attend this crusade?" Okay, I'm exaggerating. Slightly. Very slightly. These people--you know who you are and if you're not then I don't mean you--go all psycho because they're not allowed to force others to do things their way and claim it's because people are "afraid of offending someone." It's not really even offending people. What they're doing is more rightly called "violating someone's rights" or, at least, "hurting someone's feelings."

Then someone [let's call them peopleB] does something peopleA don't like--not trying to make others do it, mind you--but just saying what they think or wanting to live their own way; expecting the same freedom to which we are all entitled, and then peopleA get all worked up and... dare I say it... OFFENDED. No one has tried to force them to do anything and the only thing they've been prevented from doing is violating someone else's rights. 


Now let's try to make this clear: 

If you want to force people to do or not do something, you are not offending them. You are violating their rights. They may also feel offended but it is their right to feel that way but the main thing is that you have violated them.


If you live your own life and use your free speech to say what you believe and you allow everyone else these same rights, then you are not violating anyone's rights. They may feel offended because you won't live their way or they don't like your opinion but that is their problem to get over.


Each of us has the same and equal right to live as we choose, say what we choose, believe, eat, drink, smoke, dress and whatever else AS WE CHOOSE and we do not have the right to decide these things for anyone else no matter how strongly we feel for or against. 


I understand that it makes you feel better to convince yourself that these other people are in the wrong because they're just being oversensitive and offended but you should try to be honest with yourself. If you are trying to force your beliefs on others including on the children of others, YOU are the one in the wrong. You do not have the right to do this. YOU do not have the only say in what our country represents. So grow up and learn the lessons you should have learned in kindergarten: Mind your own business. Keep your hands to yourself. Live and let live. Be kind to each other.


Earthchild has spoken. Thanks for listening. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.