The Back Nine

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Mike Shortall

While perusing the collection of documentaries on DVD at the local library, I ran across The Back Nine which tells the story of a 40-year-old’s pursuit of his dream to play golf on the PGA Tour.

I thought it an interesting subject, given the rather common fantasy of most passionate golfers to have the talent and mental fortitude to play the game professionally. Unfortunately, Jon Fitzgerald – the subject, author, co-producer and co-director – has neither the talent nor the fortitude; and to throw in a little extra, he also doesn’t have the time.

Hmmmm …

You could see where this was heading halfway through, which is about where I stopped watching. If you really don’t have the time to devote to this “dream” of yours, why should I waste my time watching it? I’m just thankful I didn’t have to buy it!

Jon lines up FOUR … count’em! … FOUR coaches, a life coach, swing coach, and two other I-can’t-even-remember-what coaches to help him mold his game. He even goes out and wins his very first amateur tournament, surprisingly enough with a 12-over-par round. Now, I’m in no position to criticize another man’s golf game; but you have to wonder if his competition was even ambulatory with those scores!

Shortly after this comes the “WTF? moment”, when Jon outlines his struggle to find enough time in his whirlwind producer, film festival organizing, family-man life to devote to his game. When one of his golf coaches relates a conversation where Jon plans to spend “a whole ten hours a week” on his “professional” golf game, I lunged for the video remote’s Cease & Desist Button! Even the coach seemed incredulous at what little golfing he planned to do!

If I spent 10 hours-a-week on “nothing but golf”, I might just get my gargantuan handicap down to No Longer Embarrassing Myself. But even the Worst Golfer Alive could figure out where this time-starved project was heading … Absolutely Nowhere!

Apparently all that I missed by not watching the rest of the story was Mr. Fitzgerald’s struggle to balance the demands of his professional life and his family with his desire to play golf. I’m not sure how that differs from any other Regular Working Joe, who has to scrape together enough time to fit in his golf. And in addition, he also spends a good part of the project reconnecting with his two fathers. In other words, it turns into a guy’s version of a Lifetime Movie!

Me thinks Jon Fitzgerald was just looking for a Pay Day.

Give me a break …

Recommendation: Don’t bother!

Joe Rooney for Pennsylvania’s 13th Congressional District

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Mike Shortall

If you are a Republican living in the Pennsylvania 13th Congressional District***and have been waiting for a fiscally conservative candidate to mount a serious challenge to the liberal Allyson Schwartz, this could be your year. Joe Rooney, a former U.S. Marine Corps fighter pilot, is the lone candidate seeking to take on Schwartz this November. His message of fiscal responsibility and American optimism will play well from Northeast Philly to Lansdale and King of Prussia.

As background, I went to my first Congressional meet ‘n greet in 2010 as a member of the Horsham Republican Committee (HRC). That year the MontCo and Philly GOP organizations entertained a slate of four or five candidates running to oppose Ms. Schwartz, a popular and well-financed liberal Democrat Congresswoman. I remember a long, long evening of seemingly endless, rambling monologues that failed to connect, let alone inspire. I knew that night Schwartz would have little trouble winning re-election.

But at this year’s meet ‘n greet Joe Rooney turned out to be a pleasant, refreshing surprise for the 2012 election cycle. His background, leadership, and values will play well to both moderates and conservatives concerned about the economic future of the country. His home page offers a hint to Mr. Rooney’s motivation in representing the people of the 13th:

“America is the most powerful nation in the world. However, we are in danger of damaging the future of this great nation by blatantly ignoring the ongoing fiscal crisis.”

It’s a message with which any hard-working head-of-household, retiree, unemployed worker or mortgage holder can empathize. National fiscal health results in a robust economy that begets more job opportunities, better wages and a safe, secure path into the future. And Rooney’s background is indicative of strong leadership that makes tough decisions and possesses the strength and commitment to see them through.

Joe served for twenty-three years as Marine Corps pilot of F-4 Phantoms and the F-18 Hornets, retiring as a Lt. Colonel. And as good a pilot as he was, Beth – his wife of 25 years – was one of the Navy’s first female pilots and just the second woman to graduate from the prestigious US Navy Test Pilot School!

In person, Joe Rooney is a direct, no-nonsense speaker with a genuine populist message. I found Joe to be personable, intelligent, and focused on the message he believes is important both to the people of Pennsylvania and to America’s future. He is also well aware of the difficulties he faces in trying to unseat a popular Congressional Democrat with a huge campaign war chest.

Joe Rooney is an American Optimist.

“The American economy can be the engine that drives the rest of the world out of the economic hole that currently exists.” – Joe Rooney

When Joe addressed our group, he referred to the view of America as that “Shining City on a Hill” – made popular by President Ronald Reagan – that portrays America as a land for Hope, Progress and Leadership. The above quote illustrates his view that America can lead the global economy to recovery so long as we can get our own fiscal house in order.

The Rooney’s live in Ardsley, PA and have five children, including a daughter currently serving in the US Navy aboard the USS KLAKRING and a son attending the US Air Force Academy, studying to become a fighter pilot. Joe, who graduated from Bishop McDevitt High School, flies and captains B737s for Delta Airlines.

The biggest obstacle to a successful run by Joe Rooney in the PA 13th is FINANCIAL! Allyson Schwartz is a deeply rooted, popular liberal Congresswoman, with a staggering financial advantage. So please take a good look at Joe Rooney’s message and consider contributing to – or volunteering for – the Joe Rooney for Congress campaign!

*** Important Note: The judicial decision that threw a wrench into Pennsylvania’s attempt to redraw state legislative voting districts DOES NOT affect the redistricting of national Congressional Districts. So the redrawn boundaries for the 13th Congressional District will be used for the 2012 primary and general elections. Click the link to see if your vote will be included in the new PA 13th.

Dog vs. Man

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Mike Shortall

Actual conversation one morning last week …

“Honey, where’s that piece of steak I was saving for lunch?”

“It’s in the fridge. Look behind the yogurt.”

“Yeah … But where’s the REST of it?”

“I gave it to the dog. I ran out of chicken.”

Uh huh …

So this is what it has come to. My position on the Family Food Chain is now somewhere below Dog, maybe higher than the spider I was forced to assassinate one recent evening to the non-stop scream, “Bug! Bug!!”

Of course “higher than … spider” is just an assumption on my part.

There are rules … Rules of Nature … that suggest that the higher species – those that are stronger, smarter and more adaptable – get first crack at prized resources and eat first at The Kill. Unfortunately for some of us those rules are suspended in the Dog-Human Relationship.

Actually that’s a misstatement in my case. As this incident illustrates, this Man is the third wheel in the Dog-Woman Relationship.

Personally, I like dogs. In fact, I have proven recently my fondness for Man’s Best Friend. And I love, Zoe, our Bichon Frise. And for the most part, it doesn’t bother me that she is spoilt more than a Kardashian. But there should be respect for The Pecking Order of Species.

I am bigger and stronger; and damn it … I can – on most days – complete a 16-square sudoku in The Washington Post!!

So that highly prized New York strip steak I was hoarding for myself should remain mine. I shouldn’t have to stand over The Kill baring fangs like a starving lion fending off a circling hyena … especially a fluffy white specimen that looks like a candidate for Best of Show!

Fluffy, white-haired circling hyena

Guess I’ll just have to adapt.

THE END

Funny aside …

Recently Zoe underwent knee surgery.

(And no, she did not injure it while running down a “kill” of her own. She only goes after meat that is completely motionless and thoroughly cooked, perhaps served in a balsamic reduction. But I digress …)

I will not bore you with the veterinary details, including the $ticker $hock from which we are still recovering. No, this is about what contortions we go through for our pets.

Our instructions were to keep Zoe off her bad leg as much as possible, so the process of doggie bathroom breaks was a tad problematic. The vet-proposed solution was to “lighten the load” on her surgically-repaired leg by using a home-made sling to support her body mass as she went about “her business”.

There is nothing more humbling than standing next to your pooch with a sling made of a rolled blanket running beneath their belly and held aloft in your fisted hand! People passing by – people who you know – look at you like you have lost it completely. And the dog simply looks up at you with a face that says; “Do you really expect me to go with this stupid thing wrapped around me. Oh … And you look like an idiot too!”

UPDATED: Horsham’s new political geography

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Mike Shortall

(See Comments section for updated information.)

Wednesday, January 25 the Horsham Republican Committee held its monthly organizational meeting. It was one of the more interesting sessions we’ve had in quite a while for the issues discussed, developments in the local political geography, and for the chance to meet Joe Rooney, who is seeking GOP endorsement to challenge Congressional Representative Allyson Schwartz (D) in Pennsylvania’s 13th Congressional District.

One geographical development is the division of Horsham – almost precisely in half – between the 13th and 7th Congressional Districts. Horsham will now be represented by two Congressional Representatives – Schwartz (D-13) and Patrick Meehan (R-7), which is not necessarily a bad thing for the Township when you consider that Horsham is largely ignored by Ms. Schwartz, whose power base is Northeast Philadelphia and the Democratic edges of eastern Montgomery County.

Another interesting, less positive development was the sudden rejection by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court (PSC) of a negotiated plan to redraw State House and Senate districts in response to the 2010 census. The move appeared both unexpected and unprecedented. The redistricting plan had just been adopted December 11 by a bipartisan Legislative Reapportionment Commission (LRC). There was however opposition from minority Democrats who feel that Republicans had unnecessarily carved up townships and communities in an attempt to preserve political advantages.

Of course this is the common refrain made by the minority whenever the majority party flexes its political power in the reapportionment process that follows every 10-year census. It matters not whether it’s Democrats or Republicans doing the carving; the other side is rarely happy with the results.

The problem is that this is the time of year when supporters of incumbents and challengers alike troll voting districts for nominating signatures required in order to be listed on primary ballots. To add a bit of extra urgency to the matter, the primary is only 3 months away (April 24). It’s a bit difficult to mine nominating signatures when you can’t be totally certain where district lines will end up being drawn. Signatures of voters not registered in a candidate’s district-of-interest are worthless.

The move by the PSC caught many by surprise since:

a) the Court usually endorses the product of similar bipartisan LRCs,

b) PSC Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille – Philadelphia’s former Republican District Attorney – joined the Court’s minority Democrats to quash the redistricting plan, and

c) no formal majority ruling as to why the plan was found “unconstitutional” was handed down. That the written opinion is yet to come is a bit dysfunctional given the primary election time constraints; the minority judicial opinion was provided, though just a few sentences long.

Redistricting is not an easy exercise, even if one were able to put aside partisan political objectives. As explained by Todd Stevens (PA 151st Legislative District Representative) last night, there is generally a 4000-person wiggle factor when trying to match state legislative districting to 10-year census figures. For national Congressional Districts the process is more difficult since district size must match EXACTLY the prescribed representative-to-constituent ratio determined by a rather convoluted formula I can not profess to understand. (If you would like to see an example of “gerrymander“, simply check out the new lines of the redistricted PA 13th Congressional District, whose northwestern edge meanders for miles and miles – and almost house to house – from Montgomeryville-Lansdale to King of Prussia-Conshohocken!)

In any case the issue of Pennsylvania state legislative redistricting must be resolved quickly to offer any chance that upcoming primary and general elections will adhere to 2010 census-driven representation requirements.

The good news for Horsham is that it will retain a single State Representative in Mr. Stevens, who is a township native and resident. By comparison, Upper Dublin in the last two iterations of reapportionment has been carved up between four state representative districts.

Another interesting discussion on the environmental and economic ramifications of natural gas fracking in the Marcellus Shale was also led by State Rep Stevens. After listening to the sometimes edgy discussion, I concluded I do not know nearly enough about the subject to discuss it intelligently. You can count on this being the subject of a future post, once I get around to some meaningful research.

The highlight of the night however was meeting Joe Rooney, who is the lone candidate seeking the GOP nomination to challenge Allyson Schwartz in the PA 13th. But since this post is already quite long enough and a bit mind-numbing, I will leave my impressions of Mr. Rooney for another post. Keep an eye out here for that sometime next week.

In the meantime, check out Mr. Rooney’s website (linked above) and consider donating what you can should you agree with his politics. His biggest obstacle to giving Allyson Schwartz a suitable challenge this November is financial.

Blogger’s lament

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Mike Shortall

Winter bleak, cold and dark;
Tho’ “Not so bad.”, Past Winters bark.
Still it saps this writer’s mood,
His efforts at sage interludes.

He sits and stares
At keyboard wanting,
Needing,
Waiting,
Anticipating.

Pressure builds.
Will readers stray?
Cannot you find
Something to say?

Hurry, the mind urges
Or they will wander
To some other place
To slake their hunger.

Resist! No surrender
To that nagging command,
Temptation to toss them
Whatever’s at hand.

Just try something new,
That you want them to see.
Do it for you to
Dispell your ennui.

And so it occurs on a day with no spark
An effort to purge those fears that harp,
That threaten with a mild depression
Over a blockage in written expression.

A 1% President?

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Mike Shortall

Democratic Party officials announced recently that President Obama will accept his party’s nomination on the last night of their national convention at Bank of America Stadium.

It’s an odd choice, given the recent spate of Occupy Wall Street events originating from the most liberal wings of the Democratic Party. The visuals will not be very comforting to those who believe that the richest 1% of the country set the rules that elevates, protects and perpetuates their wealth, while at the same time oppresses the remaining 99%.

The re-election imagery for OWS’s Presumptive Hero could be a Recipe for Disaster …

Standing in front of a Bank of America backdrop, which BofA paid $100 million just for 20 years worth of naming rights …
In the Home of the Carolina Panthers and their 1% athletes …
Who are owned by Jerry Richardson, former CEO of Flagstar, whose net worth is estimated at $500 million …
In front of Democrat contributors willing to pay up to $1.5 million for the full-blown Premiere Events Package.
Serve over 8.5% Unemployment and the “disappearing middle class”

Hmmmmm …

Well, the good news is that it will be a heck of a lot warmer for the good Occupy Wall Street people in Charlotte in early September than it was on Wall Street this past November. That’s assuming of course that they even bother to show up to drag this particular demographic of the 1% out into the glaring media light.

I’m not holding my breath …

If you too want the Superbox Treatment”, consider your options:

Suzi Emmerling, a spokeswoman for the Charlotte Host Committee, confirmed a Bloomberg report that those deals — presented to Washington lobbyists last month — include an escalating menu of packages starting with the $1 million “presidential” level. Those who buy in will receive a “premier uptown hotel room,” a “platinum events package and “concierge services.” Another $500,000 “Gold Rush” level includes hotel room, credentials and a “premiere events package.”

Myself? I’ll be home watching the Democratic National Convention on TV with my 99% compadres, all the while marveling at how the Democratic 1% get to live it so large!

A year of blogging dangerously …

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Mike Shortall

As the title attests, I have learned well the Art of Hyperbole. For there is no Real Danger in blogging, unless one is blogging from downtown Tehran or Anywhere, Syria. For us bloggers in the unseasonably warm Mid-Atlantic U.S.A., the only risks we face are dry skin from indoor heating, the perils of non-ergonomic work stations, and the potential for embarrassment when we put ourselves Out There on the internet.

I blog, therefore I am. *

I’ve come to realize this is why I blog. There really isn’t any other point since I’m not seeking to get rich from it … yet. I write simply because I like to write. I tired of wasting what little I did write on office work and the occasional Letter to the Editor. Once you decide to put yourself Out There offering something, you take the risk of rejection. But when a reader mentions that you wrote something that had value for them, it’s personally confirming and gratifying.

I try to have fun when I write, taking a risk here and there with topics and the way I approach them. If it looks and feels like work, it probably is work; and what’s the point in that for an amateur blogger?!?

So, it’s been a year … almost, but close enough. 100 posts … over 55,000 words … The shortest post was just 14 words, the longest 1552. Over 5,700 blog visits, yet only 217 comments, not including the 2,517 spam comments that WordPress thoughtfully filtered out.

So, what did we do here this past year?

Cranky Man dabbled in the art of Literary Reviews, Sports Nostalgia, and breaking down elitist Northeast Cultural Barriers. He dove into Local and Regional Politics; and he extolled the potential legacy of a Much Maligned National Leader. When he believed the quality-of-life in his home community was being threatened, he launched into explanations of the Risks and Rewards of Sound Community Action, at times implementing his aforementioned well-honed skill by making his point via Futuristic Hyperbole.

He made attempts at Humor and invited the wrath of his Spousal Unit … uh … more than once. Cranky Man also got a tad sentimental when it came to Kids Leaving the Nest and his experiences in Philadelphia’s Catholic schools.

Cranky Man gets Preachy at times; and once he made a bit too much out of a brief, weird give-and-take between two strangers in a cold, dark parking lot. But he was also a Man of the Earth … offering The People what they really crave … Quality Lawn Care Advice! Even if it did mean “diming out” a neighbor or dispelling a few Lawn Misconceptions!

He also had a few WTF Moments dealing with Catastrophic Weather Events and the organizational needs of Breast-Feeding Mothers. But there were also opportunities to act as Travel Guide and Golf Course critic.

In short, our subject matter has been all over God’s creation in this blog’s short lifespan! Blog aficionados would consider such a helter skelter approach “a bad thing”. Blogs are supposed to target specific audiences with specific needs on specific topics. I haven’t figured out yet which direction – if any direction – to take with this endeavor. I really enjoy writing about whatever interests me at any given moment.

What are SOME of the things we learned?

Certainly we found out that Politics sells, especially Local Politics where media coverage is more than sufficient but commentary and analysis is thin. Without a doubt the posts that garnered the most interest – from site visit statistics – were posts on Community issues and County politics. Our most active day was when former Montgomery County Commissioner Jim Matthews was arrested for perjury. (I retract earlier statements that described Matthews as completely worthless. He certainly made for good blog fodder.)

On a smaller scale, Horsham’s struggle over the future of the now-vacant Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove was also a significant topic of interest … for me and for my readers. So without a doubt, local politics and community issues are big draws.

My book reviews? Not so much. Just consider them a Public Service, like trash collection.

What challenges are expected for the coming year?

Of course, I want to further broaden my audience. To that end, you will probably see more written about local politics and community interests. We’ve had some success getting listed on local media sites. Hopefully more of that is in the future.

I want to upgrade the theme and appearance of the blog, as well as bring in some advertising. Hey, I’m a Capitalist at heart, even if my cover is Public Employee! I promise to do so tastefully without overwhelming my audience with some of the trash and clutter I see on other sites. (So if you know any reasonably priced web designers, send me their names!)

I would like to generate more discussion on the blog. Posts on politics or sports are more receptive to discussion. You may see more of the former and perhaps our first of the latter, but sports is not a particular direction I wish to pursue. That subject is just beaten to death, especially in and around Philly.

I also learned NEVER to fully trust Spellcheck.

Finally, I will lose 15 pounds before September! No, this is not the kind of revelation one would expect to see here. But I have been making this promise to no one but myself for years, and I have not been keeping myself honest. Now that this is also Out There, I risk future embarrassment should I fail to do what is really in my own best interest. (Why September? Because that’s when our oldest son will be married to the lovely Janelle Lynn!)

This should be an interesting year, especially if it ends up being the last year we on a planet purportedly just waiting for the right moment to collapse in upon itself. Should that end up being the case, the commitments made above won’t really matter.

Should be fun to see what really happens. So please stick around!

* more Hyperbole … See how it just pulls you in?

A loss not small

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Mike Shortall

A friend of mine lost someone close yesterday.

He wasn’t a relative, a coworker, or a golf partner. He wasn’t even human.

My friend had to put to rest his dog.

Buddy was big fluffy bear of a Golden Retriever. He was as friendly and as frumpy as they come. Clumsy with his tail as a drunken, one-armed paper hanger. Many a glass was swept off the coffee table by that large golden windshield wiper.

When we played poker at his house, Buddy would greet me at the door by sticking his muzzle between my legs until I relented and gave him his due greeting.

I’ll miss him too!

Franklin and Winston

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Mike Shortall

Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship by Jon Meacham, an accomplished author, media executive and social/political commentator, is a great read on the close, personal relationship of the primary protagonists – Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill – behind the Western Hemisphere’s defeat of German fascism and Japanese hegemony during World War II.

I became a fan of Meacham’s approach to historical figures and concepts through my weekday habit of catching segments of MSNBC’s Morning Joe while getting dressed for work. Meacham has always struck me as a down-to-earth commentator on political and social issues. He won the Pulitzer Prize for his treatment of Andrew Jackson in American Lion (not reviewed here); and his book on religion’s influence on the American experiment in American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers and the Making of a Nation is an excellent guide to discussions on the spiritual foundation of American governance.

Meacham’s approach in Franklin and Winston is similar to the other works mentioned above. He takes an overview approach to the subjects, and provides plenty of source notes and references for the serious scholar who wishes to dig deeper. It is this approach that makes his books enjoyable reads regardless of your reasons for picking up a Meacham historical study.

In Franklin and Winston Meacham focuses on the personalities of FDR and Churchill, including their family lives and how their personal backgrounds, ambitions and political situations played into the Allied war effort and the friendship that developed between the two during the war.

Both men were the products of rich American mothers; Churchill’s mother marrying Lord Randolph Churchill, Member of Parliament, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Leader of the House of Commons (1886). Their parental relationships – or lack thereof – influenced both men in their very public lives.

Churchill’s parents were almost entirely absent; his father did not like him; and his upbringing and education was left to his nanny and the prescribed boarding schools for England’s power elite. As a result, Churchill was driven to be the center of attention. He was vigorous in all things he did, but was also impulsive and stubborn. Churchill needed to be liked by those he highly regarded. This would become a continuing theme in the Roosevelt-Churchill relationship, as Churchill found himself constantly chasing the more aloof, confident Roosevelt.

FDR’s upbringing was quite the opposite. He was doted on constantly by his mother. Very little is mentioned of his father. His mother’s coddling became even more prevalent when Roosevelt was diagnosed with polio in 1921 at the age of 39. What FDR found at home as a child and even as an adult was everything Churchill’s early home life lacked. As a result FDR did not feel compelled to seek anyone’s approval, even Churchill’s. FDR greatly admired Churchill’s strength and leadership however, especially his skills at oratory during the dark days of 1940-41 (Battle of Britain).

The friendship that these men forged in the year-and-a-half leading up to America’s entering the war and throughout the conflict resulted in a vision and strategy that freed Europe from the Nazis and chased the Japanese back to their home islands. In this regard, Churchill did not have much choice but to follow the lead of Roosevelt on most matters of strategy. Britain desperately needed the resources and manpower of the United States for their ultimate survival. Only the thinnest of margins kept the Germans from attempting a cross-Channel invasion in 1940-41.

Roosevelt – on the other hand – had to deal with an American electorate that for the most part wanted nothing to do with another war in Europe. Yet he understood that the United States had to eventually enter the war or Europe would be lost to fascism. He characterized his plight as ” … no leader should get too far ahead of his followers.” FDR’s political strength permitted him to push such programs as Lend-Lease, which allowed for the sale of supplies and munitions to England (and eventually to all Allies) on a cash-and-carry basis. Earlier under the Destroyers for Bases Agreement Roosevelt was able to send 50 aging destroyers to England for basing rights in the Caribbean. Britain’s loss of those bases – though painful – provided FDR with necessary political cover, allowing the country to fulfill Roosevelt’s vision as “the arsenal of democracy”.

Despite Churchill’s standing as #2 in his relationship to FDR and to a greater extent England’s relationship to the U.S., he was a loyal and sensitive confidante to Roosevelt. He protected FDR’s image in light of his crippling disease when the two met for the first time as world leaders at sea aboard the U.S.S. Augusta. And he admired Roosevelt’s ability to transcend his disability and to accept the dependence on others that it required. The description of the two leaders enjoying the view atop La Saardia in Marrakech in January 1943 is one of a caring Churchill overseeing the spiritual well-being of a cherished friend.

Like all friends, they also had their disagreements and slights that resulted in hurt feelings. Churchill was upset when Roosevelt neglected to acknowledge Churchill’s cable of congratulations following FDR’s successful election in 1940. And Roosevelt was miffed when Churchill sought a meeting of minds with Wendell Wilkie, FDR’s opponent in the 1944 election. To make matter worse, Churchill ends up with Roosevelt on the phone due to a miscommunication and fails to recognize Roosevelt’s rather unique voice when the call goes through to the wrong man. As the war winds down, Roosevelt realizes that stability in the post-war world requires greater interaction between the U.S. and Soviets as opposed to the British; and Churchill is – for a time – left out in the cold.

At the core of what would normally be an arm’s-length diplomatic relationship, the two most important men at such a critical juncture of history shared much. Both had children serving in theatres of war. Something not seen much these days aside from Britain’s royal family. They leaned on each other at times of darkness, be it Dunkirk or Pearl Harbor. They not only cooperated strategically and politically during the most trying of times, but genuinely liked each other and were lifted in spirit whenever they had the chance to get together.

And at times like those, what else are friends for?

Citizen U.S.A.

Posted on December 30, 2011 by Mike Shortall

I did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING on Monday, December 26. Well, almost nothing … I had to do some post-Christmas clean-up, since we host a house full of relatives for Christmas dinner every year. So the Day After Christmas is reserved for Decompression and Recovery.

The one thing I’m glad I did was catch an HBO documentary called Citizen U.S.A.: A 50 State Road Trip, where director Alexandra Pelosi travels to naturalization ceremonies in all 50 states; meeting brand new American citizens to learn why they chose America as their new home. I found it inspiring and thought-provoking.

Two experiences I have had with younger, liberal family members made the story Pelosi tells all the more poignant.

Documented and legal vs. Undocumented and running scared

One young relative not only constantly shines the light on the dangerous sub-culture of illegal aliens (The PC term is now apparently “undocumented workers“.) … pouring across the southern U.S. border, he has actually spent time in that hostile environment working with charitable organizations trying to help these “undocumented workers” survive the physical ordeal of crossing the desert border region. It’s an admirable humanitarian effort, providing they aren’t directly abetting illegal entry.

We have gotten into some spirited internet discussions about the subject of illegal/undocumented aliens/immigrants/workers. My central point in these discussions comes down to what barriers prevent these illegal border crossers from going through the process of becoming legally announced, recognized and controlled immigrants? How difficult it is really to apply and obtain legal work permits, then enter the country and work here legally?

From my research, it appears that the only practical barrier undocumented immigrants face to become documented laborers is the bureaucratic wait to receive work visas from the U.S. Government. But a New York Times report found that H2-A visa for agricultural workers, one of the few unlimited visa categories, can be obtained on the same day.

The HBO documentary – on the other hand – showed thousands of legally documented immigrants, who not only came here to attend schools and/or to work, but who have flourished to the point where they persistently and successfully sought to become fully naturalized U.S. citizens. They did not have to live a life under the radar, isolated from helpful human services; constantly on the move; always looking over their shoulder due to the fear of being caught and sent home. No hiding, no running.

How can the undocumented worker lifestyle be any freer, safer or more productive for the individual when they determine it necessary to leave their home and sneak into the U.S. for work, better wages and services that would improve their family’s quality-of-life?

Legal entry is obviously the safer, cleaner choice for the immigrant, even with the bureaucratic hoops which – according to the above NY Times link – is not an unreasonable barrier to LEGAL entry. So for me, it is hard to argue with the premise that illegals would rather enjoy the improved lifestyle and new opportunities without having to contribute a fair share towards the human services (schools, hospitals, etc.) they and their families enjoy while here.

The part that doesn’t make sense is having to SURVIVE the ordeal of a border crossing so dangerous that charitable organizations are compelled to be there to provide survival assistance.

I am hardly one who fails to recognize the value that foreign migrant workers contribute to the U.S. economy. Their labor is indispensable to many areas of our agricultural industry. So I’m waiting – even hoping – for someone to disprove this negative view of a generally hard-working, productive people, who – on the surface at least – appear to be only interested in improving their lot in life. These are givens.

(As an interesting aside, in six months during 2006 Mexico deported over 100,000 illegal immigrants. It is illegal for foreign nationals to be in Mexico – including Americans – without proper documentation. Mexican immigration law allows authorities to arbitrarily check immigration papers and to racially profile groups determined more likely to be in Mexico illegally.)

America: An Ideal not a guarantee

In the middle of watching the HBO presentation, I caught my eldest son snickering at one newly naturalized citizen’s proclamation that in America you can become successful, accomplish anything, and realize a better quality-of-life.

I’m willing to bet this is a fairly common reaction in some people. Those who have come to believe that corporatism and the financial system keeps the lower and middle classes hopelessly bogged down; those who think that social inheritance and political opportunism will always trump hard work and creativity; the cynical who look at the faults one can inevitably find in a society as large and complex as ours and conclude the deck is fixed against all but the properly connected.

I prefer to look at it another way.

Living in America is an Ideal, not a guarantee. It is a Promise that Hard Work and Creativity will be rewarded. It’s not a guarantee that you will be made rich and amazingly successful or even that all your Hard Work and Creativity will free you of financial pressures or eliminate all social disadvantages.

The Ideal is an objective for which we should reach up and out. The Ideal may very well be unattainable, which any true Ideal worth working towards should be.

America is still an Experiment just as the Founding Fathers saw it 235 years ago. America is imperfect. There are flaws in every segment of the Political, Economic, and Social orders. Solutions to these problems, whether these challenges develop over decades or pop up suddenly like cracks on a windshield, are tweaks in the Experiment that in reality are experiments on the Experiment. And sometimes the Solutions end up causing more problems elsewhere.

As in any experiment, when the variables – like economic stability or political efficacy – get out of whack the results suffer. Sometimes the confluence of problems and events within The Experiment develops into a perfect storm that threatens much of what has been accomplished. The storms can hold us back; and sometimes they can ruin the Individual. But part of the Promise is that the Foundation will always be there for You, a Foundation that can protect you and help you to recover.

The Promise isn’t that You will be carried forever. The Experiment has developed mechanisms that allow You to be carried when You cannot carry yourself. Yet even these support structures were never guaranteed to be there always or to carry into perpetuity those who fall on hard times, especially when they have the basic capabilities to work for themselves. Certainly the Promise was never intended to be a substitute for Hard Work.

In the end, You get out of the Experiment what you put into it. And if You wait only for what America will give you, you only cheat yourself, and the Promise will turn into nothing more than that … a promise.

As I viewed Citizen U.S.A. I heard people who spoke of their love for America – their new home. They understood the distinction between the Promise of America vs. America as a guarantee. Some spoke of how much is taken for granted by birthright Americans … how many things we accept as givens, such basic concepts as physical safety, freedom of speech and religion, freedom from overt government harassment, even the simple conveniences of running water and electricity at the flip of a switch. Things that many of these newly naturalized Americans saw as Miracles of Democracy, because in so many other parts of the world even these simple expectations regularly go unfulfilled.