All none of Florida's delegates


Yeah, whatever happened to every vote counting. I'd like an answer Howard Dean, um or from any Democrat for that matter.

All half of Florida's delegates


I guess I can live with this.

During the National Anthem


ummmm?

Old Folks at Home ( Swanee River )

Old Folks At Home

Ugly K-Marts and Swanee River

There has always existed an affection for the song Old Folks At Home in my house. It is a song I've caught my father singing along with Que Sera Sera and Blue Moon of Kentucky. Coming from the cold tundra of the Miami Valley in Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Dad has always appreciated Florida. The Florida that serves sweet tea north of Orlando city limits and cafe con leche in Miami. Diverse, Beautiful and overrun with New Yorkers and tourists. This song is his favorite way of embracing his adopted State.

It has been in the press lately that there will be a vote to replace Old Folks at Home (Swanee River) with a new song Florida, where the sawgrass meets the sky. Now, I know a song about geography is unlikely to offend anybody, but what is wrong with our history? True, there are what are now considered offensive words in a verse that no one sings. I have, nevertheless come across offensive words in books that I would not dare throw out. Surely the works that describe Sherlock Holmes are worth tolerating now ugly words like niggardly and imbecile. Please click on the links provided to see the proper meanings.

Having this beautiful song removed from our collective conscience is like returning to your old hometown with its ugly K-marts and working class friendlyness. Followed shortly thereafter with a visit to a newly gentrified city; its history demolished and new glass towers empty and with little meaning.

Sure, down here the sawgrass does meet the sky. Yet, somehow I feel that I'd rather have mammy and pappy waiting for me than a flat politically correct Florida horizon.

Below are the lyrics to both songs.

Old Folks at Home

Stephen Foster, 1851

Way down upon the Swanee River,Far, far away That's where my heart is turning ever That's where the old folks stay All up and down the whole creation, Sadly I roam Still longing for the old plantation And for the old folks at home All the world is sad and dreary everywhere I roam Oh darkies, how my heart grows weary Far from the old folks at home
2. All 'round the little farm I wandered,When I was young Then many happy days I squandered, Many the songs I sung When I was playing with my brother, Happy was IOh, take me to my kind old mother, There let me live and die
2. One little hut among the bushes, One that I love Still sadly to my mem'ry rushes, No matter where I rove When shall I see the bees a humming, All 'round the comb When shall I hear the banjo strumming, Down by my good old home

Florida, Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky aka (Flaaah - riiiiiiii - da)

Jan Hinton

Florida, where the sawgrass meets the sky. Florida, where our hearts will ever lie. Sitting proud in the ocean like a sentinel true, Always shielding your own, yet giving welcome. Florida. Mocking birds cry and ‘gators lie out in the sun. Bridges span southward to the Keys and rockets skyward run. The orange blossoms’ sweet perfume and fireworks fill the air. And cultures rich, our native people share. Florida, where the sawgrass meets the sky. Florida, where our heats will ever lie

I forgot to mention that the new song is quite slow and with a northern accent as demonstrated by several long three sylable flaaaah - riiiii - da's. Honey, its pronounced Flor-da

¿Crea in la Reconquista?

I recently received an e-mail that brought the word Reconquista back to mind. Originally the word referred to the time in Europe when the Christian territories in Iberia were retaken from the Muslim Moors. The Reconquest lasted from about 722 A.D. to 1492 A.D.


Anyway the e-mail showed an American flag upside down and below a Mexican flag. This was done at Montebello High School in California by a student from nearby Whittier High following a proposed immigration bill back in 2006



Look how happy they seem. You can Fact Check at Snopes

These are just idealistic high schoolers. What bothers me is the one thrown up above a Post Office in Maywood, Ca. It's a federal building you know. I know that when Billary gets elected most buildings will have the opportunity to become federal. However, the Post Office does have special significance to me. BTW, If one doesn't have the new national ID card (the one required to enter a federal building in 2014) would you still be able to go to the Post Office? But I digress.



Rest assured this is a fringe movement, but so are Ecoterrorists and Ted Kennedy supporters. These things are not right and they shouldn't be ignored.

Family??

Times were in our country, when we would bicker amongst ourselves as Americans - as family is wont to do - but woe to foreigners who also attacked us… we stood up together against the enemy - again, just like family.

At what point did we begin letting outsiders – enemies, foreigners, etc – in on our family gatherings? When did we begin to let them in - behind closed doors - on our bickering? When did we stop protecting our family and letting those who aren’t family gain ammunition against us?

Some clichés that don’t seem so cliché anymore, come to mind:

United we stand, divided we fall
Family is family and outsiders are outsiders
Don’t air your dirty laundry in public
You and me against the world
If you give 'em an inch, they'll take a mile

And we wonder why our economy is failing, why our politicans seem to ignore us, why the world no longer respects us, why terrorists are beating a path to our door and why we cannot seem to stem the tide of illegal immigrants... United we stand, divided we fall… yeah… how about that…

Reposted with permission from Poets Corner http://jewhl.blogspot.com

No Flags Fly Here

In Denver, CO., some schools have seen fit, due to high tensions over the immigration issue, to ban flags of any kind from their schools. Apparently, some students came to school either wearing or waiving Mexican flags & other students retaliated by bringing American flags. Reportedly, tensions grew from there to name calling and other hateful remarks. So, in a rather poor attempt to diffuse the situation, the powers that be at these schools decided that absolutely no flags – from any nation, including America – were to be allowed on school property, under penalty of suspension.

Once again, another country has been allowed, albeit indirectly, to dictate the actions we as Americans take against our own. Students who brought the Mexican flags to school were expressing their feelings on the immigration issue. Well, so were the students who brought American flags to school. True, the resulting name calling & language deterioration was perhaps uncalled for, but as Americans, we have the protection of freedom of speech and freedom of expression, as long as it remains non-violent. Those who are in America, but not yet American citizens, perhaps do not enjoy the same level of protection. This is as it should be. They are not Americans, we are. Period. End of story…. Or is it?

Apparently, in situations like this, Americans do not even enjoy the level of protection promised to us in the Constitution. Because in order to diffuse the tensions this immigration issue caused at these few schools, all must suffer: no flags representing any country are allowed on school property. All but the American flag, right? That’s still allowed, yes? This is America, after all.
Alas, even the American flag has been banned. Apparently, waiving or wearing an American flag causes tension and fights to break out…in American schools. Even on a day of remembrance for us – September 11th – a day when we pull together as a nation & remember those who gave their lives in the most heinous terrorist attack this country has yet seen on our own soil – even then, the ban on American flags was in effect at these schools.

Once again, another country and its problems in controlling its own citizens has dictated to America the actions and reactions required of American citizens. Once again we have allowed tensions and harsh words to back us into a corner, and instead of coming out fighting, like patriots, we have retreated to our little corner, bowed our heads, allowed our enemies to handcuff us and handed them the key. Congratulations, America; cannot wait to see which country gets to use us for a punching bag next.

Reposted with permission from Poets Corner http://jewhl.blogspot.com/

Beyond the dream.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around what a former friend of Dr. King said today in San Antonio. He said that by having banquets and parades we do not honor Dr. King. Surely even though the message of equality and liberty are larger than Dr, King himself we need a figurehead in this country to keep focus right? And then a scripture came to me. "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." It's true. We have made MLK an Idol. To celebrate one man for a day is a very strong thing to do. We celebrate him more than his message. Doing some research I found that Rev. King was greater than just a flag bearer of equality of race, he also faught for economic equality as well. The following paragraph is a quote from his book, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?
"In the treatment of poverty nationally, one fact stands out: There are twice as many white poor as Negro poor in the United States. Therefore I will not dwell on the experiences of poverty that derive from racial discrimination, but will discuss the poverty that affects white and Negro alike. " I am certain that the laws most true to the message of Rev. King are ones that provide protection to the unfortunate and mercy to the desperate, and not affirmative action laws that bind us in groups and erode our individuality before government. Let us remember that Rev. King was a preacher with a heart for the poor. Surely he read about how we will all be accountable to God at judgement and will be judged by our actions. I am also positive that Rev. King had read the Scriptures that proclaim the supremacy and necessity of Charity in a walk with God. We do not honor him by holding parades and festivels. We honor him by acting as Christians, blinded by the color of our countrymen and showing charity one toward another.

Excerpt from King's 1967 book "Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?"
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/special/mlk/king/words/poverty.html

ABC article titled "Historians Fear MLK's Legacy Being Lost"
http://abcnews.go.com/US/WireStory?id=4164136&page=2