Just stopped by to say hi and to see if I even remember how this thing works.
I got a lot of remembering to do...
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Friday, January 14, 2011
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
True Colors...
We all know that in order to fix a problem, we must be willing to admit there is one in the first place. And America, we definitely have a problem. A big one.
On the day, Obama was sworn into office, he spoke directly to the five million Americans who didn’t vote for him and promised he’d be our president too. After hearing that statement, I remember thinking, okay, maybe things won’t be that bad after all. Maybe he wouldn’t turn out to be the radical leftist I thought he‘d be. Well, it turns out I was right and that he lied.
Tell me, was he being our president as he trotted around the globe, bowing down to foreign leaders, and bashing America on the world stage we handed him? Was he being our president as he forced Obama-Care down our throats? Was he being our president as he sided with Mexican President, Felipe Calderon as he launched his all-out, verbal assault on the citizens of Arizona during a joint session of Congress? Was he being our president when he directed his Justice Department to sue Arizona for trying to enforce the immigration laws the feds have ignored for years? I could go on and on, but I think you get the point.
Anyway, with the mid-term elections only four short weeks away, and with his grip on total control slipping away, Obama has decided it is time to rally his base. He’s going to throw a little rally in Washington DC this weekend, on October, 2nd and he’s pulling out all the stops in order to get as many people involved as possible. He’s joined forces with just about every far-left, anti-American, Socialist, Marxist, and Communist organization he could dig up to spread the word.
Besides the usual left-wing organizations. You know, organizations like Planned Parenthood, AFL-CIO, The NAACP, ACLU, and The National Council of La Raza, Obama has aligned himself with others that in my opinion are a little weird for any American president to be involved with www.theblaze.com Organizations like, The Communist Party of America. Democratic Socialists of America, Detroit Socialists of America, The International Socialist Organization, and The New York City Democrat Socialists of America. Isn’t it time we stopped pretending Obama’s not at the very least, a socialist? By aligning himself with these anti-American and Communist groups, Obama has shown us once and for all his true colors. These are the people he’s chosen to stand with.
Obama’s made his choice. Now it’s our turn. We can either start paying attention to what’s going on in our country and fire his corrupt enablers in Congress on November 2nd. We can decide to embrace his ideas and accept the fact that we’re headed down his Socialist path. Or we can just sit on the couch watching American Idol and pretend everything’s okay.
I know exactly where I stand. Now it’s up to you…
Kevin McGinty
On the day, Obama was sworn into office, he spoke directly to the five million Americans who didn’t vote for him and promised he’d be our president too. After hearing that statement, I remember thinking, okay, maybe things won’t be that bad after all. Maybe he wouldn’t turn out to be the radical leftist I thought he‘d be. Well, it turns out I was right and that he lied.
Tell me, was he being our president as he trotted around the globe, bowing down to foreign leaders, and bashing America on the world stage we handed him? Was he being our president as he forced Obama-Care down our throats? Was he being our president as he sided with Mexican President, Felipe Calderon as he launched his all-out, verbal assault on the citizens of Arizona during a joint session of Congress? Was he being our president when he directed his Justice Department to sue Arizona for trying to enforce the immigration laws the feds have ignored for years? I could go on and on, but I think you get the point.
Anyway, with the mid-term elections only four short weeks away, and with his grip on total control slipping away, Obama has decided it is time to rally his base. He’s going to throw a little rally in Washington DC this weekend, on October, 2nd and he’s pulling out all the stops in order to get as many people involved as possible. He’s joined forces with just about every far-left, anti-American, Socialist, Marxist, and Communist organization he could dig up to spread the word.
Besides the usual left-wing organizations. You know, organizations like Planned Parenthood, AFL-CIO, The NAACP, ACLU, and The National Council of La Raza, Obama has aligned himself with others that in my opinion are a little weird for any American president to be involved with www.theblaze.com Organizations like, The Communist Party of America. Democratic Socialists of America, Detroit Socialists of America, The International Socialist Organization, and The New York City Democrat Socialists of America. Isn’t it time we stopped pretending Obama’s not at the very least, a socialist? By aligning himself with these anti-American and Communist groups, Obama has shown us once and for all his true colors. These are the people he’s chosen to stand with.
Obama’s made his choice. Now it’s our turn. We can either start paying attention to what’s going on in our country and fire his corrupt enablers in Congress on November 2nd. We can decide to embrace his ideas and accept the fact that we’re headed down his Socialist path. Or we can just sit on the couch watching American Idol and pretend everything’s okay.
I know exactly where I stand. Now it’s up to you…
Kevin McGinty
Thursday, September 16, 2010
It's All About Marketing...
It’s all about marketing. First off, when nothing could have been further from the truth, Obama was sold to America and the world as a new kind of leader. His handlers promised us hope and change. They said he’d be a new kind of leader. One who could rise above petty political bipartisanship that had become the norm. He was sold as a man who would change the way things were done in Washington. Yep, marketing plain and simple.
Instead of terrorism, he brought us “man-made disasters.” We went from the “war on terror” to an “overseas contingency operation.” See how that works? Pretty cool, huh?
And now because of the fact that “global-cooling” from the 60’s and 70’s didn’t get the results the eco extremists were looking for they started calling it “global-warming.” That didn’t pan out so it was changed to “climate-change” and still not enough people fell for the doom and gloom they were selling, so they’ve decided to try it one more time.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I’d like to introduce you to the latest and greatest, extremist, marketing ploy. Welcome to the world of, “Global Climate Disruption,”
Yep, Obama, you know, they guy who’s lied to us ever since he came on the scene a couple years ago wants the public to start using the term every chance we get. Evidently he believes the new term, “Global Climate Disruption” will better suit his extreme views and better his chances to pass his coveted “Cap and Tax” redistribution scheme.
Man, this hope and change marketing strategy just keeps getting better…
Kevin McGinty
Instead of terrorism, he brought us “man-made disasters.” We went from the “war on terror” to an “overseas contingency operation.” See how that works? Pretty cool, huh?
And now because of the fact that “global-cooling” from the 60’s and 70’s didn’t get the results the eco extremists were looking for they started calling it “global-warming.” That didn’t pan out so it was changed to “climate-change” and still not enough people fell for the doom and gloom they were selling, so they’ve decided to try it one more time.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I’d like to introduce you to the latest and greatest, extremist, marketing ploy. Welcome to the world of, “Global Climate Disruption,”
Yep, Obama, you know, they guy who’s lied to us ever since he came on the scene a couple years ago wants the public to start using the term every chance we get. Evidently he believes the new term, “Global Climate Disruption” will better suit his extreme views and better his chances to pass his coveted “Cap and Tax” redistribution scheme.
Man, this hope and change marketing strategy just keeps getting better…
Kevin McGinty
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Priceless...
Yeah I know. Yesterday I promised I’d write about Sharia Law today. But really, other than fanning the flames of an already over-heated issue, what purpose would it serve? Nothing. I’ve already made my case as to why I oppose the proposed Mosque in New York and I have no intentions of backing off anything I said either.
That being said, I still live in the real world. And in the real world we all know that Muslims have the right to build their Mosque anywhere they want. That was never even in question. And since this is the real world, I know the that more than likely this Mosque will eventually be built. That doesn’t mean I have to like it. And whether you left-wing loons like it or not, I have the right to say so.
It‘s not a total loss though. Two very important things have happened since this fight erupted last weekend.
First, the left-wing lunatics in this country have apparently found God. How else can you explain why all the sudden they’re so damned passionate about the whole “Freedom of Religion” thing?
And secondly, with just seventy-some days left to go until November’s Mid-Term elections, by needlessly injecting himself into this fight, Obama has once again acted stupidly. And that my friends is, simply priceless. Predictable but priceless just the same…
Kevin McGinty
That being said, I still live in the real world. And in the real world we all know that Muslims have the right to build their Mosque anywhere they want. That was never even in question. And since this is the real world, I know the that more than likely this Mosque will eventually be built. That doesn’t mean I have to like it. And whether you left-wing loons like it or not, I have the right to say so.
It‘s not a total loss though. Two very important things have happened since this fight erupted last weekend.
First, the left-wing lunatics in this country have apparently found God. How else can you explain why all the sudden they’re so damned passionate about the whole “Freedom of Religion” thing?
And secondly, with just seventy-some days left to go until November’s Mid-Term elections, by needlessly injecting himself into this fight, Obama has once again acted stupidly. And that my friends is, simply priceless. Predictable but priceless just the same…
Kevin McGinty
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
No, I won't Turn The Other Cheek. Not This Time...
The Imam who wants to build his Mosque at the site of the worst terrorist attacks the world has ever seen says it’s to build bridges and bring people together. Well, bud, you’re not exactly getting off to a very good start, now are you?
Here’s the deal. American’s, well, most of us anyway, don’t like being pushed around. And this is just one more thing being shoved down our throats since Obama has been president, and to tell you the truth, we’re sick and tired of it.
It pains me say this, but I did agree with Obama’s first statements when he spoke about Freedom of Religion and about how because of the rights guaranteed in our Constitution, Muslims have just as much right to practice their Religion as the see fit as anybody else. I get that.
But why all the sudden interest in the Constitution? I thought for, Obama, all you democrats, progressives, liberals, and left-wing loons out there, the Constitution was just an out-dated document that has no real meaning in today‘s world. It’s funny but you guys can look at this out-dated document and tell us it means we have no right to say a prayer or recite the pledge of allegiance in our public schools anymore. You can see where it forbids any public display of The Ten Commandments. You can quickly point out where it says we’re not allowed to put up a simple Nativity Scene in a City Park. You use it to remove crosses on hilltops that have been around for fifty or sixty years, bothering no one. You demand we remove any and all crosses from the tombstones of our fallen heroes in Arlington Cemetery. And that list could go on forever and you know it. But now, all the sudden, the exact same document used to stifle any mention any mention of Christianity in public is now being used as a tool to force this Mosque upon us.
Besides, I thought you guys were passionate about the whole “Separation of Church and State” thing. If that’s the case, then why the hell is, The President of The United States even commenting on a religious issue in the first place? I don’t believe speaking on religious issues is part of his job description.
How about this. How about instead of using our Constitution and laws against us to get his way. How about the Imam realize his actions are going to cause a lot of people a lot of pain just by bringing the whole 9-11 thing up again and build his Mosque either at another time or another place? Why can’t he be the understanding and tolerant one for a change?
I promised myself I’d never forget the images I saw and the emotions I felt on the day Muslim Extremists attacked my country and killed 3,000 innocent people who had nothing to do with any of it. It‘s a promise I‘ve kept. I haven’t forgotten and I’m not ready to forgive either. If that makes me a bad person, so be it…
Kevin McGinty
Here’s the deal. American’s, well, most of us anyway, don’t like being pushed around. And this is just one more thing being shoved down our throats since Obama has been president, and to tell you the truth, we’re sick and tired of it.
It pains me say this, but I did agree with Obama’s first statements when he spoke about Freedom of Religion and about how because of the rights guaranteed in our Constitution, Muslims have just as much right to practice their Religion as the see fit as anybody else. I get that.
But why all the sudden interest in the Constitution? I thought for, Obama, all you democrats, progressives, liberals, and left-wing loons out there, the Constitution was just an out-dated document that has no real meaning in today‘s world. It’s funny but you guys can look at this out-dated document and tell us it means we have no right to say a prayer or recite the pledge of allegiance in our public schools anymore. You can see where it forbids any public display of The Ten Commandments. You can quickly point out where it says we’re not allowed to put up a simple Nativity Scene in a City Park. You use it to remove crosses on hilltops that have been around for fifty or sixty years, bothering no one. You demand we remove any and all crosses from the tombstones of our fallen heroes in Arlington Cemetery. And that list could go on forever and you know it. But now, all the sudden, the exact same document used to stifle any mention any mention of Christianity in public is now being used as a tool to force this Mosque upon us.
Besides, I thought you guys were passionate about the whole “Separation of Church and State” thing. If that’s the case, then why the hell is, The President of The United States even commenting on a religious issue in the first place? I don’t believe speaking on religious issues is part of his job description.
How about this. How about instead of using our Constitution and laws against us to get his way. How about the Imam realize his actions are going to cause a lot of people a lot of pain just by bringing the whole 9-11 thing up again and build his Mosque either at another time or another place? Why can’t he be the understanding and tolerant one for a change?
I promised myself I’d never forget the images I saw and the emotions I felt on the day Muslim Extremists attacked my country and killed 3,000 innocent people who had nothing to do with any of it. It‘s a promise I‘ve kept. I haven’t forgotten and I’m not ready to forgive either. If that makes me a bad person, so be it…
Kevin McGinty
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Potholes and Loopholes...
Last year the City, and all those really smart people down at the Chamber of Commerce told us that a vote in favor of the tax increase they were proposing was in fact, a vote for the future of Topeka. They told us it was the only way the city could afford to fix the streets that had been allowed to deteriorate to the point of almost no return.
No, I don’t blame those of you who bought into the whole “Save the Streets” campaign they were selling. We’d all been dodging Topeka’s now famous potholes for what seemed like forever. The stories of ruined tires, broken wheels, and visits to local alignment shops were out there everywhere. Enough of you believed in them and trusted that they’d do the right thing, so you voted the way you did. But I do have to ask one question to ask. How’s that working out for you?
Evidently, City Manager, Norton Bonaparte and Mayor, Bill Bunten have decided the promise to fix the streets wasn’t actually a promise to fill the potholes that have become an embarrassment to all of us who call Topeka home. Now they’re claiming the vote was one in favor of major infrastructure projects and was never intended to include the car swallowing potholes that cover almost every major street in this city. Whatever.
Mr. Mayor, I realize my opinion probably isn‘t all that important to you, but just the same, I’m going to throw it out there anyway, because, well, that‘s what I do. Anyway, you really need to stop and listen to someone besides, Jeff Preisner, and Norton Bonaparte for a change. And I really don’t care to hear any more about the way you and your crew interpret what the voters were voting on either. You haven’t found some magic loophole that’s going to allow you to renege on the promises you made. It’s time to drop the charade.
Mr. Mayor, do you remember how badly you beat your opponent, Jeff Preisner in the last election? Have you ever wondered why so many people supported you over him? It’s pretty simple really, it was because we trusted you. We trusted that you’d do the right thing.
Mr. Mayor, the ball’s in your court. It’s time to stop playing games and prove to us once and for all that that trust wasn’t misplaced…
Kevin McGinty
No, I don’t blame those of you who bought into the whole “Save the Streets” campaign they were selling. We’d all been dodging Topeka’s now famous potholes for what seemed like forever. The stories of ruined tires, broken wheels, and visits to local alignment shops were out there everywhere. Enough of you believed in them and trusted that they’d do the right thing, so you voted the way you did. But I do have to ask one question to ask. How’s that working out for you?
Evidently, City Manager, Norton Bonaparte and Mayor, Bill Bunten have decided the promise to fix the streets wasn’t actually a promise to fill the potholes that have become an embarrassment to all of us who call Topeka home. Now they’re claiming the vote was one in favor of major infrastructure projects and was never intended to include the car swallowing potholes that cover almost every major street in this city. Whatever.
Mr. Mayor, I realize my opinion probably isn‘t all that important to you, but just the same, I’m going to throw it out there anyway, because, well, that‘s what I do. Anyway, you really need to stop and listen to someone besides, Jeff Preisner, and Norton Bonaparte for a change. And I really don’t care to hear any more about the way you and your crew interpret what the voters were voting on either. You haven’t found some magic loophole that’s going to allow you to renege on the promises you made. It’s time to drop the charade.
Mr. Mayor, do you remember how badly you beat your opponent, Jeff Preisner in the last election? Have you ever wondered why so many people supported you over him? It’s pretty simple really, it was because we trusted you. We trusted that you’d do the right thing.
Mr. Mayor, the ball’s in your court. It’s time to stop playing games and prove to us once and for all that that trust wasn’t misplaced…
Kevin McGinty
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Best of Topeka 2010 Style...
Regardless of the category, I’d like to throw out a well deserved “hell yeah” to all this winners of this year’s, Capital-Journal’s “Best of Topeka” contest. Each and every one of you should be proud of the job you’re doing. Gaining the trust and respect of customers, friends, and associates, especially for consecutive years, doesn’t just happen, it takes hard work and dedication. Ya’ll done good.
But since I spend most of my time hanging around here in the blogs, I’d like to throw out special “hell yeah” to the winners of the “Best Cjonline Blogger” category! What can I say? You guys are all pros and bring so much to the table, it’s no wonder you were chosen the best in this particular category.
Ric Anderson; What can you say about this guy? He puts his quirky and twisted sense of humor out there for all the world to see. I don’t think he’s ever written anything I haven’t enjoyed reading.
Austin Meeks; This guy lives and breathes K-State sports. If there’s anything you want to know about K-State, Austin’s the guy.
Tim Hrenchir; A professional in all aspects of what he does. When Tim speaks, people listen.
Jim Cates; Anybody who’s known me for any length of time, knows Jim and I have been good friends for many years now. I’ve always valued his opinion as well as his knowledge and insight. And I’ve always appreciated his support and encouragement in this whole writing thing. So if you hate the things I write about, you now the truth. It’s Jim’s fault. But Jim hasn’t posted a blog since February and now the people have spoken. It’s time he got back into the game.
Brent Whitten; Ah, what a story he told. Mostly I remember his wife, Rachel’s column she used to write for The Capital-Journal. She told us stories of life. Stories we could all relate to. She told us about her soldier husband being injured in a bombing by a suicide attacker as he and his unit were out patrolling in their humvee. And I remember being truly disappointed the day I read her “Goodbye and Thanks” column. Yeah, their’s was a wonderful story back in 2006.
And Bill Blankenship; Another professional, and no doubt about it, he deserves his spot among the best of the. Funny thing is though, I couldn’t remember ever seen his blog and really wanted to hear what he had to say. I clicked my way through old blogs back to April of this year only to come up short. Then I tried what I should have done in the first place. I found his “profile page.” http://cjonline.com/user/bill_blankenship That’s when I found out Bill Blankenship’s never even set up a blog. How weird is that?
Sorry Ric, but I gotta call bullshit here. But hey, we both know it’s your world and I’m just passing through. Besides in a hundred years, it won’t matter anyway. Do me a favor though, will you? Would you get them to get my new picture (Avatar) up and running?
Oh yeah, I noticed you guys avoided a couple of categories this year. You didn’t include The Best Male and Female Radio Personalities. What’s that all about?
Kevin McGinty
But since I spend most of my time hanging around here in the blogs, I’d like to throw out special “hell yeah” to the winners of the “Best Cjonline Blogger” category! What can I say? You guys are all pros and bring so much to the table, it’s no wonder you were chosen the best in this particular category.
Ric Anderson; What can you say about this guy? He puts his quirky and twisted sense of humor out there for all the world to see. I don’t think he’s ever written anything I haven’t enjoyed reading.
Austin Meeks; This guy lives and breathes K-State sports. If there’s anything you want to know about K-State, Austin’s the guy.
Tim Hrenchir; A professional in all aspects of what he does. When Tim speaks, people listen.
Jim Cates; Anybody who’s known me for any length of time, knows Jim and I have been good friends for many years now. I’ve always valued his opinion as well as his knowledge and insight. And I’ve always appreciated his support and encouragement in this whole writing thing. So if you hate the things I write about, you now the truth. It’s Jim’s fault. But Jim hasn’t posted a blog since February and now the people have spoken. It’s time he got back into the game.
Brent Whitten; Ah, what a story he told. Mostly I remember his wife, Rachel’s column she used to write for The Capital-Journal. She told us stories of life. Stories we could all relate to. She told us about her soldier husband being injured in a bombing by a suicide attacker as he and his unit were out patrolling in their humvee. And I remember being truly disappointed the day I read her “Goodbye and Thanks” column. Yeah, their’s was a wonderful story back in 2006.
And Bill Blankenship; Another professional, and no doubt about it, he deserves his spot among the best of the. Funny thing is though, I couldn’t remember ever seen his blog and really wanted to hear what he had to say. I clicked my way through old blogs back to April of this year only to come up short. Then I tried what I should have done in the first place. I found his “profile page.” http://cjonline.com/user/bill_blankenship That’s when I found out Bill Blankenship’s never even set up a blog. How weird is that?
Sorry Ric, but I gotta call bullshit here. But hey, we both know it’s your world and I’m just passing through. Besides in a hundred years, it won’t matter anyway. Do me a favor though, will you? Would you get them to get my new picture (Avatar) up and running?
Oh yeah, I noticed you guys avoided a couple of categories this year. You didn’t include The Best Male and Female Radio Personalities. What’s that all about?
Kevin McGinty
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
May God Have Mercy On Our Souls...
I love the way the Tiahrt-Moran has turned out. Both camps are in full attack mode. Both sides are doing their very best to make their opponents look like one of the worst people to ever live. Depending on who’s latest attack ad you’re watching, a vote for so and so, is either a vote for the abortion industry or a vote in support of illegals and terrorists who want to destroy this country. A vote for my opponent would be a vote against all of humanity, and may God have mercy on our souls. Whatever.
I have no idea who’ll be the last man standing in this stupid fight. But it’ll be awesome to watch the loser to turn right around and try to convince us the victor in this mess is one of the best men who’s ever lived and is the only person capable of saving the world when it comes time for the general election in November.
You gotta love those politicians…
Kevin McGinty
I have no idea who’ll be the last man standing in this stupid fight. But it’ll be awesome to watch the loser to turn right around and try to convince us the victor in this mess is one of the best men who’s ever lived and is the only person capable of saving the world when it comes time for the general election in November.
You gotta love those politicians…
Kevin McGinty
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
How's This Thing End???
It just keeps coming. Eric Holder let it be known the Black Panthers could do as they pleased. And now the NAACP passed a resolution condemning the Tea Party for racism. They demanded that the leaders of the movement renounce the racist elements among their ranks. Wow!
And this is right on the heels of the whole Black Panther voter intimidation thing. It’s funny how they claim racism and violent extremists but have very little to back up the charges. But on the other hand, we have video proof of a man who calls himself, King Samir Shabazz, a Black Panther member who calls for the killing of “Crackers” and “Cracker Babies,” intimidating voters outside a polling station in Philadelphia, and it doesn’t even deserve a mention. Weird, huh?
Evidently the Tea Party ( white people) have all been officially labeled racists while the Black Panthers are given a pass. Why isn’t the NAACP renouncing the racists elements in their own ranks?
So now we have the leader of the Black Panther Party, Malik Zulu Shabazz threatening to have a presence at future Tea Party rallies, you know, just to keep an eye on things. Yeah, that’s a great idea. How long before the KKK, skinheads, and every other wacko, extremist group out there decides to get in the game?
Then what? Are we going back to the days of race riots? Back to the days when we all hated each other? Back to the days when the National Guard was called upon to stand against our own citizens? Why? What’s the point?
Remember the day Obama stood with Mexican President Calerone as he condemned Arizona for simply trying to enforce the exact same immigration laws Obama should have been enforcing all along. Remember how every Democrat present gave Calderone a standing ovation when he finished condemning the very citizens each and every one of them had sworn to defend? I do.
Here’s the deal. We’re all being used like pawns on a giant chess board. They’re stirring up hatred and racial tensions for a reason. They’re turning us against each other. But why? Whether we want to admit it or not, we’re all being sucked into the hate. Just look at the way some of us treat each other on this blog. How’s this going to play out? What’s this country going to look like in ten year? Just asking.
Oh, and for the record, this will probably be the last time I attempt to write about race and racism. I know it’s a fight I can’t win. But hey, I had to give it one last shot…
Kevin McGinty
And this is right on the heels of the whole Black Panther voter intimidation thing. It’s funny how they claim racism and violent extremists but have very little to back up the charges. But on the other hand, we have video proof of a man who calls himself, King Samir Shabazz, a Black Panther member who calls for the killing of “Crackers” and “Cracker Babies,” intimidating voters outside a polling station in Philadelphia, and it doesn’t even deserve a mention. Weird, huh?
Evidently the Tea Party ( white people) have all been officially labeled racists while the Black Panthers are given a pass. Why isn’t the NAACP renouncing the racists elements in their own ranks?
So now we have the leader of the Black Panther Party, Malik Zulu Shabazz threatening to have a presence at future Tea Party rallies, you know, just to keep an eye on things. Yeah, that’s a great idea. How long before the KKK, skinheads, and every other wacko, extremist group out there decides to get in the game?
Then what? Are we going back to the days of race riots? Back to the days when we all hated each other? Back to the days when the National Guard was called upon to stand against our own citizens? Why? What’s the point?
Remember the day Obama stood with Mexican President Calerone as he condemned Arizona for simply trying to enforce the exact same immigration laws Obama should have been enforcing all along. Remember how every Democrat present gave Calderone a standing ovation when he finished condemning the very citizens each and every one of them had sworn to defend? I do.
Here’s the deal. We’re all being used like pawns on a giant chess board. They’re stirring up hatred and racial tensions for a reason. They’re turning us against each other. But why? Whether we want to admit it or not, we’re all being sucked into the hate. Just look at the way some of us treat each other on this blog. How’s this going to play out? What’s this country going to look like in ten year? Just asking.
Oh, and for the record, this will probably be the last time I attempt to write about race and racism. I know it’s a fight I can’t win. But hey, I had to give it one last shot…
Kevin McGinty
Friday, July 9, 2010
Ignorance of History? Probably...
“Like you, Kevin, I resent being called a racist because of my political party affiliation or my political opinions. If MrWednesdaynight (MWN) is correct and you’re doing the same thing to Obama, then it’s just part of getting sidetracked by a non-issue.”
Point taken, Fred and maybe MWN has a point. And so did Mick. He kind of jumped right in there, slapped me around, and in the process he made an excellent argument. I respect that.
Alright, so I chose my words poorly. Sorry. Calling Obama the most racist and divisive president ever was probably over the top. I’m not even real sure why I wrote about the subject of race in the first place. Well, I do know and I’ll get to that in a minute. But it’s a no win topic, no matter who’s talking about it.
Let’s just drop all the other stuff and talk about the Black Panther voter intimidation case. That’s what really set me off in the first place and what led me to write this in the first place.
Until people in this country can be honest about what happened at that polling station in Philly, we’re never going to get anywhere. You’ve seen the videos. You’ve seen the man who calls himself King Samir Shabazz screaming into his microphone to anyone who’ll listen how much he hates crackers (white people) and calling on blacks to kill crackers and their cracker babies. And you’ve seen this exact same man wielding a night stick and his Black Panther brother standing guard standing outside this polling station. There’s no question as to what they were doing there. But for some reason people refuse to see it. MWN refers to them simply as a couple of dudes with glow sticks. Nimper wants to ignore it all together by pointing out real voter intimidation in the Jim Crow South. Whatever.
And now, Obama and his Justice Department have sided with the guy who calls for cracker babies to be killed.
Maybe I was wrong. Maybe this isn’t about racism after all. Maybe it’s all about pay back. You know, pay back for things that happened before anyone living today was even born. Yeah, that makes sense…
Kevin McGinty
Point taken, Fred and maybe MWN has a point. And so did Mick. He kind of jumped right in there, slapped me around, and in the process he made an excellent argument. I respect that.
Alright, so I chose my words poorly. Sorry. Calling Obama the most racist and divisive president ever was probably over the top. I’m not even real sure why I wrote about the subject of race in the first place. Well, I do know and I’ll get to that in a minute. But it’s a no win topic, no matter who’s talking about it.
Let’s just drop all the other stuff and talk about the Black Panther voter intimidation case. That’s what really set me off in the first place and what led me to write this in the first place.
Until people in this country can be honest about what happened at that polling station in Philly, we’re never going to get anywhere. You’ve seen the videos. You’ve seen the man who calls himself King Samir Shabazz screaming into his microphone to anyone who’ll listen how much he hates crackers (white people) and calling on blacks to kill crackers and their cracker babies. And you’ve seen this exact same man wielding a night stick and his Black Panther brother standing guard standing outside this polling station. There’s no question as to what they were doing there. But for some reason people refuse to see it. MWN refers to them simply as a couple of dudes with glow sticks. Nimper wants to ignore it all together by pointing out real voter intimidation in the Jim Crow South. Whatever.
And now, Obama and his Justice Department have sided with the guy who calls for cracker babies to be killed.
Maybe I was wrong. Maybe this isn’t about racism after all. Maybe it’s all about pay back. You know, pay back for things that happened before anyone living today was even born. Yeah, that makes sense…
Kevin McGinty
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Who's The Racist???
Remember back when I ran the “Obama as the Joker” avatar? It took about thirty seconds from the time I first posted it till I was automatically and permanently branded a racist by some of my fellow bloggers. Yeah, thirty seconds. Evidently enough of you complained enough to Ric Anderson that the following week he deemed it inappropriate for Cjonline and removed it. I expected that.
I have a question today for those who were so quick to label me a racist: How much longer are you going to pretend that Obama isn’t the biggest racist and most divisive president we’ve ever had?
You refused to even consider it when it was revealed that for twenty years your guy sat in the church of one of the biggest American-hating, racist preachers out there, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. You unconditionally believed him when he claimed he’d never been present during any of the Reverends more objectionable sermons. Whatever.
You didn’t even bat an eye when he told the story of him grandmother being scared at the idea of being followed by two black men. He described her as a “typical white person.” And you believed him when he claimed “the police acted stupidly” when he automatically sided with the black professor over the white Cambridge police officer, admittedly without even knowing the facts of the case.
Are you going to simply dismiss the testimony of J. Christian Adams, an ex-Justice Department official who quit over the handling of the Black Panther voter intimidation case? He testified under oath that he quit his post because his department had been ordered by his former boss, Eric Holder, who gets his orders from his boss, Obama to drop all charges in the case even though it was an open and shut case that had already been won? I suppose he was lying when he also testified he was ordered to ignore cases that involved black defendants and white victims.
Are you willing to take an honest look at Obama’s actions and judge him accordingly or are you going to continue to live in the make believe world of denial?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFpfQpuuVzI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw_RKFB1z9E&feature=related
Kevin McGinty
I have a question today for those who were so quick to label me a racist: How much longer are you going to pretend that Obama isn’t the biggest racist and most divisive president we’ve ever had?
You refused to even consider it when it was revealed that for twenty years your guy sat in the church of one of the biggest American-hating, racist preachers out there, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. You unconditionally believed him when he claimed he’d never been present during any of the Reverends more objectionable sermons. Whatever.
You didn’t even bat an eye when he told the story of him grandmother being scared at the idea of being followed by two black men. He described her as a “typical white person.” And you believed him when he claimed “the police acted stupidly” when he automatically sided with the black professor over the white Cambridge police officer, admittedly without even knowing the facts of the case.
Are you going to simply dismiss the testimony of J. Christian Adams, an ex-Justice Department official who quit over the handling of the Black Panther voter intimidation case? He testified under oath that he quit his post because his department had been ordered by his former boss, Eric Holder, who gets his orders from his boss, Obama to drop all charges in the case even though it was an open and shut case that had already been won? I suppose he was lying when he also testified he was ordered to ignore cases that involved black defendants and white victims.
Are you willing to take an honest look at Obama’s actions and judge him accordingly or are you going to continue to live in the make believe world of denial?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFpfQpuuVzI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw_RKFB1z9E&feature=related
Kevin McGinty
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
TicToc...
Iran said Tuesday it would send a blockade-busting ship carrying aid and pro-Palestinian activists to Gaza. And Lebanon has sent a letter to the U. N. holding Israel responsible for any attack on the ship.
Let me guess. Just another innocent humanitarian aid ship loaded with life saving supplies for the good people of Gaza who just happen to be governed by a peace-loving organization called Hamas, right? Give me a break.
I know a lot of you out there hate Israel, and you have your reasons. But in my opinion, this latest threat takes it to a whole new, very dangerous level.
Are you willing to stand with Iran against Israel knowing full well there’s hardly, any way, anything good can possibly come of it? Are you willing to stand with the insane Iranian president, mahmoud ahmadinejad, who’s repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel? The same one who denies the Holocaust ever happened. Are you willing to go that far?
Are you willing to stand with him knowing full well his country’s actions could easily provoke a war that would surely engulf the entire region? How long do think it would take before we were drug into it? Probably not much more than a few days. Yeah, we’d be right in the middle of it alright. But because of politics, I’m not sure who we’d be fighting for.
I believe that in a matter of weeks, Obama will be forced to show his hand regarding Israel. Will he defend them or stay out of it and let them be destroyed by the enemies who surround them.
The countdown clock has started, tic toc…
Kevin McGinty
Let me guess. Just another innocent humanitarian aid ship loaded with life saving supplies for the good people of Gaza who just happen to be governed by a peace-loving organization called Hamas, right? Give me a break.
I know a lot of you out there hate Israel, and you have your reasons. But in my opinion, this latest threat takes it to a whole new, very dangerous level.
Are you willing to stand with Iran against Israel knowing full well there’s hardly, any way, anything good can possibly come of it? Are you willing to stand with the insane Iranian president, mahmoud ahmadinejad, who’s repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel? The same one who denies the Holocaust ever happened. Are you willing to go that far?
Are you willing to stand with him knowing full well his country’s actions could easily provoke a war that would surely engulf the entire region? How long do think it would take before we were drug into it? Probably not much more than a few days. Yeah, we’d be right in the middle of it alright. But because of politics, I’m not sure who we’d be fighting for.
I believe that in a matter of weeks, Obama will be forced to show his hand regarding Israel. Will he defend them or stay out of it and let them be destroyed by the enemies who surround them.
The countdown clock has started, tic toc…
Kevin McGinty
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Operation Wetback...
Alright, one last time and I’ll get off the immigration stuff. I’d like to talk a little bit about another email I received yesterday. By now most of you have probably seen it. It’s the one that asks, what do President’s, Herbert Hoover, Harry Truman, and Dwight D. Eisenhower have in common?
Turns out that between the three of them, they deported something like 16 million illegal immigrants in order to provide jobs for American citizens. I suppose the mass-deportation crowd is trying to use this message as proof that it can be done. Yeah, they did it alright. But damn!
Google, Mexican Repatriation and Operation Wetback and see what you come up with. Since nobody’s really talking about it, I’m not sure that if I were trying to convince the American people the only way to fix the problem is to deport all illegals, I’d really want to bring any of this up.
I’m not sure I’d want to call attention to the fact that the Mexican Repatriation (yes, this is straight out of Wikipedia) refers to the forced migration that took place between 1929 and 1939, when as many as 1 million people of Mexican descent were forced or otherwise pressured to leave the U.S. It’s estimated that up to 60% of those driven out were U.S. citizens. And the event was carried out by American authorities and took place without any kind of due process.
Operation Wetback was carried out in 1954 by the Eisenhower administration in order to make jobs available to vets returning from WW11 and Korea. Just makes sense, right?
The effort began (yes, this one’s straight out of Wikipedia too) in California and Arizona. Tactics included going as far as systematic police sweeps of Mexican-American neighborhoods and random ID check points of “Mexican-looking” people. Some 750 agents targeted agricultural areas with a goal of 1,000 apprehensions per day.
Yeah, I suppose if the emailer’s intent was to prove that mass-deportation is possible, he accomplished that. But it also proves that the people like our very own, mrwednesdaynight and nimper, you know the one’s out there jumping up and down and yelling about “civil rights” are right too.
And damn, I hate it when that happens…
Kevin McGinty
Turns out that between the three of them, they deported something like 16 million illegal immigrants in order to provide jobs for American citizens. I suppose the mass-deportation crowd is trying to use this message as proof that it can be done. Yeah, they did it alright. But damn!
Google, Mexican Repatriation and Operation Wetback and see what you come up with. Since nobody’s really talking about it, I’m not sure that if I were trying to convince the American people the only way to fix the problem is to deport all illegals, I’d really want to bring any of this up.
I’m not sure I’d want to call attention to the fact that the Mexican Repatriation (yes, this is straight out of Wikipedia) refers to the forced migration that took place between 1929 and 1939, when as many as 1 million people of Mexican descent were forced or otherwise pressured to leave the U.S. It’s estimated that up to 60% of those driven out were U.S. citizens. And the event was carried out by American authorities and took place without any kind of due process.
Operation Wetback was carried out in 1954 by the Eisenhower administration in order to make jobs available to vets returning from WW11 and Korea. Just makes sense, right?
The effort began (yes, this one’s straight out of Wikipedia too) in California and Arizona. Tactics included going as far as systematic police sweeps of Mexican-American neighborhoods and random ID check points of “Mexican-looking” people. Some 750 agents targeted agricultural areas with a goal of 1,000 apprehensions per day.
Yeah, I suppose if the emailer’s intent was to prove that mass-deportation is possible, he accomplished that. But it also proves that the people like our very own, mrwednesdaynight and nimper, you know the one’s out there jumping up and down and yelling about “civil rights” are right too.
And damn, I hate it when that happens…
Kevin McGinty
Friday, May 14, 2010
"But"...
Depending on who’s telling the story, we have somewhere between 12 and 20 million illegal immigrants living in America today with 465,000 or so in Arizona alone. How much higher must those numbers climb before we quit pretending it’s not a problem?
They say we have around 75,000 illegal immigrants currently detained in our Federal prison system. Again, how much higher must that number climb before someone finally has enough common sense and say, this is ridiculous? There’s no reason for it.
I haven’t seen a study on it, but common sense should tell us that way too many local, county, and state, jail and court systems, especially in the south-western states, are overwhelmed by cases brought on by illegal immigrants. At least that seems to be the case in Arizona.
What are they supposed to do? How many more rapists, murders, and thugs in general should Arizona be forced to let in? How many more drug related kidnappings should they have to deal with? How many more armed robberies? How many more violent gang members (M 13) do you think Arizona needs? How many more cops and land owners need to be gunned down before it’s okay to do something about it?
How many more terrorists should be allowed to come in through South America, work their way up through Mexico, and simply walk across our southern border? Yeah I know, that’s just crazy talk, right? Is It? You know that for a fact, right? Think about it. Right after the attacks of 9-11, the first thing we did was to tighten up security at our airports. It didn’t make it impossible to sneak a terrorist in that way but it did make things harder. You can say what you want about the terrorist organizations who want to do us harm, but you can’t say they’re stupid. If they can’t get in through the front door, they’ll just come in through the back door which everybody in the world know, is wide open.
No guys, this isn’t about racism. It’s not about hating someone simply because they come from somewhere else. It’s not about denying someone the chance to come here in order to provide a better way of life for their families either. Those are the people we want. Since we all came here from somewhere else, these people are no different than we are and we should do everything we can to make room for them, period.
What’s at stake here is public safety and our national security. We can either do something about it. Or we can do like we’ve been doing all along and pretend it’s not a problem…
Kevin McGinty
They say we have around 75,000 illegal immigrants currently detained in our Federal prison system. Again, how much higher must that number climb before someone finally has enough common sense and say, this is ridiculous? There’s no reason for it.
I haven’t seen a study on it, but common sense should tell us that way too many local, county, and state, jail and court systems, especially in the south-western states, are overwhelmed by cases brought on by illegal immigrants. At least that seems to be the case in Arizona.
What are they supposed to do? How many more rapists, murders, and thugs in general should Arizona be forced to let in? How many more drug related kidnappings should they have to deal with? How many more armed robberies? How many more violent gang members (M 13) do you think Arizona needs? How many more cops and land owners need to be gunned down before it’s okay to do something about it?
How many more terrorists should be allowed to come in through South America, work their way up through Mexico, and simply walk across our southern border? Yeah I know, that’s just crazy talk, right? Is It? You know that for a fact, right? Think about it. Right after the attacks of 9-11, the first thing we did was to tighten up security at our airports. It didn’t make it impossible to sneak a terrorist in that way but it did make things harder. You can say what you want about the terrorist organizations who want to do us harm, but you can’t say they’re stupid. If they can’t get in through the front door, they’ll just come in through the back door which everybody in the world know, is wide open.
No guys, this isn’t about racism. It’s not about hating someone simply because they come from somewhere else. It’s not about denying someone the chance to come here in order to provide a better way of life for their families either. Those are the people we want. Since we all came here from somewhere else, these people are no different than we are and we should do everything we can to make room for them, period.
What’s at stake here is public safety and our national security. We can either do something about it. Or we can do like we’ve been doing all along and pretend it’s not a problem…
Kevin McGinty
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Coming To America...
I’ve been trying to figure out a way to write about the new Arizona Immigration Bill that was just recently signed into law without coming across as a raging racist. Some of you’ll hear me out and some of you will call me a racist no matter what I have to say. So, good or bad, right or wrong, I might as well jump right in there.
Unless you’re a Native American, and they’re the one’s who really got screwed. But all the rest of us are here in this country as a direct result of immigration of some form or another. Immigration is how this country was built in the first place.
Me, I’m the sixth generation descendent of an Irish immigrant named, Bernard McGinty. Other than names and dates, I really don’t know his story. I don’t know why he was willing to risk literally everything to move his family to America. Hell, for all I know, he might have been running from the law. I suspect though, like thousands of other Irish immigrants of his time, he was escaping the punishing poverty and sickness that had become so widespread and common in Ireland.
I can’t help but wonder how he’d feel about the way his family turned out. Like any really big family, we’ve had our share of problems. It’s turned into a family made up of people from, literally, all over the world. We’re made up of people from every political and religious point of view imaginable. Most of us just have regular every day jobs and try to raise our families the best we can. We have at least two Airline Pilots, one doctor, and three registered nurses that I know of. A lawyer or two. And yeah, some of us just haven’t been able to get it quite right. A few among us have ended up in prison. And if you think that’s not coming out during a fight with your wife, you’re crazy.
We don’t get together as often as we’d like but when we do, it’s always a good time. It’s a good time to relax and just be you. All the sudden, he’s not the “Big Shot” who runs the power company in South Dakota, he’s just uncle Mike to us. If we’re talking about my cousin’s little boy, Daniel, well, he’s just a cool little kid. We all know the story of how they adopted Daniel from Guatemala but really, none of that matters. He’s just Daniel to us. Same thing with Lucy and Aurora, the little twin girls my wife’s brother and his wife adopted a couple years ago from China. They’re just Lucy and Rorey to us. When my loud mouthed, Aaron and his wife show up, it’s just, hey guys, Aaron and Maria are here. It’s not, Aaron and that girl from Mexico he married. You see, none of that matters and it’s really all that important. We’re just a great big, sometimes dysfunctional, family and that’s good enough for us.
No, I don’t know for sure what Bernard McGinty would think of the family he started all those years ago. But I do believe he’d be glad to know the huge gamble he took by bringing his own family to America in the first place paid off. And I think he’d agree that, all things considered, it’s a pretty damn fine family.
So yeah, I know a thing or two about immigration and understand what it means to someone wanting to come here. I get it.
But…
Kevin McGinty
Unless you’re a Native American, and they’re the one’s who really got screwed. But all the rest of us are here in this country as a direct result of immigration of some form or another. Immigration is how this country was built in the first place.
Me, I’m the sixth generation descendent of an Irish immigrant named, Bernard McGinty. Other than names and dates, I really don’t know his story. I don’t know why he was willing to risk literally everything to move his family to America. Hell, for all I know, he might have been running from the law. I suspect though, like thousands of other Irish immigrants of his time, he was escaping the punishing poverty and sickness that had become so widespread and common in Ireland.
I can’t help but wonder how he’d feel about the way his family turned out. Like any really big family, we’ve had our share of problems. It’s turned into a family made up of people from, literally, all over the world. We’re made up of people from every political and religious point of view imaginable. Most of us just have regular every day jobs and try to raise our families the best we can. We have at least two Airline Pilots, one doctor, and three registered nurses that I know of. A lawyer or two. And yeah, some of us just haven’t been able to get it quite right. A few among us have ended up in prison. And if you think that’s not coming out during a fight with your wife, you’re crazy.
We don’t get together as often as we’d like but when we do, it’s always a good time. It’s a good time to relax and just be you. All the sudden, he’s not the “Big Shot” who runs the power company in South Dakota, he’s just uncle Mike to us. If we’re talking about my cousin’s little boy, Daniel, well, he’s just a cool little kid. We all know the story of how they adopted Daniel from Guatemala but really, none of that matters. He’s just Daniel to us. Same thing with Lucy and Aurora, the little twin girls my wife’s brother and his wife adopted a couple years ago from China. They’re just Lucy and Rorey to us. When my loud mouthed, Aaron and his wife show up, it’s just, hey guys, Aaron and Maria are here. It’s not, Aaron and that girl from Mexico he married. You see, none of that matters and it’s really all that important. We’re just a great big, sometimes dysfunctional, family and that’s good enough for us.
No, I don’t know for sure what Bernard McGinty would think of the family he started all those years ago. But I do believe he’d be glad to know the huge gamble he took by bringing his own family to America in the first place paid off. And I think he’d agree that, all things considered, it’s a pretty damn fine family.
So yeah, I know a thing or two about immigration and understand what it means to someone wanting to come here. I get it.
But…
Kevin McGinty
Monday, April 26, 2010
Remember What's Really Important...
For a change, this week anyway, I’m going to step away from all the stupid political fighting. Besides, does it really matter who’s running the government? Hell, both party’s have been screwing this country over for as long as I can remember. And to tell you the truth, right now, I have more important things to worry about.
I’ve never really talked about it here, but because of my job I travel a lot. In the last three weeks my travels have taken me to Western Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota. I don’t worry too much about things when I’m gone. My wife’s brutally independent and does a good job of taking care of things while I’m gone. My kids are all grown and doing their own thing. And I suppose like most of people, I take it for granted that everything’s always going to be okay.
Well, I got a phone call the other day that reminded of just how stupid that way of thinking is and how in a blink of an eye everything can change forever. I’m not going to get into details but the call had to do with one of my kids and it scared the hell out of me. For now anyway, everything’s okay but the whole thing reminded me of another time about three years ago when I received one of those life changing phone calls.
So if you don’t mind, I’d like to share that story with you today. It’s a story about my young grand daughter, Emily. It just happened to be the first story I wrote for “The Topeka Metro News” and it helps explain where the title of this blog, “Room 235” came from in the first place. I call the story, “The numbers.”
The Numbers:
Numbers, do you ever think about them? Personally, I've never given them much thought one way or the other. But over the course of the last 23 days I've learned numbers can literally mean the difference between life and death.
Numbers like 17, 235, 15,12, 160, 87, 65/45, and 23 all became to mean everything in my granddaughter's world. Emily was born 17 weeks premature on November 12th. and was transferred to “Room 235” of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Stormont-Vail Regional Medical Center. This was the day my journey through her world of numbers began.
Good morning Emily, I'm your grandpa. I know, I'm probably a little scary looking but you'll get used to me. Hey, look at those numbers on the ventilator. The nurses tell me 15 is excellent for your oxygen level. And that the vent setting doesn't get much better than a 12. I know it's been a pretty rough first day for you, so I'm not going to stay too long. You be a good girl and mind the nurses, I'll see you in the morning. And remember that grandpa loves you.
And so our daily routine began. We talked about the adventures we were going to have once she got to come home. First and foremost I explained she was going to have to put on some weight. At 1lb., 4oz., it was going to be hard for her to ride a bike. I offered to start bringing her chocolate chip cookies and pop. Emily and I both thought it was a good idea, but the nurses had other plans. We talked about her first day of school, about the fishing trips we were going to take, and about going 4-wheeling in the mountains when we go to Colorado in August.
I told her how lucky she was to have two grandmothers, Linda and Debbie that loved her so much. We talked about her aunts, uncles, and a few of her cousins. I warned her about the stupid cats and dogs she'd meet. I even warned her about staying away from boys. I'm not sure, but I think I saw her blushing after this conversation. But mostly, she liked hearing about her mommy and daddy.
Over the course of the next few days I learned about the other numbers on the monitor above her bed. The top one was her heart rate. I learned that 160 was a very good number indeed. And that 87 indicated how much oxygen was in her blood. The 65/45 was the blood pressure.
All day and night long the doctors and nurses watched these numbers. They made adjustments to the machines and medications according to what the numbers told them. They were very up front with us from the beginning. Some days were pretty good. Others were pretty bad, it all depended on the numbers. The nurses referred to this as the roller coaster ride.
Monday December 4th was an exceptionally good day. Her numbers were even better than they had been the previous weekend. She was finally able to open her eyes for the first time. They were the biggest, most beautiful, brown eyes I had ever seen. We talked a little about riding the train at Gage Park. I blew her a kiss, told her grandpa loved her, and promised I'd see her in the morning.
Sometime around 9:00 o clock that night the hospital called. Emily had taken a turn for the worse and we needed to get there as soon as we could. It was the numbers, the 15 and 12 had turned into 101 and 40. The 160 was now a 50. The 87 was somewhere around 35 now, and the blood pressure that once read a steady 65/45 wasn't even registering anymore. They told us her system was shutting down, she was dying, and they didn't think she'd be able to hang on for much more than 3 or 4 more hours.
Ultimately the numbers did get the best of Emily, but she did beat the 3 and the 4. She hung on another 24 hours, and in doing so we were all able to say our goodbyes. I'm not sure what the others said to her. For me though, I just held her tiny little hand, kissed her on the forehead and told her I understood if she had to go. I told her to remember that grandpa loved her, and that no matter what, I’d never forget her.
We had Emily with us for 23 days, 4 hours, and 42 minutes. And for that I'll always be grateful.
Kevin McGinty
www.rm235.blogspot.com
I’ve never really talked about it here, but because of my job I travel a lot. In the last three weeks my travels have taken me to Western Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota. I don’t worry too much about things when I’m gone. My wife’s brutally independent and does a good job of taking care of things while I’m gone. My kids are all grown and doing their own thing. And I suppose like most of people, I take it for granted that everything’s always going to be okay.
Well, I got a phone call the other day that reminded of just how stupid that way of thinking is and how in a blink of an eye everything can change forever. I’m not going to get into details but the call had to do with one of my kids and it scared the hell out of me. For now anyway, everything’s okay but the whole thing reminded me of another time about three years ago when I received one of those life changing phone calls.
So if you don’t mind, I’d like to share that story with you today. It’s a story about my young grand daughter, Emily. It just happened to be the first story I wrote for “The Topeka Metro News” and it helps explain where the title of this blog, “Room 235” came from in the first place. I call the story, “The numbers.”
The Numbers:
Numbers, do you ever think about them? Personally, I've never given them much thought one way or the other. But over the course of the last 23 days I've learned numbers can literally mean the difference between life and death.
Numbers like 17, 235, 15,12, 160, 87, 65/45, and 23 all became to mean everything in my granddaughter's world. Emily was born 17 weeks premature on November 12th. and was transferred to “Room 235” of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Stormont-Vail Regional Medical Center. This was the day my journey through her world of numbers began.
Good morning Emily, I'm your grandpa. I know, I'm probably a little scary looking but you'll get used to me. Hey, look at those numbers on the ventilator. The nurses tell me 15 is excellent for your oxygen level. And that the vent setting doesn't get much better than a 12. I know it's been a pretty rough first day for you, so I'm not going to stay too long. You be a good girl and mind the nurses, I'll see you in the morning. And remember that grandpa loves you.
And so our daily routine began. We talked about the adventures we were going to have once she got to come home. First and foremost I explained she was going to have to put on some weight. At 1lb., 4oz., it was going to be hard for her to ride a bike. I offered to start bringing her chocolate chip cookies and pop. Emily and I both thought it was a good idea, but the nurses had other plans. We talked about her first day of school, about the fishing trips we were going to take, and about going 4-wheeling in the mountains when we go to Colorado in August.
I told her how lucky she was to have two grandmothers, Linda and Debbie that loved her so much. We talked about her aunts, uncles, and a few of her cousins. I warned her about the stupid cats and dogs she'd meet. I even warned her about staying away from boys. I'm not sure, but I think I saw her blushing after this conversation. But mostly, she liked hearing about her mommy and daddy.
Over the course of the next few days I learned about the other numbers on the monitor above her bed. The top one was her heart rate. I learned that 160 was a very good number indeed. And that 87 indicated how much oxygen was in her blood. The 65/45 was the blood pressure.
All day and night long the doctors and nurses watched these numbers. They made adjustments to the machines and medications according to what the numbers told them. They were very up front with us from the beginning. Some days were pretty good. Others were pretty bad, it all depended on the numbers. The nurses referred to this as the roller coaster ride.
Monday December 4th was an exceptionally good day. Her numbers were even better than they had been the previous weekend. She was finally able to open her eyes for the first time. They were the biggest, most beautiful, brown eyes I had ever seen. We talked a little about riding the train at Gage Park. I blew her a kiss, told her grandpa loved her, and promised I'd see her in the morning.
Sometime around 9:00 o clock that night the hospital called. Emily had taken a turn for the worse and we needed to get there as soon as we could. It was the numbers, the 15 and 12 had turned into 101 and 40. The 160 was now a 50. The 87 was somewhere around 35 now, and the blood pressure that once read a steady 65/45 wasn't even registering anymore. They told us her system was shutting down, she was dying, and they didn't think she'd be able to hang on for much more than 3 or 4 more hours.
Ultimately the numbers did get the best of Emily, but she did beat the 3 and the 4. She hung on another 24 hours, and in doing so we were all able to say our goodbyes. I'm not sure what the others said to her. For me though, I just held her tiny little hand, kissed her on the forehead and told her I understood if she had to go. I told her to remember that grandpa loved her, and that no matter what, I’d never forget her.
We had Emily with us for 23 days, 4 hours, and 42 minutes. And for that I'll always be grateful.
Kevin McGinty
www.rm235.blogspot.com
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Welfare State...
Obama just can’t help but being his usual arrogant, condescending self, can he? Did you hear what he said the other day at a Democrat fund raising dinner? He mocked the American people at the Tea Party rallies all across the country and said instead of protesting his tax policies, these people should be thanking him. Thank him for what?
Maybe he expects us to thank him for turning America into the latest in a long line of welfare states? Maybe we’re supposed to thank him for borrowing hundreds of billions more dollars from China and using that money to dole out (buy votes) so many tax breaks to so many people, that for the first time in our history 47% of all Americans don’t have to pay a single dime in federal income taxes. Yeah, thanks, Obama!
They say it’s our patriotic duty to pay taxes and for the most part, I agree. And I don’t mind paying my fair share. But I resent the hell out of being forced to pay so many other people’s fair share as well. I understand that we as a society need to do what we can to help those who can’t help themselves. But there’s a big difference between those who can’t and those who won’t. Besides, they keep raising the bar for what it means to be poor in Obama‘s America.. Evidently, a family of two adults with two kids can make as much as $50,000 a year and still be considered poor. That’s a bunch of crap and you know it.
I know you Obama supporters hate it when anyone has the unheard of nerve to criticize your guy. But hang on to your backsides, boys and girls, his next step is going to be another European style tax. The VAT (Value Added Tax) is coming. It’s coming to pay for the massive entitlements he’s handing out like candy and I can’t wait. Because it’s a tax that everyone, rich and poor alike get to participate in. The funny thing about the VAT tax is that most people won’t even know they’re paying it. All you’ll see is that the price of EVERYTHING has suddenly gone up. It won’t matter though, like everything else, your president will just blame it on Bush and like always, you’ll buy into it. You just can’t bring yourself to admit that the more entitlements he hands out, the more it’s going to cost us. But like it or not, finally we’ll all be participating equally.
And now for our very own Governor, Mark Parkinson and the Kansas lawmakers. Why don’t you quit playing it politically safe for a change by singling out smokers and fast food restaurants (sin tax) to balance your stinking budget? You know as well as any of us this sin tax crap isn’t going raise enough revenue to get the job done. Why don’t you quit your talking and grandstanding, show some guts for a change, and pass another sales tax increase or whatever other ways you can think of to swindle us out of more of our paychecks and spread the pain around evenly. Oh yeah, I forgot. The polls indicate that would hurt you chances come reelection time, and at the end of the day, that’s the only thing that really matters to any of you.
Like I said. I don’t mind paying my fair share. But more and more of us are getting sick and tired of paying everyone else’s fair share too…
Kevin McGinty
Maybe he expects us to thank him for turning America into the latest in a long line of welfare states? Maybe we’re supposed to thank him for borrowing hundreds of billions more dollars from China and using that money to dole out (buy votes) so many tax breaks to so many people, that for the first time in our history 47% of all Americans don’t have to pay a single dime in federal income taxes. Yeah, thanks, Obama!
They say it’s our patriotic duty to pay taxes and for the most part, I agree. And I don’t mind paying my fair share. But I resent the hell out of being forced to pay so many other people’s fair share as well. I understand that we as a society need to do what we can to help those who can’t help themselves. But there’s a big difference between those who can’t and those who won’t. Besides, they keep raising the bar for what it means to be poor in Obama‘s America.. Evidently, a family of two adults with two kids can make as much as $50,000 a year and still be considered poor. That’s a bunch of crap and you know it.
I know you Obama supporters hate it when anyone has the unheard of nerve to criticize your guy. But hang on to your backsides, boys and girls, his next step is going to be another European style tax. The VAT (Value Added Tax) is coming. It’s coming to pay for the massive entitlements he’s handing out like candy and I can’t wait. Because it’s a tax that everyone, rich and poor alike get to participate in. The funny thing about the VAT tax is that most people won’t even know they’re paying it. All you’ll see is that the price of EVERYTHING has suddenly gone up. It won’t matter though, like everything else, your president will just blame it on Bush and like always, you’ll buy into it. You just can’t bring yourself to admit that the more entitlements he hands out, the more it’s going to cost us. But like it or not, finally we’ll all be participating equally.
And now for our very own Governor, Mark Parkinson and the Kansas lawmakers. Why don’t you quit playing it politically safe for a change by singling out smokers and fast food restaurants (sin tax) to balance your stinking budget? You know as well as any of us this sin tax crap isn’t going raise enough revenue to get the job done. Why don’t you quit your talking and grandstanding, show some guts for a change, and pass another sales tax increase or whatever other ways you can think of to swindle us out of more of our paychecks and spread the pain around evenly. Oh yeah, I forgot. The polls indicate that would hurt you chances come reelection time, and at the end of the day, that’s the only thing that really matters to any of you.
Like I said. I don’t mind paying my fair share. But more and more of us are getting sick and tired of paying everyone else’s fair share too…
Kevin McGinty
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Hate-Mongers and Extremists...
The thin-skinned, left-wingers never cease to amaze me. Last week I posted a picture of Obama with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and just like I expected, all hell broke loose. The predictable, worn out, cries of racism were immediate and like always, pointless. First off, there’s nothing racist about smoking a cigarette, and whether you like it or not, your Obama admits he still enjoys a smoke every once in a while. Hell, we all know that, so I’m not sure why you were so offended by it in the first place. And if you want to know the truth, I really don’t care.
Their selective memory is just as amazing too. They twist and turn Sarah Palin’s comment about re-loading into a call for violence. They’d have you believe all those, flag waving old people they love to ridicule from the Tea Party rallies all across the country are all nothing but a bunch of ignorant racists and violent extremists. They act like this is the first time they’ve ever heard of anyone opposing an American President.
So today, just for shits and giggles, let’s talk about the crap this country had to endure from the left during the eight years of the Bush administration.
They constantly whine and cry about Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck for being hate-mongers and inciting violence. Where was that outrage when Air America host, Randi Rhodes recommended doing what Michael Corleone did in the movie, Godfather Part Two, to his brother. She said somebody needs to take Bush fishing and then, with a giggle in her voice, imitated the sound of a gun shot. Just fun and games, right.
How about when British columnist, Charlie Brooker wrote: “John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Hinkley Jr. where are you when we really need you?” Nothing extreme or violent there.
There were a few novels written like the one by Nicholson Baker’s “Checkpoint” who talked about the wisdom of shooting Bush. At an art exhibit at Chicago’s Columbia University, one exhibit was a giant sheet of postage stamps depicting pictures of Bush on them with a gun pointed at his head. There were even “Kill Bush” T-shirts available from CafePress.com, an online retailer. Ah, those loving left-wing loons.
There were countless examples of anti-Bush protests at Universities all across the country in which Bush was set on fire and hung in effigy. At these protests were signs comparing Bush to every vile dictator in the world. There were signs calling for him to be killed. There were even signs calling for the destruction of his family. Remember those? We do.
The crown jewel of the Bush hatred had to be the movie “Death of a President” by British filmmaker, Gabriel Range. Remember that lovely movie? It was about Bush being shot by a sniper as he left a Chicago hotel. Yeah, nothing like a really good “kill the president movie” to take the kids to.
Let’s see now, how many arrests have been made all across the country during the last year at the Tea Party rallies? Oh yeah, none. How many signs have you seen calling for Obama to be killed? None. How many times have you seen a likeness of Obama being hung or burned to death? None. How many fires been set or how many cars have over turned in the streets during a Tea Party rally? None. You see, this is because that’s how adults do things. And that’s the difference.
So you want to talk about hate-mongers and extremists? Good. But when we have this conversation, do me a favor and leave your selective memory and hypocrisy at home. Thanks…
Kevin McGinty
Their selective memory is just as amazing too. They twist and turn Sarah Palin’s comment about re-loading into a call for violence. They’d have you believe all those, flag waving old people they love to ridicule from the Tea Party rallies all across the country are all nothing but a bunch of ignorant racists and violent extremists. They act like this is the first time they’ve ever heard of anyone opposing an American President.
So today, just for shits and giggles, let’s talk about the crap this country had to endure from the left during the eight years of the Bush administration.
They constantly whine and cry about Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck for being hate-mongers and inciting violence. Where was that outrage when Air America host, Randi Rhodes recommended doing what Michael Corleone did in the movie, Godfather Part Two, to his brother. She said somebody needs to take Bush fishing and then, with a giggle in her voice, imitated the sound of a gun shot. Just fun and games, right.
How about when British columnist, Charlie Brooker wrote: “John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Hinkley Jr. where are you when we really need you?” Nothing extreme or violent there.
There were a few novels written like the one by Nicholson Baker’s “Checkpoint” who talked about the wisdom of shooting Bush. At an art exhibit at Chicago’s Columbia University, one exhibit was a giant sheet of postage stamps depicting pictures of Bush on them with a gun pointed at his head. There were even “Kill Bush” T-shirts available from CafePress.com, an online retailer. Ah, those loving left-wing loons.
There were countless examples of anti-Bush protests at Universities all across the country in which Bush was set on fire and hung in effigy. At these protests were signs comparing Bush to every vile dictator in the world. There were signs calling for him to be killed. There were even signs calling for the destruction of his family. Remember those? We do.
The crown jewel of the Bush hatred had to be the movie “Death of a President” by British filmmaker, Gabriel Range. Remember that lovely movie? It was about Bush being shot by a sniper as he left a Chicago hotel. Yeah, nothing like a really good “kill the president movie” to take the kids to.
Let’s see now, how many arrests have been made all across the country during the last year at the Tea Party rallies? Oh yeah, none. How many signs have you seen calling for Obama to be killed? None. How many times have you seen a likeness of Obama being hung or burned to death? None. How many fires been set or how many cars have over turned in the streets during a Tea Party rally? None. You see, this is because that’s how adults do things. And that’s the difference.
So you want to talk about hate-mongers and extremists? Good. But when we have this conversation, do me a favor and leave your selective memory and hypocrisy at home. Thanks…
Kevin McGinty
Thursday, April 1, 2010
You're Looking At Your Future...
My God. You Obama lover’s just put on what might end up being the biggest whine-fest this town has ever seen. Yeah, I’m talking about your (over) reaction to the story at www.cjonline.com about the Tea Party Bus coming to town today. And I’d like to be the first to thank you for the entertainment. It was priceless.
It amazes me that you left-wing lunatics have the audacity to call people on the right, racists and hate-mongers. Just go back and re-read some of the vile, racist, hateful things you fools were spewing. All because someone is coming to town you disagree with.
You just don’t get it, do you. You’ve constantly attacked Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and every conservative that comes along. And bar none, they all continue to get bigger and bigger. You’d think you’d be smart enough to try a little different strategy.
I guess I can’t blame you for being upset though. Obama promised to take care of your every need. And now someone comes along that you think threatens that utopian dream and like a bunch of spoiled little kids you over-react. I know, you just can’t help yourselves.
Here’s the deal, libs. The Tea Party is coming. It’s coming whether you continue to spit-up on yourselves or not. And you might as well attend the rally, maybe even try to pay attention to what they have to say. You might even try to embrace it. After all, you will be looking at your future…
Kevin McGinty
www.rm235.blogspot.com
It amazes me that you left-wing lunatics have the audacity to call people on the right, racists and hate-mongers. Just go back and re-read some of the vile, racist, hateful things you fools were spewing. All because someone is coming to town you disagree with.
You just don’t get it, do you. You’ve constantly attacked Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and every conservative that comes along. And bar none, they all continue to get bigger and bigger. You’d think you’d be smart enough to try a little different strategy.
I guess I can’t blame you for being upset though. Obama promised to take care of your every need. And now someone comes along that you think threatens that utopian dream and like a bunch of spoiled little kids you over-react. I know, you just can’t help yourselves.
Here’s the deal, libs. The Tea Party is coming. It’s coming whether you continue to spit-up on yourselves or not. And you might as well attend the rally, maybe even try to pay attention to what they have to say. You might even try to embrace it. After all, you will be looking at your future…
Kevin McGinty
www.rm235.blogspot.com
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