A different perspective

Yesterday I came across a phrase that has been rolling around in my head. It's from Gary Ezzo who was hosting a discussion on parenting, but I think this message is applicable to many situations.

"Freedom does not speak of one's rights, but one's responsibilities."

In our country we spend a lot of time talking about freedom, but do we really know what it means?

We love freedom, but we hate responsibility. Freedom and responsibility are not things you are given. They are things that you take up. They come together like the two sides of a coin. When you choose to use your freedom, you also are accepting the responsiblity of it.

Of course responsibility then leads to accountability, and that is a whole other issue we as a society fail on.

Small Town Justice

It's interesting how much a small comment can mean a lot.

There has been a lot of coverage about Dick Cheney's shooting this last week. Most of it is over the top of a very minor incident. But then again I think most people with common sense know where the media is coming from.

ABC News is probably driving this story more than anything else. Their White House representative has been indignant and outraged at the fact that the story was not given to the press corp first instead of to the local news agencies that were on site.

The peak of this outrage was displayed on Wednesday night's ABC's Nightline episode. I have stopped watching Nightline since Ted left. It is virtually unwatchable now in its new format and uncovered bias. Somehow in my flipping channels during commercials I ran across the re-hashing of the incident that has taken the War on Terror off the front page.

It was the end of the story and the 'reporter' was commenting on how the local authorities had completed their investigation and decided that no charges would be brought against the vice president. Then she continued to report that it appears that "small town politics have played their part in all of this." Then she did the ambigous statement to cover herself for the editorial she just gave by saying "but then again, we may never know."

What was that? Is that reporting? What kind of a journalist throws a politically charged accusation like that, then says "but then again, we may never know".

Network news is in general pathetic. Even NBC's attempt at reaching out in the cable news world with MSNBC has proved to be a failure.

Terry Moran had to have slept with someone to have gotten the gig of running Nightline into the ground....but then again, we may never know.

Happy Hallmark Day. Please refrain from actually calling it a holiday.

Four Walls

Every time I listen to this song it's amazing how closely it matches up with my family. In honor of Valentine's (hallmark day) Day, I've posted the lyrics to Randy Travis' Four Walls.

My Grandpa farmed for a livin',
Content to live the simpler kind of life.
My Grandma worked in the kitchen,
Awfully proud to be that farmer's wife.
They used to say that they'd got everything that they need,
Each mornin' they wake up:Four walls, three words, two hearts, one love.

Here I am, ring on my finger:
Grandpa's little grandson, all grown up.
I found my rock and I plan to keep her.
I wish they were here to see the two of us.
They'd proud to know we've got everything that we need,
Each mornin' we wake up:Four walls, three words, two hearts, one love.

With the highway twice as wide,
And the farmland sub-divided.
It's good to know that some things never change.
I'm still lovin' an I'm still livin',
By those simple words of wisdom:
Life an' love come down to just four things.

My Grandpa, Lord knows, I miss him,
An' the way that he and Grandma looked at life.
And each day, I count my blessings,
To have that kind of love here by my side.
No matter what, we know we've got everything that we need,
Each mornin' we wake up:Four walls, three words, two hearts, one love.
Yeah, we've got everything that we need,
Between the two of us:Four walls, three words, two hearts, one love.

Movie Quotes

here are a few of my favorite movei lines of all time. These are in no particular order, but just as they come to mind.

"Son, you got a panty on your head" - Raising Arizona

"What in the Wide World of Sports is going on here?" - Blazing Saddles

Bob: Looks like you've been missing a lot of work lately.
Peter: I wouldn't say I've been 'missing' it Bob. - Office Space

"What we've got here is failure to communicate." - Cool Hand Luke

"All right now, I'm comin' out. Any man I see out there, I'm gonna shoot him. Any sumbitch takes a shot at me, I'm not only gonna kill him, but I'm gonna kill his wife. All his friends. Burn his damn house down." - Unforgiven

"It's payday, boys. Come and get it!" - Rooster Cogburn

"We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented" - Truman Show