It is Memorial Day weekend in the United States. In theory it is a time for those of us enjoying our freedom to honor the people who have given their lives defending it. And there are a lot of them. According to Wikipedia 1,354,644 men and women have died in American conflicts since 1775. Another 40,917 are missing and presumed dead. Of course the numbers early on were basically estimates so the totals are probably higher.
Memorial Day weekend is also the unofficial start of summer here and for the vast majority of the population that's a far more important event. In fact, most of us will spend the weekend watching a variety of sports, cooking out, and lounging at pools, or beaches while never giving a thought to those who have made and continue to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Hey, let's face it, if we were to really think about all those dead we might actually come to conclude war is a rotten exercise that should be conducted only as a last resort rather than some political expediency, or ego trip.
Indeed, let's keep positive around here, or at least try.
Unfortunately that's easier said than done. Just ask them in Waco, Texas. This week saw the lid ripped off a sex scandal at Baylor University which is so vile it rivals the one that rocked Penn State a few years ago.
It would seem the powers that be at the Southern Baptist institution of higher learning have, over a period of years, been covering up a series of rapes committed by members of its football team. The affair is so sordid head coach, Art Briles, who brought Baylor out of a seemingly permanent stay in the Big 12 Conference cellar to the top of the league, was canned. He was allegedly aided and abetted in the cover up by the school's athletic director who has been suspended.
In addition, our old pal Ken Starr--the guy who was investigating Bill Clinton in the Whitewater case years ago and stumbled across Monica Lewinski in the process--was chucked out of the school president's office. Brother Starr did manage to land on his feet, however. He has been named a chancellor at Baylor and has retained his job as a professor of, you guessed it, law.
Well why not? Someone has to teach up and coming attorneys the value of ethics on the job.
Meanwhile, a story on MSN's news feed earlier today posed the question, "Will Trump continue to dominate the media?"
It didn't take long to answer that question. A quick survey of stories throughout the news page showed Donald Trump's name and or florid mug was featured in headlines 46 different times. In comparison, Hillary Clinton's name or photo showed up in the lead of 17 stories, while Bernie Sanders was featured on seven occasions.
It is time to face the terrible reality that Don Trump doesn't need a paid campaign staff. He already has one free of charge. It is called the U.S. media.
So there we have it on this warm and muggy day on the southern plains. The honored dead are generally ignored. When it comes to repulsive sexual behavior it far better to be a starting linebacker than the victim of it. And, it is time to begin checking out property rates in places like Montreal, because the American press is handing the oval office to Donald J. Trump on a silver platter.
With all that in mind, ladies and gentlemen, the bar is most certainly open.
5-28-16
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