The Double Standard

Are you fuckin’ kidding me?!?

ARE YOU FUCKIN’ KIDDING ME?!?

So sorry, mates. Please excuse the salty language above, but the Captain is angry!

Are you fuckin’ kidding me?!?

Yesterday a federal court jury acquitted Ammon Bundy and his six followers from their role in the armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon earlier this year.

The Bundy Gang

According to their lawyers, the 41-day ARMED occupation was “a legitimate and patriotic act of civil disobedience”.

Seriously?

They took over public lands, threatened government employees and agents with violence should anyone try to stop them, and destroyed property. The federal government chose to not engage the protesters at the time.

Apparently they still don’t want to engage them!

After the occupation ended, a collection of firearms and explosives were found inside the refuge. Safes were broken into, and money, cameras, and computers were stolen. Tribal artifacts were damaged. A new road was dug through the protected land, parking lot expanded, trenches were dug and fences were destroyed. Some of those trenches were used as latrines – located in sensitive environmental areas.

Total cost of their “legitimate and patriotic act of civil disobedience”: upwards of $9 million!

Meanwhile, in Cannonball, North Dakota, UNARMED Native Americans protesting a 1,134-mile-long pipeline crossing their land, are being met with violence and a heavily militarized police force.

Construction of the pipeline, which will carry fracked crude oil from northwest North Dakota to Illinois, will desecrate 380 archeological sites that are sacred to Sioux, Arikara, Mandan, and Northern Cheyenne nations. 

The pipeline was originally slated to cross the Missouri River at Bismark, but was relocated for fear of contaminating the water supply in Bismark. So now the pipeline will pass just a ½ mile upriver from the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. 

Apparently the safety of their water supply is less important.

So what have we learned from all of this?

1-The federal government still refuses to respect the treaties that we forced on Native Americans during the colonization of this country. We forced them onto reservations, gave them sovereignty, but still ignore their rights and well-being.

2-If you want to protest something, go in heavily armed and the government will leave you alone. It also helps if you are white. Look for more militia action "legitimate and patriotic acts of civil disobedience” in the near future.

3-The double-standard is alive and well.

God bless America…

What's Happening!

Thank you for your patience – and expressions of concern – during my recent absence. It’s been a busy month. Here’s just a bit:

#1-The Captain’s mother had knee replacement surgery, which went well. Thank you for asking.

You did ask, didn’t you?

That took a lot of time and emotional energy in the days following the surgery. Our schedules are just now getting back to normal as she settles into a 3-per-week outpatient physical therapy routine.

#2-I traded in my Jeep for an “adult car”.

More on that later.

Captain’s Note: The Captain extends all due condolences to the person who next buys that Jeep. The roof leaks when it rains, and there is a steel drum music CD stuck in the CD player. We were surprised that the car dealer never asked about the condition of the Jeep; he simply scanned the bar code on the door and offered me the expected market price.

#3- The First Mate’s parents came for a visit.

#4- In the meantime, there has been another Presidential debate. Plenty of fodder for “Banana Winds”, but I will pass on that for now.

The Captain should apologize to my fair readers because I have not followed up with my promise to tell you why I am voting for Secretary Clinton (with whom I agree on so many issues currently facing us), but the truth is that Trump (OMFG!) simply keeps giving me thousands of reason to not vote for him!

#5- And then I wandered into a conversation on Facebook recently that demonstrated the depth to which political discourse in our country has sunk.

Here is the original post:

For those who don't know the Integration Minister, Sylvi Listhaug, you should know that she once floated in the Mediterranean "to better understand what it feels like to be a refugee".

Yeah, it's just like that...

Here is my comment and the ensuing replies (with apologies for the coarse language): 

And although the Captain has refused further participation in the "discussion", the insult continue to flow my way.

#6- Even as I write this I am watching the re-make of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”.

Frankly, some things should never be re-made.

Sadly, Tim Curry (this time as the Criminologist) will not be leading us in the “Time Warp”.

In addition to being a bad re-make, FOX takes commercial breaks for self-promotion.

When this is over I’m going to have to re-watch the original to set the world right again!

So today’s blog is a lighter piece about Facebook. Specifically a feature known as “For Sale or Trade”, where people in a local community offer their unwanted goods “For Sale or Trade”. 

Duh.

I joined several such sights, but never paid much attention to the various postings until I saw one concerning a car for sale. It was reasonably priced, and the photos provided showed it to be in decent condition, although it had apparently sat in someone’s driveway for a while. A brief written description hailed it as a dependable vehicle, blah blah blah. And then it mentioned that the driver’s door had been “keyed”. A closer look at the photo revealed that someone had scratched the word “WHORE!” along the entire driver’s side!

I’m guessing it will be for sale for a while.

So then I started looking at other posts. 

I've had a lot of time to fill.

So check these out...

Buy my garbage...?

Great deal for a Titans fan... with money to blow! Really? MillerLite?

Do you live in a UPS truck?

Really? How hard could that be?

See?!?

I'm supposed to come to your house for a $3 paper shredder?

Okay, maybe for a $5 pair of hootchie shorts...

What? Is it made of Spandex?

And in case you need decorations for you beach wedding...

A 17-year-old Suburban with a bad transmission...

What a deal!

These things are hilarious!

A great costume for hot Siamese twin cops!

So, that's what the Captain's been doing recently.

Your sympathy is greatly appreciated.

I hope to be back at it next week! Check back again frequently!