Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Ranger Jim's Ramblings for May

I've got to work fast this month, as my computer is having issues. That never happened in the Old West.

This month's blog will be pretty much off topic, and pretty much of a rant. So, to keep you interested, I'm going to have a random drawing from everyone who comments for a free Smashwords ecopy of my latest book  Lone Star Ranger A Ranger to Ride With from Painted Pony Books. There will be one winner.

First, good news. The Connecticut State House and Senate unanimously passed the bill stating horses ARE NOT inherently vicious and dangerous. This negates the court rulings. Connecticut will not be the only place on Earth where horses would be considered vicious. The best line I read about this whole fiasco was in a column in the Hartford Courant. It read "You can lead a court to water but you can't make them think." So sad, but so true.

Now for the rant. Over Easter weekend, I did what's become a tradition and watched my DVD of The Ten Commandments. This year I also watched my DVD of Ben Hur.

When Ben Hur was released in 1959, I was a fifth grader attending public school in Wallingford, CT. The school arranged a field trip for all of us to go see Ben Hur at the now long defunct Whalley Theater in New Haven. Can you imagine the uproar that would cause today? Taking public school students to see a film about religion? Even though it shows both Judaism and Christianity in a favorable light? The ACLU would have apoplexy, and the atheists and secular humanists would be picketing every town hall and state capitol in sight. And that's a good deal of what's wrong with our society today. Any hint of morality or religion, no matter whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or what have you, shown in public is immediately denounced as trampling on someone's feelings. I especially love the atheists who sue about "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, saying it makes their 5 or 6 year old kids feel like outcasts and second class citizens. Those kids are way too young to be "traumatized" by "Under God". It's their parents who traumatize them by dragging them into court to advance their own agenda. It's time we stood up to those people trying to trample on the rights of us who do believe in God.

Next month, back to Texas Rangers and horses.... I promise.

"Ranger" Jim


11 comments:

  1. Right on, Jim. The atheists can go stuff themselves, (The most polite way I know to say that. Other versions occur to me as well.)

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  2. Thanks for voicing what some of us feel Jim. Those folks raising heck about anyone believing in a religion are just trying to bring attention to their miserable selves.

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  3. Jim,

    Writing in support of you as a writer and WF Blogger.

    Great about the legislature supporting common sense legislation in support of horses!

    Charlie

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  4. The fault lies in our definitions of what should be dealt with in the home, in school and society in general. When someone has been 'taught' morality and religion in the home then they don't have to worry about what others think or say, they know what their hearts tell them is right. When we try to legislate how people think and should behave we take away the 'right' of personal choice and thought. I may not always agree with everyone, but I was taught to honor all beliefs and I don't feel threatened by what another believes. Even if I didn't believe in the 'Under God', I have no right to take that away from someone else. We are not cookies cut to be perfect replicas. (Okay, that was my rant.)

    So happy that the state of Ct. is trying to get it right.

    Thanks for the post and food for thought and discussion. Doris

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  5. Glad that the court said horses aren't vicious. I've met some but all animals have that one or two especially humans. About your rant. I am right there with you.I think that Christians are being persecuted now more than anyone else. If people celebrate Ramadan or Yom Kippur society say, "More power to them.: If a Christian bows their head and silently says grace they are lambasted. Where's the freedom of religion for Christians? That's my rant.

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  6. I'm so relieved that the horses of Connecticut have been spared the guillotine!

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  7. Glad the decision was reversed for the horses. I can't wait to get rid of our crazy governor here in OK, who signed a bill allowing horse slaughter. IN OKLAHOMA! Never thought I would see the day.
    Cheryl

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  8. Guess we must be close to the same age Jim. I remember I was VERY confused when my parents would for some reason or other NOT allow me to see Ben Hur........I had never been banned from seeing any movie that was not porn. My parents brought us up completely unbiased toward race or religion, (and my father's parents still had black "servants" who wore white jackets, LOL).. At first, my grandparents were MORTIFIED when my brother and I rounded up all the children of our tenant farmers and had a baseball game on the huge front lawn of their house, GRENOKE! We could easily be seen from the street of the small town. But, we wore them down eventually. In a year or so, they would notify all the tenant farmers, servants, etc. to tell their children or grandchildren that their grandchildren were coming to visit and to get ready for a day of baseball and picnic!
    Took me two years after it opened to FINALLY see Ben Hur!
    Wow, saw Cheryl's post about Oklahoma..........SON, (Ben Johnson), rodeo, stunt and movie star, and one of the best riders ever would role over in his grave!
    Have tried to post all sorts of pics...........made them tiny, etc.........don't know what is wrong here. Well, think I have found another home......believe I will really enjoy your posts. Thanks,KEITH, (only lady in the world with that first name!) Will post more pics if I can find out what is blocking me.

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  9. Still can't publish any pics.......although I had one on my Google sign in.....strange. KEITH

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  10. Okay, I haven't forgotten about the raffle, my computer decided to die. So I'll get to the drawing tomorrow. My apologies for the delay. I hate computers.

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  11. Okay, Connie is the winner! Email me at my Yahoo address (my website email is down at the moment, they're working on the problem) and I'll tell you how to get your free copy of LONE STAR RANGER A RANGER TO RIDE WITH. And Congratulations!

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