Adopting Children Overseas

There must be a homeless child shortage in the United States because all I hear about is celebrities going to Asian and African countries to adopt kids. I've even heard of some regular folks who spend the extra dollars to adopt from abroad. Guess it's not trendy enough to help starving kids in your own country. I know some of these people have their heart in the right place but I believe others enjoy the publicity that comes with the high profile adoption, and the media eats it up. Here's another one of my crazy ideas. Don't allow anyone to bring in a child from another country until they have adopted at least one American child.

Profit Reports

Nothing brightens my day more than hearing about large corporations making million dollar profits. Especially when it's an oil company, which I take pride in being a part of by spending 80 dollars a week on gas. Conversely, it brings me down when I hear the reports of profits being down from the previous quarter. Not that they didn't still make millions in profits, just that they did make as many millions as the previous quarter. In all seriousness, I don't have a problem with a company making a profit, that's what they're in business for. But when companies that practically steal the earnings of the everyday worker, then rub their profits in your face, then I get high blood pressure.

Coppers

I would like to qualify my right to make the following statements based on my 24 years in law enforcement. Let me first say that I am proud to be a member of one of the best Police Departments in the country and take pride in being a "cop". I often hear stories from friends, family and others who have had less than pleasurable experiences with the police. I first explain that "I wasn't there" so I will take your side at face value. More often than not, if you are being pulled over, you did something wrong. That being said, I don't believe everybody should be ticketed. In 24 years I can't remember ever writing a speeding ticket. I do believe there are many other more productive things an officer could be doing than lecturing grandma because she rolled through a stop sign. But traffic laws do need to be enforced. I do believe there are some officers who take their authority too far, acting as more bully than protector of the public. Hearing such stories makes me angry and embarrassed. Unfortunately the general public has stereo-typed all police as heartless drones. This is not the case at all. The majority of police simply want to catch the bad guy. And remember, they are risking their life for you, doing a job most others won't.

Roger Clemens

First steroids and now infidelity. As a Red Sox fan since conception, I couldn't be happier about Rogers recent troubles. That's what he gets for signing a deal with the devil, and by devil I mean the New York Yankees. Wade Boggs had a full head of hair before he left for the devils den. Johnny Damon's skills have also diminished greatly since becoming a traitor to the nation. Although Johnny wasn't a true Red Sox to begin with it still disgusts me to see him in a Yankee uniform because he was part of bringing the Red Sox their first World Series in 86 years. If he had gone to any other team, he would have remained a Red Sox favorite for life. But now he has been tainted. There's a Red Sox curse alright. It's a curse put on every once beloved Red Sox player who sells their soul to the dreaded Yankees.

Public School Education

My kids go to one of the lowest rated school districts in the country, Clark County, Nevada. It is no mystery to me why. Let me first say that my kids aren't the most dedicated students in the world. What I try to get across to them is not necessarily that they retain everything that is being taught but at least have enough pride in yourself to want to do the best job possible. However, it's hard to maintain this attitude when your school district is administering proficiency exams on topics that no one outside of NASA will ever use, requiring they be passed or no diploma. For example, my daughter has trouble grasping geometry and other complex math equations. But for some reason the school district has deemed this an essential tool to be mastered as a requirement for graduation. Only problem is when I ask them if the school has any tutorial type programs to help her, they have none. I would rather see schools geared more toward vocational type training with basics in math, English, history and science. Electives can be made available for those students who want a career that requires more in depth study. This would solve two problems, graduation rates would rise and kids would leave school more prepared for the real world.

Reverend Jeremiah Wright

Paranoid Radical or Civil Rights Activist? Either way he appears to be on an agenda to become as relevant as his counterparts Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. His ranting and raving would make one believe that slavery still exists. I would liken him and others like him to cult leaders. They have the ability to brainwash others into believing racism is as rampant as it was forty years ago. I'm willing to bet that if you polled most white Americans, myself included, they could care less what race your were as long as you were living an honest, respectful life and taking responsibility for your actions. Reverend Wright still wants blacks to believe that if they are questioned about their actions or don't receive what they feel is do them, then they must be the victims of racism. We all know racism still exists, but Rev. Wright and other alleged black leaders are only harming their own race by screaming racism at every turn. If they could only take some of that energy and march into gang infested neighborhoods or schools and preach responsibility, respect and hard work. Instead they make excuses for being a gang member, pimp or drug dealer. Whitey made them do it!

Cost of Electing President

How much does it cost to elect a President? Apparently tens of millions of dollars. Aside from the millions donated to campaigns for advertising, travel and such, look at the millions more spent on conventions. All just to elect the next president of an ever increasing country of excess with the agenda to put into power the person or persons that will best represent, not the people, but special interest groups. I have a crazy idea. How about all those donations go toward programs like education, health care, veterans and other silly things like that.