Guest Editorial
By Tom Davenport | aUGUST 19, 2015
Thoughts from Chairman Tom
Soon to be published in a little red book to be carried by the faithful.
1. So Bernie Sanders and others in today’s Sunday talk show circuit brought up the lack of concern shown in the Republican debates about climate change. OK sports fans, it looks like the Democrats still want to use this as an issue in the up coming Presidential campaign, so I’ll get on my high horse and (I hope) dish out some common sense.
It is now climate change, not global warming. Changing the name doesn’t change the facts that the science as it has been presented really needs a lot of work. It seems pretty hard to reject out of hand the possibility that moving out of caves and the increasing population have had an impact on the environment. Of course it has. But so too has two billion years of living things on this planet changed the environment. Most of what is thrown about as scientific proof of man caused global warming is based upon climate models. Modeling?! Give me a break, change one assumption in as complex a system as the climate is and you get wildly differing results. Add a few finagle factors and you can smooth things back to fit whatever you’re trying to sell, but it sure ain’t science. Consensus ain’t science either. Science is presenting proofs of some thesis to your audience of 99 percent nodding heads only to have one person demonstrate a single error and watch your whole argument be shredded. Here’s a thought; plants have been removing carbon from the atmosphere for over 2 BILLION years — the greenies thing this is a good thing, maybe not. Maybe so much carbon has been removed that it has so reduced the “green house effect” that ice ages have become the rule rather than an exception. Maybe burning coal and oil is a good thing, replacing carbon dioxide in an otherwise starved ecosystem. I know, I know, I’m not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree, but isn’t 2 billion years of photosynthesis likely to have a pretty big impact versus two hundred miserable years of the industrial revolution?
I think the Republicans need to address this issue thusly: We really do need to better understand not only potential impacts of human activity on climate but how that and other variables, e.g. solar activity, can result in lasting, undesirable changes. We do need to fund research in this area. However, we need to do some serious house cleaning in the federal agencies involved. Too many people have bet their careers, professional and political, on one point of view. We need to stop calling people who doubt, question or criticize “doubters” or “deniers” and engage in dialog instead. Only then do we stand any chance of understanding the problems and possible solutions.
2. Also prominent on the shows, Michael Brown! Huh? Ok so a year ago a cop offed that thug in a righteous case of self defense. No, Mikey, wasn’t some teen age “student.” No, he didn’t put his hands up and say “don’t shoot.” Nope, the guy was a thug, maybe only a minor league thug, but a thug none the less. Charge a cop pointing a gun at you and what are the likely outcomes? Seems like the gene pool just got improved. But “black lives matter!”
Aw, come on, folks, even though Martin O’Malley got booed off the stage for saying it, all lives matter and that’s the stand Republicans need to take. Attack the Sharptons of this world for what they are: Race Baiters. Please! These peoples' rice bowls are only filled by driving wedges between the people of the country, not by actually correcting wrongs (often more perceived than real.) The way we need to address this issue is to support the Black community where ever and whenever it is willing to step up to the plate and accept a share of the responsibility for the current state of affairs: When they condemn out of wedlock births; When they condemn crime rates, particularly murder rates, that are heavily skewed toward Black on Black and Black on White. Then look to restoring the cities, you can only bring industry back once they are safe.
3. Trump, Trump, Trump, most of what was talked about today was that buffoon. Lord spare me, better I should be Job. Oh, well, this too shall pass. And that’s the way the Republicans need to address “The” Donald, Donny baby, go play with your expensive toys.
Yes there is a lot of anger among Conservatives. Whenever I get a call from one of the party organizations asking for money, if I don’t hang up immediately, I give them an earful. I do this because I believe I need to increase my blood pressure to counteract the plaque build up in my arteries. I have been told this is not a medically sound practice. So, here’s a tactic to use on Donald.
Start out polite, listen to what he says. He’s appealing to us angry conservatives, so maybe you’ll learn a thing or two about why we’re peevish. When you can separate an issue from the bombast, address it. Otherwise like other types of troublesome storms, this blowhard too will blow himself out, then address an issue you feel needs attention. As with Job, eventually patience will pay off.
Frankly, I have some real concerns about Donny’s motivations. What! Attacking his patriotism? Yup, here’s another narcissist, he’s either feeding his ego or his pocket book. Bank on it.
Thus endeth today’s lesson.
