Martlet's Blog

Who's sidewalk is it?  Is it my property?  If so, why do I have to shovel my sidewalk?  I'm not forced to shovel my driveway.  Why do I even need a sidewalk?  Can I rip it out?  If not, why not?  After all, it's mine, right?

Does it belong to the city?  If so, why don't THEY shovel it?  After all, it's theirs.  Why do I have to shovel their sidewalk?  Do I have to plow their streets, too? 

If it IS theirs, and it's on MY property, why don't they get it off?   Put it on the side of the street.  Designate a walkway.  Then, they can plow the street AND the sidewalk at the same time.  If the sidewalk doesn't get plowed, they can ticket the town.

However will the state increase it's revenue stream?

I really get sick of hearing that.  The "experts" talk about it.  The news anchors talk about it.  The Governor talks about it.  The Mayor talks about it.  Every discussion is about how broke the country/state/town is, so how are we going to increase revenue.  Why won't anyone consider doing the responsible thing and cut spending?

When times get tough, most  families tighten the purse strings.  They don't run out looking for new ways to rob the neighborhood.  Only crooks, and the government, does that.  Hmmmm.

Where did we, as a state, go wrong?  We had such a great beginning, crossing a great ocean for freedom, then fighting off oppressive tyranny.   Now our great babysitters on Beacon Hill would cause our ancestors to roll over in their graves.

Banning cigar bars is just the icing on the cake.   It's a cigar bar.  Wait, let's read that again:  CIGAR bar.

Who enters cigar bars?  What do the patrons of a cigar bar do there?  How could I possibly avoid the deadly air inside a cigar bar?   Hmmmm.  Ban them?

 Wait.  You mean I could just not go IN a cigar bar?  What if I want to go into a cigar bar to buy soap.  I don't want to have my life shortened by the noxious fumes. 

Huh?  I can buy soap next door, but I can't buy soap at a cigar bar?  What do they sell there?  Cigars?  I hate cigars.  They should sell soap, instead, because that's what I want them to sell.

Idiocy

Banning smoking in ANY privately owned place is idiocy.  If I want smokers to light up in MY business, and people don't like it, they don't have to eat/shop there.  It's quite simple, really.  If I lose too much business as a result, I'll change my rules or go out of business.  Either way, it's my choice, and yours.

For the record, I'm a non-smoker.  I'm just a non-smoker who thinks I, and the government, has no business telling private citizens what they can and can't do with the property they own.

Well, so much for that crap.  For the last 4 years all we've heard from Democrats is how much they support the troops, but not the war.   Now, I'm not talking about "normal" Democrats.  While I disagree with many of their beliefs, I can at least respect their logic and I honestly believe they want to see a better America.  I just don't agree with their method of achieving it.  I'm talking about the extreme liberals.  The moveon liberals.  Unfortunately, they are so vocal and active, the candidates pander to them.

We all knew that their claims of support for the troops was a smokescreen, but the issue wasn't worth debating.  Until now, that is.  As with most liars, it's only a matter of time before their true colors are shown.  They just couldn't restrain themselves when Petraeus took the mic.   Maybe they just don't know what a soldier does.  Perhaps they aren't familiar with professionalism.  It could be they just don't understand how intently they focus on the mission, each other, and success.

 Let me help them a little.  A soldier is given a mission.  They look to their left and right.  They look at the leadership above them and the soldiers below them.  The politics, even though they have a personal opinion, don't matter.  Whether they think the liberals are traitors or the President is an idiot doesn't matter.  Their job is to accomplish the task they are assigned, and bring as many soldiers home alive as they can.  Maybe General Petraeus doesn't agree with the war.  Maybe he does.  Maybe, regardless of his views, he stays there because he believes he's the best man for the job.  Perhaps he believes deep down, that he stands the best chance of bringing more soldiers through this alive than anyone else, and accomplish the mission at the same time.

 See, politics are fought in DC.  Political theatre has a place in the news and sites like Moveon, or even this one.  It doesn't have a place in a soldier's heart.  I honestly believe the General, regardless of his views, has taken that crap sandwich he was handed by politicians and is trying his best to make the most of it.  For his soldiers.  For himself.  For his country.  To call his integrity into question without reason, is sickening.  To call him an outright liar, thus implying YOU, who has sat here in the states watching the news, or perhaps visited Iraq once or twice to play it safe in the green zone, knows more than he does, is an embarrassment.  You should be ashamed. 

So what do you do?  You waste our time with idiotic resolutions.  Don't insult the General further.  You want to show your support?  Then actually support him.  But you couldn't even do that.  You couldn't even support a symbolic resolution of support for a man who has had his name dragged through the mud for the simple crime of loving his country and taking on a task most of you have run from.  Thanks Senator Clinton.  Thanks Senator Kerry.  Thank you Senator Kennedy.  Not one of you is worthy of washing the General's feet.    It pains me to think you hold office in this great nation.  The best thing about living in Massachusetts is the chance I get to vote against two of you.