Murdered Six Year Olds

By Charles E. "Chuck" Marshall

     I've been avoiding the news about what happened in Connecticut on purpose.  First of all, the fact that it was mostly six and seven year old children makes me want to vomit.  Second of all,  I don't want to hear the media turn this into another circus;   "How could this have happened?" I don't know why it happened, and I pray for the victims' families., but I won't listen to the media dig for "reasons" for why it happened.   There is no logical "reason".  Why did the holocaust happen? Why did 9/11 happen? Why did Stalin purposely starve millions of his own people to death in the 1930's?   Why did Romans nail human beings, including the son of God to wooden crosses until they died of the pain?  There is Evil in the world, that's why it happened.

     What made this guy do it?  I'm sure none of us will ever really know, but I sincerely hope that he  (I can't recall, 'nor do I care what his name is) is rotting in hell right now and that he is enjoying his close encounter with Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, most of the Roman emperors, and all the other animals that have inhabited this planet in our history.  Who murders 6 year old children but those of such ilk ?  

     I already wrote a blog regarding the nut case that murdered the people in that theater in Colorado., so anyone who is curious as to my opinion on the "crime and punishment" of such people can read that blog,  I wrote it in July and it's titled "Movie Massacre in Colorado".  

   One big legitimate question remains that I feel compelled to address;  "Is there a way to avoid such an incident again?"  I know there is talk of more gun control, but I sincerely have my doubts such a strategy will work.  The country already has millions of such weapons out there on the loose, and nobody will be able to wrest those from the gun loving fanatics that own them.   I cannot relate to this passion for wielding weapons, but it is in the constitution and they are within their right.  The only thing I can think that might help is to arm schools and places of congregation so that any gunman... no matter how "mad" he is, will think twice before marching in to risk  getting his own head blown off before he finishes whatever it is his diseased mind seeks to accomplish.  ALSO, we need to start taking much more care of the mentally ill as far as diagnosis and incarceration.  If someone is showing signs of violence they need to be watched and they need to have restriction of movement, regardless of how "unfair" it may seem.  They cease to have the "right" to become integrated into society when they start fantasizing about murdering innocent people.  We owe it to our children.   We owe it to the 20 six and seven year old children that had their lives robbed from them in such a brutal, violent way.... and we owe it to their parents that now have a hole in their hearts and in their lives that will almost certainly never really heal.  


In My Humble Opinion,

Chuck Marshall

Goo Goo Traitors and Why Mitt Romney Lost

OK< so Obama won the election., so what now?  I guess as a right leaning Independent it's not nearly as devastating to me as it is right now for all those Republicans out there., especially the "Tea Party" Republicans. There's actually a small movement to "secede" from the union going on here in Florida.  Secede?  Well, you're probably not going to get too far here since Florida voted for Obama... Duh!  Anyway, there's a similar movement in Texas.  Now, Texas is another story since at one point it was its own country and of course Texas voted for Romney.  What's my opinion of all this talk?   I think they're all a bunch of little babies and traitors,  and  today I dub them the the "goo-goo traitors".   Now is the time to stand behind our President and bid him well that he might fix the problems many of us felt  Romney was better capable of doing.  We should encourage bipartisanship from Congress and the President in the interest of our country.  The election is over, the people have spoken.

But anyway, enough about the "goo-goo traitors".  I want to elaborate a little bit about why I think Romney lost.  These are my "5 reasons why Mitt Romney lost"  the election.

1)  The 47% comment.  You can't insult nearly half the country referring to them as having a "victim mentality" and then expect to be voted their leader !  They're not that stupid !

2)  Over 70% of the Hispanic vote went to Obama.  That's truly pathetic.  There is absolutely no excuse for him to have done that bad with Hispanics except that he has a very miserable and ineffective campaign/marketing team.  Hispanics make up over 16% of the population,  and it's  my understanding the Romney campaign did little to pursue that vote.  Sad. On the same note, personally I noticed on the pop station I listen to (which would naturally have younger audience) that it was all Obama ads.... not one Romney ad.  I guess his "crack" team of marketers spent all his money on the Fox network, so he could effectively "preach to the choir".  Oh brother !

3)  The Republicans have let the Tea Party have too much say in their party and now they're suffering the consequences.  After the fiasco over the last two years people are afraid the Republicans are DE-volving instead of E-volving... which is appropriate since there is a substantial part of the Tea Party that is said to doubt Evolution.  I've heard some top Republicans mention they think Romney was too far to the middle !  The only reason he gave Obama a run for the money was because he was towards the middle.  If the Republicans had nominated Newt Gingrich or Rick Santorum as their candidate the election would have been such a laughingstock that the GOP would have never lived it down.  Seriously.

4)  Romney is very smart, hard working and I agree with a lot of his ideas but he just didn't excite people enough.  He was sometimes very good, but other times very dull.  He didn't close the deal with that frozen smile of his.  

5)  The Debates nearly saved him, but then the last two debates were ineffective and he let the President recover the fumble from the first debate.  Romney should have probably gone after the jugular in the third debate as it was obvious the President had been playing politics with the assassination of our Ambassador in Libya.  Maybe not such a horrible crime, but it was a breech in his defensive lines that could have been capitalized on.  When Romney had him pinned to the floor with a blatant lie, he let that lady from CNN steal his thunder as she tried to pull him off the President's throat.  That could have been the thrust that pierced Obama's shield, but he just wasn't sharp enough.  

In My Humble Opinion........

President Obama and the Benghazi Incident

There has been an enormous amount of interest paid to the the murder of our ambassador in Libya and how it played out last month.  I should say, at least an enormous of amount of interest paid by Fox !  The rest of the media seems detached from the entire thing, treating it like a curiosity more than a serious news story.  Why?

If you're not familiar, in a nutshell, what happened was this;  The week our ambassador to Libya and the three other men were killed on Sept. 11, 2012 it would appear that a lot more was known by the President and the state department than they cared to admit.   Emails leaked from someone to Reuters (not Fox !) showed that it was already clear the day of the attack (clear to the state department - which logically would clue in the White House) that this was a terrorist attack.  Rather than reveal the truth of the situation, The White House took the opportunity offered by the flair-up of riots and protests in Cairo, Egypt to imply that this wasn't a terrorist attack but another of the same empty-headed riots over some absurd video on You Tube.  They went so far as to have the President's press secretary announce that "there was no evidence this was a terrorist attack".  The President's ambassador to the UN clarified to all the Sunday morning news programs;  "We have no evidence that this was a terrorist attack".  The President himself spoke on late night talk shows and even before the United Nations., essentially the same story.  Not for a couple of weeks were they honest about the situation because it was becoming embarrassingly obvious that it was NOT a random riot over a video.  

So, the interest in this is because it looks like the President and the state department were caught in a lie.  Not just one lie, but a whole series of lies.   Evidently they thought if they told the lie over and over often enough it would morph into the truth.   Now that the world knows it was an organized terrorist attack, the President and all his minions are of the attitude that they "just didn't know".  The President went so far as to express in his second debate with Mitt Romney that he DID call it a terrorist attack the day after the murders;  Sept. 12.  The reality is he referred to the horror of terrorism in reference to Sept. 11, 2001 not the events of the day preceding.  I guess he has taken lessons from his friend President Clinton that you can confuse enough people with word play and answers such as "It depends on what your definition of "is" is."  In this case, "I spoke the truth but you didn't know it at the time... only I knew it".  (Candy Crawford of CNN knew it too as she referred to it at the debate- undercutting Romney's line of questioning- I guess she read the President's mind- remarkable !).

Although Fox can be ridiculously slanted, this time this Independent (and I would imagine a lot of others) wants answers just as much as the Republicans that sit every night with rapt attention watching Bill O'Reilly and Shawn Hannity.  What was known by the President, the Secretary of State, the CIA and the FBI the week after the assassination and why weren't we told the truth?

Shame on the mainstream media for letting this one go, and shame on the President and all those that report to him for feeling entitled to not only withhold the truth but also to ignore repeated requests to ask questions about the incident.   Shame on Candy Crawford for undercutting Mitt Romney when he was insisting on the truth from the President.  With the exception of Fox, the major networks are not doing their job to find the truth no matter the possible political consequences of what they discover.  Even if it means sinking the President's chances for re-election.  The truth is the truth., blind folded, balanced and just.

In My Humble Opinion,

Chuck Marshall

A Letter to the Candidates

Loyal readers, in honor of tonight's political debate, I have a fantasy letter for Romney/Obama I wanted to share.   I am considering submitting it to the Orlando Sentinel as another guest column but figured I'd get some feedback first, so don't be shy with your opinion !   Thanks.

Dear Mr. President and Mr. Governor,

     I wanted to ask you both what your plans are for the national deficit ?   I hear lots of talk about the Middle East, the economy, entitlements, global warming, jobs,  abortion, he said, he didn't say,  they both said.... but I want to hear from you both about the biggest threat to our nation's future, the national deficit?  As you are both aware, we are in debt by $16 Trillion.   Neither of you really seems to have a plan.  Each of your parties are responsible for this debt.   Governor Romney, President Bush ran up a $10 Trillion of debt waging two wars and establishing Homeland Security but then he refused to raise one dime of taxes to pay for it all.   President Obama, you have increased the national debt by 40% in only 4 years, outpacing Mr. Bush's glaring irresponsibility by 20%.  The Republican controlled House of Representatives has refused to raise one penny of taxes (many of them because they signed a "pledge" not to raise taxes, ever, ever, never) and your Democratic companions in the Senate have never heard of a problem that couldn't be solved by spending money, a philosophy which you seem to agree with.  My money, our money, the nation's money.  So gentlemen, keeping in mind you have to get this plan past Congress, what is your plan?  

     The USA Titanic is headed towards an iceberg that is the United States National Deficit and you are very short on lifeboats.    Your passengers, the American public are largely oblivious to the looming danger but there is a vague sense of unease at the idea they are riding on a "so called" unsinkable economy.  Soon they could be set off in a panic as our economy's hull is punctured by the reality of an unprepared government.   Quickly  the icy cold waters of fiscal irresponsibility will pour into the steam engine of our economy.  It will be easier than ever to blame the groups that are truly responsible for not reacting to the iceberg on time.  Nobody reacted because the two parties were too busy arguing whether to pull hard to starboard or hard to port.  Please tell me of a believable plan that not only makes sense but can conceivably pass through both houses of Congress, whether they be Republican or Democratically controlled.  Please be that captain with the nerve and character and temerity to steer our ship simply to safety. 

Mr. Obama Needs to Go

I promised you loyal readers that I would offer up my reasoning for preferring that we fire our current President,  Mr. Barack Obama.  So..... here it is.... four reasons I believe the President needs to go.

Before I start,  I would like to say I am not an Obama hater.  I do not have an intense dislike for him and I really don't think he's a communist conspirator like so many Republicans seem to believe.  I actually think he seems like a nice person, he loves his wife and his lovely daughters...... I think he'd be easy to have a beer with and chat about football, or whatever.  I think he is working very, very hard to make our country better (in his mind).  I just think he's not a very good President.


Number 1.   Nationalized health care, aka Obamacare.  Not because I am totally opposed to new ideas to get health care under control, but for the fact that he wasted 2 years of his valuable time on the ever- present Democratic dream of  "health care for all".   I agree he inherited a terrible economy, the national situation was  alarming......so,  he decides to focus on this one issue?   He was punished for this in the elections of 2010, which lead to the very extreme Tea Party taking over the Republican party thus dooming any sort of bi-partisan action on the part of Congress.  The government essentially stopped.  This was all a direct consequence of his arrogance, incompetence and inexperience.    

Number 2.  President Obama came into office with very little experience "running" anything and it showed.  This is equivalent to giving the job of the CEO for an Engineering firm to a recent law school graduate !    Obama was a Senator for 4 years at the national level.   Four Years !  For half that four years he was running for President.   It is testament to our pathetic process of electing leaders that someone so totally unprepared and unqualified to become the most powerful man in the world, nevertheless, became the most powerful man in the world.  

Number 3.  $16,000,000,000,000.  That's a lot of zeros.  That's how much our country owes.  Mr. President doesn't seem to think this is really that worrisome.   To any thinking American, this is terrifying.  How can we sustain our spending habits with this massive debt load underlying all economic activity in this country?   If there is not some sort of logical,  realistic plan to correct this we WILL be in a depression when the entire economic system falls in upon itself.   I don't see Mr. Obama doing anything to fix it.  Why would you fix something you don't even believe is a problem?

Number 4.  The President promised to bring the country together.  I have never seen this country so diametrically opposed as it is now.  He flat-out failed on this endeavor.

So, there you have it.  That's why I don't think Barack Obama should be re-elected to the Presidency.

Political Circus With Elephants and Jack Asses

    I have never been a big fan of the political party conventions.  Mostly it's a lot of empty rhetoric with each party's most prominent members announcing all the great things that they stand for and all the things they promise to do if they are elected.  Of course the picture they paint of themselves is much more flattering than the reality and of course, they never really follow through on their promises.  It's all a dog and pony show.  A circus.  "Elect us and our party because we want the power"  is what they really mean.

     This year is no different.  Anyone who reads this blog is aware of my opinion of the parties., so it should not surprise you that I have very little good to say about the conventions.   What concerns me is that the parties are so very different from each other.  I see very little similarity except their supposed love of our country.  If they really love our country they will find a way to reach a  common ground on our most critical issues.  We need cooperation between the parties, not constant bickering and vilifying of each other as we see at these conventions.  Not, "we're always right and their always wrong".  Not,  "Our philosophy is better than theirs".  They are too far apart.  I don't see it improving and I really wish there was more power for the Independents or at least a moderate party.  Why is there no voice for the middle political spectrum?  It confounds me !  What's equally concerning is that as the parties get further apart their more moderate thinkers are leaving their respective parties for "non party affiliation".  So, the parties are shrinking but they still have the power !

     Ironically what seems to have been the more applauded speech, by both extremes of political thought (assuming Obama's speech tonight is his usual word exercise) was Bill Clinton's speech.  I agree with this opinion.   His was the only speech that really addressed the true issues and challenges of our country based on facts with with specifics AND he had the guts to mention the national debt out loud in front of all those Democrats.  Although I don't agree with his defense of the President, he did have a well worded excuse for the disaster of the last 4 years.  Don't worry Democrats, I say the last 4 years but the 8 years previous to that were a disaster too.  See, I'm fair !

     Anyway, as the parties hoot and holler in Tampa and Charlotte we the people, the middle class, decent, hard-working Americans move closer to extinction because their incompetence is solving nothing. They have no new solutions but plenty of empty rhetoric.  I saw nothing new expressed in Tampa and I have seen nothing new in Charlotte (so far),   I don't anticipate being shocked with a suddenly eloquent Charlie Crist tonight 'nor an acceptance speech from our President that does anything more than fill the air with beautifully worded promises that, we now know not to actually expect.   Some promises will not be repeated because even Mr. Obama doesn't have that much "audacity".   The promise I speak of was his beautiful oratory that rang out the clarion call of "bringing the country back together".   That was one whopper he told that cannot be painted over with eloquent words.  There is no possibility of reconciliation between political ideas and thought in our country as long as  the Republicans and Democrats have the most power.

A Futile Cycle of Government Funded Poverty

I'm feeling sort of guilty for laying into the Republicans last week.  My wife says I was "a bit harsh" and that I'd better treat the Democrats just as bad.  So, there you have it., those are my marching orders.   Also, I did want to apologize for calling the Tea Party - "mouth breathers".   Sorry.

As an Independent who use to be a Republican, I am definitely more "right" leaning than left and the contempt I have for the Republicans and their cronyism goes doubly for the "let us help you out" Democrats. The Democrats in many ways are worse than Republicans because their attitude towards the poor is that they cannot help themselves.  At least the underlying philosophy of the Republicans is that all people are capable of bettering themselves.  They have faith in the abilities of the downtrodden.  The Dems, in essence see  the poor as incapable of bringing themselves out of their situation so the only solution is to steal from the rich via "progressive" taxation.  This has two evils;  1)  The highly condescending attitude that certain groups of people just can't make it on their own.  The poor might love the welfare check they've been promised by the politician but they will never know the fulfillment of getting a job and supporting themselves no matter the struggle required.  The pride of success.  (Not to mention the fact that welfare does not work- it is a futile cycle of government supported poverty ).    2)  Much like any socialist their strategy is to get elected by promising everybody without money the money of those that do have money.   Of course they don't put it like that, they say it's the government's responsibility to "help" the poor.  We all know the  real consequence is it's the money of our future and our children's future that they are spending with such glee and abandon.   In the words of  British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher,  "The problem with socialism is eventually you run out of other people's money".

The frightening  reality of the words in these blogs regarding our country's two political parties is that each side is so far apart.  They are much further apart than I have seen before.    Neither party is really for the middle class or the small business or for the American people.  They are there for themselves.  That is the sad truth.  As long as each of these parties is swapping power in DC,  our government will be existing first and foremost for itself.    All the talk about working for the American people and "saving the middle class" is nothing more than a lot of empty rhetoric.

Maybe, if he wins, Romney will be different.... Maybe things will change....Maybe.  

I Don't Like Your Party- But I Like Your Candidate

Well, I guess since the GOP's big convention is coming up I better start remarking on the upcoming election, after all, this is a political blog !

As an Independent, I try to see both sides of issues.  Someone once implied that I'm a moderate more than an Independent and there's a lot of truth to that.  If there was a party that offered compromise, duality, and an intelligent approach to governing then I would join that party.  Unfortunately, such a thing does not exist today.

Today we have the Republican party swaying more to the right than ever before.  They are joined at the hip with the "mouth breathing" Tea Party.  They are unyielding on abortion and hypocritically push their "no government involvement" philosophy with the glaring exception of the American bedroom.   They dismiss all defense of the environment as a "liberal" conspiracy and deny any problems with global warming therefor leaving our big mess to grow ever worse for our children.  They go on about the "middle class" when in reality, they are in the back pocket of most of the corporate lobbyists on K street and consistently kill any attempt to close corporate loopholes.  They kiss up to the evangelicals with no intention of following through on their promises.  (No group is more used by the GOP than the right wing evangelicals) They are in full support of cutting absolutely everything in government with the exception of the military.  Never the military because they love America being the world's cop, and they have no problem sending our young men to die for the problems of other countries.  They refuse to compromise.  I don't like them.  

But as I have mentioned before during the primaries, I have liked Romney from the beginning.  He is relatively moderate, he is faithful, he has impeccable morals.  He has experience running a business and experience getting companies out of trouble.  Now he has a running mate who also has  impeccable credentials, he is a straight shooting "numbers" guy, he sees the national debt and runaway spending as a very serious problem AND he has realistic solutions to this issue.  I like them.

My support is for Mitt Romney in this election and I will definitely be voting for him. That is assuming there will be no  "Joe Paterno" like shocker occurring.  In my next blog I will elaborate on the problems I see with President Obama and why I think he should be fired by the American people.

Intelligent Government, An Oxymoron? Part 4

Ok, so we've established that the first step is to remove money from the election process (please see "Intelligent Government, An Oxymoron? parts 1-3 if you don't know what I'm talking about).   This is the first step in our "getting government smart" series "Election Reform Amendment".

The first question that jumps in my head is  "How do we implement such a plan?"   In order to draw out the best potential leaders we have to begin harvesting from existing leadership.    So your religious leaders, Toastmasters, Kiwanis, business leaders, any and all local leadership and even military leaders are open to nomination for positions of local leadership.  Once these leaders have gone through a nomination process from those that know them, each person that is interested in actually running will begin the process of speaking, debating, and having their positions and ideas submitted for review through the local media.  No money is necessary because the facilities where debates and speeches will be located would be at local places for gathering such as civic centers.  NO MORE of these mysterious people who come out of nowhere with bundles of money to start doing the bidding of some select group.  Only local leadership who have shown what they can do and accomplish for their fellow citizens as leaders and administrators.   One other great benefit;  not all of our leaders will be restricted to lawyers.  Hallelujah !

What about higher levels of government ?   As each person is elected to a lower level of government then they qualify for the next level of government., there is no way to go higher unless you have served at the lowest level.  With this requirement you will always be getting the best of the best as you go to a higher level.  In theory, within about 30 years we will have a fully, effective, efficient President who has demonstrated through years of work and dedication to his people that he is essentially the most talented leader in the land.  How can anyone argue against such a circumstance?

I know there are details about all this that would need to be worked out but the details could be hammered out according to local custom and preference.  As long as the structure is there that all leadership nominated must start at the very bottom levels, and that no money is needed, necessary, offered or required. It would strictly be the people listening to the candidate and voting on exactly what he or she thinks, believes, his or her composure,  his or her experience as a leader, and his or her position on the concerns of the governed.  Nothing else.

Disrespect for Olympian Lochte Earns My Wrath

A writer for the Orlando Sentinel (well, actually the Tribune company, so he may be in Chicago... I don't know) wrote an article on Friday, August 3 in which he disrespected my fellow Gator, and Olympic hero Ryan Lochte with a nasty little article implying he's nothing more than a self-satisfied playboy and that his 2 Golds, 2 Silvers and 1 Bronze at the London Olympics are not to be cheered.  Like most Floridians, I've been proud to see Ryan on the international scene, rivaling the mighty Michael Phelps and as a University of Florida alumni (like myself) it's all the more compelling to root for Mr. Ryan.  "Jeah!".  Not only a fellow Floridian and Gator but also half Cuban like my kids !   What's not to like !  So..... when I read this babbling, catty article by David Haugh, you all know faithful readers that I couldn't just "let it go".  The Orlando Sentinel was kind enough to print my letter of protest yesterday, Saturday August 4.

Here it is;


"Lochte hardly failed even next to Phelps" 

Regarding David Haugh's column "Another golden day at Olympics" on Friday about Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte: I was disgusted by the bitter commentary on Lochte's so-called failure for bringing home "only" five medals (two gold, two silver and a bronze).
He even went so far as to say that "we may never look at Ryan Lochte the same again." I have been proud to watch a citizen of Florida demonstrate such tenacity in competition and such grace and class in loss (if you can call silver and bronze medals losses).
His close friendship with Phelps seems sincere, and all Americans should be proud that two rivals showed the world what friendly competition can look like.
Although both swimmers certainly have different personalities, both are also well-known contributors of time and money to children's charities, and I don't agree that one can be held above the other regarding scruples, as Haugh implies.
Please stop trying to make everything into good versus bad, moral versus immoral, right versus left and for once focus on that which binds us together during these Olympics — that we are all Americans, and we should be proud of Phelps, Lochte and all the Olympians who do their best in London this summer.

Charles E. Marshall Clermont

Intelligent Government, An Oxymoron ? Part 3

Remove the Money from the Election Process
(The Election Reform Amendment- Article 1)


Here it is loyal readers !  The first installment of what I think would be the best approach to turning our government into a thinking, intelligent and wise organization instead of the blithering, idiotic, colossally incompetent group of greedy, power-hungry toads that it is now.

Remove the money.  In other words, all elections are no longer funded by anyone at all.  Most people I mention this to are totally confused because they (and all of us) are so use to elections costing as much as a billion dollars (ie,  for the presidential election for 2008).  But why does it cost that much?  Because of media advertisements.   Television commercials are the bulk of it, but also newspaper ads, political signage, mailers, etc.....  The overwhelming majority of the expenses for campaigns are for the marketing.  Why is marketing necessary?  It's not if you look at the election process from a different perspective.  Think about it, all citizens need is the following to make an educated decision;

1) To hear each candidates opinions on all major issues of the day in their own words
2)  To hear the candidate speak in an address to their constituents as to what their vision is for the future.
3)  To read a list of each candidate's opinion on all the major issues of the day.
4)  To hear the candidates debate each other in a moderated fashion.
5)  To read and understand each candidate's qualifications/resume.  Much like a job interview., "What about your experience makes you qualified for this leadership position that you desire?".
6) Any and all prosecuted crimes to be fully disclosed.  Any and all matters that have fallen under the eyes of the court in the past, including divorce, etc.... are to be fully disclosed.

None of this requires all the marketing nonsense we are constantly exposed to.  All that's required is the following;  1) publication of these points listed above via the media  2)  Public buildings for the speeches and debates.  3) A process for selecting the nominees that will yield the best possible people for these positions.

No money required.

Movie Massacre in Colorado

After viewing the news regarding the creature that killed the movie-goers in Colorado this past Friday morning, I have felt compelled to throw something up  (so to speak)  on my blog regarding the murders.  First and foremost to anyone who might have known or even been related to the citizens that were taken from us,  I must offer my most sincere thoughts and prayers to you and your loss.  Let none of my comments diminish my most sincere feelings of outrage at this dark void created in your lives by this demonic, barbaric troll.  

When things like this happen we all want to know "how could this have happened?".  It reminds me of an old Woody Allen movie where one of the main characters mentions watching a documentary on the Holocaust, the character states; 

"They keep asking, 'how could this have happened, how could this have happened?'  when given the current mindset of the modern world,  a more appropriate question would be;  'why doesn't it happen more often?'."

 I know this doesn't demonstrate much of a positive outlook towards our fellow man, but I do think there is some truth to it.  First;  We live in a world of entertainment where violence is a huge portion of what is consumed by the population.  Second, There are a lot of people out there who are not totally in contact with reality (for whatever reason).  Third, We live in a country that makes it very easy to get whatever weapons you might want (with all due respect to licensing.....  that's like using an iron shield to prevent a Howitzer from firing).   I think but for the grace of God we have been very fortunate.   It is a bit of a wonder it doesn't happen more often.  

Since this is a political blog, I must start by predicting what our beloved leaders will do to drag this whole situation into the usual partisan political boxing match.   The Democrats will demand more control of guns and restrictions for public gatherings so that somehow their rules and regulations will make it all better for us and we can sit comfortably in their fabricated world of secrurity and chain link fences.   Safe and secure from the crazies.  As usual they feel if they can control the situation it will eliminate the problem.  The Republicans will bend over to the National Rifleman's Association and conclude all restrictions of concealed weapons should be abolished so that we can all protect ourselves.... the wild west back again !  As usual, they feel if they can empower the individual while simultaneously boosting the bottom line of their favorite lobbyists......then what's the problem?  Keep in mind I'm not saying these things will happen, I'm saying if either side had complete control of the government they would happen.  (Mercifully, they do not).  As long as the two parties run the show, nothing will ever get done to prevent another calamity because they don't cooperate on anything.  This is the one "definite" here.

What would an intelligent, wise government do under such a circumstance?  Since none has really ever existed (as my series;  Intelligent Government;  An Oxymoron?" has been elaborating on... stay tuned loyal readers !)  I can only hypothesize.  First, an intelligent government would remove the incentive for any person to do such a thing as what was done in Colorado.   The murderer is after notoriety so..... remove the fame.  All investigation of the person should be restricted from public observation.  No media information other than the victims and details of what happened., there should be nothing of the person who did it.  That should be true all the way to the day they die.  Don't give him what he wants.  Refer to him (or her) only as "Mass Murderer Number XYZ" No nicknames (The Boston Strangler !), no titles ("John Wilkes Booth"- as if he's now to have his name announced rather than spoken), none of that subtle celebration of the butcher..... just  "Mass Murderer # 5897", nothing to be proud of as he sits in his 10' X 10' cell for the rest of his life.  Second, make the punishment fit the crime.  Since he loves guns so much that's all the reading material he would get;  nothing but guns he'll never be able to use.   Any other reading material would be only information regarding the people they murdered., their lives, their families, their hopes and aspirations, their journals, pictures and anything the immediate family would like to say to the murderer regarding their loved one.  Third, no death penalty.  Life in prison.   These people aren't afraid to die, they're afraid to live.  Make them live with the guilt for the rest of their lives.  Let the guilt eat away at them as each day passes consuming their every day thoughts like a cancer on their soul.  A diseased, blackened soul with no cure but for perhaps true remorse and repentance that only God could see or forgive.   

Wouldn't it be great  if we could stop enabling perpetrators with thoughts of attention, and glory and notoriety.  Let's make them think about the probable punishment and consequences to their actions.  Then maybe it won't be worth it anymore to any of these freaks that imagine themselves the "Joker" or history making assassins.  Give them reason to keep it all as just a fantasy in their twisted, small minds. 

Intelligent Government; An Oxymoron? Part 2

                                     The state of our current "so called" leadership



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"Sir or Madame Toad"  

Anyone who pays any attention to our government and its inner-workings has to be alarmed at the woeful state of our current leadership.  I could drone on about all that's wrong with it, but let me show some restraint and state simply that it no longer functions as a democratically elected leadership.  No, today we have the best politicians that money can buy.   Although it should go without saying (but let me say it anyway) that a great politician does NOT make a great leader.  In fact, quite the contrary.  What you get with a great politician is a smooth talker who can sell anyone on anything but who never actually delivers on any promises.  The politician makes promises he has no intention of keeping., and so the entire process of electing him is a farce.  The great politician is in love with the idea of power for the sake of power, ie, to stoke his ego and make him (or her) feel important and above the dim witted dolts that elect him or her.  His interest in "improving" things applies only in as much as it can present a convincing case for him/her to be elected.   That is always the point of their running for office,  nothing more.  If something is accomplished and something good comes out of the politician's election then it is a happy circumstance that we must all marvel at, that "even the losers, get lucky sometime" as Tom Petty put it.

     We don't need anymore politicians, we need leaders.  We need men and women that want to make things better for our country and our countrymen not for themselves.  Like our forefathers, they must be willing to sacrifice, they must be dedicated to liberty for all citizens, they must possess great fortitude, honesty, they must be above the fray of political bickering  and be committed to the betterment of mankind.  The men that can lead all of us to greater "peace,  prosperity and domestic welfare" are alive and among us, but they would probably not run for office because they know all too well that they could never occupy a position of leadership in today's world.  The system is not set up to select the best leader like themselves, it's set up to select the best politician.

     So, today that's what we have in Washington and Tallahassee.  A group of self congratulating, self promoting, greedy, epicurean, partisan, bickering, childish, opportunistic, small minded, crafty little toads.  A full house of ineffective politicians who think all this is just a game for them to play in front of the media to make points for their favorite cable TV network. Talking points for the spin Dr.s and their cable TV watching groupies.  Always the question is "Who had the best "shot" today?" and rarely is any noble objective to improve things or fix a problem the subject of discussion except in passing.  An afterthought.

So, the first order of business, now that we've ironed out the first great reason for such an unintelligent government is at hand.  How do we get the best leaders to the position of leading without netting a bunch of toad politicians at the same time?   I would not say it necessarily has to be the FIRST thing done, but it is one  among several issues that I will elaborate on that SHOULD be done and their order depends on when an opportunity to make these changes mentioned (in this titled blog "Intelligent Government, An Oxymoron?") do present themselves.  In other words, the order probably does matter, but any chance to improve the sad state of government should be leaped upon no matter if the "timing" seems right or not.

Intelligent Government- An Oxymoron - Part 1

As the father of two, and a concerned US citizen., I feel compelled to submit to the cyber world some fine ideas for getting a brain installed into our government.  I'd say "back" into their head, but that would imply that at one point it DID have a brain.  I suspect that has never been true.  If you're a student of history you'll know that governments are never smart, and usually very stupid.  The real question is to what degree are they stupid? Are they monstrously stupid like the Nazis of WWII or, simply too dim witted to know how dumb they are as in our current congress?  But what about past governments here in the US?  Have there not been smart governments in our history?

Uh, well let's take a look.  In the Civil War the Union should have beaten the Confederacy in months,  but they managed to draw that out into a bloody, gruesome, fiasco complete with idiotic military strategy.  Dimwitted generals that seemed unaware of basic physics;  marching thousands of soldiers out into the middle of a field with modern guns aimed at them will result in thousands of men being blown into millions of body parts.  

Our famous forefathers are revered as if they never did anything wrong, but investigation reveals much petty quarreling and our first government barely had the power to rule at all.  Not until the constitution was written was there a modicum of intelligence.  The constitutional government under President Washington was rife with bickering and teetered on collapse many times.  Thanks to his unusual intelligence, leadership and fortitude the republic moved forward.  WE WERE VERY LUCKY !!  Washington was an intelligent and effective leader but he has been the exception in our history.   The last few years has seen hyper stupidity in government like we have never seen.  This is what happens when the people no longer pay attention or are no longer able to understand what their government is doing and therefor stop trying to make a difference.

Our government is ineffective and "stupid" because the people are not informed and the people don't really care.  Not all,  but the majority don't see the connection between Washington, DC and their lives.  Younger adults today especially seem uninformed and ambivalent.  This is the consequence, what we see today.... a  leadership that is little more than a group of very expensive whores up for sale to the highest bidder, and their political campaigns are nothing more than a list of  "promises' that are easily made but never accomplished.     

The Dignity of Manual Labor

I wrote a letter in my previous blog to the Orlando Sentinel regarding the issues with Europe.  In that letter I elaborated on how much I think their problem is that they no longer MAKE anything.  I wrote the letter in frustrated reaction to the French election of a Socialist to their presidency.  But another issue lies between the lines.  Western people feel they are too good to work hard, especially to work hard at manual labor.

It is a well known fact by any business owner that good help is very hard to find.  To get people to actually do manual labor is impossible.  Much of our nation's food would not be harvested if it was up to Americans.  I would wager there is a similar situation in Europe with immigrants from Eastern Europe or northern Africa and the middle east.  The white Europeans wouldn't dare dirty their hands with manual labor but they are more than happy to sit on their asses and collect money from the government.  They have no dignity.

Just over 2 years ago I left a job at a palm farm here in Florida.  I was one of 3 sales reps, while we also had about a dozen field works that tended to the palms.  They also loaded and unloaded trucks.  The Mexican men and women were the hardest working people I've ever seen.  Why?  I don't  believe it's because they are Mexican, I believe it's because they appreciated what they got in return.  Money to buy food and shelter and enough to send to family back in Mexico.  They worked hard because they appreciated the work.  They may be poor, but they support their family and they certainly maintained their dignity.

My wife is from Cuba, as I have mentioned in this blog before.  She has a friend who came from Cuba about 8 years ago.  She immigrated from Cuba with a masters degree in Education.  When she got here, of course, she couldn't just start working as a teacher because of various regulations.  So she worked as a maid for nearly 4 years.  Why would an educated woman work as a maid?  Because she had no other choice.  Now she works as a teacher full time and she certainly has maintained her dignity.

In the superb movie Cinderella Man, one of the most compelling scenes to me was when the protagonist is fighting for the "privilege" of working on a loading dock in New York City.  There were dozens of men nearly begging for a job as was typical during the Great Depression.  Though I would hate to see such a serious economic situation ever again, I must say it was almost refreshing to see people appreciate the idea of work, any work, so very much.  They were begging for a job, but they were also holding on to their dignity.  The dignity that comes from at least "trying" to support yourself.

Such a serious situation is nowhere near existent in today's Great Recession.   The unemployed must understand that there IS work to be done out there, there's plenty of work to do.  But...it's often dirtier and/or hard manual labor.  Pride must be swallowed and if they have to start picking turnips to survive then they better start picking turnips.  We all need to get out of the cart and start pushing.  Once society is set up with the vast majority of people actually producing some thing or service,  then you will see a huge improvement in all the economies of the US and Europe.

In conclusion, our American and Western European societies need to get off our collective thrones and start making things, we need to start doing things to earn money.  Citizens must provide a service to society even if it is hard manual labor.   We no longer have the luxury of letting the unemployed go on forever more because certain jobs are beneath them.  Everyone should be directed to work, no matter what the work.  Anything else is a patronizing disgrace that implies people aren't responsible for themselves and that maybe they just aren't capable.  It is robbing them of their dignity.

In My Humble Opinion.....

Chuck Marshall

CMHO Published in the Orlando Sentinel, Again !

That paper is very good for my writing ego because Lord knows having only 3 followers on my blog isn't doing it ! LOL !

This letter was perpetuated by the election of a socialist to the presidency of France.  Read all about it..... at the link and/or I pasted it here as well.

Letter to the Editor Orlando Sentinel May 10 2012


"Europe in a Quagmire"

The successful election of Socialist Francois Hollande to the French presidency, and the refusal of the Greek people to be steadfast in climbing out of debt, leads me to believe that Europe sits in a quagmire of entitlement that it might never get out of until it hits bottom.

These citizens must face the fact that they no longer produce goods or services at a reasonable price that the world wants to buy. It has nothing to do with what Paris or Athens is willing to dole out, and everything to do with what the people produce and at what price.

Taxing wealthy folks and consequently penalizing them for being smarter and working harder tamps down innovation and drives your most talented citizens overseas.

It may not be obvious today, but it will be obvious to the next generation of Greeks and French.

Charles E. "Chuck" Marshall Clermont

In My Humble Opinion,

Chuck Marshall

The Indignity that is Fidel Castro

Well, I think it's safe to say that Castro has been a burr in the butt of the US for quite some time now.  What a huge influence he has had on the behavior of our government.  Amazing in the irony that such a small man could affect such a great country.  A lot of the American public doesn't know that much about Fidel Castro.  They know he is controversial and that he is regarded as a dictator in a relatively small island country in the Carribean, 90 miles from the southern tip of Florida.  There is, however a lot of confusion in that there are some who regard him as a bit of a hero for standing up to the US for all these years.  Some in Hollywood demonstrate alot of sympathy for Fidel and even go so far as to visit him and his country.   Sean Penn is the best example..... but Barbara Walters famously groveled over him and commented "his personal magnetism is very powerful" (and so was Adolf Hitler's as I understand it).  Robert Redford, Jack Nicholson, Harry Belafonte, Kevin Costner and Steven Spielberg.... the list could go on and on.

Now there is a great controversy because the manager for the Miami Marlins, Ozzie Guillen was quoted in Time magazine as saying that he "loved Castro".   In Kansas City or Chicago this probably wouldn't have been a big deal.  In Miami, Fla.... he might as well have touched the third rail.  Since then, he has apologized and noted that what he actually meant to say was that he couldn't believe that Castro was still in power  (wow, that does sound just like "I love Castro").  Anyway, the man can say whatever he wants because this is a free country.  Unfortunately for him, it is also a capitalist country and when someone doesn't do their job right they can be easily fired.  I recently read a post on Facebook by a very good friend who stated that "this is a bunch of crap" and that Ozzie should be left alone.

 I humbly disagree, and here's why.

My wife immigrated from Cuba when she was 12.  Janet and her family left with nothing but the clothes on their backs (they came by airplane, but that's another topic).  The government doesn't let you take anything with you because everything is owned by the government so how could you justify to them that you can bring along anything personal?   If you left the country, even legally,  you were called a "worm" in Spanish "gusano" and if you were unlucky enough to have people find out that you were leaving BEFORE you actually left (even though it's legal), then your family would be harassed and your home would be egged.  All in the name of  Fidel Castro.  This is a communist country folks,  the people have no rights whatsoever.  People disappear, are imprisoned, and killed for speaking out against Fidel Castro.  So, just imagine your most hated President (be it George Bush or Barack Obama) and imagine that you felt no freedom at all to mention a dislike for ANYTHING he does to ANYONE because you know you could easily be put in prison for a long time for just speaking your mind.    Now imagine that this hated leader whom you can NEVER speak out against- even under your breath (not so much as a whispered "screw Bush") and now imagine that he will be your President for as long as his old heart beats.  (and after that his brother takes over !).  There is no getting rid of him or his ilk.  That is the indignity that the Cuban people have had to endure for over 50 years now.  That's why so many people, like my wife and her family,  fled Cuba with nothing but the clothes on their backs.  They  fled to escape the humiliation of having their businesses "nationalized" and any freedom of speech or activity completely squashed.  They fled to America, so close by, but so very distant in opportunity and liberty.

So, regarding Ozzie Guillen of the Miami Marlins, I think he should be fired.  His job is to lead a team that the community can believe in and support there in South Florida.  How can they do that now, knowing this man had such ineptitude as to praise a dictator they suffered under?   All of Hollywood and the media that sink so low as to praise such a man should be ashamed of themselves for their lack of consideration.  Fidel is a dictator regardless of who he "stood up to".  Their expressions of admiration lead me to conclude they are at best naive, and at worst communist sympathizers that deserve to be sentenced to a few years on the "island paradise" that is Cuba (as Jack Nicholson called it) and let them enjoy themselves as their private property is confiscated and their livelihoods are nationalized for the "common good".  Then I want to hear what their opinion is.

In MY humble opinion,

Chuck Marshall

Rick Santorum... The Last of the Conservatives

"I could wile away the hours
Conferrin' with the flowers
Consultin' with the rain
And my head I'd be scratchin'
While my thoughts were busy hatchin'
If I only had a brain"

It has been a while since I've written on the Republican party's primary and their latest flavor of the month.  It looks like Rick Santorum is the "preferred" conservative by default... all the others self destructed with revealed indiscretions, adultery,  scandals, and above all else;  abject stupidity.  I do have to make a brief comment on Ron Paul. Ron Paul  isn't out of it but of course you can't win a nomination with 10% of your party's approval.  That's too bad, because I actually like Ron Paul., but I do understand the reluctance of the right-wing Republicans what with him wanting peace and all.  Horrible !  Even more so,  he is intelligent  which doesn't seem to be a very high priority.

So, now we have Mitt Romney (whom I have already endorsed in this blog) and Rick Santorum, the last Conservative standing.  Every time I hear Rick Santorum talking I think he sounds like someone a talk show host pulled out of an audience... "hey, you there.... come up here and let's see what you'd do to move our country forward".  I mean, he's so awkward and clumsy with his speeches.  It's like he's not even really sure what he thinks.  Then when he's firm with an opinion, it's something silly like wanting to vomit over a speech Kennedy make back in 1962, OR some remark implying contraception is bad (he does have 7 children, afterall), OR that he thinks Puerto Ricans should learn English before they become a state.  And of course, to keep all the conservatives smiling "Global Warming is a hoax".

As usual, since he's conservative the nut-case right wing Republicans feel like he is just right person to run the most powerful country in the world.  Never mind what his experience is, they only care what he "thinks".    Why should we care that he has no experience in administration?  Why should we care that he has no ideas for firming up the economy ?    In the middle of the worst recession since the Great Depression he commented that the economy is not the most important thing in this election, the most important issue is repealing Obamacare.   I can think of a few other things the President should prioritize besides a two year battle with Congress  (like our current President did).   I'm not a big fan of Obama, but Santorum compared his administration  to Germany in 1939, at the dawn of WW II !   I mean, Nazis !?  Seriously?!

He proceeds to babble on about "family values" and pays lip service to the Christian Right, but just as most Republicans before him, he will do NOTHING for them once in office.  They are the true suckers in all these presidential elections.

As is true for most extreme political thinkers, the more you hear him speak, the more it becomes obvious that his simplistic approach to a very complex country would be a disaster.   Mitt Romney ran a state, he started and ran a successful business, and he commandeered the Winter Olympics, successfully.   We need experience, we need focus on restoring the American middle class.  We need intelligence.   We need Mitt Romney.

In My Humble Opinion.....

Chuck Marshall

Separation of Church and Steak

There has been a lot of conversation about the separation of church and steak and I just wanted to say that I don't think there's a problem with steak in the church.  I have had steak at my church on several different occasions and was none the worse for it all.

Steak is good food and JC never said anything about it.  He did cast demons into the pigs which makes me hesitate to eat pork, especially since JC was Jewish and Jews don't eat pork.

For some obvious reasons I can see separating beans from the church, especially before any services.  I would support separation of church and beans.

There is a separation of church and wine that doesn't make sense to me.  Jesus turned water into wine (rather famously) but then when they serve communion we have to drink punch not wine?!  I would encourage no separation of church and wine.  Give me my wine with my cracker !

Should there be separation of church and other foods?  I would enjoy your comments.

Republican Party or Tea Party?

I've watched with interest this past  year as the Republican Party seems to be  morphing into the Tea Party.    I find it hard to distinguish the two.  What bugs me is if I'm going to vote for someone with a R in front of their name, I don't really know if that means the GOP I grew up with or the newly formed "Tea Party"?  I can't tell anymore !  Unfortunately for them, that means I'm now more inclined to consider the D candidate.  At least I know what I'm voting for in that circumstance. 

I don't like the Tea Party.  I find them ignorant and hysterical, unreasonable, unyielding, unfriendly, and uninformed.  UnAmerican.   They have latched onto a philosophy of "my way or the highway" mentallity that is very dangerous in these divisive times.   They villify anything they don't like as a tool of the "liberal" media, which is such a  lazy way to view the world.   They see conspiracy in every new scientific revelation.  Most of all, they endeavor will all their heart, and all  their soul and all  their mind that Obama will be voted out of office.  In fact, that's all they really do "think" about. 

So, the old reliable Republican party is no longer something I can count on.  This recent primary election has been more of a tug of war between the GOP and this cancer within itself.  The entire primary election season has been nothing but a parade of "flavors of the month", each one simply not quite as stupid as the previous.  The only candidate with the right experience and interest in American business, Mitt Romney is disliked by this  "Tea Party/Republican Party"  because he doesn't fit their mold of the ideal candidate;  one who mistrusts science,  panders to the religious extremes, and is openly hostile to all media except Fox news.    What a total disgrace they've become.  This Tea cancer is spreading fast and I have little faith in the future of the Republican party.   What was once a magnificent organization that represented the individualistic and capitalist ideals of our country well is now a bumbling dunce stuck in the corner breathing through its mouth with spittle on its angry little chin mumbling about Obamacare. 

In My Humble Opinion,

Chuck Marshall

p.s. If you enjoyed this at all, I'd appreciate it if you clicked an ad on my blog... here to your right... just click it, you don't have  to buy anything.... . I need the money. 

 

Romney is the Ticket for the Presidency

On the eve of the Florida Primary, being a lifetime Floridian I felt compelled to issue a blog mentioning who I think should lead our country for the next 4 years, even though I cannot vote in the primary because I'm an Independent.  (The state of Florida doesn't allow me to exercise my constitutional right !  Read all about it at this link.   http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-01-25/news/os-ed-letters-hydrilla-lake-apopka-012512-20120124_1_hydrilla-school-closings-lake-toho   See the second title;  "Closed primary encourages the same old gridlock".  Yes, my friends CMHO has been pulished again ! )

As you have probably gathered from my title, it's Mitt Romney that I support  for the Florida Primary.   I am endorsing Romney for the Republican nomination and for the Presidency if he is the Republican nominee.  If the Republican is another person or if there is no other Independent alternative, I will have to do some thinking.  Why Romney?  I think his experience in the business world and his success running the Olympics as well as administrative experience as governor of Massachusettes make him very well suited to the position.   In addition, he is clean.  I really cannot imagine any scandal befalling Romney.  Finally, I see him as being very open to "negotiating" with the Democrats when it is necessary.  No more of this moronic "no compromise" attitude from the mouth breathing right wing of the Republican party.  We need action, not 2 more years of goofy, childish bickering.

Gingrich?  I could never vote for Newt Gingrich for the presidency, EVER !   I think he is a crook, an adulterer, a liar, a lobbyist (lowest of lows) and he says whatever he thinks the audience wants to hear.  He is more than your typical  politician... he's a slimy, no good Washington insider with whom all who worked with have nothing but bad things to say about him.  They say he was a terrible manager, a terrible leader, he was a disgrace to the Republican party.  He lies about Reagan being a "buddy" of his, he lies about his record as a Congressman, he lies about his relationship with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for whom he was paid $1.5 Million to "help" them get influence in Washington.  He speaks of getting our country back on track when he is, quite literally, one of the people who was directly responsible for the Real Estate collapse of the last 4 years.   I find it ironic that the Tea Party is still the one group of people that actually considers him because he is EXACTLY what is wrong with our government today.  He is slime.  He is seepage.  He's a toad, a troll, a disgrace to the election event.  OK.  Maybe not that bad, but Lord he isn't good.........

So, vote for Mitt Romney he has the presence, the intelligence, the determination, the experience and the ability to get our country united again... and boy does he want the job.

Mitt Romney, you're hired !

In My Humle Opinion,

Chuck Marshall

Hope and Tim Tebow

Before I type a word on Tim Tebow I have to allow the reader to understand something;   I worship the water he walks on !  You see, I am a Florida Alumni, Gator fanatic and anyone that makes the Gators look better makes me happy.  With that in mind, imagine squaring the feeling and then squaring it again.... that's how I feel about Tim Tebow.

The first time I had the pleasure of seeing him was when my wife and I attended a game in Gainesville, it was the  2006  UF VS LSU game, the year UF eventually trounced Ohio State in the national championship game (a victory worthy of its own blog).  The game was proceeding somewhat quietly and then Urban Meyer sends out our new quarterback  (back up to Chris Leek that year) and this kid just electrified the stadium.   I mean, his body language and enthusiasm were palpable.  Before you knew it the team was waking up and the fans were in a rabid state... you could literally see how nervous we were making the "Bayou Tigers", they were fumbling and bumbling all over the field and Tim Tebow was railroading right over them...... it was sooooooo great !  We went on to trounce LSU by 20 points.  So from that moment forward...... my wife and I have been smitten.

The stories of Tebow's generosity and authentic Christian behavior have been very well covered in the press.  Most of the stories about Tim himself by the media have been almost overwhelmingly positive about what he does to help people.  One of my favorites is http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/7455943/believing-tim-tebow

All the Christian stuff and good deeds were a nice bonus since we are religious., though not evangelical.  Fast forward to 2012.  You all know how this story ends up.  Tebow captures the heart of Denver and the fans insist he be played and all the "experts" expect him to flop immediately but something happens.  He is successful !  OK, he doesn't win all his games but he wins most of them which is more than you can say for most other QB's in the NFL if my math is right.  Oh, they still say his mechanics are wrong and he can't throw a forward pass, etc.... BUT he's getting results and the NFL establishment does not like that.  It makes them look like fools and arrogant stuffed shirt, ex-jocks can't stand looking like fools.

Another group of people don't like all his success either.  Atheists and the anti-religious.  When Tebow fails the atheists are delighted and Atheists such as Bill Maher say disgusting things about Tebow because atheists like Bill Maher are frightened by the remote possibility that evangelicals are correct and they will burn in the lake of fire forever.  When Tebow gets creamed on the field it gives their hearts hope that the whole God thing is indeed all wrong, and they can go back to their lives of chance and circumstance with no concern for a future of eternal thirst and hunger.

Finally, the most mystifying group;  other Christians.  Some Christians, and I'm ashamed to admit they are often Presbyterians (I've been Presbyterian for 12 years)  look down their noses at evangelicals as if they are a dreaded fungus.  These people see Tebow as being too loud about his faith and he even has the audacity to thank "Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior" every time the media interviews him. Gasp !  This group, quite frankly is the most disappointing to me., but it has also opened my eyes to something.  To these people I ask;  How can you condemn a Southern Baptist (the church I was raised in)  for spreading the word of God when that is what is drummed into their heads from day 1?  Tim Tebow is simply doing exactly what he was raised  to do !   In his mind, he's simply being a good Christian., he knows no other way to behave and be faithful.  And besides, I think the American public can tolerate kneeling in prayer  (Tebowing) and one sentence mentioning Jesus Christ as a gesture of faith and thanks. Sorry it embarasses you, but I don't see the Baptist church shrinking like the Presbyterian church.

So, I guess you could say I'm having a little battle within myself.  The Baptist in me is mocking the Presbyterian in me for its lame commitment to God and Jesus and that I've committed so much time to a denomination that might not really be the answer for me.   A lukewarm denomination that is so self satisfied it finds it hard to embrace such a positive role model as Tim Tebow.    I've said it before and I'll say it again, Tim Tebow is probably the best example of what a Christian should be today in our world and the fact that he says it out loud has allowed many, many more people to be curious of our religion.   There could be millions of people who are better not from Tebow's actual philanthropy but from the fact that he offers hope in a world that has so little.

In My Humble Opinion.

Chuck Marshall