To My Pals (You Know Who You Are)

Okay…these are the sites I draw my news from.  It’s all mainstream stuff and I’m sure “fake news” often creeps in but they are nothing at all like extremist left and right fringe media.  I also like to focus on transcripts, live telecasts on CNN (Congressional News Network) and what appear to be facts supported by multiple sources like Snopes, Truth or Fiction and Politifact.  Can all of these sources be wrong at times?  Of course they can but on the whole - they are the best we’ve got. And don’t forget Twitter - knee jerk thoughts posted in 240 characters or less straight from the horse’s mouth…and very often from the horse’s ass.

To me, fringe media exists for one purpose - to exploit and incite fear and bias in their audience.  I’m going to include fringe politicians in this as well although I realize our definitions of “fringe” vary widely.

Unfortunately, I believe pointing this all out is…pointless as old white guys, “OWGs” have their minds made up and that’s that.  It’s a new day though and I wish I was going to be around to see what is sure to transpire over the next 10-20 years.  It’s going to be a noble experiment and, like the Affordable Care Act, I am sure there will be hiccups but again, as with the Act, the good (“preexisting conditions”) will outweigh the bad.  I sincerely believe lives will be saved and the Common Man will have a better opportunity to work and live a decent life.

This little rant will not change a thing though within this little email group we have had going for many years - there are far too many divides.

So with this, I am bailing on the hurt and disappointment I feel when I see one of us being lured into the extreme edges of race (muslims, etc.) and guns (bump stocks and automatics) along with other issues of our time.

Thanks Dooooooooods.  It’s been a hell of a ride, culminating in a fantastic reunion in Las Vegas a year or so ago.

"It’s not hard to see at all…

Except for those who refuse to look."

- 6/25/2018

PS - I wrote this a couple of days earlier but decided to hold off on sending. I was considering some advice once shared with me by our very own Harold W. (Bill) Grinstaff that went something like this; “When you write something that some might find disturbing, put it in a drawer overnight and let it simmer.  You might change your mind and decided to defer.  Well, I did...and I didn’t.