“Remember: English is the language of domination,” shouted our tour guide.
Then, demonstrating a football stiff arm, he explained our strategy for getting safely past aggressive city taxicabs.
“Dominate!”
In a group that represented the US, Canada, England, and Australia, we were fitted for bikes. The shiny red bikes had names like Cupcake and the blue ones had manly names like Road Runner. And Road Kill.
“That guys is from Texas and I bet 10 Euros, he is Pine Cove trained,” I whispered to my daughters as our Fat Tire Tour in Paris began.
What are the odds? My daughters didn’t believe me.
“I’m tellin’ ya, I bet he’s from Fredericksburg,” I insisted.
Paris is a cosmopolitan city, a place where people from everywhere come to bask in the richness of some of the best art collections in the world.
It is also the capital of a country that designates a whole government agency to preserving the French language from English intrusions.
Not an easy task in an age of “Le Ipad.”
My oldest daughter pedaled up front and began small talk.
Turns out I was wrong about one thing.
The guy was from San Antonio.
His camp name was Opa; Andrew is his real name.
You might be wondering how I recognized the Pine Cove influence, but only if you have never met a Pine Cove Christian Camps counselor.
Maybe it was the way he knew how to make it fun for everyone else.
Maybe it was the attentive way he made his customers feel like friends.
Pine Cove has this way of turning men into servant leaders.
I hate to admit this, but Texas A&M didn’t hurt him any either. When we met, Andrew was finishing up a stint with Fat Tire Tours, then beginning a career in California doing something fancy. I can’t remember what exactly.
One thing I know, with a servant’s heart and a ton of confidence, Andrew is sure to be successful.
Maybe domination isn’t the first word that comes to mind when you think about successful servant leaders or international detent.
But when it comes to competing in a global market, having an attitude and a skill set that stands out - because it is based in faith, not fear - is exactly what we want for our kiddoes. Andrew was easy to pick out of the crowd.
So I say, “Dominate.”
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.
Showing posts with label Civics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Civics. Show all posts
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Free Speech Worth Dying For
I love writing about veterans, as you know, if you read my stuff.
I try never to leave an interview without thanking the hero, whether young or old, for serving our country.
So you would think that I would write about amazing and brave military heroes on July 4th.
I could. My column would be the perfect place to do it. Here, I could share anonymously some of the things that people have entrusted to me as we visit about their experiences.
The stories that never make the paper are my favorite part of this job and nowhere are the stories more inspiring than in the quiet moments when soldiers and sailors and airmen share the things they don’t want anyone else to know.
I often tear up as they tell me the experiences they have had; about comrades they have lost, but not forgotten. They often will talk about the sacrifices made by men next to them who didn’t return, but they never want me to print the ongoing sacrifices they make or what it keeps costing their family to allow them to serve.
If there is one thing that stands out about our military heroes to me, though, it is that they believe that some things are worth dying for.
Take for instance, freedom of speech, which is what I devote my July 4th column to every year.
Every year, journalists lose their life for covering stories in regions or countries where tyrants scare people to death, starting with trying to control the media by killing journalists.
Free speech and freedom of the press are two of the many freedoms that veterans and enlisted heroes will tell you are worth defending.
Freedom of speech, supported by an independent, courageous free press, is essential for a self-governing people to be free of tyranny.
Our military heroes understand that.
If we remember why they are willing to die for our country, for the freedom you and I enjoy, we will be willing to make our own sacrifices when necessary.
While they fight abroad, we will be willing to stand up for what is right at home.
We can enjoy the blessings of freedom as we to seek justice in our communities by participating in free, vibrant public discourse without fear of threats or violent, government-sponsored repercussions.
In the moment when our freedom of speech is threatened, we should defend it. In honor of those who paid the price for it.
When you think about it, just like our warriors, valuing freedom has the potential to make heroes out of all of us.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.
I try never to leave an interview without thanking the hero, whether young or old, for serving our country.
So you would think that I would write about amazing and brave military heroes on July 4th.
I could. My column would be the perfect place to do it. Here, I could share anonymously some of the things that people have entrusted to me as we visit about their experiences.
The stories that never make the paper are my favorite part of this job and nowhere are the stories more inspiring than in the quiet moments when soldiers and sailors and airmen share the things they don’t want anyone else to know.
I often tear up as they tell me the experiences they have had; about comrades they have lost, but not forgotten. They often will talk about the sacrifices made by men next to them who didn’t return, but they never want me to print the ongoing sacrifices they make or what it keeps costing their family to allow them to serve.
If there is one thing that stands out about our military heroes to me, though, it is that they believe that some things are worth dying for.
Take for instance, freedom of speech, which is what I devote my July 4th column to every year.
Every year, journalists lose their life for covering stories in regions or countries where tyrants scare people to death, starting with trying to control the media by killing journalists.
Free speech and freedom of the press are two of the many freedoms that veterans and enlisted heroes will tell you are worth defending.
Freedom of speech, supported by an independent, courageous free press, is essential for a self-governing people to be free of tyranny.
Our military heroes understand that.
If we remember why they are willing to die for our country, for the freedom you and I enjoy, we will be willing to make our own sacrifices when necessary.
While they fight abroad, we will be willing to stand up for what is right at home.
We can enjoy the blessings of freedom as we to seek justice in our communities by participating in free, vibrant public discourse without fear of threats or violent, government-sponsored repercussions.
In the moment when our freedom of speech is threatened, we should defend it. In honor of those who paid the price for it.
When you think about it, just like our warriors, valuing freedom has the potential to make heroes out of all of us.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Heroic Mothers
You won’t read about her in history books.
In fact, you almost wouldn’t read about her at all, except for one small thing; her son mentioned her. I was interviewing her son and daughter-in-law about their experiences growing up in segregated East Texas for a series I am doing on African American high schools in our region.
It turns out his mom sowed the seeds of justice in his heart in the 1950s when he was just a young kid.
What she did was simple.
She loaded up a pickup truck with every brave soul she could find who would participate in her well-intentioned misadventure.
She was the mother of eleven children; I admire her courage for that alone.
The pickup was loaded with a cargo of humans who were mostly her offspring and a few close friends who didn’t have the heart to say no to this determined woman. The stakes were high for her, based on who was in the back of that truck.
Their small band of parents and children, not much of an army, stormed the Brownsboro school district’s administration building in broad day light, walked right into the Superintendent’s office, and demanded enrollment with the white students of Brownsboro Independent School District.
David and Goliath. No odds maker in his right mind would take that bet.
In fact, nothing much changed.
Some of her neighbors thought she was crazy for stirring up trouble and they didn’t mind telling her so, but that was about it.
Nothing changed, except for the seeds planted in the hearts of her kids.
She didn’t know she was heroic.
Gertrude Cofer Evans of Moore Station, Texas.
Remember that name.
Not because she would want the attention. Not because you’ll ever see it in a history book.
But because she stood up for what was right.
And she taught her kids do so.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.
In fact, you almost wouldn’t read about her at all, except for one small thing; her son mentioned her. I was interviewing her son and daughter-in-law about their experiences growing up in segregated East Texas for a series I am doing on African American high schools in our region.
It turns out his mom sowed the seeds of justice in his heart in the 1950s when he was just a young kid.
What she did was simple.
She loaded up a pickup truck with every brave soul she could find who would participate in her well-intentioned misadventure.
She was the mother of eleven children; I admire her courage for that alone.
The pickup was loaded with a cargo of humans who were mostly her offspring and a few close friends who didn’t have the heart to say no to this determined woman. The stakes were high for her, based on who was in the back of that truck.
Their small band of parents and children, not much of an army, stormed the Brownsboro school district’s administration building in broad day light, walked right into the Superintendent’s office, and demanded enrollment with the white students of Brownsboro Independent School District.
David and Goliath. No odds maker in his right mind would take that bet.
In fact, nothing much changed.
Some of her neighbors thought she was crazy for stirring up trouble and they didn’t mind telling her so, but that was about it.
Nothing changed, except for the seeds planted in the hearts of her kids.
She didn’t know she was heroic.
Gertrude Cofer Evans of Moore Station, Texas.
Remember that name.
Not because she would want the attention. Not because you’ll ever see it in a history book.
But because she stood up for what was right.
And she taught her kids do so.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Slithery snakes, sexual abuse, and being brave
I have a fear of having a snake show up in my garage.
Lest you think I am paranoid, this actually happens in my neighborhood from time to time. If you live in the country, you know what I mean.
I am not afraid of snakes in my yard and have learned to identify the common East Texas varieties.
I know I can take a deep breath, get my shovel, and cut the heads off the venomous varieties. I’ve done it so often that I am confident that I am the smarter, faster adversary.
But there is something so claustrophobic about meeting up with a snake, of any variety, in close quarters. It gives me the creeps and makes my skin crawl.
I have a very beautiful friend who has the cleanest, most ship-shape home I know. She is the last person on earth to find a snake in the garage, especially since she lives right in the heart of Tyler, surrounded by neighbors, neatly fenced yards, and concrete curbing.
Not like out here where we live, surrounded by woods, pastures, and oil top lanes.
One day she found a snake in her domain, all right.
And not in the garage, either.
That snake found his way to her master bedroom and was relaxing near her bed! Imagine the panic.
That was the snake’s final and most deadly activity – for him.
My friend’s brave and dashing grandson had the snake decapitated in no time.
On any given week day, in courtrooms all across the US, victims of sexual abuse are taking the stand to testify, often about close friends and trusted family members.
You may wonder how parents could not notice, but the truth is, just like snakes, sexual predators are sneaky and slithery.
This column is dedicated to the young victims who have the courage to testify.
Thank you for taking another snake out of action.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.
Lest you think I am paranoid, this actually happens in my neighborhood from time to time. If you live in the country, you know what I mean.
I am not afraid of snakes in my yard and have learned to identify the common East Texas varieties.
I know I can take a deep breath, get my shovel, and cut the heads off the venomous varieties. I’ve done it so often that I am confident that I am the smarter, faster adversary.
But there is something so claustrophobic about meeting up with a snake, of any variety, in close quarters. It gives me the creeps and makes my skin crawl.
I have a very beautiful friend who has the cleanest, most ship-shape home I know. She is the last person on earth to find a snake in the garage, especially since she lives right in the heart of Tyler, surrounded by neighbors, neatly fenced yards, and concrete curbing.
Not like out here where we live, surrounded by woods, pastures, and oil top lanes.
One day she found a snake in her domain, all right.
And not in the garage, either.
That snake found his way to her master bedroom and was relaxing near her bed! Imagine the panic.
That was the snake’s final and most deadly activity – for him.
My friend’s brave and dashing grandson had the snake decapitated in no time.
On any given week day, in courtrooms all across the US, victims of sexual abuse are taking the stand to testify, often about close friends and trusted family members.
You may wonder how parents could not notice, but the truth is, just like snakes, sexual predators are sneaky and slithery.
This column is dedicated to the young victims who have the courage to testify.
Thank you for taking another snake out of action.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Media, Microphones, and Messages
Never trust me with a microphone.
Close friends know better.
But I recently got handed a mike at the last minute because the real MC was double-booked. Oh yeah! Woo woo!
The best part was the crowd was heavily loaded with media people.
We were working together on an event to raise money and awareness for the way HIV/AIDS is affecting East Texans from all walks of life. Not necessarily a popular topic in these parts.
Now I’m going to share with you the thoughts that popped into my head at the same moment they trusted me with that microphone. Just cus 4th of July is when I spout off about newspapers, truth, justice, and the American way.
Here’s the deal. We live in an area known for generosity. We take for granted the zillions of non-profits, church programs, and foundations that work diligently to make our communities amazingly blessed. Not to mention all the volunteer hours contributed toward good causes.
It is just part of what we all know and enjoy around here.
What hit me like a ton of bricks that evening was how much the media gets taken for granted in all this community service.
Because who would have time for volunteering if someone didn’t hold corrupt public officials accountable?
How would we know that we could count on good infrastructure in our towns and counties, freeing us to travel our roads and get where we’re going unencumbered by graft and corruption that plagues other countries, if not for our watchdog friends in the press?
And who would report the truth if there are whispers of inappropriate uses of donations in local charities or governments?
Yep, we enjoy our gatherings in peace and tranquility without ever considering how much the local press contributes to the well-being of our communities.
We read the front page with glee when we see our favorite charity honored with a lengthy article there, yet we seldom consider that all that paper and ink and overhead costs money. Do we think to support the local media with some advertising dollars now and then?
So I took the mike enthusiastically and spoke for all East Texans, thanking the local press for making their unique contribution to our communities.
And I am officially thanking this newspaper in today’s column.
Preach it, sister!
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Truth, Justice, and the American Way
Justice is something Americans take for granted.
Like last week’s newspaper, we don’t think about it at all unless we need it for some reason.
But when we suffer an injustice, we suddenly crave justice, we search it out, and we complain if we can’t get it. And we keep complaining. Sometimes for years. For as long as it takes.
Last year, I got to be useful in a small way that mattered to me personally; I was part of a team that accomplished a little moment of historic justice. My part was a small thing. I just wrote a story that needed to be told.
It was printed in a little weekly paper that people tend to take for granted by an editor who, like all editors, happens to be underpaid.
The real hero was the man who was chosen, along with the only other three African Americans involved, to fill the draft quota for Henderson County out of a pool of 22 young men during the Vietnam era. Only four men were needed to fill the quota. The only four men chosen were the four black guys out of the twenty-two possible men. All the white guys went home to their mamas that day.
Coincidence that those four names were randomly drawn? Dumb luck? Not likely.
You almost had to live through the civil rights era to get how pernicious racism can be.
If you missed the story, my friend lived through the war and developed an attitude that reminds me of Joseph, “What you intended for evil, God intended for good.” He is a true American hero.
Justice is something we take for granted.
We read our newspaper and we don’t even think about how the stories affect our culture. How they make us all aware of injustices and provide an opportunity for communities to come together and address problems, to right wrongs.
Our forefathers made the FIRST amendment Freedom of Speech simply because a free culture depends on truth. Our local press – unencumbered by government jurisdiction - gives us an avenue to express our love of a vibrant community conversation.
Sometimes, justice is accomplished like a sigh of relief – without courts or law enforcement – simply because someone finally spoke up and said what we all knew to be true.
Our local newspaper is a place to declare what we believe to be true and self-evident.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
1000 Reasons I Love Bullard
Back when I was a kid, you could drive any direction in East Texas and pass any number of small towns and miss ‘em if you blinked.
But if you got to Bullard, you knew you’d arrived.
Maybe its because three generations of families have farmed and turned cattle out to graze the land. Or maybe it’s because more often than not Bullard had terrific football teams.
There are a thousand reasons to love Bullard today. Here are a few:
-I love the way Bullard folks bicker like siblings, then bury the hatchet and all pitch in.
-I love the way public policy discussions are rowdy.
-I love the way the Bullard Banner adds to the sense of community and also manages to print tons of pictures of kiddoes doing great things.
-I love the way there is a golden diamond of buildings available for community functions, like points on a compass. To the north, a public golf course, an amazing private school and a beautiful new museum all of which are drawing people to Bullard. From the east to the south, an impressive array of public school facilities. From the south to the west, Bushman’s and Kiepersol.
-I love the new Bullard Education Foundation.
-I love the way there are many strong churches whose members put aside doctrinal differences and work together all the time.
-I love the way civic leaders aren’t afraid to dream big and welcome new people to serve.
-I love the way kids are included and tag along to adult functions.
-I love the way independent-minded businessmen start new ventures, sometimes more than one business at a time.
-I love the way folks who work for big businesses are not afraid to ask their bosses to pitch in and help.
-I love the way the men are strong and full of courage and the women are, too.
What would I like to see happen in Bullard next?
-I’d love to see the proposed library building become reality. The plan is to create a public space that will bring all the generations together. I hope it has cyber-friendly access.
-I’d love to see the new Boys and Girls Club get the facility they need.
-I’d love to see the Red, White and Blue Festival become known as a state-wide clearing house where once a year dozens of organizations and VA representatives gather to serve our young veterans and their families as they return home from Afghanistan and Iraq. Connecting vets and their families with services is a great way honor Veteran’s Day each year.
I could go on, but the best reason to love Bullard is her people. And there’s more than a thousand of ‘em.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Cheap Media Strategies for Non-Profits
Our East Texas neighbors in Bullard are already gearing up to host a Veteran’s Day extravaganza again this year called the Red, White, and Blue Festival to honor our vets.
Even though the grand finale of all this planning is still months away, the first big question is how to get the word out. Implicit in this task is the same problem faced by all people doing good deeds; there’s never enough money!
Which got me to thinking that I should share some basics here about how to get attention for your community project without breaking the bank.
-Call up the local paper and offer them a feature idea about one of your people. Offer to set up the interview, then, provide a fact sheet about your nonprofit beforehand via email.
-Write letters to the editor about your non-profit. Let folks know how they can help, either by volunteering or making donations. Be sure and thank people publically after any events.
-Plan newsworthy pre-events. Nearly all non-profits plan events these days in order to fundraise, if for no other reason. It is better to think in terms of events that serve a need in the community. Invite folks to participate in special events and contests leading up to a main event.
-Ask local school principles to announce your event during morning announcements.
-Post videos on Facebook or Youtube and encourage your friends to click on them and share them around.
-Contact the local TV stations about being on their interview programs. Surprisingly, they are often looking for people who are willing to get up before dawn and talk about community service.
-Keep signs simple. Design them so they can be used again next year. I like thank-you posters after the fact that sponsors can keep up year round.
-Save money by using email first. Only spend postage on those who don’t have email addresses or on big, beautiful invitations. One exception, send formal thank you’s via post; they are oh-so-much nicer to receive among all the usual bills and junk mail.
-Invest in a user-friendly website. It’s worth the money.
Finally, choose wisely when spending your media dollars. For events, you will want to broadcast via TV or radio. Be sure and check their websites as you decide, so you can get more bang for your buck. It’s a good idea to supplement with a newspaper ad because it won’t cost nearly as much.
If its brand name identity you are cultivating over the long haul, then newspaper is a better choice because of the cost factor. Plus, people get used to seeing your ad and they begin to count on it for it for your address, email, and website.
By November, most of these ideas will be Red, White, and Blue tested. In the meantime, please share your ideas here, too. Our non-profits can use all the help we can give them.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com or cathykrafve@gmail.com.
Monday, December 7, 2009
People-Watching to the Sound of a Bell
I saw two fragile little gals with walkers, the fancy kind with a seat and four wheels, who braved the crowds to be with loved ones.
I saw grandmothers with daughters and granddaughters, three generations of women reflecting strong genetic similarities, mutually committed to the afternoon’s purpose.
I heard patient husbands sound the familiar honk that signaled where they were waiting in the parking lot.
I saw infants in strollers, sleeping soundly through the hubbub all around them.
I saw teenage boys with their arm around mom, giving her their most convincing, charming arguments of persuasion.
I saw giggly teenage girls walking past in craft-inspired flip flops.
I saw a glamorous middle-aged lady with lots of bling in zebra print leggings.
I saw brothers and cousins in overalls carrying heavy packages for the ladies to the pick-up truck.
I saw elementary school children, too many to count, give their parents a significant look as they walked past me.
I heard laughter and joking.
I saw newly-weds reach deep in the pockets of their sweat pants for change to share.
I saw genteel, kindly grandfathers, many of whom had hosted lunch for the whole family, open leather wallets stuffed full of crisp bills.
I heard one young man ask his mom, “What about the change left over from Dairy Queen, Mom?”
I saw toddlers too small to see the top of the kettle stretch to put their first pennies and nickels in.
I saw young mothers begin the process of teaching their kiddoes that there are people in our community that don’t have what they need and that sharing is a good thing.
When I called out the familiar “God bless you,” one lady respond that she certainly needed God’s blessing.
I saw and heard all of this in two short hours on the day I rang the bell for the very first time in my life.
When my relief crew came, it was a spritely, sweet grandmother who claimed that the two teenage granddaughters she brought with her “came all the way from Arizona to ring the bell.”
I hear the Salvation Army still has some places left for those willing to volunteer a few hours of their time. Contact Cindy Bell with The Salvation Army, 903.592.4361.
So much to see and hear in only a few short hours.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.
Friday, November 20, 2009
A Community Full of Reason to Give Thanks
There’s a chill in the air and we are alive to enjoy it.
Two reason to give thanks.
Each year at this time I make out a short list of reasons I am thankful and I send them all a small gift, before I start cooking for Thanksgiving or shopping for Christmas.
Why? Because I like to remember what really matters to me, right before the holiday rush competes to short circuit my soul.
So, who is on my Thanksgiving list this year?
-Bethesda Health Clinic. Serving the working, uninsured of Smith County, this group brings together volunteers from all walks of life, including hundreds of doctors, dentists, and nurses. Bethesda also unites churches of all denominations to provide affordable, top-notch health care and they do it all without one penny from our government. Pretty impressive. 409 W. Ferguson, Tyler TX, 903.596.8353.
-Bullard Education Foundation. With our government dictating how we have to spend our own tax dollars, local foundations put local control back in the hands of community leaders whose heart beat is the education of our own kiddoes. PO Box 928, Bullard, TX 75757, 903.894.6639.
-Discovery Science Place. East Texas children can grow up running through the bat cave and vibrating on the earthquake without ever realizing that it was a form of education. 308 N. Broadway, Tyler TX 75702, 903.533.8011.
-East Texas Rescue Mission of Tyler. Being a journalist takes me into new territory every day, but this year the thing that touched my heart most was to learn how many people we have sleeping on the streets in East Texas. I like this group’s approach because they make a long term commitment to those willing to take personal responsibility and apply spiritual solutions. 1023 N Glenwood Blvd, Tyler, TX 75702-5058, 903.592.9400.
-Pine Cove Christian Camps. I love the way Pine Cove ministers to families and kiddoes, soldiers’ families, young and old people, near and far, the privileged and the underprivileged. But my favorite thing is the way they train young men to be servant leaders. PO Box 9055, Tyler TX 75711, 903.561.0231.
Is East Texas unique in the way people are so committed to helping others? Or maybe its just part of a bigger American way of thinking that is built into our heritage and identity. Who knows?
All I know is I am thankful.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Self-Segregation
It’s a strange, but folks in East Texas tend to be self-segregating.
If anybody can explain this phenomenon, I sure wish you’d write in and educate me. I don’t get it.
I was reminded of how hard it is to break old patterns last year when I pulled up to drop off my son on the first day of middle school.
“It’s a third, a third, a third,” was the answer when we asked about the demographics of the school. In other words, the school is pretty nearly equally populated with white kids, black kids, and Latino kids.
Heck, I don’t even know the politically correct way to describe the groups. Caucasian? African American? Hispanic? Whatever.
Personally, just cus a person’s skin is pigment-challenged does not mean they relate to some region in Eastern Europe. I generally describe my ethniticity as Texan and leave it at that. I even write Texan in the box marked “other.”
Anyway, this mix of demographics seemed like one of the advantages to us in choosing a school for our son. Since he is a people person, we saw the advantage to him of learning to be comfortable with folks from all backgrounds with varying perspectives.
But on the first day of school, there it was plain as day. Yep, we’re in East Texas all right.
“See how the kids divide themselves into groups. The white kids are over there. The black kids are over there. And the Latino kids are in the middle,” I pointed out the obvious to my son as we pulled up in front of the school.
I really hated to call attention to the fact. I felt a piece of his childhood would be over forever when he recognized that there were self-imposed differences. It would complicate friendships that in elementary school had been unpolluted by race issues.
On the other hand, I couldn’t see any advantage in pretending that the lines don’t still exist. Within days, he would get the picture clearly from kids who would try to keep him on his side of the divide.
“Your job this year is to cross-pollinate as many friendships as you can. Seek out friends from each group, please, and honor your friends to each other.”
And than I added the phrase I send him off with every school day.
“Oh yeah, don’t forget, you’re the best young man in the whole world.”
So, okay, maybe I’m a little prejudiced on that particular point, but, hey, I’m a mom.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com or cathykrafve@gmail.com.
If anybody can explain this phenomenon, I sure wish you’d write in and educate me. I don’t get it.
I was reminded of how hard it is to break old patterns last year when I pulled up to drop off my son on the first day of middle school.
“It’s a third, a third, a third,” was the answer when we asked about the demographics of the school. In other words, the school is pretty nearly equally populated with white kids, black kids, and Latino kids.
Heck, I don’t even know the politically correct way to describe the groups. Caucasian? African American? Hispanic? Whatever.
Personally, just cus a person’s skin is pigment-challenged does not mean they relate to some region in Eastern Europe. I generally describe my ethniticity as Texan and leave it at that. I even write Texan in the box marked “other.”
Anyway, this mix of demographics seemed like one of the advantages to us in choosing a school for our son. Since he is a people person, we saw the advantage to him of learning to be comfortable with folks from all backgrounds with varying perspectives.
But on the first day of school, there it was plain as day. Yep, we’re in East Texas all right.
“See how the kids divide themselves into groups. The white kids are over there. The black kids are over there. And the Latino kids are in the middle,” I pointed out the obvious to my son as we pulled up in front of the school.
I really hated to call attention to the fact. I felt a piece of his childhood would be over forever when he recognized that there were self-imposed differences. It would complicate friendships that in elementary school had been unpolluted by race issues.
On the other hand, I couldn’t see any advantage in pretending that the lines don’t still exist. Within days, he would get the picture clearly from kids who would try to keep him on his side of the divide.
“Your job this year is to cross-pollinate as many friendships as you can. Seek out friends from each group, please, and honor your friends to each other.”
And than I added the phrase I send him off with every school day.
“Oh yeah, don’t forget, you’re the best young man in the whole world.”
So, okay, maybe I’m a little prejudiced on that particular point, but, hey, I’m a mom.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com or cathykrafve@gmail.com.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Red, White, and Blue and Read All Over
July is the star-spangled time of year when I feel it is my patriotic duty, and my free speech right, to say why I love small town newspapers.
Don’t we all have a soft spot in our hearts for freedom of speech?
This year in particular I am counting blessings when I consider how many of our small towns around East Texas have careful publishers who are crunching the numbers and managing to stay ahead of the recession while the big boys in big cities across the US are closing down due to the weight of interest on old loans.
Of course, any student of history knows that our forefathers recognized that an independent news source would hold government leaders accountable.
Some folks these days think that the web can fill the need for independent news sources. That may be true when it comes to broadcasting news to Timbuktu. But, just ask yourself this….
Who are you gonna call with a rumor you heard from your kids about something fishy going on between a student and a teacher?
When you hear elected officials are thinking about raising sales taxes, aren’t you gonna whisper in the ear of the reporter who came out to the ribbon cutting on your new business? Emailing a blogger just doesn’t quite cut it.
When your county commissioners and state representatives aren’t listening as you helplessly fume about the new state highway cutting through your grandparents’ old farm place, where are you sending your letter to get public attention?
Any day of the week, our small town publishers, editors, and reporters are accessible. You can drop by the office for a free cup of coffee and a chat, run into ‘em in the line at the bank, or see ‘em in church on Sunday. Heck, you probably have their home phone numbers.
Okay, folks, if ever there was a time to vote with our dollars, now is the time to show support for our local newspapers.
If you have a business, buy ads.
If you can sell something in the classifieds, do it now. Not only will you give the paper a boost, but your own budget will get a bonus, too.
If you want to honor someone’s birthday or anniversary, why not do it with an ad in the local paper.
Instead of canceling your subscription, keep it, at least until we get past this recession. Think of it as a donation to a worthy cause. A really cheap donation.
In fact, why not buy a subscription for a friend? Tie today’s edition up in a bow, deliver it yourself, and tell your friend you love them. And you love a free press and a free country. You can sing “God Bless America” to your friend when you deliver the news.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com or cathykrafve@gmail.co
Don’t we all have a soft spot in our hearts for freedom of speech?
This year in particular I am counting blessings when I consider how many of our small towns around East Texas have careful publishers who are crunching the numbers and managing to stay ahead of the recession while the big boys in big cities across the US are closing down due to the weight of interest on old loans.
Of course, any student of history knows that our forefathers recognized that an independent news source would hold government leaders accountable.
Some folks these days think that the web can fill the need for independent news sources. That may be true when it comes to broadcasting news to Timbuktu. But, just ask yourself this….
Who are you gonna call with a rumor you heard from your kids about something fishy going on between a student and a teacher?
When you hear elected officials are thinking about raising sales taxes, aren’t you gonna whisper in the ear of the reporter who came out to the ribbon cutting on your new business? Emailing a blogger just doesn’t quite cut it.
When your county commissioners and state representatives aren’t listening as you helplessly fume about the new state highway cutting through your grandparents’ old farm place, where are you sending your letter to get public attention?
Any day of the week, our small town publishers, editors, and reporters are accessible. You can drop by the office for a free cup of coffee and a chat, run into ‘em in the line at the bank, or see ‘em in church on Sunday. Heck, you probably have their home phone numbers.
Okay, folks, if ever there was a time to vote with our dollars, now is the time to show support for our local newspapers.
If you have a business, buy ads.
If you can sell something in the classifieds, do it now. Not only will you give the paper a boost, but your own budget will get a bonus, too.
If you want to honor someone’s birthday or anniversary, why not do it with an ad in the local paper.
Instead of canceling your subscription, keep it, at least until we get past this recession. Think of it as a donation to a worthy cause. A really cheap donation.
In fact, why not buy a subscription for a friend? Tie today’s edition up in a bow, deliver it yourself, and tell your friend you love them. And you love a free press and a free country. You can sing “God Bless America” to your friend when you deliver the news.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com or cathykrafve@gmail.co
Sunday, May 3, 2009
My Spanish is Embarrassing
I always say, “If you grow up in Texas, you should learn Spanish.”
And I say so in dos idiomas.
With so much mom-pressure, our daughters will finally admit to being functional, though not fluent, in Spanish. I say they are fluent, but how in the world would I know? My Spanish is pitiful.
One day I was torturing our son with vocabulary at the hardware store when a senior gentleman had the nerve to correct me about teaching my son Spanish. His thought, which he emphatically shared with me, was that we live in America where the language is still English.
I guess he didn’t notice that we were already fluent in that language.
‘Scuse me, but I just hate being the dumbest person in a room, I explained to the elderly gentleman. If everybody is talking a language I don’t know, I assume they are talking about me. So, I guess I’m neurotic in more than one language.
The best reason I’ve heard for being serious about keeping English as our sole official language is that it makes it harder for politicians to lie to us if all public discussions take place in one language. We don’t want elected tricky officials making different promises to folks who can’t communicate with each other because of language barriers.
On the other hand, the economic reality in Texas is that retailers are finding it expedient to translate all signs into Spanish.
One of my favorite spots, The Noonday Store, serves up “the world’s best hamburgers” in any language. Their hamburgers are a terrific excuse to practice my Spanish.
Line up with folks from all over the American continents and choose from several daily specials that come with sides and homemade dinner rolls. Save room for dessert because there are always two choices of homemade cobbler.
My favorite part is you can order in two linguas because the owners, Flo and Bill, are as bilingual as you can get. And they are really patient with a middle-aged Angla practicing broken espanol.
Early in my bilingual career, I tried to explain to Flo, as I paid for my hamburger, that I was embarrassed because my Spanish is so bad.
There was a pregnant pause while all the bilingual people around me tried to decipher my Spanish. I felt myself grow uncomfortable as people stared at me with mystified expressions and then began talking rapidly to each other in Spanish, all the while smiling at me and nodding. Clearly, they were more embarrassed than I was.
As so often happens in life, sometimes what we say and what we mean are two entirely different things.
“Yo soy embaracado porque mi espanol es tanto malo,” I tried again.
Translated I think I said something like this, “I am pregnant because my Spanish is so evil.”
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http:/checklistcharlie.blogspot.com or cathykrafve@gmail.com.
And I say so in dos idiomas.
With so much mom-pressure, our daughters will finally admit to being functional, though not fluent, in Spanish. I say they are fluent, but how in the world would I know? My Spanish is pitiful.
One day I was torturing our son with vocabulary at the hardware store when a senior gentleman had the nerve to correct me about teaching my son Spanish. His thought, which he emphatically shared with me, was that we live in America where the language is still English.
I guess he didn’t notice that we were already fluent in that language.
‘Scuse me, but I just hate being the dumbest person in a room, I explained to the elderly gentleman. If everybody is talking a language I don’t know, I assume they are talking about me. So, I guess I’m neurotic in more than one language.
The best reason I’ve heard for being serious about keeping English as our sole official language is that it makes it harder for politicians to lie to us if all public discussions take place in one language. We don’t want elected tricky officials making different promises to folks who can’t communicate with each other because of language barriers.
On the other hand, the economic reality in Texas is that retailers are finding it expedient to translate all signs into Spanish.
One of my favorite spots, The Noonday Store, serves up “the world’s best hamburgers” in any language. Their hamburgers are a terrific excuse to practice my Spanish.
Line up with folks from all over the American continents and choose from several daily specials that come with sides and homemade dinner rolls. Save room for dessert because there are always two choices of homemade cobbler.
My favorite part is you can order in two linguas because the owners, Flo and Bill, are as bilingual as you can get. And they are really patient with a middle-aged Angla practicing broken espanol.
Early in my bilingual career, I tried to explain to Flo, as I paid for my hamburger, that I was embarrassed because my Spanish is so bad.
There was a pregnant pause while all the bilingual people around me tried to decipher my Spanish. I felt myself grow uncomfortable as people stared at me with mystified expressions and then began talking rapidly to each other in Spanish, all the while smiling at me and nodding. Clearly, they were more embarrassed than I was.
As so often happens in life, sometimes what we say and what we mean are two entirely different things.
“Yo soy embaracado porque mi espanol es tanto malo,” I tried again.
Translated I think I said something like this, “I am pregnant because my Spanish is so evil.”
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http:/checklistcharlie.blogspot.com or cathykrafve@gmail.com.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Volunteers Serving Up Patriotic Festival
The weather turns crisp, we wait in line to vote, and our hearts start remembering to count the blessings of living in a free country. Humbly, we realize that these freedoms are brought to us by people willing to give the ultimate gift to their fellow countrymen.
In honor of our veterans, Bullard civic leaders are busy preparing this year’s Red, White, and Blue Festival which happens November 7th and 8th, the weekend after the elections.
Bullard folks are hoping you’ll come out to honor our vets. If you do, here are the behind-the-scenes folks to thank for this event which promises to be saturated with boot-tapping music.
Teresa Adams Wilks, of Adams Insurance Agency, has served as Committee Chairman.
City manager, Larry Morgan, has covered innumerable facilities and logistics issues, along with plain old-fashioned trouble-shooting.
Music biz guru, Mike Alexander of Salt Creek Productions, lined up an impressive array of professional performers this year. But that’s not all, folks, he also organized the Talent Search, his brain child, and will be doing all the stage and sound engineering. Mike also serves as this year’s Chamber president.
Larry Melhart of Melhart Allstate Agency, with the help of Judge Danny and Sandy Ray, is the guy to thank for the fabulous parade in the works.
Darlene McKay of Remember When, has put her retail skills to work lining up vendors in what promises to be an impressive array of food and shopping.
If you like car shows and tractor shows, you’ll want to thank Stephanie Moore of Bullard Collision. And you’ll definitely want to make plans to come out and see all the vehicles.
When you see Miss Armed Forces holding a bouquet, know that Sue Hornbuckle of Flowers by Sue has worked tirelessly to help organize and plan the event.
Sherri Glover of Glover Bookkeeping & Tax Svc, has kept the committee up to the minute on income and expenses.
Lori Melinger, along with Cindy Dotson of KLTV, tackled the job of getting the word out to the media and the public.
Last, but by no means least, Chris Thompson of Snow Coney Island, with the help of his wife, Mary Beth, bravely and prayerfully headed up the sponsorship committee to inspire giving in spite of a faltering economy, proving that folks in Bullard are just plain generous.
Finally, teachers and leaders at both Bullard ISD and Brookhill have pitched in to make both the Patriotic Poster and Essay Contests a success, not to mention the students who participated and the parents who encouraged. Be sure and look for our display of all the beautiful posters.
These are the volunteers who have generously given their time for months in order for Bullard to host this tribute to our Veterans.
And while we are talking about people to thank, the event wouldn’t be possible without generous donations from our sponsors.
Major sponsors this year are Brookshire’s and Sam’s Club.
Other generous sponsors include: Salt Creek Productions, Trinity Mother Frances Health Systems, East Texas Medical Center, WRL Construction, and many more.
If you happen to see any of these volunteers or our sponsors, be sure and thank them. For more info about the Red, White, and Blue Festival go to www.bullardtexaschamber.com.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at htt://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com or cathykrafve@gmail.com.
In honor of our veterans, Bullard civic leaders are busy preparing this year’s Red, White, and Blue Festival which happens November 7th and 8th, the weekend after the elections.
Bullard folks are hoping you’ll come out to honor our vets. If you do, here are the behind-the-scenes folks to thank for this event which promises to be saturated with boot-tapping music.
Teresa Adams Wilks, of Adams Insurance Agency, has served as Committee Chairman.
City manager, Larry Morgan, has covered innumerable facilities and logistics issues, along with plain old-fashioned trouble-shooting.
Music biz guru, Mike Alexander of Salt Creek Productions, lined up an impressive array of professional performers this year. But that’s not all, folks, he also organized the Talent Search, his brain child, and will be doing all the stage and sound engineering. Mike also serves as this year’s Chamber president.
Larry Melhart of Melhart Allstate Agency, with the help of Judge Danny and Sandy Ray, is the guy to thank for the fabulous parade in the works.
Darlene McKay of Remember When, has put her retail skills to work lining up vendors in what promises to be an impressive array of food and shopping.
If you like car shows and tractor shows, you’ll want to thank Stephanie Moore of Bullard Collision. And you’ll definitely want to make plans to come out and see all the vehicles.
When you see Miss Armed Forces holding a bouquet, know that Sue Hornbuckle of Flowers by Sue has worked tirelessly to help organize and plan the event.
Sherri Glover of Glover Bookkeeping & Tax Svc, has kept the committee up to the minute on income and expenses.
Lori Melinger, along with Cindy Dotson of KLTV, tackled the job of getting the word out to the media and the public.
Last, but by no means least, Chris Thompson of Snow Coney Island, with the help of his wife, Mary Beth, bravely and prayerfully headed up the sponsorship committee to inspire giving in spite of a faltering economy, proving that folks in Bullard are just plain generous.
Finally, teachers and leaders at both Bullard ISD and Brookhill have pitched in to make both the Patriotic Poster and Essay Contests a success, not to mention the students who participated and the parents who encouraged. Be sure and look for our display of all the beautiful posters.
These are the volunteers who have generously given their time for months in order for Bullard to host this tribute to our Veterans.
And while we are talking about people to thank, the event wouldn’t be possible without generous donations from our sponsors.
Major sponsors this year are Brookshire’s and Sam’s Club.
Other generous sponsors include: Salt Creek Productions, Trinity Mother Frances Health Systems, East Texas Medical Center, WRL Construction, and many more.
If you happen to see any of these volunteers or our sponsors, be sure and thank them. For more info about the Red, White, and Blue Festival go to www.bullardtexaschamber.com.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at htt://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com or cathykrafve@gmail.com.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Immigration Reform or Sound Bites?
Whatever happened to Compassionate Conservatism?
Good grief. I am so tired of trite quips that don’t even come close to telling the truth.
For instance, on the issue of immigration reform, one-liners don’t cut it.
Somebody tell the politicians.
Occasionally, I am happy when they get it right. For instance, when someone pointed out that “illegal immigrants” is an oxymoron.
Immigration is a tough issue, one that is centuries in the making.
In Texas, we understand that families have been living on both sides of the Rio Grande for generations.
When I was growing up, my history books left out the fact that, because slavery was outlawed on their side of the border, the Mexicans thought God was on their side at the time of the Alamo.
In fact, some immigrants to the Mexican territory from the US were looking to add Texas to the Union as a slave state.
You would think hassling with ruling governments would end with freedom from Mexico, but Texas had issues with the US government, too. It was still another five years before the US settled up with Texas, paying $10,000,000 in 1851 because of boundary disputes involving what are now other states.
Hmm…like I said, life can be complicated, even in Texas.
The issue of immigration won’t be solved by building a wall, not that walls keep people out.
On the other hand, if communist governments have taught us anything, walls do tend to keep people in. But that’s another story.
Then, there’s the whole welfare, government-provides-all-our-needs economy thing at work. When I was growing up that was labeled socialism.
American perspective has shifted to the point that we no longer view health care or education, for instance, as an opportunity and privilege available in a free country to those willing to make other sacrifices, but we tend view them as rights provided by our government.
I bet my grandparents would have scratched their heads over that notion.
What would happen if the government got out of the welfare business, reduced our taxes, and let us make our own decisions about our hard-earned cash?
I suspect that many Americans would enjoy giving away even more money to help others. Especially if charity meant education and health care for the needy.
Of course, that idea doesn’t buy votes. And lobbyist would have to find something else to do, something productive maybe. There’s a thought.
The growing pains associated with the current influx of foreigners won’t be solved without a lot of compassionate understanding.
Americans can handle the discussion; a good ole knock-down, drag out, lively debate all at once on the multiple repercussions of policy.
In fact, I’m bettin’ that many Americans think that debate is exactly what it is going to take to think creatively and come up with solutions along with consensus.
The American public is not stupid; if only our elected officials would leave off with the sound bites.
Sometimes I think “wise leaders” might be the more problematic oxymoron.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives, writes, and votes with a Texas twang. Comments are welcome at cathykrafve@gmail.com http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.
Good grief. I am so tired of trite quips that don’t even come close to telling the truth.
For instance, on the issue of immigration reform, one-liners don’t cut it.
Somebody tell the politicians.
Occasionally, I am happy when they get it right. For instance, when someone pointed out that “illegal immigrants” is an oxymoron.
Immigration is a tough issue, one that is centuries in the making.
In Texas, we understand that families have been living on both sides of the Rio Grande for generations.
When I was growing up, my history books left out the fact that, because slavery was outlawed on their side of the border, the Mexicans thought God was on their side at the time of the Alamo.
In fact, some immigrants to the Mexican territory from the US were looking to add Texas to the Union as a slave state.
You would think hassling with ruling governments would end with freedom from Mexico, but Texas had issues with the US government, too. It was still another five years before the US settled up with Texas, paying $10,000,000 in 1851 because of boundary disputes involving what are now other states.
Hmm…like I said, life can be complicated, even in Texas.
The issue of immigration won’t be solved by building a wall, not that walls keep people out.
On the other hand, if communist governments have taught us anything, walls do tend to keep people in. But that’s another story.
Then, there’s the whole welfare, government-provides-all-our-needs economy thing at work. When I was growing up that was labeled socialism.
American perspective has shifted to the point that we no longer view health care or education, for instance, as an opportunity and privilege available in a free country to those willing to make other sacrifices, but we tend view them as rights provided by our government.
I bet my grandparents would have scratched their heads over that notion.
What would happen if the government got out of the welfare business, reduced our taxes, and let us make our own decisions about our hard-earned cash?
I suspect that many Americans would enjoy giving away even more money to help others. Especially if charity meant education and health care for the needy.
Of course, that idea doesn’t buy votes. And lobbyist would have to find something else to do, something productive maybe. There’s a thought.
The growing pains associated with the current influx of foreigners won’t be solved without a lot of compassionate understanding.
Americans can handle the discussion; a good ole knock-down, drag out, lively debate all at once on the multiple repercussions of policy.
In fact, I’m bettin’ that many Americans think that debate is exactly what it is going to take to think creatively and come up with solutions along with consensus.
The American public is not stupid; if only our elected officials would leave off with the sound bites.
Sometimes I think “wise leaders” might be the more problematic oxymoron.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives, writes, and votes with a Texas twang. Comments are welcome at cathykrafve@gmail.com http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.
Amendment #1: July 4th, Celebrating a Free Press
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
That music you hear playing in the background is the Star Spangled Banner.
Yes, July 4th is the time of year when I like to salute our local newspaper.
I suppose this could be considered self-serving of me, since they do print my column after all.
My young friends tell me that to really reach people, my blog, not my column, is the way to go. Apparently, young people are not into reading newsprint, they prefer lap top screens.
Their loss, I say.
This paper has a website and it serves its purpose, I suppose, especially if you are young. The news industry is changing to keep up with the technology.
On the other hand, as a writer, I can’t help but be in awe of what our forefathers could cover in one sentence, even without a laptop. Clearly, they were not having a slow news day.
For instance, George Washington was elected our first president on February 4, 1789; a whopping thirteen years after the Declaration. Our forefathers had a lot of details to iron out.
Eleven of the original states first adopted the Constitution in 1787 and 88, but two states, North Carolina and Rhode Island, held out for many reasons.
So, what were the hot topics of the day?
The first ten amendments of the Constitution are what sealed the deal.
The hold-out states insisted that individual and state’s rights have some form of definition before they were willing to form an alliance with their fellow independence-minded States.
Which brings us back to the very first thing on their minds: religion, free speech, press, assembly, redress from the government.
What makes my heart pump red, white and blue is the way those things are so obviously related. Obvious to us now. Not so obvious then. You have to hand it to our forefathers for being far-sighted.
So, if you value the right to exercise freely your religion or lack thereof, to speak your mind in public, to assemble peacefully for any reason, to demand changes and integrity from our government, remember the service that a free press affords us. The patriots chose free press as a balance to our self-government in order to ensure those other primary rights.
The local news guys are the ones on the front lines, keeping our government honest.
Pick up today’s newspaper and for less than a dollar, you are buying more efficiency from our government. Certainly more than your tax dollars will ever buy.
Buy an ad from your local paper and not only are you getting media attention for your business, but you are supporting a worthy cause, the fourth estate. Plus, you can probably deduct your business’s media expenses from your tax bill.
Our forefather’s weren’t too keen on taxes; I am pretty sure they would have supported a tax deduction for media. But I bet they never imagined a blog.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, welcomes comments at CaeKrafve2@aol.com or http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.
That music you hear playing in the background is the Star Spangled Banner.
Yes, July 4th is the time of year when I like to salute our local newspaper.
I suppose this could be considered self-serving of me, since they do print my column after all.
My young friends tell me that to really reach people, my blog, not my column, is the way to go. Apparently, young people are not into reading newsprint, they prefer lap top screens.
Their loss, I say.
This paper has a website and it serves its purpose, I suppose, especially if you are young. The news industry is changing to keep up with the technology.
On the other hand, as a writer, I can’t help but be in awe of what our forefathers could cover in one sentence, even without a laptop. Clearly, they were not having a slow news day.
For instance, George Washington was elected our first president on February 4, 1789; a whopping thirteen years after the Declaration. Our forefathers had a lot of details to iron out.
Eleven of the original states first adopted the Constitution in 1787 and 88, but two states, North Carolina and Rhode Island, held out for many reasons.
So, what were the hot topics of the day?
The first ten amendments of the Constitution are what sealed the deal.
The hold-out states insisted that individual and state’s rights have some form of definition before they were willing to form an alliance with their fellow independence-minded States.
Which brings us back to the very first thing on their minds: religion, free speech, press, assembly, redress from the government.
What makes my heart pump red, white and blue is the way those things are so obviously related. Obvious to us now. Not so obvious then. You have to hand it to our forefathers for being far-sighted.
So, if you value the right to exercise freely your religion or lack thereof, to speak your mind in public, to assemble peacefully for any reason, to demand changes and integrity from our government, remember the service that a free press affords us. The patriots chose free press as a balance to our self-government in order to ensure those other primary rights.
The local news guys are the ones on the front lines, keeping our government honest.
Pick up today’s newspaper and for less than a dollar, you are buying more efficiency from our government. Certainly more than your tax dollars will ever buy.
Buy an ad from your local paper and not only are you getting media attention for your business, but you are supporting a worthy cause, the fourth estate. Plus, you can probably deduct your business’s media expenses from your tax bill.
Our forefather’s weren’t too keen on taxes; I am pretty sure they would have supported a tax deduction for media. But I bet they never imagined a blog.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, welcomes comments at CaeKrafve2@aol.com or http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.
Amendment #2: Guns
“A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” US Constitution, The Second Amendment, 1791
“Whenever guns are illegal, only criminals will have guns.” Yeah right, we’ve heard it all before.
Too bad, that quippy little saying really misses the point.
The View, that daytime girlfest of chatter, is a perfect wake-up call that not everyone has been reviewing their grammar school history lessons.
I happened to catch it one day when I was fighting off boredom on the treadmill with a magazine and a headset.
Elizabeth, the lone conservative on the show, is my TV action hero because she is bright, articulate, talks about motherhood like she loves it, and is outnumbered 3 to 1 by her more liberal counterparts.
When the topic was the right to bear arms, though, even Elizabeth missed the chance to remind America the real reason we should cherish the rights our forefathers established.
So why do we have Amendment #2 in the first place?
Amendments 3, 4, and 5 serve as a reality check.
Amendment #3 reminds us that at one time, the English monarch thought it was okay to force his subjects to house and to feed his soldiers, without compensation.
Amendment #4 reminds us that King George‘s soldiers thought it entertaining to bust in on folks’ private homes and search.
Amendment #5 reminds us that the king’s representatives in the New World had a bad habit of accusing folks, throwing them in jail, and confiscating their property without a trial.
Our forefathers were still in creating-a-self-governing-nation mode when they wrote the Bill of Rights. They were looking for ways to keep government for the people, by the people, of the people, as Abe defined it later.
They were creating not only three checks and balances to reign in government, but as many as they could think of, including a free press in the first amendment.
One balance of power was to ensure that government officials would be aware that every citizen was armed. That might slow ya down a mite when you are thinking tyrannical thoughts about world domination and power mongering.
Call me paranoid, but I stand with the patriots on this one.
Lately, there is talk about whether “the right of the people” refers to individuals or the military.
Really? We need to invest in history lessons for media-types.
Our forefathers were not worrying about criminals, although they had their share in a rough and rugged new country.
No siree. They were giving citizens the tools they needed to protect themselves from the very government they were in the process of designing. Just in case.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, welcomes comments at CaeKrafve2@aol.com or http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.
“Whenever guns are illegal, only criminals will have guns.” Yeah right, we’ve heard it all before.
Too bad, that quippy little saying really misses the point.
The View, that daytime girlfest of chatter, is a perfect wake-up call that not everyone has been reviewing their grammar school history lessons.
I happened to catch it one day when I was fighting off boredom on the treadmill with a magazine and a headset.
Elizabeth, the lone conservative on the show, is my TV action hero because she is bright, articulate, talks about motherhood like she loves it, and is outnumbered 3 to 1 by her more liberal counterparts.
When the topic was the right to bear arms, though, even Elizabeth missed the chance to remind America the real reason we should cherish the rights our forefathers established.
So why do we have Amendment #2 in the first place?
Amendments 3, 4, and 5 serve as a reality check.
Amendment #3 reminds us that at one time, the English monarch thought it was okay to force his subjects to house and to feed his soldiers, without compensation.
Amendment #4 reminds us that King George‘s soldiers thought it entertaining to bust in on folks’ private homes and search.
Amendment #5 reminds us that the king’s representatives in the New World had a bad habit of accusing folks, throwing them in jail, and confiscating their property without a trial.
Our forefathers were still in creating-a-self-governing-nation mode when they wrote the Bill of Rights. They were looking for ways to keep government for the people, by the people, of the people, as Abe defined it later.
They were creating not only three checks and balances to reign in government, but as many as they could think of, including a free press in the first amendment.
One balance of power was to ensure that government officials would be aware that every citizen was armed. That might slow ya down a mite when you are thinking tyrannical thoughts about world domination and power mongering.
Call me paranoid, but I stand with the patriots on this one.
Lately, there is talk about whether “the right of the people” refers to individuals or the military.
Really? We need to invest in history lessons for media-types.
Our forefathers were not worrying about criminals, although they had their share in a rough and rugged new country.
No siree. They were giving citizens the tools they needed to protect themselves from the very government they were in the process of designing. Just in case.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, welcomes comments at CaeKrafve2@aol.com or http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Favorite Moments from the 2008 Texas Republican Convention
Drama! Laughter! Heartbreak! Hurrahs!
The Texas Republican Convention 2008 had something for everyone.
We all take our freedom pretty seriously in this state, but it can’t hurt to laugh along the way as we are getting worked into a lather with the Presidential elections drawing near.
As tribute to the hard-working men and women who put on the event with the intention of doing their part in the self-governing process, here’s my list of favorite moments at the convention.
-Favorite Missing In Action Candidate: John McCain who didn’t show up.
-Favorite Gag: The cardboard stand-up of McCain positioned in the aisle in front of the video crew and beamed to the big screens with delegates pretending to pose with the absentee candidate.
-Favorite Honor: Local guy and US Congressman, Louie Gohmert, received the Texas Eagle Forum’s Patriot of the Year award.
-Jazziest slogan: I have no idea what it means but my favorite stickers were the ones that labeled delegates “Red Hot.” Everybody was handing out stickers; some delegates reminded me of those VW vans that travel the world covered in stickers. This one actually said “Keep Texas…” in small font and was sponsored by the Growth, Opportunity and Prosperity PAC whoever they are.
-Favorite New faces on the East Texas Political Scene: William Hughey of Marshall in Harrison County who is running for District Judge, and his wife, Willie. His impromptu comments in the Congressional District 3 Caucus meeting received a long and enthusiastic standing ovation.
-Favorite political ad: The “Big Bad John” video put together by US Senator John Cornyn’s staff; it was the most entertaining of the lot. You can check it out at their website, but bet we won’t see the full version on TV. It’s funny, even if you’re not a Republican.
-Favorite Fashion Statement: People wearing Styrofoam elephants on their heads.
-Favorite New Face at the State Level: Dr. Robin Armstrong, Vice Chairman of the Republican Party. Okay, die-hard Republicans probably know this guy, but he was new to me. He is conservative, articulate, and took the time to listen to folks.
-Favorite Houston Restaurant near the Convention Center: The Grove, less pricey than most with a view of the sculpture garden that doubles as a park.
-Favorite fauxpas: When one of the national delegate nominees said he loved his wife and what she did to him…oops…for him.
Attending a party convention for the first time is an amazing and often bewildering experience. Sometimes it felt like a carnival, sometimes like a country western concert, and sometimes, for instance during the prayer breakfast, it felt like a call to worship.
There is something compelling about the process that has developed out of the foundation our forefathers designed.
No matter whose candidate wins in November, we really do live in a land where liberty is a celebration and a call to thanksgiving.
Cathy Primer Krafve lives and votes in Texas. Comments are invited at CaeKrafve2@aol.com of http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.
The Texas Republican Convention 2008 had something for everyone.
We all take our freedom pretty seriously in this state, but it can’t hurt to laugh along the way as we are getting worked into a lather with the Presidential elections drawing near.
As tribute to the hard-working men and women who put on the event with the intention of doing their part in the self-governing process, here’s my list of favorite moments at the convention.
-Favorite Missing In Action Candidate: John McCain who didn’t show up.
-Favorite Gag: The cardboard stand-up of McCain positioned in the aisle in front of the video crew and beamed to the big screens with delegates pretending to pose with the absentee candidate.
-Favorite Honor: Local guy and US Congressman, Louie Gohmert, received the Texas Eagle Forum’s Patriot of the Year award.
-Jazziest slogan: I have no idea what it means but my favorite stickers were the ones that labeled delegates “Red Hot.” Everybody was handing out stickers; some delegates reminded me of those VW vans that travel the world covered in stickers. This one actually said “Keep Texas…” in small font and was sponsored by the Growth, Opportunity and Prosperity PAC whoever they are.
-Favorite New faces on the East Texas Political Scene: William Hughey of Marshall in Harrison County who is running for District Judge, and his wife, Willie. His impromptu comments in the Congressional District 3 Caucus meeting received a long and enthusiastic standing ovation.
-Favorite political ad: The “Big Bad John” video put together by US Senator John Cornyn’s staff; it was the most entertaining of the lot. You can check it out at their website, but bet we won’t see the full version on TV. It’s funny, even if you’re not a Republican.
-Favorite Fashion Statement: People wearing Styrofoam elephants on their heads.
-Favorite New Face at the State Level: Dr. Robin Armstrong, Vice Chairman of the Republican Party. Okay, die-hard Republicans probably know this guy, but he was new to me. He is conservative, articulate, and took the time to listen to folks.
-Favorite Houston Restaurant near the Convention Center: The Grove, less pricey than most with a view of the sculpture garden that doubles as a park.
-Favorite fauxpas: When one of the national delegate nominees said he loved his wife and what she did to him…oops…for him.
Attending a party convention for the first time is an amazing and often bewildering experience. Sometimes it felt like a carnival, sometimes like a country western concert, and sometimes, for instance during the prayer breakfast, it felt like a call to worship.
There is something compelling about the process that has developed out of the foundation our forefathers designed.
No matter whose candidate wins in November, we really do live in a land where liberty is a celebration and a call to thanksgiving.
Cathy Primer Krafve lives and votes in Texas. Comments are invited at CaeKrafve2@aol.com of http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.
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