Good day. Welcome to September. If we got this out on time you’re reading it on Labor Day – the day we celebrate and appreciate all the hard workers in our country. Please, for the love of goodness, don’t mistake politicians for hard workers. Hard workers are the electricians, plumbers, mechanics, construction workers, farmers, truck drivers, firemen, law enforcement officers, rescue workers, and 99% of our military service members (1% is the upper echelon which count as politicians). Celebrate the hard workers; if praying suits you, say a prayer for them. If you’re one of them (or were and are retired) THANK YOU for your contribution to the greatest governmental experiment ever created: The United States of America.

Now, as it’s September, we’re almost dead center in the hurricane season and, as I type this, there are several named storms traveling westward along the Atlantic equatorial line. Since the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina is upon us – end of August which has just passed (as you read this) – much is being made of the recovery of New Orleans, all the work that still remains to be done there, and how great a few celebrities are because they’re still working to rebuild New Orleans.

In some of the news reports I’ve heard they’ve said that some New Orleans citizens are still living in federal housing trailers. Um, I don’t mean to be a jackass, but STILL? It’s five years later people. If your house hasn’t been rebuilt, it likely isn’t going to be. If your house has been rebuilt and you’re not living in it, then what the heck? If your place of residence hasn’t been rebuilt, isn’t going to be, and you have absolutely no place to stay in New Orleans, then MOVE. I take umbrage with people living on my tax dollars five years after a natural disaster; a natural disaster, by the way, that didn’t actually hit New Orleans. Katrina made landfall in Mississippi and nothing is being reported about how well Mississippi or Alabama or Florida’s panhandle have recovered. The funniest thing I’ve seen is the reporters reporting on how they reported five years ago. Really? How is that news?

With all that said, this summer has sucked for that region. With the BP oil “spill” life hasn’t been sweet for them. Hopefully it will improve. For the hard workers there I feel sympathy and wish them the best. For those freeloading I say: GET UP, GET OUT, GET A JOB, GET ON WITH LIFE.

The end of August will also see the “end of combat operations” in Iraq. This, obviously, is a political boondoggle as the Commander in Chief tries to show that he’s keeping a campaign promise (will this be the first one?). I really haven’t been able to decide if he pushed this because his party looks to be doing so badly in the mid-term elections or if he wants to make sure the new Iraqi government “leadership” keeps a favorable impression of him. Either way, for some reason, I’m having a hard time thinking that he’s doing it simply because he feels it’s the right thing to do for the service members or that the combat mission there has been accomplished. For some reason I believe that unless he sees a political or personal benefit, he wouldn’t be doing it.

By the time you read this, schools across the country will either be back in session or will be starting tomorrow (Tuesday, September 7th). Not long ago I had a discussion with some other parents about the starting and ending dates for schools in our area. Last year my son’s school started in the third week of August and wasn’t scheduled to end until the third week of June. We had already planned our family vacation for the third week of August so he started school a week late. There weren’t as many snow days used so school closed a week earlier than expected at the end of the second week of June.

Whatever happened to school starting after Labor Day and ending within a week of Memorial Day? What happened was all of the federal mandates for a minimum number of school days if states wanted extra money. This was part of numerous programs put forth in an attempt to keep all children equal in achievement as they progressed through the grades. Yes, it’s another political boondoggle.

While it sounds like an excellent idea to make sure Little Joey feels just as accomplished and just as smart as Little Johnny, the ugly truth is that Little Joey may not be as smart or Little Joey might have some learning disabilities. Either way, any attempt to slow Little Johnny down while speeding Little Joey up is a waste of our tax dollars. Rather than the federal government collecting those taxes and then distributing them to the states that participate in these feel good programs, I’d prefer to pay my state more taxes and let them use it for education as they see fit. I have yet to find anywhere in the Constitution that empowers the federal government to set education mandates.

On the topic of political boondoggles I’d like to also vent about how complicated language has become as we seek to be “politically correct”. Why should I be politically correct? I’m not a politician; I have no intention of being a politician (although several people have asked me to get into this field) and I don’t think I should have to monitor my language to make sure I don’t accidentally offend someone. As an example I’ll use height. My older sister is about five feet one inch tall… if she stands real straight and does her hair right. On the other hand, my oldest son is six feet two inches tall standing at attention. I wonder why I can call him “tall” but I’m supposed to refer to her as “vertically challenged” rather than simply calling her “short”. Isn’t she short? She’s shorter than the average American female of her age, so she’s short, right? My son is tall, right? He’s taller than the average American male his age, so he’s tall. How come it’s okay to call him tall but not her short? Oh, I know why: because she might be sensitive about being called “short” and would prefer a more congenial term; one “less hurtful”. So instead of “short” we say “vertically challenged”. I think this is unfair to my son. If we’re going to call her vertically challenged then I think it’s only fair to call him vertically blessed.

I’ve been fussed at by some friends and families when I refer to some people as morons or call them stupid. I get reminded that I’m supposed to call them “intellectually challenged”. Nope, I refuse. If you’re too stupid to wear your pants right, put on a belt and keep your underwear from hanging out, then I’m going to call you stupid. If you walk in the street secure in the belief that the 4,000 pound car going 55 miles per hour either won’t hit you or won’t kill you when it does, then I’m going to call you a moron. You’re not intellectually challenged: YOU’RE STUPID or MORONIC. Now, I know it’s fashionable to wear your pants around your butt with four to six inches of plaid boxers showing and no belt on. Has anyone ever told you where this “fashion” started? Sure, you think rappers – who must be cool because they wear a lot of jewelry, drive fancy cars and have plenty of women – started this “fashion”. Maybe… if it was one or two of them who were punks in prison. You see, this “fashion” is the required wear for those men in prison who are “the bitches”. They are the ones used for everyone else’s sexual relief. As such, they must make themselves as readily available as possible – easy access you might say – and therefore aren’t allowed to wear belts and have to have baggy pants that come down easy. Don’t you feel fashionable now walking around dressed like the prison punk?

Look folks, I know I’m not hip or fashionable. There is nothing plaid in my wardrobe and I don’t wear loafers. I learned how to dress in a private school that required a tie and a blazer every day and part of the uniform was a belt and dress shoes. From there Uncle Sam’s army taught me how to wear BDUs and Dress Green (Alphas) uniforms. Even when I’m wearing shorts, if they have belt loops, 99% of the time I have a belt on and my t-shirt tucked in. It’s just how I am. I’ve been this way all my adult life. Sure I might be a square, but I’m okay with that – especially since I know the true genesis of that terminology.

Which brings me to the final part of this month’s Letter From The Editor: For those of you readers who know where the terms:

• He’s squared away
• He’s on the level
• I gave him the third degree

came from, please drop me an email. If you’re on facebook add me as a friend. If you’re ever in the Washington DC area, let me know.

Again, welcome to September. Hurricane season is only half way over. If that might affect you, make sure you’re prepared. If you live in an area where a hurricane might pass through and you refuse to prepare, see the portion above about the terms stupid and moron.

Stay safe.

Frank Borelli
Editor-In-Chief

Did you find this information helpful? If you did, consider donating.

Related posts:

1. Letter From The Editor
2. Letter From The Editor, Nov ’09
3. Dec ’09 Letter From The Editor
4. Letter From The Editor
5. Letter From The Editor – May 2010