Month: June 2018

Last week, separating illegal immigrants from their children was a divisive, humane topic. So President Trump changed the policy; children will be kept with their parent(s). But that did not satisfy critics.

Even Republicans don’t agree on a plan. And Democrats have no plan at all. Interestingly, if you go back 10 or 12 years, prominent Democratic Senators came down firmly on the same side that Trump favors today. Democrats never say ‘open borders’, but they never vote for any plan that closes the border to illegal entry.

How’s this for a plan: eliminate the “incentives” for poor people in Honduras and Guatemala to pay a smuggler (coyote) $5000 to be brought across Mexico and dumped on our border. Instead set up a program where they can apply for asylum at a US facility in their home countries. If accepted, instead of paying $5000 per person, they will buy an airline ticket to a US city where the adults will be connected with an employer.

For that to work, anyone who tries to cross our border illegally, including kids who are not accompanied by a parent, will be immediately returned to their home country. (We already do that with Mexicans.) On that last point, any activist or lawyer who advises immigrants on how to circumvent that policy will be arrested. Treat them the same as a financial advisor who helps clients illegally avoid paying income taxes.

You probably know that Charles Krauthammer died last week. If you have read his syndicated columns or watched him on Fox News you know he was a brilliant writer and speaker who communicated common sense in precise language, often with a touch of humor. Even if you disagreed with his analysis you had a clearer understanding of the issue. Does he remind me of anyone? Well, yes. Except for the “precise language,” he shared many characteristics with Will Rogers. People would often say about Will, ‘He was funny, but he was telling us something important.’ For Charles, ‘He was telling us something important, and he was funny.’ I also compare him to Paul Harvey on radio who reported the news, provided analysis, and gave us ‘The Rest of the Story.’

Have you heard of Mensa? It is an international organization for really smart folks and I’m sure Mr. Krauthammer would have qualified. If your IQ is above 140 (top 2%), you’ve probably received an invitation to join. Well, I got an invitation, but not to join. Instead I am invited to speak at their annual convention, as ‘Will Rogers.’ Their convention is in Indianapolis the first week in July and I’m on the program the evening of July 5. You might be wondering whether Will Rogers was in Mensa. Will was a genius, but Mensa did not exist until the 1950s. ‘Will Rogers’ and I hope to see quite a few brilliant friends at Mensa in Indianapolis.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“You must judge a man’s greatness by how much he will be missed.” WA #139, Aug. 9, 1925

“A (person) only learns by two things; one is reading, and the other is associating with smarter people.” WA #147, Oct. 4, 1925

Plenty of news topics recently: North Korea, tariffs, immigration, and the IG report on the FBI. And regardless of the facts, there always seems to be at least two sides to argue over. After President Trump met with the North Korean dictator for a day in Singapore, many of us wanted to reach an immediate conclusion. Was Trump successful, or did he give away the store? Here’s my view: be patient, pay attention to comments by Secretary of State Pompeo rather than Trump’s tweets, and realize it may take at least a couple of years before we know if North Korea has gotten rid of all nuclear weapons and missiles. And stop talking about a Nobel Peace Prize. The rest of the world seems upset with the threat of new tariffs on our imports, especially steel and aluminum. Our friends in Europe, plus Canada and Mexico are mad at President Trump for demanding “free and fair” trade. I heard that at the G7 meeting in Quebec that Trump suggested the elimination of ALL tariffs. Wasn’t that what those other leaders were demanding? Of course not. They want to keep their tariffs, but for us to eliminate ours. Now, tariffs are not good; they made the Great Depression far worse in the 1930s. Higher prices caused by tariffs are paid by consumers, not politicians. On immigration, seldom have we seen such a violent reaction to the separation of children from their parents who crossed our border illegally. The adults are put in jail until their application for asylum is decided, and the children are cared for in a separate facility. The parents knew this before crossing the border but they came anyway. Yes, it is a sad situation. But if you ask the critics for a solution, they have none that will work while controlling illegal immigration. The long-awaited report of the Justice Department’s Inspector General (IG) on the FBI came out last week. Democrats hailed it as proof that Hillary Clinton lost the election because of Director Comey’s actions in July and October 2016. Republicans loved it for identifying top FBI officials who were determined to keep Donald Trump from getting elected. At the center of the controversy are two FBI lovebird lawyers, Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, who spent most of their time each day exchanging hundreds of text messages. My question: would any business allow their employees to waste hours a day texting? Oh, and Happy Father’s Day! Historic quotes by Will Rogers: “I propose a Father’s Day. No flowers, no fuss – just let him use the car himself and go where he wants to.” DT #1183, May 11, 1930 [at the end of a wonderful message on Mother’s Day, Will added this…] “Father had a day, but you can’t find anybody who remembers when it was…  It’s been so confused with April the first.” Radio, May 12, 1935 [related to the IG lawyer report] “If it’s in a few words and is plain and understandable only one way, it was written by a non-lawyer.” WA #657, July 28, 1935