AUBURN, Alabama: You’ll have to pardon me for a minute, while I stand and salute:
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and Justice for all.”
See, I can’t let Congress get too far ahead of me on such a vital issue. Nobody knew Congress could act so fast. Inside of an hour after those judges in San Francisco threw out the Pledge of Allegiance, the entire House of Representatives was on the front steps of the Capitol, practicing it.
They could have stayed inside the House chambers… they have a flag in there. But not the cameras.
The Senate passed a resolution, 99 to 0, in disfavor with that Circuit Court ruling. Well, that’s one thing those California judges did for history. They brought the U.S. Senate to a unanimous decision.
The father that started the lawsuit says his daughter should not have to say anything about “one nation under God” in school, and she shouldn’t even have to hear it. Well, if it upsets him that 250 million of us like the Pledge the way it is, perhaps he should find a country that is not under God, and has no connection to any God. He’ll get plenty of offers of a ticket to go there. One way. If he tries to take his little girl with him, he may have a battle.
Well, let’s get on to the other news this week. I just read one of the top newspapers in this part of Alabama, the Montgomery Advertiser. This is the most forthright paper in the country. They tell you right up front in the name what their main purpose is. Folks here must appreciate their honesty because they have been reading the Advertiser since 1829. Their motto: All the advertisements that’s fit to print. And all the news that’ll fit in the space that’s left.
Alabama held an election Tuesday. Senator Sessions has a new opponent this November, Susan Parker. She says, “Mr. Sessions is Goliath and I am David with a slingshot.” Well, Mr. Sessions is not a small man, but this is probably the first time he has been favorably compared to a man of that stature. And I think she sells herself short saying all she has going for her is a forked stick and a few small stones. Well, it should be a lively campaign, and it’ll give folks something to argue over in case all the football teams are doing poorly.
Mr. Arafat says he will run again, regardless. His determination, persistence and bullheadedness about running again is an annoyance for President Bush and others who want him out of there. Kinda like Mr. Gore is for the Democrat leaders.
Have you noticed, War has held off so far this month? Yes, credit goes to the World Cup. The only people in the world, besides us, not watching soccer is the suicide bombers, and there was only a couple of them. Even America watched it till we got shut out.
Brazil and Germany fight it out on the field this Sunday. I can’t predict the winner, but I know the score will likely be 1-0.
We got more of these big companies in trouble for cheating their shareholders and tricking the auditors. Enron, Global Crossing, Arthur Andersen, WorldCom… Hardly a day goes by without more scandals and layoffs.
Did you see where Playboy this month is showing those former Enron women? Who will be next? The way things are going on Wall Street, they may have to publish weekly to keep up. Just stop before they get to Martha Stewart.
Well, I am down here at Auburn University, the home of War Eagles and Tigers. Chicago had cows on her streets, the Midwest has concrete geese on front lawns, but Auburn has Tigers anywhere you want one. Any style or color combination, they will paint one for you. This is a good school with a lot more going on than painting and football.
I am here for a Southern Tillage Conference where they are working on ways to raise cotton, peanuts and all sorts of other crops for less money, and with no erosion. When I say “Southern”, I am not limiting it to where you might guess. For this meeting the South reaches almost to the Antarctic. We got folks here from Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil. Even Southern California.
You know, when cotton is 35 cents a pound and soybeans are $4.50 a bushel, farmers have got to cut their nonessential costs. They may eliminate the old moldboard plow in the South as an unnecessary and costly recreational activity, but they’ll always keep politics around for entertainment purposes.
Historic quote from Will Rogers:
“(I just) read the new census. Talk about putting a quota on immigration. Why, the Yankees are swarming into the South like locusts.
Get some of these gains: Houston, Texas showed a gain of 110 per cent. Atlanta, 73 per cent gain, will be Houston’s nearest rival in twenty years. Miami, 273 per cent. Oklahoma City, 100 per cent. Birmingham 44, Memphis 55, San Antonio 57, and the Carolinas just packed ’em in. Only one drawback… the rascals bring their Republican politics with ’em. They ought to be met at the line and deloused.” DT #1201, June 1, 1930