A Dog Named Drum

    

    By Florida Bill

                
                  Out of the plowed fields and forests of middle America comes the legend of a black and tan hound dog named "Old Drum," and the eulogy and legacy which establishes dogs everywhere as"Man's Best Friend."  
                   So endearing is the story of Drum that a bronze statue in his memory has been erected on the manicured lawn of the Johnson County Courthouse in Warrensburg, Missouri, down the way a bit from Kansas City. 
                   It was way back in 1869 that Drum was shot and killed by an angry farmer who believed that the dog had ambled onto his property and laid claim to one or two of his sheep.  The incident led to controversy and confrontations between farmers and land owners, hunters all, and owners of beloved pets.  But out of it all came the world's most famous eulogy to a dog from which much of the world now subscribes to the belief that the trusting dog is "man's best friend."  It is a colloquialism which shall always signify loyalty and  closeness to humans. 
                             Some historians may tell us that it was King Frederick II of Prussia who first spoke of his best friend the dog, or the canine-loving poet Ogden Nash who first coined the expression. But no, their respect for these four-footed critters truly pales in  comparison to the words of that famous Missouri attorney, George Graham Vest, who put it together in words that have no parallel, before or since, in describing the ineffable beauty and love of these incredible creatures of a great God. 
                    Here's the history. It was just a few years after the end of the civil war that farmer Charles Burden became the envy of his farming friends with a dog named Drum which had no peers when it came to tracking of birds, rabbits, deer and other critters which were game to the local inhabitants. The dog was fearless, strong, and persistent, and seldom failed to get his quarry. Burden had the dog since his puppy days and had named him Drum because his powerful and distinctive bark reminded him of the booming of a drum.  And there were events in which farmers hunted together, and more often than not it was Drum who got the kudos and praise for his great nose and incredible tracking ability.  
                     Burden's brother-in-law Leonidas Hornsby had a farm with sheep a few miles away.  In the quiet of one night,  Hornsby's sheep were killed and blame was laid upon old Drum, and Burden's dog was shot and killed.  Burden promptly sued Hornsby for damages of $50 in compensation for the shooting of Drum, but his brother-in-law denied that he was responsible. Hornsby may well have been absolved of guilt, but Burden won and was awarded damages, and it was believed by all that it was the words of Attorney Vest who told a jury of the uniqueness of the dog.  He said: 
                   "The best friend a man has in the world may turn against him and become his worst enemy. His son or daughter that he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us, those whom we trust with our happiness and our good name, may become traitors to their faith. The money that man has, he may lose. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it the most. A man's reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its cloud upon our head.                "
                               'The one absolutely unselfish friend that a man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him and the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous . . . is his dog. 

            "A man's dog stands by him in prosperity and in poverty, in health and in sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow and the snow drives fiercely, if only he may be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer, he will the lick the wounds and sores that come in encounters with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were the prince. When all other friends desert, he remains.

            "When riches take wings and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens. If fortune drives the master forth an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him to guard against danger, to fight against his enemies, and when the last scene of all comes, and death takes the master in its embrace and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by his graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even to death." 
               The statue of Old Drum was erected by the coordinated efforts of the Warrensburg Chamber of Commerce with help from dog lovers far and wide.  The sculptor was Reno Gastadi.  The statue is an endearing tribute to a dog, truly man's best friend. 

                                                 XXX

Obama's Military Axe

        By Florida Bill

                                  By and large Americans love their country. They are the most generous citizens on earth and have always been there to assist nations troubled by aggressors.  Most Americans believe the USA must maintain its traditional superiority and remain militarily strong so we will always prevail when threatened or actually attacked. 

                      In the parlance of Republican Candidate Donald Trump,  America needs a military "which is so strong and so powerful that no other nation will ever mess with us."  That seems to be the sentiment of all Republicans and most Democrats, and of most Americans. In other words:  Peace through strength.

                       Currently, America is moving through the Obama plan of cutting an incredible $500 billion dollars (five hundred thousand millions) from defense spending through 2022, at a rate of about $40 billion per year.  That kind of major surgery has got to hurt.  

                      Here we are on the sidelines being told of massive cuts to the military, and then we hear from the President in his State of the Union address that the country is the "strongest in the world. Period. Not even close."  Is this another Obama moment designed to disguise until another day the real condition of what once had been the world's mightiest military?  Remember his comments about Obamacare and how you can "keep your doctors. Period."

                       Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, like Trump a candidate for the Republican nomination,  has said that President Obama seems more interested in protecting the reputation of Islam than in keeping America safe.  Others point to Obama's  philosophy that America's might and power is a detriment to making friends out of enemies.  After eviscerating the military, Obama has extended his open hand to adversaries looking for a closed fist to open.  Clearly, that theory has not worked, and threats and disrespect for America continue to grow and worsen. 

                       In recent assessments of America's military readiness, Republicans Jeb Bush and Sen. Ted Cruz have pointed to questionable readiness and manpower of today's armed forces.  Under Obama, America will have the smallest army since 1940 with 450,000 soldiers.  The navy will be the smallest since 1915 with the fleet of ships having dropped from 529 in 1991 to 272.  The air force will be the smallest in modern history with the number of planes having been reduced from the 8,000 used in 1991 at the onset of Desert Storm to the present 4,000 planes.  Add to all this, ISIS storming and killing in Syria and Iraq and bragging of its plans to destroy America;  and Russia and China seeking to expand into new territories. Citizens of the United States are nervous and uneasy, and justifiably so. 

                      On top of these obvious threats are the forces of "radical Islam" with its plan to turn the planet into a great caliphate and the call for infidels to convert to Islam or die.  With Americans and Christians being slaughtered and with ISIS on the rise, the President remains passive and has declined to call out these Muslim radicals for their savagery; and all this goes on as weapons and manpower are being gutted.  Cutting the military is consistent with Obama's stated plan to change the face of America.     

                        Former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, a one time Republican senator tapped by Obama to join his administration, announced the cut backs in 2014 and said that the nation will be at the same level of readiness as it was prior to the beginning of World war II.  He called it a "reset for the times."  Hagel was a former congressman from Nebraska, unpopular among his peers, when he was appointed by Obama to be Secretary of Defense, a key member of Obama's cabinet.  He stayed in the post for two years and then resigned, though some insiders say he was fired.

                       At a news conference, Hagel provided a breakdown of some of the cuts.  The army would be reduced from a high of 750,000 after 9-11 to about 450,000.  Planes and battleships will be scrapped. Military benefits and pay will be slowed, and the National Guard will be pared by 5 per cent.  Elite B-52 bombers, the pride of the President Truman era, will be maintained although judged by some observers to be rickety and questionably safe.
                      For the most part, Democrats have said very little about America's military status, electing rather to stand by statements of the President.  At a recent Democratic debate, the question of military readiness was never put on the table for comment.  Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who focuses big time on her email problems, dodged accusations that she was too cozy with Wall Street,  and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has credentials as a pacifist and a conscientious objector, sees "climate change" as the issue to be concerned with.  Martin O'Malley recognizes the threat posed from terrorists,  but he continued to boast of his accomplishments as a Baltimore mayor and Maryland governor who fought discrimination and gun violence.     

                        Objectively speaking, it is difficult to find proponents outside of the Obama administration who view the cut backs with optimism.  Getting rid of waste is always a noble objective, but the Department of Defense is not the place for massive cuts.  General Ray Odierno,  Army chief of staff who retired last August,  has testified before Congress that America's strength and readiness are inadequate and growing worse.
                        The National Defense Review Panel has reviewed the country's state of readiness and strength and has reported that "the Obama administration's four-year defense strategy lacks funding needed for fulfilling global military missions and the U.S. military faces 'high risk' in the world unless changes are made."
                        That panel, with members appointed jointly by the Defense Department and Congress, is probably the nearest thing to bipartisanship that can be found in Washington.  The next President, Democrat or Republican, will be wise to focus immediate attention upon national defense and readiness in this dangerous world.     

                                               

                                            xxx

  

. 

Grandparents Beware

 By Florida Bill

                             Bernie Madoff and Florida's Scott Rothstein were specialists in operating what is called a "Ponzi" scheme, through which they picked the pockets of investors to the tune of billions of dollars.  They took the money from the very rich, and from any man or woman with a nest egg for a rainy day and for their retirement.  But like other crooks, they got caught and currently are serving long terms in a federal prison.
                             There is another coterie of scam artists whose names are hopefully on the doors of jail cells which await their arrival. These lowlifes are picking pockets too, but these pockets belong to trusting grandparents who will dig deep into their savings to help their grandchildren who encounter problems.  These crooks occupy a strata in our ecosystem which is below frog droppings.
                              To detectives and the FBI, this underhanded theft has become known as the  "Grandparents Scam." Law enforcement officials across the country are warning seniors to beware of fraudsters impersonating grandchildren in distress and in dire need of cash.
                               These criminals are crafty in their trade. While there are a number of variations to the scam, it can often begin with a telephone call to the residence of oldsters who often have grandchildren in their late teens or early 20s. Florida is prime territory, with the chances of stumbling on a grandparent there better than almost anywhere.
                               In a typical conversation, a grandparent answers and the voice says, "Grandpa" or "Grandma" in a questioning tone.  And the grandparent, taken in already, inquires, "Is this Joey, Jimmy, Mary Deanne, etc" and the caller replies, "Yes, its me."  The conversation is now moving and the caller makes an emotional pitch for some money which will help him or her get through a predicament.  Kind grandparents are moved and trusting, and arrangements are made for sending the money. The "caller-grandchild" is grateful, and extends his love and thanks and bids farewell. Sometime later, perhaps the next day, Grandma or Grandpa learns that the whole episode was a con job.  Their loving grandchild knows nothing of the so called predicament, and Grandpa and Grandma are out a $1,000 or more.
                               Your scrivener was actually called by scammers in his home with a pitch by grandson, "William,"  for $1,500 to help him through an arrest for driving while not having his license, and he needed the $1,500 to make bond.  Luckily, your blogger, the Grandpa, asked his grandson to put the arresting officer on the phone so Grandpa could inquire about the arrest and the amount of the bond.  At that point the scam artist hung up.   We reported the scam to police and it probably landed in a thick file with other complaints.
                               These scam artists can be very convincing and better organized than the one who called us.  In one situation, a grandfather was contacted by his "granddaughter" three times and the trusting old guy wired money and even picked up the cost of some collect calls. He was convinced it was on the level because his granddaughter provided a number for the police and when Grandpa called a "police officer," the voice of authority responded and gave assurance that there was no need to be doubtful, and that his granddaughter was grateful for the funds wired.  Sometimes they have a friend standing by to get on the line and play the role of doctor, lawyer or police officer. So remember, these con men know their stuff.
                              Typically, the caller urges secrecy, seeking to stave off a quick call to someone to verify the story of woe told them.  They will even give instructions on where to go and how to wire the cash. If a doubting grandpa or grandma notes that the caller's voice sounds different, often the claim is that there has been an injury to the mouth or nose.
                          In February of 2016, federal authorities in Miami prosecuted a 33-year-old Canadian for running a scam which targeted elderly grandparents and made off with an estimated $800,000. Victims sent money orders which were often cashed in the Dominican Republic, Chile and other countries.  Authorities said the scammers were so convincing that in some cases victims sent more money than what was requested.
                               Some investigators have estimated that tens of millions of dollars or more have been taken in this scam, though an accurate figure is not known.  One Michigan couple is said to have lost their life savings of $33,000 to a man pretending to be their grandson who needed bond money and help to get out of a Canadian jail.  Investigators also believe that a great number of the victims have been reluctant to report the episode to police, embarrassed that they never detected the fraud and were made fools of.
                               Investigators say that the Grandparents scam has become increasingly common.  In 2009, the Federal Trade Commission recorded 743 incidents of scammers pretending to be a family member or a friend in need of money.  Since 2010, the FTC has recorded more than 40,000 incidents of fraud, and that figure does not include the unreported cases, estimated to be in the thousands.    
                              The second time we were called, I ended the charade quickly. In response to "Hi Grandpa, it's your grandson calling," I asked "which one?" The sound of the dial tone was immediate.
                             The moral of the story is that seniors and grandparents must be aware that these scammers are out there working to pick a pocket by telephone.

Tearful Obama and other Weepers

    By Florida Bill

                      There are times when we feel that every move of politicians is scripted and perhaps practiced in front of a critical staff, or at least a mirror. Is crying in public one of those well-rehearsed acts, a special skill in the repertoire of an able politician, or is it a genuine response on the part of a caring representative of the people?

                    It is hard to come up with an across-the-board conclusion about the sincerity of such tears. And it may be equally difficult to assess how the public will react to having their leaders suddenly start sobbing in public.
                   President Obama will now take his place alongside other politicians who have rolled out Olympic-sized tears to emphasize a point.  Obama broke down crying as he called for new gun laws, recalling the shooting of young children in a Connecticut elementary school. That televised display of emotion might be more justified than many we have observed, as the President displayed understandable melancholy in reminding viewers of small children gunned down in the Sandy Hook classroom.  Actually it was not the first time for Obama.  He wept in 2012, a few days after his reelection, while delivering a thank you to his campaign workers for their tireless work on his behalf. That display of tears probably doesn't have quite as much resonance among the public, and it is doubtful many viewers  at home sniffled along with him.
                       Whether Obama's teary-eyed performance will benefit him in persuading Congress to assist him in passing gun control measures, which might violate the second amendment, remains to be seen.  However, it is doubtful that republicans who control both houses of Congress will see it Obama's way.
                     There have been times when choking up and weeping has backfired on emotional politicians. You just never know what the public reaction will be. Some years ago in London, the leader of the Social Democratic Party, Robert MacLennan, was speaking publicly of a need for a merger with another party.  So intense were his feelings for the need to merge the two parties, that he spoke haltingly and wept uncontrollably.  Ultimately, the merger took place, but from that time on MacLennan was referred to as "Blubbering Bob."
                            During the 11 years of Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher in England, microphone sobbing was out of character--as Bob MacLennan learned.  However, with the passing of years and the onset of  political correctness, British commentators say public crying by politicians is now looked upon with respect and admiration.

                           If a politician cannot cry, he is not in touch with himself and therefore cannot be in touch with and understand the cares and concerns of the people.  So much for the old stiff upper lip. In Australia some years ago, Bob Hawke broke down in tears while admitting that he had cheated on his wife.  His tears won over the electorate, but not his wife. She eventually divorced him.
                           In Iran, politicians often cry, and close watchers of the policy have said that "it helps to humanize them and to signal their concern for the plight of average Iranians."  So it was not unusual when former President Ahmadinejad wept at the funeral of the left wing Hugo Chavez.
                           One of the most glaring examples of weeping that seemed to turn off the voters occurred when Ed Muskie, a former governor and senator from Maine, was campaigning for the presidency in 1972.  He was popular and admired.  Yet when asked about news stories criticizing his wife, his response was mixed with weeping, and many pundits feel his emotional tearing up and news stories of the incident knocked his campaign off track.  Muskie always argued that the water streaming down his face was from melted snowflakes, but no one really bought the explanation.  In political parlance today, a tearful response is known as a "Muskie Moment."  Likewise, former Ohio Senator George Voinovich once broke down on the senate floor and wept in a speech opposing the appointment of John Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations.  The senator castigated Bolton as a "bully."  For his emotional performance, Voinovich was called a "crying clown" and a "teary-eyed rebel," but Bolton never obtained senate confirmation for the post.
                        But if a politician once breaks down in tears over a tragic story, does that not reflect coldly on times when he or she does not feel the need to shed a tear? While President Obama may well have picked the right tone for a discussion of slain children, can we rightfully conclude he doesn't care enough to shed a tear if he remains dry-eyed over something like the video-taped beheadings of Americans, like journalist James Foley, by Islamic terrorists?
                    Perhaps conservative Americans would not accuse him of sympathy for the religion he followed as a boy if he were a little more emotional and accusatory about the savagery displayed by the radical Islamists he refuses to name as such. No one would be likely to call him "Blubbering Barack" if he shed a few tears on behalf of the family of Jim Foley.
                  Examples of how unpredictable the political results of a few sobs can be to dot history, which makes it hard for public officials to figure out whether they should fight to hold their emotions in check, or just let it flow.
                When Richard Nixon was a candidate for vice president in the l950s, he was accused of behavior designed to benefit himself financially.  He went on television and delivered what is now called "the Checkers speech" and though he did not weep, he  was choked up and emotional in denying any dishonesty in his life.  The rather standoffish Nixon popularity was said to grow after his heartfelt display of feelings, and he remained a candidate for vice president and was elected with President Eisenhower and served in that office for eight years.

                          On the campaign trail, Hillary Clinton is a woman who has perfected the art of fibbing and fudging along her political way.  She often chokes and gets teary-eyed on television.  New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd once asked if "Hillary can cry her way back to the White House."   In 2008, as she prepared for the New Hampshire primary, she wept and said that it (the campaign) is all very personal for me...It is not just political."  She won that primary over Obama.  Her husband, the former president, who is no stranger to public pathos, congratulated her upon winning in New Hampshire and then broke down in tears exclaiming to the crowd that "I am so proud of her."
                           Personally, I remember well the unexpected weeping from Chicago Mayor Michael Bilandic during a press conference in which he was lamenting the inability of the fire department union to obtain a deserved raise.  The issue seemed sort of mundane, but Bilandic became distraught and tears rolled down his flushed cheeks. Eventually, firemen did get a raise in salary, but Bilandic himself got beaten by Jane Byrne in a primary election thereafter.   Bilandic had become mayor and served for two years following the death of Mayor Richard J. Daley in 1976.
                             Perhaps political strategists can study some of these examples and try to come up with a checklist for their candidates on when it is okay to squeeze out a few tears, and when downcast eyes and a quivering lip might be the better choice.  

                                                   xxx