Do All Dogs Go To Heaven?

BY FLORIDA BILL 

          In the evening when my wife and I are watching TV, our dogs, Wendy and Sammi,  join us on the couch, share in the popcorn and other snacks, and snooze.  We would hate to lose the little squirts.  Their life is way too short.  And when they go, like other of our pets in the past, we will be left with a most profound sadness.  In many ways it is similar to the grief suffered at the loss of a human friend or relative; but different since we have always believed that we will be reunited with our two-legged loved ones in the after life.

             So what is the deal with our dogs.  Is it true that all dogs go to heaven?

              Mark Twain has noted that "Heaven goes by favor; If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in."   But that only begs the question. 

              Recently, America was blessed with a visit from Pope Francis.  We heard his voice  calling for peace in the world and for love and respect for all men.  But in another earlier message, Pope Francis observed that our four-footed friends are not lost forever and that "Paradise is open to all of God's creatures."   Good news for us dog people.

              Actually,  Francis is not the only Pope who has said that beloved pets do not make a permanent departure.   Some years ago, Pope Paul VI, while consoling a broken-hearted little boy whose pet had died, told the youngster that he would again see his dog in the "eternity of Christ."  His words were very comforting to the boy;  and yes, those words resonate in the same way with us old timers whose time on this earth is coming to an end. We are like our dogs, "short timers."  And it is good to know that religious experts confirm our long-held belief that we will be reunited with every dog we've ever had when that time comes.     

            Will Rogers, a man who loved his furry companions, would be pleased too.   This great humorist once said that "if there are no dogs in heaven, then, when I die,  I want to go where they went."  Well with the popes and other passing on the question, it is looking pretty good.  They will be there and we'll see them so long as we make it too.   

            There are hundreds of millions of dog owners in the world and more frequently than not, a special steely bond develops between the canine and his owner.  There are those who do not or have never owned a dog, and perhaps regard the relationship as mythical rather than mystical.  But I know I am right; the relationship is special--ask any pet owner. 

            I remember when I was a soldier in Korea, I owned a small terrier-type pooch named Maggie and she was with me most hours of virtually every day of  my 16-month hitch in Korea.  When I walked guard duty with a rifle, Maggie was there and when I was in the mess hall she waited outside by the door; and at bedtime, my cot and sleeping bag were her bed too.  On our small compound in Ouijanbu, soldiers with their dogs were quite common and unrestricted by commanders in this far off part of Asia.

            Sadly, when I said good-bye to Korea, I had to say farewell also to Maggie. I can still see her to this day,  sitting by the side of a road, watching and alert as our truck pulled away.  I loved that little girl,  and I am hoping that Maggie will be around to greet me at the Pearly Gates. 
            Occasionally, I think back about our four-footed friends and their special place in life and I am reminded of the words of an old Missouri lawyer who, reflecting on our furry companions, observed that "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."  

             To dog aficionados, and maybe to Pope Francis himself, there is the story of the  "Rainbow Bridge."  Accordingly, when a pet dies, it goes to a meadow and is restored to perfect health, and spends its days running and playing with other dogs, with plenty of fresh food and water. The only thing that is not perfect is that he misses his owner left behind on earth.  When the owner dies, he approaches the meadow and it is at that moment that his pet sees him and their eyes meet.  Excited, the pet runs to the owner's arms licking his face in joy, and side by side they cross the Rainbow Bridge together into heaven, never again to be separated.

          Today, living in sunny Florida, my wife, Chrissy and I have two dogs,  Cairn Terriers by breed, each weighing about 15 pounds.  They look like the dog, Toto, in the movie The Wizard of Oz.  They are non-stop yappers and never saw a bird or leaf that did not require their comment; the arrival of the pool man or the dry cleaner is enough to provoke a deafening frenzy.  Yet, we have bonded with them in a big way, and it is impossible to imagine life without them.  But a dog's life is short, and we have had other dogs before them, all of whom became special and unforgettable. We are happy about Pope Francis's views on the matter.        

            One final word on dogs and the hereafter: Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of "The Secret Life of Dogs," was asked in an interview if she believed that all dogs go to heaven. Her answer was logic at its best: "If there are no dogs there, it is not heaven."

Meet Socialist Bernie

           

                       
 BY FLORIDA BILL 

                A year ago only the most avid political groupies were aware of Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Now an ersatz Bernie is a star on Saturday Night Live, his scowling face is on the news nightly and he is beginning to make former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton look very worried as he does better than anybody expected in early Presidential primaries.
                His opponent Clinton is well known.  She has distinguished herself as one of the great political liars, which is saying something.  She has fudged and dodged the truth for 40 years and continues to offer artificial sincerity and scripted pledges that she, as President and Commander-in-Chief, will bring peace and harmony to a troubled America in the same style and effectiveness as her mentor, Barack Obama.   
                  But who is this, white-haired, combative Sanders who offers more "free stuff" as President than even Clinton. As an "independent" congressman from Vermont, he sponsored no legislation of significance, and now has crawled out from under his well-paid rock. You will know him immediately from his caustic demeanor, denouncing Wall Street and wealthy Americans, and calling for a new America modeled after Denmark.
                  The 74-year-old Sanders was elected as a senator from Vermont in 2002, and for 11 years prior to that, had served as a representative in Congress from that state.  Technically, he is an Independent with no affiliation with any political party, the only such senator with that label in the 100-member body.  However, he caucuses with and votes with Democrats and decries Republicans and grimaces at the word "conservative."  
                       In his candidacy seeking the nomination as the Democratic party standard bearer in next November's election, Sanders proudly proclaims himself to be a "Democratic Socialist" and promises if elected to work toward the elimination of capitalism and the introduction of socialism which will endow all Americans with free college and health care and other benefits.  His programs are estimated to cost around 20 trillion dollars (20,000 billions), to be underwritten by massive tax increases on all Americans, but which will fall most heavily upon the wealthy.  In some cases, tax rates could hit 90 per cent, he acknowledges.
                        Sanders' socialism is considered by many critics as a milder form of communism.  Generally speaking, socialists and communists are pretty well cut from the same cloth, except that the Socialist is probably more accepting of religion.  Both systems vehemently oppose capitalism and endorse a society in which government holds all the cards and supervises everything and redistributes the wealth with lots of free stuff for everyone as the path to "Shangri-La.
                       Normally, Americans recoil at the sound of the word socialism and communism.  But sculpted in the beauty of the Sanders description of "free stuff" for everyone, not just the rich, Sanders is making his presence known.  
                        As primary voting is commencing, Sanders finished in a statistical tie with Clinton in the caucuses in Iowa. In the New Hampshire primary, he won decisively, but he was a loser in Nevada.  He has made a mark with his style of oration in which he continually jams both arms up and down and cups his hands, looking much like a white-haired symphony leader without a baton.  He has become a favorite foil for TV's Saturday Night Live, increasing his popularity with young voters who applaud his socialistic views and the promise of eliminating any school debt which they may have incurred, and the idea of qualifying for a government subsidy. 
                           And yes, as part of being president, Sanders will become Commander-in-Chief as set forth in the constitution. Given his background and core values, that can cause trepidation among voters and be a real sore tooth for veterans who love their country and are willing to fight for it.  Fighting for America is something that Sanders refused to do, and America's servicemen have a very long memory.      
                           Sanders was born in Brooklyn to a Jewish family.  He attended James Madison High school where he was a captain of the track team. He attended Brooklyn college for a year and then transferred to the University of Chicago where in 1964 he was graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in political science.                                         In the 1960s and 1970s, Sanders sought status as a conscientious objector, maintaining that he was a pacifist opposing any and all wars.  In that era,  some young men, such as Muhammad Ali, claimed exemption from wearing the uniform of their country on religious grounds.  But Sanders dodged the service not for religious beliefs, but because he objected to war, any war. As a student in Chicago and following graduation, he busied himself organizing and participating in anti war protests and was arrested on one occasion.
                            He was an organizer of the Congress of Racial equality  and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Student Peace Union. According to some critics, this was his all-consuming activity.  He never exhibited respect for historical icons like Patrick Henry or for military heroes like Generals MacArthur and Eisenhower and for an America which had defended itself and Europe against tyranny in two world wars.  

                          But rather, he praised figures who were critical of America's capitalistic ways, and professors and intellectuals who viewed socialism as the utopia for humanity. He reserved special admiration, it was said, for the great pacifist physicist Albert Einstein and literary genius and anti-war author Aldous Huxley who wrote Brave New World. War, for young Bernie, could never be justified, and there is concern, even among Democrats, that this pacifist attitude would guide his hand as America's Commander-in-Chief.   
                             He began his political career in Vermont as a member of the Liberty Union Party, an outgrowth of the anti-war movement, and he ran unsuccessfully on anti war credentials for Vermont governor in 1972 and 1976; and also twice for U.S senator. He was elected mayor of Burlington in 1981 and reelected three more times, serving through 1989. He was elected a U.S. representative in 1991.   In 1988, always a fan of communist governments, Mayor Sanders and his new wife, Jane, honeymooned in the Soviet Union.                            
                          As a federal  legislator in 1991, Sanders voted against the Gulf war although a bipartisan Congress and a unified America strongly supported the coalition which pushed back Saddam Hussein from invading and occupying the neighboring country of Kuwait.  In 2002,  he voted against the Iraq war and he explains today that the negative vote reflected "good judgment," rather than his pacifist views. 
                          On today's campaign trail in his pursuit of the presidency, he pledges himself to dismantling wall street and the big banks and doing away with the greed and fraud which thrives there; and that he will push for a society of fairness for everyone.  He promises to bring an end to a system in which society and its operations are beholden to the upper one per cent which possesses the wealth and exerts unlimited control over everyone else.
                          He continues to assert that free college, like high school, and free and unlimited health care is the right of all Americans, not just meant for the privileged few.  Sanders acknowledges that the cost of this largess is very high, but it can be done by lifting taxes and by closing loopholes and eliminating waste. Persuading Congress to support his programs, he says, will require a "political revolution" in which "tens of millions of Americans" will cry out loudly and clearly with a demand for change, and it will be this strong unified voice which will force sitting legislators to adopt socialism for America.  
                          There are many primary elections to be held before the democratic convention in which delegates will select their candidate as standard bearer.  
                           Despite all of Sanders support and his edge in debates, most pundits are of the opinion that Americans will never elect a socialist or a communist as President. National polls report that Clinton who has received 25 million dollars from super packs and wall street billionaires, continues to lead Sanders;  and analysts are predicting that Clinton who calls for free health care for all, even for millions of undocumented aliens, will become her party's nominee unless her candidacy is knocked off track by the FBI which is investigating her use of  a personal email server for possible criminal violations.  



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Who Doesn't Like Obama?

                      


 By Florida Bill

                              In South Carolina, with its large African- American population,  Democratic candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton seem to believe that if you dare to criticize the sitting president in the least little bit, you will pay the price in lost votes. 

                               That was a "low blow," lamented socialist Sanders, during a recent debate when Clinton accused him of having called Obama "weak" and a "disappointment" in his governing over the past seven years.  The debate is one of several between Sanders and Clinton who are seeking to become their party's nominee in next November's presidential election.

                               It was like a fighter in the ring who is struck with an illegal blow below the belt. Remember how Rocky was shaken when the Russian champion struck him savagely in a way not allowed in the Marquess of Queensberry rules. The referee screamed and there was a delay and the emotional crowds alternately booed and cheered.  And then the bout continued.

                               Without wasting any time,  Clinton hit him again, accusing Sanders of  denigrating remarks about President Obama which "is what I might expect from the GOP."  Her blast at Sanders was steeped in determination to hit him as hard as she knew how.  It was classic Hillary with her artificial gritty smile and extended fist, figuring that she was attracting African-American support. 

                                 Attempting to recover from the devastating blow, Sanders avowed that he had always been a supporter of Obama and had worked with him on fine tuning Obamacare, and in many other ways. He had met with him in the White House on occasion.    Obama liked him too, he said, because the President on one occasion came to Vermont to assist him in his campaign for re-election.

                                 Clinton fired two more zingers.  Sanders, she charged,  had said that race relations will be better under his (Sanders) administration, than Obama's.  Also, he had the audacity to criticize the president in a note praising a book critical of Obama, authored by Bill Press.  Sanders had a wounded expression wondering how the "Secretary" could make these cutting charges in this campaign which he is conducting "without personal animosity," and is on the issues which Americans care about.  She was being anything but ethical, and Sanders appeared truly hurt. 
                                  Sanders has continued to boast in TV interviews that he was an active supporter of civil rights for African Americans in the 1960s, but a strong member of Congress, Rep John Lewis of Georgia, a civil rights legend, contradicts his claim and says, "I never met Sanders" in those racially-tense years.  To counter that criticism, Sanders has enlisted the support of Rep. Keith Ellison, a Black Minnesota congressman and one of two Muslims in congress, to vouch for his claims of concern for all African Americans, but it is questionable whether that will resonate with Black voters.  

                                  There are many African Americans in South Carolina who believe that Obama has been the worst president in the history of the United States.  He has brought disrespect to America and eviscerated the military, so that its readiness is equivalent to what it was prior to the beginning of World War II.  He has ignored the plight of Christians and speaks in reverence of Muslims whom he contends have made contributions to American society.   He has allowed sanctuary cities to exist and has looked on passively as America's borders remain wide open allowing drug cartels and criminals and anyone else who wants to enter America come in and receive "free stuff."  He has declined to call out "radical Islam" for its savagery and he says nothing as American corporations abandon the United States in favor of other countries.

                                   Officials in South Carolina,  including  Gov.Nikki Haley and U.S. Sen Tim Scott, an African-American, have been consistent critics of President Obama and his administration.  Who knows what the effect of Sanders' criticism of President Obama will be.  He may well have attracted a whole lot of new votes.     

                              

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