Bits and Pieces #21

I must admit, this is becoming an almost monthly event. With so much going on and so many topics to cover, it has become increasingly difficult to write about a single topic. As you can see, this month’s contribution is no different. So, let’s get started.

1. The toughest job in the country. Let there be no doubt, there are dozens of difficult jobs. Jobs that tax bodies physically and that drain the mind and soul spiritually. But as I watch the news, I have come to believe that there is one job that ranks up near the top of being the most difficult. This job is the White House Press Secretary.

To be clear, I do not feel sorry for Karine Jean-Pierre. Not in the least. It doesn’t bother me that she has to take flaming darts to the face. I could not care any less. Not one iota. But let’s face facts. She is a professional, reality denier. Let’s not mince our words here. She denies facts that we all see. Some would argue, “lies.” Almost every day she denies facts. She denies facts to the American people, to the press pool sitting in front of her and when home alone at night, when looking in the mirror, certainly deep down she knows that she has spent another day not being honest to herself.

All of us have seen the videos of President Biden at the recent G-7 forum, being led off the stage by former President Obama and at the Juneteenth celebration in Washington. The man is absolutely NOT there. He is not. Anybody can see it. We all see it. Even foreign leaders are beginning to speak up and wonder. The Australian press has been relentless for the past four years and videos do not lie. Well, enter Jean-Pierre. The most recent inane claim is that all these videos of an aimlessly wandering or rigidly standing President are “fake” and are put out to embarrass the President. When he was standing motionless at the Juneteenth celebration with that vacant look on his face, we are to believe that he simply did not want to dance. When the Press Secretary claims that the videos are fake, she is expecting the entire world to ignore what we are all seeing with our own eyes. And if those videos are indeed fake, why not reproduce the official videos that show something different? Why? Because they show the same thing. Contrary videos do not exist. Don’t be surprised if some “official” video shows up a month from now after they have had a chance to create the real fake.

I admit that I was wrong. I truly felt that Biden would not make it through his first four years. I actually wrote this is a couple of my Robservations. Likely the only thing keeping him in place was his second in command. NOBODY wants her in the driver’s seat. But the entire world sees what Biden has become yet the White House insists on ignoring it and trying the old Jedi mind trick of, “These are not the droids you are looking for.” I remember a back and forth between Jean-Pierre and Peter Doocy of Fox News. Doocy was grilling her on immigrants coming across the border and she infamously replied along these lines, “Look, Peter, it is not like they are just walking across the border.” What? Everyone in the press pool nearly collapsed. But yes, being a professional reality denier has got to be tough. Whether somehow justifying the Chinese balloon scandal, Biden’s claim that his uncle was eaten by cannibals during WWII (watch the video – sad), the complete failure of this administration to handle to border, or ignoring the President’s declining health, the list goes on, young Jean-Pierre has a definite difficult job to perform. I would not want it.

2. Caitlin Clark. An entire book can be written about this subject. To be honest, like many of us, I never heard of her until late last year. Our neighbors and good friends are from Iowa and by default, we became “fans” of Caitlin Clark despite my utter hatred for all things basketball. If basketball comes on the television, within 15 nanoseconds, the channel is changed to something more interesting like the channel where you sit and watch paint dry.

But I can at least respect individual talent in any sport. Clark has that talent in levels above and beyond most of her contemporaries. The vitriol on display by her opponents and the press is shameful. Let’s be honest here if we can, many of the players hate Clark simply because she is White. In my world that is called racism or at least prejudice (not the same thing). Despite the idiotic claim that Blacks cannot be racist, we can be some of the most racist people on the planet and yes, many of us display that everyday and at every opportunity. If Clark, as the all-time leading NCAA scorer were Black, we would have seen none of this and yes, she would be on the Olympic team. You can ignore this if you want but I believe it is 100% true. Prove me wrong.

What is sad, however, is that many of the women in the WNBA are totally oblivious to what Clark brings to the table. It reminds me a lot of when Tiger Woods first showed up on the professional scene. Yes, he got a lot of push back from some of the White golfers and pundits. He did. Things were said, his talent questioned. There was an attitude of, “He was a good amateur but now he is up here with the big boys, he is not going to dominate the game.” Then in 1997, Tiger won the Master’s by 12 strokes. A record still today. People started to take note of his talent and his bravado. In one four-day period, the entire golfing world shared a collective gasp and thought, “What the heck did we just witness? We have to do something.” What did they do? Well, they didn’t go out of their way to physically intimidate Tiger but a lot of the soft-bellies started going to the gym and working out. They started running and eating right. In a nutshell, they started to improve themselves. They practiced, drilled and putted. In order to compete with this young phenom, they had to start working harder. In effect, Tiger made his opponents better. To compete, they had to work harder. Status quo was no longer status quo.

And guess what happened next? As they improved, their standings increased. With their increased play and of course with Tiger just being in the field, they all started making more money. Tiger improved their standards of living by bringing more money to the table. More people, non-golfers started watching on television; me included. More people began to play golf; not me. This is what one might call a fact. Enter Caitlin Clark. WNBA attendance is up. Viewership is up. The players, instead of working harder and improving their game like the golfers of almost 30 years ago, many are content with bad mouthing Clark or worse, in my not-so-humble opinion, assaulting her on the court. They will not allow their inherent racism and prejudices to welcome this intruding figure into their world of mediocrity. “How dare she make us want to work harder.”

When Jackie Robinson came into the major leagues, he was shunned, bullied, beaned by pitches, denied the ability to stay in some hotels with the rest of his team and absolutely that was wrong. Movies and television shows make that absolutely clear. While many in “my” community will acknowledge this wrong doing, they seemingly embrace similar treatment of a young woman entering “their domain.” The willing acceptance of this boorish behavior is shameful. Again, to the Olympic team. I have heard stupid comments like Clark has not proven herself on the court (highest scoring NCAA player in history – duh) or the committee feared that her fans might riot if she didn’t play (her fans are not ANTIFA or any other leftist group prone to rioting). It is all racist, prejudice, and small-minded insanity. It is what it is. I for one hope that Clark weathers this storm, she will, and comes out on the other side better than how she entered. At the same time, I hope that some of the other women in the WNBA will get a clue, work on their own skills and improve the overall game.

3. Women in the Draft. I was watching the news yesterday and yes; this subject came up yet again with another bill before Congress. I have written on this subject numerous times and answered questions on talk radio several years ago. My last Robservation on this subject was March of 2023. It is on the Alabama Gazette website under the title, “Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Right.” Senator Josh Hawley, a man I respect a lot, said, “Not now, not ever.” I cannot disagree more. I am sure I will attack this subject again at a later date but for now I am unable. All I can say is that anytime, anywhere I will debate anybody on this topic. Prove me wrong or change my mind, actually I wish you could. All I ask is that if you want to debate me on this subject, leave your unrestrained and irrelevant emotions and arguments devoid of facts at home. Come to me with evidence with perhaps a smidgen of emotion or walk away. Do we really want equal rights for men and women or is it only selective depending upon what you want to see? What makes you feel good? Can we pick and choose what equality we want? The day women rightfully earned the right to fly combat aircraft, this argument about the draft should have been flushed down the toilet. I will be standing by.

THE VIEWS OF SUBMITTED EDITORIALS MAY NOT BE THE EXPRESS VIEWS OF THE ALABAMA GAZETTE.