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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/‘it’s ... spartandhp

https://news.yahoo.com/texas-gop-rep-hu ... 34467.html

Political theatre makes my head hurt. Actually, my head hurt all day today. Not now though, finally went away when I sat down to spend a couple hours scribbling away on Studio Eight™

I am tired of peckerheads in the ovum office, I mean oval office. I'm trying to figure out which potential woman candidate for POTUS is smarter than Nancy Pelosi.

I looked around the web for articles on The Wall (© Pink Floyd) -- specifically, what people living along the border had to say. I found one about an AZ rancher who thought it was a good idea, but everyone else (including GOP Rep. Will Hurd from a huge West Texas border district) thought a wall would be ineffective and/or not the best way to spend money, and even a hardship for borderfolk in some cases. The Border Patrol seemed more open to it, but even they were split on the issue. Which is why that pathological bully and gasbag T and his legion of bobblehead enablers and apologists need to actually MAKE THEIR CASE to the American public that (1) the border situation has reached a 'crisis' level, and (2) a 2000 friggin mile long Wall is the best way to spend billions of our dollars. I ain't making a pronouncement either way; perhaps along certain stretches a wall might be justified (along with other types of spending). But Make the G-D case first instead of trying to steamroll everyone and bypass any shred of credible debate, study and negotiation. My gawd.

Well, since I live on the border (in which happens to be consistently one of the "safest" cities per capita in the nation) and every day I can see our sister city Juarez from my perch on our deck, I guess I might be entitled to speak to this issue (besides having nothing else to do at the moment than indulge myself here...) I got into a discussion with a friend on social media about this very issue. [Note: she is a sweet woman but when it comes to "politics" she is far right of right.]

My biggest issue, as per usual for me, is what this so called trumped up "National Emergency" will do to our border environment. Her biggest issue was, from my perspective, fear, fear of invasion by undesirable elements who out to rape, pillage and at the least live off of the government entitlements. I will try and distill my responses to her and I am not going to re-post her arguments (without her permission).

Anywho, my final response to her was this: "To Any That This May Concern: That list (28 Laws that are being waived in order to build the wall) speaks volumes... no matter what one "believes." Changing minds is not like changing dirty socks. "Beliefs" are clung to, especially long held ones. And facts don't matter when it comes to beliefs. I try and remain open minded but even I have long held beliefs until a fact stares me in the face. Empirical evidence when you get right down to it is just theory (which is a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena) and I tend to take the long view. Life on this blue orb is in a tenuous situation and ANYTHING that endangers, like a border wall intended to keep not just people but animals out, is an anathema to me..."

This is a cogent article on the subject published in Nat Geo: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/envi ... ife-water/

sooZ, as usual your big picture vision is true. We need to start ordering these issues. Earth, the Human Matrix, and maybe Politics a couple hundred spots down, mostly just because Politics has gotten so tawdry and tunnel-visioned too often over the last few centuries or millennia ...

Sanctity of private ownership? Yeah, well, not necessarily...

https://www.rawstory.com/2019/03/trumps ... vate-land/

Is this the start (continuation of?) a pattern/trend?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/milit ... spartandhp