Yet another politician apologizes for making an ignorant statement!
A New Hampshire businessman, who is running for sheriff, apologized for saying he would not rule out using deadly force to stop a doctor from performing an abortion. So a man running for sheriff says he would use his gun that he carries as a police officer to kill a doctor?
Republican Frank Szabo said elective abortions are unlawful and he would arrest any doctor who performs them and would use deadly force to prevent abortions. He has now retracted the statement.
Here’s what’s scary--Frank Szabo is running for sheriff and he doesn’t understand abortions are legal? That doesn’t mean he has to agree with the law, but he must enforce the law. Also, Szabo said his anti-abortion stance got “the better” of him. This guy sounds like a “hot head.” Should that person be a sheriff?
Is the quality of political candidates changing? Why are there so many ignorant statements that are ultimately retracted? VP Joe Biden said to a group attended by many blacks that if Romney becomes president he’s going to “put y’all back in chains.” Congressman Todd Akin, who is running for the Senate in Missouri, said there is no need for legal abortion in the case of rape because during the traumatic act of rape a woman’s body naturally prevents pregnancy. Then, Texas judge Tom Head said if President Obama wins re-election he predicts a possible “civil war” and will stand in front of the U.N. armored personnel carriers to prevent them from coming into Lubbock.
Now, a candidate for sheriff said he would use his police-issued gun to kill an abortion doctor?
Has the political world gone mad? Growing up, my Dad used to tell me, “Son, children should be seen and not heard.” Maybe it’s time to suggest politicians should be “seen and not heard!”
I have said for months now that with the hateful political debate that engulfs America, one side is going to be very angry after the election in November. Some Americans seem to have the impression that only their candidate can win. After every presidential election, there is always one group that is disappointed. The question now is: “How disappointed will they be?”
Last night on our show, a caller asked why I wasn’t spending time talking about the New Black Panther Party threatening the Republican National Convention next week in Tampa. That was the first I heard of the threat, and I follow the news from a variety of sources every day. I did some quick research during the show and did find that a member of the New Black Panther Party said that because of a curfew in Tampa during the convention, the city is “under siege” from white people. This was said during a rant on a fringe black radio show.
In researching ‘threats’ during the upcoming convention, I discovered that the real threat is from anarchists, not a black fringe group that deserves no more credit than a white supremacist group. This morning I learned that a federal law enforcement bulletin is anticipating anti-government anarchist groups to use violence to disrupt both political conventions. I found it interesting that a caller tried to blame a black group for possible violence at the convention when it is actually predominantly white anarchists that pose the biggest threat to both conventions.
Further feeding the hateful tone of the political debate in America is a county judge in Texas who predicts a possible “civil war” if President Obama is re-elected. Judge Tom Head said on a FOX news affiliate in Texas that if Obama is re-elected, “He’s going to try to hand over the sovereignty of the United States to the U.N., and what is going to happen when that happens? I’m thinking the worst. Civil unrest, civil disobedience, civil war maybe. And we’re not just talking about a few riots here and demonstrations, we’re talking Lexington, Concord, take up arms and get rid of the guy.”
Judge Head is obviously a fringe radical who is using fear to drive Americans to the polls. His statement is reckless, but sadly, many other Americans think the same way…and some of them call or text my show.
It’s time for the majority, and I mean the majority of America, to stand up and denounce the maniacal hatred in this country. WE are bigger than the fringe right or left. WE need to stop being the silent majority. WE need to let the fringe elements know that we are not going to stand for their ignorance-based hatred.
The Golden Nugget Casino in Atlantic City, NJ is suing some customers because the deck used in the game of baccarat was not pre-shuffled.
The customers won 41 consecutive hands with a total collective winning of $1.5 million and the Golden Nugget is suing claiming the winnings were not fair. Really?
First of all, if the deck was not pre-shuffled, how can the players be at fault? That is solely the casino’s fault. This is another example of the “it’s-not-my-fault” mentality in America. Secondly, the premise of gambling is “taking a chance” and it seems to me the players deserve the money they won. Both players and the casino take a chance when engaged in gambling.
Is this controversy just a reminder that casinos want everything stacked in their favor? Gambling should be fair. That means it’s fair for the house and the players. The house always has the advantage because of human nature. When you’re winning, you tend to stay in the game in hopes of winning more, but the longer you play the more the odds are stacked in the favor of the house.
I’ll go a step further. I’m against the rule that players are ejected from casinos if they count cards. If a player has the mental ability to actually count cards and wins, then shouldn’t that be part of the game? It’s like saying that those who win money and make the decision to leave with their winnings and don’t continue to play should not be allowed to play.
As long as a player is not cheating by holding a card or taking signals from another player, then players should be allowed to use their ability to count cards or to use their common sense and stop playing after winning.
Gambling is about taking a chance – and that goes for the house and the players. If the Golden Nugget played with a deck that was not pre-shuffled, and if that lead to the casino losing money, that’s just part of the game.
I don’t think anyone is wasting sympathy on a casino that loses money!
When I woke up this morning to the breaking news of an “ambush” shooting of police officers in St. John the Baptist Parish, several thoughts immediately came to mind. First, an “ambush” shooting suggests the police officers were targets. But why? I wondered if there is a drug war in New Orleans and surrounding areas that officials don’t want to acknowledge. I also thought about “hate” groups and disgruntled employees. There are many rumors about the motivation behind the shootings, but police are not speculating on a motive as they continue their investigation. Five suspects, males and females, are either in custody or in the hospital. LA State Police are leading the investigation and vow justice will be served.
This tragedy taking place in a closely-knit community outside of the city of New Orleans serves to remind us that there are criminal minds with no regard for human life everywhere. Often people want to blame inner city plight, welfare mothers, kids having kids and a disregard for human life for tragic shootings in New Orleans. Yet, early this morning the calculated killing and wounding of police officers occurred in what could be described as a safe, quiet neighborhood.
The uncle of one of the deputies killed said the shooting took place very close to the deputy’s parents’ home. He said they heard the shots that killed their son. Crime is more prevalent in New Orleans than outlying areas, but before you condemn the city for festering criminal minds – take a moment to remember where today’s tragedy occurred.
St. John the Baptist Sheriff Mike Tregue said at an afternoon press conference that ‘law enforcement is an occupation where you can take a life, save a life or give your life.” This morning, two deputies gave their lives at work.
We don’t know the people who ambushed those police deputies, but we can say that some form of “hate” was at the root of their evil motive. And “hate” lives everywhere.
8.15.12 scoot@wwl.com - Recently, two different male passengers said they were humiliated when airlines asked them to switch seats with female passengers because they were sitting next to unaccompanied children. Both Qantas and Virgin Australian Airlines have policies allowing flight attendants to have male passengers moved when seated next to an unaccompanied minor.
There is an unfortunate assumption that all men might be pedophiles. While the great majority of pedophiles are indeed men, the presumption of pedophilia tendencies by any man on an airline flight is simply a hysterical reaction. In the United States, no major airlines prohibit men from sitting next to unaccompanied minors, but in most cases, airlines seat children close to the front so flight attendants can keep an eye on them. In 2010, British Airlines changed its policy of banning men from sitting next to unaccompanied children after a lawsuit alleged discrimination.
As a man, I find the action of the Australian airlines appalling. A man hanging out alone in a park or other places where children play could signal the possibility of malicious intent, but the act of being seated on a plane should not be alarming. Since we never know who we will be seated next to on a flight, there is no reason to suspect that a pedophile would or could try to arrange an opportunity to sit next to a child on a flight.
But guys, there is another way to look at this – honestly, wouldn’t it be a blessing to be moved from a seat next to a young child on a flight?
A new government survey shows that Mississippi is #1 and Louisiana is #2 on the list of states with the most obese citizens. West Virginia was 3rd on the list and Alabama was #4. I don’t know much about the cuisine of West Virginia, but I know in the South we eat too much fried food and food prepared with large amounts of butter.
When I occasionally go out for a bite to eat, it’s nearly impossible to find any appetizer that isn’t fried! With the exception of raw oysters on many local menus, it’s hard to find appetizers and even entrees that are healthy.
I will never be critical of those who weigh more because there are a myriad of reasons why some people are heavier than others and it’s not fair to jump to the immediate conclusion that they are lazy and overeat. But we should admit that as a state and a region, we eat too much fried and buttery foods. When I watch cooks on local shows I am amazed by the large amounts of butter used in local recipes. Any cook can make almost anything taste good with a lot of butter!
It would be nice to see more restaurants offer more healthy choices, but until that happens, it’s up to us to exercise good judgment and not consume a regular diet of fried and buttery food. Eating certain local favorites should be more the exception than a regular diet. And there are so many things you can do at home to eat healthier – cut the skin of the chicken, use light butter and water for cooking and sauté or bake, don’t fry.
The other night I overheard a waitress who had recently moved from California telling a customer that in a month she has gained about 15 lbs. from eating New Orleans food.
The other thing we need to do is move more! People in New Orleans generally don’t like to walk. I live about 7 blocks from the grocery store and as I got in the elevator in my apartment building a guy asked me if I “walked all the way to the store,” as if that was a rare feat. No one should deprive themselves of the things they love to eat, but some of the food we love in this part of the country is not healthy food. God knows we have enough fresh seafood that IS healthy to eat.
I don’t pretend to be a nutrition or exercise expert, but I do try to limit fried and buttery foods and I do walk almost everywhere. And establishing healthy eating habits will also set a good example for your children.
Western influence is changing eating habits in Asian nations. We should be changing our eating habits to be more like Asian nations. Sushi, anyone?
8.13/12 scoot@wwl.com - As the Olympics came to an emotional close I thought about things we can all learn from these worldwide competitions.
The Olympics display a human striving for excellence, but not all of us have the opportunity or finances to divorce life and focus on perfecting one achievement. I’m not taking anything away from the incredible accomplishments of these athletes, and I applaud their sacrifices and resolve, but let’s not beat ourselves up because we don’t win Olympic gold.
What we learn from the Olympics is to work to be the best we can be at whatever we do. We can also look for those moments in our personal and professional lives when we are winners. Maybe we don’t literally stand on a podium with a medal around our necks, but there are many moments when we should give ourselves credit for winning “gold” in the course of our lives.
Maybe that “gold moment” comes when you watch your child graduate or go off to college or when you close a big sale or reach a personal or professional milestone. Though the world may not be watching, celebrate the moments in life when you win “gold!” And I’m sure you’ve won more than one “gold moment.”
The other great lesson we learn from the Olympics is that the spirit of competition unites the world. While we are proud of our nations, boundaries subside in honor of individual and team efforts. We celebrate victories…we glorify the moment…no matter who’s the winner.
Coverage of news events through mass media often serves to remind us of our differences. The Olympics remind us that we inhabit this planet more as individuals or teams trying to achieve our best, than as divided nations.
A newly released study suggests that movies with sexual content encourage young teens, ages 12 to 14, to have sex earlier and to have more casual partners.
The study from Dartmouth University, titled “Greater Exposure to Sexual Content in Popular Movies Predicts Earlier Sexual Debut and Increased Risk Taking,” coded sexual content, including kissing scenes in G, PG and PG-13-rated movies. Researchers discovered that 68% of the G-rated movies, 82% of the PG-rated movies and 85% of the PG-13 movies contained sexual situations. There should be a warning label on most studies: Use Caution When Analyzing Results!
Before you agree with the results of this study, let’s question whether kissing scenes should be considered sexual. Every young generation has been exposed to kissing and never before has that been a reason for early sexual activity. It is natural for young teens to be driven by hormones and their feelings should not be so easily blamed on the content of entertainment.
In 1967, the content of “The Graduate” left little to the imagination of young viewers, yet the movie was rated PG. As a young kid, I remember and early idea of what ‘love’ felt like from the movie “The Lady and the Tramp.” Every young generation is exposed to things that will lead to thoughts and sensations, but it is the responsibility of parents to teach their children how to deal with those natural human instincts.
Today, it has become a spectator’s sport to watch how quickly parents and politicians try to blame ‘entertainment’ for the inappropriate sexual behavior of their teens. But if there is something else to blame for our failures, then we are never failures. I guess that makes many parents feel better about themselves.
8.7.12 scoot@wwl.com - The instinct to “hate” is part of human nature. Recognizing that “hate” is innate to humans is the first step toward dealing with that instinct.
How often do we say we “hate” something? You hate the driver, who is driving slowly in the left lane on the interstate. You hate your noisy neighbors. Saints fans hate the Falcons! Those are the innocent daily examples of expressions of hate in America.
There is, however, more serious hate in the world. The Sunday shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin was allegedly the action of a man who participated in white supremacy hate groups. Every time there is a tragedy, we look to quickly find blame and then begin talking about ways to change the rules in hopes of preventing future tragedies.
The revelations that the alleged gunman in Wisconsin subscribed to the philosophies of white supremacy groups has led to some suggesting that we ban hate groups in America. If it has been demonstrated time after time that morality cannot be legislated, then it makes sense to admit legislation will not eliminate hate.
As much as I “hate” hate groups and will never comprehend the pure hatred that thrives within many Americans, I have to argue that Americans have a right to hate and a ban on hate groups would be unconstitutional. As long as hate is not manifested in violence, it is protected by the First Amendment and that is the cornerstone to freedom in America.
A light shines on the things we like about America, but the light casts a shadow. The shadow is what we don’t like about America. In order to get rid of the shadow we would have to get rid of the light.
8.3.12 scoot@wwl.com - It has always amazed me how so many “sports experts” only assess the physical talent of a team and the physical match-ups in a game, while the major factor in any sporting event is often dismissed.
Emotion is what drives humans to triumph. The Saints beat the Falcons in a nationally televised game after Katrina, which marked the “rebirth” of the Saints and the city. The Saints would have beaten any team that day. More than physical match-ups, it was emotion that led to that celebratory victory.
With all the anxiety of this off-season, Saints fans and the team seem to be anticipating this first preseason game Sunday night with more excitement than any preseason game since the first one following Katrina.
Sports reflect life. In sports, there are those who win and those who lose. There are favorites and the underdogs. And, there are unexpected challenges. Any sporting event is a microcosm of life.
The monumental challenges of this off-season inject the Saints with the ultimate dose of emotion going into this new season. And the leadership of Drew Brees will help the team focus in the absence of their head coach Sean Payton.
Throughout sports history, underdogs and athletes who have faced the toughest challenges have used the “emotion factor” to inspire victory. If you doubt how strong emotion is in the lives of individuals, think about how you feel on a Friday compared to a Monday. The only thing different in your life is that it’s a Friday not Monday. It’s all emotional.
As humans, we have the ability to think of every “Monday” as a “Friday.” If we did that, consider how the “emotion factor” could inspire us to “win” every day.
8.2.12 scoot@wwl.com - Evolution can loosely be defined as animals adapting to their environments over long periods of time. It’s obvious that mankind has further evolved and adapted to a new environment with the addition of a new appendage – the cell phone! However, in the process of adapting to a new surrounding, this new appendage has made mankind a more vulnerable species.
Over the past seven years, cell phone-related injuries to pedestrians have quadrupled! Are you surprised? We all see it every day. In fact, most of us are “guilty as charged.” People walk while texting and pay little or no attention to where they’re going. There are countless videos of people falling off curbs or platforms onto subway tracks. Pedestrians have walked into on-coming traffic as they talked or sent a text on their cell phones.
We have become totally dependent on our cell phones. If you try to call your teenage child, husband, wife, parent or friend and don’t get an answer or a quick reply, you worry and wonder “what’s wrong, I hope they’re okay!” Or, you get upset, because they’re ignoring you. Am I right?
The other day I went to meet with a client and left my cell phone at the radio station for about two hours. When I returned to the station, I realized that an “APB” had been issued. One person after another said, “Scoot, where have you been? So and so was looking for you. We were wondering if you were alright!” There was speculation something was wrong…or I was in a meeting and turned my phone off…or maybe I met a girl and was “having an intimate moment!” That possibility was quickly dismissed!
The point is, we are all physically and emotionally attached to our cell phones and it is out-of-control. But we can’t seem to break our dependence. I have no words of wisdom and admit that I, too, am addicted.
How I long for the days when one could escape into a world where we didn’t have to communicate every waking moment. Remember when your car was an escape and not an extension of your office or your hectic household? Remember, when you could go to a movie and not answer a text? Remember, when you were at dinner and everybody was engaged; looking in each other’s yes…and nobody was looking down…texting, emailing, tweeting, Facebook-ing?
And then there’s the issue of people using cell phones to photograph and video everything and everybody. Thanks to the cell phone, no one is ever totally alone anymore. We’re so busy capturing the moment, we can’t enjoy the moment. Think about the last time you were at a wedding or event. It used to be the paid photographer taking pictures and producing videos; now EVERYbody’s doing it. Who’s enjoying the party?!?
We’re always worried about “Big Brother” watching us – well, “Big Brother” turned out to be us!
AT&T is airing a campaign warning young people about the dangers of texting while driving. The commercials show people who have been seriously injured as a result of texting while driving and only at the end is it revealed that AT&T is the sponsor. The campaign is similar to the beer manufactures’ “drink responsibly” campaigns.
Scientifically, animals evolve in ways that make them safer in their environments. You have to ask – has the evolution of our new appendage made us safer or more at risk in our environment?
8.1.12 scoot@wwl.com A New York marketing firm conducted a nationwide poll to rank U.S. cities according to 13 adjectives. New Orleans was tied for the top spot in three categories: romantic, warm and welcoming and artistic. The city was ranked #1 in being described as: creative, authentic, best food, exotic and mysterious.
We can all agree those adjectives accurately describe New Orleans. But what one word “best” describes the city? If I had to select one word it would be “mysterious.”
The definition of “mysterious” is – full of, characterized by, or involving mystery! There is a lot of mystery about New Orleans!
It’s a mystery how we manage to successfully pull off Mardi Gras every year.
It’s a mystery how this city continues to make Jazz Fest, French Quarter Fest and countless local festivals bigger every year. And we mysteriously never run out of the energy to participate in consistent festival weekends. Exhaustion is just not in our dictionary.
It’s a mystery why families travel from around the globe to visit New Orleans, yet many people who live as close as the suburbs refuse to bring their families to the city.
It’s a mystery how this city can be so divided racially, yet come together as one community behind the Saints, the Hornets, big fireworks displays on the river.
It’s a mystery how some people still get away with asking tourists “I bet I can tell you where you got your shoes!” And some tourists still fall for it!
It’s a mystery why this city has allowed so many arrogant leaders to take advantage of their positions of power. Yes, we allow it by re-electing them.
It’s a mystery why there has been an acceptance of people in power hiring their families with taxpayers dollars.
It’s a mystery why it takes so long for projects to be completed and to get things accomplished. And it’s a mystery why anyone would ever feel the need to say, “I can’t believe this is taking so long!”
It’s a mystery how we manage to live through the heat and humidity every summer and still utter the words, “I can’t believe it’s so hot this year!”
It’s a mystery how our city faces disasters like Katrina and the BP oil spill and will rebuild with a positive spirit that can’t be matched anywhere in America.
There is much that is a mystery about New Orleans, which does make us America’s most “mysterious” city. And that sounds a lot more descriptive than “The Big Easy!”
