Upfront, I am not a Tebow hater; nor am I a Tebow fan!!! I admire his tenacity. He is a hard-nosed football player who plays with an abundance of energy, has a great desire to win and has proven that he was at least a semi-legitimate first-round draft pick.

Conversely, most people who are even somewhat knowledgable about professional football recognize the dangers Tebow faces as a player. He is a fullback in a quarterback disguise–and fullbacks have a very short life expectancy in football. Last night against the New England Patriots in an NFL playoff game Tebow was harassed and sacked numerous times. At one point it appeared that he was hurt. I don’t want to see anybody hurt seriously, but I am afraid his time is limited. In fact, Denver’s loss last night simply extended his term of safety through the off-season, but sets the stage for a long year next year that could prove disastrous for the young player.

The excitement around Tebow is two-fold. Not only did he add some interest to the tail end of the present NFL campaign, but he also injected God into the equation.  He seldom hesitates to drop to a knee and say a prayer, he continually thanks God for all things in his life and he has become a symbol of testifying to the existence and strength of the Almighty!!

But, here is where I separate from so many.  Does God favor Tim Tebow on the football field? Does God make defenders  miss, direct passes in the absolute most appropriate direction, or secure a victory for Tebow and his team? I think not!!!

I am not trying to speak for the Creator, but as a believer in the Supreme Being myself, I find it unimaginable that God sits on his heavenly throne and tunes into Denver games and declares, “I must look out for one of my earthly followers who plays this game of football.” As a believer in this same God I just don’t believe it is part of his agenda.  Yes, Tebow appears to be a proponent of following God with all his heart.  But just because he makes it apparent in front of cameras or on podiums doesn’t mean that God would forsake other followers just to allow Tebow to win.  Especially in an endeavor that, in the scope of things, has little impact on the condition of this world.

Please keep in mind that probably every team that Tebow plays has believers as well. Would God forsake them to ordain Tebow as the only one to get the heavenly blessing.  Again, I think not!

For Tebow followers, please enjoy the skills and excitement that he brings to the game.  Please enjoy his personality and feel free to join him in his moments of prayer while on the field.  But, please do not dismiss others for the way they worship God–often in private. And please accept the fact that our God is a loving God who looks favorably on all of his followers!!!!

But please, regardless of the circumstances, DO NOT call it Virginia!!!

ESPN and announcer Brad Nessler made the horrific mistake of confusing our beloved state of West Virginia with Virginia on Tuesday evening and the flood gates of emotion opened. On Wednesday Facebook became a shooting gallery with Nessler and ESPN as the targets. Stimulated by the Mountaineers’ trouncing of Clemson, the fact that virtually 80 percent of the nation had concluded that WVU  could not beat Clemson in the Orange Bowl and the near  flawless performance that propelled WVU to a record-settting 70-33 win over the Tigers any moving target that denigrated West Virginia was worthy, hypothetically, of either a kill-shot on sight or a roadkill victim.

Nessler, while broadcasting the Sugar Bowl game between Michigan and Virginia Tech on ESPN Tuesday, used that platform to plug the network’s upcoming broadcast of the WVU-Clemson matchup in the Orange Bowl.  Unable to directly quote him, his comment basically said that Clemson already had two wins over Virginia Tech and would face another Virginia team in Miami’s Orange Bowl on Wednesday.

There is no such thing as forgiveness for this kind of snafu. West Virginians are proud people  Though not native-born, my parents WERE from this beloved state and after 43 years of residency here, I believe in the hard-working ethic of a relatively poor state that struggles and fights to maintain the one thing the state refuses to  give up—ITS IDENTITY!

This kind of attitude is passed on to people easily once they understand the state of West Virginia.  In an interview Wednesday night, I believe it was quarterback Geno Smith who demonstrated my point. He claimed that WVU was going to do everything within its power to give “our state” the kind of effort it deserved. “OUR STATE???” Geno is a native of Miami and was basically playing the Orange Bowl in his childhood backyard. But he has learned something that Nessler and ESPN have yet to comprehend.

For those that do not understand the history of West Virginia, let me give you a brief lesson:

• western Virginia was initially populated by the Scotch-Irish who arrived in the new world and discovered that much of the land along the coastline was already occupied by the English:
• because of the Scotch-Irish method of equal inheritance, farms in the western region of Virginia did not grow into the large plantations that existed in the east and south .  That, coupled with the mountainous terrain, the need for slavery was minimal, thus making a definitive differece in the culture and economic makeup of western Virginia:
• in the early 1860′s political discontent with slavery and the issue of state’s rights led to the outbreak of the Civil War. Virginia, the largest state, hesitated in making a decision about seccession. Ultimately, however,  the Old Dominion opted to join the South–creating turmoil within its own boundaries:
• since western Virginia was so uniquely different from its eastern neighbors, those who resided in western Virginia chose to remain loyal to the north and  managed, through the Reformed Government of Virginia, to give western Virginia the right to form a new state from within the old bounadaries.
• after much deliberation and thought, President Abraham Lincoln signed the statehood documents that allowed West Virginia to become a state.  The boundary line between West Virginia and Virginia became the only geographic change to the map during the course of the Civil War.

Identity in West Virginia is everything,  It is the gold standard of who we as a people are and any  infringemnt on our identity  is hurtful. It is also the spark that invokes extreme emotional responses.  Yes, I too had to restrain my hurt feelings when Mr. Nessler referred to WVU as just another school in Virginia. Thankfully the shoe I threw at the TV landed off to the right and just unnerved the cat who was quetly sleeping in his bed.  I also apologize for questioning Mr. Nessler’s ancestery.

Most importantly I ask ESPN to educate its announcers about the little things that provoke such emotion. A small outline map with West Virginia and Virginia identified seperately and a 30-hour chrash course in geography should surely help.  If that doesn’t do the trick the network should issue flak jackets and running shoes and instruct its announcers how to quickly  head for the hills –the hills in some state other than WEST VIRGINIA!!!!

Right off the bat, whether you like them or not, I am a fan of reality TV. My top two favorites have always been Survivor and The Amazing Race.  Usually, I think The Amazing Race comes out on top in terms of entertainment quality, but this fall I have to give the edge to Survivor.  You all know the prevailing scenarios: The Amazing Race takes us to sites around the world and exposes us to the culture of those regions while contestants battle in events that are native to the area.  Survivor typically unloads a group of crazies on a deserted island and has them slowly, but surely, vote each other “off the island.”

Survivor had such interesting new characters this season, and with Coach and Ozzie returning to add to the fray, the teams were much more balanced than usual and very interesting to watch.  Congratulations to Sophie Clarke for winning the million bucks as she “outwitted, outplayed and outlasted” the other competitors.

I am really looking forward to the February premier of the 24th season of  Survivor. Two season’s ago the long-standing reality show introduced “Redemption Island” where those voted out could scratch their way back into contention and that has made the show much more enjoyable. But this next season will feature two teams living in the same camp. Now that ought to heighten the interest level of both the competitors and the audience with some really big surprises (commonly referred to as blindsidings) on the show.

***********

In the word of sports lets toss out some kudos to both Marshall University and  Ohio University for coming away with mild upsets to win their season-ending bowl outings.  Marshall  had a strong performance down the wire to outlast Florida International in the Beef ‘O’Brady’s Bowl in St Petersburg, Fl.  The highlight for local fans was the accuracy of PHS graduate Tyler Warner who nailed a pair of field goals for the Thundering Herd to help seal the deal.

Ohio University scored the last 14 points of its game to upend Utah State, 24-23 in the Idaho Potato Bowl on the blue turf at Boise State.  Bobcat quarterback Tyler Tettleton passed for two scores and rushed for another to lead OU to its first win ever in a bowl game. The victory was especially pleasing for the Bobcats after struggling during the latter stages of the regular season.

###

On the opposite side of the ledger, lets toss out a great big rotten raspberry to Philadelphia’s St. Joseph University for refusing to release Todd O’Brien from his scholarship committment to play basketball. Before you get up in arms, make sure you understand the facts.  O’Brien has graduated from St. Joseph and according to NCAA rules he can transfer and play basketball again if he is enrolled in a graduate program at another school–a graduate program that his undergrad college did not offer.

O’Brien opted to move on to the University of Alabama, Birmingham to pick up a master’s degree and continue playing basketball. However, Coach Phil Martelli at St. Joe had other plans. For whatever reason he has refused to release O’Brien to continue his playing career elsewhere.  From all indications, O’Brien has been an exemplary person and doesn’t deserve this kind of treatment.  Other schools have done the right thing, most notably North Carolina State, which released Russell Wilson from the football team under the same academic conditions. Wilson went on to lead this year’s edition of the Wisconsin Badgers to the upcoming Rose Bowl.

This is a terrible injustice from my perspective, and it comes out of a school that has a religious basis to its existence.  To read more about the situation you can go to http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/basketball/ncaa/12/19/todd.obrien/index.html .

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If you are a fan of pugilism, don’t hesitate to watch the next couple weeks of politics in Iowa.  It should be interesting to see Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul beat the living daylights out of each other in hopes of grabbing the top spot in the Iowa caucuses. Just last week it appeared as though Gingrich was leading the polls with Paul second and Romney third. Now, other polling data places Paul out front, Romney in the middle and Gingrich in third place.  All three men carry a set of luggage with them in the race.  Gingrich was involved in an affair during his tenure as Speaker of the House, Romney is considered too moderate (is there such a thing) and passed a health care bill in Massachusetts similar to the one passed by the present Congress and President Obama,  while Paul has just recently had uncovered some racist articles in a publication he published roughly 20 years ago.

Races to earn a party’s presidential nomination are always fun to watch. Each candidate seems to have his niche securely anchored in different regions or states, and the battle just goes on and on. This is democracy at work–at least from a party perspective.

I have no feeling about any of these candidates since I have long disagreed with Republican economics.  Despite the condition of the American economy today, the roots of our present struggle are nestled in the politics of a previous administration which was arrogant enough help destroy an economy that Bill Clinton spent 8 years restoring after a previous Republican administration had put us in the tank. Then the Bush-Cheney conglomerate would not consider our massive war costs as part of the national debt and cut taxes while at war. I certainly appreciate the tax cut, but not in the face of escalating bills.  If that is good economic sense, maybe one of these clowns will win.

In the past two weeks a bevy of losses by “wanna be” title contenders has left only LSU and Houston on the path to undefeated seasons. Nobody (repeat nice and loud — NOBODY) except Houston fans can imagine the Cougars in the BCS title game. Still, such notables as Oklahoma State, Stanford, Oregon, Oklahoma and Clemson have withered away under the pressure.  And Virginia Tech, after a slow start, appears to be in the mix but doesn’t generate lots of excitement outside of Blacksburg. Alabama still stands tall and, though the Crimson Tide thrilled most of us with a great game against LSU, a rematch doesn’t sound appealing to many fans.

The prospects of the BCS finding it difficult to identify a suitable candidate for the Tigers is not surprising to many.  Long ago the BCS established  a selection system that leaves much to be desired.  This year just might be the year that sends a missile shot across the bow of the BCS battleship. Presently the three teams hovering at the top of the BCS ratings are LSU, Alabama and SEC partner Arkansas.  If Arkansas wins this weekend against LSU havoc will prevail and not one single team will have a legitimate stake at the BCS berth, regardless of what happens in conference championship outings.  And poor old Houston, nestled away quietly in the southwest, atop the standings of Conference USA, awaiting a Big East slot next year and UNDEFEATED, doesn’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell.

Once more, for the sake of everyone out there, the BCS is a horrible arrangement and it is a shame the NCAA football title can’t be decided on the field through a 16-team tournament.

*****

A quick note of explanation–the NFL is playing football, but it is taking a backseat to college football in this writer’s opinion.  Though I grew up in an NFL city, and still have the NFL on the tube each Sunday afternoon, I had to go to the standings to make sure who was on top.

Yes, the defending champion Green Bay Packers stand at 10-0 while the San Francisco 49ers, led by Jim Harbaugh, check in at 9-1.  No other division leader has a better mark than 7-3.

When the season does end, Sunday’s won’t be the same without NFL football, but I am not sure I will miss it.

*****

Speaking of missing things–I am not, under any circumstances, going to miss the NBA.  The prolonged lockout/strike/standoff/work stoppage–whatever it might be called, is one of the joys in this sporting fan’s outlook on sports.

I hate the NBA. Let me repeat that— I HATE THE NBA!!!! I actually consider it just one step above big-time wrestling in terms of its legitimacy. Over the course of time I have watched the NBA become a league of degenerates, each who travel with their “posse.” The players now revert to street ball, deny their status as role models, and have superstars who are pampered by officials.  While many of the players in the NBA are outstanding athletic specimens, I seriously question the legitimacy of any game’s outcome.

Add to that a group of owners who have drawn a line in the sand and would deny players a fair share of the profits (no league has a 50-50 split between talent and ownership). The owners have talked about a 53-47 split of profits in their favor.  As  much as I hate the NBA I recognize that without talent, there is no league.  Here is my vote for the outcome of this stupidity–send the owners home waiting for a suitable outcome where they can wither up and disappear, and send the players to Europe, Asia and South America and let them play where legitimacy might be more palatable to the fan!!!

Just recently, Rooney retired at the age of 92. He had broadcast 1,097 editions of “A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney,”–the closing segment of “60 Minutes.” And, he had recently been quoted as saying,  ”I wish I could do this forever. I can’t, though,”

As always, true to his word, Andy Rooney is dead just about a month after his retirement. Complications from surgery claimed the life of one of the most unique individuals I had ever encountered in this life.

God speed Andy Rooney. You made understanding this crazy world just a little bit more enjoyable!!!!!

*****

I was certainly captivated by an editorial cartoon that appeared in USA Today earlier this week.  The art work and the captioning were exactly what I have been preaching for the past several years.

The single panel cartoon ( http://mediagallery.usatoday.com/Editorial-Cartoons/G373?csp=ftsmpg ) shows the talking heads on Mount Rushmore assessing the political climate of the USA today.  George Washington starts off with the comment,  “America’s leaders, for the sake of our country–” he is followed by Thomas Jefferson who utters, “must put an end to this crippling partisanship–” Teddy Roosevelt follows with “and once again compromise with one another–” while Abraham Lincoln closes with the warning, “because we cannot remain a great nation in a house divided.”

I know there are those that believe I am an alarmist.  They are so entrenched in their political philosophy and their own agenda that the big picture is lost on them. But I fear everyday that if we do not begin to work together for the betterment of this nation, it will succumb to the internal strife that has brought many other nations to their knees.

***** 

I have recently began the quest of searching for a new cell phone service provider.  With one provider (my present one) already eliminated from the competition because I hate their business model and the craziness that I encounter each and every time I enter that store, I have concentrated on two of the other major carriers.

After visits to both establishments, I have finally made what I think is a final decision.  One offers unlimited everything, and the other offers more minutes coupled with rollover minutes.  None of those things are nearly as important as ultimate service–can I make/receive a call in just about any location I am located?

The dilemma of making that decision has left me pondering my cell phone fate.  Perhaps the most ironic part of that dilemma is 35 years ago, it never would have been a topic of discussion. How many 50-somethings (or older) ever imagined that we would be carrying a phone in our pocket; let alone one that could connect us with virtually anybody in our world.  John Denver had a phrase to emphasize the absurdity of that….. “Far Out!!!!”

The efforts by four major conferences–The Big 10, the SEC, the ACC and the PAC 12, have made a mockery of present conference configurations in the quest to grow their organizations to perhaps as many as 16 teams, conduct their own conference money-making championship games and certainly relegate basketball to a tag-along friend necessary only to fill in the span of time between regular football season and spring football.

The dilemma that faces WVU is simple–where do we fit in this scenario.  The answer my be a very blunt “Nowhere!!!”

Forget the fact that in the past 25 years–since the arrival of Don Nehlen–West Virginia has been a player in major college football.  Nehlen took the Mountaineers to what was an obvious national championship game against Notre Dame in 1988 and Rich Rodriguez had WVU just one game short of the BCS title game just a few short years ago.  The Mountaineers have won two major BCS contests against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.  We have had exciting players such as Major Harris, Pat White and Steve Slayton. We have had NFL quality leaders such as quarterbacks Oliver Luck, Marc Bulger and Jeff Hostetler, linebacker Darryl Talley and running back Amos Zereoue. We still have NFL performers such as Owen Schmitt and Pat McAfee.

So what is the problem facing WVU.  To paraphrase an old love poem…”How do I Hate you?  Let me count the ways.”

The litany of drawbacks for WVU in the realignment scenario seems to be consistent each and every time the discussion arises. First and foremost–a two-sided issue–we are a small state with no major TV market.  That is a difficult issue to overcome. The population of West Virginia has hovered in the 2 million range for decades.  It isn’t going to grow much larger, and I suppose if we want to be honest, it could diminish over time without much out there to prevent it.  The TV market is a bit of a falsified claim, however. The last I read, West Virginia is included in the Pittsburgh market–the 23rd largest market in the country.  Well, with 64 teams dumping into the supposed four conference/16 teams each scenario, you would think there would be a place for the Mountaineers. You would think!!!!

The other issue that has been brought up by at least one conference that continually snubs WVU is its failure to belong to the Association of American Universities — a conglomerate of 61 schools around the nation who are there by invitation only. All members of the Big 10–perhaps from a geographic perspective the conference we most suitably belong in– are members of this association. And the Big 10 has used this argument more than once as a reason to overlook WVU.

The arrogance of that stance is appalling.  First of all the Association of American Universities, I am sure, is a worthy organization. But, when membership is by invitation only it reeks of incest. Geez, that sounds a lot like the attitude of the conferences that are seemingly turning a deaf ear to WVU as a potential member.

Thus we sit today, seemingly stuck in the Big East with nowhere to go.  And the Big East isn’t so big anymore.  The loss of Pitt and Syracuse were much more damaging than the loss of Virginia Tech, Miami and Boston College several years ago. When those three present-day ACC members left the Big East there were suitable replacements–Cincinnati, Louisville and South Florida fit into the Big East picture quite well.

This time around, however, the choices are bleak.  The service academies would make for interesting conference pairings–but in the case of the Air Force Academy would do little for geographic feasibility.  Memphis brings nothing in football, the University of Central Florida might just be one of those “renegade” kind of schools, and East Carolina appears to be the best on that particular list. Talk about Houston would be intriguing since TCU has opted out of its Big East agreement and cast its lot with the Big 12.  Houston would still keep Texas recruiting trips in play and the Cougars have played a fast-pace brand of football, but are not noted for being a football school.

The other school that might be in targeted is Boise State–another geographic misfit, but one that brings certain positives to the table.  The Broncos have snuck into the BCS round of play in recent years on outstanding records and strength of schedule. Still Boise State lacks that automatic BCS berth in its present conference. Inclusion of the Broncos into the Big East could be the only school, other than WVU, that might and I said MIGHT) keep the automatic berth with the Big East.

If I had my way–and obviously I don’t–I would kiss the Big East goodbye and join the SEC.  It is the most stable conference out there in my estimation.  The SEC not only gives us stability, but forces us to recruit harder and play better.  I have never been a fan of the ACC, hate with passion the Big 10, and would give a favorable, but unenthusiastic, nod to the Big 12

With all that said, I fear we might be stuck in an extremely watered down Big East, minus an automatic BCS berth and headed to non-relevance on the football field. Without that BCS connection, recruiting will be considerably more difficult and WVU’s impact on college football will be diminished.  We would almost certainly lose Dana Holgorson on the first train out-of-town that was headed to a BCS school and life would change dramatically in the fall around our beautiful state.

I suppose, trying to stay positive,  the change would give us more time to take in the beauties that nature has provided the beautiful, but unappreciated state of West Virginia.

And, just to be distinctly clear on my position, I do not think that the death penalty should be relished as a punishment or that it should be considered lightly or looked upon with glee.

Hence, I am sickened by the recent reaction at a Republican presidential debate where the audience applauded the fact that Texas governor, Rick Perry, has presided over 234 executions since taking office roughly 10 years ago.  This is a staggering number, but it is more numbing that  an audience would applaud the death of 234 people, guilty or innocent.

Life is fragile and life is sacred.  There is nothing that we should cherish or honor more than the right to live.  Yet, I genuinely do believe that certain acts of violence can and should result in the loss of that privilege.   Good people, civil in their actions, should not feel threatened by criminals. The death penalty insures that the executed felon will never threaten another citizen.

I know those who agree with me on the use of the death penalty may revel in my point of view, or cringe that I also have certain standards that I beleve must be in place before the death penalty be applied. But, this stance doesn’t come without thought.  I am opposed to just utilizing the death penalty without certain safeguards.  A simple “guilty” verdict is not enough to satisfy my support of the death penalty.

I have long said that I feel certain  “guilt standards” should be satisfied before an execution is ordered.  These standards would be considered indisputable evidence that make it certain a crime has been committed by the person on trial.  And, when I say ”make it certain,” I am admitting that I do not want a potentially innocent person to face the death penalty, regardless of a jury’s verdict.

And what are those guilt standards?  I have three standards that I would insist on before considering the death penalty.  First, a defendant could admit guilt.  Admission of a criminal act –especially a heinous crime — would be a guilt standard that cannot be ignored.  A criminal that owns up to his crime, knowing what potential penalty awaits him, is definitely a candidate for the death penalty.

The second guilt standard that I would accept would be multiple eye witnesses.  A dozen customers in a fast food restaurant who watch an assailant  walk in and gun  down a handful of customers cannot be wrong in their assessment of who is guilty.

And, finally, I would accept DNA as a positive guilt standard  in many cases.  The science of DNA has become so entrenched in our legal system that the results cannot be discounted.  A positive DNA result in many criminal cases nearly always spells GUILT.

With these guilt standards in mind, I have great concern about 234 convicts in Texas experiencing the needle in the past 10 years.  No one person is perfect and neither is our judicial system. The possibility that an innocent person has died because Mr. Perry has allowed these executions to take place and claims he hasn’t lost any sleep over the fact that an innocent person might have died, indicates to me the callous approach he takes to his duties.

Moreover, an audience that cheers the death of 234 people, again without 100 percent certainty that each and every one was guilty, makes me wonder if civility in this nation is on the decline–or perhaps gone forever.

Well, I got news for you. It is the working class citizen who struggles to make a respectable living, is the heart and soul of the economic system of our nation and creates many of the circumstances that allows the wealthy person to amass huge amounts of money. More money than is needed to even live beyond luxuriously. Please tell me, what does a person need with a salary of multi-millions of dollars per year?  Please don’t tell me they earned it. They didn’t earn it because of the work they did. They earned it because they were in the position of authority–a position that merits additional pay, but not worthy of  a salary that equals the total income of a small, third-world nation.

Coming from a household that has worked hard to pull down $100,000 dollars per year,  and feeling somewhat comfortable without living the most flamboyant life style, I  seldom flinch at paying my share of taxes.  Granted, a few times the IRS and the state tax department have collected additional tax revenue from me in the spring– and yes it hurt.  But I paid it  because you have to and it is the right thing to do–it is what I owe.

I suppose that is what bothers me most when I read a comment like the one attributed to U.S. Rep. John Fleming, R-La., who told the New Orleans Times-Picayune in regards to President Obama’s proposal to tax the wealthy,  “By the time I feed my family, I have maybe $400,000 left over.”  The entire article is available at http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/09/rep_john_fleming_laments_obama.html  .

I don’t want you to believe that I think Congressman Fleming is a bad person.  But you know, I know and everybody knows, that numerous tax breaks and loopholes allow the wealthy to avoid certain tax responsibilities.  Those who are wealthy will tell you that it is their right to have these breaks because of what they do for our society.  Well, let me tell you –hard-working, common, everyday, middle class people do not and will not ever understand why their contribution is not worthy of tax breaks as well. Better yet, the hard-working, common, everyday, middle class person will probably ask that taxation simply be fair.  We will pay our fair share, and everybody else should pay their fair share.

Not too many years ago I read a story in the paper — a survey by a reputable company–that declared Americans weren’t upset by the amount of taxes they paid–as long as the services government provided continued.  I venture to say that survey would draw a different answer today.  And, that makes me scratch my head.  I will be the first to say there is government waste–a dilemma created mostly by elected representatives of both political parties who wanted to repay their constituents–and the payback didn’t have to come out of their own pocket.  But I still believe we would be a less comfortable populace without government’s assistance to society.

One of my favorite historical personalities, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., an associate justice of the US Supreme Court, reportedly once stated,  “Taxes are what we pay for a civilized society.”  Today, I sometimes wonder if a civilized society is even possible. We are ate up with hate for those that have a differing political philosophy.  Now, wouldn’t John Adams and Thomas Jefferson feel betrayed for getting th past their dislike of each other to come together in their latter years because of their love for our nation?

The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall stopped off in Parkersburg Thursday for a Labor Day weekend showing.  Saturday night about 10 p.m. I made a visit to the wall. It was my second chance to see this memorial that honors our war dead and gives those of us who lived through that time period a chance to reflect on what was and what might have been.

Life in the USA was different then.  Challenging authority was a way of life and this prevailing attitude probably caused us to question the reasons for this war more so than any other conflict in American history–including the present struggle against terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The draft took many young men off to war. And,  unlike our volunteer army today, many of these soldiers were fighting a war they not only didn’t understand–but a war they didn’t want to fight.  And unlike so many of our wars, our soldiers did not come home as heroes.

It is so hard to imagine those times in comparison to modern circumstances. Today we honor our war dead. We have a reason to be fighting–though sometimes we might not fully know who our enemy is. And every soldier who goes off to war today, goes because they have volunteered.

I walked the length of that traveling memorial several times Saturday night.  I noticed the remembrances that friends and family left for the fallen warriors. And I looked at name after name.  Hundreds of them. Thousands of them. Over 58,000 names of war dead. And I asked myself, “What did we do?”

I am not in any way, shape or form attempting to be unpatriotic when I ask that question.  But, as a former history teacher I think I somewhat understand the circumstances.  We tossed out phrases such as “domino theory” and the “spread of Communism.”  We maintained a government policy of deterrence known as “mutually assured destruction.”  We saw our role as advisors under President Eisenhower grow to active participation under President Kennedy. We watched as President Johnson escalated the war and we sat in horror as President Nixon expanded the conflict into other countries.  We now know that our leaders probably misled us and that not only did enemy combatants die, but many simple citizens, frequently indistinguishable from solders, were slaughtered. And we know that over 58,000 Americans died.

Those in my generation cannot forget Vietnam.  It is almost safe to say that a vast percentage of my generation was touched by the Vietnam War in terms of losing a friend or loved one.  We watched the war on television. We heard our lottery number called and so many of our generation went off to war.  And, 58,000 did not return.

Still, we have that lingering question in our minds. “What did we do?”

Cheney has always been an interesting character in my mind.  Interesting? Yes! Worthy of the lofty position he held in our government? Hmmmmm!!! I am always  leery–regardless of politics–when a person selected to head up a search committee to fill a position, comes back with the conclusion that he was the best person for the job.  Some reports ( http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2008/09/18/29354/cheney-vp-vet/ ) indicate that Cheney didn’t even subject himself to the same 83 item questionnaire that he used to evaluate 11 other potential candidates for that post.

Certainly those of the ultra-conservative persuasion would scoff at the idea that this man, our 46th vice president, was NOT one of the great ones.  Still, there are issues that just will not go away when you think of his tenure.

And now, one of his own fellow-Republicans has gone on record to dispute some of Cheney’s recollections.  Former Joint Chief of Staff chairman and Secretary of State Colin Powell makes no bones about the way Cheney operated in office and what he had to say in his book.  Speaking to the Associated Press  (  http://news.yahoo.com/powell-says-cheney-taking-cheap-shots-book-151449860.html  ), Powell made it clear that the commentary in the book was a collection of “cheap shots.”  Those same ultra-conservatives would belittle Powell–partially because of his endorsement of Barack Obama but also because of their ties to Cheney’s political philosophy.  Still, Colin Powell remains one of the most respected men in America and should not be underestimated in his evaluation!!

It was a not-so-well-kept secret in the White House and across America that Cheney and Powell were not on the same page.  Cheney is a hawk–war is the solution to all issues.  Powell, despite his military background, played the role of a diplomat as Secretary of State.  The two approaches did not mesh in the Bush White House. And Cheney, being a very strong personality and seemingly somewhat of a bully, carried the day.  Along with that victory, he possibly calculated ways to make his victory seem justified.

The most obvious methodology Cheney utilized to justify his position was the outing of Valerie Plame, an undercover CIA operative who is married to Joseph C. Wilson.  Wilson drew the wrath of Cheney for his report that did not support the vice-president’s claim that Saddam Hussein had worked through the nation of Niger to purchase nuclear materials.  As the story unfolded it was clear that Scooter Libby, a Cheney advisor, had outed Plame and thus jeopardized her life. I know, it is easy to say that was the act of an advisor and the VP knew nothing of it–HOGWASH!!!!!!

Then too, is the VP’s use of Haliburton which received a $7 billion contract to provide services to the American war effort. Some reports indicate that no other company was allowed to bid on this contract.  Cheney had been CEO of Halliburton from 1995-2000 and received a $36 million severance package when he left to enter the presidential race.

These kind of circumstances are not acceptable for a vice president–or any other member of our government. To willingly place a CIA agent in jeopardy, to seemingly maneuver to assist a company in the acquisition of a government contract and to take “cheap shots” at anyone who disagrees with your point of view is beneath the integrity of a leader.

I asked earlier if Cheney was worthy of the lofty position he held in our government.  Without a doubt, the answer is a resounding NO!!!