A different opinion
Friday, October 10, 2008
IN THE ABOVE column, Ashley eloquently writes about the joys of having a version of Charlotte’s Web living on our front porch.
It’s neat that the children can witness one of the marvels of mother nature from their front porch. I didn’t realize our family had such an affinity for our arachnids, however.
You see, when a spider is spotted in the house it evokes high pitched shrieks and screams. From the urgency in their voice you would actually think the kids are under attack by these little creatures.
Then there are calls for daddy to come and kill it immediately. All the activity in the house stops until the arachnid has been killed and flushed down the toilet.
The screeches and screams really reminds me of a theatrical production worthy being on Broadway. Of course, my girls honed their skills and fears of spiders from their mother.
After the extermination there is always the discussion of whether it was a brown recluse. Then the girls usually scowl at me as if to say how I could have allowed such a thing to infiltrate their castle.
Their fascination with this spider, they have affectionately dubbed Corky, has left me a bit confused. Because if we kill spiders inside the house then why wouldn’t we kill them outside?
Now, Corky is a big spider. If the kids found that lurking in the house I can only image what kind of response it might evoke.
I have wanted to kill this spider ever since the first web was spun. Because as the weather gets colder Corky is going to want to seek the cozy warm confines of our house.
Just think of the fun around our house when Corky’s babies are born and she wants bring her 1,400 little babies inside.
Politics
Now from spiders to politics. Last week I wrote an editorial about how President Bush should have done more to prevent the financial crisis in the housing market.
I received a letter from Olpe resident Joe Wendling, who was, in essence, saying that Bush did his part to stop Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac but the Democrat-led Congress stopped him.
Joe sent along an editorial stating this fact. The editorial also referenced a New York Times article making comment of this. Mr. Wendling urged me to make this information known.
We congratulate Bush that he made an attempt to clear up Freddie Mae and Freddie Mac situation. But we contend this housing situation still spread beyond these two institutions and we would still respectfully contest that Bush could have done a bit more.
Speaking of spiders and politics — this makes me wonder whether President Bush is called upon to kill spiders that infiltrate the White House.
Comments
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Posted by create (anonymous) on October 13, 2008 at 7:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
May I suggest you hire one of our excellent local pest exterminators and have your house treated quarterly. My exterminator just treats the basement and perimeter of the house and I don't find spiders in my house anymore. I hate them too and I don't have a daddy to call if I see them.
May I also suggest that Joe Wendling think more deeply than a New York Times news article about George Bush and Fannie and Freddie. If Bush "did his part," why don't I remember him going before the public on TV and explaining the dangers of the Democrats not supporting what he was doing with regard to Fannie and Freddie? Why didn't Bush sound the alarm instead of waiting until the last minute when it was already too late? Why didn't the Republicans in Congress call a press conference at the time to sound the alarm and tell us all that the Democrats were wrong? Why didn't Joe Wendling himself write an editorial at the time about Bush doing his part and the Democrats refusing to let him protect the American public from losing billions? Joe is a banker, he can see these kinds of things faster than anyone else can; did he write to his people in Congress to warn them? Did Joe refuse to grant mortgages down there in Olpe or did he ride the wave like everybody else? Lots of brand new homes were built in Olpe during the housing bubble. Olpe property values skyrocketed.
Bush is culpable, the Republicans are culpable, the Democrats are culpable, the greedy bankers are culpable, and no New York Times article will excuse Bush because he "did his part." How shallow! Was he doing his part like he did his part in New Orleans by giving his pal Brown a "good job Brownie" even though nothing was done? Was his part like landing on a carrier with a "Mission Accomplished" sign even though we're still counting war dead?
Bush did not do enough because if he could see the spark, then he needed to scream "Fire!" and he did not. He did not!
Spiders and bankers are both a scary lot!
Posted by crackinsack (anonymous) on October 13, 2008 at 11:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I've never understood why people are so negative about the "Mission Accomplished" banner...
The mission (at the time) was to find Sadam... they found him...mission accomplished. The banner didn't read "War Accomplished". There are many missions that take place during a war. The completion of that particular mission was worth celebrating with a big banner.
Posted by create (anonymous) on October 13, 2008 at 12:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Bush landed on that carrier on 1 May 2003. In his own words at the time, he said that the "Mission Accomplished" sign related to "an end to major combat operations." We are still involved with "major combat operations" five and a half years later.
Saddam Hussein was captured during Operation Red Dawn on 13 December 2003, a full SIX MONTHS AFTER Bush landed on the carrier Abraham Lincoln under the sign "Mission Accomplished."
Isn't it amazing that even though we live that history, we forget the details.
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