"Special" Election Doesn't Quite Describe It!

Photo from The State newspaper

   


         This is gonna upset some of my Republican friends, but that’s certainly not the intent.

            It’s like this: for several years, I’ve been saying I’m tired of so much partisan politics and so much partisan bickering.  And I really, really am. 

            That’s the same thing I’ve heard loads of other folks fussing about also.  They’re tired of everything in Washington having to do with party lines.  They’re tired of partisanship in our state legislature.  They want what’s good for the people to be put before what’s good for one party or the other.

            But, have we looked at our own back doors or front doors or wherever we generally look?  Don’t we put party before consideration of individual candidates when we vote straight party tickets?

            And, now, here we are faced with a special election (May 7th) in our own first congressional district – a race pitting former Governor Mark Sanford (he of Appalachian Trail fame) against Elizabeth Colbert Busch, businesswoman and sister of comedian Stephen Colbert. 

            Guess what we’re hearing and reading now from people who are sick and tired of partisan politics?  Here are a few of the comments:

            “No, I don’t like Sanford, but he’s the Republican, so that’s how I’ll vote.”

            “Forget a third-party candidate or a write-in, because that would just hand the election to the woman instead of a Republican.” 

            “I didn’t want Sanford to be the Republican nominee; he’s a scoundrel but I just can’t vote for a Democrat.” 

            “Yeah, Sanford was wrong to leave the state, to lie about his whereabouts, to not leave anyone in charge.  Yes, he was wrong to violate a court order.  But he’s the Republican.”

            Those are just samplings.  In the last two weeks, people who used to talk about character, honesty, integrity and such, are listing reasons they don’t like Sanford.  They are not questioning Colbert Busch’s character and integrity --- yet, they’ll likely vote against honesty, character and integrity because of party loyalty. 

            What’s right for the country, what’s right for the citizens – these take precedence over what’s right for a particular political party. 

            Just callin’ it like I see it, folks.

Marshmallow Massacre?

            Back before Christmas, I had planned to give each of the young nieces and nephews and other similarly-aged children marshmallow shooters as gifts. 

            Actually I’m not certain about the exact name of these plastic toys that propel marshmallows across rooms and open fields.  Whatever the name, though, the toys promote active play as well as safe play, and the ones I found weren’t expensive, making this a pretty easy decision.

            And then came the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook in Newtown, Connecticut.  

            With that horrendous tragedy, I simply couldn’t bring myself to purchase and then give to little children anything weapon-like.  So much for those marshmallow blasters. 

            Did I think those marshmallows would hurt anyone?  No.  Did I think there would be a marshmallow massacre?  No.  There was just something symbolic about giving a Christmas gift that had anything to do with shooting, even if only marshmallows, so close in time to the Sandy Hook killings.

            Am I moving more toward gun control?  No, unless it’s for parents having more control over the guns in their own homes (and control over the use of video games, television, etc.)  And, no, I’m not trying to outlaw marshmallow blasters either. 

            What we need is to have our elected officials place mental health issues on the front burner.  Period.

This Celebration Will be Short-Lived!

            Boy, it has been difficult trying to decide what to blog about.

            That’s because I try to avoid political topics but at the same time want to scream with utter delight that our state’s  (South Carolina's) presidential primary is past, i.e. the phone calls and television ads are gone.

            For a while, any way.

            Oh, yes, they will be back.  I don’t know exactly when they will start again.  Perhaps August.  More likely we’ll be flooded starting in September and going through the November election.

            Having the primary over with makes it awfully appropriate that we’re in the midst of “National Clean Out Your Inbox Week.”

            You see, the political infiltration didn’t stop with phone calls and TV ads; the candidates and/or their campaigns and representatives filled our computer’s inboxes. 

Many of us were notified every time a local “anybody” endorsed a candidate.  We got e-mail to let us know where candidates were speaking and eating – and shaking hands and riding their buses and caravans, when their spouses were joining them or where the spouses would be speaking.

This week also just happens to be “No Name Calling Week.”  Boy, we could have used that last week or the whole last month or even always and forever.

Since I’m always so intrigued by these off-the-wall observances, I guess it’s only appropriate to point out that Sunday is “Curmudgeons Day.”  The Free Dictionary (online) defines a curmudgeon as “an ill-tempered person full of resentment and stubborn notions.” 

The way campaigns are run these days, the way so many politicians bellow out about other politicians, the phone calls, the e-mails – these all seem to turn me into a curmudgeon.

Maybe that’s why I think another special observance this week is fitting when talking about politics. 

Friday is “Thomas Crapper Day” – and I’ll make no other comment about that.

                                                             ***

PS -- Make no mistake about it; I love our country and I still think we are fortunate to have the right to vote.  Still, I'm somewhat of a curmudgeon with the political atmosphere as it is.

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Ah, the Spine!

           By the time anyone reads this – assuming anyone ever reads my ramblings – I should be feeling a great deal of relief. 

            The surgeon took care of my upper back, shoulders, neck and, yes, even my head bright and early Monday morning.  I was ready for the knife.  Heck, he could have used the hammer or an axe or any other implement of his choice if that’s what was needed for relief. 

            I had gotten to the point that I couldn’t look from side to side without turning my whole body.  There was no comfortable position for sleeping, sitting or standing, which, of course, didn’t leave many options. 

            The doc said that much more and I would have had trouble using my arms, hands and fingers.    That concerned me, because I’ve never been very good at playing the piano with my toes.  I know; I’ve tried. 

            I’ve had two previous surgeries to the lower spine; this is the first to the cervical spine/neck area.

            Aside from bringing about relief, the really good news about all of this is that it means I actually have a backbone, unlike some of the politicians around us.

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The Solution to the Country's Budget Crisis

Want to solve the country's budget crisis? 

There's a relatively simple solution

that won't adversely effect the farmer and agriculture

and grocery prices

without increasing prices in stores, at the gas pumps & elsewhere

without jeopardizing health care

without sacrificing our military's pay & benefits

without cutting benefits to senior citizens

without making it more costly to die, i.e. estate taxes & such?



The solution????

Furlough Congress!

Two months?  Six months?

Whatever it takes!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It's All About Delivery - but Not About Babies

This is about delivery but it’s not about babies.

It’s about deliveries, assumptions, politics, intellectuals, prejudices, Nikki Haley, blondes and more. Strange combinations, don’t you think?

That Nikki Haley becomes our new governor this week is what prompted my weird collection of thoughts.

Haley, of course, is our state’s first female governor. Of Indian heritage, she is our first minority governor. She becomes the nation’s youngest governor. Believe it or not, there are still – in 2011 - a few individuals who think a woman shouldn’t be governor, or that a minority shouldn’t be or that a relatively young person shouldn’t be.

It was in early January 40 years ago that I served my very first day in the state legislature, becoming the nation’s youngest lawmaker. There were many who thought I was too young and/or that a female had no place in the law-making process.

And there were then - and still are - folks who believe that a blonde can’t have brains!

Perhaps Nikki Haley overcame some of the prejudices by the way she delivered her message. Delivery is extremely important in the election process.

One of the smartest and brightest people I ever served with in government was the late Heyward Belser. He was so much the intellectual that most of us couldn’t keep up with him or even understand him.

At one point, Belser ran for lieutenant governor in the Democrat’s primary. Notwithstanding any of the attributes of other candidates, I’m convinced that he wasn’t more successful in that race because he was too brilliant and the brilliance showed in his speeches. His delivery was lacking when it came to relating to most people.

There are some who believe Sarah Palin isn’t very bright because of her delivery style, which includes smiling and winking. My point is not whether she is or is not bright but how we judge folks.

We should not judge or base our decisions on smiles, hair color, ethnicity, age or other such factors.

Forty years ago, there were many who thought I didn’t know much because of my age. Most definitely, there were some things I didn’t know. Now I’m 61, and there are still things I don’t know.

Lack of knowledge on some subjects is true for every human being, regardless of age, ethnicity, facial expressions, religion or education.

Or hair color.

*                        *                       *                          *

Aftermath & The BOTTOM Line

Stop! Do NOT read this if you, like my sister Christy, think some things shouldn’t be written about publicly.


Especially embarrassing and/or personal things. Like medical procedures.

Okay; you’ve been warned.

The second warning is this: never, ever, ever have a hemorrhoidectomy if you don’t absolutely need one!

I mean it.

Right now, I’m supposed to be going through recovery following a hemorrhoidectomy. “Recovery” is a misnomer. This time period may be the aftermath, but, so far, I haven’t been able to tell that it’s recovery.

My surgery was five days before the election, which I thought was rather ironic. Both deal with pains-in-the-you-know-what.

A week after surgery, I experienced some of the worst pain ever. To put it bluntly, without being too specific, I couldn’t “do” what I needed to do. Know what I mean?

I believe it was hubby a/k/a The Duppster who advised me not to think about it. Well, that’s easier said than done. There were reminders everywhere.

For example, he was watching a show on the History Channel about feeding submariners. The commentator said the food is loaded into the “bowels of the submarine.” Oh, great!

I think the movie that was showing on one channel was “REAR Window.”

Later, there were commercials about laxatives and other related products. I even heard the phrase “bottoms up.”

During this medical aftermath, there was also coverage of the World Series, with frequent referrals to the “bottom” of such-and-such inning. The aftermath also included the weekend we were to set our clocks BACK an hour.

Then a friend told me that she was a “little BEHIND” in keeping up with medical news.

So, now you’ve been warned.

And that’s the BOTTOM line!

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A Penny for Your Thoughts?

Today is “Free Thought Day.”


And my free thought is, “Well, that’s about the only thing that’s still free. Wait a while and someone will want to tax that, too!”

Yes, this is one of those rare serious posts on this blog.

Sometimes it seems that we’re in a sort of endless cycle in our wonderful country. It IS a wonderful country; the government, though, isn’t so wonderful.

Our form of government is fine. There’s just too much of it.

As government has tried to be the answer for every question, it has burgeoned.

As “we the people” have asked the government to provide for us, government has increased.

As politicians have built their own little empires, government has multiplied.

As politicians have created jobs for friends, government has grown.

Each time government grows – with new employees, new programs, new responsibilities, new regulations, new buildings – the amount of money needed for funding has increased as well.

We are saddled with higher taxes and new taxes.

Somehow, we must stop this endless cycle. What’s the answer?

That’s something I’ll have to think about – while our thoughts are still free.

Gives new meaning to that familiar line about a penny for one’s thoughts, doesn’t it?

~                 ~                ~                ~

Remembering Rod

Ever since we learned Wednesday morning that it might be brother Rod’s last day here on earth, I think some of us have been moving like robots, going through motions, doing what we needed to do.

It’s around midnight now, and I can’t sleep. I’m tired. Very tired. But I still can’t sleep. So, I'm writing what I'm thinking - and posting without proofing.

It’s just hitting me that Rod is gone – forever. Some wonder what it’s going to be like on the political scene without him.

I wonder what it’s going to be like at Christmas, Thanksgiving, family gatherings and such. I wonder what it’s going to be like not having him to call, e-mail or text when I have a question. I wonder what it’s going to be like not having him making fun of me – good-naturedly, of course. (I think.)

Fun times, crazy times, tense times – all of these come to mind tonight. All kinds of random thoughts.

I think back about the two times when our family was on “Family Feud.”

I think back to the 1980’s when our parents had just moved back to South Carolina from Tennessee; Rod was chairman of the county Republican party and was trying to recruit candidates. Dad had to go out of town for something; Rod asked him to sign a blank form as a candidate before he left town, just in case Rod couldn’t find a candidate for some office. When Dad returned, he learned he was a candidate for the state Senate. Rod ran his campaign. They won.

I remember playing board games with family members. Rod was fun to play with – and also frustrating to play with. He knew too much, especially insignificant things.

I remember a “fuss” we had when I was driving in California (when we were out there taping “Family Feud”) and Rod had to go to the bathroom; he wanted to stop at a service station. Instead, I stopped at a hospital, insisting this was a clean place and better than a gas station. He protested, but finally went in. And he was gone forever, it seemed. Back and forth, we wondered if someone had caused a problem for him or if he was just being stubborn by not returning to the car promptly. (Use your imagination to figure out why he was gone a while.)

Rod and I didn’t always agree on candidates. There were times I didn’t want to know which campaigns he was running.

We didn’t always agree on the best approach in a campaign either. During one of my candidacies, he told me that if I wanted to have a shot at winning, I should just leave town so people wouldn’t get to know me.

I remember him describing an easy job one time.  Bear in mind, he was often controversial and colorful.  He said he had been retained by a candidate to "do nothing."  In other words, don't work for him, don't work against him.  Easy money, huh?

I remember some of the great campaign slogans he came up with - for me and for others.  He was a creative genius!

I remember when his favorite color was “geen.” He just couldn’t pronounce “green” and called everything “geen.”  (By the way, this was a long time ago; he eventually learned to pronounce "green.")

I remember when I won a spelling bee in school. He ran to Mom that night and told her my news first – and I was SO mad at him for not letting me tell my own good news.

I think back about delivering the eulogy at Dad’s funeral without breaking down. This was probably because Rod told me beforehand that I wasn’t going to be able to do it.

(photo "lifted" from Wolfe Reports blog)

I recall when he took me to the golf course to teach me how to play golf, ending the day by saying he'd never do that again.

I remember that, for a long time, he drove the junkiest van in the whole world.  Returning from a political meeting in the Charleston area late one night, he realized he couldn't see through the windshield clearly.  The windshield seemed dirty, maybe blocked with a multitude of papers, notes and books.  After a while, though, he realized a snake had taken up residence on his dashboard. 

I remember family Charades games and one particular time when we played a joke on Rod, giving him something embarrassing and almost impossible to act out – and with his own team members planning ahead NOT to guess the correct answer.  Can you picture him trying to act out "The Vagina Monologues" while his team members played ignorant?  It was hilarious!

I remember when Rod and Shawn (my other brother) made the trip from Columbia to Charleston by water, skiing behind a boat, emulating what our dad had done on a few occasions many years earlier.

Which reminds me of something else: when Mom was pregnant with the fourth child after a10-year-break of not having children, the three of us already in existence got to help pick names for the new baby. Rod wanted to name him Sidney after our dog. Rod’s choice didn’t win, but he called the new brother “Sidney” instead of Shawn for quite a while.

I remember him rounding up as many people as he could to go to bowl games in an old delivery truck, complete with printing press, ink and all sorts of stuff. As a game ended, they’d start the presses, printing bumper strips and signs with the final scores, and selling them to happy fans.

I remember him playing his guitar and singing, often entertaining crowds and never meeting a stranger.

I remember his laugh, especially when he got started laughing and couldn’t quit.

When I got the call Wednesday morning about his sudden and dramatic change, I was with my two-year-old grandson. No doubt, he could sense that something was wrong, and he looked at me quizzically. I told him, “My brother is sick.” Harrison said, “Go get him.” I told him I couldn’t because my brother was in the hospital. Again, he said, “Go get him.” I told Harrison that I couldn’t, that I thought my brother was going to live with Jesus. In a typical two-year-old style, he said, “Come sit ‘side me.” I did, and he rubbed my back.

Rod singing to Shawn's daughter, Kendall.

Rod would have liked that, because there was a side to Rod that I remember so well which many people never got to see. He was very sensitive and tender-hearted. Oh, yes, he fought hard in political races, but he had a heart of gold.

Our family will never be the same, but we’re a richer family for having had him in our midst.

                            December 22, 1953 - August 18, 2010

~             ~              ~                  ~                 ~

Today I Lost My Brother

Today I lost a brother.

I hadn't planned to post about him tonight but, somehow, just needed to.  It's therapy of a sort.

Brother Rod, 56, was my Christmas present when I was four years old. At the age of 4, a baby brother isn’t exactly what a little girl has on her holiday wish list.

Over the years, Rod turned out to be a great present.

And he wasn’t just a gift for me.

Rod was a gift to many people. He ran winning campaigns for lots of candidates who probably wouldn’t have won without him

Rod met the big “C” with his first diagnosis many years ago; it was melanoma.

Two years ago, he had a cancerous brain tumor. He had surgery in August 2008; one hour after the brain surgery, he was on the cell phone doing business as usual. Rod quipped: “I can see the headlines now: ‘Shealy Survives Surgery; Dies of Boredom’.”

That surgery removed the tumor – totally – and he was fine.

At least for a while.

Some time during the summer of 2009, he learned that the cancer was in his lungs.

This year, we learned it was back in his brain.

Rod, with cancer eating at his brain and lungs, was still running political campaigns and trying to carry on as usual for the June 2010 primaries.

Just last weekend, he was in his office when he fell and broke his hip. He was scheduled for hip replacement surgery today but had massive bleeding in his brain this morning and was unresponsive.

Rod had maintained a very positive and upbeat attitude. Sometimes he said things like, “The folks at the hospital like me ‘cause everybody else is sick.”

I first ran for office in 1970; he helped me in that campaign and then ran every campaign of mine after that one. He ran my campaign for lieutenant governor in 1990; it’s was my first loss and I believe he took it harder than I did.

But, like with any loss or any setback, he bounced back quickly.

When I asked him several years ago if it was too late to throw my hat in the ring for a particular race, he replied, “Yep. By about 34 years.”

Whether it was politics, family, or anything else, Rod enjoyed life to the fullest. He had a dry wit, a keen sense of humor and a heart of gold. He loved to play the guitar and sing. He loved being creative.

Other than in the hospital bed, I can’t remember the last time I saw him without a bright floral Hawaiian shirt. That was one of his trademarks. In fact, he went to an inaugural ball; like others, he wore a tuxedo – but with the Hawaiian floral print bowtie and cummerbund, along with tennis shoes, I believe.

He adored his two grandchildren; they adored him as well and called him “Rod-Boy.”

Other than Mom, I’ve known him longer than anyone else, and I will miss him more than anyone can imagine.

What a valuable Christmas present he was!

To read his own views about life and death, click here:  http://blondesherry.blogspot.com/2010/08/ww-say-little-prayer-for-my-bro.html

Drawing the Line

Sometimes I just wonder where we draw the line, and I’m wondering that again now.

This time, it has to do with government. (That’s a shock, huh?)

Throughout the country, officials at different governmental levels are working to ban texting while driving.

Some argue that texting while driving is dangerous and outright absurd. Some say that talking on a cell phone while driving is just as hazardous as texting.

I’ve even heard differing viewpoints about whether hands-free use of the cell phone is less distracting than holding a phone while talking. There are studies that show both sides of that.

My concern today, though, is not whether or not it’s safe to do any of these but instead how far the government should go in regulating people’s lives.

Years ago, when I was a member of the SC senate, one of my colleagues introduced legislation to prohibit people from reading (newspapers, books, magazines and such) while driving.

Then another senator offered an amendment to prohibit people from scratching their elbows while driving. After all, he argued, scratching one’s elbow means one hand is not on the steering wheel and the other arm might involuntarily move. This, he said, was a definite distraction.

Of course his point was that a government cannot outlaw every possible distraction.

A parent who turns around to look at a child in the back seat is endangering the lives of everyone in that car as well as others on the road. Should the government outlaw turning around momentarily while driving?

Oprah Winfrey has started a campaign to stop texting while driving but not through the government. She asks all of her celebrity guests on her TV show to sign a pledge not to text while driving. There are others who are doing the same sort of thing.

I know I shouldn’t text while driving but am I less likely to do so because of a governmental restriction?

Where do you think we draw the line?

      ~       ~       ~

Questions About Peace Prize?

The e-mail message from my son was short: “Any thoughts about this year's Peace Prize?”

Absolutely!!! I definitely had thoughts.

More than thoughts, though, were the questions.

What I question is the nominating process, criteria used and time frame.

According to news reports, Barack Obama was nominated no later than a few days into his presidency. What was the basis for the nomination at that point? Does the selection committee consider only those things done up until the point of nomination, or is it allowable to nominate someone who shows promise or someone who is expected to accomplish certain things?

The prize for literature isn't given to someone because of what he or she may write in the future or for qualities and skills that show promise of authorship. Likewise with the other categories in which Nobel prizes are given. The previous awards have been for something specific that has been discovered, studied, written, accomplished, done.

Was the prize awarded to Obama simply because of his election? Did the committee believe that his election sent a peaceful message to the world? If the award was on that basis, then the committee should have said so.

Instead, the committee said it was “motivated by Obama's initiatives to reduce nuclear arms, ease tensions with the Muslim world and stress diplomacy and cooperation rather than unilateralism.”  Had those initiatives been undertaken at the time the nomination was made?

The five Nobel prizes were created by Alfred Nobel in his 1895 will, which designated the peace prize for "the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."  [emphasis added](http://www.nobelprize.org/) The Nobel prize web site further says that the annual prizes are given "to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind."

Poland’s Lech Walesa won the peace prize in 1983. When asked by a news organization about Obama’s recognition, he replied, “So soon? Too early. He has no contribution so far….”

The 1984 recipient, Archbishop Desmond Tutu called this “an award that speaks to the promise of (Barack Obama)…”

One thing is clear. This was indeed a selection made by choice rather than by default. There were 199 nominees this year, the most nominations ever. Among the reported nominees were Colin Powell and singers Pete Seeger and U2’s Bono. Further, there have been 19 years in which no prize was given, including during the two world wars.

Yes, I have questions but I also have hope. I hope Obama will live up to the award and help attain peace and stability.

Just Got a Phone Call - Guess Who?

Just got a phone call from Joe Wilson. 

Yes, THAT Joe Wilson.  The congressman who yelled "You lie" - the yell heard 'round the world.

He is actually a long-time friend.  (More about our friendship of several decades HERE.)

Joe called to remind me that he had been reprimanded before, or perhaps chastised is a better word. 

It was back in 1970, back in the "ancient days" when we both were younger.  At that time here in South Carolina, our political party was small although growing fast, but small enough that we nominated by convention rather than by primary.  Also at that time, the minimum voting age was still 21.

In February of that year, I announced as a candidate for the SC House of Representatives.  I was a junior in college and only 20 years old, not yet old enough to vote, although I would turn 21 eight days before the election in November. 

Joe is the one who made the nominating speech for me at our county's political convention.  He did a great job. 

In his phone call today, Joe reminded me that he was chastised, fussed at, berated, etc. after his nominating speech.  Didn't he know I couldn't win? he was asked.  Didn't he know I wasn't old enough to vote?  And, worse yet, didn't he know I was a girl?  

Thanks to Joe and hundreds of other brave, energetic volunteers, we pulled through and won the election.

A lot has happened in the ensuing years, but some things haven't changed.  Joe is still getting fussed at, and I'm still a girl, although a much older one.

News Clipping from February 1970

WW: Presidential Portraits and More

These are pictures I took last year in the Smithsonian's presidential exhibit.  Some of the artwork is truly amazing.

Have you ever had your patience tried?  Did you have to wait a long time for something?  Read this that was displayed next to one of Thomas Jefferson's portraits.  Yes, that was a different time - before people were used to getting things right away.

This is a close up of a section of the previous portrait.  The hands are so life-like, don't you think?

These are life masks of Abraham Lincoln.  The one on the right was done two weeks before his death.

These sculptures are of President George Herbert Walker Bush.  He's throwing horseshoes.

Click the links to view other participants in Wordless Wednesday and Wordful Wednesday.