Football and a rant

This is going to turn into a political rant, so if you want to move on now, I understand. But first I have to say that I have never seen so much purple in a grocery store as I saw this morning—all young men. One group in purple shirts and khaki pants, another in white, long-sleeved shirts with astounding purple jeans—I pretty quickly decided they were part of a pledge class. And assorted purple shirts throughout the store. I’ve heard that people who like purple are kinder and more intelligent—hope that’s true.

As if I didn’t know, the young man who carried my groceries told me it was the opening home game. I knew—mostly because a friend was taking Jacob. I’m not much of a football fan but I am glad they won 70-7 today. I think it a bit unfair to match Stephen F. Austin against such a powerful rival, but what do I know about football.

Now, with my local family all glued to the Baylor game at their house, I’m quietly at home. There’s something nice about breakfast for dinner, and I just had bacon and poached eggs on cheese toast. Next door, the MSU/LSU game is on a big outdoor screen, so should I want some football all I have to do is turn around and look out the window. My neighbor has a smashing new deck that he built himself, and he sets a huge screen up in the yard. He was cordial about telling me to come over any time, but I’d hardly fit in that crowd—young medical people barely out of their twenties if that. Nice neighbors though. And obviously football season is all around me.

My rant: I am outraged at the conservative policy to defeat Planned Parenthood. Boehner and his cronies know the funding bill, calling for cutting all funding to PP, will not pass the Senate, and should it, the President will veto it, thereby again shutting down the government at great cost to the nation and to many individuals. But then, they figure, the public will think it’s all the Democrats fault. How naïve can they be? Yes, the far right will sing that song but it is so far from the truth that it seems like dirty politics (is there any other kind these days?). All this based on videos which have been proven false. There was a hearing on Capitol Hill to explore Planned Parenthood—but no representatives of the organization were invited or allowed to attend.  The House committee entitled the hearing “Exploring the Horrific Practices of the Nation’s Largest Abortion Provider.” Sure, an unbiased exploration of facts.

Don’t know for sure but I doubt PP is the nation’s largest provider, since abortions are 3% of their mission. It’s called “Don’t tell me about the good they do because my mind is made up, and I don’t want to hear!” We simply cannot let these people determine the future of our country.

See the steam coming out of my ears?

But let me add a positive note: I have tremendous admiration for Bernie Sanders for his refusal to cast aspersions on Hillary Clinton and to voice anything but praise for her. Now that’s politics as it should be.