We're SO Nice, We're TOTALLY SCREWED.

She left the road and struck a tree.
Emergency responders could not help but notice she was VERY pregnant.

When they tried to talk with her during the extrication, she No Habla Ingles.
So first responders notified the ER she'd need a translator.

The ER Doc was rightfully concerned...
She's obviously high-risk, due to have her baby any day.
Her widened mediastinum means her aorta may possibly be damaged/torn.
He wants her out of his ER ASAP and calls for helicopter transport.

After her $**,***.**  helicopter ride, the Trauma Center immediately takes her to the Operating Room where they take the baby via C-section and explore the possible aortic tear.
She is then taken to the ICU for care for a few days, then through a step-down unit for observation.
Total cost of her care?
I'm told it will run WELL into the hundred-thousands of dollars.

She's an illegal alien.
She has no medical insurance.
She may have no car insurance.
What she DOES have now is an anchor baby that will insure she gets to stay in the U.S. and enjoy our hospitality and superb benefits for the underprivileged.
So in the future you'll either be picking up the tab on her expenses through higher insurance premiums or higher taxes, or both.
Aren't you NICE?
I see nearly this same story unfold several times a month. How often it happens across the U.S. each month is anyone's guess. But I know this...
We're broke.
We cannot afford it.
And nice people who can't say "NO!" are gonna destroy our country.

Then we'll ALL get healthcare like poor folks in Mexico.

Clinger

Paul Ryan says, "I am happy to be clinging to my guns and my religion".
Well, good for him.

But he then says he is a hunter, inferring the second amendment is there to insure we can put meat on the table ourselves if we want, apparently.
Scary.

I recently had a discussion with a loved one about the subject.
She is a "prey animal"... slight and one of the most non-threatening people you'd ever want to meet.
Her comment, actually a question, was, "Why does anyone need an "assault weapon?"
She was referring to weapons like the AK-47.

I responded by asking her if she knew the reason the Founding Fathers insured the 2nd amendment was part of the Bill of Rights. When she didn't respond, I wrote back, "You're right. We might not need an AK-47. If our government launches M1 'Abrams' tanks against our populace, an AK-47 would be ineffective. At that point, what citizens really need is a supply of Light Anti-tank Weapons."

It's my hope Congressman Ryan moves on and begins to educate us all about our Constitutional rights, (and history!).

But What If I'm Right?

Just an average guy, not a lot different than my neighbors, I still think we're getting close to trouble.

I'd be delighted to be wrong... to just continue riding my motorcycles into the dawn, imagining what decent restaurant will serve the best Western Omelet.

But I can hear thunder in the distance, and I'm preparing for a storm.

If it passes and causes no damage, what have I lost?

I'm not smart enough to predict how this will all come to pass.

But the writer of this article IS.
Be prepared, or be a victim.
You choose.

You MAY Be Surprised:

Then Came Bronson

To say I was excited when this show first aired would be understatement...
I actually blocked off the time to watch it every week.
Although entertaining, it ended up being a disappointment...
Route 66 rehashed with a motorcycle standing in for the Corvette.

But it was nothing short of amazing watching "Bronson" expertly using that Harley Sportster for things it was never intended to do-
Motocross, for instance.
For years, all helicopters sounded EXACTLY like the Bell 47s we saw on M.A.S.H.. 
I guess that was the only helicopter sound they had on file, so every onscreen whirlybird HAD to sound like that. And a motorcycle is a motorcycle, right? (Look closely at the bike "Bronson" is riding on the beach in the video.)
A Sportster can do ANYTHING, so long as Bronson is aboard.
The show ended up being a joke.

Want to watch a more realistic story with a motorcycle theme?
I recommend this one.

What's Important?

I LUV the Olympics.
Contestants prepare for YEARS.
Preparing is HELL.
And there's no guarantee their preparations will amount to anything.
Slip, like Mckayla Maroney did, and it all goes up in smoke.
Poof!
But they believe their work will make a difference.

I have lived a good life.
I work at a stressful job I love because I truly feel God is working with me...
I'm good at what I do and every now and then what I do has a good outcome.
I'm now 65 years old, and find myself looking around me analyzing...

Have I made a difference?

I went to Viet Nam and made myself a target in a slow-moving aircraft to protect a guy in a scout helicopter, thinking my work would make the world a better place.
Did that make a difference?

I fly at night.
I land a helicopter in the middle of a wire-surrounded intersection in darkness, hoping my skills may improve the lives of others.
Does that change anything?

And then I get into a discussion on Facebook that makes me realize I'm an idiot.
I'm taking risks others are unwilling to take.
I'm underpaid for the risks I'm taking.
And my values are stupid... others chuckle because I think "law" and "rules" are important.

I WILL retire in January.
And the only question is, "How many of my contemporaries will I still respect?" when I hang up my wings?
How many others honestly feel "principles" are important?

Sigh.