Friday 19 July 2013

Lewis and Clarke meet the Fockers


Just when I thought it was safe, or at least tolerable, to deal with the general nit-wittery of people that I have to suffer, an event occurred that had me shaking my head.   And believe me, that is saying something.
My local PBS station just re-ran the Ken Burns mini-series on the Lewis and Clark expedition.   It was fascinating in many aspects, besides the obvious.   The most obvious and least emphasised to me, was how different we are today in our click and paste and google to learn society, as compared to the drag the big-ass boat upriver for a couple of hundred miles and see what's there mentality, of their time.   Besides mountains, praries, rivers, grizzlys, waterfalls, mosquito swarms thick enough to challenge sanity, and hostile Injuns, there were the timeless challenges of frustration, disease, boredom, hopelessness, tiredness and well........no women folk.
Oh.  And slavery.  More on that later.
Not two out of the ten thousand people I've met in my life would be able to achieve anything like what those people did back then. I'd like to think I could.  My friend Chris Cole could too. I know its a different time, but we as mentally stunted humans cant even comprehend embarking on a trip without making reservations ahead of time for lodging and such.   Imagine not even knowing what to expect when you set out!   I thought I was adventurous when I set out with a backpack and my labrador into the Bob Marshall wilderness area.  (google it idiots)   By mydamnself.  There were no injuns when I did it, and I was probably too stupid to know how stupid it was, but I did it.  By myself.
      When I was in my 20's, not knowing was part of the trip.

I had an adventure, and I probably could have twisted my ankle and never been found.   That didn't stop me from going.  

Ah yes, the event that had me shaking my head.
My 12 yr old started football practice this week, 90 degree temps and all.  After the first practice, he wanted to ride in the back of the truck the two miles back home, and it didnt seem like an earth altering event to me, so I said sure.
Well, someone thought differently, and called the local authorities and expressed her concerns for my childrens' well-being.   Not completely insane on the surface.........well.....to me maybe, but not unreasonable by reasonable standards.
The problem lies with the concerned parent  being friends with my EX wife, whoslike  a Purple Minion (you have to see Despicable Me 2 to understand that one), .................and ...............well............its not a pretty picture.    Everyone who's been deceived by the dark side (through the prompting of the purple minion), thinks  I'M the monster who is wreckless with my kids.   I could write a frickin war and peace sized novel  (without the peace part)   regarding stupid-child destructive behavior on HER part.  
Heres a newsflash to anyone who is most certainly going to be shown this post.
Just today, friday, july 19th, when she came to pick up my kids, she allowed my son who has neither a license nor a permit nor insurance, to drive HER van, WITH the kids in it, from my house.
Now.
I personally think its no big deal because like I said its a desolate quiet country road.
BUT, I'M not the one saying I'M the stickler for rules and permits and such.  I admit I am not.
She is.
So.    If you want to play this game, I will.  



My only message to the concerned parent who felt the need to call the police on me out of fear for my childrens' safety, is to take the log out of your own damn eye, as someone once said.
If you're too stupid to safely drive your kids slowly down a quiet country road, then don't do it.
Oh, and before you start screaming "ITS THE LAW!!!"...............
Women not being able to vote was the law too.
As was slavery.  We've had a lot of stupid WRONG laws in this country.    Some laws are stupid, and some are put there now because we have become a nation of nitwits and ninnies incapable of anything that isn't liked on facebook.  I and everyone I grew up with , grew up riding in the back of pickup trucks.  On HIGHWAYS, not on slow quiet country roads.  

And if Obamacare goes through, twinkies will be illegal too.
I'm just saying.


People are as blind as Lewis and Clark were when they started their journey, but people believe they know things now because, well, they were TOLD something, or they googled something.  
I've been to court twice, and won twice.  I will go back 3 or 30 times.  All I want is a peaceful life for me and my kids.    And I will not give up.


At the end of the Lewis and Clark journey, each member of the team was awarded 360 acres of land, save for the captains.  They were given 1600 acres each for their accomplishment.
Exeeeeeeeeeeeeeeept for this one member.
A black man who was a slave when the journey started.  HE was rewarded with his old job back when he returned to civilization.  
A teensy weensy byline in the history books, but it SCREAMS volumes.  
Land of the Free, home of the Brave.  And the Brave, even when they're NOT free.



And I'm the crazy one.

That picture, by the by, is of the great china wall in the bob marshall wilderness area in montana.

Its worth the effort to see it.