"Shut up and dribble"

Sunday, February 18, 2018

I listened to a disturbing news report recently.  Laura Ingraham, a reporter on Fox News, outraged that basketball stars LeBron James and Keven Durant, caught on tape in a taxi discussing Donald Trump and what they view as his racist politics and leanings, said ‘shut up and dribble’ to her audience.  She made statements about their poor grammar, inarticulate delivery (not a press conference or were anything they were saying supposed to be aired for anyone else to hear), lack of a college education and earning over $100 million somehow disqualified them from offering political opinions about the president.  Everything else aside, two things bother me about what she said and seemed to feel.  One – that any American citizen, regardless of their standing in society, does not have the absolute protection of free speech to voice their displeasure with the actions of their president.  The other – that somehow a college education is necessary to success in life and that it raises the standing of the individual to the point where they can voice their opinions.  Well…horseshit to both of those ideas.  Even if LeBron and KD can have an influence over the minds and actions of young listeners and fans, it is the job of parents to help them understand the weight that such opinions should carry and the understanding that in America we have the absolute right to speak our minds.  College doesn’t change that.  College doesn’t guarantee anything to anyone and isn’t right for everyone and no one should be made to feel any remorse over not having achieved ‘higher learning’.  Oh well…off the soapbox and on to other things.

Cold returned on Friday and prohibited me from going out for a ride over the weekend.  I did manage a six-mile hike with Dakota on Saturday, though.  We headed on our Hale Farm trail and as I descended from the woods to the road below, couldn’t help but notice a group of people trotting over the field towards that same road.  As I drew closer, I noticed they were in Army green and carrying rifles.

I hit the road and walked in the direction they were moving.  Obviously, they were members of the Reserves or National Guard and running some kind of practice drill, assaulting Hale Farm and Village.  It was fascinating to watch and though we were close enough to see, paid us no mind at all.  Fortunately, Dakota did not think she should run over and visit them.

We continued on and had an opossum contact, which Dakota did take an interest in.  I called her back and she returned without too much difficulty – she does not seem to have the canine instinct to kill critters smaller than her – and we walked on. 

This week’s forecast is for temperatures in the fifties and sixties, but loads of rain.  I have to decide about riding in the rain – I will admit to be over anxious to ride.  We will see how dedicated I am…