"Anger is one of the sinews of the soul." (Thomas Fuller)

.....Lately there have been a few things that have raised my hackles (or is it "shackles"?).  For one, I've read that there are a number of states that have placed so many strictures on abortions as to make it all but impossible for a woman to be in charge of her own body and desires.  And here I thought that the Supreme Court adjudicated Roe V. Wade and claimed that abortions in the United States are legal.  If so, how can states of the union flaunt that decision?  Oh, yes, I firmly believe it comes about because very conservative Republican legislatures in these states are responsible. And, of course, religious views must play a big part in their decisions.  Are we still in the Civil War?  Can the federal government stand by and allow these states to disregard the law of the land?  I guess they can, though I'm no expert on law; I'm just a poet.

 

.....Another decision is putting me into a rage; my newspaper is dropping their listing of TV shows each day, and if a reader wants to know what to watch he has to subscribe to the magazine called "TV Weekly".  That surprise was published in today's paper.  There was no indication, of course, of what this subscription will cost, but that's not even relative.  The fact is, I've paid for a subscription to this newspaper,
"The Sun-Sentinel" and TV listings have been part of what I pay for.  Next thing you know is they will drop the sports page and ask readers to subscribe to "Sports Illustrated".  This paper is not a star in the sky to begin with; the front page section is devoted to full page ads and very little news.  I don't know if the paper can do what they are doing and stay within the law.  I'll find out.  I guess they can, though I'm not an expert on law; I'm just a poet.

 

.....The third piece of news that can drive me to drink (Rhoda usually drives me places. I'm not supposed to drink) is the situation in Syria.  There are too many countries who are looking to the United States to become more involved in solving that civil war.  We have got to stop being the policeman of this world.  These other countries have got to join this "police" force and stop looking to us.  The very worst thing we could  do now is to get into another ground war just as we are ending the war we have been at in Afghanistan for ten years, spending zillions of dollars and loosing thousands of young lives.