On mornings when I walk on the east side of the lake, two dogs—from houses a half-mile apart–join me. They frolic, munch on each other’s necks, scamper after squirrels, drink from mud puddles and sometimes walk down the center of the road. Neither listens to me when I explain the dangers in that decision. I ask them to mimic me: walk on the side of the road facing oncoming traffic. They pretend not to understand.
Yesterday, a truck came over a hill in time to brake for the dog that was in its lane. If looks could kill! The woman driver and male passenger glared at me. Not the dog. Me! I mouthed very clearly, “It’s. Not. My. Dog.,” but when they pulled away, they still were shaking their heads.
Sooooo not my fault! And yes, I love it when I’m innocent, probably because it’s rare when blame belongs to the other person, or in this case, dog. Typically, I am responsible for whatever has gone wrong, and most of the time, I have no problem admitting it. (Do not ask my husband to verify that statement.) My frustration comes from other people who cannot admit they make a mistake, politicians in particular.
Republicans and Democrats, take note: sometimes the best thing you can do for your country is to admit the error of your ways. (Am I hearing an “Amen”?)
Nancy Pelosi was videoed having her hair done inside a San Francisco salon. My granddaughter is a stylist in California and, with the exception of two weeks, has been out of work for months because of state mandates closing those businesses. I understand Ms. Pelosi wanting her hair colored and trimmed. She is in the spotlight almost daily, and gray roots would cause her constituents (and certainly her enemies) to murmur. Walmart’s root-dye probably wouldn’t have worked for her, like it had to for the rest of us during this pandemic.
But her apology left me aghast! “I want to apologize for being caught in a trap set for me. I should have seen it coming.” In other words, Ms. Pelosi considers herself too sharp to fall for being set up. Her apology was, in essence, nothing more than bragging about her cleverness.
I was more than aghast. I was aghastest. Wouldn’t it have been better had she admitted to making a bad judgment call and say that she was sorry? You know, the truth?
When one of our sons was younger, he was marched back inside Walmart to return a stolen package of gum and apologize to the manager. There was no “I apologize that I wasn’t smart enough to hide this better from my mother.” That wouldn’t have been an apology. That would have been reason for a spanking. Yet, that’s what Ms. Pelosi did.
Perhaps Ms. Pelosi needs a spanking.
The Blame Game began in the Garden of Eden. Eve listened to the serpent, juiced up on a piece of fruit, shared it with her hubby, and the rest is history, eternal history. We are only three chapters into Genesis when God asked what happened. Adam made a life-altering boo-boo with this response: “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” In other words, God and Eve were responsible.
Adam needed a spanking. Actually, what he got was worse than a few swats. He and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden. Eve forever would be under the authority of her husband who would have to do manual labor to survive. I wonder how different things would have been had they both apologized and asked for forgiveness. God, who is rich in mercy and grace, just might have treated their punishment differently. We all should learn from their sin.
I’m still hoping Ms. Pelosi will come to her senses and take responsibility for her actions. I have a feeling I’m in for a long wait.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our own President would admit to his mistakes? I’d say being caught in a hair salon without a mask after getting her hair washed is pretty minor compared to the things Trump has done. I hope your column next week addresses the multitude of things he has done to leave many of us “aghestest”.
You ask for Pelosi to apologize for being caught in a hair salon without a mask after having her hair washed. Really? What about demanding an apology from Trump for “grabbing women by the p*ssy”? What about an apology for deceiving the public about the true dangers of the Coronavirus? What about the cruelty shown to immigrant children locked in cages? Were you not “aghestest” by these actions? Will these be the subject if your next column?
Yes..I Agree with anonymous. Just today our (so called) president with active COVID took a ride in his SUV for a photo op, endangering the lives of many secret service agents. He may have attended many public events after receiving a positive COVID diagnosis. Will he “apologize”?….What if someone dies for his egomaniacal behavior? He apologizes FOR NOTHING….not the loss of 210000 deaths he could have largely prevented by giving COVID the proper alarm and testing it should have had since he learned of it in February! Nancy Pelosi had not tested positive forCOVID when she got a haircut with no other customers present. He is receiving treatment for being actively infected with COVID (so he says, you never know with him) and unless his Secret Service were wearing hazmat suits (they weren’t) he carelessly risked infecting them all. They are supposed to protect the president, not have to be protected FROM the president. We should all be appalled about that!!!! The only life he cares about is his own, not his cult, not his family, not the children in cages, not our servicemen, not the 210000 dead and certainly not the unborn. People who do not know this by now have been totally duped!!
I find myself disappointed with Christians across our country as this is much too common. Finding fault where you want but overlooking the real issues. Shame on you. The real issues our country faces isn’t disobeying a mask order to have your hair done. The real issue is that we have a president that cannot admit he is wrong. He lies to us all and knows full well he is doing it. And Christians across this country would rather ask for an apology for going to a salon than ask our president to stand up, be a man, and do what is right. Get your priorities straight. Or better yet stay in Florida.
Patty – I completely agree that Ms Pelosi made a mistake and did not admit or apologize for that mistake. She definitely should have taken responsibility for her behavior. I also believe that President Trump should apologize to the women that he grabbed by the p***y, to the disabled reporter that he mocked, to the many people he called derogatory names, for the many untruths he has shared, to the families who have lost loved ones to Covid19 after he had admitted knowing how serious the virus is and telling us it is just the common flu and will quickly disappear, and to the veterans he has degraded. I, like you, am waiting for apologies.
Never mind that trump is a misogynist , racist, vulgar liar and tax cheat. More than 20,000 fact checked lies in three and a half years. He’s caused more than 200,000 American deaths with his mishandling of Covid19. He wants to do away with the Affordable Care Act during the Pandemic which will cause more American death. He gave tax breaks to the top 1%. He wants to do away with Social Security, Medicare, and the Postal Service. He lies about voter fraud because of his fear of losing the election. He mocked a disabled reporter. He called our veterans “suckers and losers”. Also, discredited John McCains service during Vietnam War although trump is a draft dodger.
According to newly unveiled information, he did not pay ANY income tax for 10-15 years prior to 2016.
Why don’t you demand a “Huge Apology” from Trump for all of this.
I wouldn’t worry about Pelosi’s hair
This may not be the place to do this, but given our current political situation, I find it important to address a few things.
First, it it refreshing to see so many others expressing their frustration with President Trump and how he has conducted himself over the last 4 years. I am always flabbergasted at how people in rural towns can be so supportive of Trump. He does not stand for you. He has never walked in your shoes or worked a hard day in his life. He has no idea the trials and tribulations that everyday, working-class citizens face. He has never had to stress over how to pay the bills on a blue-collar worker’s salary. He has never had to choose between filling your prescriptions, buying food, or keeping the lights on. He does not know what it’s like to be you, nor does he care. Someone as egotistical and arrogant as Trump cannot, and does not, have empathy for others. Do not believe, for one second, he knows what life in a small town is like. He doesn’t. Period.
Second, with regards to the upcoming election, I plead with those undecided voters to do their own research on the candidates. Too many times people throw out umbrella statements about Democrats that are simply untrue. No, Democrats do not look to abortion as a first resort. Most feel it should be used as a last alternative when the mother’s life is at risk, or the baby has severe medical problems that will prevent it from having a quality life, or survival more than a few hours after birth. No, Democrats do not want to take your guns. We do want gun laws that help ensure guns do not fall into the hands of those not responsible enough to use them properly. No, we don’t believe in free handouts. We do believe in income equality and decent wages for workers. We believe in quality, affordable healthcare so that everyone has access to medical attention, if needed. We believe in an education system that is well-funded, as education is the only way our country can progress and move citizens forward. We believe that climate change is real, and that actions must be taken to protect our planet for future generations. We believe in equality, for all humans. Period. These are not dangerous or extremist ideals.
Lastly, think about where we are as a nation. Can we really tolerate 4 more years of this? We are more divided than ever. We need people in office that will work to bring us together and accomplish change that benefits us all, not just a select few.
> No, Democrats do not look to abortion as a first resort.
When Obama was running for president he said that any abortion was always a tragedy. That doesn’t represent the Democratic party now. The Democrats literally cheer and applaud when someone stands up at the DNC and brags about how they had an abortion. Look at lyse Hogue’s speech in 2016.
While you personally may feel differently, your views do not appear to represent the official view of the party you are supporting.
> No, Democrats do not want to take your guns.
Regarding guns, Biden has specifically said people shouldn’t own 9mm pistols. When asked if his administration would come for people’s guns he said:
“Bingo! You’re right if you have an assault weapon.”
No one clarified what other guns he would come for, but he specifically said he was going to come for people’s guns.
I do agree that people should research the Democratic party but I’d encourage you to do so as well since what you are describing may have been the DNP the past. It may describe what you wish they were but doesn’t describe them now.
Can anyone believe that all these message replies were just random writers who had no idea the others were writing, in effect, the same messages?
Could all these incredibly similar replies be someone with multiple email addresses? Who knows? It can happen.
Seems the “hey look over there” fallacy is so common these days.
Oh yeah, today Tucker Carlson released photo’s of Diane Feinstein walking thru an airport without her mask on in clear violation of the laws there. Perhaps the entire airport set her up too?
As for apologies, my experience has been that they are pretty much non-existent for any person who has great wealth and world power(and ego’s to go with it) and usually only happens when trying to avoid a jail sentence or it is to their political advantage in some way.
The rich and powerful are all very concerned for their health though, and given people like Pelosi and Feinstein are so old and how hard this virus hits old people I would think that if facemasks worked so well, they would definitely be practicing what they preach. That’s what makes me go hmmmm.
Bob, I appreciate you taking the time to leave a thoughtful and respectful reply. It shows that two people, with differing opinions and views, can communicate civilly. You seem to be well educated regarding important issues and I am genuinely interested in your opinion.
But to expand on a few of your comments, if you visit Democrats.org, which is the official platform of Democrats, the topic of gun control is addressed there, and it states that Democrats are in favor of responsible gun ownership. No where does it state that your guns will be taken away. On Biden’s own website, it states that for owners of assault weapons, they have two options: let the government buy it back, or register it and KEEP it.
On the issue of abortion, it’s true, any abortion is a tragedy. That’s why it is viewed as a last alternative. By your logic, just because one person in 2016 was talking about an abortion they had, ALL Democrats view abortion as some cavalier issue? That’s exactly the same as saying that if one Republican makes a racist remark, then ALL Republicans are racist. It’s simply not true.
Regardless of what happens in the next election, I hope that both parties can work together and our country can return to a place where, just as Bob showed to me, treating others with dignity is back in favor.
> By your logic, just because one person in 2016 was talking about an abortion they had, ALL Democrats view abortion as some cavalier issue?
It would be silly for me to point it out if it was a matter of one person talking about having had an abortion. It was the fact that the audience erupted in applause at the statement. If you did not watch that moment of the DNC, I’d encourage you to do so. It marks a significant shift from where the Democratic party has been on the issue in the past.
> On the issue of abortion, it’s true, any abortion is a tragedy.
While you and I evidently have common ground on that point, the reaction of the audience clearly showed that they did not agree with the two of us. That doesn’t mean there aren’t other Democrats that do agree with us, but it isn’t misjudging the Democratic party cheering and realize the party is not aligned with your beliefs.
Regarding the difference between what Biden says and what his website says, I don’t know what he’d actually support if he wins the office. However, it isn’t irrational for someone to be concerned about what Biden has specifically said he was going to do in that situation–even if his website says something different now.
I noticed the first two replies within 21 minutes of each other, used the non-existent word, “aghestest”.
That’s just a tad unusual.
Dan – the word “aghestest” is in the article. Did you even read it or just skip to the comments?
NO IT IS NOT!!
I read the article by the way, LOL !
Do a word search(if you know how), and you will find only 4 times that word was used, twice in the first couple of comments, once by me, and once by you.
You don’t get any credit for this failed attempt to discredit me or Patty Laroche.
In fact your comment is now making you look bad.
However it will cause readers to go back and read her well written article again, so you get unintended credit for that.
Funny, when I read the article, I see the word also. As I wrote in an email to the editor of the Tribune, I felt this particular article should not have been placed on the religion page of the Tribune anyway. When I turn to a ‘church’ page, I am searching for something to read that is inspiring and uplifting and not furthering someone’s political agenda. I guess it doesn’t matter under what ‘heading’ Fort Scott Biz considers it. To me, the question, whether religion or politics, should be what has brought us to this point that we would rather focus on those things that are most divisive in our lives than to try to find something to draw us closer together?
you may have seen that word, but not spelled exactly the same way the first couple of comments, AND, the way MVP15 spelled it. That’s a dead giveaway all 3 are the same person.
Patty spelled it in her article “aghAstest”, and the person commenting misspelled that as “aghEstest” 3 times now. That is irrefutable evidence of someone posting under different alias’s.
This article was appropriate for any religion page, as the main topic is to humble yourself(repent of the sin of pride and arrogance) when you are wrong. She also mentions the truth that God, is “rich in mercy and grace” and loves us so much that HE is willing to forgive us when we sin, and admit and repent of it.
The mere fact that she used Pelosi’s as an example was really just one that she could use that would be fresh on everyone’s mind. I contend that if her message was purely partisan then she would not have said, “Republicans and Democrats, take note: sometimes the best thing you can do for your country is to admit the error of your ways.”
Amazing how a few people were triggered by this article and completely missed the point of our need to humble ourselves, repent, and how rich God’s mercy and love is.
Good thoughts, but as I previously stated I can read about politics in the news and in ‘opinions’. When I come to the religion page I want some inspiration and a break from what’s occurring around me and to me that peace is only found in God.
As I commented about Patty’s article ‘The Last Word’ there shouldn’t be a last word–it’s a good thing to see so many writing their thoughts. We need to have discussions. Our opinions are shaped by our life experiences, you don’t know mine and I don’t know yours. No right or wrong there, that’s what makes us who we are. I guess that’s why these are just opinions. Too bad with the current situation we can’t get together and talk about these things face to face. How much better our world would be. We can agree to disagree and it’s okay.
Quit trying to find “deep state conspiracies” in a local home town publication ..I think you watch too many Qanon nuts
yes it is!!!! Quote….”I was more than aghast. I was aghastest. Wouldn’t it have been better had she admitted to making a bad judgment call and say that she was sorry? You know, the truth?.”
The purpose of me mentioning that word anyway was to point out the high degree of certainty that the first two comments were written by the same person under two different names and email address’s. That stands out to all.
Maybe we need a political blog for political candidates and government officials and then leave me out!!…. LOL
I wish I had not commented earlier but I see no way to retract ..
Respectfully