Under Attack

Well, if it’s not one thing, it’s another, as my grandmother used to say while listening to my brothers and sisters complain about one another.  Somebody was always being a victim, somebody else was always being an oppressor.  It’s a hard life, and getting harder.

In the great extramural world outside our front doors, we now have two lengthy wars, with Pakistan looking like it might join in more formally in order to produce a much bigger problem.  We have the beleaguered Republicans increasingly under the many thumbs of the inherently disorganized but oppressive Democrats (Arlen Specter can sit next to Ben Nelson when the food fight begins).  

We have the swine flu virus on the attack as well as under attack everywhere, with  Egyptians killing all their resident swine. (And what are the Egyptians, a Muslim country, doing with all those swine?  Making footballs for export?)  Surely the existence of hogs is not the immediate problem; they don't have the virus.  And eating pork is not the problem, or not a problem for swine flu, although a big problem for Muslims.

We have the Israelis insisting that the sensibilities of Jews and Muslims not be offended by referring to ‘swine flu.’  Instead they prefer irritating the sensibilities of Mexicans by referring to it as ‘Mexican flu.’  

I, myself, am at a red alert with respect to raccoons, deer, bear, and slugs in the garden and environs.  And now I am informed that the former “LilyPoint.org has now evolved into a new expanded organization called Lily Point Defenders.”  Just in time to join the 24/7 game of ‘Life As War.’  I’m not sure, however, who is the attacker that they are planning to defend against.  (Iraquis? Al Qaeda? Swine Flu? Democrats? Slugs, raccoons, etc.?)   I would have thought that, given the recent acquisition of two large parcels of land for a publically-owned marine reserve/park, the ‘defense’ mode would be behind us and we would be signing up for the ‘stewardship’ mantle.  But if it's not one thing, it's another.

Well, at least their first step is only to plan a conference  (June 20), which doesn’t sound as dangerous as what might be coming on our southern border.  (link maker isn't working again:  www.lilypd.org/1/Home.html)