As I was reading the stories of the tragic death of the WalMart employee on “Black Friday”, I saw another thread within this story that just flat out pissed me off. I’ll have to refrain from spewing all the other words that came to mind because they are just not lady like, but answer me this, “How the hell does the mumble grumbling union think they could have saved this poor man’s life?”

Granted, the questions that Bruce Both, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500, ask are good ones indeed: “Where were the safety barriers? Where was security? How did store management not see dangerous numbers of customers barreling down on the store in such an unsafe manner?”

So the union, like the federal government, thinks that we the people are too stupid to do the right thing? After this tragic incident, I’m really beginning to wonder. We have allowed our population to become so dumbed down by government schools, that it is to the point we can no longer think for ourselves. We have allowed our moral values to decay to the point we no longer value human life.

With what few brain cells we have not allowed the government to gain control over, we must come up with a better way. More government and more unions are not the answers.

Words come flying at me: animals, outrage, herd mentality, loss of respect for other, loss of human dignity.

Read this, outloud: “Other workers were trampled as they tried to rescue the man, and customers stepped over him and became irate when officials said the store was closing because of the death, police and witnesses said.”

Kimberly Cribbs, got it right when she called them “savages.” A better question was asked What kinds of people rush over a man, then keep coming and stepping on him — and then callously go about shopping?” Police trying to give this man first aid were jostled by customers still running into the store. the incident left Bob Scheiffer wondering about the lack of Christmas spirit. But he said it all when he said “If we have become a people so self-centered that we are willing to step over a lifeless body to get a bargain, we have problems that go beyond terrorists, a credit crunch and bad mortgages.”

There is something else in this tragic event that has me steaming mad, but I want to give this poor man’s death it’s due before I address another callous comment I read related to this incident.

I was reading an article I found on CNN.com about a US soldier who was blogging about his experiences while serving in Iraq. It looks like SFC Colby Buzzell discovered Blogger just a few months before I did or at least I’m assuming that he used Blogger because that’s where his blog My War – Killing Time in Iraq currently resides at. Of course, now it’s being used as a tool to push his book.

Being a former military member and also being raised military – I have mixed feelings about his blog. My first concern would be for security issues, regulation violations and such. On the other hand, the psychologist in me finds that it can be a good therapeutic tool. Many times difficult, trying and very traumatic events are difficult to talk to anyone about, but a blog allows for an avenue to channel a lot of pent up anxiety and frustration.

There are other things that many of us web savvy folks also know, not everything you read on the internet is true. While many blogs are useful, some can be great works for fiction. Since CNN does tend to want to point out the negatives of what is going on in Iraq, I hope to stumble upon a few other blogs that mention the positive turn arounds since the ouster of Saddam Hussein.

My only hope is that CNN remembers that it’s the brave men and women of our Armed Forces that defend their right to free speech.

If we are so red, why did we turn blue?

Something ain’t right, why would a Hispanic woman driving an Cadillac Escalade children be on Medicaid? Is does look like documentation has to be provided for legal immigrants, but what about illegals? I need to research that a bit further. I did find this article interesting:

Medicaid Documentation Requirement Disproportionately Harms Non-Hispanics, New State Data Show: Rule Mostly Hurts U.S. Citizen Children, Not Undocumented Immigrants, 7/10/07

I have no problems with legal immigrants receiving services they are entitled to, but two things irritate me about this, the vehicle being driven (it’s a lot nicer than my car) and needing to learn to speak English.

As I have mentioned before I live in a small town that has an illegal immigrant problem. It’s even more noticeable, when I’m shopping and everyone is speaking Spanish.� Here’s a hint, speaking English will help you blend in better and be less noticeable to folks like me!