SPEAK OUT - December 1st, 2010

This is my weekly column to rip apart call-in comments in a section called “Speak Out” in The Lombardian/Villa Park Review, my local paper. All comments are published by The Lombardian/Villa Park Review and are their property. I pick and choose comments I choose to rip apart.

Link to SPEAK OUT

Just a few thoughts about the holiday shopping and the post-Thanksgiving weekend. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised to see how rude people were—you’d think there was a major disaster the way people were running around with no consideration for others. Just had to push and shove to get that bargain. And the parking lots; I’m surprised there wasn’t an accident or a fight with people in such a hurry and not paying attention to the other vehicles.

Yeah well get use to it. Us Americans love our products more than anyone else. We have to have everything and have it right now. Even if we can’t afford it…

The independent tea party patriots who got involved to get new Republicans elected will hold every one of them accountable and will throw them out if they do not get this country back on the right track. Across the country, establishment GOP’ers were voted out. It would be nice if those blindly supporting Dems had their own purge—or how else can you explain the re-elections of people like Barney Frank (housing fiasco), Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi (read the bill?) and Charles Rangel (convicted of 11 ethics violations)? For decades the battle cry has been “Throw the bums out.” Well, this time, we did. and obviously we have more to go. Hey, Dems, it’s been almost two years. It’s time to stop blaming Bush and start holding your party accountable for your own disastrous policies.

Well I can tell you why some of those people got re-elected. Barney Frank is not to solely blame for the housing fiasco, Chris Dodd had more to do with it than Frank, and Dodd did not run for re-election. Harry Reid could have been defeated by the “independent tea party patriots” if they had run a candidate with an ounce of intelligence. Charlie Rangel is a Representative in a district that was gerrymandered just for him. And as I recall, Republicans re-elected David Vitter who was caught with a prostitute named the D.C. Maddam. How about those family values for you…Yeahhhhh… Democrats did hold their own accountable and have primaried such candidates as Joe Lieberman, Blanche Lincoln, and Arlen Spector. And I fail to see how throwing establishment GOP’ers out for people who have no idea what the hell they are talking about really accomplishes anything. Unless you enjoy gridlock and Congress spending billions of dollars to do absolutely nothing, then by all means continue on.

Lombard. The Lombard Post Office is doing a fine job. We live in the north end and we get all our local mail within one to two days. Remember, all mail has to go to Carol Stream. And, it's sorted by scanners and then by hand, so if you want good mail service, make sure your ZIP code is written clearly in box format and large, and the scanners will do a better job. It's not our post office; it's the overall mail system. They're going high-tech and it has to be able to be scanned, so don't grumble about our post office. They're doing the best job that they can.

Ah, the address to a comment a few weeks ago about the Post Office and how a woman wouldn’t get her bills on time. Well there you go. Its technology's fault!

Hi, this is Lombard calling in response to the mail service in Lombard. For years I've never complained or had a problem, but I had a great carrier. I think I have another good carrier; however, from Glen Ellyn, I might say, it took me six weeks to get a birth announcement delivered to my address here in Lombard, so who's at fault? It could have been walked here; Pony Express was faster.

Again, technology's fault. The scanners man, the scanners!

Hi, this is Lombard here. If you're going to complain about Obama, Bush or any kind of politician who may be affecting the outcome of this nation, why don't you just blame the founding of the nation, all those years back, that began in the 1700s? How about that?

Great idea! Because you know, if no one complained about it back then, we’d still be living under Great Britain’s rule, complaining about those taxes without representation. Whereas today we just complain about the rich not getting enough tax cuts!

Hi, I'm from Lombard. My message is, I am very proud to be an American citizen again today. In the recent election I became a member of a new political party; the tea party.

That’s a new party? I could have sworn they all ran as Republicans, a political party that has been around since the 1850’s, but whatever, congratulations. Now, what’s your plan for getting the economy back on its feet, balancing the budget, making health care affordable, winning Afghanistan, and ending government corruption? And don’t tell me lowering taxes on those making more than $250,000/year.

The flag does not belong in the sanctuary of St. Pius Church. Have you ever heard about separation of church and state?

Don’t you know it only applies to the state? Clearly you’re being a smartass in your comments, like I am being a smartass, but come on, use some common sense!

This is Lombard calling. Those of us are a little bit older remember the Three Musketeers candy bar as three different pieces and flavor of candy, known as Three Musketeers. Now for years, this candy has only one flavor, chocolate. Hence, this is only One Musketeer.

As I am not old, I clearly have no idea what you’re talking about or what this has to do with Lombard or anything in general.

I’d like to see Lombard become the sister city of a town in Oklahoma called Freedom. This would be really great because we could follow some of the things that are done in Oklahoma, even in Freedom—now that Oklahoma has overwhelmingly passed a law that says English is the state’s common and unifying language, and another one that says you have to have a government-issued photo ID to vote. Let’s take that freedom and spread it around Lombard and spread it around Illinois. What a great idea.

Well, the true definition of “freedom” states that I have the freedom to speak whatever language I so choose. Freedom also states I have the right not to have a government-issued photo ID to vote. Freedom also states I can live by any rules I so please and choose. So I fail to see what’s so free about Freedom, Oklahoma, where they limit my rights to choose whatever I feel. Of course I am an English speaking citizen and I have an government issue photo ID, which I have never been asked to show when I vote, so I fail to see the point. Oh right, I know, you don’t want those other people to vote…Yeah, there’s very little freedom in any of that line of thinking…