Pray For California

Pray for California. Although I don’t like California’s politics, I love the state, and it’s people. I spent considerable time there in 2011-2012. I’ve been back several times since then to visit family. Now don’t get me wrong. California is more liberal than Willie Nelson, but I’ve never felt more love anywhere else. During my son’s retirement party a man approached me and told me he read everything I write. I slept on my son’s boat in the harbor, and ate the absolute best meal I’ve ever had. Of course, Master Chief got into a dance contest with a four year old little girl, and threw his back out, but that’s “California!”

People judge the state by the outrageous politics emanating from the region running from about San Francisco down to San Diego, and extending about twenty-five miles inland. But there’s another California called the Inland Empire that’s just Texas with better weather. A land filled with strawberries and grapes, and lots of people who’ll pull over and help you change a tire. They are conservative Americans, but the over population along the coast overrides their vote.

A good example was proposition 8, allowing gay marriage. Now on this one the people of California hung together. Voices from the land of Disneyland, and the Beach Boys said, “Hell NO,” but a judge overruled their voice, overturned the vote, resigned, and married his boyfriend. To the rest of the nation this marked California as the land of fruits and nuts.

California will burn at the drop of a hat. I hung out in the desert regions of Murrieta, and Occatillo Wells so I was interested in just how they get rocks and sand to burn. Before I returned to Texas, California showed me how! They have hurricanes without no clouds called Santa Anna winds that will bent a palm tree over. One spark, one match, one joint, and kaBOOM! No more neighborhood.

Keeping the state burn free is a full time job. Inmates clear wooded areas of dead limbs, state workers do so too. Neighborhoods are always on the watch for flame. I saw one crop up in a field behind my son’s house, and even before the fire department arrived the people had already soaked their yards, and were encroaching on the fire. My daughter in law told me during one such fire while she was fleeing, she looked in her rear view mirror and saw a wall of flame. It can happen that quick!

The Trump administration has decided to punish California for its whacky view on immigration. Now, as a Texan, I don’t agree with California on that, but as first responders search for teeth in the ashes I wonder just how far we need to pursue this difference of opinion when it endangers the lives of real Americans. I keep remembering the smiling faces of all those beautiful, liberal people who found me an interesting oddity, and shared their wine with me. How many of those people lie in the ashes of the Campfire?

Pulling much needed funds from the state, needed for fire protection will not keep Pablo off the fence. That is two separate issues. What do we pull next? Vaccinations for kids? Public transportation? Food for the homeless. We will not solve the immigration problem by burning down California.

It is interesting to note that the fires seem to follow the high speed rail system. This is perfectly understandable. In a place where little screens are required in the exhausts of dirt bikes, the continual sparks generated from steel wheels on railroad tracks can very quickly generate disaster. America needs to come to the aid of our California neighbors with all dispatch, and forget about the politics for a minute. We can throw all them Meskins out later. Right now we need to pitch in, and give Mickey Mouse a glass of water.

The Butcher Shop

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