By JIM N. TAYLOR, Special to the Star
It’s becoming tougher every day for an old man to make sense of today’s world; I’m having trouble with what media brings: *They (progressive liberals) tell me I am paranoid about them taking my guns, but tell me also that they want to repeal the 2nd Amendment; that I don’t need an AR-15; that owning guns makes me a murderer and a terrorist?
*That college kids need to be protected from ‘hurtful words’ with safe places because they’re so fragile and they should be able to stay on their parents’ insurance until age 26; and that 16-year-olds should be able to vote?
*They tell me I cannot criticize Islam, but that some people can use MY tax dollars to build a lifesized nativity scene out of pig excrement? *That we should not keep armed guards in schools, or allow teachers to arm themselves, but we must call in armed police when shooters do come to schools?
*That love is the preferred remedy and hate has no place here! But when I don’t agree with liberals about anything, they call me BIGOT! RACIST! FASCIST! HATEFUL! Sounds like love?
*They laugh at Romney for being so old fashioned as to think Russia is our greatest geopolitical threat, but now insist on sanctioning Russia for colluding with Trump and interfering in our elections?
*They cry about global warming while flying overseas in opulent emissions contamination to discuss environmental accords with people unwilling to change their polluting behavior until America pays for it?
*They say babies can decide their own gender? That spanking a child is child abuse? But aborting a child is O.K.? *That we have a rape culture where women are under constant threat of sexual assault by men! But that it is insane for women to be able to carry guns for protection? *That there is strength in diversity, but that no conservative should be allowed to work for news media, act in Hollywood or teach anywhere? *That Donald Trump is another Hitler, that police are racists who are murdering black men for no reason, but that only police and government should have guns?
*It’s my body and my choice! But you should be fined by government if you don’t buy health insurance?
*That they are the party of science; but unborn people are not people, but they can pick their own gender? Does gender matter, the genders are the same if they are treated the same?
*Am I doing a favor to encourage a mental case who doesn’t know which bathroom to go to? *The death penalty is morally wrong; you can’t do that to another human no matter how long and how many others they kill; but not even the father of a child can prevent the mother from aborting it?
*School choice and vouchers are bad! All children except for mine must be forced to go to public schools!?
But mine will go to the best private school! If you don’t want to give more of your earnings to government, you are selfish?
There is no shame in welfare, school lunches, free/low cost housing, food stamps, stuff you didn’t earn! It’s everybody’s right? *Everybody who disagrees with me is a Nazi, and my fist can be the law when dealing with Nazi’s! They deserve it?
*Conservatives are sexists and don’t respect women! Tearing down all Confederate statues for their racism is not racism!
The Jefferson Memorial must go; he was a slave owner! William McKinley wasn’t nice to Indians, he’s gotta go! While we’re at it, take down Mount Rushmore!?
I guess I’m just too old to make sense of nonsense?
Jim N. Taylor is a Harlingen resident who has been published regularly in the VMS for many years.
