Explain This To Me

The Supreme Court just refused to hear a Louisiana case regarding redistricting to create minority voting districts.

What I don’t understand is why we need to create voting districts with a majority of minority voters. It seems to me that it should be more important to create compact districts where the residents have similar needs and wants.

Virginia for example elected Douglas Wilder in 1990. Barack Obama was elected president. But the American population is about 13 percent Black. Locally, Charlotte, Prince Edward and Lunenburg Counties have all had and have minority elected officials, even though all three counties are majority White.  Obviously, if every Black in America voted for Obama, at least 27 percent of White people voted for Obama.

I don’t understand why Black people can’t be represented by White elected officials when I am happy to be represented by a Black elected official.

I also don’t understand why conservative Blacks who are elected or appointed “Don’t count as Black.”

Is all of this a racial issue or is it a political issue?

Rescuing Pets

There is a huge difference between rescuing an animal and stealing one.  If there is an animal in distress, a reasonable person first checks with the nearby homes to see if the animal belongs to someone. The second thing is to report the animal to Animal Control and the local SPCA. Then advertise in local papers, radio stations and social media. If immediate care is needed take the animal to your vet and pay for its care. If no one claims the animal within two weeks the animal is legally yours.

Since starting the Messenger I have had half a dozen people who wanted me to do a story on their “rescue.”  In every one of these cases the animal was picked up as the person was traveling. They did not attempt to find the owners. The pets were not rescued. They were stolen.  The thieves were very proud of what they had done.

For several years a Cocker Spaniel named Abigale lived two doors down from my office. Every morning, after her kids left for school, Abigale joined me as I drank coffee and helped me eat my sausage biscuit. Then she waited in the shade across the street to see what I was doing. At least once a month I had to stop someone from “rescuing” Abigale who was just waiting for her kids to come home.

Biography

My 50^th Randolph-Henry High School class reunion is coming up soon. We were asked to write a short biography.  I’m looking forward to seeing how many of my classmates can condense 50 years into a few sentences.  I know I can’t.

Here is my first attempt.

Since graduating R-H by the skin of my teeth, i.e. half a point, I have survived. I was not sentenced to “Life in Charlotte County,” I chose to stay here.  I am still in love with my first wife and we just celebrated our 38^th anniversary. We have three children and six Grand-Brats.  I have devoted the last half century to “unfinished projects.” In fact, I don’t think I have ever completed anything. In the few cases I could have completed something I added more to that project.

I am a perpetual student and collect useless bits of unnecessary, useless and irrelevant information.

I actually had a real job in the 70’s which I quit because it was too easy.  Since then I have been self-employed in a variety of enterprises.

My hobbies are Dumpster Diving, Sailing, Collecting Stuff, Warping the minds of the G-Brats, Beekeeping, Reading, writing and too many more things to list.

I am currently adjusting to older age and complaining about the “Guv’ment,” health care and politics and am having a great time doing so.