History

This weekend my bride and I were driving through Mathews, Virginia and were passed by a 1931 Model A Ford coupe. This is one of my all-time favorite vehicles. It was beautiful and I wanted to see more.  I had never seen one exactly like this one. It was a coupe with a pick-up bed.

I asked my bride to follow it until it stopped.  Bride asked how far we were going to follow. I said, “Until it stops or we run out of gas.” 

Bride was concerned that he would be offended that we followed him home. I said, “No one with THAT truck is going to be shy.”

Twenty-five miles later he stopped. His name was Fred. He was glad to show off his “A.”

Here is the history.

During World War II gasoline and many other things were rationed.

Even though thousands of items became scarce during the war, only those most critical to the war effort were rationed. Key goods such as sugar, tires, gasoline, meat, coffee, butter, canned goods and shoes came under rationing regulations. Some important items escaped rationing, including fresh fruit and vegetables.

Speed limits were reduced to 40 miles per hour to save rubber. Sugar was limited to eight ounces per week per person. People were allowed one egg per week.

This brings us to the Model A Ration Truck.  People were allowed four gallons of gas per week for their cars but those with trucks were allotted eight gallons.  (I didn’t know that.)

Sears Roebuck and other companies offered conversion kits to turn your car into a truck and double your gas allotment.

This Model A was one of those conversions.

To continue the history.  The U.S. stopped production of cars and trucks for civilian use at the end of 1942. All production went to war vehicles. There were no civilian vehicles produced in America in 1943 and 1944 with one exception.  A limited number of 1944 Dodge ton and a half trucks were produced and sold to civilians who were critical to the War effort.

I have one of these trucks that was purchased by a necessary welder at Cherry Point, N.C. Marine Base. I bought it from his son. It is identical to the 1942 Dodge ton and a half except it has no chrome or stainless which was in short supply. They are known as Blackout Trucks. The hood ornament is yellow plastic made from soybean fiber.  

To make this a proper editorial I will now point out that it seems we are again experiencing shortages and will possibly face rationing in the near future.

If you have rationing stories to share, send them to us.  We need to remember those sacrifices.

Guilty Even if Proven Innocent

Newly released, 41 thousand hours of video recording of the January 6 INCIDENT at our capitol (Insurrection HASN’T BEEN PROVEN YET) show a different story than the cherry-picked news reports from the past two years.  These videos were from Government-owned and operated security cameras in the Capitol and were just released by our Government.

They are NOT “a Russian disinformation campaign” or something else. They simply record the events of the day.  An Epoch Times article reports one defendant, Sara Carpenter, saw her request to delay her trial in light of the recent developments denied.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, the Obama appointee overseeing the case, rejected the motion during a March 3 hearing.

Carpenter’s lawyers had argued that the surveillance disclosed by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) “is far in excess of what was previously disclosed by the government and known to exist” and that, while the government had disclosed some footage, “there remain temporal gaps in the footage thus far provided between the moments Ms. Carpenter is shown entering and exiting the Capitol.”

The government asserted that trial extensions shouldn’t be granted “on the unsupported allegation that pertinent information may exist somewhere, but is not currently known to either the prosecution or the defense.”

Boasberg said Carpenter failed to show that the previously undisclosed footage would prove exculpatory, Politico reported. He said that allowing a delay for defendants could “derail dozens of trials that are set in the next few months.”

Somebody should send Judge Boasberg back to law school or kindergarten.  Any fool, including me, knows that “discovery” is for BOTH prosecution and defense to DISCOVER the facts BEFORE they proceed.  Refusing to allow a defendant to defend him or herself is wrong and un-American.

Judge Boasberg’s insane statement that allowing a delay for defendants could “derail dozens of trials that are set in the next few months” is ridiculous. Our goal in America and according to our constitution is “equal justice for all.” There is nothing in our constitution about making things easy for the prosecution.

Our constitution does, however, guarantee a “speedy trial” for the defendant. There is nothing guaranteeing the prosecution anything. After a delay of over two years, another delay shouldn’t hurt anything except the prosecution’s apparent attempts to convict innocent people.

Judge Boasberg is obviously like the Old West judge who said, “This murderer is going to get a fair trial before we hang him.”