Visiting the Big Apple

Mattie Smith gives the photographer the 'evil eye'

Kyle Cummins poses for a photo by a
painted lady on the side of a bus

Just returned from a week in New York City. It was a trip I have many times in the past 25 years and, as always, it was great to get there, great to see the sights, great to enjoy the energy of a bustling metropolis … and great to get back home.

My two oldest children – both graduates of Marshall High – Dr. C. Jason Smith, tenured professor at LaGuardia College, and Mattie Smith Cummins, executive director of the Arizona Brain Injury Association – were having a small family get-together with their spousal units. I invited myself to crash their party.

Few things in life are as good as visiting New York City. My son and his wife, also a professor at LaGuardia, live in Queens so it’s no big deal to ride the subway (they do it two to four times a day), go to museums (they’ve been to them all at one time or another) or go to a Broadway play (been there, done that).

So Mattie and Kyle, her sweet but beleaguered husband, and I caught the newest revival of West Side Story at the vaunted Palace Theater, took a tour bus around Manhattan and saw the Naked Cowboy freezing his g-string off in Times Square. (On his guitar. Get your mind out of the gutter!)

I think I saw David Letterman once, and am fairly certain I saw Miska Silverman, whom I didn’t know and still don’t. But Miska felt compelled to introduce herself while I was leaning on a lamp post looking at the forbidding mass of humanity surging this way and that, not unlike a flock of starlings on a mission.

I took pictures of my daughter in a Subway shop where the signs were in Spanish, standing under a mosaic cowboy hat on a subway platform, and with her husband sitting in a giant baseball glove in Times Square.

We went to the world’s largest Hershey’s store. As we entered we each got a free piece of chocolate. I turned around and went back outside and came in again to see if I could get another free piece. The woman gave me a friendly scowl and shook her finger in my face. She was very good at her job.

Across the street we made a stop at M&M World. I bought a pair of M&M boxers that I probably will never wear unless I’m sure I won’t be in a wreck and have to go the hospital, and a sackful of M&Ms in 22 different colors.

But I couldn’t believe my eyes at what greeted me at the corner of 5th Avenue and Something Street. A street vendor was selling condoms. In more than 10 years in Marshall, I never once saw a single street vendor selling condoms. Not even at the FireAnt Festival.

These were not just any condoms, but three different ones featuring President Obama, one that featured Sarah Palin and one with John McClain’s face gracing the cover.

Each variety not only had a cutesy saying across the top but in small letters had gross declarations about the special qualities or usefulness of the product.

I am a patriotic American and I think it’s absolutely disgusting that the president of the United States, a distinguished American hero and senator, and a backwoods moose killer are ridiculed in this ticklish manner.

And, that’s why I only bought one of each.

Can't we all just be nice?

Where’s the civility?


The beginning of the end of personal civility in this country began exactly … when?

Was it when General George Washington found out that Benedict Arnold switched side during the Revolutionary War and swore, “Damn his eyes!”? Or maybe before that, when Christopher Columbus screamed obscenities at Native Americans (then referred to as Indians) when he became ill after eating some rancid maize”

No matter, really, the Era of Civility ended sometime between the Chicago Mob Wars of the ‘20s and ‘30s and when President Richard Nixon decided to turn the White House into a Haunted House of Stupid Ideas. Every president since, regardless of party, has felt the sharp cuts of unfettered public criticism … some deserved, some not.

George Bush Sr., will be remembered for trying to sell his second term by promising states massive federal assistance and promising rich backers special favors. Bill Clinton will forever be linked with Monica Lewinski instead of the peace and prosperity that was center of this term. The second George Bush had marbles in his mouth and his mind and tongue were not always in sync, but he wasn’t as dumb as his detractors said, and not as heroic as lip-servants like Rush Limbaugh claimed.

And, Barack Obama is guilty of trying to push too many projects too fast and making a righteous mess of it. But despite the vitriolic rants of Hannity and Rush and Glenn, he’s not the New Devil or a pure-bred socialist.

Where as the civility gone? Whatever happened to “please” and “thank you” as part of basic requests? When did we stop saying “thanks” for efforts rather than screaming obscenities at those who offend us?

A man in a fast food restaurant recently asked a couple to refrain from cursing because of the slowness of service, citing the presence of children nearby. The couple beat the man for his interference.

The mother of a nine-year-old baseball player attacked the umpire who called her son out at home plate, stabbing the woman with a ballpoint pen.

A U.S. representative calls Obama a liar during the president’s speech to a joint meeting of Congress.

Regardless of one’s personal political convictions, it is not acceptable to lie about an issue, a politician’s stance on issue, or about the personal life of politicians. Yet, those nefarious actions, some unintentional, some on purpose, go on all the time.

Leonard Pitts, a columnist for a national chain of newspapers, recently wrote that commentators on Fox News misrepresent the truth … and downright lie to push the right-wing agenda.

In June Bill O’Reilly said he never called murdered abortion doctor George Tiller “a baby killer.” He did on his television show … more than 24 times.

Glenn Beck questions why the United States has automatic citizenship from birth? “We’re the only country in the world that has it? Actually, 33 other countries have automatic citizenship from birth, including Canada.

Sean Hannity said the Cash for Clunkers program allowed picking up a junker from a junkyard, dragging it to a dealership to get $4,500. Not true, Sean. The program required the car be drivable and have been registered for the previous year.

It is a fact that every news organization – from the Dallas Morning News to the San Francisco Chronicle to the Jefferson Jimplecute to the Chicago Tribune – gets a story wrong on occasion. This would not be true if humans were removed from the chores with writing, editing and placing the news.

What Americans should be afraid of in today’s got-cha society is people, journalists, commentators, lying to make a point.

Don’t take blatant statements as fact. Check them out at various websites set up for that very purpose.

Don’t be a zombie follower of a religious/political belief. Read. Learn. And pass on the knowledge.

Don't call me a politician

The rumor is true

There's a rumor floating around I'm running for politicial office.

Plea? Guilty!

I am running for the Arkansas District 28 State Senate, which is vacant to the the state's term limits laws.

Since I am a stringent fiscal conservative, I'm running as a Republican. It's time to get past the "label thing" and get back to common sense politics.

Here's my campaign do's and don'ts.

Where does George Smith stand?
Government/taxes/lobbyists/education/issues

Don’t:

1) Make promises I can’t keep.
2) Say one thing I don’t believe to get one single vote.
3) Believe the Status Quo is right way to run government.
4) Spend money just because you can.
5) Vote to raise taxes just because it can be done.
6) Accept money from lobbyists or special interests,
attend any sponsored functions, or give lobbyists
access to senate office.
7) Avoid debates with opponents on the issues.
8) Accept the premise that the Arkansas Educational
system is acceptable and that there is not room for
improvement in all districts.

Do:

1) Say what I believe, regardless of audience.
2) Introduce legislation to form a small citizens’ committee (business leaders, farmers, educators) to analyze state budget, make recommendations on where to cut and save.
3) Introduce legislation for two-year moratorium on all new taxes while tax structure/programs are reviewed.
4) Push for raises for teachers, laptop computers for students, knowing that a higher educated citizenry will increase tax revenues.
5) Introduce legislation to create low-cost program to increase high school graduation rates, increase going-forward rates of high school students into college/technical programs, set standards for administration staff and require administrators to teach a minimum of one class per semester.
6) Set standards and caps on expenditures for athletic programs.
7) Pledge 50 percent of salary to scholarship program for students in special education teaching program.
8) Dissect effectiveness of state programs to find savings
9) Introduce legislation to reduce the size of government.
10) Examine all taxes on goods and services, push to cut
unfair taxes (used car sales tax, for example), create
equitable tax structure that does not favor special
interests.
11) Introduce resolution backing term limits for U.S.
Senators and representative.
12) Push the “Common Sense” theme across the every facet of state
government.