The Haters of Santa Barbara

            On May 27^th, the day the whole country was honoring the soldiers who gave their lives in defense of this country, we saw American flags proudly hoisted on flag poles, and displayed outside our homes, along the roadways, and in our cemeteries. Memorial Day was a day of reverence, a day that spoke of love of country. Yet, on this day I read of an incredible dishonor to our flag by a school in California and, by extension, to every man and woman who have ever fought under it.

            The Board of Trustees of Santa Barbara City College announced that the school would discontinue saying the Pledge of Allegiance in its classrooms. When questioned about the decision, the president of the Board said that it was because the flag was rooted in racism, white nationalism, and nativism. Think about that.

            When soldiers returned from the fighting in Vietnam, many were spat upon by war protesters. Little has changed since then among those who despise America, who denigrate the values that make this country great, who are consumed by hate, who spit on our flag. Sadly, many educators like the ones in Santa Barbara are teaching our children to become haters like themselves.

            We must be wary of those who would corrupt our children. If we allow the haters to poison the minds of the young and innocent, all will be lost. We already are seeing the signs: the toppling of statues, the removal of portraits of historic figures, the character assassinations of our Founding Fathers, and now the desecration of our flag. For over 200 years our soldiers have fought the enemy abroad. Now we must all become soldiers fighting the enemy within.

Compensation Excess

            According to a recent survey, 41% of American voters prefer socialism to capitalism. That number is far worse among voters under 25. That’s not surprising. The virtues of socialism peached by popular politicians like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and parroted by leftists in the media are viewed as utopia by starry-eyed adolescents and the key to equality by adults who are totally ignorant of the failure of socialism throughout history.

            Socialism is the politics of envy. It promises falsely that it is the way to equality, as if confiscation of wealth for purposes of redistribution will achieve its goal. We can understand how that envy might be a natural reaction to the outrageous compensation of athletes, entertainers, and CEOs. Is Bryce Harper of the Phillies really worth $330 million? What did George Clooney really do to earn $239 million last year?  Did Jeff Bezos really earn his net worth of $154 billion? It’s just not fair, is it? Why shouldn’t we be envious?

            While it is understandable that people should decry such unfathomable excess, socialist politicians usually target big business and Wall Street. That’s where you’ll find the people who don’t pay their fair share, they say, irrespective of the fact that the top 1% pay 24% of income taxes, the top 10% pay 53%, and the top 20% pay 85%. For socialists that’s not enough. They ignore the fact that the top earners are the ones who produce the wealth; take away their incentive to produce, and what you’re left with in the extreme is everybody’s equal share of poverty.

            But let’s take one idea that might convince the envious of the fairness of the apparent inequality of corporate compensation. Generally, the millions that CEOs earn are tied to their performance. For example, one of the highest-paid business executives in 2018 was Walt Disney’s CEO Robert Iger. His pay was $65.6 million, but 90% of that was tied to his performance as head of a company that returned 20.4% to its shareholders last year. And that’s as it should be.

            The most extreme example of compensation tied to performance has to be Doug Parker, chief executive of American Airlines. His salary last year was $0. However, he earned $12 million in company stock, because the shares he received increased in value. In other words, Parker made money last year only because American Airlines under his leadership had a good year. If AA had done poorly, the value of Mr. Parker’s shares would have gone down. I wonder how many executives would be willing to put their performance on the line like him.

The Absurdity of Ignorance and Prejudice

            There seems to be no limit to the absurdities of the left.

            The grossly misnamed Equality Act approved by the Democrat-controlled House would sanctify the LGBT ideology to the point where a male asserting he is a female would not be prevented from walking around naked in a girl’s locker room and peeking at girls taking showers. Absurd? It has already happened in a South San Francisco high school.

            The San Francisco (who else?) Board of Education is considering removing a mural from one of its schools because its depiction of slaves could traumatize students. Absurd? The main figure and subject of the mural is George Washington, the Father of Our Country.           

            Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh will not be leaching law at Harvard any longer. He withdrew after 800 graduates signed a letter of protest because of allegations of sexual misconduct, even though these were thoroughly refuted at his confirmation hearings. Kavanaugh was also scheduled to teach a course on the origins of U.S. Constitution at George Mason University. But students don’t want Judge Kavanaugh on their campus, either. Absurd? Kavanaugh’s course was to be taught on-line from England.

            Kate Smith’s popular rendition of “God Bless America,” a cherished tradition at sporting events, will no longer be aired at New York Yankees and Philadelphia Flyers games. Why? She recorded a song from a movie back in the 30s that included lyrics that some consider to be racially offensive. Kate Smith’s statue outside the Flyers arena is now draped in black and will be removed. Absurd? Kate Smith is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She raised millions of dollars in support of our military in World War II. One of her broadcasts raised $1.4 billion in today’s dollars.

            There really is no limit to the lengths the left will go to demonstrate its ignorance and prejudice.

Great Golf

            Situated halfway between Elizabeth City and Edenton, Hertford does not get as much attention as its larger and wealthier neighbors. But it does have one annual event that has become the best of its kind and is actually in a class by itself. I’m referring to the Biggs Golf Classic played on Albemarle Plantation’s Sound Golf Links. This event, now in its 6^th year, has set a standard for developmental golf tours, because it is the best at what it does when it comes to community support.

            Professional golf tournaments like this one would not be possible without the operational expertise of the GPro Golf Tour and the financial support of local sponsors like Biggs Cadillac-Buick-GMC, Sound Bank, and Swimme & Sons Building Contractors.         

            The young pros also appreciate the help of Albermarle Plantation residents. Unlike baseball, professional golf does not have minor league teams supported financially by parent clubs. Unlike football and basketball, it does not provide instant security to college stars who are lucky enough to be picked in annual drafts. Talented golfers who want to make it to the PGA Tour must make a name for themselves by playing on developmental tours, and they must do this at their own expense. That’s why they love to come to Hertford for the Biggs Classic: they not only compete for purse money, they stay with Albemarle Plantation residents who provide them with a warm bed, home-cooked meals, and cheers of support on the course. Over 150 of these residents also serve as volunteers both on the course as starters, spotters, and scorers, and off the course with parking, shuttles, refreshment carts, and hospitality functions.

            Last year the Biggs Classic had a cutoff of 120 players for the tournament. This year the cutoff has been increased to 144 to accommodate even more young pros. Tournament week starts on May 21^st with the Pro-Am and continues with the three-day tournament, which starts on May 23^rd. Attendance is free and the entertainment value is priceless.

           

P.S.  How good are these young pros? On the final day of the tournament last year David Gazzolo stood on the 18th tee tied for the lead. The 18th hole is a 434-yard dogleg Par 4 that curls around the waters of the Albemarle Sound. Gazzolo decided to go for broke by taking the shorter, direct route over water. His drive carried all the way to the green, a distance estimated at 330 yards. The ball ended 18 inches from the cup, a tap-in eagle for Gazzolo. It was without a doubt the greatest shot ever made on the Sound Golf Links. It may even have been the greatest shot ever made in North Carolina tournament history. Are these guys good? Oh, yeah.

The Monroe Doctrine Revisited

            History repeats itself. And some lessons have to be re-learned. Such is the situation in Venezuela today.

            Back in 1902 Venezuela was a basket case heavily in debt to European powers. To force Venezuela to pay up, Germany, Italy, and the UK blockaded the country. When its Maduro-like dictator Cipriano Castro refused, Germany threatened military action. But President Theodore Roosevelt would have none of it: he sent a fleet of 50 warships to intervene. He not only got the Europeans to back off, he came up with a plan to settle the dispute.

            I’m over-simplifying this bit of history, of course, but the point is that Roosevelt invoked the Monroe Doctrine in two important ways. First, he used U.S. military might to prevent European powers from imposing their will on this side of the Atlantic. Second, he asserted the right of the United States to intervene in the financial affairs of a neighboring country to preclude military action.  

            The situation in Venezuela today is eerily similar. The country is in complete chaos, run by a dictator backed by a well-fed army while the people are starving. But Maduro is just a puppet. Pulling his strings and taking control of the country are Russia, China, and Cuba. Even Iran wants to get in on the action. Millions of Venezuelans have taken to the streets to force Maduro out, but, as of this writing, to no avail.

            The United States could invoke the Monroe Doctrine, but the Administration clearly prefers not to shed American blood to resolve this conflict. While “all options are on the table,” time is running out for a peaceful solution. If foreign powers, especially Russia, keep pouring in military assets, we may have no choice. And the longer we wait, the higher the costs will be.

            Do we need to re-learn the lessons of the past? What would TR do?