An editor should know better

If Amy Sullivan, senior editor of Time Magazine were here standing among the balloons, you could gently inform her that there is a word: “characterize”. Really! You could say, “Amy, put down your cake! Amy, when you refer to a revealing, distinguishing, or typical aspect of a person or thing, that’s “characterizing” it.  When you enumerate the differences or similarities, you’re listing “characteristics” of said person or thing. In other words, it’s embarrassing to hear an editor say, in effect, “one of the character of the religious right is…” or equally wrong, “when character a person’s beliefs..”

I bring this up now because I write about the state of our education system. I plan on writing that education in America is broken. Yah, been stomped on for decades now. The teacher’s union has thrown it against the wall and it’s fallen to the floor broken.  Providing an education for our people is worth fixing. You can call it the real national security issue.  You won’t be able to protect our land and its citizens without educated leaders.

I could go on about the lowered standards in education since I went to school, but right now I’m in the middle of a party. I’ll address this later.. or not.

Flag-folding ceremony for veterans banned nation-wide -oo-

The following meanings have been ascribed to the 13 folds of American flags at veterans burial services.

1. Symbol of life.
2. Symbol of our belief in the eternal life.
3. In honor and remembrance of the veteran departing our ranks who gave a portion of life for the defense of our country to attain a peace throughout the world.
4. Represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in time of peace as well as in times of war for His divine guidance.
5. A tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, “Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong.”
6. Represents where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
7. A tribute to our armed forces.
8. A tribute to the one who entered in to the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor mother, for whom it flies on Mother’s Day.
9. A tribute to womanhood.
10. A tribute to father.
11. In the eyes of a Hebrew citizen, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon, and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
12. In the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost.
13. When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost reminding us of our national motto, “In God We Trust.”

But all it took was one person complaining to a top banana

to put a stop to this long-honored, meaningful ritual ceremony for our veterans. Oh, but no! top buffoon banana says – it wasn’t one person complaining that put the cabash on the ceremony. Oh, no! Mercy! It’s because they’re in the process of standardizing national veteran funerals. Oh, gawd, I can’t tell you how much better I feel knowing this. [Visions of communist uniformity pop into my head. My bad.]

Mercy, indeed!

A Pledge of Allegiance –a commentary by Red Skelton.