Life in The Squirrel Cage

Greetings one and all! Today brings the second and final day of the Westminster Dog Show, one of the only remaining benched shows here in the States, which means that "backstage," out of the rings in Madison Square Garden, the dogs and their owners and handlers are available for visit and conversation. It is truly one of the highlights of the Dog World Year, and while there are those who would not agree, my experience with it underlines the care and love for the preservation of breed standard throughout the canis majoris world.

What in god's name does this have to do with anything relevant in today's squirrel cage world, in which issues of such extreme severity rear their heads daily and send most of the sentient public into near heart failure?

Well, for one thing, it is an example of commitment to standards and the nurturing of things some of us care a great deal for. Yes, I know there are millions of wonderful mixed breed dogs needing homes; I myself have a mixed breed, a retired breeding bitch and a 3 and a half year old purebred golden retriever which I originally got for breeding purposes but decided against it when I realized that breeding her would not necessarily enhance or contribute to the breed standard. She's a love who is not being 'backyard bred' and contributing to an over population. But, I digress. The need for tolerance in our world cannot be overemphasized. While the show goes on inside, there are PETA members dressed in KKK attire, demonstrating outside. Now, I am a lover of animals and of my country; I am also a believer in tolerance. While we cannot possibly ever ALL agree on every issue, we have to agree that our country comes first--if it doesn't, then NO one will have any rights, privileges or freedoms, and that includes the freedom to have purebred or mixed breed animals, eat or not eat meat, or any other personal choice.

The point is that we who love our country and have learned perhaps more than we ever wanted to know about what is now wrong with it, subscribe to the same level of love and commitment as those who work to preserve and protect their chosen breed. In our case, our 'breed' is our nation itself and its people, the wonderful mixture of diversity, commitment and strength that make our country as great as it is. We are committed to protecting it from adulteration, from seeing its Constitution abrogated and dissolved, and to seeing it thrive and flourish as it was meant to since its birth over 200 years ago.

I am proud and honored to work alongside so many brilliant, hardworking, brave and committed individuals--too many to list in this post, but perhaps in another--and I am so pleased to welcome back Just Say No Deal 2.0! We are all regrouping and gearing up for the onslaught of 2009, which, I fear, will make our battles of 2008 seem mild by comparison, but we ARE here, we're working hard and making headway every day.

Viva La Vida, and Viva Les Etats Unis! God Bless America, its Constitution and its wonderful people! Tune in tonight for "Constitutional Radio" show # 4!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/My-Two-Cents/2009/02/10/My-Two-Cents-Presents-Constitutional-Radio