Poverty and lies

When I was a kid there was a joke going around about these two guys competing against each other on a TV show with the object being: who could tell the biggest lie in less than ten seconds? The first guy tells a lie about how his chocolate ice cream cone was actually a dark shade of vanilla. Everyone applauds. The next guy asks the MC if he's ever seen apples on trees in an orchard. The MC says yes, the contestant says, "They were all actually peaches!" The audience erupts in a standing ovation and the guy wins the prize for the biggest lie....................... Well, it was kinda funny when I was a kid.

I was reminded of that joke recently when a federal agency stated that 23% of all the children in the United States live in abject poverty and wake up every day not knowing if they will get enough to eat. That's not funny either is it? That same agency stated that 64% of all the children living in poverty fall under the term, "obese". Poverty is far from humorous but those two statements combined sort of lessened my ability to take either one seriously and the joke I just told you about came to mind.

Yesterday I brought up the subject of a body spray that is supposed to induce trust. I am thinking certain people, in certain agencies either need to get their figures straight or start pouring on the trust spray because with what they are throwing out there as fact I am seriously doubting and am most certainly not picking up what they are throwing down. My heart goes out to those people and their children who are truly in need. But, I also think that those folks who are being paid to watch over them should not use exaggerated or otherwise debatable figures to get more money to waste on unaffective services. True poverty needs no embellishment does it? It's not any funnier than that stupid old joke.

Evan Emory and deceit

Being young is not a good excuse for Evan Emory. When he was interviewed by a TV journalist he said he deceived the school district because that was the only way he could make the vulgar video as good as it was. That being said even after he knew he'd stepped way over the line of common decency, let alone the law.

Everyone begins life young and ignorant. We all make stupid mistakes. It's a process: this gaining of knowledge of right and wrong, common sense and morals. Most of us come through it without major damage to ourselves or others. Evan Emory messed up big time. He knew it was wrong because he lied to the teachers right from the start. He didn't ask permission to change the music and words, he hid while he did that. A true "artist" doesn't hide. Then he placed the video on YouTube for all to see. This is how "wrong" works. Do what you have to do, lie, sneak, steal, and by the time you get the job done its too late for anyone to change it and you get off Scott free. I believe that was his plan from the get-go. He didn't get away with it and now he has to pay the consequences.

I wouldn't want to see this guy get 20 years in the slammer though. Stupid doesn't deserve 20 years or even 5. I feel he should get plenty of years of public service helping abused children and adults though. Michael Vick is doing public service for what he did and is accomplishing a lot in doing so. He has even become a personal advocate for abused animals because he has had a change of heart due to what he's learned. I don't wish a young guy like Evan a lifetime of punishment. He deserves consequences, yes. But wouldn't it be better if he did some type of restitution to children and society as well. That's a win-win in my opinion.

So I say, "Evan Emory listen up and listen up quick. You can still fess up and learn from all this. It start with the realization that we do not have to accept what you've done because you are simply a harmless artist expressing yourself. You lied and did an unconscionable thing involving our children. Admit the wrong you did with the filthy lyrics being inserted into an otherwise innocent, trusting video. Accept your consequences whatever they may be and learn what morals are. It will be better for all involved and the kids you deceived will learn what type of person you really are.