If you have had the good fortune to have been on this old Earth for an extended period, you’ve had the opportunity to experience some real oddities in human nature. And, no, I am not talking about visiting the freak show at the circus. I’m talking about the normal, everyday happenings around us that people have taken to tearing asunder for reasons known only to them.
We have seen some real doozies too, such as concerns for cow farts in their contribution to global warming, all the while we as humans gather in increasing masses in traffic-clogged cities with polluted air as the result. And like most things of that nature, it does not have to make sense to become a rallying point for some environmental whacko group to gather round either. Masses of their leaders will fly hundreds of private jets to destinations far away, polluting more than any thousand cows ever could, just to try and take away your gas stove, fireplace or car.
I can recall an interview I heard where one of the Kennedys told the host that he himself had a big SUV, three mansions and flew private but he “needed” all that pollution spewing lifestyle whereas the common folk do not.
Now Ol’ Dutch usually just goes along with such nonsense and lets it slide considering the source of such ideas but of late the whacko’s have taken on some new things to ban and it's just driven me over the edge. Miss Trixie says I went over that proverbial and maybe actual edge long before this, but you know how excitable she can be at times. So there is that.
It was bad enough that they have taxed people to death on cigarettes and booze, plus, where legal, marijuana all under the guise of helping them to quit. Now, though, they have started on something near and dear to the American soul. Yes, you guessed it, the merry-go-round. For it seems that the lovely, colorful ride seen at carnivals and State fairs has somehow become a danger to us. A danger on a level far exceeding even world wars as we are being asked to give up the first and not the latter by these well-meaning folks.
So what is the big offense of a brightly-colored merry-go-round you may ask? I am glad you asked that question as you know Ol’ Dutch was gonna tell you anyway. It seems that to incorporate carved wooden exotic animals in a ride has somehow become a sort of an insult to those mighty beasts. Apparently having little children ride around in a circle atop a plastic or wooden camel or zebra has brought pain and suffering to the animal kingdom.
Even Ol’ Dutch can stretch his old noggin and see that animals have been abused in many places across the globe, but honestly, it’s hard for me to see that riding around in a circle on these contraptions has ever hurt one of them.
Maybe it could become a teachable moment to people about the plight of such beasts, too. I guess like their real life namesakes, we should also demand that the wooden ones be fed and watered on a daily basis, too. (They do know they are fake, don't they?)
And for sure we want to try and hide from concerned eyes the fact that all of those same exotic beasts are being chased and eaten by lions and tigers on a daily basis. Which seems to Ol’ Dutch to be a tad worse than being ridden by an old woman or diaper wearing toddler.
But hey, that's just me. Regardless of your treatment of fake animals that you have participated in during your lifetime, we all have to admit that we have reached a level of stupidity in the human experience. And just think. It's only going to get worse as the powers that be come after everything you enjoy including your food and drink until finally we will be reduced to eating the styrofoam packing peanuts that arrive with our purchases.
I am going to quickly go ride a wooden horse before they are relegated to the pile of human insanity for good. And eat a big old steak before those are outlawed as well.
Kevin Kirkpatrick and his Yorkie, Cooper, fish, hunt, ATV or hike daily. His email is Kevin@TroutRepublic.com. Additional news can be found at www.troutrepublic.com.