TheList 5639

The List 5639     TGB

 

Good Sunday Morning March 7 .

I hope that you all are having a great weekend

 

Regards,

Skip

 

 

Today in Naval History

March 7

 

1778

Continental frigate Randolph explodes while attacking HMS Yarmouth off the coast of Barbados, killing all but four of her 305 crew.

1942

USS Grenadier (SS 210) torpedoes Japanese Asahisan Maru south of Shioya Saki, causing damage to the transport ship.

1956

The fleet assignment of the all-weather fighter, F3H-2N Demon, begins with the delivery of six to VF-14 at Naval Air Station Cecil Field, Fla.

1958

USS Grayback (SSG 574) is commissioned. She is the first submarine built from the keel up with guided missile capability to fire the Regulus II missile.

1994

The Navy issues the first orders for women to be assigned on board a combatant ship, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69).

 

 

 

This Day in History March 7

0161 On the death of Antoninus at Lorium, Marcus Aurelius becomes emperor.

 

0322 The Greek philosopher Aristotle dies.

 

1774 The British close the port of Boston to all commerce.

 

1799 In Palestine, Napoleon captures Jaffa and his men massacre more than 2,000 Albanian prisoners.

 

1809 Aeronaut Jean Pierre Blanchard -- the first person to make an aerial voyage in the New World -- dies at the age of 56.

 

1838 Soprano Jenny Lind ("the Swedish Nightingale") makes her debut in Weber's opera Der Freischultz.

 

1847 U.S. General Winfield Scott occupies Vera Cruz, Mexico.

 

1849 The Austrian Reichstag is dissolved.

 

1862 Confederate forces surprise the Union army at the Battle of Pea Ridge, in Arkansas, but the Union is victorious.

 

1876 Alexander Graham Bell is granted a patent for the telephone.

 

1904 The Japanese bomb the Russian town of Vladivostok.

 

1906 Finland becomes the third country to give women the right to vote, decreeing universal suffrage for all citizens over 24, however, barring those persons who are supported by the state.

 

1912 French aviator, Heri Seimet flies non-stop from London to Paris in three hours.

 

1918 Finland signs an alliance treaty with Germany.

 

1925 The Soviet Red Army occupies Outer Mongolia.

 

1927 A Texas law that bans Negroes from voting is ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

 

1933 The film King Kong premieres in New York City.

 

1933 The board game Monopoly is invented.

 

1935 Malcolm Campbell sets an auto speed record of 276.8 mph in Florida.

 

1936 Hitler sends German troops into the Rhineland, violating the Locarno Pact.

 

1942 Japanese troops land on New Guinea.

 

1951 U.N. forces in Korea under General Matthew Ridgeway launch Operation Ripper, an offensive to straighten out the U.N. front lines against the Chinese.

 

1968 The Battle of Saigon, begun on the day of the Tet Offensive, ends.

 

1971 A thousand U.S. planes bomb Cambodia and Laos.

 

1979 Voyager 1 reaches Jupiter.

 

 

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

 

 

Thanks to Micro for keeping me on the straight and narrow

 

Skip:

 

I'm afraid you (and Mike, who submitted the note) have been bamboozled. Just a hint:  when something shows up in your inbox that sounds too stupid to be real, it's probably worth looking into. The quotes attributed to Ms. Meza, as well as the representation of what her bill would do are flat wrong. That is not to say she's a good person (she's for gun control) or that the bill is a good one. All I'm saying is that the facts are wrong which means, if someone fights it, they will lose the fight if they believe this email.

 

Last December 10th, the Gun Owners Association covered this bill, and their analysis is worth reading in its entirety (I've copied it below, but it's at this link:  https://texas.gunowners.org/5-truths-about-hb-196-1-bombshell-truth-about-terry-meza/):

 

5 truths about HB 196 & 1 bombshell truth about Terry Meza

Published December 10, 2020

Our GOA inboxes have been blowing up lately with people up in arms about Terry Meza's bill, HB 196, that supposedly repeals Castle Doctrine and allegedly makes it a crime to defend yourself in your own home with a firearm. 

While it's important for all Texans to be actively involved in the legislative process, it's also critical that we have our facts straight. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation being spread about this bill. 

So we'd like to give you five truths about the bill – and one bombshell truth about Terry Meza. 

The bill would give you a duty to retreat before using deadly force everywhere EXCEPT in your home. Currently, you have no duty to retreat as long as you're somewhere you have a right to be. This is called "Stand Your Ground" law. The bill would change the law to say you have no duty to retreat only if you are in your habitation. This is known as "Castle Doctrine."

So, to be accurate, the bill does not repeal "Castle Doctrine," but it does repeal "Stand Your Ground" law. 

Your quotes attributed to Terry Meza give misinformation about what the bill does. Terry Meza may have misunderstood or lied about her own bill. Or, someone may have put words in her mouth. Either way, the supposed quotes are great clickbait but inaccurate.

The bill, as written, is terrible. There are plenty of great reasons to oppose what it actually does. If we are going to successfully oppose bad bills like this, we have to represent accurately what they do – and then give reasons why we oppose those things. It does no good to proclaim that we oppose a bill because we oppose "XYZ" — when the bill doesn't even do "XYZ."  

You can read the bill yourself to find the truth. Instead of taking someone else's clickbait word for what a bill does, read it for yourself. You can find any bill on Texas Legislature Online – capitol.texas.gov. See HB 196 here.

Reading a bill is somewhat complicated, but anyone can do it. You'll see some text underlined, some struck out, and some normal. The underlined text is the words being added to the law. The strikeout text is the words being taken away from the law. And the normal text is simply quoting existing law. 

The best way to understand what a bill does is to take it one numbered section at a time. For each section, see what section of the code it amends. For example, on this bill, Section One amends Penal Code 9.32. Read that section of the code to see what the law currently does, and then read the section of the bill again to see how it would change the law. Repeat this for every section of the bill.  

I already sent you an email about this bill. If you receive and read FREE action alert emails from Gun Owners of America, you would have already seen us talk about this bill. In fact, we linked to this bill in an email and in a web post so you could have read it yourself. See that post here. I also discussed this exact bill in-depth in this interview with The Pew Pew Jew.

For up-to-date and accurate information about gun rights in Texas, please be sure you are subscribed to our emails (gunowners.org/texas, scroll down to the bottom of the page). Then be sure you actually open and read our emails! 

The worst danger of this bill is that it distracts you from what's actually happening. This year, we can be fairly certain that the absolute worst gun bills are not going to pass. But we need to remember two important things. 

First, the gun controllers absolutely want all these bills to pass – and we must work during elections to be sure pro-gun legislators are elected. 

Second, these bills are a "shock and awe" tactic to distract you. Apparently, many of you have fallen for it. But instead of being so absorbed with this one bill, you should be aware of the sneaky gun control bills that actually have a greater chance of passing in a Republican legislature – such as bills that control the way you store your guns, or bills that require increased background checks. And you should be working to actually restore the gun rights we have lost. Instead of just fighting against gun control, it's time to expand our freedoms. It's time for Constitutional Carry and ending "gun-free" zones. 

Now, here's your truth bomb about Terry Meza.  

GOA endorsed Meza's opponent, Gerson Hernandez, in the 2020 elections. We told you that Meza was a rabid gun control activist. We begged you to show up and turn out the vote for Hernandez, who wanted to be an advocate for your gun rights. But hardly any of you showed up. 

To be clear: you could have had Gerson Hernandez in that seat to fight for your gun rights. Instead, you chose to do other things with your time and allowed Meza to win re-election. 

We understand that you cannot work in every single election. But we ask you to remember this bill next time we ask you to show up and blockwalk for someone. Elections have consequences, and you are now experiencing the consequences of the last election. 

 

Micro

 

 

 

 

By the way, Skip. I found the origin of the quotes attributed to Ms. Meza.  A guy writes "semi-satire" on a website. That was picked up and reprinted as real news. Here's a link to one of his postings. If you consider he's doing it as satire, it's really funny, almost like the old Mad Magazine. The Castle Doctrine part is near the end of his post, but the others are worth reading, too:

 

http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php?topic=421840.0

 

For those not inclined to read the whole thing, here's one of his notes at the link above about Governor Newsom (now, don't anybody send this out as NEWS):

 

Newsom Defies Supreme Court

After Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) got away with ignoring the US Supreme Court's rebuke of his violation of religious liberty, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif) has decided he, too, will ignore the Court.

"I understand that the Court thinks they are doing the right thing, but let me point out that our Constitution is set up to protect life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness," the Governor recalled. "In this list life comes before liberty. In fact, without life there is no chance for liberty. By cracking down on church attendance I am saving the lives of millions of Californians. The sacrifice of their religious liberty is a reasonable price to pay for that."

The restrictions Newsom has placed on religious activities are stricter than those placed on sporting events, riots, or movie productions, a distinction Newsom justifies on economic grounds. "These other activities bring money into the state," he pointed out. "Even the riots create jobs rebuilding damaged structures and replacing stolen merchandise. In contrast, a lot of the money contributed at church goes overseas to help out people in other countries. Donations are also tax deductible. This hurts the state's budget. So, there are good reasons supporting my actions."

The Governor complained that "the constant criticism and disobedience of my directives is extremely annoying. You know, in Korea Kim Jong-Un is executing those who don't follow his COVID protocols. I think the people living in California need to realize that things could be worse and probably will get worse if they don't change their attitude."

 

 

Micro

 

 

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

 

Thanks to the Bear

 

LOOKING BACK 55 YEARS to the Vietnam Air War—-7 March 1966 From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com "Bad Day for Air Force near Thanh Hoa"

 

http://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/rolling-thunder-7-march-2016/

 

 

Vietnam Air Losses

Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at:  https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.

 

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

 

 

This Day in U S Military History

 

1774 – The British close the port of Boston to all commerce. The Boston Port Bill was intended to close down completely the Port of Boston until the East India Company was paid for their tea lost in the Boston Tea Party and Parliament was paid the tax due on the tea.

1774 – A 2nd Boston tea party was held.

1776 – Lead by General William Howe, the British evacuate Boston. Howe's army and a group of 1000 loyalists will set sail for Halifax, Nova Scotia on 17 March.

1778 – Capt. James Cook 1st sighted the Oregon coast at Yaquina Bay.

1847 – U.S. General Scott occupied Veracruz, Mexico. Pres. Polk decided to attack the heart of Mexico. He sent Gen. Winfield Scott, who landed at Veracruz and with his troops hacked their way to Mexico City.

 

1918 – President Wilson authorized the Army's Distinguished Service Medal. The Distinguished Service Medal is awarded to any person who while serving in any capacity with the U.S. Army, has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great responsibility. The performance must be such as to merit recognition for service which is clearly exceptional. Exceptional performance of normal duty will not alone justify an award of this decoration. For service not related to actual war, the term "duty of great responsibility" applies to a narrower range of positions than in time of war and requires evidence of conspicuously significant achievement. However, justification of the award may accrue by virtue of exceptionally meritorious service in a succession of high positions of great importance. Awards may be made to persons other than members of the Armed Forces of the United States for wartime services only, and then only under exceptional circumstances with the express approval of the President in each case.

 

1974 – The Civil War ironclad ship, Monitor, which sank in 1862, is discovered off the coast of Hatteras, North Carolina. For more than a century, the Monitor's resting place in the "Graveyard of the Atlantic" remained a mystery, despite numerous searches. In 1973, an interdisciplinary team of scientists led by John G. Newton of the Duke University Marine Laboratory located the Monitor while testing geological survey equipment for underwater archaeological survey and assessment. Newton's team determined the search area by replotting the track of the USS Rhode Island, a paddlewheel steamer that was towing the Monitor when she sank on New Year's Eve, 1862. The Rhode Island's logbook recorded events and times as the two ships rounded treacherous Diamond Shoals off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. An 1857 coast survey chart helped refine the plotting of the search area. The scientists also developed sonar and visual configurations for the wreck with specific points of identification: the ship's turret, armor belt, and nearly flat bottom. On August 27, 1973, after identifying twenty-one possible contacts, side-searching sonar found a long, amorphous echo. The first pass of the television camera revealed iron plates; a virtually flat, unobstructed surface (the bottom of the hull); a thick waist (the armor belt); and a circular structure (the turret). With each successive series of camera passes, evidence mounted that the wreck was that of the Monitor, but it would take an intensive study of the visual evidence over the next five months to confirm it. A second visit to the site in April 1974 will positively identify the Monitor, lying in approximately 230 feet of water about 16 miles south-southeast of Cape Hatteras.

1979 – Voyager 1 reached Jupiter.

 

Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day

 

CARR, EUGENE A.
Rank and organization: Colonel, 3d Illinois Cavalry. Place and date: At Pea Ridge, Ark., 7 March 1862. Entered service at: Hamburg, Erie County, N.Y. Born: 10 March 1830, Boston Corner, Erie County, N.Y. Date of issue: 16 January 1894. Citation: Directed the deployment of his command and held his ground, under a brisk fire of shot and shell in which he was several times wounded.

 

POWER, ALBERT
Rank and organization: Private, Company A, 3d lowa Cavalry. Place and date: At Pea Ridge, Ark., 7 March 1862. Entered service at: Davis County, lowa. Birth: Guernsey County, Ohio. Date of issue: 6 March 1899. Citation: Under a heavy fire and at great personal risk went to the aid of a dismounted comrade who was surrounded by the enemy, took him up on his own horse, and carried him to a place of safety.

 

DANIELS, JAMES T.
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company L, 4th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: Arizona, 7 March 1890. Entered service at: ——. Birth: Richland County, 111. Date of issue: 15 May 1890. Citation: Untirlng energy and cool gallantry under fire in an engagement with Apache Indians.

 

McBRYAR, WILLIAM
Rank and organization: Sergeant, Company K, 1 0th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: Arizona, 7 March 1890. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Birth: 14 February 1861, Elizabethtown, N.C. Date of issue: 15 May 1890. Citation: Distinguished himself for coolness, bravery and marksmanship while his troop was in pursuit of hostile Apache Indians.

 

CECIL, JOSEPHUS S.
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, 19th U.S. Infantry. Place and date: At Bud-Dajo, Jolo, Philippine Islands, 7 March 1906. Entered service at: New River, Tenn. Birth: New River, Tenn. Date of issue: Unknown. Citation: While at the head of the column about to assault the first cotta under a superior fire at short range personally carried to a sheltered position a wounded man and the body of one who was killed beside him.

 

JOHNSTON, GORDON
Rank and organization: First Lieutenant, U.S. Signal Corps. Place and date: At Mount Bud Dajo, Jolo, Philippine Islands, 7 March 1906. Entered service at: Birmingham, Ala. Born: 25 May 1874, Charlotte, N.C. Date of issue: 7 November 1910. G.O. No.: 207. Citation: Voluntarily took part in and was dangerously wounded during an assault on the enemy's works.

 

LEIMS, JOHN HAROLD
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. marine Corps Reserve, Company B, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division. Place and date: Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 7 march 1945. Entered service at: Chicago, Ill. Born: 8 June 1921, Chicago, Ill. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of Company B, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, 7 march 1945. Launching a surprise attack against the rock-imbedded fortification of a dominating Japanese hill position, 2d Lt. Leims spurred his company forward with indomitable determination and, skillfully directing his assault platoons against the cave-emplaced enemy troops and heavily fortified pillboxes, succeeded in capturing the objective in later afternoon. When it became apparent that his assault platoons were cut off in this newly won position, approximately 400 yards forward of adjacent units and lacked all communication with the command post, he personally advanced and laid telephone lines across the isolating expanse of open fire-swept terrain. Ordered to withdraw his command after he had joined his forward platoons, he immediately complied, adroitly effecting the withdrawal of his troops without incident. Upon arriving at the rear, he was informed that several casualties had been left at the abandoned ridge position beyond the frontlines. Although suffering acutely from the strain and exhausting of battle, he instantly went forward despite darkness and the slashing fury of hostile machinegun fire, located and carried to safety 1 seriously wounded marine and then, running the gauntlet of enemy fire for the third time that night, again made his tortuous way into the bullet-riddled deathtrap and rescued another of his wounded men. A dauntless leader, concerned at all time for the welfare of his men, 2d Lt. Leims soundly maintained the coordinated strength of his battle-wearied company under extremely difficult conditions and, by his bold tactics, sustained aggressiveness, and heroic disregard for all personal danger, contributed essentially to the success of his division's operations against this vital Japanese base. His valiant conduct in the face of fanatic opposition sustains and enhances the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.

 

*BRITTIN, NELSON V.
Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, Company I, 19th Infantry Regiment. Place and date: Vicinity of Yonggong-ni, Korea, 7 March 1951. Entered service at: Audubon, N.J. Birth: Audubon, N.J. G.O. No.: 12, 1 February 1952. Citation: Sfc. Brittin, a member of Company I, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action. Volunteering to lead his squad up a hill, with meager cover against murderous fire from the enemy, he ordered his squad to give him support and, in the face of withering fire and bursting shells, he tossed a grenade at the nearest enemy position. On returning to his squad, he was knocked down and wounded by an enemy grenade. Refusing medical attention, he replenished his supply of grenades and returned, hurling grenades into hostile positions and shooting the enemy as they fled. When his weapon jammed, he leaped without hesitation into a foxhole and killed the occupants with his bayonet and the butt of his rifle. He continued to wipe out foxholes and, noting that his squad had been pinned down, he rushed to the rear of a machine gun position, threw a grenade into the nest, and ran around to its front, where he killed all 3 occupants with his rifle. Less than 100 yards up the hill, his squad again came under vicious fire from another camouflaged, sandbagged, machine gun nest well-flanked by supporting riflemen. Sfc. Brittin again charged this new position in an aggressive endeavor to silence this remaining obstacle and ran direct into a burst of automatic fire which killed him instantly. In his sustained and driving action, he had killed 20 enemy soldiers and destroyed 4 automatic weapons. The conspicuous courage, consummate valor, and noble self-sacrifice displayed by Sfc. Brittin enabled his inspired company to attain its objective and reflect the highest glory on himself and the heroic traditions of the military service.

 

KRAVITZ, LEONARD M.
Rank and Organization: Private First Class. U.S. Army. Company M, 3d Battalion. 5th Regiment. Place and Date: March 6-7, 1951, Yangpyong, Korea. Born: 1931, Brooklyn, NY . Departed: Yes (03/07/1951). Entered Service At: New York. G.O. Number: . Date of Issue: 03/18/2014. Accredited To: . Citation: Kravitz is being recognized for his actions in Yangpyong, Korea, March 6-7, 1951. While occupying defensive positions, Kravitz's unit was overrun by enemy combatants and forced to withdraw. Kravitz voluntarily remained at a machine-gun position to provide suppressive fire for the retreating troops. This forced the enemy to concentrate their attack on his own position. Kravitz ultimately did not survive the attack, but his actions saved his entire platoon.

 

 

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

 

AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for March 7, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY

 

7 March

 

1911: At Palm Beach, Fla., Percy G. B. Morris and John A. "Douglas" McCurdy demonstrated a new airplane radio that employed a small Marconi transmitter and a loop antenna. This replaced the hanging antenna. (24)

 

1919: Lt (JG) F. M. Johnson launched an N-9 landplane from a sea sled traveling at 60 MPH at Hampton Roads, Va. (24)

 

1924: Lt Eugene Hoy Barksdale and his navigator, Lt Bradley Jones, flew a DH-4B, powered by 400 horsepower Liberty engine from McCook Field to Mitchel Field using instruments only. (24)

 

1954: Northwest Orient Airlines set a transpacific speed record for commercial aircraft by flying 5,000 miles from Tokyo to Seattle in 16 hours 18 minutes. (24)

 

1958: The US Navy commissioned the USS Grayback at Mare Island, Calif. It was the first US submarine built from the keel up with a guided cruise missile launch capability.

 

1961: SAC declared the B-52's GAM-72A Quail missile system operational. (12) Maj Robert M. White flew the X-15A-2, with the XLR99 57,000-pound thrust engine, on its first Mach 4 flight. (3)

 

1962: NASA launched its first second-generation satellite, a 450-pound Orbiting Solar Observatory from Cape Canaveral. (24)

 

1965: Qantas Airlines completed the first nonstop commercial flight across the Pacific by flying a Boeing 707 from San Francisco to Sydney, Australia, in 14 hours 33 minutes. (5)

 

1967: EXERCISE SIYASAT. This 14-day Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) air-landsea exercise in the Philippines climaxed on 21 March with a massive firepower demonstration at Fort Magsaysay. Observers from six SEATO nations attended the event. F-102s from the 405 FW participated. (17)

 

1977 A MAC C-130 airlifted approximately 6.6 tons of medical supplies from Ramstein AB to Bucharest, Romania, after an earthquake. (18)

 

1983: In the largest B-52 mining exercise to date, 10 B-52D/Gs dropped mines off the South Korean coast in "Team Spirit 83." This exercise included US Navy and Marine minelayers and fighters, SAC and Navy tankers, and South Korean fighters. (1)

 

1986: The Air Force conducted its 11th flight test for the Peacekeeper (M-X) missile in the third launch from a modified Minuteman silo at Vandenberg AFB. The missile carried eight unarmed MK-21 reentry vehicles to the planned target area, 4,100 miles away at the Kwajalein Missile Test Range. Contractor crews conducted all previous launches; however, the 11th flight used two Air Force launch control officers with contractor support. (5) An F-16 conducted a successful separation control test of the Advanced Medium Range Air-toAir Missile. (11)

 

1990: Rockwell's Missile Systems Division received a $125,200,000 contract to build 4,864 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles for the Army. (8: May 90) 2003: President George W. Bush issued an ultimatum giving Saddam Hussein and his sons 48 hours to leave Iraq. (32)

 

2007: Operation Deep Freeze. Ski-equipped LC-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster IIIs redeployed from Christchurch, New Zealand, to end the 2006-2007 season of support to the National Science Foundation and US Antarctic Program. In this period, the LC-130s flew 430 missions to move nearly 11 million pounds of cargo and 1,000 passengers throughout Antarctica, while the C-17s flew 57 missions to McMurdo Station, Antarctica, from Christchurch carrying more than 3 million pounds of cargo and 2,700 passengers to McMurdo, and more than 720,000 pounds of cargo and 2,600 passengers to Christchurch from McMurdo. The LC-130s came from the 109th Airlift Wing, New York Air National Guard, while the C-17s came from the 62nd and 446th Airlift Wings, McChord Air Force Base, Wash. (AFNEWS, "Operation Deep Freeze Ends Record-Setting Year," 7 Mar 2007.)

 

 

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

 

Thanks to Mike

 

Cancel Who

 

Be sure to scroll down

 

beyond the Ramierez Cartoon

for the freedom of speech

will be gone far to soon.

 

 

Last Exit to Mulberry Street

By Kevin D Williamson |  March 3, 2021 6:30 AM

On the untimely cancellations of Dr. Seuss

When I sit down to read a book,

Some idjit says to me,

"Oppressor, check your privilege —

We'll decide what you can see!"

And if I dare to contravene

Or decline to heed his quarantine,

Some philistine on Twitter sternly says,

"That literature's obscene!

"You must do as we dictate,

"And we shall de-platform that hate!"

 

Now, what can I say

About the news today?

 

Under pressure from the mob

A gaggle of millionaires

— Dr. Seuss's own literary heirs! —

Are nixing six books — they are pressing "Delete."

And we'll never again stroll down Mulberry Street.

 

That's nothing new to us:

Just go ask Mark Twain

How the story of Huck Finn

Got flushed down the drain.

 

"Art should break rules!"

So they used to say.

But the fools' new command

Is that art must obey.

 

Conformism's victory is almost complete

So you'll never again visit Mulberry Street.

 

The great and the small fry,

From Steinbeck to Weiss

Are pushed into the margins

Their words put on ice.

Harper Lee, Whitman, Rushdie, and Golding —

Faced with complaints, the school boards are folding.

 

Freedom of speech has nary a booster:

Not at The Atlantic nor Simon & Schuster.

The New York Times will bellow and bleat,

And the silence will echo down Mulberry Street.

 

No, this won't do, this won't do at all —

This won't do, these minds so small!

If they see just one word that they deem indiscreet

They'll melt into puddles on old Mulberry Street.

 

Hold on a minute! Has it come to that?

Yertle the Turtle? The Cat in the Hat?

The Whos down in Whoville —

All samizdat?

 

Informers informing, keep your eyes on your feet:

The Secret Police patrol Mulberry Street.

 

Must we be doomed to litigate

The past, which did not anticipate

The present? Must it be our sorry fate

To comically self-flagellate?

 

We live and we learn

And our attitudes change.

Every day is a new day —

But isn't it strange

That people who sell books

Should have the conceit

To put up a roadblock on Mulberry Street?

 

The hucksters and hypocrites

Are quick to join forces

And report any wrongthink

To Human Resources.

 

I know what I know . . . and this isn't right.

 

Amazon plots

In the dark of the night

And gone is a book

That won't see the light.

But wouldn't it be grand

If they cared half as much

About books as their brand?

 

Oh, but who needs all that reading when there's Netflix to binge?

The Star-Belly Sneetches now have their revenge.

 

An intelligent book

Deserves someone to read it.

A book that starts fights?

We desperately need it.

An unpopular view?

The campus should hear it.

But both teachers and students

Are afraid to go near it.

They cling to their wubbies

And bury their faces.

Away with you ninnies —

Back to your safe spaces!

 

Go back to TikTok or stay home and tweet.

You don't deserve to see Mulberry Street.

 

 

 

Unsubscribe: Thelist-leave@skipsthelist.org