4/27/2019 - John W. Shoemaker - July 22, 1959 - April 18, 2019

The first time I talked to you on the phone I liked what I heard. I volunteered on an ambulance crew, you were the dispatcher. I talked to you many times before we met. I had a pesky ambulance junky and I would commiserate with you about him. You would guarantee that the call I was about to go on was not him, ha ha, very funny, it was him. I finally met you at a Firehouse dance, you looked nothing like your voice, but you looked good to me. Little did I know then that you would become my husband and the father of my children. One year later, I shared your last name.

As most young couples, we had some hard times and a lot of good times. We grieved through a miscarriage but we triumphed to our first baby, Meghan. We suffered through your mother's diabetes and eventually the loss of her leg. We triumphed to another pregnancy. We suffered when we thought we were losing another baby. We suffered at the loss of your Mother, she was such a wonderful woman. We triumphed with a healthy baby, Kristin. We suffered with my Daddy being in Philadelphia in the hospital. We triumphed when he came home after a month and a half. We suffered when we found out my Daddy had cancer. We suffered along with him during his last month, you were always so strong and always encouraged me to spend time with him until his last breath. I was so thankful you were there with me. We grieved as we had lost two of our parents. We suffered with me having five breast surgeries. We triumphed when none were malignant. We worked our schedules so we could be home with our girls, that wasn't easy as we both worked rotating shifts. Our daughters came first, always. You were so funny and fun to be with, we enjoyed each other many years.

This is how I'll remember you, funny and spontaneous.

I will always love you, you are my daughters Daddy. Rest easy J Shoe.

4/16/2019 - Justin DeRosier, a member of my family

Deputy Justin DeRosier from Kelso, WA was a member of my family. Saturday night, April 13, 2019, Justin was shot and killed in the line of duty. Justin is survived by his wife Katie and their five-month-old daughter, Lily. Justin's law enforcement career began in 2013. His Sheriff, Brad Thurman, said Justin was a big part of everything. I didn't know Justin but I mourn his loss nonetheless. May his memory be for blessing.

The suspect that killed Justin was shot and killed in a shootout, justice meted out.

4/14/2019 - Sanctuary Cities/States

I should really be an advisor to POTUS Trump because I’ve said for a couple years to send the illegals to a sanctuary city/state.

I wonder if he’d listen to me about abolishing foreign aid around the world? Twenty-eight billion in “obligations” to other countries for fiscal year 2018.  $28,000,000,000, that’s a lot of zeroes. There is $110,000,000 to Honduras where most of the illegal immigrant caravans are coming from.  Also, there is $67,000,000 to Mexico that is allowing these caravans to pass through their country.

That sure would build a pretty strong and long wall.

Mahalo

4/10/2019 - To Kill A Mockingbird

I've read this wonderful book by Harper Lee several times. I still don't know how! I HATE mockingbirds, literally hate. If I had night vision on my pellet gun this morning I would have taken a pot shot at one. 0430, yeah, earlier than any dog in the neighborhood was awake.



Fun fact: 95% of people feel uncomfortable when the TV volume is an odd number. I'm of the 5% as I usually have my volume at an even number.

4/9/2019 - Reparations

Some, if not all, of the 2020 Democratic candidates are calling for reparations to black people for slavery. Slavery was one of the worst things that the new country did to other people. Slavery was wrong and horrible. I haven't owned slaves. My parents never owned slaves. My grandparents never owned slaves. I don't know any slaves. I'm sure the blacks living in this great country never knew any slaves. I'm sure the parents of the blacks living in this great country never knew any slaves. I'm sure the grandparents of the blacks living in this great country never knew any slaves. Slavery was abolished in this great country 154 years ago. One hundred fifty-four years ago, let that sink in.

Between the years 1525 and 1866, the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database estimates that 12.5 million Africans were shipped to the New World. 10.7 million survived the passage, disembarking in North America, the Caribbean and South America.

Of those 10.7 million 388,000 were shipped directly to North America. Three hundred and eighty-eight thousand, let that sink in.

Now according to census.gov they estimate the population of the United States (as of July 1, 2018) as 327,167,434. Of that amount they estimate the black alone population is 13.4%. (I'm horrible at math or I would tell you the number).

Some questions I would ask these candidates (with the exception of Robert Francis because he's just a parrot):

• How would you determine who would get the reparations?
  
• How much would each individual receive?
  
• Where would this money come from?
  
• Would you go by the "one drop" rule?
  
• How will the black population provide proof that an ancestor was enslaved in the United States?

The time for reparations was 154 years ago when you knew who and where.

Op-ed by Me.