Archie and Me...horse lessons

From early childhood on, most of us have lives that contained animal stories. The family dog or cat...or other beloved pet. Hardly a year has gone by that I don't still have a tear in my eye or lump in my throat remembering one of my past buddies.

Racehorse Barbaro had an awful day this weekend. Pivotal and perhaps life-ending leading into hours of surgery, luckily at one of the U.S.'s best veterinary hospitals. Clenching my teeth and getting through the video of his accident, I was overcome by his 'heart' and need to go on, despite a broken foreleg and ankle.

Archie and I met a year ago in Scotland. He was but a baby boy of five months, and after one attempt at a "tug"...I didn't try to coax him out of the barn and his mother's sight. He had a bad start and was unwell for months, but the wee Clydesdale survived, to grow into a stallion who still has, that same soft kindness in his face. Amazing. Animals like people either have something about them, or they don't. On that cloudy windy day in the Scottish country I knew this horse was something. A winner and a gentleman.

Today's news contained information regarding the latest study done on hurricane Katrina and the New Orleans levees. Not surprisingly, the facts coming forward are about bad engineering, cheap shortcuts, and lack of maintenance. Most highways in America can be used as examples of our infrastructure: total decay. Bridges are also seldom repaired until they fall apart, killing people.

So now - we focus on the illegals in our society - and get ready to pass some legislation - suggesting we.... create documents for some xx millions already here (through our Homeland Security Department?)...right prior to the onset of hurricane season? The same Homeland Security that suggests duct tape? Oh dear lord help us all. The immigration problem has been around for years and has not been addressed. Corporate farmers and their greed created this problem - that and Mexico's near financial collapse.

Day to day I am more disgusted with humanity - their attention so easily diverted, and their hearts so quickly...fractured into old prejudices. The issues of immigration and gay rights are only diversions, in the case of this administration. Gore Vidal recently inferred that we are going to eat ourselves alive, from within, because of our prejudices. Where are the bright strong men to bring into focus, the terrors that lie beneath the surface...the faltering economy and catastrophic debt owed to (in fact) some countries that are, anything but our friends.

Where's the truth.