Wading In

I have this problem with MLK Day and how it's celebrated. It's all "I have a dream." And look, that was a great speech, one of the greatest speeches in history. But I'm afraid it leaves us with a caricature of King. Today's youth don't know about the Montgomery bus boycott, the letter from a Birmingham jail, the SCLC, march on Washington, the Nobel Peace Prize, the march on Selma and the Edmund Pettis Bridge, Chicago and King's antiwar position. So I wanted to shed a little light on King. The real King. The controversial one. And I think it's odd that we celebrate the King holiday on the heels of the President escalating the war in Iraq. King would be all over this war had he lived. President Bush helped paint a mural on King Day. He said Coretta Scott King wanted the holiday to be a day of service. And it is. But let's not kid ourselves, had King lived, he would be blasting this war. I don't know how anyone can look at King's speech...

Column orginally published 1-18-07 War would not sit well with MLK By Kelvin Wade Martin Luther King Day was observed in Solano County much as it was around the nation, with respectful remembrances, dedications and volunteerism. But in light of President Bush's decision to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq, I can't help but think the holiday was missing something. It was missing the outrage of the "Drum Major for Peace." I usually can't stand hearing people say, "If Dr. King were alive today . . ." but I'm going to indulge it because I think it's credible in this case. If he were alive today I've no doubt one of his main issues would be the Iraq war. He'd be speaking out against it, leading marches against it and blasting Congress for their symbolic gestures to end our involvement. How do I know this? King had spoken out against the Vietnam War since 1965. His colleagues criticized him and warned him that his antiwar rhetoric could harm the...

So I'm addressing the illegal immigration "debate" this week. It's not really a debate. It's a done deal. The government will do nothing meaningful to stop the flow of illegals into this country. I hate that you can't even talk about this issue without being labeled a racist. And I resent it because I think the term is misused and done intentionally to stifle debate. You disagree with what Lou Dobbs is saying? Then he's a racist. What is wrong with saying that the US has the right to defend it's borders like every other country in the world? What would happen to you if you tried to violate China's borders? If you illegally enter Mexico, it's a FELONY. What's wrong with saying that the American taxpayer shouldn't have to foot the bill for education, health care and other services for people who are here illegally? How is that racist? In any discussion of illegal immigration, there's always the point made that most of the people comi...

Column originally published 1-11-07 Immigration debate over in U.S. By Kelvin Wade My girlfriend and I were at the snack bar at DeNio's farmers market in Roseville last summer. As we stood in line in the sweltering heat, taking in our surroundings, our eyes locked on each other and she half smiled. She didn't have to say a word. I knew what she was thinking. It's over. The illegal immigration "debate" is over. Tejano music blared from speakers around the snack bar. Every single person within eyesight, some 30 to 40 people, was Hispanic. Signs and menus were in Spanish. Orders were being taken in Spanish. While I had no way of knowing who was legal and who wasn't, I knew that the debate was over. The public overwhelmingly opposes illegal immigration, but there's been no one to look after their interests. A bipartisan coalition of politicians, some who are beholden to business interests that exploit the cheap labor and the others hoping ...

Sometimes there are random thoughts posted on this blog in addition to the columns. You can always tell columns from the other posts because the columns will always say, "Column originally published...." and the date it ran. This week, the column is about laws that I'd like to see enacted. Every year there are new laws on the books. This column suggests laws that I think would really make a difference in how we live. I also blog about supporting the troops. I ran a version of this on my other blog but I've expanded upon it here. I'm passionate about this because I resent this attitude that by forwarding a patriotic email or slapping a sticker on your car that its supporting the troops. I know three people in Iraq right now and I think the best thing for them is to get the hell out of that place. We could be better using the manpower and funds we're pouring into that country. Support the troops by sending them mail, sending them care packages. Open your walle...

SUPPORT THE TROOPS THE BEST WAY I’m pretty sick of the “support the troops” crowd. I’m not talking about military families and people who actually support the troops. I’m talking about the people who feel that saying they support the troops, who slap a magnetic yellow ribbon on their car and who forward patriotic e-mails, that they’re somehow actually doing something for the war effort. I loathe this “feel good support” that doesn’t cost anything. If you don’t have a loved one in Iraq, who’s had to sacrifice? There’s been no financial burden (that we feel YET. Those war bills are going to come due.). No rationing like in World War II. No saving scrap metal. It’s all ‘support the troops’ 21st century style: by the click of a mouse. My dad told me what life was like during World War II. You couldn't live in America and not know we were at war. It impacted your daily life. Today, we can go through the drive thru at Starbucks, go to the movies, or do whatever we like...

Column originally published 1-4-07 Here are ideal laws for common man By Kelvin Wade A variety of new laws go into effect this year. A higher minimum wage, new laws that protect pets, and in July California motorists will have to use a hands-free device to talk on cell phones while driving. But there are a lot of other laws I'd like to see enacted. We need to institute the Fat Tax, an extra tax on fast food or maybe everything that includes "high fructose corn syrup" as an ingredient. Do you realize the money we'd raise in this state? Do you realize the money we'd raise off me alone? People who disrupt public gatherings with cell phones should have their phones taken away. Everyone knows to silence those babies at certain public functions. My granddaughter Lauryn's school has something called the "June Box." You don't want your personal items ending up in that box. We should have June boxes for the inconsiderate. Just like traffic school for tick...