KEY WEST LOU / OTTAWA TRUCKERS TO POLICE…..TO GET TO ME YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH MY CHILDREN FIRST

Would you believe, Ottawa truckers openly telling police their first line of defense is their children.

Parents are openly and willingly placing their children in harm’s way. Twenty five percent of the protesting vehicles are occupied by families with children.

Insanity! Who intentionally places their children in a path of danger?

An excellent article appeared in yesterday’s Washington Post authored by Miriam Berger and Amanda Coletta regarding the subject.

The article pointed out placing one’s children in the middle of the Ottawa confrontation complicates police efforts to end the stand off which has paralyzed Ottawa.

Sandwiched between big rigs blaring their horns and blockading major thoroughfares are playpens and bouncy castles. Makeshift food stands serve child friendly meals.

In one tent, there is a sign listing daily activities for the children.

Posters erected by the truckers are everywhere invoking the need to protect the children.

Police are prioritizing the “safest way” to have children removed from the area prior to any sort police action.

Parents have warned/threatened authorities if they try to intervene, “children could get in the way.”

Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act last week. The Act bars bringing minors to unlawful demonstrations.

Trudeau recently said, “The absolute safest way for this to end is for everyone to return to your communities. It’s time to go home – especially if you have children with you.”

The truckers have learned from the Taliban and other Middle East combatants to place children next to buildings or places that would be bombed or attacked by the opposition.

A distinction. The truckers are not Taliban. They are Canadian. A different breed. A nationality steeped in doing the right thing all the time.

The truckers are failing this time. They have abandoned their heritage by using their children as their first line of defense.

Putin is doing something with the Ukraine that is going too far. Farther than even surrounding the Ukraine with 150,000 Russian troops. Even more than spike shelling the Ukraine 20 times through 2 am this morning.

Moscow announced beginning tomorrow there will be a sweeping exercise involving multiple missile launches. The purpose to offer a timely reminder of Russia’s nuclear might. Putin is scheduled to oversee the exercise himself.

Putin flexing his nuclear muscle. The missiles tomorrow will be duds. However what about next week in the event an all out war begins?

Putin is playing with fire. Nuclear devastation. Russia and the U.S. are not the only countries with nuclear power. Today there are many. Putin could trigger a mindset that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Other countries may threaten in a similar fashion in their wars. Problem is along the way someone makes a “mistake” and hundreds of thousands could die.

Michael E. McIvor’s obituary appears in today’s Key West Citizen. My heart doctor and friend for 15 years.

The Doctor and I enjoyed many conversations involving Syracuse/Virginia sports. Especially basketball. McIvor was a proud Virginia graduate.

He an had a dry sense of humor. Many the time I was slow to catch on he was toying with me.

The good doctor was born in Morocco. Actually, Casablanca. I did not know till I read this morning’s obituary. His Dad was stationed in Morocco at the time with the military.

There will be a Celebration of Life sunday from 4-6 at the Marriott Beachside.

Key West’s One Human Family was not so back when. It was a very anti-black community.

A powerful one.

In the 1920’s, the Klu Klux Klan was established in Key West. Organized because of the white population’s opposition and fear of the growing political organization which was taking place in the black community. Its voice was heard throughout Florida. The Key West order became a Florida powerhouse.

Local Key West businessman Charles H. Ketchum was the Grand Dragon for the State of Florida. He ran the Klan during his term in office from his Key West home.

Today’s Citizen notes that on this day in 1924, the Local Order of the Klu Klux Klan put on a demonstration with a parade and naturalization ceremony at Bayview Park.

Take note of the “naturalization ceremony.”  A clear indication of how strong the Key West Klan was in the 1920’s. Lynching blacks by night and swearing in new white American citizens by day. Yes, Key West had a few lynchings back in those days.

Due to supply problems, there is a scarcity of new cars available for purchase.

The frosting on the cake. This past week, a cargo ship full of Porsches and Volkswagens caught fire in the middle of the Atlantic. The 22 man crew had to abandon ship.

The ship remains adrift. The ship owners are working at recovering the ship and whatever contents remaining. Problems have prohibited the reclamation to this point. Practical, not legal.

Enjoy your day!

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