What is Right

Not one but two dogs are staying with us at the moment. Both are friendly. Betsy lives here, Jack is a visitor.

It seems nice to greet dogs when you see them by saying "Hi" -- but when you try that with "Jack" it sounds like a 9-1-1 call, so we've adopted a new greeting for him:

"Hey Jack!" Since we all prefer rhymes around here, my grandson has suggested, we use "Hey Jay" instead.

Of course we would never say "Hit the road, Jack." Because that would remind us of Ray Charles:

"Hit the road Jack and don't you come back
No more, no more, no more, no more
Hit the road Jack and don't you come back
No more"

That, naturally, leads us to remember Ray's rendition of "I'm Busted." Seems especially relevant now:
I went to my brother to ask for a loan 'cause I was busted I hate to beg like a dog without his bone, but I'm busted My brother said there ain't a thing I can do My wife and my kids are all down with the flu And I was just thinking about calling on you and I'm busted Well, I am no thief, but a man can go wrong when he's busted The food that we canned last summer is gone and I'm busted The fields are all bare and the cotton won't grow Me and my family got to pack up and go But I'll make a living, just where I don't know cause I'm busted

***

In contrast to the U.S., Canada is doing an impressive job of keeping its pandemic numbers low. The latest is that as major league baseball re-opens this week, the Toronto Blue Jays will not be allowed to host games on their home stadium.

Canadian authorities don't want planeloads of American ballplayers showing up, likely bringing the virus with them across the border.

So the Jays will relocate to one of two American sites, probably upstate New York, as their temporary home during this virus-shortened 60-game season. That means 30 games at their new home venue.

In most sports, including baseball, there is a presumed home-field advantage. But without real fans, just cardboard cutouts, holograms, and canned crowd noise, it's unclear that road teams will be at that much of a disadvantage this time around.

The bottom of the ninth inning will still belong to the home team, however, which represents a last chance to catch up if you're behind. Play ball!

***

You can get inured to the daily humdrum of news but this weekend one story stands out. What the armed federal agents are doing in Portland -- wearing camouflage and seizing citizens off the streets without probable cause -- is the most direct threat to date to democracy launched by the current administration.

No previous President to my knowledge has authorized this kind of undercover police operation against our fellow citizens. There was widespread government spying against civil rights and anti-war activists in the 60s that occasionally provoked internecine violence, and agent provocateur interventions, but nothing quite like this secret usurpation of the rule of law.

This is the type of behavior we are used to from dictators in banana republics. Not in Oregon.

Unless this rogue abuse of power is checked, our freedoms will begin to disappear one by one. It may be time for peaceful protestors to return to the streets and resist the rise of an authoritarian state.

This is the only rational conclusion of anyone who knows history, and observes events free of bias or an ideological bent.

If you are pro-American, and have stood up and fought for our core values and principles before, this sure ain't the time to stop doing that now. As usual, a country music song gets it right:

Now Daddy didn't like trouble, but if it came along 
Everyone that knew him knew which side that he'd be on 
He never was a hero, or this county's shinin' light 
But you could always find him standing up 
For what he thought was right 
He'd say you've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything 
You've got to be your own man not a puppet on a string 
Never compromise what's right and uphold your family name 
You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything

-- Aaron Tippin