Guest commentary by Dan K. Thomasson

Dan K. Thomasson, guest commentary

Dan K. Thomasson, guest commentary

Dan K. Thomasson, commentary

Sometimes man is too smart for his own good. That's when the things he invents lead to abuse and results that are unbearable and utterly avoidable and often seem to outweigh the benefits of his genius.

Planning a trip to Mexico? Forget it.

With less than three months before the important midterm elections it is clear that Congress has no stomach for straightening out the immigration mess nor for that matter does the Obama administration, although the president has at least paid lip service to the idea.

A few years ago, David Giles, a media lawyer, and I were asked to visit our company's newspapers and television properties to discuss a number of issues including libel, the dangers of the Internet and a variety of other subjects -- he from the legal standpoint and me from the editorial.

John Wooden was asked once how much he was paid playing professional basketball. He replied that he received $5 a game except one time when it was $100 -- the night he made his 100th consecutive free throw. That ultimately stretched to 138 before the ball failed to perform the way he wanted. That record still stands.

Over the years I have tried to avoid writing about two subjects, the trials and tribulations of the Catholic Church and the almost irrationally emotional issue of abortion. I see no percentage as a protestant in attacking the roots of another’s faith even though the actions of some of its clergy and those overseeing the policies that caused them were almost inconceivable. As for abortion, I strongly believe every woman must make her own decision.

Imagine how old, one-bullet Barney Fife would handle the immigration problem in Mayberry, particularly if Sheriff Andy was out of town. Probably no one would be safe from Barney's digging to find whether they actually were citizens, even the mayor, and certainly swarthy visitors. Let me see your driver's license and your birth certificate.

With a slight glitch or two, the apprehension of the unsuccessful terrorist in New York was accomplished with remarkable speed that signals emphatically to the world that the United States has come a long way since Sept 11, 2001 in meeting this kind of challenge. Just maybe we are no longer the patsies we once were. That isn't to say that we also haven't been lucky with a couple of bumbling bombers but when confronted we respond more quickly.

Dan K. Thomasson: There is a striking resemblance to covering the White House and nourishing an infant.

Dan K. Thomasson: Can there be too much reaction to the perceived threat of terrorism and if there can, how much is too much? It seems a legitimate question in the wake of an airplane incident that thankfully turned out to be nothing more than a violation of the ban on smoking and a stupid response by the culprit.

Dan K. Thomasson: It always seemed to me that there was a whole lot more to being a Christian than just believing in Jesus, that too many call themselves that without really knowing what it means and, in far too many cases, to justify behavior that is the antitheses of true Christianity.

Dan K. Thomasson: The president apparently has decided that Republicans are irrelevant if not downright obsolete and it is best to ignore them, especially those in Congress.

Dan K. Thomasson: Following 9/11 the Congress in its panic hastily -- and, many think, ill advisedly -- created the Frankenstein we now know as Homeland Security out of disparate parts from the Justice and Treasury departments and elsewhere.

Dan Thomasson: Firearms mania seems to fall into several broad categories with elements of each in the other. Present in all three classifications is an element of paranoia, a strong belief that without these weapons one is not likely to survive the truly crazy (like maybe one's testy neighbor or a disaffected co-worker or student seeking revenge from bullies) or the ubiquitous criminals that use guns as necessary tools in their business

Dan K. Thomasson: The late Gov. Earl Long of Louisiana had a way of refining things to their basest element. Asked one time by another official about how to define the importance of ethics in politics, he allegedly replied, "Son, we certainly use ethics in politics. We use anything we can get our hands on."

Dan K. Thomasson: Tiger Woods wants us to "believe" in him again, a rather presumptuous request if for no other reason than it assumes we ever did. "Believing" in someone or something is usually reserved for a deity or one's relatives or a political philosophy or a religion but hardly for one whose celebrity is derived from striking a little white ball with a stick. Believing is far more important than forgiving.

Dan Thomasson: The other day I asked a liberal friend whether he considered someone arrested in an attempted act of terror a warrior or merely a criminal?

A major concern of most wire service editors in the old days was a bad taste practical joke story that inadvertently found its way into circulation and ended up in dozens of newspapers in too much a rush to verify it. Young reporters were told repeatedly to keep their humor to themselves and away from the filing system at the risk of permanent damage to their careers.

Dan Thomasson: Toyota will survive its current problems despite the tremendous damage to its reputation, not to mention its bottom line. But owners will always have a little doubt about what they are driving, and future buyers may think twice about the reliability and safety of these cars.

Dan Thomasson: Sarah Palin may not be your huckleberry when it comes to the presidency. But she came to Washington, D.C., the other night and proved once again what has been undeniable for some time: She has more political sex appeal than anyone on the scene with the exception of Barack Obama.