American Barbeque: Smoking up the weekends
By J. James Estrada (04/22/06)
There’s been a lot of talk from retired Generals these days. Remember retired Lt. Gen. Jay Garner? I would love to hear from him. Garner was Paul Bremer’s predecessor as U.S. administrator in Iraq. In his short tenure (which kicked off with a barbeque in Baghdad – how American!), Garner put the remaining members of the Iraqi Army to work; Bremer disbanded them. Many believe that action may have been the biggest mistake made in the wake of the toppling of Saddam Hussein and made the bumpy road to democratization a long and winding one as well. That’s a matter for discussion.
As the election season heats up, the watercooler isn’t the only place to have discussions on politics, the War, and life “in general.” Like Garner’s example above, the barbeque is a great place to take the pulse of the people.
On back to back weekends, I attended family gatherings. During the first, I was greeted by cousins who were busy chomping on cigars and talking Republican politics. For the record, we all want Condi Rice in 2008! A game of horseshoes broke out and the BBQ was soon to satisfy the good old boy truckers and cowboys working up a sweat and a hunger in the Arizona sun. As we eased into the day, the talk turned to the latest gun purchases, who made what on a great stock deal, and the immigration debate.
Some of the attendees live in Southern California and are legal immigrants to the country. You know what, they want the border sealed and for people to come here legally! They are also sick of being accosted by panhandlers and begged for money by those who take up residence in city parks and streets. I mention how Rudy Guiliani cleaned up the streets of New York and they were grateful to hear that it could be done. Rudy, of course, wants to be President, but some of his views will deny him the nomination. Perhaps he could revolutionize the Department of Homeland Security under a President Rice.
At the second gathering, the assembled family favored cigarettes and more government intervention in our lives. While they voted for Bush, they ask why gas prices can’t be capped and healthcare costs can’t be paid for by the Feds. “Why don’t our elected officials take care of us?” they ask. For gas prices to come down, we have to be more energy independent, I explain. However, a certain political party is beholden to the socialists in the environmentalist camps and will not allow additional drilling in this country. Did you know, I ask, that there is more oil in Utah than in Saudi Arabia? Of course, they didn’t know this because all their information comes from the nightly news of the mainstream media.
Later in evening of this second gathering, cigarette smoke became the lowest layer of oxygen on the grounds; cursing permeated conversations and the music was a combination of hip-hop and screeching rock. When I retire to the sanctuary of the house, the smoke finds its way in through open windows and doors. The cursing floats down the block to unsuspecting neighbors. I decide sleep is the answer to my angst, but that only lasts for an hour.
While I do not support political action against the tobacco industry, as everyone knows the dangers of smoking, I do ask for some courtesy from the smokers. At both events, I had some smoker directly blow their fumes directly into my face. When I mentioned it at the cigar dominated event, they quickly acquiesced and turned into another direction. The cigarette crowd, however, lit up again in front of whoever happened to be there: children and the elderly were consumers of their billowing wrath.
Soon, I was smoking…smoking mad. My apologies to those involved in my tirade that followed.
J. James Estrada
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