THEY ARE WATCHING

In a week's time of getting the word out La Crosse joined the over 700 rallies nationwide to March for Our Lives. Natureman was one of the organizers here and my heart was full and emotional to see our Coulee region participating. 

Tears welled with the sight seeing over 700,000 marchers taking over D.C. streets in addition to our 700+ participants here  in small local Cameron Park. 

Citizens from every age, walk of life and race participated as this is a nonpartisan issue. Single/married folk, parents, grand parents walking with children.

The bottom line is our country's love affair with guns is affecting our children's lives every day. In the Saturday rallies children espoused courageous conviction in their disdain of guns taking lives not only in their schools but on their home streets and reminded us adults that eventually they will have the power to vote. 

Our generation of adults have failed our nation's children in our election of spineless politicians who favor lining their pockets with NRA monies rather than those who do what is morally and ethically right for our society's welfare. 


What can you do?

Get out and vote in every election and let your voices be heard. Change does not come easy but we are losing way too many lives..

TBT: VALENTINE'S DAY MASSACRE 1920 & 2018

Dinner out was on our agenda for Valentine's Day but it was bittersweet as stories of love took the back seat today as they did in 1920. 

Do you remember as a kid hearing about the notorious gangsters of the 1920's and specifically the horrendous Valentine's Massacre where 7 mobsters were gunned down? 7. 


Here's a list of 11 things we are supposed to know about that event according to the Latin Times.

*Between the years 1924 and 1930, Chicago was considered a     lawless and violent city.
*Al Capone took over from his boss Johnny Torrio in 1925.
*Al Capone is the original “Scarface,” and his income from illegal   activities was close to $60 million a year.
*George “Bugs” Moran survived the massacre and told reporters “Only Capone kills like that.” Capone replied, “The only man who   kills like that is Bugs Moran.”
*The men who executed the Irish mobsters were dressed in cop uniforms.
*The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre is considered Chicago’s gang   war climax.
*70 rounds of ammunition were fired on the day of the killings.
*When officers from Chicago’s 36th District arrived to the scene,   Moran’s garage on the North Side of Chicago, Frank Gusenberg   was still alive but refused to reveal the killers identities.
*Capone’s alibi was that he wasn’t even in the city on the day of   the massacre, he claimed to be at his home in Florida.
*After the happenings, authorities dubbed Capone as “Public   Enemy No. 1.”
*The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre marked the beginning of Al Capone’s downfall. 

Yesterday another Valentine's Massacre occurred at a wealthy neighborhood high school in Parkland, Florida. So far 17 fatalities.

After reading the 1920's list. Here are some questions going through my mind and perhaps yours.
*Are we a lawless and violent country?
*Who's in charge?
*How much is this gun business worth?
*Who kills like this?
*Who are we going to blame for these deaths?
* Did the perpetrator even need to wear a disguise?
*How can countless rounds be obtained to be fired at Parkland   High School? 
* Who are we identifying as the killer and is this 19 yr old kid         really Public Enemy #1?
* What is it going to take this gun industry down?

R-Fla Rubio has received $3,303,355 from the NRA over the course of his career as an elected official.

My dear U.S. citizens why do you think we are the only country with this senseless bloodshed as a result of our gun control laws? How many have to lose their lives before we say enough is enough? 

The suspect carried an AR-15 rifle and had "countless magazines," the sheriff said.

internet image of AR-15 rifle

One of the victims could be one of your family members. A day of love and friendship didn't have to end this way.
We are going to need more than prayers... Let your legislators know how you feel.

Bought & paid for by NRA

Sen. John McCain (R-AR) $7,740,521

Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) $6,986,620  

Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) $4,551,146

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) $4,418,012

Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) $3,879,064

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FLA) $3,303,355

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) $3,124,273

Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) $3,061,941

Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) $2,896,732

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) $2,861,047

Rep. French Hill (R-AR) $1,089,477

Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) $800,544

Rep. David Young (R-IA) $707,662

Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) $385,731

Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-MT) $344,630

Rep. Don Young (R-AK) $245,720

Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA) $221,736

Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R-ME) $201,398

Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) $158,111

Rep. Barbara Comstock (VA) $137,232

Dear Deer

Some days I am faced with a predicament never before faced living here in the End of the Rainbow Valley.  Tuesday was one such day and it involved a deer, actually a fawn.

I was heading into town and after one curve come upon a blob in the middle of the road. I slowed and lo and behold discovered the blob was a fawn curled up who raised her head as I stopped. Obviously alive and as I opened the car door to shoo her off the small highway, she rose up very wobbly. It was then I saw the reason for her wobbliness, her right rear leg was just dangling. Basically hanging by bloody tendons. Not a pretty sight. She some  how had the strength to make it to the high grasses roadside.


OK, for right now she is safe. I worried about her the entire drive into town and decided I would check on her upon my return. If someone had hit her, why didn't they stop? Maybe she had gotten caught trying to clear the guard rail off the steep incline. Who knows?

Anyhow, she was still there and alive upon my return. My thoughts were she needs to be taken out of her misery.  One of my friends does animal rescue and rehab but just does small animals and besides how will this fawn survive in the wilderness if she lived. My only option was to go to a neighboring farm house and see if anyone was home.  (Thought process - they'll have a gun.)  Remember this is rural Wisconsin. Nobody was home until the third home, about a 1/2 mile away. Out in the garden a mom was picking tomatoes with her kids. After explaining the predicament, she looked at me and said, "We can't shoot it because we'd lose our hunting license." "Oh," I responded, "So who do you think I should call? She suggested the sheriff's office.

There's no cell reception so her daughter ran into the house, grabbed a phone book and brought out the cordless phone. I placed the call and before I could say why I was calling, was asked the address. I could see the fire number street side and the dispatcher said, "you've called the wrong county." "No, I don't think so," I retorted a bit peeved. Oh, she was looking at the map incorrectly and then listened to my dilemma and said the closest officer was about 20 minutes away. 

I decided to turn around and go wait roadside by the fawn so the officer wouldn't miss her. I waited and waited and thought if he doesn't show in half an hour, I'd leave. Maybe 3 cars drove by during the wait and despite my blinking lights, no one even slowed. Isn't that weird? Glad it wasn't me in dire straights. Finally in my rear view mirror I saw the black and white car which not only wasn't slowing but barreled by.  I stuck out my arm waving frantically. He stopped ahead. 

After hearing my story, seeing the fawn back in the grass. He says, "You know there are a lot of 3 legged deer out there." No, I didn't know. He said he'd have to call the DNR. "Well, whatever you need to do Sir." I feared the skiddish deer ending back on the road and causing an accident but I guess he didn't want to put the deer down. What else could I do? I told him I was going home.

I looked when I went back to town later in the day and the deer was gone. We can all imagine our own scenarios of this story's ending. Just another day in the Driftless Region...