Hot Buttons.......October 2010:
Joey: Hey Gramps.
Gramps: Hi Joey. And for what reason do I have this pleasure?
Joey: I was wondering if you would do me a favor and help with a school project?
Gramps: Sure. What is it?
Joey: Well, it's for my Civics class. Mr. Horton's assignment is to ask three people their opinions
on who was America's best president and who was the worst. They have to be from three different age groups, for instance I can have one young, one middle age and one elderly.
Gramps: I'm in, Who are you getting for the young person and the elderly one?
Joey: Uh....Well I asked Uncle Tim....and I asked Jimmy Jones who graduated a few years ago..
Grampa: Hmmmm. So that makes me...the....uh....elderly?
Joey: Well, yeah...elderly or senior citizen I guess.
Granpa: Joey. I'm 59 and 3/4 years old. Did you know that Gordie Howe played
professional hockey until he was 51 years old?
Joey: Gordie who?
Gramps: Not "who"..."Howe."
Joey: How what?
Granpa: Never mind.
Joey: Wow, you knew a lot about sports when you were young!
Gramps: So, do you just want me to name the presidents?
Joey: Well, you're supposed to give your thoughts on why you chose them.
Gramps: That's a cinch...... what do you mean "when I... was... young?" Did you know that Tom
Watson, he's five months older than me by the way, led most of the way in last year's
U. S. Open?
Joey: Was that the "Senior" league?
Gramps: No that wasn't the Senior league! Well, hey anyway. If there's three things I got to
give...it's opinions, opinions and opinions.
Joey: Great. I've got a recorder here, so you can just talk and I'll write down your answers
later.
Gramps: Ok, here we go. By the way. Did you know that Grandma Moses didn't start painting
until she was in her 70s? That 7...zero...70s!
Joey: Was she my great-grandma?
Grampa: No. Never mind. You know, I was thinking, the name "Gramps" makes one sound old....
now you can't really call me Wilbur?
Joey: Did you have a nickname when you were....uh....real, real young?
Gramps: Well, yeah. They called me "bolthead" because I liked to fix cars so much.
Juey: Bolt......head?
Gramps: Not, bolt........head, bolthead, the girls loved it.
Joey: So you want me to call you Grampa bolthead?
Gramps: Lets just forget it, back to this assignment...take a seat and fasten
your seat belt for you hit on two hot buttons today.
Joey: Hey, you got a lot a "hot buttons", how bout if I call you "hot
buttons?"
Gramps: Hot buttons huh? Yeah that'll work.
Joey: Did my dad have a nickname when he was young?
Hot Buttons: Yes he did but I think that he should be the one who tells you...if he wants to.
Ok. here we go.....cough cough...ah...hem! I've actually thought about this before.My vote for our greatest president was the Gipper.
Joey: The What?
Hot Buttons: The Gipper. You mean you that you didn't know that Ronald Reagan's nick-
was the "Gipper." Well, let me tell you something else that you might not have known.
Reagan was a couple of weeks short of 70 years old, that's 7...zero...70 when he was
inaugurated our 40th president. Anyway, I look at three areas when trying to make a
choice like this. How did the economy do during the presidency, how about our foreign
policy and national defense....and was the American public changed in any way while
he was in office? On the economy, America prospered, primarily due to tax cuts for
the American people, after the malaise of the Carter Administration. Do you know what
"Malaise" means?
Joey: No!
Hot buttons: Neither do I but put it in anyway...it sounds good. Anyway, Reagan strengthened our
military, that and our growth was a death knell for the Soviet Union. As for the spirit
of Americans...his words, always beautiful and profound, inspired, they motivated,
they instilled a confidence in the people, they melted even his stronger detractors.
He was the quintessential example of leadership. Do you know what "quintessential"
means?
Joey: Yeah.
Hot Buttons: Good. Tell me later. So that's my choice for our greatest president. As for the worst.
Joey, this is sad in talking about for it's our current president. I knew from the
beginning that I disagreed with his policies but I wasn't prepared for what transpired,
and it continues almost every day. The bailouts, admittedly started by his predecessor,
and the stimulus packages that put us so deeply in debt that we will never overcome
this burden, the attack on "business" in general that appears to come from deep
inward hostility towards America's worldwide economic prowess, and the taxation
that will make "all" Americans totally dependent on what their government allows,
these things, and others, make him America's worst president on our economy. The
national defense and foreign policy are even worse, if possible. Our longstanding
advantage in military capabilities is being eroded. Aircraft and navies of governments
who are not friends of ours, are catching up and may surpass us. Our allies are on
"pins and needles" as they try to determine what we will do in an emergency. Lastly, the
American public has become two peoples in one nation, one still resembling America's
heritage and the other being an assortment of......groups.....seeking only benefits for their.....group. This president plays to our weaknesses instead of challenging us to think. He's undoing much of what Martin Luther King accomplished. He lumps honest dissenters in with terrorists and lumps
terrorists in with honest Muslims. And we are only 18 months into his term! Well,
that's about it.
Joey: Thanks a lot Hot Buttons. I'll tell my dad how much you helped me. He's the one
that recommended you for the el...der..ly person.
Hot Buttons: Squiggy!
Joey: Squiggy?
Hot Buttons: Yeah...Squiggy. That was your dad's nick-name. Tell Squiggy that Hot Buttons says,
"you're welcome!?
