Values // Current TV

Dixie Belle

The last couple of weeks have been a sad time for me and Riga[German Shepherd].

Dixie was our best friend. We had to put her to sleep a couple of weeks ago. She was getting sicker, and she was not going to get any better. We had to send her on to the Rainbow Bridge to wait for us there. It has been a big adjustment for Riga---she was never away from Dixie more than a few minutes her entire life. And for me, I never went anywhere that Dixie and Riga didn't go too. Dixie and Riga traveled more than most people in their entire lifetimes.

This is a post about Dixie I put on a German Shepherd Dog forum about 4 years ago. It pretty much sums up Dixie. Dixie would go to meet everyone she saw-----and everyone she met was her friend.

-------------" There are some large open lots and fields next door to the motel that Dixie, Riga and I are living at right now. Adjacent is a large parking lot where truckers park their 18 wheelers and either sleep in the cab sleepers or stay in the motel. There are woods and tall weeds covering about half of that lot--and next to that across a drainage ditch that has creek running through it is a large field with tall grass and trees. There are perhaps a dozen or more homeless people who live in the woods behind the truck lot.

Every morning and once or twice during the day I take Dixie and Riga over to the empty lots to run. It is convenient, and I don't have to do a lot of cleaning up.
The homeless people are usually hanging around, and Dixie(miss social butterfly) has to go meet and get attention from everyone she sees. So I get a lot of compliments on what wonderful dogs they are, and everyone has to tell a story about how they had a GSD or knew a GSD once that was such a great dog.

This morning---it's bright, cloudless, and there is frost all over. I heeled Dixie and Riga through the motel and stopped at the office, put them on a stay outside the office while I paid for the next week. It's a usual routine---and Dixie and Riga are perfect even without commands(they know what to do). Lots of people are coming and going----and most of them pretty much ignore Dixie and Riga---a few make a wide berth around them(for no reason other than their own preconceptions).
So, I finished my business at the office, and we heeled across the parking lots to the open fields and woods. I gave them the OK GO, release, and they were both off like shots off into the woods. They were back a few minutes later, and I let them run a little.
As we were just leaving, there was some shouting and a guy waving at me---about 75 yards off---so I waited while he hurried over. It was Jay, one of the homeless people who lives in the woods around there. He said Dixie and Riga had come to their campsite(they live in tents) to greet everyone and give them kisses and get some petting. He had come out all that way just to tell me thanks for bringing them over---they all loved starting the day with a warm GSD greeting and attention.

I thought to myself that on a GSD scale, you are a much better person if you live in a tent in the woods and give them attention and affection than if you drive an Escalade and have Gucci luggage and ignore them."------------------

My Dad used to say, "Try to live your life so that when you have to go, everyone is sorry to see you leave."

By that definition---Dixie led one of the most successful lives ever.

Goodbye Dixie---we will all miss you very much.The last couple of weeks have been a sad time for me and Riga[German Shepherd].... more

Wetdog
added this
6 months ago
|
33 comments

Rick Santorum's "I Have A Dream"

Please, Lord, make it stop . . .

mfb1949
added this
3 months ago
|
4 comments

We Are All Job Creators

Mr. Van Der Pol understands at abase level why Americans support OWS, distrust... more

kvb1
added this
7 months ago
|
2 comments

2-Year-Old Girl Ran Over by Van & Ignored by 18 Bystanders

The 20th day of October 2011 was one of the darkest days in Chinese society. The whole... more

mundosanto
added this
7 months ago
|
0 comments

Recology needs to step it up

GARBAGE! The tainted word on the street. My mother always told me that if I... more

baghdadbythebay
added this
9 months ago
|
0 comments

Internet's Presidential Candidate, ( Your EHarmony Candidate )

A new internet site allows you to match your beliefs, preferences, and values with the... more

COMMONSENSEFORCOMMONGOOD_COM
added this
10 months ago
|
0 comments

Bible has some shocking ‘family values’

As a moral guide, it utterly fails, because much of the original Hebrew scriptures... more

Judgian12365
added this
12 months ago
|
0 comments

Are teachers unfairly disrespected by the public, and even the U.S. Secretary of Education?

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan released an open letter to teachers, thanking them... more

sgwhites
added this
1 year ago
|
25 comments

Superman Renounces Citizenship - Fox News Invests in Kryptonite

"Besides being riddled with a blatant lack of patriotism, and respect for our... more

BrushwithDeathToothpaste
added this
1 year ago
|
13 comments

The post 9/11 generation is more likely to accept enhanced interrogation techniques than older Americans. Why?

A Red Cross study found that 60 percent of American teenagers view tactics like... more

sgwhites
added this
1 year ago
|
53 comments

Res Publica

he said - - - ( and I read it,.........and did NOT disagree .) Historically,... more

remanns
added this
1 year ago
|
7 comments

Obama calls Eagles owner,.... to congratulate him for signing Vick ?

-Michael Vick(notes) has been getting support from all sides during his road to... more

remanns
added this
1 year ago
|
106 comments

Woman Accused of Sex with 8-year-old Boy

Beatrice Ingraham, 31-year-old woman from New Baltimore, New York, faces charges of... more

b2r
added this
1 year ago
|
7 comments

For Democracy to Work...

For democracy to work, complete transparency must be obtained. There must be no hiding behind patriotism, national security, and fear. These catch phrases are a vault for the secrets a government does not want the public to know of. Also due to these phrases, Americans society, while often preaching freedom of speech, in reality practices resentment, hatred, and peer pressure against those who step outside the norm (of what is politically correct). I would thus say no government needs to prohibit the freedom of speech, but only let the people prohibit (more so regulate) speech for them. It has happened so many times in our country’s past, we cannot afford to let this keep happening.

For democracy to work, diplomacy must be the first and preferably the only course of action in settling disputes. Democracy cannot be offensive in nature—only defensive. Due to reasons prior, freedoms and liberties (primarily those stemming from privacy) cannot waver in the shadow of fear, and thus democracy is at a severe disadvantage when it comes to warfare—either democracy (liberty) fails, or military security fails. Just as the integrity of a family is tested through hardships, the integrity of our government is tested through decisions made during or related to warfare and economic downtimes. A democratic government thus cannot suddenly revoke civil liberties or rights in lieu of the often vague, "Clear and Present Danger."

And thus, for democracy to work, preemptive strikes cannot occur. A democratic society must lead by example, not retaliation, revenge, or fear.

For democracy to work, the freedom of the press must be entirely free of regulation and censorship. The live footage of firefights during the Vietnam War had an immense impact on the outlook of war for those on the home front. The press is vastly more censored (both from corporate, and government), today. We cannot afford to have a censored press, as it holds all the power in shifting the majority of Americans’ view of any issue or event. People (straw man, I know) are gullible, and do not realize the power that manipulation has on their decisions and views.

For democracy to work, capitalism must maintain complete separation and segregation from the democratic system. As soon as private funding enters the picture, our potential candidates are primarily only determined by officials promising the majority (the currently diminishing middle class) of Americans false promises, while truly only representing those providing the most money (synonymous with votes) to their campaign. Votes don't get politicians elected, advertising & funding does. So who will get prioritized?

For democracy to work, lobbying must be made illegal, or vastly more restricted and regulated.

For democracy to work, a form of free election must be in order. An equal amount of taxpayer money must be distributed to the two presidential candidates. Since funding is the primary means of obtaining a position, we limit ourselves on the selection of candidates. Money cannot be a prerequisite in order to obtain or maintain a political position--yet it is. Set up two temporary television channels and websites for these candidates. Debates should be daily, and written correspondence between the two candidates should be a must—the topic voted upon by the public. I say written responses because some people are better at composing their thoughts on paper rather than in speech with millions watching, that is more or less just a game of who is quicker on their feet, not who is more reasonable or knowledgeable. Nominees for the general elections should only obtain their money through local donation from the citizens of their future jurisdiction, or by some other means which would allow absolutely ANY American citizen to run and potentially win—not based on their funding and advertising flash, but by their intelligence, charisma, knowledge, ethos, and promises. In sociology, "random" is defined as everyone having an equal chance and possibility to participate (in an experiment); not every American citizen has an equal chance of running for office. I don't have a perfect answer, but it's apparent something needs changed.

For democracy to work, bliss cannot be derived from ignorance. The importance of pursuing the truth and finding information for ones’ self must be emphasized. Everyone is entitled to vote, but not everyone understands for whom their vote entitles.

For democracy to work, accountability must be exacted out. False campaign promises are a form of false advertisement. Politicians must be held to the same justice system as we, the people, are.

Anything else to add?

(News seemed to be the only appropriate place to put this; my apologies if not).
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Bald_eagle_landing.jpgFor democracy to work, complete transparency must be obtained. There must be no hiding... more

Jake_Leonard
added this
1 year ago
|
86 comments

Why "Scientific Consensus" Fails to Persuade

Finally, an explanation for the naysayers...or not. Suppose a close friend who is... more

Incredulous
added this
1 year ago
|
196 comments

Wake up to waters value

Water, the holy grail in the exploration of our solar system, the most coveted of all... more

milojacks
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

Gods Love Can Become Our Life's Work For Christian Family Values

We need to let people know about Jesus and His valuable life and works just like what... more

gooma2
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

The Nanny Diaries part 4/13 Christian Family Films

Little did Annie imagine that her wanderlust would in fact take her no further than... more

gooma2
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

Saint Peter (Full Movie) Pt 11/21 Christian Family Films

After Christ’s death and resurrection, strife between his followers and the... more

gooma2
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

The Chronicles of Narnia Full Movie Part 3 Christian Family Films

When the kids finally arrive in Aslan’s camp, your first reaction is “Wow,... more

gooma2
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

select your country

Community Spotlight

TAGS

tagged w/ Values

top videos

find current on tv

find current online

recent comments

© 2012 Current TV, LLC All Rights Reserved

the basics

follow us online

tools

stay in touch

© 2012 Current TV, LLC
All Rights Reserved