A SLEEPING GIANT AWAKENED

The students at Parkland High School may be a sleeping giant awakened.

Several sources attribute a sleeping giant comment to Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto following Japan’s successful bombing of Pearl Harbor. Yamamoto led the Japanese forces in the attack.

Yamamoto is alleged to have said: “I fear all we have done is awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.”

Parkland students are disturbed. Properly so. Disturbed at an age where fear is not a part of their composition. They are able to speak out and are speaking out…..Stop the useless slaughters! Protect students! Washington, do something! President Trump, do something! How much money did the President get from the NRA? And on and on.

Good for them! Their cries/words may finally be the impetus to get something done.

The students cannot be considered crass for asking how much Trump received from the NRA for his campaign. Money does influence. Money does talk.

The number is $21 million. The largest amount the NRA has ever contributed to a Presidential candidate.

Such may account for what appears to be Trump’s calculated silence re gun violence. Note he spoke of first responders on his Parkland visit and merely glossed over the shooting and gun control itself.

The last time a President addressed the NRA was 1983. Till Trump became President Trump. Trump spoke before the NRA and said, “You have a true friend and champion in the White House.”

We believe you Mr. President. You did not lie when you made that statement.

Violence begets violence. One crazy act another. Near home this time. Marathon.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department received a phone call yesterday morning that pictures of guns were being shown on Instagram together with a message threatening Marathon High School. Specifically, a band concert to be held that afternoon.

The Sheriff’s Department immediately went to work. Brought all federal ad state agencies together. The perpetrator was identified. Nineteen year old Marathon resident Duviel Gonzalez was arrested.

The arrest was made prior to the band concert. The concert went on a s scheduled at 3 pm, though under heavy security.

Every day a good day when living in Key West. Some even better. Yesterday was one of those days.

I watched the Syracuse/Miami game on TV. Syracuse having a difficult season. Needed an on the road win. Got it! Beat Miami 62-55.

Picked Catherine up before 4. A different Saturday late afternoon into evening began.

First Mary Ellen’s on Applerouth. A relatively new bar. Heard good things about its Happy Hour. Toasted cheese sandwiches and tomato soup the house specialty. Everyone had told me both to die for. They were right!

What no one told me however was that the tomato soup came with garlic bread. Wow! Delicious!

The sun still shining when we left Mary Ellen’s. What next? We walked two blocks to the Green Parrot.

I had not been to the Green Parrot in several years.

The place packed. Standing room only. A New Orleans group playing. People dancing. Stayed a while. Enjoyed a couple of drinks. Enjoyed each other’s company.

Where next as we left the Green parrot? I said, home. I’m tired.

It was dark.

We went to Catherine’s, sat on her terrace by candlelight and talked of many things.

After leaving Catherine’s and on the way home, I stopped at Donna and Terri’s to visit Bear. Donna and Terri live around the block from Catherine.

Bear fine. Biting. Learning to let Donna and Terri know when he has to pee. Goes to the door and whines. The other taking time.

Bear a friendly bundle of joy. A good addition to Donna and Terri’s life. Forgotten are Donna’s still fractured shoulder and Terri’s close encounter with cancer. Bear is everything!

A post Irma update. More than 5 months since the hurricane hit and renovations and rebuilding not close to completion. Not because people are slow. Because Irma beat the hell out of many parts of the Keys.

This past week the County started cleaning up the canals. Those of you who do not live in the Keys nor have never visited must understand that canals are like roads. Behind many homes. People swim and boat in them.

Not since Irma, however.

Pictures in yesterday’s edition of the Key West Citizen painted the picture vividly. Debris like you would not believe. Everything from homes to boats to appliances to shrubbery. So thick, it appears man could walk across them and the water.

A busy Sunday ahead. I have a luncheon scheduled. Then Kate Miano’s Gardens later in the afternoon.

Enjoy your Sunday!