Burning Mexican Flags.

What a nice way to rachet up the tension. It is bad enough when we see pictures on TV of people in other places burning American flags.

Look, I am of two minds. I did not approve of demonstrators to the immigration policy carrying Mexican flags in their march. I certainly don't approve of showing displeasure by burning the Mexican flag. Just doesn't seem right.

Road Runner.

I always enjoyed the cartoon Road Runner. Well I did and I didn't. Road Runner is such a pesky little bugger, I always wanted the final episode to be Wile E Coyote finally catching that arrogant bird and having the dining experience of his life.

I always wanted to know two things about Wile.

1. How could he afford his account with ACME for all these devices that failed?
2. What was he living on while chasing that miserable bird?

Now that I see Road Runners living in Arizona, you know something. They are arrogant little buggers. No one wants the real Coyote in their yard though.

Tucson in My Life.

Tucson has been in my life since I arrived here May 23rd, 2003. I first heard of Tucson in high school, when I read the George Simenon stories about his Paris detective Maigret. One novel, Maigret at the Coroners takes place in Tucson about 1950. I now live near the air force base, Davis Monthan mentioned in the book and where the four suspects were stationed. I was always facsinated by issues of Arizona Highways with all the cacti. I was also facsinated by Road Runner cartoons (see separate post).

My good friend Libby (who I have known since the summer of 1980) moved out here in 2001. She and her husband kept trying to get us to come. At first, I laughed. I was earning good money back East. We thought of coming here to retire. Then I was laid off and 9/11 happened. It stopped being funny. I was now working in Barnes and Noble and you can't live on that in North Jersey. I am also a diabetic and the cold isn't good for me. My wife has a bad back and bad knees. On January 6th, 2003, we told Libby we were coming.

My wife's family in Massachusetts shrugged. My family was scared about my prospects. It no longer mattered. Our backs were to the wall as they say.

We only left in May because driving conditions are better and we detoured to Massachusetts so Elaine could see her new nephew. We are now planning to buy the house we are renting from our friends, who were forced by employment to move to Vegas.

This city has been good to us and we will do what we can to give back to it.

Please share your stories about the Old Pueblo here.

Immigration Protests.

Yesterday, Monday April 10th, 2006, we had a large protest against the new immigration bills in Congress. The march went to Tucson's Armory Park. It was a peaceful protest until someone from a group called Border Guardians burned a Mexican flag and a bottle was thrown. Six people were arrested.

I don't approve of the protestors carrying Mexican flags. Isn't their purpose to become a part of us? I would not be disrespectful and parade with an American flag in the Zocalo in Mexico City.

I also disaprove of burning the Mexican flag like that. That is also disrespectful. The problem with all this is the fact that people with agendas on both sides can make trouble and do harm. These protests could escalate.