I spent a very pleasant Fourth of July with friends and family.

Barbara's cousin, Linda, and her husband, Walt (a retired professor of political science), were visiting for a few days and staying with us. Bernice and her sister Mary, old friends for many years came over, and our upstairs neighbors, Rebecca (who illustrates children's books and works as a docent at the Seattle Art Museum) and Paul (actor, singer, small plane pilot, and hockey player) also joined us. Paul had just returned from the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon. He's been doing a lot of Shakespeare lately.

We had dinner, then went in the living room and sat around burpin' and scratcin' until 10:00 p.m., when we went up on one of the balconies of the building and watched the very spectacular fireworks display over Lake Union. Most impressive! A very pleasant day, all in all.

Linda and Walt live in Amarillo, Texas, and they also have a house out near Palo Duro canyon, which is the second largest canyon in the United States (the Grand Canyon is the largest).

As I mentioned, Walt is a retired professor of Political Science, and we had some pretty good discussions while he was here. Among other things, he mentioned the way the word "entitlements" is being warped and distorted by Conseratives. An example of "framing the argument" as delineated by George Lakoff. Walt commented that an "entitlement" is something that a citizen is entitled to by law or established ethical principle.

Conservatives want to end what they call "entitlement programs," making "entitlement" sound like a dirty word. But entitlement by agreed upon ethical principle would include such things as Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, or freedom from unlawful search and seizure, and other things guaranteed by the Constitution—the principles on which the country is founded. Or Social Security, for example, which one is entitled to because it was enacted into law, and working people are required to pay a portion of their wages or salary into the program. You pay for it, so you are entitled to it.

So when someone talks about wanting to end "entitlement programs," stand up and roar! Otherwise, you could wind up living in a cardboard box or staring out from behind barbed wire.

Living in Texas, I asked Walt what he thought about Rick Perry. A rather bitter laugh. Then he said, "The last governor Texas had was Ann Richards!"

Don Firth

P. S. Hey, josepp! Take a good, strong laxative. You'll feel better in the morning.