Nan Burnett and Mary Ann Claiborne hosted the February meeting of the “Hooked On Books” Book Club with a fun Mardi Gras themed party complete with beads, masks, and beautiful decorations. Fifteen lovely ladies attended, and enjoyed delicious finger foods, desserts, and, of course, King Cake!! Afterward, the group discussed February’s book, “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin, which proved to be very thought provoking and evoked a plethora of emotions and reactions from the group!! Everyone agreed it was a great meeting and discussion, and a good time was had by all!!

January’s Book Club meeting was hosted by Charlotte Fitzgerald, Shaney Bradford, & Pam Hill. It was “New Years” themed with beautiful decorations, delicious hors d’oeuvres, desserts, beverages, & champagne for toasting in 2020!! The festivities were followed by a lively discussion of January’s Book, “The Traitor’s Wife”, led by Pam Hill. A great time was had by all!!

America is said to be “the melting pot of the world,” but is she still? The United States is waging a great battle between the Democrats and Republicans. We have seen the advertisements from each side calling the other one a “liar” or worse! We have questioned whether one or the other candidates are truly qualified or if their “records” would prove them unworthy or worse! We have seen in the past where family members of those running have been maligned. And all of these actions are in front of a world that would like to see us destroyed! Are we destroying ourselves from the inside so another enemy will never have to “fire a shot?”! How have we come to this point?

How many remember the worst disaster in maritime history? The vessel, launched by one of the world’s greatest powers, was hailed as a super-ship and could hold enough people to repopulate Port O’Connor about ten times. But unexpected tragedy struck, sending the ship to the ocean’s bottom with a staggering loss of like.

Most would think of the Titanic, of which a movie was made. But it is the Wilhelm Gustloff; it claimed six times the number of lives as perished aboard the supposedly unsinkable line.

While the Gustloff was torpedoed by a Russian submarine during World War II, it was carrying more than 10,000 people, which included about 1,200 wounded German soldiers – the rest were civilian refugees. They had been crowded into the space which had been designed to hold no more than 1,880 passengers. More than 9,000 perished.

The sinking of the Titanic saw only 1,524 lives lost and 710 lives were spared.

Why do we know about the Titanic and most of us have never heard about the Gustloff? Why did we not study this tragic catastrophe in our history classes?

As the Russian army was advancing during World War II, The Gustloff was a German ship evacuating civilians from East Prussia, then in the eastern part of Germany. The area would be ceded to Poland after the war.

Perhaps the fact that the tragedy occurred during World War II it has made it less memorable. But there is a more likely reason for the incidents relative anonymity. Though those who died were mostly civilians, they were Germans, the nationality of the Allies’ primary enemy. Wilhelm Gustoff, but for whom the ship was named, was a Nazi. It would have been difficult to find people in the Allied nations to sympathize, especially in the United States, while our Seventh Fleet was lying at the bottom of Pearl Harbor.

But, should we ignore the fact that most of these were individuals and families that had been uprooted from their homes and would have been opposed to the war and Hitler’s rule? Simply because the Gustloff carried wounded enemy combatants, can we write the rest of the passengers off as not important?

Our prejudices often affect how we relate to people and people groups. Sometimes our impressions are true (some on the Gustloff had been active in trying to destroy our nation and kill our men); but sometimes our rational is false (it is very unlikely that many of the civilians aboard were Nazi or even Nazi sympathizers). But holding a bias, even based on a small piece of reality, is no reason for Americans to not care about those of another political persuasion.

When the ballots are all tallied, every citizen of our United States will have a president! It will be the same president for us all whether we supported him/her or not. We must put aside our political differences and work at the one thing that has made America strong and prosperous – God!

The babies that re killed as a result of our abortion centers are neither Democrats nor Republicans, but human beings that have the same right of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” that the rest of us enjoy. Those older Americans who become ill have the same right as healthy folks and should never have a “health panel” choose death over life for them. We need God back in our classrooms (and contraceptives out!) and the Ten Commandments to stand as the cornerstone of our Legislature. We need righteousness (meaning “right standing with God and man”) to rule our court systems. It is time we take back our nation from those who are attempting to make it something different from its roots! We must arise to fight the bigots who would make us a secular or maybe a socialist society.

The authority of the Holy Bible must reign in every aspect of our lives. We must get to know what God says about every social quandary and be willing to follow His plan – remember He created the plan! We were based as a nation on “the freedom of religion” and not “the freedom from religion”. If we remain true to the ideals of our founding fathers, it would be “freedom to live the Christian faith, without fear of reprisals”. Our founding fathers would never have conceived conquering a land for anything less than providing Christian liberties for the generations that were to follow.

May we return to being the “melting pot” for the world, where everyone can hear and receive the Gospel message – about Jesus and His love.

“The Way I See It” is an attempt by the columnist to enlighten readers on a subject as he views it, and does not necessarily reflect the views of this publication.

Redefining the Political Confusion

The “Democrat Party” is Imploding, or at least going through a tremendous transition period. Many “Republicans” are happy to see the Dem Leadership embarrass themselves, exposing their criminality, bias, and Anti-Constitutional Agenda; and Anti-American, Anti-Capitalism, and Anti Christian attitudes. While I am very happy to see the Anti-American elements exposed, hopefully to be tried and punished in courts run under American Jurisprudence, court procedure, and Constitutional Law; I think we need to to take a somber look at what has happened and what needs to be done.

First we need to look for Truth, and Justice should be our goal. To find truth we must throw out the perverted “Current Definitions” and explain new, more descriptive, definitions. To begin with, I am not a “Big R” GOP Republican. I am basically a Jeffersonian democratic-republican, a Constitutionalist. Looking at history, the Traditional Democrats were more States.

Rights/Limited Federal Govt than the Republican Party, who saw more advantages in a strong Federal Govt with far reaching powers to grow Govt to expand economic interests and trade. Originally for the westward expansion of the Original United States, and later as a World Power. This is good in some ways, but has great potential for abuse; because power corrupts, and corrupt people love power, to both empower themselves and to corrupt others into following them. And the Constitution was written by wise men to limit the power of a Central Govt, and protect the States and the People from any faction abusing the Federal (Central) Govt’s delegated powers.

We need a Democrat Party, but we need an American Democrat Party! Based on the positive principles of the original Jeffersonian Democrat party. Since 2006 the National “D” Party has taken such a hard left turn that FDR or JFK would not recognize it. This is no longer the Traditional Democrat Party or even “democratic”. I think the Iowa Caucus has demonstrated that. The “D” Primary has become a Marxist Promising Contest, with the various Candidates trying to ‘Out-Promise’ the others on Liberal Progressive Ideology that would give even Traditional Liberals a heart-attack! This is a symptom of the “Big European City” Mob Rule that the Founders feared. The indoctrination of Collectivism/Marxism as an Ideology, has overtaken a large segment of the current “D” party ‘base’, the most active segment of the base. Coupled with the Media’s desire for ratings, and Anti-Tea Party/Anti-Trump hysteria, has caused the political fad of “Trump Derangement Syndrome”. This caused a natural back-lash from Trump supporters, Original Intent Constitutionalists, and some Christians that see this as the Communist take over of the “D” Party, much of the Federal Bureaucracy, and especially “D” party leadership. Corrupt “D-Rats” and socialist “Dem-Socs” are actually steering the “D” Party into Anti-Constitution and Anti-American activities. These are most visible in the false prosecution of Trump supporters, and the Shampeachment of President Trump himself, using methods and procedures that are easily described as “Stalinist”, certainly more in line with Soviet NKGB, then what we believe in as Americans. Also they are attacking our Constitutional Guarantees of Natural Rights of Traditional Americans.

We must try to differentiate between the factions. The power-crazed “D-Rat” & “Obamunist hold-over” leadership, or The Dem-Soc Faction (Marxist/Socialist/Communists) do not represent the bulk of the real “Democrat” rank and file. All of us, regardless of “Party Loyalty” or Political ideology need to realize this, and try harder to discern the goals of different groups. We must also recognize there are factions on all sides. There are the RINOs, the Neo-Con/Globalists, the “Big Govt UniParty”, and the ones that are mostly in it for their own self-interests. We must use honest definitions for other factions, also. Nationalists are not “Nazis”, but concerned with National Security, National Sovereignty, and the rights and interests of American Citizens, over the interests of the Internationalists/Globalists/One Worlders and the various Money Manipulators. Those who are against abuse of our Military, meddling in other countries affairs unnecessarily, and being the World Policeman are not necessarily “Isolationists”, but recognize practical limits and the rights of others to their cultures. And all cultures are not equal, but are suitable for those people that choose them, or they should change theirs, not us.

We must be honest in using the verbal ‘short-hand’ of “labels”, and need to be understood by both parties for good communication. Marxists want to demonize anyone that resists their acts by calling them NAZIs, but Nazis were National Socialists, only differing in seeking National power, as opposed to the Internationalist goals of the Communists. Both want Totalitarian power. Both are “Marxists” in their totalitarian “socialism”, the ‘bait’ for their take-over of cradle-to-grave power & domination. The somewhat more honest “Communists” admit that “socialism” is a ‘temporary phase’ as a ‘transition’ into “communism”. While the Communist wants violent revolution to quickly move a society into Communism; the “Socialist” wants a “Democratic Transition by Popular Vote”, with “violence” used only when and where their “Transition” is rejected by the people. Experience by many nations has given us a “popular saying” by the Anti-communists: “You can vote yourself into Socialism/Communism, but you have to shoot your way out of it.” “Fascist” is another popular insult of the Communists, but modern “Fascism” also has it’s roots in Marx if you study Mussolini. Generally it is a co-operation of Big Industry(s) and a totalitarian Regime to use “Socialism” to get the people to accept the Regime’s totalitarian usurpation of natural human rights. A Constitutional Republic is designed to prevent all of these abuses if properly administered. Where the Constitution guarantees the Natural Rights of the Citizens, and limits the Powers of the Central/Federal Govt to those delegated and mandated to the Federal Govt.

Victoria College is offering a Welding Level 1 and a Welding Level 2/3 Combo training course this spring.

Welding Level 1 will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, March 3-July 9 from 6 to 10 p.m. at VC’s Liberty Street Industrial Training Center. Students will learn welding safety, oxyfuel cutting, plasma arc cutting, air carbon arc cutting and gouging, base metal preparation, joint fit-up and alignment, groove welds and open V-groove welds. The cost for the course is $1,450 and includes the textbook and tool kit.

The Welding Level 2/3 Combo course will be held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, March 2-July 17 from 6 to 10 p.m. The intermediate course will cover welding symbols, reading detail drawings, physical characteristics and mechanical properties of metals, preheating and postheating of metals, open-root pipe welds and stainless steel groove welds. The cost for the course is $2,300 and includes the textbook.

These courses lead to National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) certification. Students must first complete the Core Curriculum: Introductory Craft Skills course.

Financial aid is available for both courses.

For more information, call (361) 582-2528 or email Mary.Hardy@VictoriaCollege.edu.

We’ve been enjoying an unusually warm winter but that doesn’t mean anything to the Purple Martins. They start showing up this time of year regardless of the severity of the winter. For them, it’s gettin’ on spring! If you are a Purple Martin host, it’s time to get your house or gourds cleaned out and put up. If you aren’t a Purple Martin host yet, consider it! The males are a beautiful glossy purple color all over while the females and young of the year are purplish on their backs and dusky underneath.
These birds are quite entertaining as they glide, dip, and soar in search of flying insects. Although it is often advertised that they eat thousands of mosquitoes a day, there is no evidence that they actually eat them, as mosquitoes usually fly lower than the typical foraging altitude of a martin. Still, Purple Martins make good neighbors, feeding on other insects and entertaining us with their aerial prowess.

Every year we get calls at the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory about Purple Martin scouts. This is a misnomer that has been widely spread. In actuality, the early arrivals are simply adults that are returning to claim their nesting site from the previous year. The subadults (young birds from the previous year) arrive about six weeks after the adults. If you think about it, how could there be scouts anyway? Unless birds are carrying cell phones these days, the early arrivals have no way of communicating anything to the birds that are still on the wintering grounds!
Purple Martins and humans have a long history of co-habitation.  Due to cavity competition with introduced House Sparrows and European Starlings, eastern Purple Martins have been almost entirely dependent on human-made martin houses for nesting since the early 1900’s. Paradoxically, martins west of the Rocky Mountains still nest almost exclusively in old woodpecker holes or natural cavities. Few other species show such a marked geographic difference in nesting habits or have the long-standing relationship with humans that Purple Martins do.

Purple Martins are the largest swallow in North America and should not be confused with our other swallow species. Birds nesting under bridges, especially highway overpasses, are typically Cliff or Cave Swallows, which can be identified by the light patch on their rump. If you have swallows nesting in your porch eaves, they are most likely Barn Swallows which have long forked tails. All of these species make nests out of mud rather than using human-provided houses like Purple Martins.

There are many places along the coast where you can see Purple Martins during the spring and summer. This includes both rural and city environments, as they will nest in most areas where the terrain is open enough. Martins show high site fidelity, returning year after year to same nesting site if it is properly maintained, although it may take several years for them to establish a colony in newly installed housing.

Martins have very specific aerial space requirements and housing should be placed in the most open spot available. Generally, it needs to be at least 30 to 120 feet from human housing and there should be no trees taller than the housing within 40 feet. Patience is the key to being a successful Purple Martin landlord. If you want more information about Purple Martins, check out the Purple Martin Conservation Association’s webpage.

Sue Heath is the Director of Conservation Research of the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory.  The GCBO is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving the birds and their habitats along the entire Gulf Coast, and beyond into their Central and South America wintering grounds.