Keeping the ball in the socket
 | Rob Crowe
Columnist
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When I was a youngster, I was a cadet member of the Civil Air Patrol. We were involved in many activities, some were pretty boring like standing with a fire extinguisher for hours watching a generator run.
I never could figure out why I or any one else was assigned to that one, but when you have no rank you get those types of assignments. There were also some pretty fun things to do, one of them being the opportunity to have an occasional airplane ride.
One time I went up as a passenger in the squadron Aeronca Champ, a two-seater fore and aft, one of the classic post World War II planes - this one was a 65 horse, built probably in the late 1940s. Auggie Erickson was piloting the plane and he flew it north of Grand Rapids, over some of the iron mining operations in the area. At one point, he said something to me over his shoulder and the airplane went into a moderately steep bank. Routine for these fun flights was that the cadet got to fly the plane a little bit, but I wasn't at all sure that this was what was happening, but I reached over and placed my hand on the stick, it felt firm like someone was holding it. The plane circled for a little while, then Auggie said something again and the plane was righted and we flew on back to the airport. When we got back to the hanger, Auggie started telling my Dad how good of a turn I had made with the plane, the "ball was right in the socket" on the turn and bank indicator. I guess at some point I told him I hadn't really been flying the aircraft, I hadn't known I was supposed to be flying it, and they had a good laugh over it. Fortunately the Champ was well designed, its primary function was a trainer. The incident underscored the inherent stability of the airplane even though it was over 20 years old at the time.
One does wonder who is flying the plane over at the Senate for the Democrats. Last week, when we found out that the world is still a dangerous place, not that it ever is really a safe place, Harry Reid, minority leader of the Senate, had a rather peculiar reaction. This came in the form of some strange comments he made after the arrests of aspiring Muslim terrorists in Britain. These home-grown terrorists evidently were planning to smuggle liquid explosives aboard about 10 planes and blow up the planes mid-flight to the U.S. The Brits, with help from Pakistani and United States counter terrorism efforts, thwarted the plot and arrested many of the aspiring suicide bombers.
According to a San Francisco Chronicle article: Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the incident shows that "as a result of mismanagement and the wrong funding priorities, we are not as safe as we should be."
Evidently Harry must not realize that the plot was thwarted, it did not happen. The mismanagement is on the side of the Democrats, they have been attempting to obstruct most efforts by the Bush Administration to keep Americans safe. One could get the impression from his reaction that Harry was a little disappointed that the attacks didn't occur, one wonders what he would have said then. Another Reid statement: "This latest plot demonstrates the need for the Bush administration and the Congress to change course in Iraq and ensure that we are taking all the steps necessary to protect Americans at home and across the world."
There may be indications that we need to make a course adjustment in Iraq, but this isn't one of them. We do need to take all steps necessary to protect Americans, but, let's face it, Harry isn't on board for much of anything in that regards. He boasted about killing the Patriot Act and calls surveillance of foreign telephone calls illegal. I wonder how he plans on getting information about what the terrorists are planning. Maybe by putting an ad in the newspaper or something, yea, I got it now, just put a want ad in the terrorist's favorite rag, the New York Times, that should do it.
It is a dangerous world, the Islamic Fascists will do anything to harm Americans. Only the smartest and toughest tactics will be successful against them. I'm sure glad Harry Reid isn't piloting the plane.
Rob Crowe chairs the Aitkin County Republicans and raises kids and cows on a farm near Hill City.
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