Scotty gave me a magazine about WWII, one of the new issues featuring recently declassified material about U-boats. There was also a very disturbing article about an illegal arrest. The Allies, who are supposedly the arch-proponents of democracy and rule of law, threw Axis Sally (Mildred Gillars) into the jug until 1961.
That is outrageous, for she broke no American or German law, and she was not guilty of treason (because she wasn’t an American Thus, I consider her a political prisoner entitled to just civil compensation, not by the American people, but by the criminals who arrested, tried, and prosecuted her – the US Army personnel at their own personal expense and that of anyone whose orders they were following. There is a point at which a soldier has a duty to disobey, and breaking the law is well within that definition.
[Author’s note: I say again that I am against any form of ex post facto law and will never respect or support anyone who does so or attempts to do so. Ex post facto has got to be the most disgusting crime ever conceived and the penalty should be death for any lawyer or judge who evokes it as “due process”. Law should only pertain from its creation onwards. Ex post facto law is to prosecute people today for something they legally completed in the past.]
There, I feel much better. It was hardly a day off, I made up five lesson kits, taught the lesson, then called bingo at Jimbo’s. Nothing is that taxing but it breaks the day up into two hour stints and nothing else can get started. Financially, this week was a dud but I did get a semi-request to begin calling Tuesday bingo at “The Moose”, which I take it is nearby.
I don’t call(bingo) for free so that will have to be worked out plus they will have to use their own PA. The popularity with my show is the, well, it is the show. It is far more than bingo, featuring themed background music (Halloween, Thanksgiving), sound effects, favorite numbers, and of course, the caller wearing a suit and tie. And you can’t beat the way I call the numbers. Micosukke Casino, eat my dust!
Now Millie is in remission, rolling around like a puppy. Two people have told Wallace not to give her any bones “in her stage”. That’s idiotic as far as I’m concerned. Don’t give a dog a bone, indeed. There is no shortage of old wive’s tales, superstition and crackpots around this town. Wallace is the one that isn’t eating. He eats, but he skimps, like he’ll toast a bagel and then hardly put any cheese on it. You know me, unless your stomach is upset (in which case you head for the clinic), a healthy appetite is paramount.
I was able to find time to investigate a few prices for the placement mat flyer. They still make wide-carriage printers, and they are surprisingly cheap at $200 low-end. That’s within range, I’m sure the mechanics are identical to regular size printers. I am surprised they don’t make a black only inkjet (I think), and I’ve considered refilling all the cartridges with black ink. Still no further word from Wilmieville. I will assume that Theresa will look closely at the flyer distribution, since that is the remaining obstacle, and I can’t do anything to help about that.
Bowing to requests, I will describe the worst scam faced by the shoe shop. It works like this, but don’t try it. “Yew, that is terrible workmanship. If I’d known you were going to do this I’d never have brought my shoes here. I’m not paying for that. Give me my shoes back so I can take them some place that will do it right.” Fat chance.
*Normally, I do not post comments, but this one was partially correct in that Gillars had not actively renounced her American citizenship as very few people ever do, and was therefore still legally an American during WWII. But she was given a choice by the Germans, to collaborate or be sent to a concentration camp. A lot of good American citizenship does in those circumstances.
The right to speak one's political opinions without fear is fundamental to Americans. (I doubt anyone of any importance ever took Axis Sally seriously.) There was no law in existence at that time which said one could not make anti-American statements, in fact, the right to do so is enshrined. Thus, if she was a civilian, she was not guilty of any known crime, if she was not a civilian, that made her a POW and most POWs cooperated with the enemy to some extent. What she did may have been wrong, but making people criminals after the fact is not a behavior associated with civilized human beings.
