A Little Good News
It's been a little over 3 weeks since the terrorist attacks on US soil and, yes, some people still haven't gotten over the shock and senselessness of the events of September 11th. You could probably include me in that number. Even though I live on the Canadian border there is a numbing effect that resounds throughout the area.

I thought about heading up to Kingston, Ontario to take in a show or a concert at The Grand Theatre. I thought about taking my daughters on an outing to Gananoque - ending up at one of our favorite restaurants before heading back to the good old US of A. I thought about taking my wife to the 'best little Texas bar' in Kingston (Lone Star Cafe) to enjoy a hockey game on TV with other Ottawa Senator fans. (Yes, some of us do live in 'The States')

But I haven't as yet. Why? Because I don't want to wait at the border for over an hour just to get out and enjoy some time away from everything. And by saying an hour I'm probably being a dreamer. A couple of friends had a meeting in Ottawa on Monday and they were detained for well over two hours before being allowed to cross into Canada.

Is this what the attack has done to us? Have we been brought to our knees? Did we let the terrorists get to us? Because if we did, we've lost!!

I was listening to CBC Radio One today and one of the guests was Anne Murray. I know...it's almost considered talk radio. Hey, I like Bill Richardson's show.

Anyway, Anne Murray was talking about the tour she is currently on and how she felt the time was right. It's something that's needed right now. Get out and get on with life. I have to agree. We can't let the little things keep us from going about our normal lives. Can we? NO!!

So the news isn't always good and we don't want to listen all the time...Kind of like before the attacks, huh? It's just that now the headlines concern all of us who live in the US. Does it mean we have to hibernate until bin Laden and his co-horts are no longer a threat? I don't think so. Because when bin Laden is gone some other up and coming zealot with a grudge against the free world will do something in the name of religion and we'll start all over again.

The best thing to do is to go about our normal lives (disrupted as they are) and get out and get on. We cannot let the gangland mentality of the few affect the lives of the many. And when it comes right down to it these people are nothing more than a glorified gang who get their thrills terrorizing innocent people so they can feel better about themselves.

Me? I'm going to check out Jimmy Rankin next weekend at The Grand Theater. Maybe I'll see you there.

Anne Murray
Little Good News

I rolled out this morning...kids had the morning news show on
Bryant Gumbel was talking about the fighting in Lebanon
Some senator was squawking about the bad economy
It's gonna get worse you see we need a change in policy

There's a local paper rolled up in a rubber band
One more sad story's one more than I can stand
Just once, how I'd like to see the headline say
Not much to print today can't find nothing bad to say

Because...

Nobody robbed a liquor store on the lower part of town
Nobody OD'd, nobody burned a single building down
Nobody fired a shot in anger...nobody had to die in vain
We sure could use a little good news today

I'll come home this evening...I'll bet that the news will be the same
Somebody takes a hostage...somebody steals a plane
How I wanna hear the anchor man talk about a county fair
And how we cleaned up the air...how everybody learned to care

Whoa, tell me...

Nobody was assassinated in the whole Third World today
And in the streets of Ireland all the children had to do was play
And everybody loves everybody in the good old USA
We sure could use a little good news today

Nobody robbed a liquor store on the lower part of town
Nobody OD'd, nobody burned a single building down
Nobody fired a shot in anger...nobody had to die in vain
We sure could use a little good news today


- Richard Blaine

* Richard Blaine's views and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the staff at Twin-Music.


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