Category Archives: Statement

These poems are somewhat of a factual type of poem with hopefully a message that is direct

Masks and the Virus 2020-01

Posted in Current Events, Statement by

Masks and the Virus  2020-01

I must be stupid, because of many reasons.  My being older than 75 makes me vulnerable to the virus, so I do things to prevent getting this disease. BUT, being, at risk, I must contend with others that do not care about my wellbeing.

Going to the grocery store and mingling with those that don’t wear masks, for whatever reason, is a chore. It is a little exhausting to be aware of my being at risk and trying to do the right thing.  Those that do not wear masks are putting ME at risk and I resent it.

I confronted a woman who was blocking my way in an aisle and we did the right left with our carts for a moment or so and since the aisles were marked enter or no entry at the end of the aisle I knew I was going the correct way.  She looked at me and I had to ask why she did not have a mask as I pulled a spare out of my pocket. She shook her head no and said, “I do not wear masks.”

I told her I wear my mask to protect her in case I had the virus and she should do so also. She again, shook her head and barged past me. I guess she did not care.

The activists that are protesting against the lockdowns across the country, which are now being relaxed, that appear on state building front steps, armed to the teeth with AK-47’s, etc., usually do not wear masks either, but some do, I admit.  They also irk me, for they appear to be “loyal Americans” wanting their Amendment rights to be uphold somehow, but some have Confederate flags, swastika flags, etc., for some reason, at the same time and that is beyond understanding .

I was in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years, and, as a veteran, feel disgust for these individuals that want something they feel is theirs to have today.  Another matter, I guess.

Anyhow, I wear masks to protect others, to give myself some protection to a degree, and those that feel they have the right to NOT wear masks, can do so, but my feelings for them are negative. This is long, this is somewhat mild for me to state how I feel, but that is life…………………

Rumors 2018-69

Posted in Contemplation, Statement by

How many dreams have been destroyed, how many lives changed forever from mistruths being thrown out to cloud the issue.  How, just how, can someone create a rumor to create discord in a way of life.  That is wrong and, in the wrong, it is a travesty of justice for all.

 

Rumors   2018-69

 

The builder of false hopes in everyday life,

and also destroyer of dreams born from hope.

Begun as lightning like conduits of words,

flung through space of time from – somewhere.

Forming as small drops of innocent mistruths

then falling in a torrent of despairing mendacity.

 

Facts twisted, expressions and ideas shredded,

via oral and auditory pipelines; fragments remaining.

Mere figments of the whole, true thoughts exploded

at times beyond repair, at best a shell of the truth.

Dissension, disbelief remain behind, leaving rational

thought a victim in its wake, in a raging maelstrom.

 

Faulting “they” and “them” as the reason for all woes,

the faceless ones having the power to change all.

Words of “I heard”; a battle cry to continue the plague

of spreading discord thru the land, amongst thy own.

Rumor – not the truth, the whole truth and nothing but

the truth; instead, at best, partial pieces of fact.

 

Whole truth and total facts are not rumor, as rumors

In most cases, are not the total truth nor whole facts.

 

Den Betts

Email: bettsden@gmail.com Blog: thebettsden.com

 

He is MY President 2018-68

Posted in Current Events, Statement by

I apologize to any that read this that are not from the United States of America.  We, in the U.S., have a leader that is very unusual to say the least.  I do respect him, did not vote for him, and do not really like him or the things he does, but he IS the President and, as such, I and the rest of us, have to put up with the things he is responsible for today. If any have any concerns, understand that he is not the President forever, like some countries, it will just FEEL like forever.  I do NOT normally comment on the blog, any political thoughts, so forgive me for this time………….

 

                                                      He is MY President!                            2018-68

Today, I looked at the RAM truck in front of my car at the light and saw on the back window, a sign stating, “Trump is MY President”.

That reminded me that a friend stated, “He IS the President and needs respect” or he might have said “deserves respect”, not sure.   I might have argued with him about this, but knowing he was once a commissioned officer in the Army, I gathered this was part of his thinking.  President equals Commander in Chief, and I let it go.

But, I looked at the truck in more detail after I read the poster on the window.  There were hunting stickers on the bumper which told me he was a hunter, of course. Or at least he was stating he was as such.  I looked at the left side of the truck where an American flag was on a sticker and figured he was a patriot of some sorts. I don’t do that, putting my allegiance on my car, but that is not the point. I might add that there was also a Confederate Flag on the on the right side of the truck window. Hmmm.

The statement that the owner figured that Trump was HIS President, made me think.  Of the total amount of people that voted, less than 50% voted for this man.  The other percentage voted for his opponent and Trump won, based on the electoral college, which is the way it is still done. He won, period, and did so per the regulations that are in effect now. I digress.

The point is, Trump brags about his base.  The people that DO applaud him are those that like what he is doing, regardless.  These are his base, which account for less than 40%, plus or minus some percentage points.  Trump is THEIR President and they are proud of being his base and what he stands for and does.  Now that is loyalty.

I cannot argue this thinking.  I do not claim to be part of his base, do not like many things he does, and I feel he does NOT have the moral fortitude that a President has to have.  In my mind he is not what MY President needs to be to represent me, as the leader of the greatest country in the world today.

I have accumulated over 5 dozen items of interest that show me, and any that want to read them, just what I feel about this man who is the leader of the free world today.  They are ALL negative, which is sort of telling.  I think that there are some positive things I could mention, but none come to mind.

The unfortunate part of this shows me that there are THOSE out there that are for him and MANY out there that are not for him.  But, he is the President; just not mine, and I do NOT respect him at all.

Peace,

Den Betts,           Email bettsden@gmail.com    Blog: thebettsden.com

Cancer Check/Surgery 2018-19

Posted in Religious, Statement by

Cancer Check/Surgery Done!  2018-19

I write this to allow others to know what I, and some others not just know, but believe.

I had a rather bad case of basal cell carcinoma a couple of years ago and had it taken care of by my doctor, Doctor Garcia. Since then, I have had regular 6-month checkups to make sure I am cancer free.

I had one exam, 7 months ago and had no problem. Last month was my 6-month checkup and the doctor saw two areas that were suspicions of not being correct. A biopsy was taken of both of them and they were analyzed. One came back as basal cell carcinoma.

Today I had it taken care of, with what is called MOHS surgery. This is a specialized surgery that is for cancer removal.

I cannot stress enough that anyone that has a unique, unusual growth on their body, MUST have it checked out to see if it is cancerous.  My latest growth was NOT there 3 months ago.  I knew I was going to have my 6-month checkup and had it early this month, and it was found out.  Basal cell carcinoma is a slow growth cancer, versus the melanoma cancer, which is fast growing and more dangerous to have growing on you.

I implore you to not take some growth for granted and fluff it off. Do NOT be stupid and think you are that smart to ignore something that will kill you in a most unpleasant way.

Enough of that…..   

I thank God for his Presence, the feeling of His being there this morning with me, giving me comfort, for consoling me, and showing He cared for me.  His hands guiding those of my surgeon, who, with his education, training, and experience made my incision small, and complete.  I felt His Presence and appreciated it as I appreciated the doctor doing the surgery.  

Thanks be to God,

Peace,

Den Betts

Coward 2017-28

Posted in Contemplation, Statement by

I thought of this one I wrote when I watched the Charlottesville, Va. murder by car on TV the weekend of 7-12-17. The young man that mowed down innocent people during a rally by the evil people that belong to the KKK, White Nationalists and White Supremacists groups showed how much of a coward he was by doing his thing with a car.  This is NOT what decent people do here in America or across the world.

 

Coward   2017-28

A person who cowers when others do their duty,

afraid with fright to continue.

One who refuses to participate in a common goal

as the whole pitches in

Who stands alone while others continue in the quest

to accomplish the stated objectives.

Those that look out for selves at all times and

forget their fellow man when needed.

Whose direction or travel is opposite to the

flow of others in an emergency.

Who hide behind a mask or darkness of night

to state their warped beliefs against fellow man.

Who feel the need to degrade with words; to slur

instead of address their own hidden fears.

An individual or group that bullies the few or one,

by intimidation or physical violence.

Whose greatest fear is the fear that they will

be found out to be cowards that they are….

 

Den Betts

Viewers to Blog

Posted in Statement by

Viewers to Blog 2016-68

THANKS to all the followers and other viewers of my blog!!! My blog TheBettsDen.com went over 2000 views on the blog this month. There were 1115 visitors that viewed some of my 267 posts. The best day was when 49 views were recorded. Some of the viewer followers are from Facebook (91) and 60 are from WordPress (WP) itself. Of the WP people, they are from 37 countries overall.

These numbers are NOT that large overall, compared to other bloggers, but I consider them outstanding!!!! Again, THANK YOU.

Dennis Betts 

Statement of an Activist 2016-65

Posted in Current Events, Statement by

Statement of an Activist  2016-65

To become or NOT to become one

THAT is the question!

For every action

There is a reaction

THAT is a fact!

To forget is hard

To remember is even harder.

And, at times, to become one

Is NOT a choice, but a life mandate

To give in and accept the person I detest, as the leader, MY leader, of this great nation is a difficult thing to do and still remain a decent citizen and follow the laws of this United States in the process, IS, and I repeat, IS a daunting task…..  To be quiet, not stir up discord or remain docile is not my nature, BUT I realize there are consequences if action is taken that is contrary to the norm….

I feel that to get involved is a MUST, a duty, a requirement, as a concerned citizen. No longer can I remain a member of this great United States as an onlooker only, a follower of the masses and do NOTHING, a creature of apathy, again, a do-nothing person, and just exist as a complainer only.

I therefore commit to action. Action of something more than nothing. I will NOT accept this so called leader to get by with immoral, decadent, illegal, or any other action that goes against the Constitution of the U.S.A., without voicing my displeasure.

He has NOT become a better person just because he is elected POTUS! Just like a leopard cannot change its “spots” or a zebra its “stripes” he is not mysteriously a “nice” person, full of wisdom and great things, all of a sudden… He is still has ALL the baggage he had before being elected.

Worse yet, he is appointing people that have the same thought patterns as he has, therefore, making the rest of the leadership in the White House having the same horrible mentality. We cannot change what has occurred with the election, but we can hold him and those that he appoints accountable.  We must NOT accept those things that are WRONG, that affect us or others in a negative way; we must NOT.

Therefore, I will become an activist and, as such, my life will change, and I will hopefully change the lives of others in the process….   Time will tell, on the results of my efforts…..

Above all, I will use the teachings of the biggest rabble rouser of all times, the one man who changed the world for all times, the one that I will use as a guide for my endeavors in the future and who will show me the way –Jesus Christ, the son of God…….   Amen

Dennis Betts—  Activist and Disciple

Responsibility of Life 2016-34

Posted in Contemplation, Statement by

The subject of abortion came up with a  politician saying the woman should be punished for having an abortion; then retracted the statement, knowing that was not politically correct. It made me think of the woman who makes the decision of life of another life.

It is NOT an easy decision, but one that has to or should be weighed with much thought. Religion comes up regarding this, at times, and judgements are made, but I feel let God make his own judgements, if any, and humans should leave women alone….

Responsibility of Life 2016-34

A right to life with

responsibility of its living.

Decisions by the one with

the living inside.

To bear and to have born life or

make a choice to end forevermore

Right or wrong – no true issue,

instead, consciousness of responsibility

Either the end or taking care of in future times

– but always, living with the conclusion.

Tis easy for a man to say what a woman should

or should not do, he is the third party

But it is NOT easy for the woman

who has to decide on the life within her

There are many options to consider

But so, so many, feelings that are involved

Den Betts

Girl and Child 2016-09

Posted in Contemplation, Current Events, Statement by

I came up with this after watching an article on TV that described how mothers with addiction have babies that are born addicted to the drugs their mother was using. It was horrible to watch as the child lay there wracked with spasms. Other people were also shown and, they too had problems that affected them.

What will it actually take to eradicate the use of drugs, or the NEED of using drugs? A “war on drugs” failed when it was playing out.  Drug usage and crimes that involve those using drugs is rampant and part of life today. So sad!!!

 

Girl and Child 2016-09

Her mother was a prostitute also,

The father an unknown man,

       The pain was more than discomfort

        The itching almost insane.

 

She had no skills to offer except herself,

Quitting school early, she could not read.

       His lungs cried out in agony,

        The breath in and out, dry and parched.

 

The hope she had as a little girl,

Was lost in reality at thirteen.

         The twitching of the body increasing,

          But his mind had no control.

 

A number amongst a pile of statistics,

Stacked on a desk of a human service worker.

         Life tubes, wires, monitors and tape,

          Telling the caregiver of continued life.

 

What chance or choice does she really have,

With the uncaring majority of others?

               The “crack baby” struggles for living,

               An addict with a bleak dim future.

The mother, the son, both victims,

Of the way of life in this modern world.

 

Den Betts

Dream Gone? 2016-07

Posted in Contemplation, Poems, Statement by

I think this is somewhat of an unfair poem I wrote, but feel I must post it today on Martin Luther King Remembrance Day. It is about a man that I DO respect, and a cause that was great, but because of a misguided individual, the dream was interrupted. Is the dream actually gone or just not a reality today; don’t know.

 

Dream Gone? 2016-07

He had a dream so long ago,

One that inspired others; young and old.

Giving hope to those oppressed,

“Keep the faith” he said and overcome

all, he stressed.

 

So long ago, is not now,

things have changed, since then,

The standard has fallen and with it the dream

Nay, not it, but its hope and reality.

Overcome by other things, overshadowing all.

 

A revival once a year, more to honor,

Soon forgotten afterwards, the essence of his doing.

A crime of remembrance, without the action.

Lip service by many of power and fame

Looking for recognition for a day.

 

Pride in self and others no longer there

Easier to wail and wallow in white dust of death.

Excuses thrown out for fellow man to hear

To recognize as a reflection of themselves

In a mirror of their dismal lives; so sad.

 

So hard to crawl out of the troughs of despair

To fight the injustices of those against you.

To say no to temptation from peer groups around,

And stand up with pride of the right kind.

Straight, mighty, with both feet on ground.

 

The wind carries an echo of “I have a dream”

A haunting reminder of a better life ahead.

A hope, with faith of final success,

Equality for all with peace earned

for those deserving, working for that dream

 

Den Betts