We want to make it easy to vote, but hard to cheat.
GOP Senator Mike Lee
By Dr. Jim Ferguson
If you have never done it and have the opportunity, you should try it. This was the modus operandi of the Ferguson family raising our girls. If you tried Brussels sprouts and hated them, you can say no thank you the rest of your life. A chef friend once prepared the vile vegetables for Becky and me, and to be gracious, I sampled his creation, which was tolerable, but I still avoid the sprouts.
I’m game to try most things, at least those not overtly dangerous. I’ve walked in Times Square, but not again. And when I was younger and foolish, I overindulged. However, I learned that the misery of the next morning is not worth the buzz of the night before. Wisdom is the prudent assessment of the risk-benefit ratio of any endeavor.
We had not done a cruise since Covid, and because I don’t care for February, other than it’s short, I was looking for a warm respite from winter’s snow and cold. So, we hopped aboard Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam for a week of Caribbean warmth, elegant dining and wonderful nightly entertainment while cruising to the next port and next meal! Actually, you are not required to overeat and if you stay active, you will still be able to button your trousers when you get home. We also had the unique experience of watching the Super Bowl on the pool deck giant screen with 250+ fellow travelers.
The downside of travel is repacking your bag and moving to another hotel the next day. On a cruise, your hotel room travels with you to the next destination.
Some people are concerned about sea sickness, but this is rarely a problem in a big ship, as contrasted with a small fishing boat. Actually, I find the gentle motion of the ship is like being rocked in a cradle.
Clouds seem to hang low over the ocean without the updraft from a warming landscape or mountains to push them higher. I first noticed this while traveling in Ireland. We tend to forget that Knoxville is approximately 1,000 feet above sea level and 1,000 miles from the coast.
Our ship was not a behemoth with an amusement park on the top deck, but was nonetheless a small city carrying almost 4,000 guests and crew and comparable to the souls on an aircraft carrier. Yet, on the ocean expanse, the ship is tiny. Interestingly, diesel fuel is burned to produce steam, which turns turbines to generate electricity for the ship and the electric motors that propel the ship.
Sunsets at sea are breathtaking, and the deep blue of the ocean is often subtly complemented by streaks of floating orange algae. I’m not a beach person, but the intermingling of blue, turquoise and green colors of the Grand Turks shoreline was spectacular. I wish I could show you the vistas that buoyed/saved my winter-bound spirit.
On our voyage, I discovered that I missed that woman … Siri, that is. Having access to the internet is sketchy at sea unless you pay exorbitantly for Starlink. And in Caribbean ports of call, despite the assurance by our carrier, even texting is unreliable. Many believe we are enslaved by smartphones and devices. I certainly think social media is problematic, but it holds little interest for me. However, I missed not being able to find answers to questions that pop up during the day. Admittedly, I’m naturally curious about a host of things, so being able to find answers to questions provides my “dopamine hit.” And since I read numerous news sources to stay abreast of things and to research topics for this column, I need the net.
I’m not ignoring the Nancy Guthrie tragedy, but I have little to offer. Like most of you, I suspect she was kidnapped and taken to Mexico for ransom, and things went bad, but that is pure speculation. On the other hand, I can offer factual observations regarding the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which has passed the House of Representatives and is now before the Senate. President Trump says he will execute an executive order if Congress fails to act on this critical legislative proposal. So, what are we talking about?
I think congressional legislation is formulated in legalese, perhaps to stand up in court or to keep John Q. Public clueless. The 19th-century Chancellor of Germany, Otto von Bismarck, implied it’s best you not know what is in sausage or politics. But since I’m neither a lawyer, a congressional staffer writing legislation or a politician, I will cut to the chase and give you the Ferg-notes synopsis of my SAVE research.
The SAVE Act mandates that voters “present a photo ID at the polls” and requires “proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration.” The act also “mandates that states keep voter rolls clear of ineligible voters” (dead people will no longer be able to vote). Seems simple enough to me, and 83% of Americans support voter ID laws.
However, Democrat Senator Chuckie Schumer has called this legislation Jim Crow 2.0, implying that people of color are unable to obtain and show a photo ID. How racist! Yet, more than 75% of blacks, Asians and Hispanics support a photo ID to vote (Pew Research Center 2025 poll). A photo ID is required to buy beer, hunt or fish, check into a hotel, cash a check or fly on an airplane. And the argument that married women who take the husband’s name might be disenfranchised by having to get new identifying documents is ridiculous. As someone said online, “Women aren’t stupid. They have been updating their names and voting for generations.” The Dems are also opposed to ICE at the polls; remember, it is illegal for illegals to vote.
Our cruise temporarily saved me from winter’s chill, and Republicans are trying to save Americans’ voting rights. But of far greater personal and spiritual importance is that I was saved 50 years ago and reconnected to the Creative and Sustaining force of the universe. Blessedly, the Spirit now sustains me through winter’s chill and troubled times.
