" 3:10 to Yuma, Them or Us!"

I like western movies, "True Grit", "Tombstone", "The Shootist", and "My Darling Clementine" are just a few of my favorites. I could probably list more than five hundred "cowboy pictures" that I have viewed over the course of my life; I've enjoyed all of them. At times these films are very basic, you know "good guys" vs. "bad guys" with a moral that "cheaters never prosper". Sometimes the plots are more complex, movies where the hero isn't quite "lily white" and the villain isn't completely evil. Last week I rented the remake of "3:10 to Yuma"; I saw the original movie numerous times and I really enjoyed it and I was interested if the new cast could add anything to an already fine film. I was pleasantly surprised by the new film, Glenn Ford was the original villain, and he was great as the amiable bad guy, yet Russel Crowe was even better in the role as the character was given great depth as we saw insight into why the "bad guy" became a "bad guy". During the film we saw Crowe as a leader whose men would follow him blindly into any situation. His character is captured and is being transported to a rail station for transport to Yuma for trial and the gallows. Over the course of the trip Crowe establishes a relationship with one of his captors, the owner of a small ranch who needed the transport money to save his ranch; he also knows his men will do whatever they have need to do to gain his release. The climax of the film is a huge gun battle all the way to the station. Finally reaching the train Crowes men close in and Crowe"s captor is fatally wounded. Crowe's men have faithfully done what Crowe knew they would do; their reward was Crowe mercilessly gunning all of them down, they had served their purpose.

We are being confronted by a situation similar to "3:10 to Yuma". The people of America are represented by the small ranch owner, struggling to keep our lives together through difficult times, the "wolf is at the door". Our community is continually being accosted by the "gang". The leader is an amiable type, easy manner, quick smile; yet deadly in his pursuit of what he wants. This "gang leader" wants his health-care, no matter what the cost and he is willing to sacrifice anyone to attain his goal. Over the last several months we have been taking that trip to the train station and we have been engaged in a virtual gun fight with all of Obama's henchmen. Reid, Pelosi, the "lab coat guys"; a constant attack of verbal shot-gun blasts aimed at the American people. Now the gang leader has his men lined up to take the "big fall" so he can achieve his ends; even though it will practically guarantee his "gang" will be slaughtered in November.

It is up to us as Americans to make sure that the "gang leader"gets on that train to Yuma Prison and serves his sentence. We can be "gunned down" or we can put him on that train, there is no third choice America!