Osler's Razor

I went to the Baylor football game last night. It was an exciting game-- Kansas State had one very effective play, where they punt the ball, then pick up the ball when our guy drops it. I couldn't spot a mascot on their side, though. I was hoping for someone as exciting as Vic The Demon Pimp or "Sarge" from Texas A & M, but none appeared. I was really hoping for a "Manhattanville Meth-Head" or something.

You may have noticed that I don't post much about politics; that's because I don't care much about politics. I care a lot about government, but the game of politics doesn't seem to have much to do with that anymore.

The members of Congress seem pretty far away-- even when I really try I can't get much of a dialogue going with them.

I do think they are mostly good men and women, though. One that I admire is Chet Edwards, though for a reason that has nothing to do with politics. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, my church (at the initiative of Mary Darden) took in about 50 refugees from the storm. I signed up to work at the shelter one night from midnight to three a.m. As I approached the church, I saw a car driving out of the church lot with "U.S. Congress" license plates. I could see the driver, and I was quite sure it was not Congressman Edwards or his wife. Given the apparent determination of the driver to get out in a hurry, I ran into the church and asked if Congressman Edwards (who is not a member of my church) was there. Another volunteer said no, and then I opined that it seemed that someone just drove off in his car. They just kind of laughed at me.

It turns out that Congressman Edwards came to the church and offered not only his car for the use of a refugee, but his own home. So while he was off in DC, a family he had not known was living in his house and driving his car.

I never read about that act of generosity in the paper, and I never saw him use it in a campaign. I suspect there are other good souls in the Congress, as well, and I'm thankful for that.