OP-ED: T.O.A.D.S. (Take Off and Die Syndrome)

(‘John Smith’ is a Triangle area business owner, originally from the coast of NC, and a former state regulator.)

Surfers are crazy. Just as well say it. Who, in their right mind would take off on a close-out wave, that is more sand than water, throwing out onto a dry beach, for a 0.0001 second tube ride? Well, let me ask you this, WHO WOULDN’T?

Yes, I were one, about 80 pounds ago. Now, even though I am agile for my age, I limit myself to a boogie board and sit and watch the latest YouTube videos about what happened yesterday at The Wedge. I always wonder if I were to die riding the boogie board one day, would people remember my surfing fanaticism? I am sure some would agree that me dying like that was just poetic justice. “Yep, he died with his fins on,” they would say, with their heads down, trying to hide a snicker.

For those who are not familiar with legendary surf spots, The Wedge is located adjacent to the jetty in Newport Beach, California. I have never been there, but from what I can tell, the ride involves two different waves moving towards shore at nearly right angles to one another. When it is at it’s best, a mild mannered 3 foot wave is reflected off the jetty and moves toward shore where it is intersected by a natural, unreflected 3 foot wave coming in from the ocean. Where these waves meet and encounter the shore, almost supernatural forces are unleashed.

There, the combined force of the waves is compressed into an enormous mountain of moving liquid, 10, 15, or even 20 feet high, hence the “wedge” name, before pitching out far and forcefully, sometimes on to dry sand. So forceful is the breaking wave that sometimes giant geysers of slurried sand erupt from the beach where it was unwound. It can really hurt you, and it’s scary stuff, except to those crazy surfers!

On good days, the surfers sneak in around the local authorities before the sun comes up. After all, it’s California, where they regulate everything, especially fun. The surfers ride it with anything they have: skim boards, boogie boards, knee boards and stand up boards. Mostly, all get face planted in the sand in the end, because the waves close out, and rarely does anyone escape. But judging by the number of bodies in the water, they can’t seem to get enough of it!

They other day while watching the 15 minute video summary of the latest demolition derby of surfers getting creamed there, it occurred to me: this is an analogy of the lineup of current Democrat issues they are trying to ride!

For example, on one side they have the wave of woman’s rights, which they unequivocally support, and this is intersecting the wave of transgender rights, which they also unequivocally support. Holding the two opposing issues in the same regards at the same time, is creating a mounting pressure they eventually won’t be able to subdue, and it is crying for relief!

Politics move a lot slower than ocean waves, but are Democrats really going to take off on this wicked wave of their own creation, at the exact moment the wave hits the shore of public opinion? Natural forces at work, and, oh my, this looks like it will get interesting!

Any number of signature Democrat issues are just like this. There’s the defund the police wave intersecting the wave of crime and violence; there’s the wave of unrestricted abortion, intersecting the wave of Black Lives Matter; there’s the wave of Critical Race Theory, intersecting the wave of the Democrat’s racist history; and there’s the wave of gun control, intersecting the wave of Democrat’s refusal to prosecute existing gun laws on criminals committing crimes with guns.

Democrats trying to surf these giant intersecting issues, as they break on the shore of public opinion, will be more thrilling than anything that can ever happen at The Wedge! Get some popcorn and pull up a chair! These are going to be some of the greatest Democrat wipeouts ever!

(‘John Smith’ is a Triangle area business owner, originally from the coast of NC, and a former state regulator.)