William Boyd made his first Hopalong Cassidy film in 1935. He went on to enjoy a very successful career even into TV. Hopalong was right there with the Lone Ranger and some others as one of my childhood cowboy heroes, but his white hair and black attire with silver appointments really made him a striking presence setting him apart.

Anytime a new Hopalong film was released I could hardly wait to go see it. But one of his early films left me feeling cheated and betrayed; not by Hopalong but by the film’s producers engaging in what we used to call “trick photography.” There was Hoppy mounted on Topper facing the bad guys. I waited eagerly to see Hoppy beat the bad guys to the draw when the film seemed to give a slight lurch and his gun instantly appeared in Hoppy’s hand without his ever reaching for it. This was such a clumsy thing on the part of the film’s producers that even as a child I resented it. This was something Hoppy would never do, this trick photography that demeaned him while cheating boys like me! So, I discounted it as the fault of the film’s producers not Hopalong. They were to blame for trying to bamboozle those like me who believed in Hopalong. But no matter all the films made thereafter, that one scene of obvious trickery in which I was cheated, even betrayed stayed indelibly imprinted on my mind.

Sometimes it only takes one slip for a person or organization to lose the moral force of their position, especially when it comes to religion. While those like Jimmy Swaggart come readily to mind, this same loss of moral force accrues equally to the Roman Church in its refusal to deal with perversion among its priests along with the two predominate political parties refusing to clean their houses as well; and sometimes the good people in organizations suffer the consequences of a lapse of morality on the part of others. Then the good people struggle with the decision of whether to leave the organization, to forsake their “heroes” or stay in the hope of making things better, even as Henry Thoreau and other worthies of the past struggled with the same problem.

Of the greatest magnitude is when people and organizations in America lose their moral positions and in doing so give the propaganda advantage to our enemies, especially Muslims. While Western Civilization has enjoyed great progress in many ways far beyond other nations in history, we are losing our position as being arbiters of morality. And America is fast gaining the reputation of being the worst example of a loss of moral standards thereby giving our enemies the advantage in propaganda, especially since political correctness will not allow the proper demonizing of our enemies. This together with the lack of moral standards in the leadership of America makes our future dangerous in the extreme.

America used to be a “missionary” nation dedicated to taking civilization to extreme corners of the world. But some years ago it became an issue of whether America was beginning to be in need of missionaries sent to us? Perhaps this is part of the reason some artists have targeted my birthplace of Weedpatch for special consideration.

Quite naturally any reference to Weedpatch gets my attention, and the following is especially noteworthy:

The British have arrived, but does Weedpatch care? By Mark Barna Californian staff writer. October 19, 2006. Three artists have crossed the Atlantic to bring public art to Weedpatch, a mostly Hispanic community near Lamont typically concerned more with making ends meet than meeting British artists. The Arts Council of Kern is hosting Jo Dacombe, left, Heather Connelly, center, and Jayne Murray, a three-person group from England collectively known as CoLab, as part of a public art project centered around the town of Weedpatch. Monday's banquet underlined the extremes unfolding in this dusty community -- white artists with English accents trying to convey their inchoate vision to Mexican immigrants who speak not a word of the Anglican tongue. British artists Jo Dacombe, Heather Connelly and Jayne Murray, together known as CoLab, will be in Weedpatch for nearly four weeks, getting to know the residents and learning about their aspirations and needs. Public art will be the result, though nobody knows the form it will take… Is public art really what is needed in this impoverished place? And what would be its benefits? That's what Gregorio Velasco, 46, a farmworker supporting a wife and five children, asked at the banquet. Through an interpreter, Lloyd told Velasco, "We feel that the arts are an expression of who we are as human beings." The project may help Weedpatch residents feel greater pride. Artist Murray put in, "It may be a catalyst for something else." Velasco was one of about five local Hispanics attending the banquet. Afterward, the immigrant from Qaxaca, Mexico, said he was satisfied with the responses. He then spoke of the poor housing, the pesticide contamination, the poverty, the lack of medical treatment and the high rents of his community. "With this project," Velasco said, "people will know more about the terrible conditions we live in here."

Several questions arise from this attempt to bring art to Weedpatch. Like much of Kern County this is a Mexican colony filled with illegal aliens that have no intention of becoming Real Americans, will never assimilate and like Muslims that will never swear allegiance to America Mexicans will always swear allegiance to Mexico not America.

As to giving Mexicans a “voice” will they name the real perpetrators of their miserable conditions, the wealthy exploiting them for slave labor with the aid of politicians that betray America by refusing to secure our borders? Not hardly. So what will the “pride” consist of resulting from this art experiment by the “missionaries” from England? Why not go to Mexico where they would find far more productive ground for their efforts. Oh, that’s right. They wouldn’t be safe in Mexico. And that is a moral distinction between America and Mexico, but one that We the People, not politicians, make for America.