Skip navigation

Category Archives: My Opinion

Half Heard


Again the untold or total truth goes unsaid or heard. Colin Kaepernick’s refusal to stand during the national anthem is big news (why?). Apparently any protest against what is considered an institution in America is news, even Donald Trump has leapt full force and uninformed on this issue. Reading all of several articles and looking at a 20 minute news conference  on this I fully get the reason for his protest. It is unfortunate that too many of us do not. The history of anthem is as interesting as the unspoken history of our country. To address some modern ideas: Donald trumps constituency is comprised of conservatives and many “fringe” followers, the fringe followers are the people who believe people of color are ruining the country even though the country was ruined (so to speak) by their ancestors. The native Americans were exploited, murdered and displaced  for the purpose and needs of  non native Americans whose sole purpose was to advance their own needs. When these needs were met then the Native Americans and the “imported” Americans  were placed in subservient positions. That lower tier status was maintained for years until the 60’s when the Civil rights movement evolved. Even then the movement was slow and the resentment about the aspirations of the minorities was looked upon as “uppity”. Human dignity was considered a privilege reserved for the upper class , translated as White (even though many  enjoying the privilege were in the same circumstances as the minority). Many history books do not detail all of the events of this country so too many of us have no idea of the ill-treatment conferred upon the lesser of ALL of us. The issue we all need to address is the half heard, half reported and uncovered history and information that runs so rampantly in our society. Think about how you would feel if the roles of white and people of color were reversed, if you believe  your situation would remain the same then you should be on the front lines of any movement for progress for us all. If you believe you situation would change then you definitely need to be in the fight. It is generally felt that we have 2 candidates that are less than ideal but what is ideal? We are at a time in world history that Jesus or Mohamed would have a hard time getting elected so we need to find out all we can about candidates on our own and  not from the news media. This requires reading and investigating other avenues of information. What we need to do is try another view or look at things through the eyes of others. Keep in mind that racism and bigotry are the children of ignorance.

Please Donate

Please Donate

To The Non Voters


There are many of us who do not vote, have never voted and who are electing not to vote. Voting is the only and best voice you have! That decision to abdicate your right to let you voice be heard is a great boon to the politicians that you so thoroughly dislike. These elected eels dismiss the non voters as unimportant and you feel that your vote does not matter. To explain: unfortunately our 2(?) party system is broken, while we do have a couple of fringe parties, it is not enough that they present different views on the state of the country and by extension the government. If some of us do not vote, their views and yours remain largely hidden and unrepresented. The act of voting has to do with understanding first how Government works (or not) and what effect the action or lack of has on all of us. Politicians who have been in office for a long time will and do say what is required to keep that office, gaining  all the perks they can (or feathering their own nests). Your vote can mean the difference between good government and poor government. You as non voters are relied upon being a constant number  of people whose influence is negligible except as a number  to be subtracted from the general count. In this case you do not exist as a citizen! Forget the electoral college as it has nothing to do with your personal vote YOUR VOTE COUNTS!- I repeat YOUR VOTE COUNTS!. No matter who you support in this Presidential race or any other political race, your voice is your vote and  you need to use it. Good government comes from informed voters.

btn_donateCC_LG

Please Donate

Trump earns the support of nearly 90 military leaders


Previous post addressed this article and I must point out that even in the military retired and not, there are single issue voters who I would have hoped would be more broadly informed. MA 

Julia Boccagno

MSN |

© Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.

Donald Trump won the support of nearly 90 retired military leaders in an open letter released by the campaign on Tuesday.

The letter, first reported by the New York Times, was organized by 40-year Army general and Holocaust survivor Major Gen. Sidney Shachnow (ret) and Rear Admiral Charles Williams (ret), laid out several national security threats and military challenges to the safety of Americans across the country —  from slashes in the defense budget to strife caused by Islamic radicalization.

“In our professional judgment, the combined effect is potentially extremely perilous,” the letter read. “We support Donald Trump and his commitment to rebuild our military, to secure our borders, to defeat our Islamic supremacist adversaries and restore law and order domestically.”

The letter surfaced during a week in which the GOP nominee is highlighting veterans’ issues and national security. On Wednesday, Mr. Trump, and Clinton will both participate in a NBC/MSNBC forum dedicated to the subject.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the political aisle, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton released a campaign advertisement that takes a slap at Trump’s shaky record with veterans.

“Sacrifice” features former Sen. Max Cleland and veterans–a few who bear the visible scars of war– who silently watch Trump deliver remarks that have been frequently described as “insensitive” and “offensive” by outspoken critics. The ad concludes with text that reads “our veterans deserve better.”

The ad is set to air on cable and in several battleground states– Florida, New Hampshire, Ohio, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Nevada.

Clinton and running mate Tim Kaine are also emphasizing national security this week. Kaine spoke on  national security at a speech in Wilmington, North Carolina, while Clinton will discuss national security at a rally at the University of South Florida in Tampa, according to a statement released by the Clinton campaign.

© Provided by CBS Interactive Inc.

btn_donateCC_LG

Please Donate

WTF!!


This morning as I got my daily news fix, there was a report on 88 retired General Staff officers (generals & admirals) who are supporting Donald trump. The spokesman sounded more like an uninformed voter rather than a previously serving military officer. One would think a retired officer would have access to how immigrants are vetted or at least understand what happens. I was moved to think about past military actions and decisions  possibly committed and made by these retirees and what affect it had on all of us long-term. Were any or all of them associated with some previous military errors and imprudent decisions? Could we look at their military records and come up with a heroic story or maybe some tarnished areas(like regular people)? Apparently these learned (?) former military folks are not (or were not) as good as we needed then or now. It is well that this is America and not some other country where our freedoms allow open speech by everyone. I support their freedom to support and speak out according to their conscience but I take issue with the seeming lack of back up information.

btn_donateCC_LG

Please Donate

 

Once We Get There


When this election is over and done, no matter who wins, the US will not be the same. If we have a Trump Presidency, there will major changes but not what supporters expect. The current Congress will only allow what they want to be done and any thing that will negatively the “party” will be slow walked if not outright killed. The above statement could also apply to Hillary Clinton. Apparently Mr. Trump is so sure that he is a better non political leader that his programs will be enacted in the first 100 days of his Presidency. To be sure he may have some limited success but his followers will soon learn his agenda will fall on rough times and will not be as enforceable as they think. It is unfortunate that so many disenfranchised people have jumped on the Trump mobile but think about where  or what these folks could accomplish by simply putting their biases aside and get facts about other Americans. Many of their shared ideas are based on Antebellum information about non white Americans. Americans all have the same problems no matter what color they are, what religion they follow and who they associate with. Our government in general has been in turmoil for years but  we had no access to the issues except by news papers or radio, then TV came along and information got easier to get. When the electronic age arrived information was immediate (not always correct but fast). Even with this information readily available many of us would rather listen to someone selling  snake oil  since it sounds good. Suppose we didn’t trust everything the government tells us, would we then read  or investigate to find the facts? Probably not but we still vote people in who continue the same practices that do nothing of merit for all of us. In the 50’s we had Senator McCarthy with his madness, we supported the Shah of Iran in his devastation of his country (that has haunted us to this day), we went into Vietnam for a loss and now we have a demagogue aspiring to be President. We may never have a perfect nation but we can have the one promised and allowed by our Constitution (if we want it). Once we get there the worst will be over but some problems will still exist but they will be manageable.

Please Donate

Please Donate

Post Time


As we approach the last months of this election season, the overall scene is one of nastiness and disorder on a scale not seen before. We have the two major parties divided within their ranks and the leading candidates barking at one another like junkyard dogs. The powers within one party have endorsed their candidate as if he had the plague and the other has followers jumping ship for no other reason than anger that their candidate did not become the nominee. These issues along with the unbridled vitriol and false statements have made this election a joy not to behold. We can only hope the winner has a competent cabinet, staff and the wherewithal to understand the gravity of the position. This contest is very much like a horse race having to be run in mud, heat and dust with a few potholes to boot. the outcome is anyone’s guess even with the knowledge of the candidates pedigree. If we could, would we as voters be able to configure a perfect candidate? Politics itself as a science or art of Government (as defined in the New World dictionary) and as such presents an opportunity to examine (without media influence) the candidate’s  potential ability to do the job. Experience in the field is one big need and the other stuff is competency , the ability to comprehend and adjust to the fast changing issues of the office with the most competent solution. There will never be a perfect or permanent solution as the nature of Government issues shift like the sands in a desert. As Betting on a touted horse is not a guaranteed win, betting on a “sure” winner in politics isn’t either.

Please Donate

Please Donate

He Who Will Not Be named


The seemingly unending gaffes, distortions and out right lies of one Presidential contender as garnered all of the news. These inexplicable utterances have excited people to the point of insanity. Despite what reasonable people think, there are those who feel the candidate speaks for them or says what they are thinking and want to say. There is the fringe members of this group who feel that the Government is at fault and especially since the current White House resident is not like them. They are the dangers in America and potentially the home-grown terrorists. Each country in the world has their own homegrown terrorists but the wider world had not heard about it until the advent of social media. Returning to “He Who Will Not Be Named” this individual in my opinion had no intention of being in this contest this long and is apparently trying hard to get out but his supporters apparently do not see the bigger picture. His supporters are the folks who believe they are correct in their beliefs since their ancestors arrived in America, devastated the Native American economy in the name of God, stole people from Africa and held them hostage for hundreds of years. These supporters are the same people who believe anything that shows up on social media as true (the more sensational, the better). Our political parties have created these mindsets by following and perpetrating the “white/black” myth. He Who Will Not Be Named has just bullied his way into the spotlight that he so dearly loves and used the created racial divide to move it forward. It would be a tragedy for “HE” to be elected since that path would surely lead us to a path of war with some of our worldwide friends in the mix. The modern world has given us a good look at the other parts of he world and the countries that we interact with. We are (America) are not the chosen ones, we are just a better known part of the earth residents and as people we need to understand we have been where many other countries have recently come to. That being said our place is to look up from the world of  electronic news and read about the “real” events that affect us whether we want it to or not. If  voters continue to follow the “radical” rants of “He Who Will Not Be Named”, we could potentially become a “third” world country based on the isolation that could occur due to the crass and unknowing speeches of “He”.

Please Donate

Please Donate

A Thought


If you can understand this: “the sound of one hand clapping”, then you can understand that our 2 party system is only as good as the people in it.

Please Donate

Please Donate

WE Have To Do It


This election has shown how little we know about the election process and the effects of media coverage on our judgement of the candidates. Yes many if not all of us are angry or upset with how Government is run but unfortunately we are placing our hope for change in the wrong place. Reading more about the current seat fillers in Congress and in State legislatures will do more to improve our political system than the person who is elected to the top office. The National head is important but Congress is more so in that they stop or screw up more legislature than the President. Looking back at the decision to not support or even look at the Affordable care act and promising to defund , replace  or make something new has been an ongoing issue that has cost the voters more money and in some cases poorer service. The idea that they (Congress) will not even consider a replacement for the empty seat in the High court when there are issues that affect us all is unforgivable and has nothing to do with the Presidency but everything to do with the proper running of the country. The decisions made in our names are not necessarily decisions we asked for or wanted but we allowed it by not speaking up (this involves reading and listening to real news). Our Congress has overtly and covertly injected Racism in our politics while abdicating their responsibility as legislators. These are the people we have voted in over and over again and complained when nothing changes. The key to good government is the vote and we the “American People” control that. We would be well advised to remember that this country was founded by and on the backs of immigrants from all of the known world (even as far back as tens of thousand of years). We upon arrival in this country displaced the Native Americans almost to extinction and are just recently acknowledging their place as citizens of this country. Overall as a country we are still the destination for many other visitors from the rest of the world as temporary and permanent residents no matter what the current rhetoric indicates. A quick note on immigrants as related to terrorism: the average time before any immigrant can get into the U.S. is 5 years (of vetting), of course there are and probably will be the few that sneak in and get away with it but overall our borders are reasonably tight. We get up in arms when we hear about the bad ones but we did not ask for them or allow them in. There are homegrown bad actors from all citizens naturalized and native,these are people who would do what they have done or will do no matter where they live. Our obligation is to read and understand how the world works now and pay less attention to talking heads looking for acclaim as knowledgeable when their goal is their personal gain.

btn_donateCC_LG

Please Donate

Something to Talk About


We all (I hope) are looking to have a National leader who can take us forward in a good way .We have had many leaders in the past who have attempted this feat and while not failing have come up short. Looking at the common theme in these past administrations we voters should see the connecting line. That line is the 535 members of Congress. We have good, bad and awful in this situation. There are congressional members and there are statesmen, the major difference is that statesmen (or women) reach across party lines to do the best job for the people they represent, the members just do what is best for themselves and their backers. It is easy to say or agree to anything that will get them by while still doing nothing of value for their districts. It is worth pointing out that their “districts” should be the whole United States including its territories and commonwealths, even though their immediate areas are not in those areas. We have a responsibility to ignore the rhetoric and focus on the future under one of the current front-runners, on one side we have a demagogue who (I think) did not think he would get this far and we have on the other side a person who has vast Government experience even though there is baggage that many think is too heavy yet the experience required is there. Keep in mind that politics is a dirty business and anyone in it will have their “dirty laundry” aired and no one is perfect (if any person ascribes to being perfect, beware of them). As a country we need to cast off the past ideals and understand the world stage is no longer populated by just first world  countries and we have to have someone who can engage the various countries in a way that benefits us and them.

Please Donate

Please Donate