Thank you, voters in Alabama

How nice to have good news on the political front for a change.  Had Moore been elected, I was getting ready to say the counterpart of "yellow dog Democrat" (somebody who would vote for a yellow dog before they would vote for a Republican) was "pedophile Republican." 

From the election analysis, it appears that voters of color were the ones who brought the whole country this victory.  Well done, y'all.  (I spent 7 years living in North Carolina; some of it stuck.)

The reason I'm blogging today is to say:  Let's all take this as a great example of WHY EVERYBODY NEEDS TO VOTE.  I really do think people of good will outnumber the me-first-last-and-always crowd.  I really do think the majority of Americans want to see the marginalized cared for:  the poor, the aged, the sick, the outcasts.  I am absolutely positive that the 99% outnumbers the 1%.  WE ALL NEED TO VOTE.

I am going to repost this next October or so.  Between now and then there is lots of work to do to make sure we are really represented.  As opposed to having some [probably] white [probably] man sitting in Washington claiming to be our representative (in Congress or the Senate).

I can't do much about any of this from Nicaragua.  So I'm "using my words" (as we tell little kids who are throwing tantrums).  Thanks for "listening."

Not really a travelogue

One time, Pat and I took our two-week vacation in the state of Utah.  We went to Arches National Park. 

Then we went to Bryce Canyon and Zion.

We also drove through National Forest land.

And we ended up at one of my favorite places in the world, the Grand Canyon.

Almost every day, I would look out the window of the car and demand, "What state are we in now?!?"  And it was always Utah.  And we didn't even get up to the Great Salt Lake and Salt Lake City.

What an amazing state.  And I could do the same thing for our nation, couldn't I, from the mountains to the prairies to the oceans white with foam.  We are blessed with such a wealth of splendid diversity.

So why can't we appreciate the diversity of our fellow citizens as much as we appreciate the diversity of our landscapes?  How splendid that we have neighbors -- whether literally next door or across the country -- from so many different cultural backgrounds, of such a palette of skin colors, with interests varying from NASCAR to NASA.  Wouldn't it be boring if everybody were the same?

Diversity is a resource and a blessing.  We need to come around to a new appreciation of community.  Try not to think of people who don't look like us as a threat.  Try not to think of people with different lifestyles as inferior or wrong.  In a community where people value each other, nobody is shooting at anybody.  Hate crimes are not making life bitter.  People with power are not abusing people sexually or any other way.

It just breaks my heart how little genuine community there is in our splendid country.  And it thrills me when I read stories of incidents that demonstrate the community we could have if we decided to do it.  Please.  You know the song:  Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me?  Let there be community on earth, especially in the good old USA.  And let it begin with each one of us.

How many more shootings?

I haven't added to this blog in a long time, but the recent eruption of shootings has motivated me.

I believe that there are LOTS of people who would like to see a better system of gun control in the U.S.  I have read many posts by gun owners who think we need better gun control.  But the answer always seems to be:  But the NRA . . .

OK.  The NRA has a lot of members.  And a lot of political clout.  Congresspeople and Senators don't want to get the NRA mad at them.

So it seems to me that gun control needs its own organization.  I'll call it the National Gun Control Association (NGCA) -- but I'll bet somebody can think of a better name.  I'll bet the NGCA could end up having more members than the NRA.  I'll bet there are people willing to put their money where their mouth is to make sure the NGCA could run its own ads to counteract the NRA's.  I'll bet there are people familiar with lobbying (or willing to learn) who could go to the halls of Congress and tell folks:  You REALLY need to take the NGCA seriously.  And get out there ahead of the 2018 elections to let every Representative and 1/3 of the Senators understand that being wishy-washy about gun control may get them NRA votes, but will lose them LOTS MORE VOTES from the NCGA.

So how about somebody with organizing experience and charisma and time get out there and make this thing happen?  I, unfortunately, have none of those things.  But I'm willing to put out the word.  And I would join.

Poverty

In the beginning of the 19th century (and for many centuries before that), slavery was more or less taken for granted.  By the end of the 19th century, slavery had been outlawed just about everywhere.  Although we are learning that slavery still exists today, especially as a result of human trafficking, I think most people have the clear sense that slavery is unacceptable, simply wrong.

For some time now I have been eager to see a new abolitionist movement rise up, so that by 2117 (or maybe even sooner!) most people have the clear sense that poverty is unacceptable, simply wrong.   To me it is simply inexcusable that, in a world with as rich resources as we have, there should be people without the basic necessities of life, including clean water and adequate food.  Inexcusable.

Today I received a copy of the following document, which I want to share as widely as possible.  It doesn't appear to exist as an on-line document, so I have printed it out and scanned it so I can insert it here as an image.  I have made it as large as I know how, and I hope it's legible.  I can send you the original document by email if you want it -- just let me know.

Would you please share this post with as many others as you can?   Thank you.

A kind of crazy idea

   
     So I was thinking about school shootings, small children accidentally shooting their siblings, people who shoot a home invader that turns out to be a relative, etc.  It seems really clear to me that we need better gun control laws, but how to do that?
     Then I had this crazy idea.  I think it would be a bureaucratic nightmare, but maybe it will intrigue somebody who can edit it for the better.
     Suppose everybody was given a week to turn in ALL their guns.  They would get receipts specifying exactly what they had turned it, and everything would be kept safely for eventual return.  If the guns they were turning in were not legal (licensed, whatever the correct term is), then they could be legalized as part of the process.  Then let there be a six-month period when NOBODY could legally have a gun.  (I guess there would be exceptions for the police, military, etc.)  During that time, it would be very easy for the police to get search warrants only and specifically to search for guns.  Any gun they found would be confiscated forever.  Any time a gun was used in the commission of a crime, the crime would automatically be a felony.  Really make an effort to get rid of all illegal guns, so that nobody can say "if guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns."  After the six months, everybody who turned in (and licensed) their guns could get them back.
     Would that help?  I don't know.  But I couldn't get the idea out of my mind, so I thought I would share it.  What do YOU think?
     [P.S.  Some people have had difficulty leaving comments to these blogs.  I don't know why; I consulted with the technical people on the site and they were able to leave comments just fine.  If you find yourself in that position, I always share these postings on Facebook, so you can find them there and make your comments that way.  Sorry about that.]

Too good to pass up

Here's a selection from Matthew 25:34-40

Then the king will say to those at his right hand, "Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me."  Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when was it . . .?"  And the king will answer them, "Truly I tell you, as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me."

Then today I saw this image:

'Nuff said.

Congratulations to us

I think most of the people who read this blog are probably aware of this famous quote:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out--
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,and I did not speak out--

Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me-- and there was no one left to speak for me.

I have just reviewed my posts since I changed the purpose of this blog to reflection and commentary, and I see that I have not yet shared one of my favorite post-Trump-election reactions.

First they came for the Muslims . . .

NOT THIS F**KING TIME!!

I'm so heartened by how many people in so many areas of life are not sitting back and letting Trump do whatever he wants to do.  Most recently I notice that the NSC has been restored to the membership it should have, including removing Bannon.  And I have been informed that the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) currently has an approval rating of 55%, UP from 42% before the election.  (source - Gallup Poll)  Good job, everybody!  Let's keep saying NOT THIS F**KING TIME!!

Results

One exciting thing about the Trump administration.  Just when you think you've "seen everything," they come up with something even worse.

I am taking this information from an article in the March 16 Daily Kos, written by Joan McCarter.  She quotes Trump's budget director Mick Mulvaney speaking about Meals on Wheels and after-school nutrition programs.  Trump's proposed budget cuts these programs because they "aren't showing any results."

"We can't spend money on programs just because they sound good.  Meals on Wheels sounds great . . . [but] I can't defend that any more."

"[After-school nutrition programs] are supposed to help kids who don't get fed at home get fed so they do better in school.  Guess what?  There's no evidence they're actually doing that."

Excuse me.  Feeding shut-ins, primarily elderly people with few resources, and feeding children who are not getting enough food at home -- just FEEDING them counts as "results" to me.  How can the administration that promised to give the government back to the people justify balancing their budget at the expense of old people and children?  I mean -- what sense does that even make?

Oh, but Mick Mulvaney understands about compassion.  The "compassionate" thing that matters to do, according to him, is "to go to [the taxpayers] and say, look, we're not going to ask you for your hard-earned money anymore.  Single mom of two in Detroit, give us your money.  We're not going to do that anymore unless they can guarantee that money will be used in a proper function.  That is about as compassionate as you can get."

Yeah, like increasing the military budget, which DEFINITELY has a record of good results, right?

Give me a break.  I cannot believe this.

I'll call it Trumpcare

I consider this a good summary of where we're heading.

Our precious freedoms

I'm glad that the members of the media are not taking the Trump Administration's assaults on freedom of the press lying down.  Good for them.

I read a long message on Facebook by Andras Corban-Arthen describing his experiences and recollections of living under a repressive dictatorship.  I am copying his last paragraphs here because I think his point is so important.  I have added the emphasis to the last sentence.

"Surely many people would say that it’s very far-fetched to think that what I have described could ever take place in this country. I fully realize that it’s certainly not what is happening here at the moment – that we’re by no means there yet, and that we may very well never get there. The U.S. is much too big and complex, with so many checks and balances that it would be extremely difficult for any one person to exercise complete control over all of it.

But getting there, however, can happen a lot more easily and quickly than one might think, especially since many of the factors that would speed up such a process have already been in place for quite some time. And the most insidious of those factors – and our greatest weakness – is the naiveté, the denial and the apathy implicit in the belief that such things could never happen here.

 We should never take for granted the precious freedoms which we still have, and preserve them at all costs while we still have them."

Press Conference

One of the things I like to do in this blog is pass along things I run across that I think are worth attention.  Today (February 16), Donald Trump gave a press conference at which he blasted the media.  I don't know whether the idea was, "He can't object if we print the whole thing," but the Washington Post has published the entire transcript of the press conference.  This is the link:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/02/16/donald-trumps-grievance-filled-press-conference-annotated/?utm_term=.791f89e25fb2

I confess that I didn't have the patience to read the whole thing.  But I think it IS worth reading.  That way we can each draw our own conclusions, rather than depending on the "lies" the media is supposedly feeding us.

Another perspective

For any reading this who don't know, I am part of an intentional faith-based community known as Jubilee House Community (JHC).  We run the Center for Development in Central America (CDCA) in Ciudad Sandino, Nicaragua.  One of the aspects of our work here I have liked to compare to a conduit, connecting resources (primarily in the US) with needs (primarily in Nicaragua).

We became aware of a vast potential resource in many U.S. Rotary Clubs, eager to help in impoverished areas like Nicaragua, but Rotary guidelines require that the donor club work with a recipient club in the targeted area.  After a number of unsuccessful attempts to partner with the existing Rotary clubs in Nicaragua, we decided to start a new one.  You can learn more about our club on their Facebook page (Club Rotario Ciudad Sandino).  It is a proudly unique organization!

Rotarians are called to consider all their actions in light of the Four-Way Test:

I don't think that Donald Trump ever joined Rotary, although many business people do.  But I have to point out that so far his first 100 days fail the Four-Way Test right down the line!

I'm just saying . . .

It Can't Happen Here

Sorry this one is so long.  Believe it or not, I have tried to be concise.

Last year, a respected friend of mine mentioned that she was reading a book titled It Can’t Happen Here, by Sinclair Lewis.  She recommended it, so I read it.  Even then I was amazed at parallels between this book, published in October 1935, and current events.  As time has gone by, I have only become even more amazed, and frightened.  Clifton Fadiman wrote in a review when the book was published, “This is a book that all Americans should read to help save the country from impending political failures and potential tyrannies.”

The plot of the book revolves around the actions and reactions of Doremus Jessup, a newspaper editor from Vermont, and his family and neighbors.  So if you decide to read the book, my exposition of the situation portrayed won’t be too much of a spoiler.  But I have been wanting and wanting to share this.

In the fictitious Presidential election of 1936, one of the candidates is a man named Berzelius Windrip.  The U.S. is still in the grip of the Depression, and Windrip campaigns on a platform to create more economic security.    “He had thoroughly tested (but unspecified) plans to make all wages very high and the prices of everything produced by these same highly paid workers very low; that he was 100 per cent for Labor, but 100 per cent against all strikes; and that he was in favor of the United States so arming itself, so preparing to produce its own coffee, sugar, perfumes, tweeds, and nickel instead of importing them, that it could defy the World . . . and maybe, if that World was so impertinent as to defy America in turn, take it over and run it properly.”  He is supported by a group called the “League of Forgotten Men.”  

The one main difference between Windrip and a certain Presidential candidate I was concerned about last year is that Windrip had been a politician for many years before running for President.  He was a U.S. Senator at the time of the book.  Earlier he had been the power behind the throne in his home state (never specified), controlling a series of governors rather than running for the office himself.  Under his influence, the state militia was quadrupled in size and the State University was the first in the country to offer a course in Russian!  His opinion of the media was expressed in the words, “I know the Press only too well . . . plotting how they can put over their lies.”

Windrip’s campaign was managed by Lee Sarason, described as his “satanic secretary” who “believed now only in resolute control by a small oligarchy.”  Windrip also formed a “marching club” of men wearing military-type uniforms and calling themselves Minute Men.

Windrip was elected by:  most of the mortgaged farmers; most of the white-collar workers who had been unemployed for 3 years, or 4, or 5; most of those on relief, wanting more relief; most of suburbanites not able to make their installment payments on electric washing machines; and the remnant of the Ku Klux Klan.

Immediately after his inauguration, Windrip proposed a measure allowing the President to govern by executive action with the legislature having only an advisory role and the judiciary no role at all.  When his measure was roundly defeated by Congress, Windrip sent his Minute Men to arrest a good number of Congressmen.  He also arrested prominent religious leaders who thereafter disappeared from public view.  When a troop of Minute Men were reluctant to arrest a convent of nuns, Windrip sent another troop to arrest those rebellious M.M.s and had 1 in every 3 executed to enforce discipline.

He appointed to his cabinet:  Secretary of State – his former secretary Lee Sarason, who also took the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Minute Men; Secretary of the Treasury – Webster R. Skittle, president of a St. Louis bank, who had once been indicted on a charge of defrauding the government on his income tax, but he had been acquitted, more or less; Secretary of War – Colonel Osceola Luthorne, whose title came from his position on the honorary staff of the Governor of Tennessee, and a friend and fellow campaigner of Windrip.

He then declared martial law, although only for the duration of the “crisis.”

All of this happened in the first 8 days of his administration.

“Despite strikes and riots all over the country, bloodily put down by the Minute Men, Windrip’s power in Washington was maintained.  The most liberal four members of the Supreme Court resigned and were replaced by surprisingly unknown lawyers who called President Windrip by his first name.  A number of Congressmen were still being ‘protected’ in the DC jail; others had seen the blinding light forever shed by the goddess Reason and happily returned to the Capitol.”

He then proceeded to reorganize the nation into 8 administrative provinces, each with districts, counties, and townships.  Doremus was now living in the Northeast Province, District 3, County B, township of Beulah, and over him were a provincial commissioner, a district commissioner, a county commissioner, and assistant commissioner for Beulah, all appointed by Windrip, with their Minute Men guards and emergency military judges.

Most of the National Guard was taken into the Minute Men.  As unemployment continued to be serious, the M.M. was paying well and their numbers and power grew and grew.

By August, the League of Forgotten Men was disbanded along with all political parties except the American Corporate State and Patriotic Party.  Labor camps were established for confinement of criminals, rebels, and various undesirable minorities.  Inmates were sent out to work for $1 a day, which allowed employers to fire the workers who had to be paid real wages.  Many of whom ended up in the labor camps.

That may be enough, although it is not the end by a long shot (go read the book).  Am I overreacting to find this book frightening?  Let me tell you – when I read that Trump might increase the Border Patrol by 5,000 and immigration officers by 10,000, what immediately came to my mind was Windrip’s Minute Men.

All I hope is that people of good will -- in reality, not in a novel – really can “save the country from impending political failures and potential tyrannies.”  Thanks for “listening.”  Comments always welcome.

FYI

A very helpful person at Google helped me edit my blog site so you can now subscribe to my blog directly to your email if you want to.  Scroll down to the very bottom and you will find this option.

If everybody who has shared my blog link in the past off Facebook would share this one, your friends who are not (officially) my friends will be able to follow me directly if they want to.

Thanks to one and all!

We need to stay informed

Actually, the title of the blog may be redundant for anybody taking the trouble to read this.  Information is inundating us these days.  However, while I am doing some research for the next post I want to create, I ran across this image, and felt compelled to share it.  We really do need to hold Trump and his administration accountable, folks.

Credit to Marisa R. Miller.

I'll be back in a couple of days!

It's not just for drugs any more

I have been enormously impressed by the Badlands National Park.  Have you been following this story?  My source is Scientific American, which I consider reputable.  Incidentally, my sister Pat and I have spent many happy days at Badlands National Park in South Dakota.  One of the trails we regularly hiked is marked by metal stakes in the ground, maybe 4' high (I'm bad at judging such things) with red paint on the top few inches.  Stand by a stake and sight the next one, walk to it and sight the next one.  I was used to trails you followed because they were beaten dirt in the midst of undergrowth and stuff.  The Badlands are really fascinating.

ANYWAY . . . One of the first things the Trump administration has done is to shut down scientific public communications. The National Park Service was ordered not to tweet.  The EPA was not only prohibited from using social media but required to remove a page on climate change from its website.  Grants and contracting were frozen.  The USDA was silent for several days.  While the main Twitter feed of the National Park Service followed orders, Badlands National Park started tweeting climate change statistics, 140 characters at a time.  Here's a screenshot of some of them:

If I'm not mistaken, they started sending out these tweets on January 24.  That afternoon, everything was erased.  However, a new account called AltUSNatParkService was created.  Here was their stated reason for existing:

(I believe credit for these screen shots goes to Dana Hunter.  Good job, Dana!)

See, the thing is, sometimes you have to Just Say No.  When "they" tell you you have to do something, or you're not allowed to do something, sometimes you have to Just Say No.  Let's not beat around the bush -- that can get you into big trouble.  But somehow I feel if the folks at Badlands should lose their jobs, or the ones behind AltUSNatParkService are found out and punished, they'll feel that it was worth it.  The truth needs to be spoken.  Lies need to be exposed.  And simply giving in to bad orders gives too much power to the bad order givers.  Sometimes you have to Just Say No.

In 1846, Henry David Thoreau was jailed for not paying his poll tax.  He was visited in jail by Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Emerson said, "Henry, what are you doing in there?"  Thoreau responded, "Ralph, what are you doing out there?"  Disobedience is sometimes called for.  Disobedience in order to stand up for the truth and refuse to legitimize tyranny is not unpatriotic.

Sometimes the genuine patriot needs to Just Say No.

Women's March

The reason I reconceptualized this blog was feeling so cut off from events in the U.S., helpless to do anything about anything.  So, as so many people I know were preparing to march in Washington or closer to home, here I sat again, unable to participate.

WELL . . . Sarah of the Jubilee House suddenly up and decided yesterday that she needed to be a presence today outside the U.S. embassy in Managua.  Did anybody want to go with her?  Most of us from Jubilee House wanted to, including both Kathleen's mother and Becca's mother, our long-term volunteer Grace, and four Nicaraguan women from our personnel staff.  Sarah, Grace, and Becca sent out announcements on a couple of lists they belong to.

And this morning, on less than 24-hour notice, we had a group of FIFTY PEOPLE standing outside the U.S. embassy with signs of solidarity and protest.  Mostly women, but an impressive number of men, one of whom had a sign that said, "Real men are feminists."  Mostly folks from the U.S., but a good representation of Nicaraguans as well.  A number of children (our two Jubilee House children included, of course), the littlest of whom had a sign that said, "Be tolerant of unicorns and all living beings."  Saturday morning -- there probably weren't very many people in the actual embassy to notice us.  But we held up our signs for passing vehicles, and when a driver tooted her or his support, we sent back a rousing cheer.

It was really nice to feel part of a group of people, all come together to say "no" to our nightmare visions of what the Trump administration could be and "yes" to unity, respect, and solidarity.

The media showed up and took pictures and interviewed as many people as they could.  I translated for Peggy, Kathleen's mom, who was there in her wheelchair.  She avowed that when people were equal, things went better.  The reporter then asked me why I was there.  I said, "I'm afraid of what might happen in the Trump administration.  So I'm here to express . . . " and then since I was speaking Spanish, I concluded, "el pueblo unido jamas sera vencido."  Which means a united people can never be defeated.  The reporter gave me a huge smile for that one.

Here's a picture.  I am the tubby little woman with the red shirt and long blue and white skirt.  Many people were wearing pink (one woman had even improvised herself a pussy hat), but I decided red-white-and-blue was the way to go for this one.

And all because Sarah up and decided to go.  Puts me in mind of Margaret Meade's famous quote:  Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.

P.S.  A friend of mine tried to comment on my last entry, and her comments kept vanishing.  If anybody else has the same experience or a different one, let me know.  I can't see anything amiss in my settings.  Thanks!

Inauguration Day

I've been thinking for days that as the inauguration came nearer I really should write an entry to this blog.  I've been too depressed to come up with anything to say.  For weeks in our community worship time when invited to share good things with each other, I've said, "Trump isn't President yet."  I can't say that anymore.

Together with many other Americans, I refused to watch the inauguration as it was happening.  I did, however, read the text of the inaugural address.  [It's going to take me a while to be able to use the phrase "President Trump" in a sentence -- as in "President Trump's address."]

I was, actually, amazed.  If I hadn't known whose speech it was, I might not have guessed Donald Trump.  I agree with almost 100% of the things he said.  And although I didn't agree with all of them, he invited me to dialogue honestly about disagreements.

If the man who is about to take the reins of government turns out to be faithful to the words expressed in this speech, I will happily be able to speak about President Trump.

Perhaps cynically, I have a hard time understanding how a millionaire is going to represent the millions of people suffering from the hardships of stagnant local economies and generations of inner-city poverty.  I have a hard time understanding how our educational system is going to be improved for our beautiful youth if Trump's nominee for Secretary of Education doesn't think the federal government should support education for students with special needs.  I'm not even sure how the planet is going to survive if the Secretary of Energy and the head of the EPA don't believe in climate change.  To be honest, I don't have a lot more hope than I had yesterday.

But, you know, maybe I do have a LITTLE bit of hope.  Maybe he does believe those things he said, and maybe he will try to act on them.  If yesterday I had no hope at all and today I have a little bit, that's an infinite improvement, isn't it?

I'm still going to join our local Women's March tomorrow in Managua, Nicaragua.  Whether Trump really intends to govern as he said, or whether it's just more political you-know-what, we -- the people -- need to hold him accountable for the general welfare.