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Your Turn...

     For the exact number of posts on this blog, I have bored the readers with my opinions. I have stated my core beliefs politically, socially and religiously. I have received, in return, exactly one comment. 

    So - Your Turn. I have all but begged for responses and discussion, And received none. Please take a few minutes, order your thoughts, and tell me what you think about just about anything. Respond toa post. Post your own. Agreement with my opinion is by no means required or even expected. I would relish honest, open conversation. There's a ton of stuff worth open discourse. I'm from Texas. That should be an ice breaker...

STAND UP!

Stand Up, Dammit!

If one has had the misfortune to have read my previous posts, then they know that I believe that our country is facing the most serious threat in generations. And, believe it or not, I think I know how to answer that threat. To wit, my 5 ideas to avoid autocracy, theocracy and other forms of authoritarian rule in the United States of America:

1)   Look at the performance and record of your elected officials; everyone from county purser to POTUS and really look. Don't take them at their word, do your homework. Look up their records on votes, research their public appearances and statements. Find out what they are really doing to make life better for you, yours and your community. Like what you see? Excellent! Then share that with friends and neighbors so that they can do their homework, and keep voting for them. Not so happy? Then VOTE THE SOB's OUT OF OFFICE. Campaign for the candidate that you believe will do the damn job we are paying them to do. Then (trust, but verify) check their records and performance, too. They work for you, you pay them, you gave them a job description - are they doing the job?

2)  Vote, every time there is an election. Take the time to be informed, and vote. Go to the precinct conventions (or the local equivalent in your district) and vote on the planks you want added to the platforms of the party and who your delegates will be to the next level. Get down in the real grass roots of how the system works and work it.

3)   Run for office. I especially encourage the young people to look at this. My friends and I are older. My generation is not famous for its understanding of technologies that are so essential to communications today. It is my belief that most of my generation is either dead or should be taking on a mentorship type of position and allowing younger minds, dreams and hopes steer the future. We had our shot. We didn't do so great. Below, I have listed some URL's of videos of young people who are making their voices heard in new and exciting ways. Give them a peek. And if you're a boomer, give them the resources they need to make the world a better place - your respect, your time and your money.

4) Volunteer. Find a cause or issue that you can serve. Service to others is the highest calling, the most satisfying accomplishment, and best medicine for what ails you. Every good cause you can think of never has enough resources. Become a resource.

5)  DO NOT CAPITULATE! Have you read the Constitution and all of its 27 amendments? Do you understand them? Stand your ground! Know your rights and insist on them being preserved. Help your friends, your neighbors, and members of your community to enjoy their rights. And then insist they pay it forward. DO NOT OBEY IN ADVANCE. Do not abdicate your rights without being told to by someone can enforce that abrogation. Don't give up without being forced to. Stand up for yourself, your family, your friends and your neighbors. Say no, loudly, at length and very, very often.

https://www.katforillinois.com/

https://www.jamestalarico.com/

Now, do your homework. Get to work making this the best place in the world to be. And, as always, feel free to share your thoughts and opinions. I promise, I will listen.

My Thoughts on "No Kings" Day

 Before entering yet another diatribe on my opinions, let me take this opportunity to write that I am completely taken aback by yet more political violence as occurred in the state of Minnesota. Let us all remember that the people attacked were first and foremost just that: people. My thoughts are with their families and friends; their people.

Democracy in America started and still exists as an governmental, social and political experiment. Our founding fathers believed that a society had the right, responsibility and capability to govern itself. "Liberty" was not just a slogan, but a heartfelt, widely-held belief in self governance. It stopped, just short, of rugged individualism. But that, together as a nation, we could, should and would seek out and attain "life, liberty" and successfully pursue happiness. And for nearly 250 years, we have.

This is not the first time, and if we continue to be a democracy, it won't be the last time that internal threats to that liberty have occurred. Andrew Jackson tried (and failed, thanks to Congress) to consolidate power in the executive. Sen. Joseph McCarthy wielded fear and "otherness" to gain power, but again was stopped (thanks to journalists). While I have called out institutional responses that stopped previous threats, I left out the one common factor: the people. The people reigned in their fear, raised their voices and casts their votes to remove these threats and, in the end, were the forces that saved democracy.

Most recently, our current President seeks to rule unilaterally from the White House. He has sewn hatred and branded a peoples "other" and "evil". This is a common thread among despots and dictators. He has issued edicts, spewed lies and sewn fear. Fear is his motivation to keep, not just "others" in line, but everyone. This includes you, gentle reader and I. 

If a sitting U.S. Senator can be manhandled and shackled for daring to ideologically oppose the executive branches policies and actions, what, for a second, do you imagine can happen to you? If persons legally in the United States are detained without warrant and due process, what do you think can happen to you? If these same persons are separated from their families, their children and legal counsel, what do you think can happen to you? 

And that's the idea behind these actions - to instill fear among everyone. Fear is a natural and understandable response. It is OK to be afraid. It is not OK to let that fear take from you what generations of people in this country worked for, lived for and died for. It is not OK for fear to lead you to believe that violence is the only cure. It not OK to let liberty go from you without raising your voice, not your fists, to simply so "no".

The founding fathers believed in "reasoned discourse". Let me urge anyone unfortunate enough to read my diatribe to talk, and listen, to opinions you might not agree with, dig in and find the reasons behind those opposing opinions. Listen to what your fellow Americans have to say. You don't have to agree, but engage in reasoned discourse. Tell them your opinions and why you hold them. They don't have to agree with you, but if you'll truly listen, you'll learn what your fellows believe and feel about their lives in America. And their lives are no less a part of this society than yours. So hear them out, ask them to return the favor. Reason with each other. Agreement is not a necessity.

And bear in mind that we are all immigrant to this country, unless you are Native American (all Latin have aboriginal roots in the Americas, by the way.) They are not "other" simply because English isn't their primary language, their skin color may not be sunburn prone, or any other absolutely meaningless distinction. People are people everywhere. They want pretty much the same things no matter their backgrounds. What is that? Easy- Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

On religion

     I have avoided, in the past, making religious statements or stating religious opinions because I did not think they were relevant to the issues I was speaking to. As is often the case, I was mistaken in that belief. I will attempt to rectify that now.

    I am a Christian, which mean that I believe that Christ was the son of God, that Christ died on the Cross for the purpose of forgiving my sins in the eyes of God, that Christ was and is the example of what it means to be perfectly human. I was fortunate enough to be raised in the Methodist church by thoughtful religious parents, both of which encouraged me to question God in my own way and find my own path to Him. In doing so, I have made mistakes and changed my mind over time, as is necessary to spiritual growth, as with any other type of growth. But I have found that certain "truths" hold out over my experience. Please allow me to enumerate some of them for the reader:

    God does not need or want warriors. There is no war with Satan except in the hearts and minds of people. Satan, in my opinion, is the personification of the evils that people are capable of, not an entity unto himself. He is the dark side of choice, which God gave to people. God gave us choice as is made apparent in the story of Adam and Eve. Eve chose to take the apple and Adam chose to taste from it, despite God telling them not to do it. Choice is the sole purveyance of Man. God gave it only to Man. And along with that power of choice comes the creation of evil. People choose to do evil things. God, nor Satan makes people do those things. They choose it for themselves. Satan, if he existed, never had the power to force evil on someone, just to tempt people to it. We could always say no. God prohibits himself from forcing choices on us. He gave the choice to us. Why would he do that? Because he wants us to love him. And is love without choice?    Yet, so often, we choose power over love. Why is that? I do not have an answer for that, but it is, again in my opinion, the source of the greatest evils this world has ever known. In the wilderness, on a mountain top, Satan offered Christ dominion over all nations if he would simply bow to evil. Christ refused. Christ never exercised dominion over anyone. He let people choose. And by people, I mean all people; men, women and children. Is he a leader? Absolutely. But he is a great leader who leads by example, laying out the choices that we have to make for ourselves. And history, both personal and global, have shown us the consequences of those choices. Hitler, Stalin, Genghis Khan, etc. all chose to gather power unto themselves instead of choose to rule through love and mutual understanding. Look what that caused.

    Woman are not second class citizens. They are not lesser in any way. Men have no natural and inalienable superiority over women. My wife is neither my servant nor my master. She is my wife, my partner, my friend and confidant. To think otherwise is to lessen masculinity on a grand scale. True men, masculine men comfortable in their own masculinity, have no need or desire to prove their masculinity to anyone, and certainly not by subjugating women. If you feel this to be untrue, may I as what the hell you are afraid of? Femininity is the compliment of masculinity, not its opposite. Real men do not subjugate or seek dominion. Real men value differences for the broadening of possibilities it creates within their own lives. True satisfaction is obtained through service, not rule.

    Love, in all of its true forms, is NEVER wrong. LBGQT+ love is no less real and transcendent than heterosexual love. It can be as supportive, and in many of the cases I've seen, more supportive, than any love I've ever witnessed. I believe that it comes with some of its own unique problems, but one of those should not be societal disapproval. My relationship with my wife has had its ups and downs, as does every relationship, but nobody condemns that. It cannot be wrong to love. It simply cannot. It is antithetical to the very concept of love.

    Sometimes it is very difficult to do the right thing. That doesn't mean it shouldn't be done. But sometimes the cost is very high. Going back to my Christianity, Christ died on the Cross because it was the right thing to do. How high a cost was that? As a Christian, I must be prepared to pay that cost, even when it is high. That is how I define courage. And I pray that if and when the time comes, I have it.

    An unquestioned faith is not faith. Faith should not come easily or be a steady state. If you have not questioned your God, you don't really believe in Him. I question my God all the time, but somehow, the questions generally seem to get answered. How can he allow the abuses that occur in His name? Well that's an easy one. He doesn't. We do. Those abuses are created, carried out, covered up and propagated by Men, not God. Its that pesky choice thing again. See? I get answers.

    As human beings, we are given choice. The choices we make effect those around us, sometimes globally. We must commit to deliberate and thoughtful choice-making. I choose to believe what I believe. I also choose to believe the other choices made by other people can be as valid and thoughtful as mine, even if they are not the same choices. They are not me. I believe that other faiths are as valid as mine, if they teach the same values as mine, as most of the world religions do in their original, unpolluted forms. Islam, Judaism and Christianity share a common heritage and history, we're just changing prophets. Buddhism teaches the seeking of peace through self reflection in various forms. The God within instead of the God without. Hinduism has broken down existence into several Gods who each have various aspects, but the message is the same. Take care of each other. (And there is a single God in charge). I accept that my faith is not universal, and probably shouldn't be. I accept that love and peace are universal, no matter your God. As my God intended. I accept that there is evil in the world. I believe that the way to defeat evil is love, not power. I believe in humanity. I believe in the transcendent power of love. Which by the way, defines my God.

    Believe what you believe. I will not challenge it, but I may question it. Its absolutely acceptable to me for you to question my beliefs, but you must be willing to listen to my answers. I'll be delighted to listen to yours. I bet you'll find that we have way more in common than we have differences. If you have the chance, let's find out Ask away....

I Am Called By My Conscience To State...

     I have listened to all kinds of people whom I respect and value say that it is necessary for ordinary Americans to speak up and plainly state what they believe in and point out those things they think are wrong in America, especially politically. I imagine it would be difficult to find an American more ordinary than myself and I do have my opinions on what is important and what is true. So, damn them, now I feel obligated to say these things in a somewhat public forum. So here goes...

    First, a little personal history: I was the first registered Republican in my family since Reconstruction. I voted in my first Republican primary when I was 19. I stayed a Republican for many years and donated my somewhat hard earned money to Republican candidates that I believed in (and still do - believe in them, not donate). I understand from a personal perspective what conservative beliefs are and what I think they should be. To quote Gordon Sinclair, "the government should defend my shores, deliver my mail and leave me the hell alone".

    That is not the Republican party of today. The current party has genuflected and is genuflecting to a demagogue that cannot help but lie, cheat, and defame all who disagree with him. I cannot and will not support any institution whose sole function is to support one man in a quest for power. (I will leave the faults of Donald Trump for more knowledgeable people to enumerate). I do believe that the Republican party has put America in an existential crisis. Not Donald Trump, the Republican party. 

    The Republican party has stacked the courts, passed unfair laws, killed problem-solving laws, , and refused to concede elections and undertake the peaceful transfer of power that is so basic and vital to our democracy. They seek to dehumanize some and villainize others in what I can only see as an attempt to create fear in order to gain power. It is at the very least immoral and at its worst, criminal. It should be and must be treated as such. Make no mistake, Trump and his fellow conspirator are on trial because a Grand jury found enough credible evidence to issue an indictment. That does not make them guilty, but the people deserve their day in court as much as any defendant.

    Only a couple of elected Republican officials stood up and stated that what occurred on January 6th was wrong and should have consequences. Instead of supporting them, the party vilified them. Choosing to support those they perceived as the purveyors of power over what was right for America. Hell, over what was right for them. They were in the capital when it was attacked. Those few have my respect and gratitude. The rest of them have my contempt. They are cowards afraid of losing what little power they have managed to acquire.

    As a former Republican, let me attempt to re-educate my former party. They are merely stewards of a power granted to them by a much more powerful entity. The holders and brokers of power in America is still the American people. When have been in these dark halls before, where through lies and the creation of false fears, Americans were duped into going along with horrible and vicious actions. Think of the Japanese interment camps of WWII, the "Red Scare" of Joseph McCarthy (Look where he ended up). The same thing is being attempted now, but the dehumanized faction is "immigrants". Its easy to dehumanize them. They look different, they speak differently, they do not worship the same God (which is BS), they eat different food. OMG, how terrible. They also have the same hopes, dreams and aspirations that you and I do. They didn't come here to make us afraid. They came here to make things better for themselves and their children. 

    And we need them. The American economy would collapse without the work and spending of immigrants. Our population would literally be shrinking if they weren't coming. Deaths of U.S. citizens outnumber births by 100's of thousand right now. We need immigrant to do the jobs they are being accused of stealing for the simple reason that there are no Americans to fill them. Its simple math. And guess what else immigrants do; they spend money, they pay taxes and the contribute to their communities. Like it or not, they are your neighbors, your cohorts in local politics, and, if you give them a chance, your friends. They are not eating your pets. But they will help you fend off dangers to your home, your family and your pets. Why? Because they have them, too.

    The real power in America is not in Washington, D.C. or rather not just in Washington, D.C. It is not in any one place. It is us. We are the power. We exercise that power every time we cast a vote. We decide who gets to sit in Congress and pass laws that govern our society, We decide who sits in the Oval office and executes those laws. We decide which laws are fair and just and, by God, our Congresspeople better get them passed or appealed if we decide they are unfair and unjust, or we will use our power to find someone who will. They are public servants, we are the public. They serve at OUR whim. And, I believe, its time we let the Republican party know that by not voting for their cowardly, unjust and unfair policies and candidates. While I cannot agree with all of her policies, I cannot vote for fear and hatred and the pushing of the idea of "other". I am voting for Kamala Harris. And while you are welcomed to reasoned disagreement, personal attacks will be willfully ignored.

    So I implore you. I beg you with everything I can bring to bear to persuade you - VOTE. Do not let this election go by without your personal exercise of your power. Vote for whomever you choose, but for all the right reasons, VOTE! May God bless each and every human being on the planet, and may God bless the United States of America.

AN APPEAL TO YOUNGER AMERICANS:

As a history buff with a particular interest in Constitutional history, I appeal to Americans of majority age to exercise their fundamental Constitutionally guaranteed right to vote. It is massively important that every vote be cast and counted. We are facing a Constitutional crossroads where our future can go very different directions. It is not my place, nor anyone else's, to tell you how to cast your vote. I am simply imploring you to cast it. Do not disenfranchise yourselves by not voting. Exercise your power and encourage others to exercise theirs. Your vote most definitely counts, even if your candidate does not win.

Democracy requires, at its very foundation, that every possible vote be cast and accurately counted. This is truly the voice of the people, the citizens of our Constitutional Republic. The Constitution sincerely attempted to build the American Revolution into the on-going existence of our nation by placing the ultimate political power in the hands of its citizens. That power, your absolute ability to define the course of our nation's history, is your vote. Please - I am begging - that you consider the issues that you find important to your place in our society, you consider which candidate most meets those requirements (or at least does not ignore them) and cast your vote for your considered choice.

It is the American thing to do.