Election 2016

It's time to elect another President of the United States.Every four years we get to see how the man in charge is doing and whether or not we need to make a change. If we believe in him we give him a second term but no more. President Obama, our first black president is at the end of his terms. He has done an excellent job in my opinions faced with the crisis that our country faced when he took over. We were in a deep recession, the banking and financial institutions along with major corporations where crumbling, with massive unemployment, weather and man made catastrophes, along with two wars going on outside our country and terrorism on the rise. Things are better even now under his leadership even with the obstruction from the other major political party and racism which still soundly exists in our country. I believe he will go down as one of our great presidents, who brought us back from the brink and tried to help our people with things like the Affordable Health Care Act and extracting our troops from war zones, and harms way. Only history will tell and those who write it.

This years election is one for the ages, with the first woman nominated by the Democrats, Hillary Clinton, our current Secretary of State. Hillary has been involved in politics since her husband Bill was President. She later became a Senator for New York, and after losing to President Obama in a heated contest in 2012, she worked with him as Secretary of State. Recently she has been entangled in several controversies, including the handling of a terrorist attack in Benghazi  where several Americans were killed and the use of a personal cell phone for communications while at the State Department.  Nevertheless she is truly a qualified candidate. The public has been bombarded with media attacking her honesty and trust issues.

On the other side the Republicans started out with no major flag bearer and sixteen individuals vying for the nomination. Governors, mayors, congressmen, a woman executive, a surgeon, and a millionaire named Donald Trump. After all the dust cleared the businessman and millionaire Donald Trump had dispatched all the others with his bombastic and in your face approached during the debates and campaign. It told the American people that he would make America Great Again, just as he had made his businesses great. He would build a wall to keep immigrants from Mexico out, no Muslims allowed into the country, get out of NATO if the other nations didn't pay their fair share, and bomb the hell out of ISIS. He would bring jobs back and businesses would grow and stop all this waste of money by the government by shutting down regulatory agencies. People were angry about how things are and many fell for this in your face approach. No matter that he talked down to women, people of color, Muslims, and anyone who didn't agree or listen to him. A first class bully by many accounts with little political knowledge or moral values. Once he got rolling even his own party couldn't reel him in or follow some of their established ideology.

To say the least this guy is very scary to the majority of people. He talked about how terrible the country is now and that the people in charge don"t know what they are doing. But he has no idea of how to fix things and when asked will only state that he is the only man to do it, and we should believe him. His temperament is one of a soft skinned narcissist who can be prodded by a tweet or a statement from an opponent. It scares  me that he would be running our military or be the one making decisions for millions of people and our future.

I recently meet a could from Sweden while on vacation and they asked me what I thought about Trump and if he could win. They have been following the election and are also scared that a person who is talking about hate and separatism could even be in the running. I felt a sense of embarrassment but had to say that our country is fragmented and it appears that there is a section that has embraced this conduct and philosophy. I told them that I hoped that the overall population did not and at the end of the day see that we can only get better by working together, both in house and globally. Many countries consider the United States and the leader of the free world and to suggest as Donald Trump has, that we are more like a third world country now and need a change is frightening to everyone. President Obama has done a great job of bringing our country back to prominence after the Bush presidency broke us away from many allies in his quest for war in Iraq. He has reached out to the world for better relations, with Cuba after over half a century, Iran deal to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons peacefully, our neighbors Canada & Mexico, and Europe.

The moral compass of America is at stake. Will we vote for a President who will bring us together and be concerned with all our citizens or one that is out to show himself off and fend for those who already have wealth and power, will isolating the poor and other. in God we trust is on our money and in our constitution but it has been pushed further and further out of out thought processes and the institutions which have made our country great up to this time. I am not naive enough to believe that democracy can fail here in the United States of America, just as other ideologies have failed throughout the centuries. We are still young and can accomplish a great deal more if we stay on the right path. Election 2016 will be a milestone towards that end.

The Difference Between Fathers and Dads

It is Father's Day June 19,2016 and I have just left morning service at St Stephens Baptist Church. As usual I have received a blessing from the sermon given by the Rev Kevin W. Cosby. It resonated with me and I wanted to communicate some of it to anyone who may at some point in time read this blog. The bible scripture that was used for the message was Mark 9: 14-15. 

It deals with Jesus coming down from the mountain and finding religious scholars cross examining the disciples that had been left below in the valley. There was a man had brought his son who was afflicted with perhaps epilepsy and mental disease to Jesus to be healed. Jesus wasn't there and the disciples tried but could not heal him. The scholars tried to use this against Jesus. Jesus told the man, if he believed in him that all things were possible. The man said he believed but he was not perfect and there was still some doubt. Jesus cured the boy of the evil spirit and also provided that he enter him no more. The disciples asked Jesus why they couldn't heal the boy. Jesus said that "This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting." They should have prayed and shown their faith in Jesus, but they tried to do it on their own.

This man was the boys father and his dad. "To be a father is an act of Nature. To be a dad is an act of Nurture. A father is biological and a dad is emotional." Yes the man was the boy's biological father caused by an act of nature, but he had also nurtured the boy as he was growing up and was emotional tied to his suffering. He was always there for him when needed. "While fathers pay the bills, dads give direction and council to their children. And while fatherhood can be unintentional, being a good dad is always intentional."

A paternity test may tell someone "you are the father" only your actions will tell if you are the dad.

Dads Direct their child to God. The man had a relationship with God and took his child to Jesus. He wanted him to also have a relationship with God. Dad's of today should do the same and help to provide a strong spiritual foundation for their children.

Dads Actively stay involved in their child's life. The man did not send his son to Jesus. He took him. He did not abdicate his responsibility or delegate it to someone else. He knew about his son and his illness. Dad's today should know about their children, their friends, likes, how they are doing in school, their teachers, and all aspects of their children's lives. Take them places and participate in things do, like sports,singing, dance, etc.

Dads Devote themselves to their child in crisis. The son had been suffering with his demons since he was a child. The father had been there for him and never gave up believe that one day he would be cured. When your child is in trouble, and they all will face circumstances, a dad keeps the faith and goes not give up on their child.

Our society is full of fathers and yet our children are floundering. Men making children either intentionally or unintentionally. But at the end of the day will they be dads?  There are institutions in our world that can supplement the home, but they cannot be a substitute for the home. Fathers can be forced to pay child support but what we need is for them to become dads and live up to the responsibilities of parenting. My father died when I was seven. Yet my mother step in to become both by mom and dad. She meet all the criteria. I hope I have done some justice to Rev. message: "But Are You The Dad?"

Dining with Donna

My wife comes from a family of cooks. Her mother, her sisters , and even her nephew are all excellent chefs. Donna, my wife is also quite gifted in the kitchen. She has had her own bakery where she and her mom turned out some delicious desserts. She is also a fan of Hell's Kitchen and Master Chef on TV. She has her own website called Mealfare, where she blogs about food, showing dishes from various restaurants from around the city of Louisville and wherever we may visit during our travels.

Dining with Donna though is an experience. First of all. she has very high standards. It doesn't matter if we are at a white table cloth establishment or the local McDonald's. Everything had better be right with her order. Of course one must take pictures before eating to ensure that we capture the moment. good or bad. This critical eye, while well justified, can be somewhat distracting from have a relaxing dinner. And it always seems to be her food where issues occur. I don't know whether I'm just more accepting for good versus perfection, even though I know I'm not one of those people who Donna claim "will accept anything", especially when they are paying "good money" for it.

Many a waiter has felt her critique regarding old lettuce, cold food, micro waved items, and a host of other issues. All well founded and given with the intent on getting what see pays for and to let the chefs and management know how their patrons feel. We have had some outstanding dining experiences but I am still waiting for that meal where everything is perfect. 

Let's talk history

With Black History month set to begin in February again this year I reflect on just what we are talking about. I assume it is black or Afro American history as it applies to the United States of America. History by definition is "the study of the past, particularly how it relates to humans. It is an umbrella term that relates to past events as well as memory, discovery, collection, organization, presentation, and interpretation of information about these events." The "interpretation" is the part of the definition that I have a problem with, particularly with the history which I was taught and is still being taught in America's schools today.

"The history that's presented to people, that they can interact with, is the product of power. It's about who had the resources to tell the story and what story they chose to tell." The story of the pilgrims in true history is nothing like the tale of John Smith and Pocahontas. Nor is the settling of America anything like the movies and history that is written in our history books. These were trying and cruel times and the Europeans that colonized this country were powerful, rich and ruthless to say the least. The Civil War that divided this country was probably much worst than anything that is going on in Syria or the middle east during these days.

In America the history books were tools to foster nationalism and patriotism, and give students the official line about national enemies. They are sponsored by the government and are written to put the national heritage in the most favorable light. It is no wonder that common history books in our schools show the good side of America and never any of its negatives. We are always fighting for right and being portrayed as the "good neighbor or ally."

George Santayana states that "those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." This is true and can be seen everyday. But what past are we talking about. The same issues of our past still drive many of our most fervent public debates. After the Civil War history changed with the abolishment of slavery. One of the most white washed part of our history that there every was. The Klu Klux Klan established in 1867 was the American alQaeda exist today. They probably killed more people in Reconstruction than Osama Bin Laden managed to do. Changes to the constitution back then defined citizenship, voting rights, state rights, federal overreach, and terrorism. These are issues we death with again in the 1960's and now in the 21st century. 

The only reason there is a need for a Black History month is because the history of blacks in America was omitted in most cases by our public schools. The history of America was written by whites and with a white perspective. America claims to be a melting pot but really nothing is presented as a combined history. Those with wealth and power paint a picture of a country that  was strongly held together by the Anglo Saxon Caucasian that colonized this land. It had nothing to do with the fact that the less fortunate did the work, fought the wars, and carried the burdens which built this great nation. I applaud the Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and any other minority that lives and dies in America, to try and present their history from their perspective. For it too is American history.

War on Terrorism

Well it looks like the terrorist have won. We named this fight against Al Qaeda as a war against terror since their efforts were designed to scaring us into changing our ways or die. Well with the war going on for over 14 years they have done that. The attack on 9/11 was not an act designed to take over the USA but to bring it down and create a regime change. With that we went into a financial recession, developed a homeland security group which now challenges all our freedoms, and a political structure that is inept and gridlocked.

Internal or home grown terror has us in such a grasp that individuals are buying guns in massive numbers and everyone is gripped with the fear of the next terrorist attacked on innocent civilians. Just a simple phone call to the press or any public establishment threatening an attack can bring cities and establishments to their knees. Whole school districts can be shut down. Public transportation is guarded like military  headquarters just to give the public the perception that they are being protected. And it will never be safe to go to a movie, work, or anywhere without some thought of a possible attack from "someone."

The terrorist have been successful in removing one of our most precious right. The right to the pursuit of happiness and the freedom to live without fear in our country. While we may be winning against ISIS to some degree, we have already lost the war and probably will never be the same as a country again.

Justice or compassion

I recently saw a commentary on TV about an African American who had been on death row for thirty years in Alabama for a crime he did not commit. Another person recently confessed to the crime and he was released. The case had been poorly handled to begin with. The man had received poor legal counsel, African Americans were eliminated from jury selection, no witnesses, no murder weapon and only circumstantial evidence. A rush to judgment that would send a man to his death. This is just one of many cases where death row convictions have been found to be inaccurate.

 

Once the man was released from prison he was found to have stage four lung cancer and died shortly thereafter. When he was released the state gave him a $20 gift card and sent him on his way. While he was entitled to some compensation for being falsely incarcerated for almost his whole life the state said that since nothing was done illegally and since he had previous knowledge that a crime that he didn't bring forward he wasn't going to receive anything.

 

The state prosecutor was asked if he felt that was fair and if he, like many others, had any compassion for the man and what he had been through. The prosecutor said that he was not in. The compassion business and he was just following the law. A mistake was made thirty years ago, the state corrected it, and they were done. They had followed the law at the first trial and they were continuing to follow the law (the ones that fit them). Right or wrong has nothing to do with it. Justice is what they provide and he received delayed justice when he was released. 

 

Our justice system has become a farce for both justice and compassion. The laws are used to "punish" rather that "protect" the citizens. Ask any black person what the results of challenging a police command, even if being calm and non combative. Many people are incarcerated under mandatory sentence laws which do not take into account reasonable sense or compassion for the circumstances. Get killed for having a gun, rather well or fake, even in the same place where  white citizens can brazenly display guns and rifles in public. Criminals are released without even having a trial due to the plea bargaining by attorneys and judges.

 

I would hope that our legal system would be run to provide justice in a reasonable, even  handed, and compassionate manner. Serious crimes should have serious penalties but we should make sure as best we can that we get it right. Justice and compassion do not have to be mutually exclusive. We have more laws than any other country in the world, and by far more people incarcerated.  

The Haves and The Have Nots

There is a new television show on called the "Haves and The Have Nots". It is about two different families. One rich,white and in power, and the other a black family with the matriarch being their maid. The black family comes from a lower class neighborhood,and she has a daughter who has been in trouble and is desirous of the good life. By being an escort she makes her way into the lives of the Haves,and extorts her way to wealth for a while. Of course there are other character and there is way more to the story,but what strikes me the most is that our country and society is actually set up like this. 

America was established with a system whereby there were three classes. The rich, the middle class, and the poor. The poor didn't include slaves,which were considered property, and not even people. There have always been Haves and Have Nots in America. It is funny to me that some politicians argue that providing services for the poor,by having the rich pay more, is some form of socialism. We will never have a society in America where everyone receives equal treatment and wealth is shared, because  that simply is not America or Capitalism.

All the wars that have been fought in this country, particularly the Civil War, were about maintaining the level of the rich. While slavery was an issue at the time, the idea of succession from the union and the effects it would have on commerce and trade were far more important, and actually resulted in the war. Since the states had the power to make their own laws slavery could have continued. But what would have happened to the workforce in the north or the industrial revolution, had this occurred? If history is honestly reviewed, not by the tainted way that it is presented in our schools textbooks, this would be obvious. But that is our dirty little secret and it plays better say Lincoln went to war to free the slaves.

Look at today's economy and our democracy and anyone can see that the country is more divided along these economical lines that be race. Race is an issue for blacks because they started below the Have Nots, and through the civil rights movement have been able to more "up" to the level of poor whites and even middle class. There are even those who are Haves. 

The key to America is that the founding fathers, who were Haves by the way, wrote the constitution and the bill of rights to say that "everyone" had the right, and could become a Have, here in this new country. Easily said and a great morale compass, but very hard to accomplish by many. Some say it is the individuals fault since the opportunity is there. But for many Have Nots the opportunity is not there, or has always been the case, the Haves will do anything in there power to prevent it and maintain their level of supremacy.