My first thought when I read about this ban was that The President just put a target on the back of every citizen of this country who travels out of the country. President Trump (or is it President Bannon?) is apparently not only a heartless person with regards to refugees but also seemingly doesn't care about the safety of U.S. citizens who travel the world. Does he not realize that this will just incite other countries against us? What kind of foreign policy is this?
This executive order has been criticized by not only U.S. citizens but other world leaders. The article "Merkle, May Criticize Trump's Refugee Ban" by Anton Troianovski and Jason Douglas (link below) indicate that both leaders of Germany and the U.K. disagree with the ban. Apparently Ms. Merkle, the German leader, had to explain the refugee policy that the U.S. signed in 1967. She reminded him of the Geneva Conventions. It is unbelievable that the President is so determined to alienate even our closest allies. Canada and France have also spoken out against this policy.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/merkel-calls-u-s-refugee-ban-unjustified-1485687277?mod=e2tw
This ban is not the same as 2011 when the Obama administration halted refugee applications from Iraq. According to the CNN article "Trump Defends Executive Order Concerning Extreme Vetting" by Kevin Liptak "Trump cast the move as in line with the previous administration's moves to combat terrorism, writing: "My policy is similar to what President (Barack) Obama did in 2011 when he banned visas for refugees from Iraq for six months." While Obama did order his administration to pause consideration of Iraqi refugee applications for six month in 2011, Trump's action is far more sweeping, preventing all citizens of Iraq from entering the United States for 90 days. The other nations under the same restrictions are Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen." (link attached)
http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/29/politics/donald-trump-executive-order-statement/index.html
The ban with prevents ALL citizens from 7 predominately Muslim countries from entering the U.S. for 3 months, is nothing more than religious persecution by the Trump administration. The order did not include Saudi Arabia where most of the 9/11 terrorists were from. Note that this country is where Trump owns property.
It appears that the ACLU has filed suits in a number of states. Hopefully justice will prevail. We do NOT want to go back to that era in time when we denied Jews entry in our country who were fleeing the Nazi's or when we systematically rounded up all the Asians and placed them in internment camps in the U.S. Surely we are better than this.
The final link I have attached is a video by Fareed Zakaria of CNN. It's about 2-3 minutes and is worth the watch. He provides statistics to back up his claim that this is simply Fear Mongering by the Trump administration.
http://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2017/01/29/exp-gps-0129-take-travel-ban.cnn/video/playlists/trump-travel-ban/
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Shameful Behavior
Donald Trump has been President for 8 days and the speed at which he has shamed this country is astounding. While I have obviously never been a supporter, I'm finding it almost beyond belief that he is on such a record setting pace to tear apart so many of our core values in this country.
His crazy preoccupation with the crowd size at the inauguration was the first glimpse into what was important to President Trump. I cannot fathom why in heavens name this mattered enough to send his press secretary out on the day after the ceremony to completely dress down the media. This smacked of a child throwing a tantrum and tattling. This is embarrassing behavior in our leader.
The President remains fixated on the size of his victory. He continues to allege that there were 3-5 million illegal votes cast (all of which for Clinton) and that his margin of victory is under reported. There is of course no evidence of this but he is promising to launch an investigation. There go wasted tax dollars.
He is pressing forward with plans to build his damn wall. This is to the tune of 10-15 billion dollars. What a waste of money. An article from thehill.com quotes Texas Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) as saying "Building a wall is the most expensive and least effective way to secure the border." Thehill.com picked up this quote from the Washington Post. Will the wall have big gold letters spelling out T-R-U-M-P every 500 feet? Great Wall of TRUMP? More wasted taxpayer money. Mid week also saw a pissing contest between President Trump and the President of Mexico. A planned meeting was cancelled. Mexico still maintains they won't pay for a wall and Trump says they will. You do realize that any costs will ultimately be paid for by us, right? Those costs will be added in one way or another to goods that we all purchase.
He continues to say that he is pro-torture. His caveat is that he will defer to General Mattis who has stated he is against torture. I NEVER thought I would live to hear a President of the United States advocating torture. This is something I expect to hear from dictators in third world countries. How can you tweet that the Pro-life movement is so important and in the next breath be advocating torture? These are despicable words from the leader of the free world.
The speech that President Trump gave at the CIA headquarters was another embarrassing outing. He spent just a few minutes saying he supported the intelligence community (the ones he has formerly compared to Nazi's) and then proceeded to talk about his inauguration crowd size and the usual rant about the media. The ego of this man is so continually embarrassing.
Finally, on the same day as the International Holocaust Remembrance Day he announced that the United States was banning acceptance of refugees from a number of Muslim countries. His Holocaust pronouncement stated. "In the name of the perished, I pledge to do everything in my power throughout my Presidency, and my life, to ensure that the forces of evil never again defeat the powers of good. Together we will make love and tolerance prevalent throughout the world." How can he even sign is name to this statement and in the next minute ban refugees seeking a new life? I cannot even fathom such heartless behavior.
I have repeatedly tried to see something good in this President. I have seen nothing even close to resembling mature, adult, intelligent, thoughtful or compassionate behavior from this man. This is a shameful era for the United States.
His crazy preoccupation with the crowd size at the inauguration was the first glimpse into what was important to President Trump. I cannot fathom why in heavens name this mattered enough to send his press secretary out on the day after the ceremony to completely dress down the media. This smacked of a child throwing a tantrum and tattling. This is embarrassing behavior in our leader.
The President remains fixated on the size of his victory. He continues to allege that there were 3-5 million illegal votes cast (all of which for Clinton) and that his margin of victory is under reported. There is of course no evidence of this but he is promising to launch an investigation. There go wasted tax dollars.
He is pressing forward with plans to build his damn wall. This is to the tune of 10-15 billion dollars. What a waste of money. An article from thehill.com quotes Texas Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) as saying "Building a wall is the most expensive and least effective way to secure the border." Thehill.com picked up this quote from the Washington Post. Will the wall have big gold letters spelling out T-R-U-M-P every 500 feet? Great Wall of TRUMP? More wasted taxpayer money. Mid week also saw a pissing contest between President Trump and the President of Mexico. A planned meeting was cancelled. Mexico still maintains they won't pay for a wall and Trump says they will. You do realize that any costs will ultimately be paid for by us, right? Those costs will be added in one way or another to goods that we all purchase.
He continues to say that he is pro-torture. His caveat is that he will defer to General Mattis who has stated he is against torture. I NEVER thought I would live to hear a President of the United States advocating torture. This is something I expect to hear from dictators in third world countries. How can you tweet that the Pro-life movement is so important and in the next breath be advocating torture? These are despicable words from the leader of the free world.
The speech that President Trump gave at the CIA headquarters was another embarrassing outing. He spent just a few minutes saying he supported the intelligence community (the ones he has formerly compared to Nazi's) and then proceeded to talk about his inauguration crowd size and the usual rant about the media. The ego of this man is so continually embarrassing.
Finally, on the same day as the International Holocaust Remembrance Day he announced that the United States was banning acceptance of refugees from a number of Muslim countries. His Holocaust pronouncement stated. "In the name of the perished, I pledge to do everything in my power throughout my Presidency, and my life, to ensure that the forces of evil never again defeat the powers of good. Together we will make love and tolerance prevalent throughout the world." How can he even sign is name to this statement and in the next minute ban refugees seeking a new life? I cannot even fathom such heartless behavior.
I have repeatedly tried to see something good in this President. I have seen nothing even close to resembling mature, adult, intelligent, thoughtful or compassionate behavior from this man. This is a shameful era for the United States.
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Balancing Regulations
Since the last election, there has been a lot of talk about government overreach and over regulation. The Trump administration has promised to pull back many regulations. Their reason is that regulations are stifling job creation and growth in our country. While I am no expert in this field it seems to me that this is an over simplification.
Last night I watched American Experience on PBS (my favorite channel). It was a documentary about Rachel Carson, the author of "Silent Spring". This book was published in 1962. I have not read it but have added it to my list. According to Wikipedia, Discover Magazine has this book listed as one of the 25 greatest science books of all time. The book is about synthetic pesticides. Not exactly the most exciting sounding topic but the documentary was really interesting. I have attached the link below. The show was almost 2 hours but it is definitely worth watching.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/rachel-carson/player/
Before the book was published, DDT was in widespread use and people were not aware of the harmful effects as they are today. This book eventually led to a ban on DDT and the movement that was started led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. When DDT was in widespread use, companies were not rushing to be self-policing. This was a billion dollar industry according to yourdictionary.com. Pesticides were in such wide spread use then that worms were toxic even a year later and when birds consumed the toxic worms and you created a circle of poison. The documentary said this was a time of the "arms race of pesticide use".
This whole thing has me thinking about the Trump administration and how they want to roll back regulations. It seems to me that they are in a race to see how fast they can make changes. This race is could have dire effects if we're not careful. Being concerned with job creation is fine but not if it leads us back to situations where companies have no regulations about the products they put out and their effect on our environment and ourselves.
According to yourdictionary.com Rachel Carson wrote "I suppose my thinking began to be affected soon after atomic science was firmly established...It was pleasant to believe that much of Nature was forever beyond the tampering reach of man: I have now opened my eyes and my mind. I may not like what I see, but it does no good to ignore it." We must all be aware of our actions and the long term effects. Rolling back one regulation may not seem like a big deal but it could have long term consequences for our health or the health of our planet.
Last night I watched American Experience on PBS (my favorite channel). It was a documentary about Rachel Carson, the author of "Silent Spring". This book was published in 1962. I have not read it but have added it to my list. According to Wikipedia, Discover Magazine has this book listed as one of the 25 greatest science books of all time. The book is about synthetic pesticides. Not exactly the most exciting sounding topic but the documentary was really interesting. I have attached the link below. The show was almost 2 hours but it is definitely worth watching.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/rachel-carson/player/
Before the book was published, DDT was in widespread use and people were not aware of the harmful effects as they are today. This book eventually led to a ban on DDT and the movement that was started led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. When DDT was in widespread use, companies were not rushing to be self-policing. This was a billion dollar industry according to yourdictionary.com. Pesticides were in such wide spread use then that worms were toxic even a year later and when birds consumed the toxic worms and you created a circle of poison. The documentary said this was a time of the "arms race of pesticide use".
This whole thing has me thinking about the Trump administration and how they want to roll back regulations. It seems to me that they are in a race to see how fast they can make changes. This race is could have dire effects if we're not careful. Being concerned with job creation is fine but not if it leads us back to situations where companies have no regulations about the products they put out and their effect on our environment and ourselves.
According to yourdictionary.com Rachel Carson wrote "I suppose my thinking began to be affected soon after atomic science was firmly established...It was pleasant to believe that much of Nature was forever beyond the tampering reach of man: I have now opened my eyes and my mind. I may not like what I see, but it does no good to ignore it." We must all be aware of our actions and the long term effects. Rolling back one regulation may not seem like a big deal but it could have long term consequences for our health or the health of our planet.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Sports Sadness
In the life of most human beings, sports is an area that can bring all types of people together. It can transcend differences in religion, politics, race, gender, and nationalities. Sports can be either individual or team driven. It can be professional, educational, or recreationally sponsored. We can be just as passionate about little league baseball as we are about high school, college or professional baseball. Sports can act as a family for many communities.
My community is fortunate enough to have all types of sports. In the professional realm we have our hometown Kansas City Royals and Kansas City Chiefs. This week, we lost a member of the Kansas City Royals baseball team. Yordano Ventura was a 25 year old starting pitcher who brought at times both joy and frustration for fans. A talented baseball player who had a real gift was taken too soon.
Normally I'm a very private person regarding grief and tragedies. I'm not a touchy-feely person so I generally steer clear of such topics. However, this loss for our community family has stuck a cord with me. This young man was the same age as my youngest child. It's a horrible loss for his family. I cannot imagine having to bury a child. For us fans, baseball players become a part of our own family. With 162 games in a season, we regular watchers allow those players into our living room for well over 100 games each season. That translates to at least 300 hours and it almost feels as if we know them. Even more so than other celebrities because we all have an emotional attachment to our teams and are constantly rooting for a win.
Ventura was just like one of our own kids; both exciting and at times frustrating to watch. But I do know that whenever we were headed to a game, the interest level went up a notch when we knew he would be pitching. He helped bring a lot of pride to this city when they won the World Series in 2015. The media has mentioned that signs were placed on a memorial at the stadium that say he was traded to the Angels. I love this analogy. Yordano, you'll always have home-field advantage now. Thank you for the many hours of enjoyment you brought into our homes these last few years.
In this crazy mixed up country of ours right now, sports is an oasis for many of us. It's an escape from the nutty politics and other issues facing us daily. This tragedy is a reminder that life can be cut short in an instant and we need to always be mindful of what's important.
Normally I'm a very private person regarding grief and tragedies. I'm not a touchy-feely person so I generally steer clear of such topics. However, this loss for our community family has stuck a cord with me. This young man was the same age as my youngest child. It's a horrible loss for his family. I cannot imagine having to bury a child. For us fans, baseball players become a part of our own family. With 162 games in a season, we regular watchers allow those players into our living room for well over 100 games each season. That translates to at least 300 hours and it almost feels as if we know them. Even more so than other celebrities because we all have an emotional attachment to our teams and are constantly rooting for a win.
Ventura was just like one of our own kids; both exciting and at times frustrating to watch. But I do know that whenever we were headed to a game, the interest level went up a notch when we knew he would be pitching. He helped bring a lot of pride to this city when they won the World Series in 2015. The media has mentioned that signs were placed on a memorial at the stadium that say he was traded to the Angels. I love this analogy. Yordano, you'll always have home-field advantage now. Thank you for the many hours of enjoyment you brought into our homes these last few years.
In this crazy mixed up country of ours right now, sports is an oasis for many of us. It's an escape from the nutty politics and other issues facing us daily. This tragedy is a reminder that life can be cut short in an instant and we need to always be mindful of what's important.
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Back to the Future
Today was inauguration day for our country's highest office. It was a day that provoked a lot of emotions for our citizens. For those who supported President Trump, it was a day of rejoicing. However for more than half of those who voted (popular vote) it was a day that filled many with a scary sense of uncertainty about our leadership. While I do hope that President Trump turns outs to be good for the country, he certainly has not inspired my confidence up to this point. However, just because I did not vote for him, I do agree with the notion that we all need to hope and pray that he succeeds. I agree with the assessment that if he does well, we all do well.
I did listen to his inaugural speech today and I have to say that is was for me a depressing listen. He painted a picture of doom and did nothing to encourage all of us to come together. I felt like it was just another campaign rally speech mean to appeal to his core supporters. During the campaign and again today I have really tried to find positive things in his messages. I simply cannot. Try as I might, I do not feel confident about our country after listening to him.
With that being said, what really stuck with me today was a quote from the Washington Post article from January 20, 2017 titled "In Deep Blue Wisconsin Village, 'You Could Feel it Coming'" by Jenna Johnson. The article is about the community of Tempealeau, Wisconsin and how they flipped from voting Democrat to Republican. The article quotes a local citizen who twice voted for Obama and then flipped to vote for Trump. I feel like this quote captured the mood of many in our country and why they voted the way they did.
The article quotes David Samb, a retired printing union worker as saying, "I'm just tired of where everything is going in the country. It's like we're giving everything away, and we're not getting anywhere." He further stated "I just kind of want to get the country back to the way it was."
This last sentence was the telling line for me. I have seen this same sentiment echoed in other stories and by friends. I'm still trying to understand exactly what a person means by "back to the way it was". Is this just a complaint about the loss of manufacturing jobs? Is it a complaint regarding the increasing diversity in our population? Is it a complaint about government overreach? Is it a complaint about the conservative election rally cry against Obamacare? Is it all of the above?
All I know is that we can't go back in time. Globalization and automation are here to stay. There aren't enough trade wars, taxes etc to change those forces. Our population is going to continue to become more wonderfully diverse. Obamacare--well, your guess is as good as mine but it seems like we all like the idea of the government attempting to help solve the problems of crazy health care costs in the country without creating a national health care system.
And while we complain about government overreach, I suspect that there will be plenty of outcry as the Trump administration attempts to make drastic budget cuts or regulatory changes. I have already seen articles indicating that President Trump wants to drastically cut the budget and according to the article from The Hill (link below) that will include getting rid of things like the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. In addition, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting will be privatized. Surely we don't want to go "back the way it was" and give up on these things. Nor do I believe that we want to do away with EPA regulations to the detriment of our own health.
http://thehill.com/policy/finance/314991-trump-team-prepares-dramatic-cuts
My point here is that rather than lamenting about a by-gone era, we need to pick ourselves up and adapt. Our President cannot wave a magic wand and make instant changes. It's up to ALL of us to take on the tough work of improving our lives and communities. We don't have to go back in time to have a prosperous future.
I did listen to his inaugural speech today and I have to say that is was for me a depressing listen. He painted a picture of doom and did nothing to encourage all of us to come together. I felt like it was just another campaign rally speech mean to appeal to his core supporters. During the campaign and again today I have really tried to find positive things in his messages. I simply cannot. Try as I might, I do not feel confident about our country after listening to him.
With that being said, what really stuck with me today was a quote from the Washington Post article from January 20, 2017 titled "In Deep Blue Wisconsin Village, 'You Could Feel it Coming'" by Jenna Johnson. The article is about the community of Tempealeau, Wisconsin and how they flipped from voting Democrat to Republican. The article quotes a local citizen who twice voted for Obama and then flipped to vote for Trump. I feel like this quote captured the mood of many in our country and why they voted the way they did.
The article quotes David Samb, a retired printing union worker as saying, "I'm just tired of where everything is going in the country. It's like we're giving everything away, and we're not getting anywhere." He further stated "I just kind of want to get the country back to the way it was."
This last sentence was the telling line for me. I have seen this same sentiment echoed in other stories and by friends. I'm still trying to understand exactly what a person means by "back to the way it was". Is this just a complaint about the loss of manufacturing jobs? Is it a complaint regarding the increasing diversity in our population? Is it a complaint about government overreach? Is it a complaint about the conservative election rally cry against Obamacare? Is it all of the above?
All I know is that we can't go back in time. Globalization and automation are here to stay. There aren't enough trade wars, taxes etc to change those forces. Our population is going to continue to become more wonderfully diverse. Obamacare--well, your guess is as good as mine but it seems like we all like the idea of the government attempting to help solve the problems of crazy health care costs in the country without creating a national health care system.
And while we complain about government overreach, I suspect that there will be plenty of outcry as the Trump administration attempts to make drastic budget cuts or regulatory changes. I have already seen articles indicating that President Trump wants to drastically cut the budget and according to the article from The Hill (link below) that will include getting rid of things like the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. In addition, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting will be privatized. Surely we don't want to go "back the way it was" and give up on these things. Nor do I believe that we want to do away with EPA regulations to the detriment of our own health.
http://thehill.com/policy/finance/314991-trump-team-prepares-dramatic-cuts
My point here is that rather than lamenting about a by-gone era, we need to pick ourselves up and adapt. Our President cannot wave a magic wand and make instant changes. It's up to ALL of us to take on the tough work of improving our lives and communities. We don't have to go back in time to have a prosperous future.
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Sec of Education Nominee
This week my political interest has been focused on Betsy DeVos, the nominee for Secretary of Education. I have to say that she appears to me to be the least qualified candidate to date of all of the nominees. I am attaching several links to Washington Post articles about her nomination.
Her answers to questions about various issues showed how profoundly unqualified she is. Her worst answer seemed to me to be about a question regarding her views on guns in schools. She said something to the effect that she imagined that guns were needed in schools in Wyoming to protect against grizzly bears. WTF?
She has no personal experience with public schools. Never attended one, never sent her kids. No experience with financial aid. She has no experience running anything remotely like the massive Department of Education. She seems to be a proponent of vouchers but refused to say if she agreed that any school that took federal funds should have to play by the same rules as public schools. WTF? I for one believe that if we're going down the voucher road then all the players need to have the same playbook. How can we say that certain schools get federal money but they don't have to offer the same services or conform to the same federal regulations? She couldn't answer Elizabeth Warren about how she would prevent fraud and abuse. She seemed to be unable to answer questions regarding standardized testing issues. Many answers were vague and offered no specifics.
If you have any interest in education please take the time to read up on this nominee. Just because she has an interest in helping kids and has donated lots of money to the GOP does not mean that she is the best qualified person to run this vital department. Education of future generations of citizens is a vital interest for all of us.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2017/01/18/betsy-devos-said-theres-probably-a-gun-at-a-wyoming-school-to-ward-off-grizzlies-there-isnt/?tid=sm_tw&utm_term=.23f8a2f4e80f
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/senators-to-scrutinize-betsy-devos-trumps-pick-for-education-secretary/2017/01/17/3a0e6168-da8f-11e6-9a36-1d296534b31e_story.html?utm_term=.c2d541e3933f
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2017/01/18/what-we-learned-about-betsy-devoss-higher-education-positions-not-much/?tid=sm_fb&utm_term=.88f493b92a68
Her answers to questions about various issues showed how profoundly unqualified she is. Her worst answer seemed to me to be about a question regarding her views on guns in schools. She said something to the effect that she imagined that guns were needed in schools in Wyoming to protect against grizzly bears. WTF?
She has no personal experience with public schools. Never attended one, never sent her kids. No experience with financial aid. She has no experience running anything remotely like the massive Department of Education. She seems to be a proponent of vouchers but refused to say if she agreed that any school that took federal funds should have to play by the same rules as public schools. WTF? I for one believe that if we're going down the voucher road then all the players need to have the same playbook. How can we say that certain schools get federal money but they don't have to offer the same services or conform to the same federal regulations? She couldn't answer Elizabeth Warren about how she would prevent fraud and abuse. She seemed to be unable to answer questions regarding standardized testing issues. Many answers were vague and offered no specifics.
If you have any interest in education please take the time to read up on this nominee. Just because she has an interest in helping kids and has donated lots of money to the GOP does not mean that she is the best qualified person to run this vital department. Education of future generations of citizens is a vital interest for all of us.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2017/01/18/betsy-devos-said-theres-probably-a-gun-at-a-wyoming-school-to-ward-off-grizzlies-there-isnt/?tid=sm_tw&utm_term=.23f8a2f4e80f
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/senators-to-scrutinize-betsy-devos-trumps-pick-for-education-secretary/2017/01/17/3a0e6168-da8f-11e6-9a36-1d296534b31e_story.html?utm_term=.c2d541e3933f
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2017/01/18/what-we-learned-about-betsy-devoss-higher-education-positions-not-much/?tid=sm_fb&utm_term=.88f493b92a68
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
GET A GRIP
Dear President-Elect Twitter (I mean Trump),
The last few days have seen another exhausting list of controversies stirred up on your Twitter account. Trying to keep track of the list is wearing me out. The last week has included feuds with the Intelligence agencies, Congressman John Lewis, actress Meryl Streep, bullying the ethics director, more of the same in your war with the media, promoting or disparaging individual companies, a continuation of your campaign against the Clinton and the Democrats and the required rant against your poll numbers. HOLY CRAP MAN! Get a grip.
From my seat here in the midwest you are on a break neck pace to throw this already divided country into complete chaos. Everyone I have spoken to, including those who voted for you want the Twitter habit to STOP. You are undermining your ability to effectively lead this country and are putting the safety of all of us at risk. This is turning into a unbelievable daily shit show. President-Elect Twitter (I mean Trump) I know that my sarcasm does not help this situation, but at this point I just don't even know what to say. Dude, you are your own worst enemy. Voters wanted change, NOT constant chaos.
That is all.
A Tired Midwest Moderate
The last few days have seen another exhausting list of controversies stirred up on your Twitter account. Trying to keep track of the list is wearing me out. The last week has included feuds with the Intelligence agencies, Congressman John Lewis, actress Meryl Streep, bullying the ethics director, more of the same in your war with the media, promoting or disparaging individual companies, a continuation of your campaign against the Clinton and the Democrats and the required rant against your poll numbers. HOLY CRAP MAN! Get a grip.
From my seat here in the midwest you are on a break neck pace to throw this already divided country into complete chaos. Everyone I have spoken to, including those who voted for you want the Twitter habit to STOP. You are undermining your ability to effectively lead this country and are putting the safety of all of us at risk. This is turning into a unbelievable daily shit show. President-Elect Twitter (I mean Trump) I know that my sarcasm does not help this situation, but at this point I just don't even know what to say. Dude, you are your own worst enemy. Voters wanted change, NOT constant chaos.
That is all.
A Tired Midwest Moderate
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Critical Thinking
If I were a betting person (and I'm not) I would bet that the single most divisive topic ever in the history of human kind is religion. Wars have been fought for religious reasons throughout history and continue to this day. I'm not about to discuss my personal beliefs or anyone else's religious beliefs. That's a line I will not cross. However, I do believe passionately in the separation of church and state as outlined in our constitution. For me that entails keeping my religious beliefs in one of my buckets and my political beliefs in another. I do know that for others that approach may not be the same. There's no right or wrong approach, just differences. Religion has and probably always will be used as a flash point in political elections and governing. The reason I bring up this topic is to illustrate the desperate need that country has for it's citizens to be more critical thinkers.
Recently I was sent an article from a friend. It was not from a news site that I typically read. I have always felt that particular site to be a little too right leaning for my taste. HOWEVER, it the spirit of trying to practice what I preach, I read the article and also read the attached report that sited statistics used in the article. The article was about the decline of religion under the Obama presidency.
For the sake of saving myself from future arguments, I'm not going to attach links to this article or the statistics report. I want to make a point about critical thinking and not argue the particular aspects of religion which is what the article was about.
The title of the article was not completely inflammatory but you could tell it was meant to appeal to those whose political and religious approach is probably more mixed than mine. Titles of on-line articles are the hooks that grab people as they are consuming information. News organizations know this. I find that inflammatory titles are less noticeable in long-term more main stream media publications. Titles should always be a clue as to how closely you need to examine what is being stated in the article. If it looks like something that you might see on a tabloid at the checkout stand in the grocery store, MAYBE it's not an article you should take seriously. However, some headlines are not so obvious as was the article my friend shared.
This article began by quoting statistics from report that basically said that the biggest change under Obama was the increase in the number of people who don't identify as being religious. I immediately looked at the report sited by the article. I had 2 semesters of statistics in college. They were required classes and I did find them interesting. BUT, that was a million years ago and I do not work in that realm so I am just an average citizen when it comes to statistical analysis. But as an average person looking at the referenced statistics even a non expert could see that there may be a problem. In this particular report, religion was the ONLY area where the analysis ONLY covered the 8 years of the Obama presidency. All other areas including demographics, politics, global views, technology, and social media were analyzed in larger time periods. Some areas contained graphics that provided data as far back as the 1950's. Hmm. Shouldn't this be a clue as to maybe this article is omitting information? What was the trend regarding religion for the 10-20 years before the Obama administration?
The article went on to site several other reports about religion and clashes with government regulations or policies. If I'm trying think critically about the article, I need to really think about cause and effect. Just because the article sites a report with statistics in it does not prove cause and effect. It's kind of like saying that oatmeal consumption decreased during the Obama administration, therefore his presidency must be to blame for this. Cause and effect regarding issues as large and complicated as religion and politics is a tricky slope. We must all be mindful when we start to believe in these articles without thinking about the details.
So while the article my friend shared did not in my mind support it's title it was still a good exercise in critical thinking. In addition, reading articles that don't conform with your normal views is always educational. Your views might not change but what if you were able to at least understand the thought process of others better? Isn't that a win? One of the great side effects of writing this blog is for me the way it makes me a more critical reader of news. In this day and age of information overload, taking the time to really examine articles is vital. We cannot allow ourselves to become a nation of lemmings that will simply believe whatever headlines appeal to our normal belief system and discount the education that comes from a reading and thinking about the world outside of our own comfort zone.
Recently I was sent an article from a friend. It was not from a news site that I typically read. I have always felt that particular site to be a little too right leaning for my taste. HOWEVER, it the spirit of trying to practice what I preach, I read the article and also read the attached report that sited statistics used in the article. The article was about the decline of religion under the Obama presidency.
For the sake of saving myself from future arguments, I'm not going to attach links to this article or the statistics report. I want to make a point about critical thinking and not argue the particular aspects of religion which is what the article was about.
The title of the article was not completely inflammatory but you could tell it was meant to appeal to those whose political and religious approach is probably more mixed than mine. Titles of on-line articles are the hooks that grab people as they are consuming information. News organizations know this. I find that inflammatory titles are less noticeable in long-term more main stream media publications. Titles should always be a clue as to how closely you need to examine what is being stated in the article. If it looks like something that you might see on a tabloid at the checkout stand in the grocery store, MAYBE it's not an article you should take seriously. However, some headlines are not so obvious as was the article my friend shared.
This article began by quoting statistics from report that basically said that the biggest change under Obama was the increase in the number of people who don't identify as being religious. I immediately looked at the report sited by the article. I had 2 semesters of statistics in college. They were required classes and I did find them interesting. BUT, that was a million years ago and I do not work in that realm so I am just an average citizen when it comes to statistical analysis. But as an average person looking at the referenced statistics even a non expert could see that there may be a problem. In this particular report, religion was the ONLY area where the analysis ONLY covered the 8 years of the Obama presidency. All other areas including demographics, politics, global views, technology, and social media were analyzed in larger time periods. Some areas contained graphics that provided data as far back as the 1950's. Hmm. Shouldn't this be a clue as to maybe this article is omitting information? What was the trend regarding religion for the 10-20 years before the Obama administration?
The article went on to site several other reports about religion and clashes with government regulations or policies. If I'm trying think critically about the article, I need to really think about cause and effect. Just because the article sites a report with statistics in it does not prove cause and effect. It's kind of like saying that oatmeal consumption decreased during the Obama administration, therefore his presidency must be to blame for this. Cause and effect regarding issues as large and complicated as religion and politics is a tricky slope. We must all be mindful when we start to believe in these articles without thinking about the details.
So while the article my friend shared did not in my mind support it's title it was still a good exercise in critical thinking. In addition, reading articles that don't conform with your normal views is always educational. Your views might not change but what if you were able to at least understand the thought process of others better? Isn't that a win? One of the great side effects of writing this blog is for me the way it makes me a more critical reader of news. In this day and age of information overload, taking the time to really examine articles is vital. We cannot allow ourselves to become a nation of lemmings that will simply believe whatever headlines appeal to our normal belief system and discount the education that comes from a reading and thinking about the world outside of our own comfort zone.
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Unity
These last couple of days have been a crazy one in the news. The story of the unverified report regarding Trump and the Russia situation is sounding like a really bad reality TV show. I can't even imagine where the story will end.
The following link to the New York Times article "The Real Story About Fake News is Partisanship" by Amanda Taub seems to me to be the underlying issue in our country today.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/11/upshot/the-real-story-about-fake-news-is-partisanship.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=0
Hopefully you will take the time to read this article. If you have exceeded your limit of free articles and don't take a subscription to the newspaper, try your local library. I read it on-line through my local library's database service.
The article starts by stating that "Partisan bias now operates more like racism than mere political disagreement, academic research on the subject shows. And this widespread prejudice could have serious consequences for American democracy." This is a powerful statement and Ms. Taub supports it well. She discusses how people tend to believe those who are from the same party (tribe) more than they believe those from the opposite tribe. It's worth taking the time to read this.
After this last election season, I'm not sure anyone could argue against the statement that this country is a house divided. It continues to play out in the daily news. Our country is in desperate need of some unity. Normally this comes from our President. And as much as I don't want to contribute to the divisive problem, I don't believe that President-Elect Trump is capable of providing this. He simply lacks this ability. It just seems to me that rather than being combative on every story or perceived slight, he would be so much farther ahead by stopping the blame game. Rather than the Twitter scream, about the unverified Russian report, of "FAKE NEWS - A TOTAL POLITICAL WITCH HUNT!" wouldn't the issue die down faster if he had simply said he had seen the alleged report, there was no truth to it and he would not be discussing it further?
Extreme reactions to news stories are just driving all of us citizens further and further apart. The constant blame against the media for anything we disagree with is going to have dire effects on the state of our country. This is something we should all be worried about. Leaving our country to our children in such a divided state is just wrong. Please people, do not ignore dissenting opinions or news. It's imperative for the future health of our democracy that we break this cycle.
The following link to the New York Times article "The Real Story About Fake News is Partisanship" by Amanda Taub seems to me to be the underlying issue in our country today.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/11/upshot/the-real-story-about-fake-news-is-partisanship.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=0
Hopefully you will take the time to read this article. If you have exceeded your limit of free articles and don't take a subscription to the newspaper, try your local library. I read it on-line through my local library's database service.
The article starts by stating that "Partisan bias now operates more like racism than mere political disagreement, academic research on the subject shows. And this widespread prejudice could have serious consequences for American democracy." This is a powerful statement and Ms. Taub supports it well. She discusses how people tend to believe those who are from the same party (tribe) more than they believe those from the opposite tribe. It's worth taking the time to read this.
After this last election season, I'm not sure anyone could argue against the statement that this country is a house divided. It continues to play out in the daily news. Our country is in desperate need of some unity. Normally this comes from our President. And as much as I don't want to contribute to the divisive problem, I don't believe that President-Elect Trump is capable of providing this. He simply lacks this ability. It just seems to me that rather than being combative on every story or perceived slight, he would be so much farther ahead by stopping the blame game. Rather than the Twitter scream, about the unverified Russian report, of "FAKE NEWS - A TOTAL POLITICAL WITCH HUNT!" wouldn't the issue die down faster if he had simply said he had seen the alleged report, there was no truth to it and he would not be discussing it further?
Extreme reactions to news stories are just driving all of us citizens further and further apart. The constant blame against the media for anything we disagree with is going to have dire effects on the state of our country. This is something we should all be worried about. Leaving our country to our children in such a divided state is just wrong. Please people, do not ignore dissenting opinions or news. It's imperative for the future health of our democracy that we break this cycle.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Random Thoughts 1/10/17
1. This article from Newsweek is spot on for most people I know. It sounds to me that most would like Trump to stop tweeting. Absent that, kill Twitter per this article by Kevin Maney!
http://www.newsweek.com/2017/01/20/kill-twitter-540656.html
2. With the Senate starting hearings on the Trump administration nominees, here is contact information if you have a need to contact your Senator or Representative. Remember, they work for us!
Senate:
http://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/
House of Representatives:
http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
3. Does anyone else think that the whole uproar about Meryl Streep's comments at the Golden Globes is worth paying attention to? It rank's right up there with pointless news just like the whole cast of Hamilton's comments to Pence. Is it an appropriate venue? I don't know. Is it an appropriate venue to use Twitter to discuss Nuclear Arms or Foreign Policy?
4. Does anyone else think that Trump's pick for Senior Director of Strategic Communications, Monica Crowley is a problem? Surely her plagiarism issues will just be another issue that will undermine the credibility of the incoming administration. Why in heavens name would you stick with a person who appears to have stolen words from others?
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/monica-crowley-plagiarism-phd-dissertation-columbia-214612
http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/10/media/kfile-harper-collins-monica-crowley/index.html
5. I'm sick to death of both political parties accusing the other of living in a bubble or being out of touch with the bulk of citizens in this country. Aren't they both right? Neither the "liberal elite Democrats" from either coast nor the GOP's "billionaire/millionaire club" of Trump administration nominees could in any way, shape or form understand my regular life here in the flyover states. It's just more wasted energy spent demonizing our fellow citizens.
http://www.newsweek.com/2017/01/20/kill-twitter-540656.html
2. With the Senate starting hearings on the Trump administration nominees, here is contact information if you have a need to contact your Senator or Representative. Remember, they work for us!
Senate:
http://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/
House of Representatives:
http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
3. Does anyone else think that the whole uproar about Meryl Streep's comments at the Golden Globes is worth paying attention to? It rank's right up there with pointless news just like the whole cast of Hamilton's comments to Pence. Is it an appropriate venue? I don't know. Is it an appropriate venue to use Twitter to discuss Nuclear Arms or Foreign Policy?
4. Does anyone else think that Trump's pick for Senior Director of Strategic Communications, Monica Crowley is a problem? Surely her plagiarism issues will just be another issue that will undermine the credibility of the incoming administration. Why in heavens name would you stick with a person who appears to have stolen words from others?
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/monica-crowley-plagiarism-phd-dissertation-columbia-214612
http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/10/media/kfile-harper-collins-monica-crowley/index.html
5. I'm sick to death of both political parties accusing the other of living in a bubble or being out of touch with the bulk of citizens in this country. Aren't they both right? Neither the "liberal elite Democrats" from either coast nor the GOP's "billionaire/millionaire club" of Trump administration nominees could in any way, shape or form understand my regular life here in the flyover states. It's just more wasted energy spent demonizing our fellow citizens.
Monday, January 9, 2017
Pardon My Language
The following article from Newsweek has triggered some fond memories for me today. In addition it seems to indicate to me that my future grandchildren or great grandchildren may be some of the most honest people ever.
http://www.newsweek.com/swearing-associated-honesty-verbal-intelligence-539156
I grew up in the '60's and '70's as a child from a then uncommon blended family. My mother was and still is one of the most polite, articulate people you will ever meet. She constantly tried to instill these traits into her three daughters and son. In addition to normal parental lessons of hard work, kindness and honesty, she included proper table etiquette and polite speech to others. While she may have partially succeeded (with me anyway) in the table manners battle (I am still rabid about napkins in the lap and no elbows on the table while eating), I'm afraid she lost the battle with me in the polite speech war. A large part of this failure was due to my father.
My father was probably best described as "a man's man" with a work ethic second to none. He loved his wife and children fiercely and did his best to understand three girls in spite of growing up with only two brothers. Thanks to the Army and the GI Bill, he graduated college and eventually carved out a career in the heavily male dominated Agriculture industry. The man was a general manager of a beef packing plant and in his spare time he farmed 640 acres of wheat and cattle. The Ag realm then tended to be a heavily male dominated industry and the language used by those in it reflected this. (I apologize if this sounds sexist to my feminist friends!)
My father's language (while never used with us kids) was on par with the industry. The quote from the movie "A Christmas Story" by adult Ralphie describing his fathers swearing is spot on with my father, "He worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay. It was his true medium; A Master."
Being the manager of beef packing plant meant that he would get many calls even after the work day was normally over. This being the land-line phone age, he could not just step outside to take the call in private. The phone was within earshot of the dinner table so we kids received a well rounded education in colorful language. Much to my mothers despair!
At one point when growing up, Mom decided to institute a penalty jar for all foul language. At that time she was primarily trying to teach her children to stop telling each other to shut up and such things. We weren't quite brave enough to use our fathers language within her hearing at that point. The fine was to be .05/per bad word. I'm not sure this experiment worked as she planned. Because at that point rather than kind of tuning out Dad's work conversations, it became a game to see how much we could count up on his transgressions. I don't think this was what she had in mind. It seems like the penalty jar was abandoned after a few weeks and quite a few calls that cost Dad well over $2/call.
The man had his particular favorite strings of swear words that must be uttered with the right emphasis on the right syllables. A good universal saying for both work frustrations or farming frustrations had the acronym GDSOB. I'll leave you to decipher that. There were untold variations of this one but this was the 'ole reliable' of his swearing.
I'll never forget my mother's reaction the first time I uttered the word damn in front of her. I was in high school and had slammed my finger in the car door. If looks could have killed... Sorry Mom!
Needless to say, my attempts to be a good example to my own children were probably less than stellar. My husband also works in the Ag industry and that of course just added more fuel to the fire for my kids lessons. Judging from my now grown children's colorful language, it's becoming evident that this trait continues to be handed down. So, it's nice that the Newsweek article by Dana Dovey is saying that people who swear are more honest.
The honesty battle was a win Mom but the polite language, not so much!
http://www.newsweek.com/swearing-associated-honesty-verbal-intelligence-539156
I grew up in the '60's and '70's as a child from a then uncommon blended family. My mother was and still is one of the most polite, articulate people you will ever meet. She constantly tried to instill these traits into her three daughters and son. In addition to normal parental lessons of hard work, kindness and honesty, she included proper table etiquette and polite speech to others. While she may have partially succeeded (with me anyway) in the table manners battle (I am still rabid about napkins in the lap and no elbows on the table while eating), I'm afraid she lost the battle with me in the polite speech war. A large part of this failure was due to my father.
My father was probably best described as "a man's man" with a work ethic second to none. He loved his wife and children fiercely and did his best to understand three girls in spite of growing up with only two brothers. Thanks to the Army and the GI Bill, he graduated college and eventually carved out a career in the heavily male dominated Agriculture industry. The man was a general manager of a beef packing plant and in his spare time he farmed 640 acres of wheat and cattle. The Ag realm then tended to be a heavily male dominated industry and the language used by those in it reflected this. (I apologize if this sounds sexist to my feminist friends!)
My father's language (while never used with us kids) was on par with the industry. The quote from the movie "A Christmas Story" by adult Ralphie describing his fathers swearing is spot on with my father, "He worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay. It was his true medium; A Master."
Being the manager of beef packing plant meant that he would get many calls even after the work day was normally over. This being the land-line phone age, he could not just step outside to take the call in private. The phone was within earshot of the dinner table so we kids received a well rounded education in colorful language. Much to my mothers despair!
At one point when growing up, Mom decided to institute a penalty jar for all foul language. At that time she was primarily trying to teach her children to stop telling each other to shut up and such things. We weren't quite brave enough to use our fathers language within her hearing at that point. The fine was to be .05/per bad word. I'm not sure this experiment worked as she planned. Because at that point rather than kind of tuning out Dad's work conversations, it became a game to see how much we could count up on his transgressions. I don't think this was what she had in mind. It seems like the penalty jar was abandoned after a few weeks and quite a few calls that cost Dad well over $2/call.
The man had his particular favorite strings of swear words that must be uttered with the right emphasis on the right syllables. A good universal saying for both work frustrations or farming frustrations had the acronym GDSOB. I'll leave you to decipher that. There were untold variations of this one but this was the 'ole reliable' of his swearing.
I'll never forget my mother's reaction the first time I uttered the word damn in front of her. I was in high school and had slammed my finger in the car door. If looks could have killed... Sorry Mom!
Needless to say, my attempts to be a good example to my own children were probably less than stellar. My husband also works in the Ag industry and that of course just added more fuel to the fire for my kids lessons. Judging from my now grown children's colorful language, it's becoming evident that this trait continues to be handed down. So, it's nice that the Newsweek article by Dana Dovey is saying that people who swear are more honest.
The honesty battle was a win Mom but the polite language, not so much!
Saturday, January 7, 2017
The President Who Cried Wolf
Dear President-Elect Trump,
It's time for your briefing from the middle of the country. You know, that area that carried you into office? This Midwest moderate has a few thoughts on the shit-show(sorry, no other words suffice) of this last week.
I have sat back this last week and watched all of your stream-of-conscious tweets about the Intelligence community and the report on the hacking by the Russians. You have covered this topic in such an irresponsible manner. This assault on our countries free and fair elections has been turned into a side show by you.
You were dismissive of our Intelligence community and seemingly praising of Julian Assange. You seemed to endorse Mr. Assange's comment about this being something a 14 year old could do. You proceeded to say that it wasn't up to you to figure out the truth about his comment. REALLY?
Since the report was issued, your tweets seem to be blaming the DNC for bad computer security. All you seem concerned about emphasizing is the fact that no voter machines were hacked. And then just a few hours ago you tweeted, "Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. Only "stupid" people, or fools would think this is bad! We...have enough problems around the world without yet another one. When I am President, Russia will respect us far more than they do now and...both countries will, perhaps work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the WORLD!"
Apparently we the people, who are concerned about the integrity of free and fair elections are "stupid" or are "fools". I see that once again you're using the social media like a petulant teenager. Isn't an assault on our basic freedoms a pressing problem? For future reference could you explain what exactly constitutes a pressing problem? Since you continue to make statements in 140 character bites with the topics ranging from your TV show being hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger to who is playing at your inauguration to bashing individual companies to attempting to conduct foreign policy with China and North Korea we need a definition of what is a pressing problem.
Mr. Trump, you are rapidly becoming the boy who cried wolf. With your constant irresponsible barrage of tweets and refusal to hold news conferences, we the people are becoming immune to what issues to take seriously. The attached link to the article by Elliot Smilowitz stated that Leon Panetta, former CIA director said, "Mr. Trump is undermining the credibility of the U. S. Intelligence
community by publicly criticizing it on Twitter." You are not only undermining the Intelligence community but you are undermining any future credibility of your own office.
As Joe Biden said in a recent interview on the PBS Newshour "Grow up Donald. It' time to be an adult, you're president now". I say stop being the little boy who cried wolf.
Sincerely,
A Disgusted Midwest Moderate
http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/312981-panetta-trumps-tweets-undermining-the-credibility-of-us-intel
It's time for your briefing from the middle of the country. You know, that area that carried you into office? This Midwest moderate has a few thoughts on the shit-show(sorry, no other words suffice) of this last week.
I have sat back this last week and watched all of your stream-of-conscious tweets about the Intelligence community and the report on the hacking by the Russians. You have covered this topic in such an irresponsible manner. This assault on our countries free and fair elections has been turned into a side show by you.
You were dismissive of our Intelligence community and seemingly praising of Julian Assange. You seemed to endorse Mr. Assange's comment about this being something a 14 year old could do. You proceeded to say that it wasn't up to you to figure out the truth about his comment. REALLY?
Since the report was issued, your tweets seem to be blaming the DNC for bad computer security. All you seem concerned about emphasizing is the fact that no voter machines were hacked. And then just a few hours ago you tweeted, "Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. Only "stupid" people, or fools would think this is bad! We...have enough problems around the world without yet another one. When I am President, Russia will respect us far more than they do now and...both countries will, perhaps work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the WORLD!"
Apparently we the people, who are concerned about the integrity of free and fair elections are "stupid" or are "fools". I see that once again you're using the social media like a petulant teenager. Isn't an assault on our basic freedoms a pressing problem? For future reference could you explain what exactly constitutes a pressing problem? Since you continue to make statements in 140 character bites with the topics ranging from your TV show being hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger to who is playing at your inauguration to bashing individual companies to attempting to conduct foreign policy with China and North Korea we need a definition of what is a pressing problem.
Mr. Trump, you are rapidly becoming the boy who cried wolf. With your constant irresponsible barrage of tweets and refusal to hold news conferences, we the people are becoming immune to what issues to take seriously. The attached link to the article by Elliot Smilowitz stated that Leon Panetta, former CIA director said, "Mr. Trump is undermining the credibility of the U. S. Intelligence
community by publicly criticizing it on Twitter." You are not only undermining the Intelligence community but you are undermining any future credibility of your own office.
As Joe Biden said in a recent interview on the PBS Newshour "Grow up Donald. It' time to be an adult, you're president now". I say stop being the little boy who cried wolf.
Sincerely,
A Disgusted Midwest Moderate
http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/312981-panetta-trumps-tweets-undermining-the-credibility-of-us-intel
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Adults & Leaders
When my children were young, my husband and I like most parents tried to instill basic values in our children. These included honesty, kindness, a good work ethic and respect for others. In our house part of respect for others included being polite even when you disagree.
Like in most households with children, those lessons didn't always run like a well oiled clock. We had our fair share of tantrums, stomping off, door slamming and other challenges. However, I'm proud to say that the children (in spite of my many mistakes) turned into respectful, polite, self-supporting adults.
As a parent, I believed that part of my job was not only to preach to my children but to be an example and practice what I preached. Was I a model parent? Heavens no! Like most, I made MANY mistakes. However, I always tried (and continue to do so) to set a good example. I think the simple act of striving every day to be a better person than the previous day helped my children learn those basic values. Children will absorb our words and actions. This continual effort to be a better person helped our family to approach life together as a unified team who continue to always support each other even when we disagree.
Has our country forgotten these lessons? I firmly believe that most of us grew up with similar expectations and lessons. But it seems that the values of respect, politeness and kindness to other have been falling by the wayside for some time now. These values were no where to be found during this last election and I haven't seen any improvement since.
Don't we need our country's leaders to be modeling these values? If a parent only preaches and doesn't set an example, the lessons are lost. Many children will fill in their values from less desirable sources. If a leader only says he wants to unify and heal the country and yet openly courts division by partisan actions and inflammatory comments his unity goal is lost. If our country loses unity, then just like a family, all will suffer.
This failure to act like adults in non-partisan unity is fuel for our enemies. We are in danger of becoming a country that others may no longer want to emulate. The vacuum left when our elected officials fail to lead by example is being filled with politically extreme news sources, hate filled speeches and deafness to differing opinions.
When families fall into a downward spiral of dysfunction it can sometimes take multiple generations to overcome. Let's not let that happen to our national family. It takes strong adults, leading by both talk and practice to pull families back from the brink of disaster.
If our leaders are failing in their job to be grown ups, it's up to each of us as citizens to lead by example and heal this country. This isn't a call to stop disagreeing on policies, it's a call for respect for our fellow family members.
Like in most households with children, those lessons didn't always run like a well oiled clock. We had our fair share of tantrums, stomping off, door slamming and other challenges. However, I'm proud to say that the children (in spite of my many mistakes) turned into respectful, polite, self-supporting adults.
As a parent, I believed that part of my job was not only to preach to my children but to be an example and practice what I preached. Was I a model parent? Heavens no! Like most, I made MANY mistakes. However, I always tried (and continue to do so) to set a good example. I think the simple act of striving every day to be a better person than the previous day helped my children learn those basic values. Children will absorb our words and actions. This continual effort to be a better person helped our family to approach life together as a unified team who continue to always support each other even when we disagree.
Has our country forgotten these lessons? I firmly believe that most of us grew up with similar expectations and lessons. But it seems that the values of respect, politeness and kindness to other have been falling by the wayside for some time now. These values were no where to be found during this last election and I haven't seen any improvement since.
Don't we need our country's leaders to be modeling these values? If a parent only preaches and doesn't set an example, the lessons are lost. Many children will fill in their values from less desirable sources. If a leader only says he wants to unify and heal the country and yet openly courts division by partisan actions and inflammatory comments his unity goal is lost. If our country loses unity, then just like a family, all will suffer.
This failure to act like adults in non-partisan unity is fuel for our enemies. We are in danger of becoming a country that others may no longer want to emulate. The vacuum left when our elected officials fail to lead by example is being filled with politically extreme news sources, hate filled speeches and deafness to differing opinions.
When families fall into a downward spiral of dysfunction it can sometimes take multiple generations to overcome. Let's not let that happen to our national family. It takes strong adults, leading by both talk and practice to pull families back from the brink of disaster.
If our leaders are failing in their job to be grown ups, it's up to each of us as citizens to lead by example and heal this country. This isn't a call to stop disagreeing on policies, it's a call for respect for our fellow family members.
Monday, January 2, 2017
PLAY BALL!
Being from the Midwest, I like many here enjoy watching various sports. In addition to following my Alma mater, Kansas State University, my favorite professional team is probably Kansas City Royals baseball. Pitchers and catchers report to Phoenix in February so that is something to look forward to in this long part of winter. Opening day is April 3, 2017!
Many of the more popular sports in this country follow a familiar routine. There are the practices, the pregame show, the game, the post game wrap up and subsequent coverage in the following day's paper. Then, especially in baseball with 162 games, it's onto the next game. Plus there is the constant news of roster changes and injuries to keep track of.
Presidential politics seems to follow this same format somewhat. We have the practices of the primaries, the pregame show of the campaign, the election game, the post game wrap up of the losing party trying to analyze what went wrong and then the cycle is put on hold for another 4 years.
It seems like this last election cycle is continuing to drag on in the the post game wrap up phase. There are daily articles about the Democrats and why they lost. In addition to analysis of the losers, Mr. Trump and the GOP seem to have an insatiable need to keep reminding citizens of their win. At this point (18 days before being sworn in) it is starting to reek of unsportsmanlike conduct in this country. Don't teams get penalized for excessive celebration in some sports? I really think we need someone slapping the new incoming administration with a penalty. Mr. Trump tweeted on New Years Eve "Happy New Year to all, including to my many enemies and those who have fought me and lost so badly they just don't know what to do. Love!" In baseball unsportsmanlike conduct can result in ejection from the game and possible further game suspensions.
I wish we had coaches for either side in the political game. The Democrats need someone to tell their side to start hitting the batting cages harder and to trade for a new Ace pitcher. The Republicans need to bench(remove his cell phone) from their Ace pitcher (Mr. Trump) for failure to follow team rules. When the GOP's Ace pitcher can prove that he can communicate like a responsible leader then he would be allowed back in the game.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could just trade players in politics like they do in baseball? Injured by the opposing team and you're put on the disabled list. Your batting average is down Mr. President, I'm sorry, you're heading back to the minors for some work on that swing. Mr. President, your endorsement deals are being revoked by our company because you no longer exemplify our standard of conduct. We're calling you up to the "Show" Mr. President, you've proved yourself in the minors.
It just seems like to me that we demand so much from our athletes in this country and so little from our politicians. Bring on baseball!
I wish we had coaches for either side in the political game. The Democrats need someone to tell their side to start hitting the batting cages harder and to trade for a new Ace pitcher. The Republicans need to bench(remove his cell phone) from their Ace pitcher (Mr. Trump) for failure to follow team rules. When the GOP's Ace pitcher can prove that he can communicate like a responsible leader then he would be allowed back in the game.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could just trade players in politics like they do in baseball? Injured by the opposing team and you're put on the disabled list. Your batting average is down Mr. President, I'm sorry, you're heading back to the minors for some work on that swing. Mr. President, your endorsement deals are being revoked by our company because you no longer exemplify our standard of conduct. We're calling you up to the "Show" Mr. President, you've proved yourself in the minors.
It just seems like to me that we demand so much from our athletes in this country and so little from our politicians. Bring on baseball!
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