Sunday, April 16, 2023

Ode to a Mother on the 10th Year Anniversary

In memorial
1929 -2013
Good Morning mother, how is Paradise?
It’s been ten years since you’ve been gone!
Yes, April 10th 2013 – 2023

Oh, how I miss your ebony shinning face and smiles;
Oh, how I miss your motherly love, winces and grimaces;
Oh, how I miss your daily hour of prayers and encouragement;
Oh, how I miss the bond that bind us all in Christ!

Mother, I often imagine that the bond that bind us together was tough;
Mother, I often imagine, the bond may be stretched, pulled, but will never snap;
Mother, I often imagine that brother and sisters will remain sincere and honest to the bind;
Mother, I often imagine that bond will neither tither, shake or break!

Alas, was I wrong: the will is missing, another remains unfound, both remain unsung;
Alas, was I misinformed, both wills are now a misery, unopened, unread, and unexecuted;
Alas, the powers that be, the movers and shakers from your womb, move the sword aimlessly and incautiously;
Alas your wishes remain untendered, dreams unfulfilled, and there is crying and snatching of teeth among the brethren;
Alas, the chicken landed on the ropes, titling and tenderly, without the peace you very much wanted.

Mother, while here, you said, Christ is the hope of the hopeless, mother to the motherless, father to the fatherless, and husband of widows;
The scriptures affirm, and I believe it!
Mother, while with us, you said, Christ forgives sinners and in time of ignorance, God Overlooks;
The scriptures affirm, and I believe it!
Mother, while on your knees, you said Christ is the last beacon of hope for the hopeless, the weak and defeated in spirit and those that are heavily laden;
The scriptures affirm, and l believe it!

Now, to all the saints that rest from the enclave, Dad, aunty Tuminu, uncle Femi, and uncle Dewunmi;
Say me well to them all, for as their sun stetted since you’ve been gone, I imagine their spirit rose to meet the face of Christ.
Now, to the saints called before you in the enclave, Grandpa Dawodu, Grandma Suzzana, and uncle Popo;
Say me well to them all, for as Christ Promises, we shall all meet to part no more at resurrection.
Ma, I hope I am holding us firm as your prayer; that I do not waiver in the times of storms; that at least, in my clumsiness, you can still be proud of me?

Good Night Ma, Rest in Peace.

May be an image of 1 person

All reactioby Ojeme and 27 othe

Sunday, September 6, 2020

Revisiting Atlantic Monthly Journal's Publication: American Soldiers who die in wars are losers and suckers?

The shattering effect of the Atlantic Monthly journal’s article on Trump’s dramatic disparaging and castigation of many of America’s military heroes, and its possible impact on the campaign for 2020 White House oval office, is yet to be felt. The Atlantic Monthly Journal reported that Donald Trump has repeatedly disparaged the intelligence of our service members; and, asked that wounded veterans, be kept away from official military parades. The slogan of all our military men and women is: "Aim High, Fly-Fight-Win" – Air Force; "Forged by the Sea" – Navy; "Army Strong" – Army; “The few, The Proud” – Marines; “Born Ready” – Coast Guard; say so much about endurance, respect, selflessness, perseverance, commitment and dedication to service; a brand that is not only unique, but sacrificial of the tenets of men and women, who once, and are currently, serving in the five arms of uniformed military service.  If Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States of America, a man who Article 11, section 2 of the US Constitution bestows the title of the Commander-In-Chief, does not understand patriotism in military service, Houston: America surely has a problem!

Trump’s denials after the snowball effect of the Atlantic Monthly article, and subsequent affirmation or confirmation of parts of the claim by FOXNEW-TV’s journalist, Jennifer Griffen, symbolizes an aphorism: In a divided nation and democracy, where the far-right ideology is hostile to the progressive left, it is possible for a presidency to degenerate to a calamity. In the mind of Donald Trump, fighting a war to protect and preserve America, is a futile effort, since the soldiers are gaining nothing financially for their efforts. For him, it is conceivable that our fallen heroes are losers are suckers, and need not be celebrated on Memorial Day or any other time, in the life of our nation

The furious Twitter denials and melt-down, calling for Jennifer Griffen be fired, can hardly set the damage aback. The documented disrespect of our veterans and hostility from Mr. Trump, who has a flair for despotic governments in Russia and N. Korea, say a lot about our civic classes in k-12 curriculum: they need to be re-vamped and our president re-educated. Here are documented disrespectful and vulgar statements attributed to the President of the United States: 1) McCain is not a war time hero; 2) Mattis is an over-rated [general]; 3) [General] Clapper is purely lying; 4) [General] Allen failed badly; 5) [General] Powell is highly over-rated; 6) [General] Nicholson, doesn’t know how to win; 7) [Commander] Crozer did a terrible thing; and, 8) Joint Chief of Staffs are dopes and babies. Statements which one of the best pilots in the history of America, Sully Sullenberger, observed, are made by someone, who: 1) “cannot understand selflessness because he is selfish; who cannot conceive of courage because he is a coward;” 2) “For the first time in American history, a president has repeatedly shown utter and vulgar contempt and disrespect for those who have served and died serving our country;”. These are damning observations. Whether they are going to matter much depends on how voters respond to the avid suggestion that : ” “[Americans], owe it not only to those who have served and sacrificed for our nation, but to ourselves and to succeeding generations to vote him out.”

The blows to the reputation of men and women who serve in American military are probably striking, with all the fuss of coming from the Command-In-Chief. Not that America’s military men patriotism will be weakened; rather, it’s probably going to re-define, how the nation goes about picking her ‘Command-In-Chief’ of the future. Donald Trump’s presidency will be a stain on America’s democracy; however, patriots will still serve, generations of veterans will continue to save the world from ills of fascism, authoritarianism, socialism and communism, just the way many of them have done in the past. What will never be forgotten, is that, once upon a time, a President of the United States, surreptitiously bemoan the need for military service, disrespected and castigated military heroism as over- rated for his political and personal fortunes.  

To some extent, military services are not largely understood; and or, appreciated by some outside the industry. A couple Americans, out of ignorance of the place of the military in national life and security, are unable to fathom the selflessness of serving a cause greater than oneself, as a higher calling; one that transcends myopic selfishness in some individuals. Others, are unable to understand and or appreciate, why many Americans serve in the America’s armed forces. Frankly, ordinary american citizen’s experience of the military, come when there is hostility against the nation; and, because we operate a volunteer military service paradigm, a few of our citizens hardly understand the place of the military in America’s democracy. The vision of safety, readiness, triumph and victory found in military service in time of hostilities, must now be the revenge, against any disrespect or bemoaning of our president regarding the weight of sacrifice provided by service men and women in uniform. The renaissance of a time, when the military was the focal point of safety and protection of a nation, must be assuage, once again. Heroism of service in the military must now be acknowledge and respected, not assaulted, as in current disposition of our president.

Over the past three centuries, the heroism many Americans in uniform have endured, has largely been ignored by some. A few pacifists, who have not, or will not, serve in the military service, or who are completely oblivious of what the military does or stands for, are now becoming antagonistic to the gallantry of many who have served in military uniform. There is still heroism in serving America, a lot of respect from the populace at large for the services rendered by men and women in uniform. However, the surreptitious undermining of the efforts of military men and women, and the onus of skepticism of service, hardly negate the need, purpose and essence of a standing army, in a world of hostility and instability.

Since America has always been in the lead of many global affairs; and have been a force for good in bringing about peace across the globe, there will be a need for military service; and, there will always be many, in and out of America, who appreciates what men and women in American military do, to maintain world’s peace. The conflict of ideologies and pressures of impending wars, bring about intransigence that only an august outsider military body can resolve or dampen additional hostilities at many posts and countries with strives and wars. American military is a shining light on a beacon hill, a savior and a deliverer of many peoples and nations. But for America’s military, 1940’s and 1950’s fascism will still be, or have grown in Europe; the radical religious and land grabbing and or, race wars, will permeate further in the Middle-East; and, would probably have festered to a global menace, consuming more lives. Without America's military service in WWII, many European countries would have fallen into servitude – ask the French, the Polish, the British and more?

Donald Trump’s successor, will have to work double hard to brandish and expatiate on the selflessness entailed in those, who are, or have served, in the military service. He or she would have to re-affirm the place of an active military service and educate the public, that without the military, our democracy might be in jeopardy. To improve on citizens’ understanding of the place of military service in our democracy, the new team must reject the type of Trump’s disrespect, apprehension and denigration of our military generals; and, provide relevant information regarding how the military has kept our nation’s peace and safe.

Experiencing Donald Trump’s abhorrence of many of our military generals may have created an enigma, or shattered urge and denials of military service; however, the victories that America’s military have scored across the globe, the reliability of our service men and women, and laudable honor associated with their battle’s heroism, will continue to attract patriots and committed Americans to this nation’s military service. Trump’s disrespect may even end up provoking a serious debate on America’s volunteer military service dogma. We may have to go as far, as compulsory and committed and non-deferrable military service for all our citizens. Trump’s unscrupulous assessment of the place of military service and heroism, may start a new debate regarding the deferment or using frivolous excuses to obtain deferment of military service during the draft period.

For the 2020 general election American voter, the panorama of the current pro and con, of military heroism, may usher in new policy changes in American military service. The current black-eye from several unscrupulous denigration of military service and unfavorable and unsupportive statements or assessment of America’s military general from the Commander-In-Chief, may call for a new direction of our volunteer military services. The attempt to strip and disrespect our generals, heroes and rank and file or class men, of their lofty sacrifice, for personal political gain by Donald J. Trump in his re-election campaign, must now play into our voting booths’ choices. There must be a time of reckoning, a time to say, our heroes matter; citizens who volunteer in our military service arms matter, just as lives of all our minorities that have suffered humiliation and hostilities from bad policing, do.

Trump’s categorization of our generals as over-rated, liars, dopes and babies, must be called out. There must be a reckoning for those who do not appreciate our men and women in military service. As long as they put on the military uniform and volunteered their lives, they are to be appreciated, supported and acclaimed for their heroism. Their sacrifices to preserve life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, must be acknowledged. A nation’s leader, a president, must seek solidarity with the men and women in the armed forces, he or she may not decimate or disrespect the sacrifice they make and must not remain an obstacle to the well-intended vision and meaning of military service.

A president must seek harmony of peoples in the nation, instead of fraternization, as in the notion of White Supremacy. Americans who are well meaning, must now form an accord that respects our military service men and work, and seek to support a new president that cherishes hegemony,; a president who support building up of our peoples, construction rather than destruction, removing obstacles away from our state and local government; One, that does not see people(s) different from him or her in complexions, as outsiders and enemies; but fellow citizen. He or she must constantly and consistently oscillate towards all Americans, engaged in the works protecting and preserving the nation, men and women, seeking to make the future better than the ones handed to them. He or she must not always be one, so wanting to revisit the past as point of relevance on issues of advancement and development in multiple affairs of the nation.

America needs and deserves a president that is engaging in proactive policies, not one that is only concerned with the welfare of those in agreement with his or policies; or, ones, that are more obsessed about their looks; often disengaging and disparaging others that do not share, his or her, personal or political preferences and policies. Americans, minorities inclusive, must see themselves as welcomed, accommodated and judge by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin. We must support our military, just as they fight to support us and preserve our nation. We must seek to remove barriers to harmony rather than dissipating our people and nation. We must seek a more amicable relationship and re-connection of all the races in this melting point, we all truly love and cherish as home. Never again should we have to offer a discontentment and disapproval of our Commander-In-Chief, as observed by Captain Sullenberger: “For the first time in American history, a president has repeatedly shown utter and vulgar contempt and disrespect for those who have served and died serving our country.” May God Bless America; and, save our Republic! 

Thursday, August 27, 2020

American Presidential Campaign: Trump/Pence Team Stormy and Cloudy Future?

After three days of watching the RNC, one can safely say, their message of Fear and Armageddon, but for re-electing Trump, is not resonating with voters and viewers; nor, representing the realities on the ground in today’s America. The psychological impact of watching another minority black man murdered in daylight America, in Kenosha, Wisconsin; the murdering of two protesters by a 17-year old vigilante militia from Antioch, Illinois; the barrage of storms, winds and rains coming from the South Eastern Coast; the suspension of some scheduled NBA games for August 26, 2020; coupled with the hearth-felt statements of “the Doc”, Clipper’s Coach, Glenn Anton Rivers, practically drowned out Vice-President Pence’s acceptance speech for the 2020 Trump/Pence Republican Party nomination. The confluence of multiple events in the life of America during a party’s national conference, and the failure of the top ticket, Donald Trump, President of the United States, to address issues that really mattered to the daily American life, essentially, made whatever Republican Party’s messages for another four-year term of “Trumpism” tonight, inconsequential; and or, irrelevant.

It was as if, nature and the efforts expended by Republican National Convention and their team of candidates for 2020 general election, were not in alignment. Just as Hurricane Laura roared across the Louisiana Coastlines, the threatening storms taking out multiple communities and objects, the category four tropical storms’ landfall, smutched over 130 miles of Gulf Coast region, with 90 miles-per-hour winds on Lake Charles, Louisiana, flooding multiple surrounding communities, were simultaneously telling of a discordant Republican Party’s messages and America’s future. If the message of the category four tropical storms from the South-Eastern Shores in a pandemic time, coupled with the compelling grievances against the daily murdering of Americans by the blue badge, were meant to send a message to the Trump/Pence team, it is probably, their November 3, 2020 re-election chances are doomed. The gusty winds from Hurricane Laura, is advising that Americans stay sheltered, not only from the tropical storms and damages, but also, the ravages of “Trumpism”, as well. Daily, Americans are finding, that the smoky tyrannical White Supremacy ideology, is getting overbearing; hence, scorching, and searching to escape the tyranny and misfortune of a failing experiment. Albeit, it appears, the RNC tonight’s messaging, while ignoring the realities on the ground in America, supports voter’s apprehension of the future of the Trump/Pence team; and, just as the warm waters from Hurricane Laura was threatening the Ohio valley, North-Western Arkansas, and trapping residents of the Louisiana coast lines, American voters are revolting against extension of the life of “Trumpism” for America.

Incidentally, for the Trump/Pence team, the November elections is a forgone conclusion, a victory that will never be matched by any other. While the Democratic National Convention’s Biden/Harris team may be undermining the Republican National Convention’s Trump/Pence team’s argument for reelection, believing the realities on the ground in America, including lackadaisical dropping of the ball regarding the pandemic and the exacerbated police brutality and killings of minority Black Americans, facilitated by the untended atmosphere created in the country from “Trumpism”, the Trump/Pence team continues to believe their message of fear and repudiation of the leftist ideology of inclusiveness, will amount to success at the November polls. For them, the impending rejection of “Trumpism” has not amounted to a failure of the White Supremacy Ideology; but, a personal vendetta against Donald Trump by the press and leftists. Their premonition: Americans strongly support Trump, and his ideology – ‘Making America Great Again’, and many will vote for “Trumpism” come November, 3, 2020. Like many ‘wannabe’ dictatorial teams, Trump/Pence considers themselves to be highly favored and popular because their message of minimizing any influence and consequences of the position of the minority groups in America, or complete disenfranchisement, is tenable, and accountable for: Making America Great Again; hence, their rational for making a case for re-election and continued leadership.

Instead of attending to the ravages of the pandemic on America, the Trump/Pence team has advocated that, the America’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) temper down any effort of re-testing Americans that may have once suffered from the Coronavirus. As surmised in one of Trump/Pence campaign messages, testing for the spread of the virus, will only allude to finding out, others with this same ailment; and that essentially, is unacceptable to their re-election chances. For Trump/Pence team, America’s medical and scientific communities' support for widespread national testing for the spread of the virus, is antithetical to success of the Trump/Pence re-election. While conventional wisdom attain that there is need for widespread testing of Americans and follow-up to ensure that the people are protected from the virus and kept healthy for productive life; and hence, conquering the spread of the virus and allowing for the opening up of the society, particularly affording for the resurgence of the economy, and probably, a much promising chances of the Trump/Pence team,. The duo have chosen the short cut or short way out: an immediate and better re-election chance, at the expense of American lives. The glaring failure of this type of strategy shows the underbelly of the selfishness of “Trumpism” and the Trump/Pence campaign.

Societal interaction and economic productivity have been on the decline since the widespread of the Coronavirus in America. The Trump Administration has refused to work hard to build a healthier populace by supporting universal testing and treatment of Americans who suffer, or have suffered, from the spread of the virus. The re-election of the Trump/Pence team is more of paramount importance to the top of the ticket; hence, the continued denial of the major spread of the virus; labeling the ailment, a Democratic Party hoax. What the Trump/Pence team has failed to realize is that, there are some things in the life of a country that are greater than political campaigns for re-election of an incumbent team. The Health Status of the nation’s peoples, is one of those!

Choosing to rush to open the economy to bolster their election chances, the Trump/Pence team is failing to realize the long-term threat and substantial impact on America’s health status, of denying the spread of the virus; and, sabotaging medical and scientific institutions’ efforts to root out the virus from America. The new challenges created by this kind of mindset, is the worsening of meaningful relationships between the White House, medical and scientific institutions and persons that have often labored to find answers to eradicating virus and or diseases, and improving the health status of the nation. The medical and scientific communities’ well-intentioned medical and scientific discovery efforts and advice, are now being jeopardized by the same government, once elected into position of political leadership as President and Vice President, men, who once swore on oath, to save Americans form enemies, domestic or foreign, known and unknown, physical and or microbial. The Trump/Pence team cannot bull-doze or wing out, or around the nation, the very impactful damage that the coronavirus has done to America.

Under the White House stewardship of the Trump/Pence team, over one hundred and eighty thousand Americans have died; and, more are expected and predicted to die in the coming months. It will be the worst type of self-hate or discountenance, if America’s voters give this duo another four years in office. To paraphrase the statement of the “Doc”, Clipper’s Coach, Glenn Anton Rivers, America has loved change; an experiment with an outsider to Washington, DC as president in 2016, however, that team has not reciprocated the love. The Trump/Pence has not loved and protected the nation as they had promised on oath; symmetrically, minority blacks have loved and gave of themselves to America; however, the nation continues to fail, by not loving this group, back!

On August 11, 2020, Vice-President Joe Biden formally announced his selection of California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate. The Biden/Harris team were nominated at the 2020 Democratic National Convention last week, August 17 – 20th, 2020. The duo has promised to give us: “Light after Trump/Pence darkness!” In a directed speech to the American people, the Biden/Harris team has promised to solve the pandemic problem, secure social safety net and have the richer Americans pay their ‘fair share”. There is a good possibility that this two will level with America and not throw out falsehood repeatedly, denounce the veracity of science and medical discoveries in attending to the ravages of the pandemic, or bastardized America’s democracy and institutions, the way Trump/Pence team, has done in the past three and three quarter years. Given the nation’s experience with the Trump/Pence team, it is safe to say, we are ready to give another team a chance; the nation is ready to reclaim his nationhood and democratic principles from men who hardly appreciate or understand the history and the sacrifices that many before us has given, so we may remain a more perfect union.

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Minorities in Republican Party: A difficult and disenfranchised group embracing MAGA – failure of conscience?

The Democratic System we have known for close to three centuries has been challenged by the emergence of Donald Trump, one president that has abused the basic tenets of the system; challenging and denying orders, principles and institutions that have made the nation safe, secure and healthy. The past six months bring to mind the Ebola Crisis Management under another President, Barack Obama; and how, denial of science and realities, due to ineptitude and conflicting messaging from the oval office, can paralyze the economy, the nation and our thriving democratic system. Federal Government Agencies and institutions that have always kept us safe, establishing standards and policies that have made our democracy work, have been jettisoned in favor of illusory lies peddled by a dishonest and lawless American President, Donald Trump. The Democratic principles and the expectation of normalcy, once taken for granted under our democratic system, has been turned upside down. Divided and partisan politics that were once less overt, has been escalated to the level of societal division and disintegration. The challenge for Biden/Harris, after the general election, is not only the confrontation of far-right ideology of isolation, racism and nationalism embodied in Trump’s four years’ of miss-rule; rather, the budding illusion among many Americans, disadvantaged and disenfranchised, yet, content with message of “Trumpism”, who may find it difficult to move ahead, and away, from an ideology that has close to equally entombed the promise of America’s Democracy.

Another arresting challenge ahead, is the consequence of addressing a misnomer among Americans, particularly, minority Republican Blacks, that “Trumpism” has served them well. Frankly, moving the nation forward cannot be found in the message of Vernon Jones of Georgia State House at the 2020 RNC. Meer strong ethics, hard work and believing in God, notions hardly shared by Donald Trump, the candidate Vernon Jones wants America to embrace, are as foreign to Mr. Trump, as honesty and equality of races. For the lofty notion of equal access to education and opportunity zones, by all American races, concepts equally foreign in the message of “Trumpism”, advanced in Mr. Vernon Jones RNC summation, is indeed laughable coming from a man of color. Where has Mr. Jones been when Trump advocated for outright abuse of other men of color in peaceful protests? Where was Mr. Jones, when the ratio of other men and women of color dying from coronavirus escalated, compared with the rest of America; a National Health problem denied by his favorite candidate for a win in 2020 general election? How would Mr. Jones justify police brutality and “expected race riot” that Donald Trump’s followers are silently advocating? Where was Mr. Jones, when George Floyd and Rayanna Taylor were cold-bloodedly murdered in daylight America? The lifeless emotion of Mr. Jones at yesterday’s RNC, symbolizes a self-hate, as he failed to repudiate all the missed chances to bring all races of America together under a fair, honest and just democracy. Mr. Jones’s message symbolizes a castle of illusions entrenched in self-hate and delusion, characteristic of “Trumpism”.

“Trumpism” and associated Republican Party denial of science and equality of races, religion and nationalities in America, are not only the challenges that Biden/Harris will have to confront after Wednesday, January 20, 2021 inauguration, others will include, riots, ravages of the pandemic, and ignorance. The various unrest in many American cities because of the maltreatment and unjust killings of minority black men and women, a profound change that has been facilitated by “Trumpism”, is a problem that must be confronted headlong.  The perplexing shift in the spread of coronavirus among the populace, especially with minorities, may be addressed soon, by the discovery of vaccines; however, the brainwashing and disinformation of FOXNEWS, mouthpiece of “Trumpism”, cannot be overlooked or wished away. An investigation of the news media is now in order, if our democracy is to thrive.

As a legislator in position of political authority, the promise of America maybe as solid as it can be for some Republican minority Politicians. However, there are millions of minorities in this country that continue to suffer the indignity of being a person of color. Do not sugar-coat the dilemma that minorities are going through, under “Trumpism”. Yes, 2020 General Election is all about Donald Trump. The tepid success of some minorities as Senator Tim Scott, Republican party, maybe remarkable; however, it hardly negates the realities of the impact of “Trumpism”. Quality Education and school choice, do not equate to equality of opportunities, neither can they automatically or miraculously eradicate, systemic racism and constant discrimination, overwhelming the lives of millions of American minorities, daily.

The economic and socializing polarization embodied in “Trumpism” and several indignities suffered in the past four years under President Trump, are not going to go away, because you believe in the promise of America. Opportunity zones and tax cuts that are hardly paid for, from the federation accounts, would not just assuage the challenges of a grinding economy, where unemployment among minorities, now closer to two-thirds of these groups, because Donald Trump dropped the ball of leadership, and continued to deny the ravages of the pandemic. This election is truly about the White House record and stewardship of Donald Trump; yes, it is about how he has mishandled, disrespected, rough shouldered, mangled and abused the nation’s institutions and race relations. The meagre criminal reform law passed is not going to address the bastardization of America’s institutions, the Department of Justice espcially, traditions and political system. The solution to the pandemic is not a tax reform bill that has been jettisoned or covered-up by the Republican leadership in US Senate. Part of the solution is going to be, being proactive in governance in all sphere of American life.

America, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are not radical Democrats, seeking Cultural Revolution to upend the system, as “Trumpism” has done in the past four years; rather, this team of progressives, are seeking to correct the anomalies and ridicule that “Trumpism” has brought on America. Far from Republican South Carolinian Senator Tim Scott’s contemplation and message at the RNC, two days ago, this duo are seeking to bring back normalcy to America’s Democracy, something that has been missing since our illegitimate presidency experience. The next American century will be better, if we give common sense, scientific knowledge and data, to direct and influence our decision making. A nation can no longer exist in isolation as proposed by Trumpism. The world is changing and the miracle of information technology has made the world closer and connected more than ever. Our nation is a shining bright light on the hill, we have always led the way with our knowledge, doggedness, and ability to turn out champions. What “Trumpism” has done, is to bring out the worst in ourselves; create unnecessary division, discredit our Press, and take advantage of people’s biases, to misrule us. “Trumpism” is not only archaic, divisive and impractical in a modern world, it makes us as a nation, intractable and obstinate.

Albeit, the foundation of our Democracy has been protected by our democratic institutions, especially our national security structure. The seventeen national security institutions that “Trumpism” has bastardized and discredited, encompasses institutions that have not only provided us with foreign intelligence and counter intelligence, that have served our security and stable health system, among others, through proactive reconnaissance programs; but also, gave the nation, historical perspectives, as to how to address, or handle many problems, that may arrive in the future. The ignorance of a run-away, unprincipled President, found in Donald Trump in the past four years, should have informed us, his presidency is a misnomer. We need a new team in the White House that looks out for every American, whether we vote for them or not, at our general election exercise every four years. It is time to ditch Donald Trump! His time has come and gone. Minorities who still buy into “Trumpism”, are in a gulag, they have been duped!

Thursday, August 20, 2020

American Politics: Barack Obama's 2020 DNC Speech - Was that one for the history books?

While Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic Party Vice-Presidential Nomination for the 2020 general election contest yesterday, something more remarkable was happening. Among the host of speeches offered at the convention, one speech particularly stood out. The Speech by former incumbent of the White House oval office, and it wasn’t flattering of the current incumbent of that office. I decided to place the materials delivered by President Barack H. Obama before the world, just the way it was oratorically delivered.

This one is for the History books; the content will ring louder than ever, by the time my generation is dead and gone! The American History Books will relay one of the drizzling remarkable assessment, one hardly done before, by a President to his successor. President Barack Obama, who was bemoaned by the ‘Birther-troop’ headed by President Donald Trump, had a few choice words at the convention that tells me, the nation will find its way out of this mess; out of this decapitating and crippling Republican Presidency. Hear the Wiseman speak, hear the tall bright lanky Harvard law Graduate, speak to a University of Pennsylvania graduate. This is telling of what it takes to rule over America.

Good evening, everybody. As you've seen by now, this isn't a normal convention. It's not a normal time. So tonight, I want to talk as plainly as I can about the stakes in this election. Because what we do these next 76 days will echo through generations to come.

I'm in Philadelphia, where our Constitution was drafted and signed. It wasn't a perfect document. It allowed for the inhumanity of slavery and failed to guarantee women -- and even men who didn't own property -- the right to participate in the political process. But embedded in this document was a North Star that would guide future generations; a system of representative government -- a democracy -- through which we could better realize our highest ideals. Through civil war and bitter struggles, we improved this Constitution to include the voices of those who'd once been left out. And gradually, we made this country more just, more equal, and freer.

The one Constitutional office elected by all of the people is the presidency. So at minimum, we should expect a president to feel a sense of responsibility for the safety and welfare of all 330 million of us -- regardless of what we look like, how we worship, who we love, how much money we have -- or who we voted for.

But we should also expect a president to be the custodian of this democracy. We should expect that regardless of ego, ambition, or political beliefs, the president will preserve, protect, and defend the freedoms and ideals that so many Americans marched for and went to jail for; fought for and died for.

I have sat in the Oval Office with both of the men who are running for president. I never expected that my successor would embrace my vision or continue my policies. I did hope, for the sake of our country, that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously; that he might come to feel the weight of the office and discover some reverence for the democracy that had been placed in his care.

But he never did. For close to four years now, he's shown no interest in putting in the work; no interest in finding common ground; no interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his friends; no interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves.

Donald Trump hasn't grown into the job because he can't. And the consequences of that failure are severe. 170,000 Americans dead. Millions of jobs gone while those at the top take in more than ever. Our worst impulses unleashed, our proud reputation around the world badly diminished, and our democratic institutions threatened like never before.

Now, I know that in times as polarized as these, most of you have already made up your mind. But maybe you're still not sure which candidate you'll vote for -- or whether you'll vote at all. Maybe you're tired of the direction we're headed, but you can't see a better path yet, or you just don't know enough about the person who wants to lead us there.

So let me tell you about my friend Joe Biden.

Twelve years ago, when I began my search for a vice president, I didn't know I'd end up finding a brother. Joe and I came from different places and different generations. But what I quickly came to admire about him is his resilience, born of too much struggle; his empathy, born of too much grief. Joe's a man who learned -- early on -- to treat every person he meets with respect and dignity, living by the words his parents taught him: "No one's better than you, Joe, but you're better than nobody."

That empathy, that decency, the belief that everybody counts -- that's who Joe is.

When he talks with someone who's lost her job, Joe remembers the night his father sat him down to say that he'd lost his.

When Joe listens to a parent who's trying to hold it all together right now, he does it as the single dad who took the train back to Wilmington each and every night so he could tuck his kids into bed.

When he meets with military families who've lost their hero, he does it as a kindred spirit; the parent of an American soldier; somebody whose faith has endured the hardest loss there is.

For eight years, Joe was the last one in the room whenever I faced a big decision. He made me a better president -- and he's got the character and the experience to make us a better country.

And in my friend Kamala Harris, he's chosen an ideal partner who's more than prepared for the job; someone who knows what it's like to overcome barriers and who's made a career fighting to help others live out their own American dream.

Along with the experience needed to get things done, Joe and Kamala have concrete policies that will turn their vision of a better, fairer, stronger country into reality.

They'll get this pandemic under control, like Joe did when he helped me manage H1N1 and prevent an Ebola outbreak from reaching our shores.

They'll expand health care to more Americans, like Joe and I did ten years ago when he helped craft the Affordable Care Act and nail down the votes to make it the law.

They'll rescue the economy, like Joe helped me do after the Great Recession. I asked him to manage the Recovery Act, which jumpstarted the longest stretch of job growth in history. And he sees this moment now not as a chance to get back to where we were, but to make long-overdue changes so that our economy actually makes life a little easier for everybody -- whether it's the waitress trying to raise a kid on her own, or the shift worker always on the edge of getting laid off, or the student figuring out how to pay for next semester's classes.

Joe and Kamala will restore our standing in the world -- and as we've learned from this pandemic, that matters. Joe knows the world, and the world knows him. He knows that our true strength comes from setting an example the world wants to follow. A nation that stands with democracy, not dictators. A nation that can inspire and mobilize others to overcome threats like climate change, terrorism, poverty, and disease.

But more than anything, what I know about Joe and Kamala is that they actually care about every American. And they care deeply about this democracy.

They believe that in a democracy, the right to vote is sacred, and we should be making it easier for people to cast their ballot, not harder.

They believe that no one -- including the president -- is above the law, and that no public official -- including the president -- should use their office to enrich themselves or their supporters.

They understand that in this democracy, the Commander-in-Chief doesn't use the men and women of our military, who are willing to risk everything to protect our nation, as political props to deploy against peaceful protesters on our own soil. They understand that political opponents aren't "un-American" just because they disagree with you; that a free press isn't the "enemy" but the way we hold officials accountable; that our ability to work together to solve big problems like a pandemic depends on a fidelity to facts and science and logic and not just making stuff up.

None of this should be controversial. These shouldn't be Republican principles or Democratic principles. They're American principles. But at this moment, this president and those who enable him, have shown they don't believe in these things.

Tonight, I am asking you to believe in Joe and Kamala's ability to lead this country out of these dark times and build it back better. But here's the thing: no single American can fix this country alone. Not even a president. Democracy was never meant to be transactional -- you give me your vote; I make everything better. It requires an active and informed citizenry. So I am also asking you to believe in your own ability -- to embrace your own responsibility as citizens -- to make sure that the basic tenets of our democracy endure.

Because that's what at stake right now. Our democracy.

Look, I understand why many Americans are down on government. The way the rules have been set up and abused in Congress make it easy for special interests to stop progress. Believe me, I know. I understand why a white factory worker who's seen his wages cut or his job shipped overseas might feel like the government no longer looks out for him, and why a Black mother might feel like it never looked out for her at all. I understand why a new immigrant might look around this country and wonder whether there's still a place for him here; why a young person might look at politics right now, the circus of it all, the meanness and the lies and crazy conspiracy theories and think, what's the point?

Well, here's the point: this president and those in power -- those who benefit from keeping things the way they are -- they are counting on your cynicism. They know they can't win you over with their policies. So they're hoping to make it as hard as possible for you to vote, and to convince you that your vote doesn't matter. That's how they win. That's how they get to keep making decisions that affect your life, and the lives of the people you love. That's how the economy will keep getting skewed to the wealthy and well-connected, how our health systems will let more people fall through the cracks. That's how a democracy withers, until it's no democracy at all.

We can't let that happen. Do not let them take away your power. Don't let them take away your democracy. Make a plan right now for how you're going to get involved and vote. Do it as early as you can and tell your family and friends how they can vote too. Do what Americans have done for over two centuries when faced with even tougher times than this -- all those quiet heroes who found the courage to keep marching, keep pushing in the face of hardship and injustice.

Last month, we lost a giant of American democracy in John Lewis. Some years ago, I sat down with John and the few remaining leaders of the early Civil Rights Movement. One of them told me he never imagined he'd walk into the White House and see a president who looked like his grandson. Then he told me that he'd looked it up, and it turned out that on the very day that I was born, he was marching into a jail cell, trying to end Jim Crow segregation in the South.

What we do echoes through the generations.

Whatever our backgrounds, we're all the children of Americans who fought the good fight. Great grandparents working in firetraps and sweatshops without rights or representation. Farmers losing their dreams to dust. Irish and Italians and Asians and Latinos told to go back where they came from. Jews and Catholics, Muslims and Sikhs, made to feel suspect for the way they worshipped. Black Americans chained and whipped and hanged. Spit on for trying to sit at lunch counters. Beaten for trying to vote.

If anyone had a right to believe that this democracy did not work, and could not work, it was those Americans. Our ancestors. They were on the receiving end of a democracy that had fallen short all their lives. They knew how far the daily reality of America strayed from the myth. And yet, instead of giving up, they joined together and said somehow, some way, we are going to make this work. We are going to bring those words, in our founding documents, to life.

I've seen that same spirit rising these past few years. Folks of every age and background who packed city centers and airports and rural roads so that families wouldn't be separated. So that another classroom wouldn't get shot up. So that our kids won't grow up on an uninhabitable planet. Americans of all races joining together to declare, in the face of injustice and brutality at the hands of the state, that Black Lives Matter, no more, but no less, so that no child in this country feels the continuing sting of racism.

To the young people who led us this summer, telling us we need to be better -- in so many ways, you are this country's dreams fulfilled. Earlier generations had to be persuaded that everyone has equal worth. For you, it's a given -- a conviction. And what I want you to know is that for all its messiness and frustrations, your system of self-government can be harnessed to help you realize those convictions.

You can give our democracy new meaning. You can take it to a better place. You're the missing ingredient -- the ones who will decide whether or not America becomes the country that fully lives up to its creed.

That work will continue long after this election. But any chance of success depends entirely on the outcome of this election. This administration has shown it will tear our democracy down if that's what it takes to win. So we have to get busy building it up -- by pouring all our effort into these 76 days, and by voting like never before -- for Joe and Kamala, and candidates up and down the ticket, so that we leave no doubt about what this country we love stands for -- today and for all our days to come.

Stay safe. God bless.

Please Vote on or before November 3, 2020!

 Please Vote on or before November 3, 2020!!. 

Please Vote on or before November 3, 2020.!!! 

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

AMERICAN POLITICS: Canvassing for 2020 votes?

America is in a tough fight for her democratic principles. This has never been so earnest, than, from the experience of the past three and half years' Republican Party Administration. A nation built on the principle of one-man-one vote and the equality of men, finds herself screaming to breathe for air, under the choke hold or knees of a president, who is probably belligerent or narcissistic, completely out of touch with realities of this moment. Americans, young and old, are dying daily in thousands, and her President, declared: "it is, what it is!” Under other circumstances and time, had the President been a military general in a war, he would have been court-martial, found guilty of dereliction of duty, and shot at post! Under a specialized court-martial, an equivalence in civilian life, Donald Trump, who identified himself as a war time President, would have faced real federal conviction, of failing to act decisively in a position of authority, resulting in the deaths of American Citizens. In civilian jurisdictional equivalence or parlance, the punishment for dropping the ball in this pandemic for Mr. Trump, would have been a minimum of one year's confinement or imprisonment; and, a bad conduct discharge.

2020 Democratic National Convention began yesterday and four favorite speakers, among others, Michelle Obama, Bernie Sanders, Andrew Cuomo and John Kasich, advanced the argument for the summary discharge of the current  Republican Administration. Whether the clarion call to oust Donald Trump on November 3, 2020 is a left on deft ears of the American voters, is a subject worth a debate or exploration. For the DNC Convention Speakers and critics, Donald Trump has committed, not a treasonable felony, as might be deduced from Director Mueller's Report of Russian Intervention of the 2016 general election, but his divisiveness, flagrant disregard for protocols, institutions and poor performance in failing to get ahead of the ravages of the pandemic. Alarmingly, his response and lackadaisical attitude, with the assertion: "it is what it is", on a day when the highest number of Americans succumbed to the cold hands of death from the pandemic, is an assertion for the history books. This war-time civilian general, a self-described genius, has failed woefully, and it is time for reckoning. Hear Mrs. Obama in short: "Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us". Contemplate in a nutshell what Senator Bernie Sander articulated in his speech, yesterday: “We are facing the worst public health crisis in 100 years and the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression. We are confronting systemic racism and the enormous threat to our planet of climate change. And in the midst of all of this, we have a president who is not only incapable of addressing these crises but is leading us down the path of authoritarianism.” Both assessments are not only scatting, they completely obliterate any suggestion for another four-year term by the custodian of the current White House oval office. 

Two governors, One Democratic, the other former Republican, have some few choice words for the occupier of the White House oval office. New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo insists: 1) “Our nation is in crisis, and in many ways, covid is just a metaphor;” 2) “A virus attacks when the body is weak and when it cannot defend itself. Over these past few years, America’s body politic has been weakened.” Ohio Governor John Kasich (Formally Republican) chimed in: 1) Donald Trump has taken the nation to a path that’s led to division, dysfunction, irresponsibility and growing vitriol between our citizens;" 2) Continuing to follow that path will have terrible consequences for America’s soul because we’re being taken down the wrong road by a president who has pitted one against the other.” Cuomo and Kasich are clear in their assessments of Mr. Trump’s stewardship of the White oval office. To ignore their assessments of the situation in which America finds herself, is to ignore the obvious.

I will daily bring you, my personal assessment of each speaker's position during the DNC and RNC conventions. My efforts here, are designed to contribute to the great debate of nation building, and the challenges of a mature and probably, transitioning democracy. Ours is not to be judgmental but to call the ball as we see it. At a time of ideological war of conscience, with the current President of the United States, casting aspersions on elections and electioneering process, saying in effect, the following among others: 1) “Universal is going to be a disaster, the likes of which our country has never seen;” 2) “It will end up being a rigged election or they will never come out with an outcome. They’ll have to do it again, and nobody wants that, and I don’t want that.” One may want to know, whose interest is being served by this type of rhetoric close to another general election. Please, come along with me, as we reconcile our differences; and, or, ideological family feuds.


 

Saturday, April 4, 2020

American Presidency Fleeced: How the Raging Coronavirus Pandemic Exposes the Ineptitude of a failing Presidency?

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus;  Pandemic; Dow Jones Industrial  Average; World Economic Forum; Republicans; Democrats; Leftist Ideologues; Rightist Ideologues; Donald Trump; POTUS; MAGA; General Election;

Call this a knee-jerk reaction from a leftist, call it a simplicity in interpretation of representative democracy and governance; however, the gloomy times we all are enduring this moment, has made me reevaluate how Donald J. Trump became the President of the United States of America. Ignore the notion of Russian intervention in the 2016 general election, exclude the debates over using Electoral College to determine winner of the White House, or the recommendations and summations of former CIA director Mueller’s report, as to what transpired during the last general election. Now, visit for a moment, the realities of the inaction or belated and begrudged support of state governments' health system under stress from the volume of coronavirus infections and daily deaths of Americans; coupled with harassment and intimidation of state governors by the President of the United States, in the quagmire of a world-wide pandemic?

From this backdrop, you are led to surmise that, Our nation has been led to a nightmare, one no one probably anticipated when voting in our last general election; a nightmare that has imprisoned everyone in their respective states and homes, a nightmare that tanked the economy, eradicated whatever galloping gains Dow Jones Industrial Averages had shown in the Bonds, Stocks, Gold, Oil markets, since the onset of the current Republican Administration. Our nation had put its bet on a reality television show host with ample, or no knowledge of how our federal government works; and, we are now paying the prize for taking risk on a presupposed outsider to the Washington D.C. Political establishment.

The quizzical paramount question for today therefore is this: did American voters and electorate miscalculate in electing to the White House, a non-conventional politician, Donald J.  Trump? The supplementary questions are: were the problems he was expected to resolve as contemplated by the far right ideological supporters of the current White House, unregulated immigration, job losses from poorly negotiated NAFTA agreements with Mexico and Canada, overbearing government subsidized healthcare system, development of new and modern infrastructure, among others, justify the national bondage of suffering from the Coronavirus Pandemic? Had the President of the United States of America responded to the initial coronavirus outbreak report, speedily, would the spread of the virus have upended the lives of majority of Americans and become a real threat to the nation’s economy and public health? Are the personal impacts to most of our daily lives worthy of the partisan politics that have now grounded the administration of American democracy under Donald Trump?

Donald J. Trump, messiah of the Republican far-right, poo-pooed the spread of a virus that already killed five thousand Americans and projected to kill between 100,000 and 250,000 Americans in the coming months. Mr. Trump was elected to de-regulate and overturn whatever the first brown President of America did; and as of to date, his supporters would argue he has probably accomplished what they wanted or projected. If he hasn’t, he will probably accomplish them by the time of his reelection campaign expiration. The questions once again, are: Is America better-off today than she was at the inauguration of the 45th President of the United States? Has Trump really made America Great? Has the coming of the messiah of the ultra-right, Donald J. Trump, answered all the grievances of his supporters? 

Are the general losses of liberties and freedoms, enjoyed for centuries by most Americans, under the previous Republican and Democratic Presidential Administrations, materialized for what the rightists anticipate four years ago? Are the current fears and apprehensions under an overburdened healthcare system due to inaction or deliberate hold back by the current Republican White house, despite a heads-up on the possible impact of the pandemic from America’s Intelligence Agencies and World Health Organization, made America great? Are the stressed-out doctors, nurses, paramedics working, and putting in donkey hours of work, to avert suffering and carnage of a pandemic, made the election of Donald Trump, a worthwhile dispensation? Who do we now blame when the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, deny taking responsibility for late reaction or inaction, when important and necessary, to prevent more deaths of Americans?

Maybe this leftist is just unusually ill informed, let’s take a glossary look at what has taken place since February 21, 2020; roughly two months after the President of the United States was alerted to the coming of this pandemic. Across the globe, businesses started counting the cost of COVID-19 spread. As of February 21, 2020, the World Economic Forum was discussing the notion that generally, epidemics are: 1) standalone business risk and amplifier of exiting trends of market vulnerability; 2) all forward looking businesses therefore, investing in strategy, operational, and financial resilience in emerging global risk markets are better positioned to recoup wealth from an epidemic or pandemic; and, 3) the COVID-19 outbreak is bringing about unexpected challenges to global governance and actuates cracks in the concept of global inter-dependency. By February 28, 2020, the Forum was rather concerned that the outbreak that started in China was spreading faster than can be imagined, already showing up in Italy, Iran and South Korea; with the stock markets of those countries reflecting a resemblance to the SARS epidemic of two decades ago, and a potential spooking of other counties’ stock exchange. As contemplated by the World Economic Forum, an earthquake descended on the world’s economy with the Dow Johns Industrial Average dipping over 1000 points on Monday, February 24th and the next day, Tuesday, February 25th, with the shock reverberating and repeating similar trend with the average tumbling, 879 points, again.  All bets were off by midday, February 28th, with trading stocks across world’s markets, choppy along, and closely reflecting economic fallout and uncertainty, from the spread of COVID 19. Any combination of politics with trade wars emerging during this time, will culminate in uncertainties that will hammer further instability in the global market and tear down market confidence.

By March 14, 2020, the world was in a race against time. As the global spread continues to ravage countries, challenged health care systems, even in initially categorized great healthcare systems were diabolically challenged. The rate of infection was overwhelming many healthcare systems, importance of fast action to combat the spread across the globe was being put out by every sources, until a team of University of Washington researchers, called out the spread of misinformation regarding the spread of the virus in a co-authored book: “Calling the Bull Shit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-driven world”, by Jevin West and Carl T. Bergstrom. Misinformation at this time was hampering efforts at fighting new infections now known to be threatening the status of world’s health. Albeit, by March 28, 2020, the global search of google was introducing notion that the spread of coronavirus was creating increasing economic anxieties across the globe. The fear of recession, conspiracy, coupled with stock market crashes were introducing survivalism into the search lexicon on google.com. Imminent contraction in the economic growth rates was being deeply associated with coronavirus's spread. The World Economic Forum was calling for the containment of the virus to reduce the loss of lives; and, asking policy makers to act quickly to avert economic fallout of the worldwide spread of the pandemic. Unfortunately, there had been no vaccines capable of doing the job anywhere across the globe.

As the pandemic crisis grows, here are some contradictory view on China from President Trump as documented by Associates Press on April 2, 2020: 1) At the instance of knowing of the virus spread, President Trump praised the Chinese government for being on top of the spread's containment; however, when Beijing attempted unsubstantiated claim of the virus coming from the United State, Mr. Trump excoriated the Chinese government. Recently though, the President is once again pussy-footing to Beijing, offering niceties; 2) By March 19, the President was lambasting the Chinese for not coming clean regarding the spread of the virus, so the world knows what exactly happened at Wuhen University, China; 3) While Beijing was busy placarding the world, her National Health Commission was struggling with dispensing objective information on how the virus was spreading even within her borders: Was it now at the stage of person to person transmission, or is it contaminating from inhaling or having any form of contact with COVI1D-19 victims?. To make the matters worse, Dake Kang, Associated resident journalist wrote from Beijing, the Chinese were already taking draconian decisions – all social media application discussing the spread of COVID19 were censured and blocked; and, government officials jailing their citizens found trying to tell the truth about the spread within China; and probably outside of their country.

Politics and partisanship have complicated best way forward to combat spread of the virus in America. Based on the data collected by the Pew Research Center between March 19 and 24th, there is a partisan gap between the perception of the Republicans and the Democrats regarding response of Donald Trump, the President of the United States of America, to COVID-19 outbreak. If being partisan was very relevant in time of a pandemic, well, the Republicans and their sympathizers’ default to a high mark, 83% positive rating, and Democrats and their sympathizers, 18% rating for the president. The perception of the members of the two political parties are too disparate to conclude that the discords that has persisted since the election of Donald Trump into office, making trust absent and governance of the Republic challenging had evaporated since the spread of the Coronavirus. The overall perception of how Donald Trump is handling his job, is just as lopsided as the experience with the instance of the pandemic. While 85% of Republicans approve of how the president is handling his job, only 12% of the Democrats concur. Thus, even at difficult instance, when and where, it is possible to conclude that death is wiping off America gradually, the partisan divide still exists. (Source: www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/FT_20.04_PartisanCOVID.png). Was this what the rightist anticipated in a National Economic and Health Crisis when they put their faith in the hand of a novice on how the federal government truly works?

If the ineptitude of the current White House is not giving you a smoking gun to fire the whole team, including many Republican lawmakers in US  Congress who have enabled an inefficient President in the coming general election, maybe the aroma of deaths oozing out of American States hemorrhaging causalities from the spread of Coronavirus, would do? If the haphazardly arranged Coronavirus Updates from the  Donald Trump's White House are not misinforming you enough, maybe the flagrant decision to fire the Inspector General of Intelligence Community and a Navy Captain on USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier, that alerted the top brass at US Navy of a possible impeding slough of deaths at sea, in the mist of the coronavirus outbreak would do; or, make you question the veracity from the White House of making that decision at this very difficult time. If still apprehensive of the poor call to fire the Inspector General of Intelligence Community by a scandalously inefficient President, maybe, an issued statement of Michael Horowitz, Chair of the Council of Inspectors General of the Department of Justice, regarding the meritorious and laudable career service of Inspector General Michael Atkinson would convince you. Our nation is in a peril because of the inaction of Donald J. Trump, President of the United States. We are all imprisoned in our houses, with limited liberties or freedom because of the failure to act of an inept President who cares very little about all of us, but rather, in his re-election chances. We have an opportunity to correct our failure of electing an egomaniac in November, 2016, who is only interested in himself and what his family can make from the commonwealth. It is time to tell Donald Trump, we are no guinea pigs of his fantasies! It is time for Donald J. Trump to go!

Label: How did American Voters get it so wrong in the last general election?


Sunday, August 26, 2018

Epitaph to the Senior Senator from the Great State of Arizona: Commander McCain - A true American Hero!

Keywords and Terms: American Hero; A Patriot; Role  Model; Inspiration; Maverick; Commander Navy Aviator; Statesman; Legacy

A true American Hero went home to be with his maker tonight, August 25, 2018. Navy Aviator and Commander John Sidney McCain, III,  who used the past twelve months fighting an aggressive brain tumor, died in the company of his family and closest friends, in the great state of Arizona. A true warrior, who battled cancer only the way a war hero does. A straightforward conservative hero, who showed courage in the face of human frailty. A fierce hero of integrity, who fought for America’s freedom; a naval commander, who fought for honor in the Vietnamese prisons for five years. They don't make an American Hero, the way John Sidney McCain III, was made!

The Statesman, John Sidney McCain, reminds us of what being a true, committed and dedicated American truly is. A twenty-year Navy Aviator, with close to a perfect military record, who matched to the beat of his own drum; a man, who understood what brotherhood of the arms stands for; a man, who chose to remain with other American prisoners of war, even when he had a chance to leave them behind. Commander John Sidney McCain, A Vietnam Veteran, who chose to remain with his military imprisoned brothers in the face of hostilities, rather than go home. A statesman, Senator and blunt speaker, with ideals and honor, who spoke out against changes he was not supportive of; and, stood up for what is good for the country rather than his political party. The Thirty-year Arizona Senator, John McCain, hardly minced words, always willing to work across the political aisle; a giant of the Senate, a true warrior, who stood up for courses he believed in. A man who puts the country and citizens ahead of party politics.

A man of deep personal conviction and strength, who conquered the brutality of war; a man, who had once met death in Hanoi Hilton in August 1968, but refused to succumb. A legislator for the first district of Arizona, a military man who was once a navy liaison officer to the US Congress. After 1986, McCain headed to US Senate in a landslide victory over his democratic opponent; a transparent legislator and refined senator. A man, who felt his involvement in the Savings and Loan debacle in what was then termed, the Keating 5, hardly represented his integrity nor matched his historical military brilliance on the battlefield. A military leader who served, and gave the best of all any man or woman may endure, before enlisting once again, to serve America in the United State Congress. John McCain is the best exemplification of a patriot and replication of a shining star on the hill; An American hero, dedicated to greater excellence and perseverance in  the face of hostilities. 

March 1973 probably redefine a hero’s welcome, when Commander John McCain, an American war prisoner was released by the Vietnamese juntas. His homecoming was heralded as the best of the best dedication to the nation, a Navy Aviator, who while meeting his father, the commander and head of the American Pacific Fleet since his confinement in Vietnamese gallows was reported as saying: "Commander John McCain reporting for duty, Sir!”  That's the real McCoy - McCain! A man who won the Arizona Senatorial seat to the US Congress, six times. A man who left the earthly dwelling four days to his eight-second birthday. This is the Hero, Donald Trump impugned his honor, earning him an uninvited, to the funeral of an American Hero, while a sitting president! Just like his birther propaganda against President Barack Obama, Donald Trump, a sitting US President, is an unwelcomed guest at an event of honor to the best of all of us. The Arizona State Sunset in Sedona tonight probably said it well with its brilliance and beauty: Here goes the triumphant exit of an American Hero!

Senator McCain ran for the White House twice, once in 2000, and second time, the year 2008. In his loss to George W. Bush in 2000 Republican nomination, fighting for health care, immigration  and campaign reform, remained top of the agenda of the loyal optimist and straight shooter. John Sidney McCain III, was the 2008 Republican Party-nominee for the White House race,  who brought the obscure Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, to  limelight, in a contentious presidential  campaign; where, even against all odds, still stood up in defense of the integrity of Senator Barack Obama, his rival. Senator McCain holds on to the lofty mantra that Americans never quit, America never surrenders! A man who travel to four continents and twenty-six countries in the span of two years since the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States, to calm  international community anxiety over the "America first doctrine" in foreign policy, from a man who never fought war for America; nor, stood up for America against a hostile foreign enemy, Russia.

Who  is John Sidney McCain, you ask again? He is a father of seven children, husband of Cindy, son of a political dynasty. The 2000 straight talk express bus on his 2000 presidential campaign probably explains the inner working of this great man. A warrior  who loved our country America; and, was ready to die for the Star, Spangled, Banner! The McCain-Feingold Financial Reform law is one of his finest legacy. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA, McCain-Feingold Act, Pub. L.  107-155, 116 Stat. 81, enacted March 27, 2002, HR 2356, which regulates the  financing of political campaign remains of one of his congressional achievements. McCain was driven by duty, honor and country; a man who believed in America, a POW who survived torture, who always put the country first. A man with the American spirit and dedication to service; a man whose life was defined by military service ; and strived always to give back to America.  A maverick, who challenged authority often, but always believed in America. A larger than life hero, who passed away on the day, a similar liberal hero, Edward “Teddy’ Kennedy” went home: August 25, 2018. A tower of bipartisanship, even in the face of political blowback for his position on issues of national concern.

Highly revered Senator John McCain left his Hidden Valley, Sedona, Arizona homestead, aboard a beautiful black cladded hearse tonight, heading to a funeral home in Phoenix, Arizona. Tonight, August 25, 2018, the body of John Sidney McCain III, begins his journey back to his maker,  a place where it is hard to fathom by mere mortals; a place where only the brave, the devoted and dedicated, the patriots, men with steadfast integrity and conviction rest; hero of heroes; a man from a generation of admirals, a progeny of four star admirals, a man of honor and steadfastness to the service of our great nation; a world hero, an American Icon, a rebel with a course: living and loving for America. Goodnight John, and God's speed!