tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87671467167465796562024-03-12T22:44:07.938-04:00Erstwhile EditorErstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.comBlogger1369125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-32225106270253569112022-09-04T11:12:00.001-04:002022-09-04T17:26:01.869-04:00All U.S. officers know government papers must be preserved<p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <span style="font-size: medium;">The uproar over an FBI raid on ex-president Donald Trump's home and club in Florida has riled the loyal Trump fans, who sound apoplectic in their in their defense of Trump's removal of documents from the White House in violation of various federal laws. Presidential paperwork is the property of the United States government, not of any current or former occupant of the Oval Office. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> </span>As a former U.S. Coast Guard officer, I was made painfully aware of the importance of keeping confidential documents secured behind lock and key. The Officer Candidate School that I attended made sure that all of my classmates and I knew better than to leave a classified file on your desktop, or in your car or in your home. Confidential documents must be kept secure at all times.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> </span>Failure to follow security protocol could result </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> in taking a seat at "the long, green table</span></span>, as one colorful OCS instructor would remind every class. That table is a courts martial before a group of senior editors who would enforce the rules and the UCMJ, the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Most offices had a designated safe for the keeping of confidential records. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> </span>According to news reports and judicial documents, Trump took dozens of boxes of government paperwork from the White House and dropped them in various places in Trump's Mare Lago resort. Many of the documents The U.S. Archives asked for were classified or secret documents, which should have been taken directly to the Archives, which every president since Nixon has done obediently in accordance with the law. But Trump has again shown that he sees himself as more of a king than a president, as someone who is above the law. The Archives quietly reminded Trump and his staff that he was required to turn in any documents he had from his presidency. When he didn't respond to these reminders, the Justice Department followed up with a subpoena for the absconded records. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> </span>Although Trump and his mouthpieces tried to cast the FBI raid to retrieve the property as a Gestapo-style invasion of privacy. But the raid was approved, per ordinary practice, with a summary paperwork to justify taking the records that belonged to the government. A federal judge approved the search warrant, following the Fourth Amendment, which also applies to Trump, whether as president or as private citizen. <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> </span>Every U.S. officer, military or civilian, is bound by these laws, and, whether he likes it or not, so is Trump. <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span><br /></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-20147298571137271722022-07-07T16:03:00.000-04:002022-07-07T16:03:44.255-04:00Journalists must publish the truth<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I
have followed and read James Fallows’ work as a reporter and a critic since at
least the Carter administration. He has written for The Atlantic magazine for
most of that period, but he has also served as a foreign correspondent, trying
to understand China, and as a researcher looking for commonalities and
conflicts among Americans from different regions and with different life
experiences</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In
recent years, he has offered his perspectives at his own online subscription
service, “Breaking the News.” He has recently written about the problems in
America’s deeply divided electorate and elected officials. Politics has long
been heated, but it has recently dissolved into insults, threats and violence.
Fallows offered a number of reforms in government and at the individual level
to calm the political storm and preserve America’s democracy.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">America
has become less democratic as restrictions on voting, including reducing the
numbers and accessibility of polling stations, and gerrymandered election districts.
The no-compromise, hate the other side attitude of many politicians and the
willingness to dissemble and lie about issues makes already volatile political
campaigns a witches’ brew that threatens the survival of American democracy.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I
was surprised but shouldn’t have been that Fallows includes the news media
among those institutions that need reform in order to salvage democracy.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">His
complaint is not about “fake news” or the demise of local newspapers. Fallows
thinks journalists need to rethink the way they report the news. For most of
the 20<sup>th</sup> century, most reporters and editors followed an unofficial
code of ethics that demanded absolute neutrality. Throughout my career as an
editor, as I followed the ethics code, I demanded that reporters not participate
in politics, beyond voting in elections. Journalists could not remain neutral
if they ran for public office or if they worked on or advised political
campaigns. This neutrality served journalism well for nearly 100 years,
defeating the 19<sup>th</sup> century system in which newspapers were openly
partisan, even adopting a party’s name, such as the Arkansas Democrat. </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The
result, Fallows says, is a system that allows misconduct and outright lies to
be used without any correction by the Fourth Estate. Reporters have been taught
to report “both sides of the story.” This process has been extended to
television interviews, where a panel of four or more commentators discuss an
issue; the panel will be balanced, two on one side of an issue and two on the
other.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But
not all news stories come with two convenient sides. If a man is charged with
kidnapping and child molesting and is convicted by a jury, would you need to
call a psychiatrist to explain why the man is not really responsible?
Similarly, if a political candidate declares before election day that if he
doesn’t win, he will not concede and will accuse his opponent of voter fraud.
If he then rejects the legitimacy of his opponent’s certified win and continues
to claim his opponent cheated, even though a series of court decisions, in
response to the aggrieved candidate’s claims, found no evidence of election
fraud, journalists should point out the legitimate facts of election fairness.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">With certainty that the aggrieved candidate has
lied about election fraud, shouldn’t news outlets deny the suing candidate an
implicit legitimacy by giving him/her an opportunity to tout his/her debunked
claims? </span></span>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-21834127364754677162022-05-27T10:24:00.000-04:002022-05-27T10:24:11.923-04:00Lax laws, powerful lobbyists make massacres frequent<p><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">How long, O Lord, how long?</span></span></i></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The latest American mass shooting, which killed 19 children and two teachers in a school in Uvalde, Texas, has parents wondering and worrying over the safety of their children and the inability of our political system to do anything about it.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The May 24 Texas shooting followed by ten days the shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y. that killed ten. Less than halfway through 2022, America has recorded 213 mass shootings. America leads the world in mass shootings, which is a perverse way of "making America great again." Yeah, we lead the world in slaughtering children.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The usual hand wringing can be heard throughout Congress, but nearly all predictions show that the 90+ percent of the public who favor reasonable gun legislation, such as requiring background checks on persons purchasing a deadly firearm, but Congress can't seem to find enough members to even bring such legislation to the floor. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The so-called Gun Lobby, led by the National Rifle Association, opposes any infringement on the Second Amendment, which was passed by our forebears in order to ensure the future of "a well-regulated militia." A gun lobby that allows mass shootings to continue is NOT a "well-regulated militia." Gun enthusiasts oppose all forms of restrictions or regulations on firearms. Even a simple registration and licensing system, such as is required nationwide for automobile purchases and use. Deaths by firearms have recently surpassed deaths by car crashes. Federal safety efforts have reduced the frequency of traffic deaths, but firearm deaths can't be considered by our "Congress For Sale" system as the NRA and other advocacy groups send millions of dollars to members of Congress who are willing to ignore the slaughter of American children.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Two years ago, I wrote about a proposal for a "We the People Amendment," the gist of which is that America's sacred freedoms and rights should be reserved for America's people, not the corporations, associations, advocacy groups, or clubs. This simple amendment would put an immediate stop to the buying of Congress. Spoiler Alert: Congress will not pass a new amendment that hinders members' cash flow.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The First Amendment ensures a person's right to petition the government for a redress of grievances, but that right should not extend to labor unions, fraternal organizations, corporations, partnerships or clubs, only to living, breathing humans. Implementation of this amendment would stop lobbyists from controlling legislation. It would require individuals from both the left and right to do their own lobbying. And it would no longer allow members of Congress to ignore the will of the people in favor of lobbyists, the Gun Lobby, Big Oil, Big Pharma, and all the other pressure groups that have adjusted to the current system. The attack ads that take over television, Internet and social media each election cycle would rapidly wither away, banned from supporting the interests of organizations that are not human beings.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The "We The People Act" would not solve all the problems we face, but it would at least put the people on a level with the deep-pocketed organizations that oppose actions the general public — the humans — favor.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Politicians would have less reason to cuddle with the Gun Lobby and more reason to aid the grieving parents whose children have been sacrificed to the well-heeled Gun Lobby and other, similar non-human forces perverting the First Amendment. </span></span><br /></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-42609229918873548702022-05-21T11:57:00.000-04:002022-05-21T11:57:42.069-04:00Elephants, in memory and literature<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Three days after the funeral for Ron
Taylor, the New York Times posted an article that made me think of Ron, a
church musician, amateur actor and playwright and fiction writer, who had
helped establish the Wilson Writers Group. Perhaps the most significant
accomplishment in the few years that Ron was part of the writers’ group was the
publication of his children’s book, titled “The Day Buttercup Played Hooky From
the Circus.” He said the idea of the book simply came to him, unbidden, one day, and he wrote it down. Often humorous, the book can appeal to adults as well as children.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">My introduction to the Writers Group in
2017 included a presentation by<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dawn
Reno Langley, a successful N.C. writer who offered advice to the aspiring
authors in the public library’s assembly room. Ms. Langley’s book, “The Mourning
Parade,” focuses on elephants in an elephant sanctuary in Thailand. Natalie
DeAngelo packs up her life and heads to Thailand as a volunteer veterinarian,
hoping to assuage her anguish over the senseless deaths of her two sons back in
the United States. The novel portrays elephants as sensate, emotional creatures
with highly developed social and familial organization.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">The New York Times on Wednesday published
an article about a video showing a group of elephants joining together in the
wild to mourn with members of their herd, going so far as lifting up a deceased
calf to carry to a place for burial.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">The newspaper article certainly validates
Ms. Langley’s view of elephants as sentient, wise creatures with principles of
caring and group mourning similar to humans’ practices.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Ron’s children’s book is simpler than
either Ms. Langley’s novel or the N.Y. Times’ fascinating report on elephant
behavior. “Buttercup” is about a circus elephant who slips away from his
handler. The little boy standing nearby becomes the elephant’s handler, and the
two go on a mid-morning hike through town with hilarious results.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Ron would love to know that even the N.Y.
Times agrees that elephants are intelligent, thinking, loving animals who have
emotions much like our own. “The Mourning Parade” in Langley’s book title
refers to the reaction of sanctuary elephants when an elephant died. Ron’s book
was not based on hours or years of research; it was based on love and humor
that came from his creative imagination.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">As elephants disappear from circuses and
zoos, leave it to writers like Dawn Langley and Ron Taylor, and the NY Times,
to remind the world that these endangered, intelligent, and loving animals are
sharing this earth with us.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style> <br /></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-36689001168918747022022-04-15T10:50:00.000-04:002022-04-15T10:50:35.592-04:00Don't hesitate to share bad news<p> </p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Let me make this clear: If
you are seriously ill, particularly with a terminal illness, do not hesitate.
Let people know. Especially let your family know. Don’t be shy. Don’t assume
they would not care or would only have their lives disrupted.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Tell them. Don’t
procrastinate. If the news is too painful to talk about, send an email or a
text. Send a hand-written letter. Ask a family member to spread the news. Do
whatever you must, but <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Let People Know</b>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">I mention this because an
unexpected phone call this week informed my wife and me that my brother-in-law
was terminally ill with cancer. His caregiver said he’d been diagnosed a few
months ago. We were not informed. Now he’s in unbearable pain most of the day
and cannot receive visitors. His caregiver expects his death in a few days,
maybe only hours. He lives a four-hour drive away.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">We appreciate the call; we
are glad someone remembered to let us know. We deeply regret that, because of
his condition, we cannot offer comfort or sympathy with an in-person visit. We
cannot reminisce with him. We cannot share a funny story with him, although our
relationship over nearly 50 years has always been light-hearted as we shared
jokes and humorous observations.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">This pattern of not telling
family members sad news, especially about illnesses, has a long history in my
family. A dozen years ago, my sister-in-law was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
We found out about it through a Facebook post, which was vague and unrevealing.
Should we go to visit her (a day’s drive away) or not? We never got an answer
to the question we were reluctant to ask. Only when she died did I receive a
call from my grief-stricken brother.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Another branch of the family
adhered to our mother’s family’s tradition: Be stoic, don’t complain, don’t
tell people outside the family. When my sister received a frightening diagnosis
eight years ago, she swore her husband and daughters to silence about her
condition. They didn’t break the code, but one niece sent a message to my
brother, saying only, “Call your sister.” When he made that call (and then I
made a similar call), we learned that she had terminal cancer. As a result, we
had few opportunities to talk to her, reminisce, and express love and
thankfulness for her life. She died one month after diagnosis.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">So, please, if your news is
bad, that’s all the more reason to share it. There is nothing to hide and
everything to gain. No one likes being the bearer of bad news, but bad news is
better than no news at all.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">This article was written June 9, 2021. I spoke by telephone to my brother-in-law three times and had "just like old times" conversations about music (he was an avid collector of record albums), our lives, times we spent together, and our mutual feeling of helplessness against illness. They were good conversations, and he told me twice, "you don't know how much this means to me." <br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">To both of us.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">He died in October, and we attended a somber, empty-feeling funeral. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> Let people know! </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> <br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> </span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style> <br /></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-41788929864855270692022-02-24T10:41:00.002-05:002022-02-27T10:30:51.111-05:00I've awakened in the wrong year<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Ever wake up in
the morning not able to remember what day it is?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">It happened to
me this morning, only I couldn’t remember what YEAR it is. Is this September
1939 or is it October 1962?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Russian invasion of Ukraine with
images of long lines of tanks and other military weaponry brings memories of
the black-and-white photos of German tanks carrying out the blitzkrieg that would
end with the obliteration of Poland and the world’s most destructive war ever. The
excuses of 1939 ("living room" for Germans and international acceptance of Germany's expansions) are similar to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s revisions of
history in a speech earlier this week, when he claimed Ukraine wasn’t really a sovereign
nation, only a benevolent creation by the Kremlin and “Mother Russia.” Ukrainians
don’t exist, Putin was claiming; they are all Russians or Russian cousins, who should
be glad to be defended by Russia’s cultural, historical, economic and legal
protections.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sanctions levied by the United States,
the UK and the European Union are imposing painful costs on Russia’s
government, military and population. Russia appears to be behind cyber attacks on
western countries and Ukraine’s government. Meanwhile, Russian tanks and weaponry
remain in Ukraine, leaving me with the feeling I’ve awakened in the fall of
1939.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Or
is it 1962, when all Americans feared for their lives and for the survival of their
country. Russian ballistic missiles stationed in Cuba were capable of dropping nuclear
bombs on the lower half of the United States. I was 13 years old at the time,
and I can still feel the fear and anxiety I and my eighth grade classmates felt.
“This is a day we will always remember,” one classmate told me over our lunch
table. He was right.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">In
the case of 1962, President John F. Kennedy and the Soviet Union’s Premier
Nikita Khruschev came to their senses and stepped away from a nuclear war that
would destroy both countries and most of the rest of Planet Earth. In one
sense, the 1962 crisis was more dangerous than the current one. Two nuclear-armed
countries threatened to destroy the other in the 1960s term for hair’s breadth
safety built on fear: MAD — Mutually Assured Destruction.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">In
2022, we’re only concerned about one country, Ukraine, which Russia now asserts
is not a country at all, as its tanks and other weapons shred Ukraine’s claim
of sovereignty.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">But
it’s not just one country. All countries in Europe know the history of frequent
wars on the continent for centuries. After World War II, Europeans, with
assistance from the United States, put together strategies for avoiding future ground
wars in Europe: NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, with each member
nation pledging to come to the aid of any member nation that is attacked from
outside NATO; and the European Union, which aimed to make European nations’
economies dependent on other European countries. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Putin
despises NATO and the E.U. and would love to see both organizations collapse.
Invading Ukraine and demanding that Ukraine would never join NATO feeds Putin’s
long-term strategy: A weak, divided Europe that can be easily emasculated by
Putin or easily invaded and annexed — a ploy that cannot be allowed in a
civilized world.</span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-41512308382660697622021-12-08T11:24:00.000-05:002021-12-08T11:24:29.960-05:00E Pluribus Get Lost<p> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">"E Pluribus Unum" was adopted as the motto of the United States in 1776 by a few men whose name you might remember: Franklin, Adams and Jefferson. The Latin translates as "From many, one." It's on money and on the Great Seal of the United States.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But is it still a true statement? These "United" States are anything but united, anything but one great nation "with liberty for all." The member states, spread "from sea to shining sea" are different in many ways — in population numbers, in racial and ethnic origins, in political affiliation, in wealth and natural resources, in religious beliefs or non-beliefs, in how they define key words such as liberty, justice, fairness, equality, personal responsibility, international relations, and so on.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Instead of speaking with one voice and belief in certain basic principles of government, the USA is not unified, it is as divided as it has ever been in its history. The founders of 1776 would expect today's leaders, the members of Congress and the executive branch, should be focusing their interests and time on reuniting the nation, making it Unum again.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But that is not going to happen. Both parties (George Washington warned us in his farewell address against the dangers of political parties) are pushing agendas to increase the power of their own parties.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Members of Congress hold great power, and the presidency is often described as the "most powerful office in the world." They should all be focused not on power for their partisan interests but for unity and common cause for all Americans.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This country is so divided that some citizens think the last presidential election is still undetermined a year after voting ended in that race. A former president keeps his divisive, disproven, litigated and found false claim of a "stolen" election. His constant repetition of his lies about election results endangers all future elections as segments of the electorate have come to doubt the honesty of all elections. Trust in elections is the beating heart of democracy, and this democracy can die if we let it.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> It can be argued that the political office holders, the public officials of this singular nation, are not the real power brokers. The 535 members of Congress (including the Senate) are not as powerful, some would say, as the hundreds of ultra-wealthy individuals and large corporations who "buy" influence on Capitol Hill. Their money makes possible the power of the members of Congress, who may spend half their time asking for money from donors. This makes the United States beholden not to the common good but to the narrow interests. On the most important of issues, elected officials willingly vote against the interests of the people who elected them and vote for the narrow interests of individuals and corporations who accept gun violence on the nation's streets, permit the spoiling of nature and ruining of our water and our atmosphere, and look away when huge numbers of Americans are addicted to drugs being distributed by giant corporations with full knowledge that the pain killers they manufacture are addictive and ultimately fatal.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">E Pluribus Unum can only have meaning if Congress, legislatures and voters focus on what is best for everyone, not just the few who have grown wealthy from ignoring what is best for everyone.<br /></span></span></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-49894036519042359192021-08-09T15:49:00.003-04:002021-08-10T16:23:59.021-04:00 Will anti-vaxxers be the death of us, or just of our children?<p><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As public schools reopen across the United States, there is more at stake than transportation and teaching. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued guidelines for schools reopening as the Covid19 pandemic remains a threat to public health and human life.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The delta variant of the corona virus is rampaging through populations around the world. In the United States, a number of states are experiencing frightening new outbreaks of Covid19. Some jurisdictions are reporting infections among a most unexpected population: young children. The initial manifestation of this virus struck especially hard in elderly populations. As a result of that danger, the elderly have become the largest demographic of the vaccinated. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Young children have only recently been seriously endangered by the virus, which seemed to prefer older populations. The vaccines that have slowed the spread of this disease and have given confidence to vaccinated older residents. The vaccines are still not approved for children under twelve.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As schools reopen, local school boards are deciding whether to follow CDC guidelines urging that face masks be required for students and staff in hopes of preventing a surge in Covid infections. Officials are deciding whether to require masks in K-12 schools or to follow the anti-vaxx activists who have never trusted vaccines despite the history of successful and miraculous vaccines such as polio, smallpox and influenza. The Covid vaccines could join this esteemed crowd if only the holdouts will stop blocking people from getting the vaccine because of conspiracy theories and outright lies about the safety and success of the Covid19 vaccines.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In North Carolina, school districts that have withheld support for the vaccine among the entire population are rejecting proposals that all students and staff wear face masks until the virus is brought under control. Citing "freedom," some school officials prefer making face masks optional as a matter of personal choice. The Wilson County school board has narrowly approved a mask requirement for all students.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The freedom the anti-mask crowd prefers is the freedom to let young children die. They are too young to be vaccinated, and thereby are helpless against the the spread of the virus. Yes, the children can wear their own masks under the optional mask proposal, but they cannot force others to wear masks. What the anti-vaxxers are overlooking is the virus' ability to leap from one child or adult to another, person, even an asymptomatic patient. One unmasked student could infect an entire classroom, and those children could take the virus home with them and infect family, neighbors and others. The best hope for all children and staff is to have everyone wear a mask, thwarting the virus' natural hunt for unprotected victims until enough of the population is vaccinated to produce "herd immunity," when the virus runs out of vulnerable people.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Until then, a "masks optional" policy is is not freedom; it is homicide. Don't make school a death trap.<br /></span></span></p><p><br /></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-38546881030428491622021-01-23T11:34:00.003-05:002021-01-23T11:34:39.626-05:00Cooperation, planning made vaccination effort efficient<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This post was
published in the Wilson Times Jan. 22, 2021.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">The path to COVID-19 virus vaccination
began at home. We saw the notices about a mobile vaccination event at Fike High
School Tuesday, Jan. 19. The question, “should we or shouldn’t we?” took a
while to sort out.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
organizers of the Fike drive-through vaccination plan were reassuring in their careful
details for getting thousands of Wilson County residents inoculated against the
virus that has killed 400,000 Americans in less than a year.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It
was never a question of whether to be vaccinated. The debate, which continued
to Tuesday morning at our house, was whether we wanted to spend hours and hours
in line for a shot in the arm or postpone a vaccination and risk our health.
Our children urged us to get vaccinated NOW.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our
slight reluctance about joining the event at Fike was based, at least in part,
on the four hours we spent waiting to cast our vote on the first day of early
voting back in October. The instructions from the Health Department to bring
water and snacks, as if you’re going on a very long hike, didn’t reassure me.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We
discussed strategies for dealing with the expected long lines. A WRAL aerial
video showing a long line of jammed traffic approaching Fike nearly scared us
away. Later, we heard that someone, in his eagerness to get the vaccine, had
had gotten in line at 3:30 a.m.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Our
tentative strategy for the vaccination clinic was to wait until the first wave
of patients had time to get through the procedure. With luck, I thought, the
first recipients of the vaccine would leave the Fike parking lot by 10 or 11
a.m. So we packed enough food and water to keep us hydrated and nourished through
late afternoon. </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We
left our house, less than a mile from Fike, about 10:30 and were pleasantly
surprised to see that the expected traffic jams had not reached Nash Street.
After a quick debate over the best route to Ward Boulevard, we fell into line
behind a string of cars just past the traffic cones and the police directing cars
to Harrison Drive. </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
kept a log on my phone that shows we reached Harrison Drive at 10:44. At 10:53,
the line was moving slowly. I’ve seen worse traffic jams on I-540. Much worse. The
car radio was tuned to NPR, which was interviewing a 12-year-old about how to
heal America’s divisions. Really? I thought. (Please forgo your “OK Boomer”
responses.) At 11, we reached the Fike property, and at 11:10 we switched the
radio to 89.5 FM; the station provided helpful instructions to people headed to
the vaccination clinic. The instructions were clear and simple.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We
put on our facemasks as we approached volunteers checking on participants .At
11:15, we had our first contact with the volunteers and public employees
running the clinic. Each of us received a green wristband, signifying we would
get the vaccine. We put on our facemasks. A volunteer in his fluorescent vest
pointed to a discarded paper facemask on the sidewalk and made known his
disgust for the litterer. At 11:20, we entered the parking lot and could see a
beehive of activity ahead of us. At 11:30, our arms were checked for the
wristband. We knew we were getting close, and we relaxed as we listened to an
NPR story about F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby.”</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At
11:40, we received our vaccinations. The only difficulty was in extracting my
upper arm from the warm clothing I wore, having expected to be trapped for
hours in a cold car. I wriggled free from three layers, and we continued on
through the parking lot, following instructions along the way. At 11:55, we were
checked for any negative reaction from the vaccine. None noted. We departed
Fike onto Harrison Boulevard at noon.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
October, we had stood in a four-block line to vote. It took about four hours. In
contrast, we got our vaccines and were back home in less than two hours. The
entire event was well planned and coordinated with law enforcement, the Health
Department, EMS, and dozens of volunteers working together to make the clinic
safe, efficient and pleasant. It’s amazing what can be accomplished when we all
work together! Thanks to all who participated and made this much easier than I
ever expected.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We
have appointments for our second dose in February. We look forward to more of
the dazzling cooperation, efficient planning and helpful assistance we experienced
with the first dose. It was easy to protect ourselves and others from COVID-19.
I recommend it to all.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><p><style>@font-face
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{page:Section1;}</style></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-44018797266251539812021-01-16T11:31:00.002-05:002021-01-16T11:31:39.155-05:00Frightening siege of Capitol stirs pleasant memories<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">T<span style="font-family: verdana;">his post was published in the Wilson
Times Jan. 15, 2021</span></span></i></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
frightening siege of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 left me feeling much the same
way I did after the 9-11 attack — drained, grieving, angry, eager to punish
everyone responsible. I wanted to gather my children — all gone from our home
in 2001 and in college or at jobs. I could not pull them together and wrap my
arms around them in a senseless effort to keep them safe.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Last
week’s insurrection made me feel the same way, but it also sparked a different
reaction. The rioters on Jan. 6 desecrated the Capitol, the temple of American
democracy, the globally recognized symbol of American principles and strength.
The rioters, calling themselves patriots, did all they could to ruin that
building for whom most visitors, including me, felt awe, pride and sacred respect.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They
paraded through the great Rotunda carrying banners and flags like barbarians
laying siege to Rome and carrying weapons like a conquering army; they broke
windows and doors, ignoring the historic value in the 220-year-old Capitol;
they smeared chemicals or other substances on the statues of great national
leaders in Statuary Hall; the chemicals they sprayed damaged magnificent,
priceless paintings hanging on the Capitol’s walls; like pre-teens reveling in
their immaturity, they live-streamed their haughty contempt for a republic that
has stood for 240 years.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Perhaps
worst of all, they defecated on stone and marble floors of the Capitol, showing
that they have no more respect or manners than wild animals. They laughed at
the damage they were doing. The one positive was their insouciance. The videos
and photos they took show them parading through a felonious crime scene. Law
enforcement agencies are identifying and charging them based on the prideful
evidence they left.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When
I worked in Washington 1972-1975, I visited the Capitol several times, took
visiting relatives there, telling them it was my favorite building in D.C. I
loved the grandeur of the building. In those quieter times, before the rise of
international and domestic terrorism, the Capitol was pretty much wide open.
You could climb the steps on the East Front or the West Front of the Capitol,
go inside, marvel at the beautiful construction of granite and marble, the
rotunda soaring to the Capitol dome, the huge paintings of events in the founding
of the United States and other historic times.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
was the most impressive and humbling building in the nation’s capital. The rise
of terrorism in the past 40 years forced changes in access to the Capitol; a
new underground visitors center made it possible to screen visitors and
prohibit suicide bombers or gunmen, but visitors were denied the feeling of
walking up those Capitol steps and entering the iconic building.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
Jan. 6 insurrection and plans of some of the same groups to disrupt Joe Biden’s
inauguration made me remember the novel “Guns of the South” by Harry
Turtledove. His 1992 book combines historical fiction with science fiction
fantasy. The book opens with the 1870 inauguration of Robert E. Lee as
president of the Confederacy. The South had won the Civil War because some
die-hard slaveholders found a way to time travel to 20<sup>th</sup> Century
South Africa, where they obtained AK47 rifles and the technology to make more
of them. With this advantage, they defeated the United States and assassinated
Lee at his inauguration, because he had endorsed freeing all slaves.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Unless
law enforcement does a better job of protecting the Capitol, Congress and the
new president, we could have a challenger for Turtledove’s frightening fiction.</span></p>
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{page:Section1;}</style></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-65705092016829692522021-01-16T11:28:00.001-05:002021-01-16T11:28:41.568-05:00Use your stimulus check to do right, do good<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">This post was published in the Wilson
Times Jan. 12, 2021</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Have
you received your stimulus check? Have you spent it? Did you take the money and
run, spending the U.S. Treasury funds on something too frivolous for
hard-earned wages? Or did you carefully consider what to do with a largely
unexpected windfall and choose something useful for you and the economy?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
admit that I was a little blasé about the checks from Uncle Sam. I wasn’t going
to refuse it, but I was not especially eager to get it. The so-called stimulus
check is not really a check for most of us. Those of us who paid taxes out of a
checking account or who received a federal tax refund directly deposited in a
bank account could simply wait to see the new money show up in our accounts. So
it’s not a stimulus check; it’s more of an automated funds transfer.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nobel
Prize winning economist Paul Krugman doesn’t like the “stimulus” moniker. The
aim of this transfer of funds is not to stimulate the economy, he has written;
its aim is to help the economy and many households recover from the ravages of
the COVID-19 pandemic. This economic downturn is not a monetary problem like a
housing crisis or a stock market collapse, Krugman says, it’s more like a
natural disaster, such as an earthquake or a hurricane that devastates an area
where the disaster occurred. Just as the federal government provides relief
after a hurricane, it should provide relief for economic disasters, too, to prevent
worse consequences.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">One
reason for my lack of eagerness about that check was the uncertainty about the
government money. Long after the problem was recognized and legislation was
drafted to allocate the money, Congress and the White House could not agree on
the size of the stimulus (or whatever) checks (or transfers). And then
President Trump, who had not been an active participant in the negotiations
over the relief package, demanded $2,000 per person checks, not the $600 checks
Congress had written into the bill passed by the House and Senate. So I wasn’t
really expecting money when I saw it — $600 each for my wife and me, who file
our taxes jointly, in the bank account.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">What
should we do with it? A relative recounted boastfully over the summer that he
had spent the first stimulus checks approved in March by stimulating the
economy. He spent all his stimulus money, plus some more, hiring local firms to
make long-postponed repairs to his house.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Our
stimulus checks will also go into the local economy, the nonprofit economy.
Having worked for two nonprofits, I know what a struggle it is to raise money
for good causes. Nonprofits have been hit hard by the pandemic. Some reliable
fundraisers could not be held because of pandemic restrictions. Donors who were
out of work or who were tightening their household budgets gave less during the
pandemic. United Way of Wilson County suffered a $500,000 decline in donations
this year. The Salvation Army has closed its Wilson branch. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">My
wife and I recognize that these nonprofits and their clients are more in need
than we are, we’ll give away our CARES Act windfall and provide a stimulus to
local and regional nonprofit organization.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">If,
like us, you have “enough” to see you through, spend your stimulus checks in
the nonprofit sector where it’s really needed. Join us.</span></p>
<p><style>@font-face
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{page:Section1;}</style></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-63564987911219641822021-01-07T13:41:00.000-05:002021-01-07T13:41:39.860-05:00‘All enemies, foreign and domestic …’<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">All enemies, foreign and domestic</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> ... Every member of the U.S.
Armed Forces swears an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United
States against all enemies. Don’t overlook the domestic enemies.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The storming of the U.S.
Capitol on Jan. 6 by an unruly but well rehearsed mob has shaken America’s
trust in its institutions and traditions. Repeatedly, the scene of scruffy-looking
insurgents breaking windows and doors to the Capitol and overwhelming
understaffed Capitol police was described as similar to “banana republics”,
former Soviet republics or struggling Middle East states. These were not the
scenes Americans and allies have associated with the United States of America,
the world’s oldest and most successful republic.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In only a couple of hours
Wednesday, America’s pride in its successful foundation of free and fair
elections, peaceful transition of power, and checks and balances among three
branches of government was shattered by hundreds of people intent on disrupting
the final certification of the presidential election.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Members of Congress and
Capitol Hill staff were terrorized by the gun-toting, flag-waving, looting,
furniture-breaking, disrespectful, smirking anti-American traitors. Some posed
proudly for photos of themselves with priceless statues, artwork and furniture
in the seat of America’s government. It was an attempted revolt, an
unprecedented coup against the government. Damage to the Capitol was the worst
since the British Army’s burning of the building during the War of 1812.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">This insurrection was the
direct result of President Donald Trump’s refusal to accept his defeat in the
Nov. 3 election. Again and again Trump has claimed that the election was
“rigged,” that his opponent cheated, that voting machines were manipulated against
him, etc. He or his supporters filed more than 50 lawsuits in state and federal
courts asserting his claims that he was the winner, “by a landslide,” but all
of those lawsuits were rejected in state and federal courts, up to the U.S.
Supreme Court.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Trump encouraged his blindly
loyal supporters to go to Washington on Jan. 6 to protest the certification of
the electoral vote. He held a rally near the White House and encouraged the
huge crowd to walk to the Capitol, telling them falsely that his re-election
had been “stolen” and urged followers to “fight” for a reversal of the election
outcome. He declared (again) that he would “never concede.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Thus inspired, the Trump
followers went to the Capitol and pushed aside crowd control barriers, rushed
an entrance, shoving aside the handful of Capitol Police and paraded through
the most sacred parts of the Capitol, including the Senate Chamber. They had to
be stopped at gunpoint from claiming the House Chamber. Members of Congress and
staff were escorted to safety, but some were injured in the process, and one
protester was shot and died.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Brave and determined,
Congress chose to resume the electoral vote validation once the Capitol was
secured, completing the largely routine action in the early morning Thursday.
Most of the Trump sycophants who had indicated they oppose the validation
changed their minds after being repulsed by the unruly Trump supporting
criminals who terrified elected officials.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Several people have urged a
strong, strict response to this breach of the U.S. Capitol, the most iconic
structure in America. The people who broke into the building, destroyed windows
and furnishings and mocked the sacred fixtures of this 228-year-old symbol of
democracy. Security cameras throughout the Capitol complex should allow
identification of the hoodlums who broke in. They should be charged with
breaking and entering, theft, destruction of public and private property and
any and all other appropriate offenses. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Prosecutors should make it
clear that such wanton behavior will not be tolerated, and America will not
allow rioting in government buildings. The enablers of these rioters, the
senators who refused to consider impeachment charges against Trump, the members
of Congress who bought into the frivolous election lawsuits and gave other
support to Trump’s anti-American behavior should be shunned by Republican Party
officials and by all voters. Let them pay at the ballot box.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Wednesday’s insurrection
left me thinking about the 9-11 attacks. The Capitol was reportedly targeted by
the one airplane that failed to complete its mission. The rioters did not do as
much damage as the Arab terrorists would have, but the fact that these
conspirators were fellow Americans makes the shock and pain worse.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Americans should also hold
responsible those who misled gullible rioters, including those who follow wacky
conspiracy theories such as QAnon. President Trump is largely responsible for
stoking the flames of false claims about a stolen election, blaming Democrats
and other “enemies” for Trump’s loss. Trump has repeated these lies incessantly
and shows no restraint, no matter how many times courts and other organizations
reject his lies. He should pay a penalty for his inflammatory lying that has
endangered individual Americans and harmed democratic institutions.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Some members of Congress
have suggested removing Trump as unable to fulfill his duties under the 25<sup>th</sup>
Amendment. Trump has only days left in his turn, so the timing would be tight.
A better but perhaps more difficult solution is to impeach Trump — yes, again.
His speech to the rioters before they stormed the Capitol seems to fit clearly
the definition of inciting to riot. His earlier recorded telephone call asking
the governor of Georgia to “find me 11,870 votes” is clearly an impeachable
offense. The offenses are clear and recent, simplifying the process.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The timing will be
difficult, but if Congress (with both chambers ruled by Democrats) could
squeeze it in. If they don’t stop him via impeachment, Trump will likely pardon
more criminal friends, possibly including himself and his family members. He
also can issue executive actions that strike at the heart of democracy and the
American system. The most important benefit of impeachment is that it would
forever ban Trump from holding public office, ensuring that he will not be able
to run in 2024. America cannot stand another Trump presidency.</span></p>
<p><style>@font-face
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{page:Section1;}</style></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-57057320608045146062021-01-01T11:22:00.002-05:002021-01-01T11:22:30.860-05:00The calendar turns once again<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This post was published in the Wilson Times Dec. 31,
2020</i></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“______
New Year!” Well, we can hope it will be happy, but the only way for certain is to
go ahead and live through it, happy or not so much. Surely, 2021 will be better
than 2020; it can hardly be much worse than an unprecedented pandemic year.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Wilson
residents will have to get used to a future without the landmark BB&T
towers. The tower (just one at the time) was new when I came to Wilson 41 years
ago. I got to marvel at the construction of the second tower about five years later
and still later attended a meeting in the bank’s wood paneled board room on the
sixth floor of the tower. The big windows provided impressive views of the city
where BB&T began 130 years ago.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Although
the towers ceased to be the bank’s headquarters, thanks to a 1994 bank merger
that moved the executive suites to Winston-Salem, the landmark stood proudly as
the tallest building along Wilson’s busiest street. Another bank merger
completed in 2020 replaced the historic BB&T name.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Then
a week before Christmas, the tallest buildings in town crumbled after
controlled explosions turned the site into a salvage pile. Thanks you, city of
Wilson, the demolition company and others who captured the impressive event on
video. I shared videos with my children who grew up six blocks from the towers
and with friends who had lived in Wilson.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">People
are eager to see what the Nash Street site will become when its revitalization
plans are completed. A little farther east on Nash Street, a new Wilson Arts
Center is taking shape in a former retail site. The Arts Council had earlier
moved to the100-year-old BB&T headquarters, a beautiful but cramped space
with more charm than practicality.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Nearby,
the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park came into its own in 2020, although the
popular Whirligig Festival had to be cut back sharply because of the pandemic.
2021 could see the addition of more businesses near the park and a more vibrant
downtown with residential living and expanding small businesses.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Every
year, people around the world assess the world and their lives; many make new
year’s resolutions, promising to do more, do better, accomplish more, help
more, etc.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Resolutions
are probably a good thing, but the Jan. 1 of each year is not a special date,
from a scientific, religious or historic perspective. It does not mark an
equinox or a solstice, which have astronomical meaning, or a historic event.
It’s just a convenient date for dividing one year from another.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Dare
I say it? Happy New Year. Let’s make 2021 better than 2020.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p><style><span style="font-family: verdana;">@font-face
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{page:Section1;}</span></style></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-28710881096810861722020-12-30T10:17:00.000-05:002020-12-30T10:17:55.169-05:00Winter Solstice, Planets Align, and Advent<p> <span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-52330120288780810422020-12-19T11:31:00.001-05:002020-12-19T11:31:11.932-05:00America needs you to take vaccine<p> <i>This post was printed in the Dec. 18 edition of the Wilson Times</i>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There! We got
that taken care of. The United States and the world have a tested an effective
vaccine against the COVID-19 corona virus that has disrupted our lives,
destroyed our plans, ruined our vacations, increased our anxiety and caused
mental health problems. And killed more than 300,000 Americans in less than a
year.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
first vaccine shots were given to health-care workers Dec. 14. Vaccine
shipments are to be distributed to health care facilities across the country,
giving relief from worries and renewed confidence for millions.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">But</b> … there might be a problem. In a
recent survey, 40 percent of American respondents said they would not take the
vaccine. This is important because the goal of this vaccine is to create “herd
immunity,” in which so great a portion of the population is vaccinated that the
virus has no place to go, no new victims to infect.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Herd
immunity is achieved by having a critical mass of 87 percent of the population
vaccinated. If 87 percent of the population is not vaccinated, there will be no
herd immunity. Large numbers of the population will still get sick and some
will die from COVID-19.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One
person’s refusal to participate in the vaccination program will affect the
whole population. Attending school, going to work, going to movies and
concerts, as well as church services and political/governmental events will
remain risky without herd immunity. Essentially, 40 percent of the population
can hold hostage 60 percent of their friends, kin and neighbors. Without herd
immunity, the virus might not go away.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Some
people don’t want the vaccination because they’re squeamish about needles and
shots; my late brother, for example. Diagnosed with pre-diabetes, he told his
doctor, “just don’t make me take shots; I’d rather die first.”</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This
is understandable, though extreme. The pain of a vaccination is usually not
severe, and severe side effects are rare. Even vaccine-phobic people should be
able to endure a shot. But in recent years, a people around the world have
decided vaccines are dangerous. Measles vaccines were blamed for autism,
although medical professionals said that was false. Still, enough parents
refused to vaccinate their children that measles outbreaks returned. Some
Muslim extremists in Pakistan declared polio vaccines unacceptable and
violently prevented health care workers from vaccinating people.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Wild
rumors about the COVID vaccine have already begun, making it more likely that
herd immunity might falter. Americans have become distrustful of federal agencies
that oversee vaccine safety and myriad other matters. Public reluctance about the
new vaccines is just the latest example of public distrust of government.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Americans
should be overjoyed with the distribution of the COVID vaccines. Don’t let this
chance for herd immunity to a disease that has already killed 300,000 Americans
be squandered.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Think
of the “common good,” the notion that some things benefit everyone and should
be accepted and supported by all.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Get
your COVID-19 vaccination for your own health, for families and neighbors, for
nationwide herd immunity. Just get it.</span></p>
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{page:Section1;}</style></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-20958986064947002172020-12-12T11:31:00.000-05:002020-12-12T11:31:10.976-05:00An Electoral College education<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>This post was published in the Wilson Times Dec. 11, 2020 </i></span>
</p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Early
in my career as a newspaper editor, commentator, columnist and opinion sharer,
I defended the complicated, bewildering presidential election system known as
the Electoral College. My thinking was, after all, it’s been around for more
than 100 years and has produced mostly unchallenged elections and mostly
competent chief executives.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But
this year’s presidential election has gone into double or triple overtime, and
election officials have been exhausted, accused and threatened. This has led to
a reconsideration of the arcane procedures set forth in the Constitution to
unravel a disputed election, as well as a new look at the efficacy of the
Electoral College.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The
Electoral College was conceived as a way of preventing unsophisticated, perhaps
ignorant, rank-and-file voters from electing the wrong man (female candidates
were unheard of in those days). The Electoral College would protect the
republic from a terrible mistake brought about by crass emotions. Instead of
basing the election on what ordinary voters decided, an elite group of
knowledgeable men (no women) would consider the vote results but then cast the
only votes that really mattered, the Electoral College’s vote.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Attention
to the Electoral College has been spurred by three recent presidential contests
that installed someone other than the winner of the popular vote. One of the
claims favoring the Electoral College in debates decades ago was the idea that
the Electoral College vote forced candidates to campaign in states they might
otherwise ignore. The claim was that a nationwide popular vote would ensure
that candidates would spend all their time and attention on the most populated states
— California, New York, and Texas, for example.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But,
as former Jim Hunt aide Gary Pearce pointed out in a recent column, the focus
on “battleground states” that swing the Electoral College has had the same
effect, limiting the attention given to certain closely competed states. North
Carolina, a “battleground state,” was one of 17 states that held 212 presidential
election campaign events in 2020, according to a tally by the National Popular
Vote group cited by Pearce. The other 33 states were ignored by the candidates.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The
Electoral College also skews the impact of the popular vote because each state
gets two Electoral votes just for being a state, regardless of population. That
constitutional provision, assigning an electoral vote for each senator and
congressman, inflates the impact of less populated states.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Both
parties have some interest in eliminating the popular vote: Democrats have lost
presidential elections despite winning the popular vote; Republicans see the
popular vote as an effort to undermine the political power of traditionally GOP
states.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But
the Electoral College is embedded in the Constitution, meaning two-thirds of
Congress and three-fourths of all state legislatures would have to approve the
change. I don’t see that happening any time soon.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p><style>
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div.Section1
{page:Section1;}</style></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-48712866415946493902020-12-12T10:33:00.000-05:002020-12-12T10:33:01.096-05:00Supreme letdown, democracy prevails<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span> </span>"The Supreme Court really let us down" was Donald Trump's reaction to Friday's U.S. Supreme Court decision rejecting an appeal led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, joined by 17 other states and 106 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives, to invalidate the presidential election results in four "battleground" states. Twenty-two other states filed a brief challenging the premise of the lawsuit, asserting that Texas and its allies were attempting to disenfranchise voters in legally held elections in other states.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span> The Supreme Court, including three of the nine members appointed by Trump himself, turned down the case, which Trump had declared was "the Big One," unlike the previous dozens of lawsuits challenging Joe Biden's election victory by a comfortable margin. Nearly all of the earlier lawsuits were dismissed by state and federal courts, often with harsh rebukes of the basic premise of the claims of election fraud, which were trumpeted without credible evidence.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span> </span>The unanimous dismissal of the "Big One" had to hurt Trump. After all, he nakedly expedited a Supreme Court appointment of a conservative Republican because he believed the Supreme Court would ultimately determine the winner of the presidential election. Only justices Alito and Thomas offered a concern, a conservative one — that the case should not have gone directly to the Supreme Court but should have been tried in lower courts. Neither justice objected to the dismissal of the case.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span> <span> </span>It now appears likely that no future lawsuits will endanger Biden's claim to the Oval Office. Barring a military coup or armed insurrection by angry Trump loyalists, Biden will be inaugurated Jan. 20, 2021. The unnecessarily extended vote counting, appeals, recounts and partisan dismissal of legitimate voting results may finally be at an end.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span> </span>After the Supreme Court ruled, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut declared on the Senate floor that Republicans who supported the president's election lawsuits and his support for efforts to delay or deny the results of a fair and free election should be called out for their anti-democracy actions. </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span>"You cannot, at the same time, love America and hate democracy," he said, adding that Democrats should hold the anti-democratic traitors accountable for their attempt to overthrow a legally elected government.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span> </span>If the Democrats are smart enough to follow Murphy's recommendation (an iffy proposition), they will make the actions of those who have blindly followed Trump's authoritarian, president-for-life strategy the theme of the 2022 and 2024 elections. That strategy, wisely delivered, would decimate the Republican Party.<br /></span></span></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-69525315812276683122020-11-28T10:11:00.004-05:002020-11-28T10:11:46.526-05:00A Christmas Season like none before<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">This post was published in the Wilson Times Nov. 27, 2020 <br /></span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">This
is the strangest holiday season of our lives. Thanksgiving had to be celebrated
without the dining room full of family and friends. Rules imposed by a deadly
pandemic limited our gatherings and our opportunities for travel. There were no
group shots of all the family and guests gathered at the table or on the porch.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
Centers for Disease Control has strongly urged people to stay home for the
holidays, and some states have created obstacles to interstate travel, such as
quarantine of people arriving from another where the pandemic roars. Air travel
is down sharply. Who would want to confine themselves in a metal tube for an
hour or more with dozens of strangers, not knowing whether they are infected?</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Christmas
shopping in 2020 will be unrecognizable compared to previous years. Many people
will limit their gift shopping to online only rather than search through malls
and stores for that special gift. “Black Friday” sales still exist, but without
large crowds jostling before displays and checkout counters. Masks are
required, and social distancing makes the crowds less hazardous.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Even
Christmas’ religious roots will be challenged by this pandemic year. Churches
that are usually packed for Christmas Eve services will be less crowded this
year, if they are still offering in-person services at all. The pandemic has
devastated churches as civil authorities imposed restrictions on crowd size. In
a year when congregational singing is forbidden because of singers’ likelihood
to spread the Coronavirus, will we forgo beloved Christmas carols? Will anyone
“go a-caroling”?</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Many
households, including mine, are curtailing Christmas decorating. The Evening
Optimist Christmas tree lot, where I picked out and bought a tree year after
year, is in business again but on a diminished scale. The Optimists are less
optimistic about sales; they ordered fewer trees this year.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
a year of dark pessimism, some people are fighting back with light. Daylight-Saving
Time has just ended, and the earlier darkness hangs over us like a dust storm.
Lights in windows, on trees, on porches, on tables, in front yards, in stores
are an antidote to the bleak sadness of a holiday season lacking in brightness
and joy.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This
Sunday, Nov. 29, is the first Sunday of Advent, a too-often overlooked season
of the church year. It celebrates the birth of the Christ Child and offers a
time of calm reflection before the excitement and stresses of Christmas Day.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This
year, Christmas gatherings will follow Thanksgiving’s pattern — canceled or
greatly limited.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Churches
will celebrate the sense of anticipation during Advent, awaiting arrival of the
Messiah. Advent wreaths and Advent calendars give children and adults a means
of counting the days until the wait is over.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We
veterans of a pandemic that killed a quarter-million Americans will be waiting,
too, waiting for the holiday seasons of 2021, by which time vaccines and
therapies should have Covid-19 banished or under control, and we can gather
again, sing again and feel joy again.</span></p>
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div.Section1
{page:Section1;}</style></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-43756050165406020152020-11-25T10:41:00.000-05:002020-11-25T10:41:36.427-05:00Senate in the spotlight, with its odd history<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This post was published
in the Wilson Times Nov. 24, 2020</i></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The climactic runoff in Georgia for two
U.S. Senate seats will likely determine partisan control of the Senate. If two
Democrats win, that party will, with the vice president’s vote as Senate chair,
give the Democratic Party control of that chamber. If a Republican wins one of
the two seats, that party will maintain control of the Senate’s agenda.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
might be time for a refresher course on U.S. Senate history and, perhaps, a
reconsideration of the Senate’s structure. The 1789 U.S. Constitution’s Article
II states: “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two senators
from each state, chosen by the legislature thereof … .”</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>That
is how the Senate was structured for 124 years, until the Seventeenth Amendment
was ratified in 1913. The new amendment changed how senators were elected,
stating: “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators
from each state, elected by the people thereof.” This amendment was born out of
the “Populist Movement,” aimed at making individual voters the center of
political power.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Originally,
the Senate essentially represented the states, which were considered sovereign
and nearly equal to the federal government. The balance of power James Madison
and others developed gave half of Congress to the states and half to the people.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
Seventeenth Amendment changed that balance of power, but the slice of power
reserved for the states was consumed by the popular vote. State legislatures
were left without representation in Washington. Most people, especially the
Populists, thought that was as it should be, foreshadowing the 1960s slogan of
“All power to the people.”</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
the 21<sup>st</sup> century, some progressive politicians saw a major flaw in
the selection of senators. They see the Senate as an amplifier of power of less
populated states, each of whom is rewarded two U.S. senators, regardless of the
state’s population. California, the most populace state, has no more clout in
the Senate than Montana or Rhode Island. That seems to conflict with the
Supreme Court’s 1964 ruling that congressional districts (reflecting voter
population) must be roughly equal to comply with Fourteenth Amendment’s “equal
protection” clause.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Some
conservatives, such as the late James J. Kilpatrick, argued that the
Seventeenth Amendment was an unwarranted change to the constitutional structure
because it took away state sovereignty and elected two legislative bodies from
the same electorate. Liberals dislike the Senate for a different reason: it
amplifies the clout of less-populated (and more conservative) states.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
Senate’s selection structure, critics say, is unfair to the most populated
states, with millions of unequally represented voters. That Senate is able to
stop legislation from the more democratic-structured House of Representatives.
Because the Electoral College is allocated from the number of members of
Congress plus the two senators every state gets. In this century, several
presidents have won the popular vote but lost in the Electoral College (the
only count that counts).</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Both
sides can agree that something’s amiss, but as long as national politics
remains sharply divided, the chances of reform are near zero.</span></p>
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div.Section1
{page:Section1;}</style></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-76856521903886094412020-11-18T10:31:00.000-05:002020-11-18T10:31:47.240-05:00Trump's selfish fight threatens democracy<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">This post was written for the Nov. 13 print edition of the Wilson Times.</span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Trump administration’s four years
have given America numerous new precedents — things no other president or
administration officials had ever done. With the announcement a week ago that
Democrat Joe Biden has won the election, both in the determining Electoral
College tally and in the popular vote, Trump appears to be putting his name in
American history in another way.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For
the first time in history, an outgoing president might prevent a peaceful
transfer of power to the newly elected president. President John Adams set the
precedent in 1800 when he conceded the election to Thomas Jefferson, his
political opposite and long-time rival. Every president since then, for all 220
years, has accepted “the will of the people” and stepped down to make room for
the new president. The peaceful transfer of power is considered the fundamental
test of a working democracy. Will we still have one?</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Trump
has refused to concede the election, which was “called” when it became
mathematically impossible for the trailing candidate to catch Biden, who
already had more than the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency.
Instead, Trump has persisted in proclaiming the election was “rigged,”
“unfair,” “crooked,” “horror stories,” and so on. He has claimed that the
election was stolen by Democrats who counted fake ballots or threw away ballots
for Trump. He claimed the vote counting, which went on for five days after the
Nov. 3 election day, was a fraud.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
ballot counting has always gone on after an election. Trump hurt his own cause
by telling his followers they shouldn’t vote by mail, which he claimed was
fraudulent. He continues to criticize the counting of ballots, although this
year’s counting was probably the most transparent in history. Philadelphia, for
instance, placed the non-partisan counters in a glass-front room, where passers-by
could watch the process, and closed-circuit TV links allowed citizens to watch
the count from home.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>State
laws, which govern elections, require that observers from both parties observe
the casting of ballots and the counting of those ballots. The president’s
myriad lawsuits over the counting have been tossed out, except for one in which
the Supreme Court decided ballot observers could move closer to the counters —
from ten feet to six feet — and the counting resumed.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
only confirmed false ballots incident involved a pair of Virginia men, Trump
supporters linked to QAnon, CNN and other news outlets reported. The men were
arrested after arriving in Philadelphia with loaded guns and a truck full of
counterfeit ballots.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Trump
will retain presidential powers until noon on Jan. 20. This gives him time to
take revenge on his perceived enemies. He has already fired the director of
USAID, a career diplomat and manager, and his defense secretary. He has also threatened
to fire Anthony Fauci, the career epidemiologist who earned Trump’s ire by
contradicting his erroneous statements at COVID news conferences. This ten-week
interregnum will allow Trump a second chance to settle scores and clean house.
Don’t think he won’t use it. He may also pardon more of his loyal friends and
maybe even himself.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
appears that, despite all of Trump’s bluster, the election vote will be
certified, and Biden will be inaugurated on Jan. 20. If Trump mellows (is that
possible?), he might not go down in history as the only president to be
physically removed after losing an election. Some members of his own party have
warned him that he doesn’t want that to be his place in history.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p><style><span style="font-family: verdana;">
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{page:Section1;}</span></style><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><br /></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-57678758937883760672020-11-08T10:02:00.003-05:002020-11-08T10:02:42.637-05:00A holiday season spoiled by the pandemic<p> <i><span style="font-family: verdana;">This post was published in the Wilson Times Nov. 6, 2020</span></i></p><p><br /><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The
coming “holiday season” will be like none we’ve ever experienced before. Thanksgiving
and Christmas in 2019 came and went before a Coronavirus became part of our
vocabulary. Thanksgiving and Christmas this year will be remembered as the
pandemic holidays, the times when getting the family together will be much more
difficult than ever before.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It’s
always a challenge to get a far-flung family together each year, but most of
the time, we find a way. One year might find our children and grandchildren at
our house; other years one of the younger generation volunteers to host the
gathering. Sometimes additional family members are included — parents-in-law,
brother- or sister-in-law, nieces or nephews. New significant others of these
relatives can also be added, or neighbors without relatives close enough to
share a holiday together.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But
the Coronavirus this year will disrupt our Thanksgiving and Christmas
traditions, just as it has disrupted so many other aspects of our lives. Those
who have to board an airplane to get to the family Thanksgiving location might
be reluctant to board a sealed capsule with dozens of strangers whose medical
conditions, health and personal responsibility are not known. News media will
announce the crowded conditions at airports and the number of flights that are
in the air. Did I say “crowded”? That’s not a good adjective in a pandemic that
has killed more than 200,000 Americans.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Those
who can gather with family members without taking a plane or a train are not
home free. The traditional Thanksgiving dinner (think of the Norman Rockwell
painting) will be more difficult than ever to pull off this year. Government
guidelines recommend face masks and social distancing with a limit of no more
than 25 people in one indoor space. For many families, 25 is not nearly enough.
The descendants of my parents (who died in 2006), that is, their children,
grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren, now total around
40 people from babies in arms to my brother and me, both in our 70s.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For
about 30 years (no one is sure exactly when we started, but it was about 1990),
the family had met in Charleston, S.C., for a meal together. We won’t be doing
it this year. The Coronavirus has put an end to that tradition, at least
temporarily.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Family
members worry about being infected despite the precautions everyone is taking.
They worry about staying in a hotel room (who slept here last? Did they have
any symptoms?) and eating in a restaurant (close contact with servers and the
sanitation standards in the kitchen are worrisome, even in the best restaurants).</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">America’s
restaurant habits might not survive the pandemic. For most of my life, we have
celebrated birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, graduations, and most happy
moments with a restaurant meal. But the Coronavirus has many Americans worried
about potential infections from eating in a restaurant with dozens of other
people in the same room. </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">If this pandemic lingers, where will we go to celebrate joyful events in
our lives?</span></span>
<p><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><style>
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{page:Section1;}</style></span></i></p><p><br /></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-39928828796970217582020-10-25T11:23:00.004-04:002020-10-25T11:23:26.669-04:00Digital picture frame filled with memories<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This post was
published in the Wilson Times Oct. 23, 2020.</i></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When our daughter and son-in-law gave us a digital picture
frame a few years ago, we received the gift gratefully but without great
enthusiasm. The gift is a simple video screen, about the size of a 5x7
enlargement, that displays each of the photos loaded onto a thumb drive that
plugs into the back of the picture frame. At the time, it was the latest
technology.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For the next few years, the ever-changing picture frame
provided some amusement and distraction as we sat casually and watched the
photos take their turns across the screen. We changed the photos loaded on the
thumb drive from time to time to incorporate photo collections of my
father-in-law after his death and a collection of pictures spanning my life for
my 60<sup>th</sup> birthday. We grew accustomed to the collections and gave the
photos little attention. They were, as the digital expression goes,
“wallpaper.”</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Recently, however, I find myself stopped in mid-step as I
catch a look at the photo-of-the-moment. I am nearly dumbfounded by a photo of
a grandson seated in my lap, sometimes two grandchildren seated in my lap as I
read a picture book to them. In another photo, I am seated in a little red
wagon with one grandchild while our oldest grandson, just a toddler, attempts
to pull the wagon around the yard. I know these grandchildren have aged ten
years since they were as young as the picture shows, but I can’t help feeling
transported back to the day the picture was made.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We are blessed with six grandchildren and have had the good
fortune of spending time with each of them as they left the cradle and developed
their own personalities. We took them on short trips, and we gallivanted with
them in our back yard, playing games and inventing new games to spark their
laughter and excitement. Moments so special they still bring a lump to my
throat and tears to my eyes are preserved on that picture frame with the power
to stop me in my tracks and make me stare, taking in the moment frozen on that
small screen.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The technology on that screen is more common now. Everyone
has “slide shows.” TV commercials use them. Convention venues incorporate them.
Political ads use that power of pictures. A lifetime ago, I shot pictures with
film and inserted the developed photos into a slide projector to shine on a
screen for viewing. In a closet somewhere, I have a slide projector that was,
in its day, the ultimate in home entertainment, and two dozen boxes of slides
that are only useful when paired to that old slide projector. Our children and
grandchildren got a few good laughs when we gathered them at a vacation cottage
and had them watch many of the trays full of slides. The audience thinned
rapidly after the first few minutes of grandchildren’s laughter at seeing their
parents as small children.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If our children and grandchildren even glance at the digital
photo frame on their rare visits to our home, I have not noticed. The pictures
that stop me in my tracks are only uninteresting wallpaper to them.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">My wife and I have discussed how quickly or grandchildren
changed from the cute, cuddly, loving and altogether wonderful toddlers in
those pictures to the teenagers who have their own schedules and interests and
who now see us at eye level with our sagging skin, ancient ideas, out-of-touch
thoughts and lost hair. We realize that the days of grandchildren’s visits and
their wonder at our lives and stories are at an end.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I well remember two decades ago lamenting that the child I had
held in one hand was now taller than I. But grandchildren are different from
your own children. Parents are responsible for their children — providing food,
shelter, moral principles, future college costs, etc. Grandchildren are more
pure joy, delightful little people for whom you do not have ultimate
responsibility.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A biblical blessing (Psalm 128) offers this: “May you live
to see your children’s children.” I am living that blessing.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p><style><span style="font-family: verdana;">
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div.Section1
{page:Section1;}</span></style></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-68990682758409646672020-10-16T09:14:00.002-04:002020-10-16T09:14:30.195-04:00Turning over a new leaf: Early Voting<p> <i><span style="font-family: verdana;">This post was published in the Wilson Times Oct. 16, 2020</span></i></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This year, for the first time in my
existence, I am voting early. Early voting has become a part of the routine for
every election year, and many people I know have said they enjoy voting early
and enjoy the convenience of it.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">While I have waited to vote on the
official Election Day in the traditional manner, others would tell me, “I’ve
already voted.” </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A traditionalist, I found it
satisfying to wait my turn on the one day that I and millions of others cast
their ballots in a nationwide ritual of American democracy, an exercise as old
as the United States. To me, Election Day was as exciting and as important as
Independence Day, without the fireworks.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But
this year, with a dangerous pandemic making any large gathering a potential
public health hazard, my wife and I decided we would vote early. If the virus
didn’t grab us at the polling place, militant, armed “poll watchers” recruited
by President Trump might endanger our lives in other ways. We could have voted
by mail, but that option seemed less certain than an early appearance at a
polling site and physically handing over our ballots for recording. With
President Trump claiming mailed ballots are fundamentally fraudulent, I wanted
my ballot to count. (Election officials have assured voters that voting by mail
is secure.)</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
I am writing this, I cannot say that I have voted early. The first early voting
day is Oct. 15, which is the deadline for this column. I fully expect to vote
as planned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
do have one experience in voting absentee: While fulfilling my military
obligation in 1972, I would not be able to vote in North Carolina, where I was
registered. I found out how to obtain an absentee ballot and mailed the
completed form to the elections office. My vote counted.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When
I started work at The Wilson Daily Times, the late John Scott, editor at the
time, warned me to always vote whenever there is an election. Scott’s thinking
was that newspaper editors who failed to vote were leaving themselves open to
criticism and ridicule if they urged others to vote but didn’t vote themselves.
I don’t think I’ve missed a single election day since then.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>America
has a poor record for turning out to vote. Only 56 percent of the voting age
population voted in 2016, a presidential election year, which has higher
turnout than non-presidential elections.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Some
have suggested making Election Day a national holiday as a way of encouraging
and accommodating voters. That idea makes sense to me, but it hasn’t been
adopted. Congress sets the date (currently the first Tuesday after the first
Monday in November) for national elections. The states control most of the
details of elections — the ballot, precincts, machinery, etc.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
while America can claim its title as the oldest modern democracy, you don’t
want to go back to the way our system worked at its inception. Originally, only
white male property owners could vote. Women won the right to vote in 1920. The
15<sup>th</sup> Amendment, ratified in 1870, extended the right to vote to
non-whites whether they owned property or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
took the 14<sup>th</sup> and 15<sup>th</sup> Amendments, along with the 1965
Voting Rights Act, to ensure this year’s vote will be open to all Americans. So
vote!</span></p>
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div.Section1
{page:Section1;}</style></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-62870171951272513642020-10-14T10:47:00.002-04:002020-10-14T10:47:29.282-04:00The Irony of Trump's Diagnosis<p><i> <span style="font-family: verdana;">This post was published in the Wilson Times Oct. 9, 2020</span></i></p><p><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It
is hard to escape the irony of the situation: The president who told his
citizenry that the Corona virus was nothing to worry about, that “It will soon
disappear … like magic,” would find himself infected by this virus that has
killed 209,000 residents of the United States.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
president had scoffed at the precautions recommended by his team of physicians
and scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He made it
clear that he didn’t need a face mask, even after the CDC announced that the
simple, cheap masks, along with social distancing, were the most effective
means of controlling the virus. He dismissed the threat of the virus as nothing
more than the flu or the common cold. Nothing to worry about.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He
wouldn’t even say the name of virus — Novel Corona Virus 19 — and the name of
the potentially deadly and insidious disease it caused — COVID-19. He insisted
on calling it the “China Virus,” a name not used by the scientific community or
the worldwide effort to control the raging pandemic. It was his way of laying
blame with China; he had declared “I take no responsibility.”</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Even
worse, President Trump refused to follow local, state and national restrictions
designed to prevent the spread of the disease. All health authorities
recommended nationwide, comprehensive testing to identify infected persons and
trace their contacts. But Trump opposed increased testing, saying, “I don’t
want more testing.” He said he told the government to slow down testing
because, he claimed, testing caused more infections.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Trump
continued to hold large, frequent campaign rallies that did not follow local or
state precautionary measures, such as social distancing and mask wearing.
Attendees were packed shoulder-to-shoulder in open air or confined venues that
gave the virus open paths to new infections. He ridiculed his election
opponent, Joe Biden, for wearing a protective mask to events.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At
Trump’s goading, refusing to wear a mask became a sign of masculinity and loyalty
to Trump. The anti-mask sentiment led to numerous confrontations at retail
stores and other places, where unmasked people shoved, threatened and even shot
persons politely urging them to follow a mask mandate.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When
the virus finally caught up with Trump, he took an unannounced ride to Walter
Reed Army Medical Center to get the best possible medical treatment. Few, if
any, of the more than 209,000 Americans killed by this disease had access to
such good health care. In a final insult to all who had urged the president to
observe social distancing, mask wearing and other precautions, on Sunday, the
president commandeered an armored vehicle and at least two Secret Service
members for a joy ride around the hospital so he could wave at his fans
cheering on the street or in their vehicles.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Physicians
say Trump should not have left the hospital in his fragile condition and
certainly should not have endangered the lives of the other passengers in the air-tight
SUV who were confined with a highly infectious patient. </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Americans
of all stripes are wishing the president a successful recovery from this
infection. Joe Biden and others have offered prayers and sympathetic notes to
the president and his family. This is a time of irony, of unforeseen turns and
shocking developments. It is not a time for ill will.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><style>
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{page:Section1;}</style></span></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8767146716746579656.post-55759888503577825572020-10-01T08:38:00.000-04:002020-10-01T08:38:17.498-04:00Pro athletes are leading cultural shift; will politicians follow?<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>This post was published in the Wilson Times Sept. 18, 2020</i><br /></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The
collegiate and professional football leagues started their delayed seasons last
weekend, and, if it means anything, I was glad to see the new seasons begin.
But the Saturday and Sunday games were eerie and unlike any previous season
opening weekend. </span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Games
were played in nearly empty stadiums following guidelines for preventing further
spread of the COVID-19 virus. The roar of the crowd was a subdued whimper of a
pre-recorded audio that sounded as bogus as it was.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>College
and pro teams have adopted calls for racial equality and restraints on police
violence. Banners and slogans on players’ uniforms and helmets repeated the
sentiments of worldwide protests. The enlistment of college and pro athletes,
most of whom have been silent as calls for justice, equality and fair treatment
reverberated across the country, are now taking the lead. Widely admired
athletes could be the catalyst that finally creates a reckoning on topics such
as white supremacy and racial justice.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nationwide
protests have brought these issues before the public, but in a democracy it
takes legislation to change laws and to enforce the ideals in the Declaration
of Independence and the Constitution. Now that burly NFL players have gotten
our attention, who will craft the legislation to actually change America for
the better?</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It’s
obvious that this election season is as divisive as any on record. The violence
that erupted in some protest cities has repulsed voters on the right and the
left, and political strategists have not hesitated in presenting those flames
as the certain result of electing the “wrong candidate.”</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Each
year, voters tell pollsters they hate the televised political ads they see
every election year. When I was a newspaper editor, I attempted to make the
case that candidates should be spending their advertising dollars on
newspapers, not TV. Polls showed that newspaper readers were far more likely to
vote than those getting their news from TV. But that argument went nowhere. TV
ads are unlikely to spark meaningful political discussion, but they do grab
attention.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
these TV ads grow more strident, political rhetoric more apocalyptic, our
democracy gets weaker. Russian misinformation and other mischief are intended
to sow distrust among voters.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>President
Trump has shared in the implied criticism of democratic processes. He seems to
want an election that is in as much disarray as his administration. He has
ridiculed problems in primary voting. He has proclaimed voting by mail a fraud
(although he does it himself). He has said if he loses the election must be
fraudulent. Twice in North Carolina, Trump has urged people to vote twice,
which is a felony.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Attorney
General Josh Stein has warned voters that voting twice is illegal. Inciting
people to violate voting laws is illegal. Stein or a county prosecutor could
charge Trump with encouraging fraudulent voting.</span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p><style><span style="font-family: verdana;">
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{page:Section1;}</span></style><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><br /></p>Erstwhile Editorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005944796124688332noreply@blogger.com0