In spite of the state of today's world and the political and social disasters in the US, I choose to be an optimist. Yes, I know climate change is threatening our very existence and we're pretty much doing nothing about it. Yes, I know right-wing ideologues are gathering forces to take over our country (very "Winter is coming" observation, I know). Yes, I know that religious, racial, and economic class tensions are hurtling towards violent confrontations. And yet, I choose to be optimistic. Here's why:
Baby boomers are dying at a faster rate than experts predicted. That may sound like a bad thing, but if you think about it, we boomers are the cause for the chaos in the US. This is our baby. We have to take custody, whether we like it or not. Income disparity, racism, right vs. left, government too big or too small, depending on your preference, crumbling infrastructure, student debt, Social Security and Medicare insolvency, continuous war - it's all on us. We also have the power to do something about all of those problems, but we won't. We are incapable of action. And that's why I'm optimistic.
Now, here come the millennials. You are smarter than us. You are more unified in your beliefs. You are more tolerant and more responsible. Yes, you are less religious and that is also a good thing. You do have a left and a right, but the extremes have less influence on you than they do on us boomers. You will have the capacity to accomplish things when you finally take over the reins of power.
So what are you waiting for? You already outnumber us. Want to legalize marijuana? Vote! Want to provide student debt relief? Vote! Want to take a humane approach toward immigration? Vote! Want women to get equal pay for equal work? Vote! Want representative voting districts instead of gerrymandered districts? Vote! By the way, these are all things favored more by millennials than by boomers.
Now, I'd like to offer some advice. First, learn from the Tea Party. They became such a powerful voice within the Republican Party that, instead of aligning themselves with the GOP, they forced the GOP to align with them. While many of your beliefs are compatible with the Democratic Party, don't align with them - force them to align with you. And how do you accomplish this? You guessed it - vote!
Once millennials take the reins, I honestly believe the United States will rapidly become a better country. If boomers don't like it and start to complain, I have a very millennial response: STFU!
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Finish Lines
Today’s blog is about rites of passage and finish lines.
When you’re younger, you begin to experience a series of rites of passage. Your
first kiss, your driver’s license, the prom in high school graduation, maybe
college graduation, marriage, first kid, and career milestones are all markers
that your life is progressing as it should. But I’m past all that. I’ve begun
breaking the tape on a series of finish lines. I first thought about this when
I turned 60. That’s when I realized and admitted to myself that I was old. I’d
already gone through the phases of saying 40 is the new 30, 50 is the new 40,
but 60 is just 60. You can no longer dodge it or pretend. After that finish
line, I turned 65. That’s when I was required to sign up for Medicare and
TRICARE for life. For life.
I think my next finish line will be retirement. The plan now
is for that to happen in September 2018. There is a tradition where I work to
present retirees with a sad Indian on a horse. It’s like a graphic symbol that
it’s time for you to die. I don’t see my retirement that way. My body still
works. My mind still works. There are things I have planned and want to do. As
long as I can drive safely, road trips will be a big part of my future. Vera
and I have discussed opening our own art gallery. She has connections with
several very good artists. I think it would be fun and useful to manage and
work in the gallery. She already has a very good business advisor and we will
meet with him in a few weeks. Since I’m a natural born planner, it seems smart
to start this planning three years out.
There is another aspect of rites of passage. I also measure
my life by when my sons experience their own rites of passage. I’ve never liked
the concept of pride, but I permit myself to feel a certain amount of pride
when my boys graduate from high school or college, begin careers, establish stable
relationships (today’s substitute for marriage), or just begin to figure out
and find their way in the world.
The significance of finish lines is not lost. I realize and
I’m perfectly comfortable with the knowledge that each finish line I cross
brings me closer to the final finish line. I’m good with that. Every human
starts the same race. Every human will finish it. I figured out a couple of
years ago that the start and finish are not as important as the race itself. I
have been luckier than most with the experiences I’ve crammed between those two
markers. I’ve gotten a great education, found a great life partner, had three
great sons, and I’ve seen the world. I’ve managed to have two great careers,
one as a Russian linguist in the Army, and one as an English teacher. I’m still
fairly healthy and expect to live quite a bit longer. However, I know full well
that I may not. And all I can say about that is, it’s okay. Life is good.
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Not satire this time
What's the point? We are completely, absolutely a divided nation. It's time for us to consider peaceful, reasonable options for splitting up. Here's my proposal:
First, a 5-year latent period. We will be one nation until we sort out who goes where, how we split up the military, Social Security, taxes, etc. It will take at least that long.
Second, who goes where. I like the idea of at least three new countries. There are some states with a persistent liberal point of view - California, New York, Oregon, Washington, Connecticut, New Jersey, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Delaware, and Maryland. That looks like a pretty nice country to me. There could be a better name, but for convenience, let's call them the Liberal States of America. Conservative States of America could be Texas, Arizona, Mississippi, Kansas, Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama. Independent States of America might be outliers like Alaska, Idaho, the Dakotas, Montana. Remaining states could have an election to decide which new country they wanted to align themselves with.
This makes sense primarily because we've become such a sick, mean-spirited country. The second Republican debate made me realize that there are people in this country who truly believe that any of those people would be a better president than any Democrat. On all the major issues, these people stood exactly opposite me - I love Planned Parenthood and it's a matter of conscience that it be funded. To them, it's a matter of conscience to defund Planned Parenthood. To them, it's a matter of conscience to go after illegal aliens. To me, it's a matter of conscience to give long-term resident undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship. To them, taxes must be cut, government must be cut, the military must expand. I am against all of those. I use "I," but I do mean "we." Most liberals agree with me on these points. I say let the people who believe this have their way, but without imposing their national view on the rest of us. And this way, we won't be trying to impose our national view on them. They can have the homophobic, small-government, "I before we" religious republic they want, and we liberals get the European-style version of socialism lite that we want.
The only thing stopping us is this emotional attachment to the concept of the United States as a single entity. Well, you know what? That's been dead since Reagan was president.
There would be another benefit. The rest of the world wouldn't have to suffer the consequences of the US using its military to manage the rest of the world. Yes, there would be some violent repercussions while that vacuum was filled. Countries and regions would have to solve their own problems. That won't be peaceful, but it's not exactly peaceful now, is it?
That 5-year latent period would also give a lot of us time to move to our country of choice. I would not be able to stay in Texas, but there are people who would not want to stay in Liberal States of America, so maybe a property swap could be arranged.
Finally, this could be set up as 5-year latency, then 10-year trial period. At the end of ten years, we could have a national referendum to see if we wanted to become the United States of America again. I suspect we wouldn't want to.
First, a 5-year latent period. We will be one nation until we sort out who goes where, how we split up the military, Social Security, taxes, etc. It will take at least that long.
Second, who goes where. I like the idea of at least three new countries. There are some states with a persistent liberal point of view - California, New York, Oregon, Washington, Connecticut, New Jersey, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Delaware, and Maryland. That looks like a pretty nice country to me. There could be a better name, but for convenience, let's call them the Liberal States of America. Conservative States of America could be Texas, Arizona, Mississippi, Kansas, Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama. Independent States of America might be outliers like Alaska, Idaho, the Dakotas, Montana. Remaining states could have an election to decide which new country they wanted to align themselves with.
This makes sense primarily because we've become such a sick, mean-spirited country. The second Republican debate made me realize that there are people in this country who truly believe that any of those people would be a better president than any Democrat. On all the major issues, these people stood exactly opposite me - I love Planned Parenthood and it's a matter of conscience that it be funded. To them, it's a matter of conscience to defund Planned Parenthood. To them, it's a matter of conscience to go after illegal aliens. To me, it's a matter of conscience to give long-term resident undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship. To them, taxes must be cut, government must be cut, the military must expand. I am against all of those. I use "I," but I do mean "we." Most liberals agree with me on these points. I say let the people who believe this have their way, but without imposing their national view on the rest of us. And this way, we won't be trying to impose our national view on them. They can have the homophobic, small-government, "I before we" religious republic they want, and we liberals get the European-style version of socialism lite that we want.
The only thing stopping us is this emotional attachment to the concept of the United States as a single entity. Well, you know what? That's been dead since Reagan was president.
There would be another benefit. The rest of the world wouldn't have to suffer the consequences of the US using its military to manage the rest of the world. Yes, there would be some violent repercussions while that vacuum was filled. Countries and regions would have to solve their own problems. That won't be peaceful, but it's not exactly peaceful now, is it?
That 5-year latent period would also give a lot of us time to move to our country of choice. I would not be able to stay in Texas, but there are people who would not want to stay in Liberal States of America, so maybe a property swap could be arranged.
Finally, this could be set up as 5-year latency, then 10-year trial period. At the end of ten years, we could have a national referendum to see if we wanted to become the United States of America again. I suspect we wouldn't want to.
Monday, August 24, 2015
Megadeath
Don't know why this theme keeps running through my head. I'm sure there's a reason somewhere. For those of you who don't remember, the term "megadeath" was coined during the Cold War and was a term of measurement to designate a million human deaths. Usually, experts would match nuclear weapons to a particular target and estimate the number of megadeaths that would ensue. Example: 6 hydrogen bombs dropped on Moscow = 9 megadeaths. Nice, huh?
One reason this concept has come to mind is the recent explosion in China, but as far back as Bhopal, we've been on the edge of a megadeath incident. Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima all demonstrate how probable such an event is, though none of them reached megadeath status.
Here's what I've been thinking about megadeath. There will be a megadeath incident in my life time. The combination of dense population and earthquake faults, super volcanos, hazardous materials, typhoons and hurricanes, tornados, or raging fires makes it almost inevitable. The one requirement for a megadeath incident is population density. As the human population grows (and it's growing exponentially), the odds for a megadeath incident increase, too.
I am most curious about how we'll respond when something like this occurs. My prediction is that, of course, we'll be horrified first and foremost. And then we'll think, "Oh, it was terrible, but it won't happen again." And we'll carry on, business as usual. But what about the second one? Or the third? What if we take the same attitude as Americans to mass shootings? We get used to them, throw up our hands and say there's just nothing to be done about it. Yeah, I think that could happen, except the US is not the world.
One reason this concept has come to mind is the recent explosion in China, but as far back as Bhopal, we've been on the edge of a megadeath incident. Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima all demonstrate how probable such an event is, though none of them reached megadeath status.
Here's what I've been thinking about megadeath. There will be a megadeath incident in my life time. The combination of dense population and earthquake faults, super volcanos, hazardous materials, typhoons and hurricanes, tornados, or raging fires makes it almost inevitable. The one requirement for a megadeath incident is population density. As the human population grows (and it's growing exponentially), the odds for a megadeath incident increase, too.
I am most curious about how we'll respond when something like this occurs. My prediction is that, of course, we'll be horrified first and foremost. And then we'll think, "Oh, it was terrible, but it won't happen again." And we'll carry on, business as usual. But what about the second one? Or the third? What if we take the same attitude as Americans to mass shootings? We get used to them, throw up our hands and say there's just nothing to be done about it. Yeah, I think that could happen, except the US is not the world.
Sunday, August 09, 2015
Issues and Elections
The bombast and sham of the Republican "debate" got me thinking. Who will I vote for and why? It's simple. Every Republican on that stage still supports trickle-down economics. It's a failed economic policy that screws the middle class. I don't care about the race or gender or wealth of any candidate of either major party. Here are my issues in order of importance to me:
1 - Tax the rich. Just raise their rates a little. Don't wipe them out. Don't even tax them enough to lower their standard of living. But definitely make them pay more. Republicans are universally against this. I will not vote for them.
2 - Raise the minimum wage. It's the decent thing to do. All this BS about how much harm it would do our economy is just a lie. Democrats all support raising the minimum wage.
3 - Leave Obamacare alone or fix it. All Democrats support this. As far as I can tell, all Republicans oppose it.
4 - Immigration: give all long-term, non-criminal illegal immigrants a path to citizenship. No fines. No punishment. They've lived here, built homes here, paid taxes here. Let them stay. Jeb is closer than any Republican to this, but I will mention him later.
5 - Leave women alone. Let them make their own choices about their bodies and their futures. Don't impose your religious beliefs on their wombs. Sorry, a fetus is not a baby. No Republican supports this position (it wasn't so long ago when moderate Republicans were allowed to be pro-choice). I cannot in good faith vote for any anti-choice politician. Fund Planned Parenthood.
6 - Global warming is real and our government has to do something about it. Some Republicans accept this; most do not.
7 - Marriage equality is the law of the land. I'm happy about that. It's the right thing to do. Leave it alone. Most Republicans want to go back to what we had before. Just no.
8 - Peace and diplomacy first. If Iran is a threat to Israel and Saudi Arabia, we've spent a fortune arming them. They can defend themselves. We shouldn't have to.
All of that means that Republicans will try to make this election about "character." Attacks on the personal lives and character of the eventual Democratic candidate will be relentless. Republicans have lots of practice. They have attacked Obama and his family constantly for the last 7 years. They've been attacking Hillary Clinton for just as long. Benghazi demonstrates something quite simple: even when they have nothing, they will keep attacking. Not one accusation has proved credible, but Republicans continue to spend time and money trying to smear her rather than conducting the country's business. But these attacks will have no effect on my vote. None. Because the issues that are important to me won't change. Even if Hillary is proven to be evil incarnate. Even if she only changes her underwear twice a week. Even if she's not a true blonde, she will still do more to advance the causes I believe in than any Republican. That is also why it won't matter who the Democrats nominate. Socialist Bernie? Better than any Republican. Joe Biden? I think he'd be a great president. Jim Webb? I'd hold my nose, but I'd still vote for him.
I'll still pay attention to the Republican primaries, but more for entertainment. It's still not certain if Republicans can get a moderate candidate through the primaries. In my opinion, part of the reason Romney lost is that he ran as a moderate once he got the nomination. He lost more than a few Tea Baggers in the process. Jeb Bush is trying to stake out turf as the moderate. He was #2 in the polls before the debate. I suspect his numbers will go down in the next polls. And, see, he's the moderate. The one who says Americans need to work more hours. The one who says we spend too much on women's health care. The one who has to pretend he's not the son and the brother of two failed Republican presidents. One couldn't even get the support of his own party to get reelected; the other left the country in shambles. Yeah, I wouldn't vote for him, even though I do believe he wouldn't be as big a disaster as his brother.
Well, that's where I stand on the election process. I'm pretty sure I won't change much, no matter what the billionaires say in their PAC ads.
Sunday, August 02, 2015
Are you getting what you want from life?
That's what I've been thinking about the last couple of days. It's a less complicated question to answer than "Are you happy?" I have to say my own answer to that question is pretty positive. I own my home, we have two nice, environmentally friendly cars, I am happily married and have three sons. I think I can say my wife and sons are, for the most part, getting what they want from life. I make enough money to pay bills, buy a few luxuries (cable TV, smart phones, big screen TV, easy chair, at least one trip per year and two vacations a year). I also have a job I love, one that challenges me and lets me be creative. I've also managed to build a decent retirement that I'll start enjoying in three years. Oh, and although I'm a pretty severe introvert, I do have some good friends around me.
I'm not bragging, though. I think it's important to assess our existence from time to time. If I use this measurement, I have to admit that my sister and most of my brothers are also getting what they want out of life. I feel good about that. NOW...if all of that is true, what are my responsibilities to the rest of the human race? Honestly, I don't want to stand in anyone's way. Let them get what they want out of life, too. That's a pretty basic reason for my being pro-choice and for marriage equality. If I do things that hinder people in either of those categories, I'm blocking them unnecessarily. I won't do it.
But leaving people alone isn't really enough. I want to help others have a better chance to get what they want out of life. I have only one charity I give money to, but it helps children in hard circumstances have a safe place to live and develop until they finish high school. And I vote Democrat. If I have to pay more in taxes so we can raise the minimum wage or provide health care or train veterans for jobs or help disadvantaged kids go to college, I'm good with that. I want to see that happen.
Finally, what about you? Are you getting what you want out of life? Why not? And if you're not, what are you doing to change that? I hope you can come up with some good answers.
Life is good.
Sunday, July 26, 2015
I know stuff you don't know.
There is a universal human truth. Every human being can say, "I know stuff you don't know. I believe stuff you don't believe." Yes, we would have many overlapping bits of knowledge and beliefs that we could agree on, but it's the differences that create the problems.
Notice, I've made two categories. When I say I know stuff, or you do, these are things that we come across and are informed about. Yep, sometimes that information is false; if it's "just" knowledge, well, if we get new information or facts, that replaces the old data set pretty smoothly. Of course, we always like to believe we're right, so sometimes we hold onto our old "facts" pretty tightly, even when we're given irrefutable proof to the contrary.
Then there's that stuff we believe. Most religions require you to believe their myth to the exclusion of all others. They have to believe they are RIGHT and everyone else is WRONG, else there's no compelling reason to join their sect. Well, my position is this: believe what you want. Really. Just don't try to scare me or guilt me into accepting your myth. You have nothing to offer me. I gain nothing by accepting your myth. I lose nothing by walking away. Oh, I know you believe I'll lose a lot or gain a lot, but that's your belief, not mine.
I do think every single person knows something I don't know. That's the essence of the value of every human life. There's a value or insight or skill that the rest of us benefit from if we let that person become who they were meant to be. I happen to believe we have a better chance of doing that if we don't let outside individuals or belief systems limit us.
In the end, you don't have to believe what I believe. And...I don't have to believe what you believe. Let's live by that.
Notice, I've made two categories. When I say I know stuff, or you do, these are things that we come across and are informed about. Yep, sometimes that information is false; if it's "just" knowledge, well, if we get new information or facts, that replaces the old data set pretty smoothly. Of course, we always like to believe we're right, so sometimes we hold onto our old "facts" pretty tightly, even when we're given irrefutable proof to the contrary.
Then there's that stuff we believe. Most religions require you to believe their myth to the exclusion of all others. They have to believe they are RIGHT and everyone else is WRONG, else there's no compelling reason to join their sect. Well, my position is this: believe what you want. Really. Just don't try to scare me or guilt me into accepting your myth. You have nothing to offer me. I gain nothing by accepting your myth. I lose nothing by walking away. Oh, I know you believe I'll lose a lot or gain a lot, but that's your belief, not mine.
I do think every single person knows something I don't know. That's the essence of the value of every human life. There's a value or insight or skill that the rest of us benefit from if we let that person become who they were meant to be. I happen to believe we have a better chance of doing that if we don't let outside individuals or belief systems limit us.
In the end, you don't have to believe what I believe. And...I don't have to believe what you believe. Let's live by that.
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Blobs of protoplasm
Taken down to our most basic level, we are no more than blobs of protoplasm attempting to prolong our own metabolism as long as possible. Our evolution let us develop a sense of future and of connectedness that apparently have a survival value. Interesting that these complex relationships we're capable of compel us, sometimes, to do our best to influence, for better or worse, the metabolism of other blobs of protoplasm. To me, those relationships are good on a personal level. It's important to me that my wife and sons maintain their metabolism in fairly comfortable circumstances, both now and after I'm gone. I've come to the conclusion that elaborate belief systems, including religions and governments, unnecessarily complicate and widen those relationships. This is essentially what libertarians believe about government. Smaller government disengages from influencing the metabolic success or failure of subject blobs. Republicans and Democrats basically just differ on which blobs should be given better circumstances and which ones shouldn't. I engage in the political process because I have another odd survival mechanism our species developed: a sense of right and wrong.
So I'll keep trying to create positive circumstances for my circle of influence, as Stephen Covey puts it. This may seem a funny way to look at this, but it helps me in one way. I understand the motivation behind helping others continue a positive existence. And I don't understand the motivation behind making it harder for others. That simply cannot have a positive effect on my circle of influence. It just makes life harder for others.
My little brother, Buddy, gave me a life lesson this week. Gerald and I stopped by to see him in Pasadena. We sat and talked for about an hour. I make more than 3 times as much money as he does. He and his extended family live in considerably reduced circumstances. But they seem happy. For them, life is good. As Gerry and I were leaving, Buddy watched me get into my shiny new Prius and then stopped me, looked me in the eye, and said, "Robert, if you or your family ever need anything, you just let me know."
I am not worthy.
So I'll keep trying to create positive circumstances for my circle of influence, as Stephen Covey puts it. This may seem a funny way to look at this, but it helps me in one way. I understand the motivation behind helping others continue a positive existence. And I don't understand the motivation behind making it harder for others. That simply cannot have a positive effect on my circle of influence. It just makes life harder for others.
My little brother, Buddy, gave me a life lesson this week. Gerald and I stopped by to see him in Pasadena. We sat and talked for about an hour. I make more than 3 times as much money as he does. He and his extended family live in considerably reduced circumstances. But they seem happy. For them, life is good. As Gerry and I were leaving, Buddy watched me get into my shiny new Prius and then stopped me, looked me in the eye, and said, "Robert, if you or your family ever need anything, you just let me know."
I am not worthy.
Sunday, July 05, 2015
Good times
It's been a good couple of weeks for liberals. Obamacare is affirmed by the Supreme Court. Next step: replace it with single payer next time we have the White House and Congress. Marriage equality is the law of the land. The religious right wing outliers who are still resisting look stupider every day. The 14 or so Republican presidential candidates are competing to see who can look dumber than the others. They're ripping themselves apart on immigration and the rebel flag and ignoring the Constitution. How fun.
On our side, I think the Clinton-Sanders rivalry is good. More people identify as Democrats than Republicans by about 9%. Obama is shaping the coming election as trickle-down economics vs. middle class economics. If Democrats can make that stick, we win big in 2016. And Obama is slowly getting the respect he deserves. He has achieved so much in such a hostile environment.
So I'm going to remain positive. The pendulum is swinging back in our direction. Life is good.
On our side, I think the Clinton-Sanders rivalry is good. More people identify as Democrats than Republicans by about 9%. Obama is shaping the coming election as trickle-down economics vs. middle class economics. If Democrats can make that stick, we win big in 2016. And Obama is slowly getting the respect he deserves. He has achieved so much in such a hostile environment.
So I'm going to remain positive. The pendulum is swinging back in our direction. Life is good.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
The Popes of America
You can't really talk about a Pope unless you talk about the Pope of the Catholic Church. He is the sole arbiter between Catholics and God. He is also the single Supreme Court Justice of the church. If he says no divorce, there's no divorce, since he also happens to be infallible. I have been informed that Popes are no longer considered infallible in some regards, but when they make a doctrinal decision and decree, the Pope cannot be in error. This, as I understand it, is still true, BUT...American Catholics apparently do not accept this doctrine, either. There are two incontrovertible examples. Popes have been unwavering in their opposition to divorce. Divorce is not only wrong, it's unacceptable, except in very narrow circumstances. And yet the divorce rate among American Catholics is 21%. While that's much lower than the population at large, it is still over 1/5th the Catholic membership. I suspect even more Catholics are not opposed to marriage. So on this one point, a large number of American Catholics do not accept the infallible decree of the Pope. This is interesting to me because, in the end, which one has more power? Well, clearly the people who get a divorce have done what they wanted. The Pope was powerless to stop them. The church does have the power to punish them and quite often does, by denying sacraments or even excommunication. Just so you don't think this is the only example, I'll also mention birth control. Among several sources, it seemed to me the most credible number was 86%. That's how many American Catholics USE birth control. That's about as strong a rejection of infallible doctrine as I can imagine. So the Pope is the supreme leader of the Catholic Church. There's no one above him to correct or admonish him. He's at the top and he calls the shots. But people don't have to do what he says, apparently.
That gets us to our American popes - the Supreme Court of the United States. Once chosen, the justices serve for life or until they retire. They are part of our governmental system of checks and balances because they can override the actions of the legislative and executive branches just by decreeing those actions unconstitutional. They are checked at two levels. First, by the nature of their appointments. The President nominates a justice and the Senate has to approve him/her. So both the other branches get a shot at the nominee. The fact that there are 9 of them is another check - one guy can make a mistake, but we assume that the majority of 9 experts on constitutional law are pretty much going to be right almost every time. AND...if they're wrong, we can overrule them. But they have to be SO wrong that 2/3 of Congress is willing to amend the Constitution, then 3/4 of the states have to ratify the amendment. This has been done 17 times (yes, there are 27 amendments, but the first 10 were tacked on in order to get the Constitution approved). So it's not impossible, but it is justifiably difficult. I can't imagine anyone disagreeing with the amendments that abolished slavery, or gave women the right to vote, or repealed prohibition.
And now we get to the decisions this week by our infallible justices. You can squirm all you want to about their decision on Obamacare, but it's the law of the land. The argument is over. The court basically says they're not going to do the legislature's job. If Congress doesn't like it, they have the power to rewrite it or repeal it. That's their job, not the court's. I like that. It was a 6-3 decision, so the message couldn't be clearer. For Republicans, it's a challenge. Do something. Anything. But don't expect them to do it for you.
The justices also made a decision about fair housing, but it's simply not as controversial as the other rulings. I really like their decision, but I'm not going to discuss it here.
The other huge decision was the one on marriage equality. Once again, I agree with and applaud the court's decision. The howling on the right mirrors the howling that ensued when Social Security was created, when biracial couples were allowed to marry, when schools were integrated...it's all so old and tedious. None of the suggestions for avoiding the ruling sound plausible. Civil disobedience? What are you going to do? Not get married to someone of the same gender? At least two Republican presidential candidates have suggested either doing away with the Supreme Court or impeaching the justices (absurd because they would face the same "high crimes and misdemeanor" standard presidents do - making a decision a minority of Americans disagree with doesn't meet that standard). Doing away with the Supreme Court essentially would end our country as we know it. So if you're opposed, know the Constitution and understand how our government works. You don't have the voting power, the legislative power, or the executive power to overturn any of these decisions, because most Americans agree with them. Deal with it.
That gets us to our American popes - the Supreme Court of the United States. Once chosen, the justices serve for life or until they retire. They are part of our governmental system of checks and balances because they can override the actions of the legislative and executive branches just by decreeing those actions unconstitutional. They are checked at two levels. First, by the nature of their appointments. The President nominates a justice and the Senate has to approve him/her. So both the other branches get a shot at the nominee. The fact that there are 9 of them is another check - one guy can make a mistake, but we assume that the majority of 9 experts on constitutional law are pretty much going to be right almost every time. AND...if they're wrong, we can overrule them. But they have to be SO wrong that 2/3 of Congress is willing to amend the Constitution, then 3/4 of the states have to ratify the amendment. This has been done 17 times (yes, there are 27 amendments, but the first 10 were tacked on in order to get the Constitution approved). So it's not impossible, but it is justifiably difficult. I can't imagine anyone disagreeing with the amendments that abolished slavery, or gave women the right to vote, or repealed prohibition.
And now we get to the decisions this week by our infallible justices. You can squirm all you want to about their decision on Obamacare, but it's the law of the land. The argument is over. The court basically says they're not going to do the legislature's job. If Congress doesn't like it, they have the power to rewrite it or repeal it. That's their job, not the court's. I like that. It was a 6-3 decision, so the message couldn't be clearer. For Republicans, it's a challenge. Do something. Anything. But don't expect them to do it for you.
The justices also made a decision about fair housing, but it's simply not as controversial as the other rulings. I really like their decision, but I'm not going to discuss it here.
The other huge decision was the one on marriage equality. Once again, I agree with and applaud the court's decision. The howling on the right mirrors the howling that ensued when Social Security was created, when biracial couples were allowed to marry, when schools were integrated...it's all so old and tedious. None of the suggestions for avoiding the ruling sound plausible. Civil disobedience? What are you going to do? Not get married to someone of the same gender? At least two Republican presidential candidates have suggested either doing away with the Supreme Court or impeaching the justices (absurd because they would face the same "high crimes and misdemeanor" standard presidents do - making a decision a minority of Americans disagree with doesn't meet that standard). Doing away with the Supreme Court essentially would end our country as we know it. So if you're opposed, know the Constitution and understand how our government works. You don't have the voting power, the legislative power, or the executive power to overturn any of these decisions, because most Americans agree with them. Deal with it.
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Father's Day 2015
Events in Charleston have overshadowed my personal celebration of Father's Day. I think of those fathers who lost their sons or daughters in that horrible attack. The murderer stole Father's Day from them for the rest of their lives. I know some of the victims were fathers, so they missed this day with their families. I can honestly say I understand how those families have been able to forgive the shooter. Life is life and death is death, after all.
Having said that, there is one father in particular I can't stop thinking about. While I do, in the back of my mind, reserve the "there but for the grace of god..." excuse for all parents who do their honest best to raise good children, I confess I'm not as kind to Dylann Roof's father. Even if, as this kid said, he was not raised in a hateful or racist home, I think at his last birthday party, this father must have known who his son was. He knew about the openly expressed hatred and racism his son expressed. And how did he respond? He gave his son a gun. "Happy birthday, Dylann. Sure hope you don't use this to act on those hateful values." No, I'm not forgiving. Of course, Dad is doing what any father would do under the same circumstances. He's lying low. Trying to be invisible. It won't work. I suspect he's also erasing his own racist tracks before he comes out to the public. Let's see if I can predict his quote, "While I love my son, I am sick from his acts of violence. I am sorry for the victims and their families. Please respect my family's privacy as we grieve, too." Yeah, that.
Please understand I am not blaming the father for the crime. But Dylann is the son he raised. Happy Father's Day, Ben Roof.
And what about symbols? Those pictures of Dylann Roof holding the Confederate flag and Senator Lindsey Graham saying, "This is part of who we are." Yes, there's more truth to that than Senator Graham intended. It's not who the victims are. It doesn't represent the 30% of South Carolina who are African American. It doesn't represent a sizable portion of the white population who reject that racist symbol. It represents Lindsey Graham. It represents Governor Nikki Haley. And it represents Dylann Roof. And the battle has already begun to defend it, no matter what.
But there's another symbol in those pictures. Dylann Roof holds guns in every photo I've seen. Is that "part of who we are," too? I guess we have to own up to that. Here's the irony there. The NRA, solid representative and advocate for the firearms industry, continues to lobby for the unbridled access to guns. All the guns you want, no matter who you are. It's a brilliant marketing scheme because the more guns there are, the more gun violence there will be, until people without guns will be so afraid that they'll go buy guns, too. And it has worked. I woke up this morning to pictures of congregants of black churches holding up firearms in church. As the NRA would say, "Cha ching!" or "Winning!" The irony? The organization that created the conditions for the shooting in Charleston is set to profit from it.
All these things are in my head this Father's Day. There should be peace in there somewhere. It's just hard to believe that we are so helpless. That we will accept and even defend the status quo in spite of the horrific, tragic evidence that the status quo should not be tolerated for another day. Because this is all too easy to predict after Columbine and Aurora and Sandy Hook. Nothing will be done. Nothing will change. Kill - Grieve - Repeat. It's as mundane as a shampoo label in our country. So, so proud to be an American.
Having said that, there is one father in particular I can't stop thinking about. While I do, in the back of my mind, reserve the "there but for the grace of god..." excuse for all parents who do their honest best to raise good children, I confess I'm not as kind to Dylann Roof's father. Even if, as this kid said, he was not raised in a hateful or racist home, I think at his last birthday party, this father must have known who his son was. He knew about the openly expressed hatred and racism his son expressed. And how did he respond? He gave his son a gun. "Happy birthday, Dylann. Sure hope you don't use this to act on those hateful values." No, I'm not forgiving. Of course, Dad is doing what any father would do under the same circumstances. He's lying low. Trying to be invisible. It won't work. I suspect he's also erasing his own racist tracks before he comes out to the public. Let's see if I can predict his quote, "While I love my son, I am sick from his acts of violence. I am sorry for the victims and their families. Please respect my family's privacy as we grieve, too." Yeah, that.
Please understand I am not blaming the father for the crime. But Dylann is the son he raised. Happy Father's Day, Ben Roof.
And what about symbols? Those pictures of Dylann Roof holding the Confederate flag and Senator Lindsey Graham saying, "This is part of who we are." Yes, there's more truth to that than Senator Graham intended. It's not who the victims are. It doesn't represent the 30% of South Carolina who are African American. It doesn't represent a sizable portion of the white population who reject that racist symbol. It represents Lindsey Graham. It represents Governor Nikki Haley. And it represents Dylann Roof. And the battle has already begun to defend it, no matter what.
But there's another symbol in those pictures. Dylann Roof holds guns in every photo I've seen. Is that "part of who we are," too? I guess we have to own up to that. Here's the irony there. The NRA, solid representative and advocate for the firearms industry, continues to lobby for the unbridled access to guns. All the guns you want, no matter who you are. It's a brilliant marketing scheme because the more guns there are, the more gun violence there will be, until people without guns will be so afraid that they'll go buy guns, too. And it has worked. I woke up this morning to pictures of congregants of black churches holding up firearms in church. As the NRA would say, "Cha ching!" or "Winning!" The irony? The organization that created the conditions for the shooting in Charleston is set to profit from it.
All these things are in my head this Father's Day. There should be peace in there somewhere. It's just hard to believe that we are so helpless. That we will accept and even defend the status quo in spite of the horrific, tragic evidence that the status quo should not be tolerated for another day. Because this is all too easy to predict after Columbine and Aurora and Sandy Hook. Nothing will be done. Nothing will change. Kill - Grieve - Repeat. It's as mundane as a shampoo label in our country. So, so proud to be an American.
Sunday, June 14, 2015
But why retire, Robert?
Because I'm tired. Yes, I have a teaching job that doesn't take that much out of me. If I had to, I could probably go on teaching for at least 5 years, but...I'm tired. Time to take it easy, do some things just for me. I'm SLOWLY decorating my meditation room, a place to retreat from time to time. Pale green walls, symbols of nature and peace. No electronics. I'm considering blocking out heat and air conditioning, too. As little machine made as possible, but I will have a lamp and a futon couch/bed.
I was thinking about different mes this week. I was a different person in different parts of my life. One place in particular came to mind. I was in New Mexico from 1972 to 1975, and I was actually two people at once. There was Air Force Robert, who was not a very good electronics technician and wasn't really comfortable in the Air Force. My friends at Cannon AFB knew that Robert earlier in those years, but I slowly became immersed in my other persona, Smitty, who was a student at Eastern New Mexico University. Since I worked nights for the Air Force, I was able to go to school during the day. Some people in that world didn't even know I was an airman. This was an important time for me - I finally found myself as a student. I loved every English class I took, lost myself in Shakespeare, Hemingway, Twain, Faulkner, Milton. It all MEANT something to me. It helped me make sense of the world.
And who is left from those worlds? Oh, I remember my Air Force friends. I do know one of them owns a ranch in New Mexico and I did visit him once since I left. But really, it would take quite a bit of time to track any of those guys down. My friends at ENMU were more intimate, but one friend became a true, lifelong friend. I remember first seeing Jan in the basement cafeteria in the Student Union Center. She was this perfect blonde walking across the room and I was mesmerized. I didn't lust after her - never did. I just wanted to know her, to be her friend. I didn't think that would ever happen, but I was in theater (yeah, that's right - classes, work, AND theater) and we had mutual friends and finally got to know each other. I learned a lot from Jan. I learned that a beautiful woman could be my friend without being a lover. We never tried to be more than friends because we didn't need to. Jan is in California and we are friends on Facebook. I hope I can take a retirement road trip to see her again. Maybe we could meet back in New Mexico.
So college Smitty overshadowed Air Force Robert, and that was a good thing. They left New Mexico when I graduated from ENMU in May and received my Honorable Discharge in August. They're both part of who I am now. Life is good.
I was thinking about different mes this week. I was a different person in different parts of my life. One place in particular came to mind. I was in New Mexico from 1972 to 1975, and I was actually two people at once. There was Air Force Robert, who was not a very good electronics technician and wasn't really comfortable in the Air Force. My friends at Cannon AFB knew that Robert earlier in those years, but I slowly became immersed in my other persona, Smitty, who was a student at Eastern New Mexico University. Since I worked nights for the Air Force, I was able to go to school during the day. Some people in that world didn't even know I was an airman. This was an important time for me - I finally found myself as a student. I loved every English class I took, lost myself in Shakespeare, Hemingway, Twain, Faulkner, Milton. It all MEANT something to me. It helped me make sense of the world.
And who is left from those worlds? Oh, I remember my Air Force friends. I do know one of them owns a ranch in New Mexico and I did visit him once since I left. But really, it would take quite a bit of time to track any of those guys down. My friends at ENMU were more intimate, but one friend became a true, lifelong friend. I remember first seeing Jan in the basement cafeteria in the Student Union Center. She was this perfect blonde walking across the room and I was mesmerized. I didn't lust after her - never did. I just wanted to know her, to be her friend. I didn't think that would ever happen, but I was in theater (yeah, that's right - classes, work, AND theater) and we had mutual friends and finally got to know each other. I learned a lot from Jan. I learned that a beautiful woman could be my friend without being a lover. We never tried to be more than friends because we didn't need to. Jan is in California and we are friends on Facebook. I hope I can take a retirement road trip to see her again. Maybe we could meet back in New Mexico.
So college Smitty overshadowed Air Force Robert, and that was a good thing. They left New Mexico when I graduated from ENMU in May and received my Honorable Discharge in August. They're both part of who I am now. Life is good.
Sunday, June 07, 2015
Facebook is not a blog; contemplating retirement
I haven't blogged in a while. I let Facebook serve as a substitute. I've been kicking this around in my head for about three weeks now. There was one option to begin my blog again when I turned 66. Or when I hit the 36 month mark before retirement. And then there were just no excuses anymore. If I'm going to start it then, why not now? So there you have it. My goal is to say something useful once a week. Useful to me or to friends or to strangers. If not useful, maybe interesting or insightful.
First subject: How and when to retire and why.
How: As with most people, I cannot retire until I can afford it. It's amazing to me how many people of my generation will never be able to afford this luxury. There's a level of fear and sadness and even despair people express when they acknowledge that they're in their mid sixties and do not have the wherewithal to retire, nor do they have a manageable path to retirement. So they will work until they can't anymore. If I think about winning the lottery, I think about helping them. That's what I'd do with the money. In lieu of that, I hope things aren't as bad as they think. Life has a way of working itself out. As for me, I have three sources of permanent income once I retire, plus my retirement account. I also have three years of triple income that will help me pay all my debts before my last day at work. No car payments. No credit card payments. No house payments. Nada. I'm going to be ok. Oh, I won't be wealthy, but I won't be poor, either.
When: I know this already. September of 2018. That's the time I need to get financially healthy. I also need some time to prepare myself mentally for retirement. There are plans to make. Commitments. I need to be relevant, useful, and functional. I have so many options. Road trips to Maine, to Canada, to Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. To Yellowstone and Bryce Canyon and the Everglades. I want to see these places because they've long been a part of my psyche, either because of books or pictures or movies. I need to see them for myself. There is the problem of friends. There are people at work I love and will miss, but I'm determined to make a clean break. I will not be a person who makes "guest" appearances from time to time. I will miss them all, and can meet some of them for lunch on Fridays or weekends, or we can keep in touch on Facebook.
I want to play a role in politics. I don't have the energy or money to run for office, but I can help people who do. I'm sure future blogs will deal with political subjects, because that is my nature.
Perhaps most important of all, I need to explore spirituality. I have pretty much let go of organized religions - all of them. But I have not worked out exactly what beliefs and morals I want to put in that place.
One other topic to explore: what has my existence meant? How do I find a proper perspective? This is actually not necessary. I will walk off this Earth at a time and place not in my control. If I have time to make sense of this life, well, fine. If not, so what?
First subject: How and when to retire and why.
How: As with most people, I cannot retire until I can afford it. It's amazing to me how many people of my generation will never be able to afford this luxury. There's a level of fear and sadness and even despair people express when they acknowledge that they're in their mid sixties and do not have the wherewithal to retire, nor do they have a manageable path to retirement. So they will work until they can't anymore. If I think about winning the lottery, I think about helping them. That's what I'd do with the money. In lieu of that, I hope things aren't as bad as they think. Life has a way of working itself out. As for me, I have three sources of permanent income once I retire, plus my retirement account. I also have three years of triple income that will help me pay all my debts before my last day at work. No car payments. No credit card payments. No house payments. Nada. I'm going to be ok. Oh, I won't be wealthy, but I won't be poor, either.
When: I know this already. September of 2018. That's the time I need to get financially healthy. I also need some time to prepare myself mentally for retirement. There are plans to make. Commitments. I need to be relevant, useful, and functional. I have so many options. Road trips to Maine, to Canada, to Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. To Yellowstone and Bryce Canyon and the Everglades. I want to see these places because they've long been a part of my psyche, either because of books or pictures or movies. I need to see them for myself. There is the problem of friends. There are people at work I love and will miss, but I'm determined to make a clean break. I will not be a person who makes "guest" appearances from time to time. I will miss them all, and can meet some of them for lunch on Fridays or weekends, or we can keep in touch on Facebook.
I want to play a role in politics. I don't have the energy or money to run for office, but I can help people who do. I'm sure future blogs will deal with political subjects, because that is my nature.
Perhaps most important of all, I need to explore spirituality. I have pretty much let go of organized religions - all of them. But I have not worked out exactly what beliefs and morals I want to put in that place.
One other topic to explore: what has my existence meant? How do I find a proper perspective? This is actually not necessary. I will walk off this Earth at a time and place not in my control. If I have time to make sense of this life, well, fine. If not, so what?
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