Author: webuiltitblog

Tomorrow, Friday, is September 11, a date that will always have special meaning for all Americans, indeed for all decent people worldwide. Like December 7 and November 22, September 11 is a date that will, in the words of former President FDR, “live in infamy.”

September 11, 2001 at 8:46 a.m. ET, Americans’ safe and secure lives changed forever. Like the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor and the JFK assassination, undoubtedly, most everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing when they first heard of the attack. At that moment, the first hijackers’ plane crashed into the north tower of the WTC. This was followed quickly by a second plane crashing into the south tower, and, later, a third one crashing into the Pentagon. Incredibly and inexplicably, by 10:28 both towers had collapsed.

Later in the day, a fourth plane crashed into a field in Shanksville, PA. It is believed that this fourth plane was bound for a target in Washington, D.C., perhaps, the White House or the Capitol, and it would have succeeded but for the heroism of some of the passengers on board.

This year will mark the 19th anniversary of those horrific attacks. They resulted in just under 3,000 deaths. Most of those were workers who were trapped in their offices and consumed by fire or smoke/chemical inhalation. They could not escape because most of the stairwells were blocked.  Many victims have only been identified due to their DNA, in some cases many years later.

Compounding the tragedy was the fact that NYC’s 911 operators were not as well informed as they should have been. Thus, they were advising callers from inside the towers not to descend the stairs on their own. Some of them proceeded to the roof hoping to be rescued by helicopter. Unfortunately, helicopters could not land on the roofs due to the heat and thick smoke. Many of us who were watching on tv witnessed the awful sight of people jumping to their deaths (in some cases, actually holding hands with others for support) rather than awaiting their fates from the fire.

The horror of the attacks, themselves, was amplified by the fact that the victims were not soldiers but innocent civilians who were merely working at their jobs.  In addition to the thousands of civilians, police officers, firemen and EMS workers that were killed in the attacks, themselves, thousands more volunteer workers and even people who lived or worked in the vicinity ended up contracting various illnesses from inhaling the many carcinogens in the air and dying subsequently, in some cases many years later.  Many of us know or know of someone, such as Jamie Testa, a close family friend, who suffered this fate.  Even today, 19 years later, people are still contracting diseases and dying.  Horrifying as it may seem, some doctors have predicted that eventually these victims will exceed the 3,000 killed on 9/11. 

The primary illnesses are cancer, respiratory disorders, asthma, COPD and gastroesophageal reflux disorder. In addition, in the aftermath health workers noted a significant increase in anxiety, depression and PTSD. As I said, many of the above have manifested themselves years later. Even now, new cases are being presented. The number of documented cancer cases, alone, has tripled in the past few years. The physical, mental and emotional toll has been astounding. An estimated 18,000 people have contracted illnesses from the toxic dust. Moreover, there is speculation that 9/11 has caused health issues in babies whose mothers were pregnant at the time of the attacks, such as premature birth, respiratory problems, below average weight, and increased neo-natal requirements.

This was the deadliest attack on US soil ever. By comparison, the shocking Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, which, as I said, President FDR characterized as “a date that will live in infamy” resulted in “only” 2,400 deaths, and they were mostly military personnel.

This year, due to the health threat of the CV many of the commemorations will be scaled down.  There will be an attempt to balance paying proper respect to the victims with the safety and health of the participants. 

For example, the 911 Memorial and Museum, which is the body in charge of the commemoration, has changed the procedure of the reading of the names of the victims.  911 M&M Director Alice Greenwald stated the overriding objective was to “balance safety and tradition.”

Many friends and family strongly objected to the changes.  A group called the Stephen Stiller Tunnel to Towers Foundation announced it had arranged its own ceremony a few blocks away (on the corner of Liberty and Church Streets).  Survivors would still read the names live but at a safe distance from each other.  Said Chairman Frank Stiller, “we need to ensure that “America know[s] what happened 19 years ago.  And they need to [experience] the emotion of the day [live], not [via] a recording.”  

Normally, the survivors read the names of every 9/11 victim out loud in real time on tv, including those killed at the WTC (in both 1993 and 2001), the Pentagon and on flight 93. This is a particularly poignant scene as the readers are typically the spouses, children and/or grandchildren of the victims. In addition to citing the name of the victim some of the readers add personal messages of remembrance. In my opinion, these readings of the names of the victims is a fantastic idea as it helps us to remember the horrific and cowardly terrorists attacks and continue to pay tribute to the victims.

However, this year due to COVID concerns, the procedure will be altered.  In lieu of the traditional live reading of the names family members have pre-recorded the victims names, which will be streamed on line beginning Friday morning.  The 911 M&M will permit family members to gather at the site to listen, but they will be spread out to observe social distancing. 

In addition, there was a huge controversy over the traditional Tribute in Light ceremony.  The Tribute of Light is an amazing spectacle.  It consists of 88 vertical lights placed on top of Battery Park Garage, which is located six blocks south of the former WTC site.  It creates two columns of light which represent the Twin Towers.

Initially, the 911 M&M announced that, due to COVID concerns, it would be cancelled.  But, under pressure from the survivors and other groups it was reinstated with appropriate safety precautions.  In an additional statement Greenwald stated “this means something to us so profound, we must have it.”  The objective was “how we could do it safely that became a question for us.”  I agree as I’m sure most of us do.

The 911 M&M committee effected these changes with good intentions and perhaps an abundance of caution.  They insisted they wanted to conduct the ceremony but, at the same time, “avoid close contact among the readers who are usually paired at the podium.”  It is scheduled to commence at dusk. 

Some of the surviving relatives and friends understood.  Anthoula Katsimatides  noted “it [the ceremony] wasn’t cancelled.  It’s just been changed in such a way where we still get to pay tribute to our loved ones in a respectful and safe way.”  However, others were not mollified.  For example, Jim Riches, who lost his firefighter son, Jimmy, characterized it as a “slap in the face.”     

There will also be a memoriam at Shanksville, PA.  President Trump and the First Lady, will be the featured speakers.  Joe Biden is also expected to attend, but hopefully not at the same time.   

I understand this will also be scaled down due to COVID.  The names of the passengers will be read in tribute, but there will be no musical interludes nor other entertainment.

In addition to the deaths there was significant damage to the economy of NYC and the US as a whole. The entire Wall Street area, including the financial markets, was closed until September 17. Air travel was disrupted. Americans’ psyche was severely damaged. The cleanup of the WTC area was not completed until May 2002. All in all, it took 3.1 million man-hours to clean up 1.8 million tons of debris at a cost of $750 million.  Internationally, countries were generally horrified and supportive, although some of the people in some Muslim countries, such as Iraq, were seen to be celebrating.

Fifteen of the hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, with the others having originated from Egypt, Lebanon and the UAE. The terrorist group, Al Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, quickly claimed responsibility. Bin Laden had declared a holy war on the US and had issued a fatwa calling for the killing of Americans. Following 9/11, bin Laden became public enemy number 1. Eventually, the US exacted revenge, hunting him down and killing him.

In the aftermath of the attacks, Americans wanted to know how our intelligence agencies had failed to anticipate them. Who had “dropped the ball?” Amid many investigations and finger-pointing it became obvious that the major factor was failure to communicate and share intelligence and information. For example:

l. The CIA had intelligence reports that a terrorist attack was forthcoming, but it was expecting it to be in Israel, not the US.
2. The CIA knew that two known terrorists had slipped into the US.
3. The FBI had information of certain anomalies at some US flight schools.
4. The Justice Department policies advocated very limited intelligence sharing, even with other agencies.
5. The CIA and NSA were reluctant to reveal sources of information and their methods of attaining it.
6. None of these agencies reported their information to each other or to the White House.
7. In 2004 Attorney General John Ashcroft testified to the “9/11 Commission” that the “single greatest structural cause…. was the wall that segregated or separated criminal investigators and intelligence agents.”

I hope that the coordination and information-sharing among these agencies have been enhanced since 9/11, but I have my doubts. As time has gone on, I sense that we have grown more and more complacent and the various alphabet agencies have resumed “guarding their own turf” rather than sharing intelligence and information for the greater good.

CONCLUSION

Americans’ lives have changed considerably since 9/11. Many believe that not all of these changes are good or even necessary. For instance:

1. The US created the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate and oversee intelligence activities and security. In addition, it passed the USA Patriot Act. These agencies have improved our readiness and security but at the price of certain civil liberties. There is, and should be, a balance between security and liberty, and depending on one’s political point of view the pendulum may have swung too far, or not enough, towards security.

2. Enhanced security at airports and train and bus terminals has made travel more complicated, time-consuming, and nerve-wracking. Some people have curtailed or ceased their travel entirely, particularly internationally.

3. Parents are apprehensive, if not paranoid, about letting their children go outside to play or ride their bicycles in the neighborhood. Also, they accompany their children to the school or school bus stop and pick them up at the end of the day. The various terrorist attacks in schools in recent years have done little to assuage these fears and concerns. Schools have ramped up security protocols. Some have even hired armed guards. Some people have advocated arming teachers.

4. Many Americans have become very focused on enforcing immigration laws strictly to protect our borders, which has led to conflicts with those who view such an approach as “racist” and favor looser, or even open, borders.

5. On the plus side, there has been a significant increase in patriotism and gratitude toward veterans.

In my opinion, parents should make a concerted effort to educate their children on the tragedy of 9/11, what happened, how it happened and what it means. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation approximately one-third of Americans are under the age of 26, and, therefore, have little or no recollection or knowledge of this event. The danger is that as time passes the populace will forget, and we should never allow that to happen. Educate your kids!

Already, some people are “down-playing” the 9/11 attacks. For example, Rep Ilham Omar, one of the notorious “Four Horsewomen of the Apocalypse” who has uttered many disparaging remarks about America and Americans, has summed up 9/11 as “some people did something.” Really? Is she kidding? It’s easy to write off her and others of her ilk as “kooks,” but she does have followers who place credence in what she says.

I encourage everyone to find the time to visit the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. It is on the site of the original WTC complex in lower Manhattan. It occupies approximately one-half of the acreage of the original complex. It features two huge waterfalls and a “survivor tree,” which symbolizes resilience and strength. Take the time to stroll around this beautiful area. Take one of the many tours. You will find them most informative. Yes, it is tragic to be reminded of the horror of that day, but, on the other hand, it is uplifting to be reminded of the heroism and resilience of many first responders and even ordinary citizens and to experience the healing that has occurred. Remember, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

Undoubtedly, many of you experienced 9/11 firsthand. Please feel free to share your experiences.

What do you suppose is the most serious threat to the US at the present time? What problem could potentially undermine our entire society and way of life? Is it terrorism? Border security? Russia? China? Racism? Healthcare? Income inequality? Climate change? Each of these poses a serious threat, and depending on one’s political orientation and economic and social status, one could make a strong case for any of them as the primary threat. But, there is one problem missing from the above list, and I can make a case that it has the potential to pose at least as big a threat as any of the others. And, that my friends, is the proliferation of student debt (“SD”.

What, you say? SD? How can that be? Well, read on.

Student loan programs originated in 1958 when the National Defense Education Act established financial aid programs, including grants, scholarships and loans, for students majoring in certain disciplines, such as teaching and foreign languages. In 1965 the program was extended to include any students who could demonstrate a financial need. Over the years the program’s criteria and the sheer volume of debt have expanded exponentially. Even members of Congress are not immune. According to “Roll Call” 68 Congresspersons either owe SD, themselves, or have family members who do.

The two major reasons for this astounding growth are the exploding cost of college and the high interest rates on the loans, themselves. According to a report issued by the “American Center for Progress” over the past three decades the cost of a typical college has increased by some 1,000%. Depending on the type of student loan the current interest rate can be as high as 10%. By comparison, currently, typical rates on a 30-year fixed mortgage and a new car are 3 5/8% and 4 3/4%, respectively.

Moreover, according to Lenore Hawkins of Tematica Research Corp, SD loans CANNOT be forgiven, even in bankruptcy. (It would be interesting to ascertain how that came to pass. Most likely, some really heavy-duty lobbying.)

According to “Forbes Magazine” in 2018 total SD amounted to $1.5 trillion. (That’s trillion with a “T.”) To put that amount in perspective it is more than the GDP of several European countries, such as Spain and Sweden. Furthermore, it exceeds the total amount of car loans and credit card debt. The “Forbes” report added that the average college grad owes approximately $38,000; two percent owe in excess of $100,000. The average law school graduate owes some $110,000. The average doctor owes about $200,000.

Those are daunting amounts. Remember, few lawyers work on Wall Street, where one starts with a six figure salary and can become very rich. According to Wikipedia, most earn far less, and many never even practice law at all. Similarly, the average doctor, may be in his 30s before he or she begins to earn any significant money, and with the recent changes in the healthcare system their earnings prospects are generally far less than they used to be. Meanwhile, in contrast, the average tradesman may top out in the low six figures, but he will have started earning money at 18 or so and not have any SD to pay off.

The total SD outstanding in the US is second only to mortgage debt. Any way you slice it, the total SD is massive. Most likely, an entire generation will spend their entire lifetime paying off their SD (or trying to). And, those are the people who actually earn a degree. Many don’t for various reasons, and they still have SD to pay off. They end up living with their parents, broke, angry and frustrated.

A recent Gallup poll estimated that 35% of young adults do so, compared to 25% in 1990. The poll found that they want to marry and have kids, but just can’t afford to do so. This is one reason why the middle class is shrinking.

Along the same lines, in January, 2019 the Federal Reserve reported that the precipitous rise in SD has been responsible for many millennials (those born in the early 1980s to mid-1990s) delaying certain life milestones, such as marrying, purchasing homes, having children, and saving for retirement.

So, what does all this have to do with Socialism?

1. As I said, many millennials are disillusioned, frustrated, and angry. They are saddled with massive student debt that they cannot see themselves ever being able to repay. In the words of Bernie Sanders, they feel the system is “rigged” and “corrupt.”

This attitude is bolstered by reports of favoritism, particularly for children of influential politicians, who manage to gain admission to elite colleges, such as Harvard, Yale or Stanford, despite average credentials. Examples abound, such as Dante Di Blasio, Chris Cuomo, Chelsea Clinton, and the children of Chuck Schumer and Michael Bennett. Then, there is my personal favorite, Al Gore, who has sent four children to Harvard. Four! I’m no statistician, but it strikes me as a statistical impossibility that four children from the same family could meet Harvard’s exacting admissions criteria legitimately.

To be sure, this is nothing new, and we all know why colleges do it, but the brilliant student from an average family sees it as confirmation that the current system is broken, corrupt and rigged.

2. All too often, college graduates discover that their hard-earned, prohibitively expensive degree does not lead to a meaningful job and career. Often, they cannot find a job at all, or if they can it is a dead-end job, such as waiting on tables, driving a taxi or slicing meat in a deli. Moreover, they find themselves saddled with a debt load they probably will never be able to repay. They feel the current system has failed them. It can be argued that in return for the exorbitant tuition they charge colleges have at least a moral duty to prepare students for the real world, and this would include career advice. But, alas, they have no incentive to do so, and frequently don’t.

3. Most millennials do not have the foggiest idea of what Socialism is. They are not cognizant of its disadvantages and failings. All they know is it is different from the current capitalist system, which has not worked for them, and they are not adverse to trying it.

4. They are attracted by the prospect of free “stuff.” Who doesn’t like free “stuff.” They don’t realize that there is no such thing as “free.” Someone, somehow, has to pay for it. Guess who that “someone” will be.

5. In many cases, millennials, in the words of Justin Hawkins of the Hartland Institute have been indoctrinated in socialist ideas and ideals since kindergarten. He characterizes America’s schools as “socialist indoctrination factories.” That opinion may be a little extreme, but many Americans have grown to wonder just what colleges are teaching their kids. What benefits are their kids getting for the $50,000 plus a year they are paying. How come they graduate, if they do, being ill-prepared to make their way in the real world.

They are fed up with left wing dogma, which extolls the so-called “virtues” of socialism and ignores the fact that it has failed everywhere it has been tried (Russia, Cuba, Venezuela). They wonder why students need “quiet rooms.” They are opposed to over-the-top “political correctness.” Now, some schools, notably the University of Michigan, have gone further. They have promulgated “Bias Response Teams.” I could write an entire blog on this, but, in a nutshell, this policy encourages a student who hears or sees anything that he or she deems to be biased or makes them “uncomfortable” (even if they were only a bystander) to report it to the BRT. The BRT will then investigate with the assistance of the campus police. Penalties could be as severe as expulsion. Informing on others to the authorities? Does anyone else think this conjures up life in the old Soviet Union, and don’t we still have free speech in this country?

CONCLUSION

So, what is the solution? Personally, I don’t know, but I do know it is NOT to make college free for everyone. Like a lot of left wing ideas, it sounds good, but it is impractical for many reasons, such as:

1. It would be prohibitively expensive, particularly in conjunction with open/relaxed borders. The Dems will throw out many estimates, but the truth is no one has the faintest idea of how much it would cost.
2. Who would be eligible?
3. What would the limits be in terms of years and costs.
4. There would be no incentive to control costs, such as tuition, books, and staffing, which are out of control as it is.
5. Those who didn’t go to college at all or who attended a reasonably-priced college would balk at paying for others who attended expensive schools and for more than four years.
6. It would be run by the federal government, which has demonstrated repeatedly that it cannot run anything efficiently.

There is no panacea, but I would like to offer some possible suggestions.

1. Recognize that the main objective should be to prepare our kids to deal with the real world and learn a skill that translates to a job and a career.
2. Some would benefit more from a trade school or work experience.
3. Some would be better off attending a community college for two years before enrolling in a classic four-year university. That would keep costs down and ensure that the student is more mature and experienced when entering four-year school.
4. Make universities more accountable for their failure to prepare students
adequately. They have a moral duty to do so but not the incentive.
5. Find a way for the feds to exert more influence on the college community.
6. Like most college graduates, I look back very fondly on those years. For many, it was the best time of their lives, a last fling at good times before facing the real world. But, I fear those days are gone.

This is a very complex issue with no easy solution. I welcome your comments. For all of the above reasons, it has the potential to tear this country apart. An entire generation of young adults has become extremely disaffected. They are angry and frustrated. They feel the system is corrupt, rigged and not working for them. They are ready to embrace socialism, despite its warts. If nothing is done I fear socialism will gain a foothold in this country, and, over time, our whole way of life will be changed radically and irrevocably. We, as a nation, cannot let that happen. It would be the end of America as we know it.

Monday, September 7, we will celebrate Labor Day (“LD”).  As we all know, the holiday has traditionally been celebrated on the first Monday of September.  It is celebrated in various forms and at various dates in approximately 80 countries.

To most Americans LD merely symbolizes the unofficial end of summer and the impending beginning of the school year, although this year, since LD  is so late, many schools have already commenced the Fall term.  They enjoy the three-day weekend off from work.  They spend the day with family and/or friends. They enjoy picnics, parades, vacations, shopping, baseball games and other sports activities (although not this year), and barbecues. They lament, but grudgingly accept, holiday traffic and long lines at airports. This year, because of the specter of COVID LD, LD celebrations will be different.  More on this below.  

Also, it is the reason why summer always seems to be so short. In our minds, we transfer the approximately three post-Labor Day weeks of the season to Autumn. But, what is the meaning and purpose of LD?  Why do we celebrate it?  How did it come about?  Good questions.  Read on for the answers.

As the name implies, the purpose of LD is to celebrate the accomplishments of the American Labor movement.  Whatever one’s political views and affiliations, I think it is important and appropriate to understand Labor’s contributions to the growth and development of the US.  For one thing, cheap labor was an integral component of the Industrial Revolution.  When all was said and done, someone had to build all the roads, railroads, and cars, and operate all the factories and steel mills.  In addition, the labor activism of the late 1800s and early 1900s was largely responsible for the relatively high wages and extensive benefits that are enjoyed by today’s US labor force (compared to that of other countries).

It should be noted that union membership has been declining sharply and steadily.  For example in 1950 approximately 40% of American workers were members of a union.  By contrast, in 2019 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number was approximately 11%

The history of LD began in the 1870s in Canada.  Labor Unions were illegal in Canada, and 26 members of the Toronto Typographical Union had been imprisoned for striking for a nine-hour work day.  That action led to demonstrations and rallies and raising the profile of labor unrest in both Canada and the US.  Two of the most outspoken leaders were Peter McGuire, founder of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and an official of the American Federation of Labor, and Matthew Maguire, Secretary of the Central Labor Union in NY.

Historical accounts differ, but one or both of these men are credited with being the first to propose a holiday to celebrate labor.  In any event, the CLU planned and organized the first LD celebration in NYC on September 5, 1885.  Approximately, 20,000 workers and their families participated.  The concept spread.  In 1887 Oregon became the first state to sanction the holiday.

The Pullman Labor Strike in 1893 provided the final impetus for a national labor holiday.  The Pullman Company had been founded and was run by George Pullman.  Pullman, IL, where the company operated, was a classic company town.  All the workers lived there and paid rent to the company, which was automatically deducted from their paychecks.  Workers’ housing was segregated according to their jobs; everyone shopped at the Company Store.

Many viewed such an arrangement as a form of slavery, because workers were, in actuality, trapped due to their omnipresent debt to the Company. (Think of the song “Sixteen Tons.”)  In 1893 the country was in the midst of a recession.  The company laid off hundreds of workers and reduced the wages of the others.  Of course, living expenses remained constant.  These actions led to a strike.  President Cleveland declared the strike to be illegal and “broke” it with Federal troops.  Some striking workers were killed in the ensuing violence.

This incensed many Americans, and 1894 was an election year.  So, Congress expeditiously passed a bill establishing LD as a national holiday, and the President promptly signed it into law.  This entire process took only six days, so you can imagine the extent of the public outcry.  Incidentally, this action failed to save President Cleveland’s political career; he was defeated anyway.

Eventually, the government settled on the first Monday in September as the official date.  Many countries celebrate it on May 1 in conjunction with International Workers’ Day, but the Federal government did not want the association with that date for obvious reasons.

As mentioned above, because of the CV many people have altered their holiday travel plans.  For instance, AAA reports that road trips will be more popular, and fewer people will travel by air, ship, rail or mass transit.  There are various reasons for this.  Firstly, travel by car offers the safety of an enclosed environment.  Travelers are not as exposed to other people as they would be with the other modes of travel.

Secondly, gas prices are very low compared to previous years.  Thirdly, trips by air, ship or rail are often interstate, and one would have to deal with possible quarantine upon returning home.  Fourthly, although the roads could be crowded they are preferable to the frustrations and inconveniences one normally encounters at, for example, the airports.

That said, AAA and NY-NJ Port Authority have reported they anticipate all modes of travel to have decline compared to recent years.  For instance, the NYS Thruway has experienced a 25% drop in pre-LD traffic; travel by rail has declined 85%; cruises have essentially disappeared; and the three major airports in the NY area have reported a roughly 80% decrease in business.  On the plus side, many locales have “wised up” and plan to suspend construction projects over the weekend.

Finally, any and all of the carefully planned travel arrangements will be subject to the vagaries of Mother Nature.  In prior years, for example, hurricanes have affected travel, and the same could occur in 2020.

CONCLUSION

One of the supreme ironies of LD is that because it is such a big shopping day, many workers, especially retailers, are required to work.  LD is considered to be one of the biggest retail sales days of the year.  Some people use the day as a benchmark to change over their summer clothes to fall clothes.  Fashion-minded people claim it the latest day when one should wear white clothes (although “winter white,” whatever that is, is still permissible.)

Like other holidays, LD should be a time for all of us to come together and reflect on what makes America, despite its flaws, the greatest country in the world.  Disaffected residents as well as some people in other countries may like to criticize us for our real and perceived flaws, but yet foreigners still want to come here, in some cases, desperately.  In essence, many of them are “voting with their feet.”

Despite what you may see on tv or read in newspapers or on social media, most Americans are decent, hard-working, caring persons.  Whenever disaster or tragedy strikes we unite to help those in distress.  Many have donated their time and/or money without being asked and without expecting any payback or even recognition.  If you doubt me, just look at the outpouring of kindness and empathy shown by “average” Americans toward the victims of the catastrophic events in recent years, such as superstorm Sandy and hurricanes Katrina, Irma, Laura and Harvey.

To me, those people, not the destructive thugs and professional agitators one sees on the tv news destroying property, attacking the police, and beating up those with whom they disagree, are the “real” Americans.  It is the proverbial “silver lining” in a very dark cloud.

I hope you all enjoy your Labor Day holiday, however you choose to spend it.  You owe it to yourself after having endured a summer of lockdowns and medical, financial and economic uncertainty.  Feel free to tell me what you did.

Below please find a list of significant historical events that have occurred during the month of August.

August 1, 1838 – Slavery in Jamaica, which had been introduced by Spain in 1509, was abolished.

August 1, 1944 – Fifteen year-old Anne Frank, who was fated to be captured by the Nazis three days later and killed at Bergen-Belsen, wrote her final entry into her famous diary – “[I] keep on trying to find a way of becoming what I would like to be, and what I could be if … there weren’t any other people living in the world.”

August 2, 1776 – Most of the 55 signatories to the Declaration of Independence signed the original document (not on July 4, as is commonly believed).

August 2, 1923 – President Warren Harding died suddenly and was succeeded by Calvin Coolidge.

August 3, 1492 – Christopher Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain seeking the elusive Northwest Passage to Asia. Do you remember the names of the three ships in his convoy? See below.

August 5, 1583 – Explorer Sir Humphrey Gilbert founded the first British colony in North America in present-day Newfoundland.

August 5, 1861 – President Abraham Lincoln signed into law an emergency war measure to levy a 3% income tax on income in excess of $800.

August 5, 1962 – Actress Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson), symbol of Hollywood glamor and sexuality, was found dead from an overdose of sleeping pills.

August 6, 1945 – The US drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians, destroying the city, and hastening the end of WWII.

August 6, 1962 – Jamaica achieved independence, ending some 450 years of colonial rule first by Spain and then by England.

August 6, 1965 – President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law.

August 7, 1964 – Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which provided legal “cover” for the US’s entry into the Vietnam War.

August 9, 1945 – The US dropped a second atomic bomb (on Nagasaki).

August 9, 1974 – President Richard Nixon resigned as a result of the Watergate scandal.

August 11, 1965 – Six days of racial riots began in the Watts section of LA. The riots resulted in a reported 34 deaths, over 3,000 arrests and property damage estimated at $40 million

August 13, 1961 – East Germany put up the Berlin Wall separating West and East Berlin.

August 14, 1935 – FDR signed the Social Security Act.

August 14, 1945 – V-J Day commemorating Japan’s surrender, which marked the official end of WWII.

August 15, 1969 – The Woodstock festival began in Bethel, NY.

August 16, 1896 – Gold was discovered along the Klondike River in Alaska, precipitating what became known as the Great Klondike Gold Rush.

August 18, 1920 – Ratification of the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote.

August 21, 1959 – Hawaii was admitted to the Union as the 50th state.

August 24, 79 A. D. – The volcano, Vesuvius, erupted destroying the cities of Pompeii, Stabiac and Herculaneum.

August 24-25, 1814 – During the War of 1812 the British attacked Washington D.C. and burned much of the city, including the White House and the Capitol.

August 26, 1883 – One of the most catastrophic volcano eruptions ever recorded occurred on the island of Krakatoa in Indonesia. It produced tidal waves of 120 feet and killed 36,000 persons.

August 28, 1963 – Over 250,000 persons participated in the March on Washington in support of civil rights. One of the many speakers was the Reverend MLK, who gave the famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

August 31, 1997 – Princess Diana died from injuries suffered in an auto accident while fleeing from pursuing paparazzi.

Birthdays – Francis Scott Key (wrote the “Star Spangled Banner”), 8/1/1779 in Maryland; Herman Melville (wrote “Moby Dick”), 8/1/1819 in New York City; Ernie Pyle (WWII war correspondent), 8/3/1900 in Dana, IN; Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong (Jazz trumpeter), 8/4/1901 in New Orleans; (Quiz question #2 – Do you know the derivation of his very unusual nickname?); Raoul Wallenberg (saved 33,000 Jews from the Holocaust), 8/4/1912 in Stockholm; Barack Obama (44th US President), 8/4/1961 in Honolulu; Alfred Lord Tennyson (poet, wrote “Charge of the Light Brigade”), 8/6/1809 in England; Alexander Fleming (discovered penicillin), 8/6/1881 in Scotland; Herbert Hoover (31st US President), 8/10/1874 in West Branch, IA; Alex Haley (wrote “Roots”), 8/11/1921 in Ithaca, NY; Cecil B. DeMille (directed “The Ten Commandments”), 8/12/1881 in Ashfield, MA; Annie Oakley (sharpshooter), 8/13,1860 in Ohio; Alfred Hitchcock (British film director, “The Birds,” “Psycho”), 8/13/1899 in London; Fidel Castro, 8/13/1927 in Cuba; Napoleon Bonaparte, 8/15/1769, on the island of Corsica; T. E. Lawrence, 8/16/1888 in North Wales, Quiz Question #3 – Who played Lawrence in the Oscar-winning movie, Lawrence of Arabia?); Menachem Begin, 8/16/1913 in Poland; Davy Crockett, 8/17/1786 in Tennessee; Meriwether Lewis, 8/18/1774 near Charlottesville, VA; Orville Wright, 8/19/1871 in Dayton, OH; William Jefferson Clinton (42nd US President), 8/19/1946 in Hope, Arkansas; Benjamin Harrison (23rd US President), 8/20/1833 in North Bend, OH, (Quiz question #4 – He was the grandson of another president. Who?); Leonard Bernstein (conductor and composer), 8/25/1918 in Lawrence, MA; Lyndon Baines Johnson (36th US President), 8/27/1908 near Stonewall, TX; Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (aka Mother Teresa), 8/27/1910 in Yugoslavia.

Quiz Answers

1. Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria
2. The most likely story is as a youth Louis would dance for pennies in the streets of his home city of New Orleans. To prevent other boys from stealing the pennies he stored them in his mouth, which would then become so stuffed as to resemble a satchel. Someone dubbed him “satchel mouth,” which became shortened to “Satchmo.” Many of his friends called him “pops.”
3. Peter O’Toole
4. William Henry Harrison

This blog should come with a warning label. It is based on a first person account of an American writer, William Grim, who has been living in Germany for some time. He found the degree of anti-Semitism to be appalling. For the record, he is not Jewish. He had no preconceived opinions or ideas. I strongly believe we should be mindful of what he has reported.

Many of you will find his account shocking and too incredulous to be true. As I read it, I, myself, was shocked. Based on my research for previous blogs, I knew anti-Semitism was still extant throughout Europe as well as many other parts of the world. (Some of you may recall my previous blogs on the subject that described anti-Semitic incidents and attitudes in France, Sweden, the UK and Germany, to name a few countries.) Special thanks to my good friend and loyal follower, Marvin, for bringing this account to my attention.

It is entitled “A writer’s view of today’s Germany.” The entire story is some 2,500 words, too long for a blog, so I have omitted some sections and paraphrased some others. Let me know if you want to read the unabridged version, and I will be happy to forward it to you.

Here it is.

“I’m not Jewish. No one in my family died in the Holocaust. For me, anti-Semitism has always been one of those phenomena that doesn’t really register on my radar, like tribal genocide in Rwanda, a horrible thing that happens to someone else.

But I live in a small town outside of Munich on a street that until May of
1945 was named Adolf Hitler Strasse. I work in Munich, a pleasant city of a little over a million inhabitants whose Bavarian charm tends to obscure the fact that this city was the birthplace and capital of the Nazi movement. This proximity to such evil brought a physical reality to the textbook narratives of the horrors perpetrated by the Germans.

After a while, little things started to happen that over a period of time added up to something very sinister. For example, one time I was on a bus and a high school boy passed around [his] Grandpa’s red leather-bound copy of Mein Kampf to his friends who responded by saying ‘coooool!’ He then took out a VCR tape (produced in Switzerland) of The Great Speeches of Joseph Goebbels.

A few weeks later I was at a business meeting with four young highly educated Germans who were polite, charming and soft-spoken to say the least. When the subject matter changed to a business deal with a man in New York named Rubinstein, their nostrils flaired, their demeanor attained a threatening mien, and one of them actually said: ‘The problem with America is that the Jews have all the money.’ They started laughing and another one said, ‘Yeah, all the Jews care about is money.’

I soon found that this type of anti-Semitic reference in my professional dealings with Germans was not unusual. In my private meetings with Germans it often happened that they would loosen up after a while and reveal personal opinions and political leanings that were thought to have ceased to exist in a Berlin bunker on April 30, 1945. Maybe it’s because I have blond hair and my last name is of German origin that the Germans felt that I am, or could potentially be, ‘one of them.’ It showed how much they don’t understand what it means to be an American.

Whatever the reason, the conversations generally had one or more of these components:

(1) It was unfortunate that America and Germany fought each other in WWII because the real enemy was Russia.
(2) Yes, the Nazis were excessive, but terrible things happen during wars, And anyway, the scope of the Holocaust has been greatly exaggerated by the American media, which is dominated by Jews.
(3) CNN is controlled by American Jews and is anti-Palestinian. (Yes, I know it sounds incredible, but even among the most highly intelligent Germans, even those with a near-native fluency in English, there is the widespread belief that the news network founded by Fidel Castro’s friend Ted Turner, who was married to ‘Hanoi Jane’ Fonda, is a hotbed of pro-Israeli propaganda.)
(4) Almost all Germans were opposed to the Third Reich and nobody in Germany knew anything about the murder of the Jews, but the Jews, themselves, were really responsible for the Holocaust.
(5) Ariel Sharon was worse than Hitler and the Israelis are Nazis. America supports Israel only because the Jews control the American government and media.

For the first time in my life, then, I became conscious of anti-Semitism.
Sure, anti-Semitism exists elsewhere in the world, but nowhere have the consequences been as devastating as in Germany. The Free Democratic Party openly caters to Germany‘s sizeable Muslim population, and German revisionist historians have begun to redefine Germany’s actions in WWII and the Holocaust not as crimes against humanity, but as early battles against communism (with regrettable but understandable ‘excesses’). The situation has deteriorated to the point that German Jews are often advised not to wear anything in public that would identify them as Jewish because their safety cannot be guaranteed.”

CONCLUSION

Grim said a lot more, but as I said at the outset, his unabridged piece was very long, and I tried to paraphrase and streamline it for you.

Some of you may have perceived a rise in anti-Semitism in the US in recent years. There have been many examples of this, which I have also detailed in previous blogs and feel no need to repeat now. Jews have always been welcome in the US, and it seems that, despite the occasional anti-Semitic incident, they are “safe” for the present time. But, remember they were welcomed and safe in places like Egypt, Poland and even Germany for hundreds of years, until, one day, they were not.

Which brings me to my final point. Israel, though not perfect, is the only guaranteed safe haven for Jews in the world. It is the US’s only true and enduring ally in the volatile, and often hostile, Middle East. It is very important that we continue to support it and support politicians who do so while rejecting those who don’t (and we all know who they are).

Despite the title, this blog is NOT about communists or socialists. Rather, the theme is people who are left-handed. Most of you, probably did not realize that August 13 was International Left-Handers Day as designated by “Lefthanders International.” This “day” has been observed annually since 1976. That’s right, or rather, that’s correct. Lefties have their own “day” and their own organization.

According to CNN left-handedness, or sinistrality, is derived from the Latin word “sinistra” meaning “on the left.” Through the years, sinistrality has been associated with weakness, impurity and/or evil. It is related to the word, “sinister.”

According to Wikipedia, between 7 – 10% of people are left-handed. LiveScience.com puts the number at 11%. The number has varied slightly throughout history and in different cultures. Regardless, lefties are rare.

One question that has perplexed scientists is what causes a person to be left-handed. Approximately 150 years ago Gregor Mendel discovered the concept of hereditary traits – dominant and recessive genes. As you probably remember from your high school biology certain traits have dominant and recessive genes, which are passed on to one’s children. For example, brown eye color is dominant and blue is recessive.

Handedness is not so simple. Dr. Barry Starr, of Stanford University, writing in the website, “Stanford at the Tech” explains that there are other factors that affect handedness. For example, studies have shown:

1. Even if both parents are right-handed there is a 1 in 10 chance that their off-spring will be a lefty.
2. If only the father is left-handed the odds are the same, but if only the mother is a lefty the odds rise to 2 in 10. Why the difference? Who knows.
3. Even if both parents are lefties the odds are only 4 in 10 that their off-spring will be left-handed.
4. Most astonishingly, identical twins, which share the same egg and have identical DNA are not always the same handedness. Dr. Starr points out that both twins would be left-handed only 76% of the time, not 100% as one might expect.

This seems to contradict what we learned about dominant and recessive traits in high school biology, and there is not agreement as to why. However, Dr. Starr points out that there are other factors in play, such as environment. He believes that besides genes there must be some sort of “environmental trigger” to cause one to be left-handed. What these triggers may be is uncertain, but Dr. Starr suggests that two of them might be the order of birth and gender of the child.

A 1996 study by the Harvard Medical School determined that people working in certain professions, such as surgeons, mathematicians and librarians, tended to be righthanded, whereas people working as artists, musicians and university professors tended to be left-handed. Another study indicated that lefties tend to have increased rates of high blood pressure, irritable bowel and schizophrenia. I have to admit that I’m not sure of the veracity of those studies, but they are interesting food for thought.

In any case, I’m not sure why there are so few lefties. I recall that when I was growing up parents would frequently try to convert their left-handed children to right-handed. Sometimes it worked; sometimes it did not. But, it often caused friction between the parent and the child, who would be resistant to the idea.

We all know people that are left-handed, but do any righties stop to think of the inconveniences they endure in their daily lives? For example:

1. Opening cans. Can openers are made for righties. I am not aware of any “left-handed” can openers. (Actually, it sounds like a bad joke.)

2, Writing. This has been mitigated by the widespread use of computers, but older lefties will recall the difficulties of writing on school desks, particularly those that had the side panel arm rest on the right side. Lefties had to write sideways or upside down. Moreover, when writing with a fountain pen a leftie would invariably smudge the ink or get ink on his clothes, fingers and hand.

3. Scissors. The simple task of using a pair of scissors to cut paper would be problematic for a leftie. Like everything else, scissors are made for righties.

4. Shaking hands. Some lefties find it awkward to shake hands with their “off” hand.

5. Spiral notebooks. These are uncomfortable for lefties, as their hand is always resting on the metal spiral.

6. Bumping elbows. If you’ve ever sat next to a lefty in a restaurant booth or other enclosed space you are familiar with this problem.

7. Bowling and golf equipment. This does not appear to be as much of a problem now, but when I was growing up it was next to impossible to find lefty golf or bowling equipment. Consequently, I have met many lefties of my generation who were forced to learn to bowl or golf righty.

8. Peer ridicule. Not so much now, but when I was growing up many child lefties were subjected to teasing or ridicule by their peers because they did things differently. According to NBC News a few years ago a pre-K teacher actually sent a four-year-old boy lefthander home with a letter stating that “lefthandedness is often associated with evil and the devil” Imagine, as a parent, receiving a letter like that? Peer ridicule is bad enough, but from a teacher?

On the plus side, in my experience most lefties can do many things righty, sometimes almost to the point of being ambidextrous. Conversely, most righties do nothing lefty and have a weak, uncoordinated left hand.

A website called “Anything Lefthanded” has put together a set of products deigned just for lefties to help them navigate through life. Some of the items include:

1. Lefthanded scissors (with reversed blades).
2. Lefthanded can opener.
3. Lead pencils with printing on the lefthanded direction.
4. Lefthanded pencil sharpener.
5. Lefthanded notepad.

Interesting.

CONCLUSION

Lefties take heart. In the pc age, your life has generally been made easier. Furthermore, there have been innumerable successful people who were lefty. A total of eight US Presidents were lefties, which significantly exceeds the average in the population as a whole: James A. Garfield, Herbert Hoover, Harry S. Truman, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

In addition, there have been thousands of successful and famous lefties in other fields. A small sampling would include entertainers, such as Don Adams, George Burns, James Caan, Matt Dillon and Sylvester Stallone; artists, such as Leonardo Da Vinci and LeRoy Neiman; and baseball players such as Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Sandy Koufax and Ted Williams. (In fact, left-handed baseball players have a couple of advantages. Pitchers are very much in demand, because they are needed to get out left-handed batters, and even an average one can enjoy a long career. Also, lefthanded batters are a half step closer to first base.)

Lefties, please comment on your life experiences, either positive or negative.

It is a well-established fact that Joe Biden is prone to gaffes and misstatements. He has been in the public eye for over 40 years, and during that time voters have seen, heard and read countless of them. Up until now the media and much of the public has largely given him a “pass.” The prevailing attitude has been “Oh, it’s just Joe being Joe.” Many of his supporters have characterized them as “charming” and “harmless.”

I’m not so sure about that. For instance, he once said: “You cannot go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I’m not joking.” I wouldn’t characterize that kind of comment as “charming” or “harmless,” especially from a presidential candidate. Even Joe, himself, has embraced his propensity for gaffes. Earlier this year he acknowledged he is a “gaffe machine.”

But, I submit that now things are different. First of all, he is running for president, the highest office in the land. As Senator he was able to get by due to his local popularity in the State of Delaware, his general likeability, and the fact that the office, though important, was only one of 100. As Obama’s VP he was running for the second spot on the ticket; the focus was all on Obama; few voters base their choice on the VP; it’s all about who’s running for president.

Secondly, Biden is now 76 years old. The gaffes reinforce the idea that he may be “slipping.” Anyone who has observed him on the campaign trail or in the debates would have to conclude that he doesn’t appear to be as sharp as he used to be. As reporters Dylan Stableford and Christopher Wilson, writing for Yahoo News, put it, he “may not have the stamina for what would likely be a brutal campaign against President Trump.” Then, if he were to be elected, the question would be could he serve as president effectively in what is probably the most stressful and highly pressurized job in the world. As President Trump succinctly put it recently: “He has lost his ‘fastball.'”

Now that Biden is campaigning more actively, the gaffes are coming more frequently and the media is starting to pay closer attention to them. For example, during the last few days while campaigning in Iowa Biden committed the following gaffes:

1. He inaccurately stated that as VP he met with some survivors of the shooting at Parkland High School. The trouble is that particular shooting occurred over one year after he had left office. In a vain attempt at damage control, as one of his campaign workers told “Bloomberg News,” he was likely confusing that incident with the Sandy Hook shootings, which did occur while he was VP.

2. During a speech he stated that “we choose truth over facts.” Huh?

3. He confused Margaret Thatcher (Britain’s former Prime Minister) twice, once with Angela Merkel (Germany’s PM) and again with Theresa May (Britain’s current PM).

4. During the last debate he stumbled over explaining the cost of “Medicare for all;” he confused the term insurance deductible with insurance co-pay; and most embarrassingly, he stumbled over instructing supporters how to text support for his campaign.

The foregoing are just some examples. Taken singly, one could argue that each one was minor. “What’s the big deal? Everyone stumbles over his words once in a while.” The problem is that these are part of a pattern. Cumulatively, minor gaffes become a major problem.

CONCLUSION

Despite the gaffes and poor debate performances Biden is still leading the Dem field comfortably. For example, a Survey USA poll released in the last few days has him at 33%, compared to Sanders at 20% and Warren at 19%.

Many observers, however, including me, have doubts that he will be able to sustain his lead and secure the nomination. I believe that the “proof in the pudding” will come as the campaign ratchets up, people start voting in the primaries, the scrutiny of the media becomes more intense, and the candidates begin attacking each other, in earnest.

Perhaps, the greatest fear among Dem Party insiders is that Biden secures the nomination and then is unable to handle the sustained pressure of campaigning against Mr. Trump in the general election. After all, the Dems may be fighting among themselves now, but, make no mistake, their primary goal is to defeat Mr. Trump. Right now, in a weak field of flawed candidates Biden gives them the best chance of doing so, but prospectively, maybe not. Time will tell. Stay tuned.

You are a moderate Democrat. You have always voted Democrat. You come from a family of loyal Democrats, stretching all the way back to FDR and the New Deal. The Party is part of your DNA. Voting Democrat is so engrained in you that you voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 even though you disagreed with many of her policies and disliked her, personally.

Now, however, you face a dilemma with respect to the 2020 election. You don’t particularly like President Trump, especially his penchant for tweeting whatever seems to come into his head, but you are in accord with most of his policies, such as the tax cut, support of the military and police, securing our borders, job creation, and his strong support of the American worker. The only problem is he is a Republican, and you have always voted Democrat, always, no matter what, often without giving it a second thought. My God, you even voted for Carter, Dukakis and Kerry!

The problem is you don’t recognize the Party anymore. There are over 20 candidates and to your mind, none of them speaks for you. Each one is severely flawed. Among the major candidates, you have always liked Joe Biden, the front runner. But, the current edition is not the Joe Biden you remember. His public appearances have been extremely worrisome. He seems unsure of himself, fumbling, stumbling and bumbling through his answers to even simple questions. Furthermore, he did poorly in the debates. He seemed indecisive and weak. At 76, it appears he is “losing it.” Moreover, like the other candidates you feel he has been pandering to the far left voters, and that makes you very uneasy.

From what you have seen, the political views of all the other candidates, especially Sanders and Warren, are geared toward Socialists rather than traditional mainstream moderate or even liberal Democrats such as yourself. How can you trust that any of them, if elected, will moderate their policies? The situation makes you very uneasy, and you have a hard time justifying voting for any of them.

Additionally, you don’t like that they label anyone who disagrees with them a racist, a white supremist, or a misogynist. Not only do they label President Trump as such, but also anyone who voted for him, contributes to his re-election campaign, or supports him in any way. They condone, or at least, do not condemn, indiscriminate harassment and violence against Trump supporters by ANTIFA thugs and others. According to them, roughly half the country falls into the above categories. That seems counterintuitive to you as neither you nor, as far as you know, any of your family and friends has ever met such a person. This lack of tolerance troubles you greatly. Haven’t these people ever heard of the Bill of Rights?

Additionally, they are being aided and abetted by a media that you feel is strongly biased toward the left. You used to be a loyal viewer of CNN, but lately all they talk about is the “racism and white supremist” attitude of Mr. Trump and his supporters. Perhaps, Mr. Trump’s claim of fake news is correct after all.

They are appealing to voters’ basest instincts. You cringe at the thought of any of them running the country. Whatever happened to the Party of FDR, JFK, LBJ and Bill Clinton. This is not it, and these candidates do not reflect your values and politics.

Moreover, they don’t offer realistic plans to resolve the issues you care about, such as income inequality, border security, the runaway cost of healthcare, and student loan debt. They seem to care more about illegal immigrants than Americans.

For example, most, if not all, of the candidates have endorsed the following:

1. Open borders, or at least considerably relaxed enforcement of immigration laws.

2. Free healthcare for everyone, including illegal immigrants.

3. Free college tuition.

4. Forgiveness of student debt.

5. Unrestricted abortion, even post-birth.

6. The Green New Deal.

7. And, to pay for all these goodies, a tax increase and a wealth tax.

You like free stuff as much as the next guy, but you are extremely bothered by these policies. You are not stupid. You know there is no such thing as “free.” Someone will have to pay for all this. You know that these programs will cost many trillions of dollars per year. In fact, no one has the foggiest idea of the total cost. There are not enough “rich people” to pay for it all. Guess who will be footing the bill? That’s right, the middle class. These policies will bankrupt the country.

CONCLUSION

So, to sum up, you are in a quandary. As a lifelong Democrat, you do not want to vote for Mr. Trump, but you are extremely vexed by the direction of the Dem Party. But, if you do not vote for Mr. Trump for whom would you vote? For whom could you vote?

Upon reflection, you realize that there is no one else. The politician whose policies are aligned most closely with yours is Mr. Trump. None of the Dem candidates is representing the traditional moderate Democratic policies you treasure. You feel betrayed. The Party of the middle class, the blue collar workers, and the downtrodden Americans has become Socialist and is more interested in helping illegal immigrants than its own citizens.

So, guess what? On Election Day you will do the unthinkable. You will break with a lifetime of tradition and pull the lever for Donald Trump, a Republican. You’d rather not, but you have been left with no choice. You will not tell anyone; they would probably not understand anyway, but you will do it.

In my opinion, the story of the fictional voter I described above will be repeated millions of times on Election Day. After all, why would anyone but a hardcore Socialist or a clueless person vote for any of the Dem candidates? And, folks, that is why Mr. Trump will win re-election handily and, perhaps, in a landslide reminiscent of Johnson-Goldwater, Nixon- McGovern, or Reagan-Mondale.

The leading Dem presidential candidates and their allies in the media, aka “the nuts,” would have you believe the country is rife with racism, Nazism, white supremacy, and misogyny. The president, they say, is guilty of all of the above. His rhetoric and actions are responsible for all that’s bad and divisive in the US. Furthermore, anyone who voted for Mr. Trump or supports him is also culpable.

According to the nuts Mr. Trump and his supporters are evil, immoral, and deplorable. Some of them even claim the country was founded on racism and white supremacy, is severely flawed, and needs to be torn down and rebuilt from scratch according to their socialist ideals.

Wow! Let’s all take a breath. Yes, there was racism in our past, but by any objective measure we have come a long way as a society. Long gone are the days of slavery, “Jim Crow,” and Native American persecution. We have elected an AA president, twice; we have many minorities and women in the Congress, the Supreme Court and in local government. Minority business leaders, clergy, athletes, actors, and musicians are praised and respected for their achievements the same as whites. Interracial dating and marriage is commonplace. Alternative lifestyles are accepted in most places. Unemployment is at historic lows, particularly among minorities, women and teenagers. If the US is so flawed why are tens of thousands of migrants trekking thousands of miles with their young children, or, in some cases, sending their young children alone in the company of “coyotes,” to enter it?

With respect to Mr. Trump, I will stipulate his incessant tweeting can be problematic, at times. But one needs to look past what he says and focus on what he does. His actions speak loudly. He is not a politician, who measures his words carefully; he is a businessman who says what he thinks and speaks plainly and frankly. He has condemned Nazis and WS; he is married to an immigrant; he has a Jewish son-in-law; he has employed many females and minorities in his businesses and his Administration ( e. g. Nikki Haley, Kellyanne Conway, Sarah Sanders, and Ben Carson); and his policies have benefitted minorities greatly.

Some of these nuts are probably sincere in their beliefs. They actually believe their rhetoric. Others are trying to score political points. Others are just plain ignorant or think that you are for believing their rhetoric. Some of the media types are just trying to “stir the pot” to get ratings or sell newspapers. But, frankly, most of them are just simply full of s..t. Their statements are inane, nonsensical, illogical and dangerous. Read on, and I will show you.

I am 74 years old, and in all that time, to my knowledge, I have never met a white supremist. Never. Moreover, I could count on one hand the racists and all the other “ists” I have met, and those were many years ago, in a different time. How about you? How many have you met? I would wager, not many, certainly not in the last 40 years or so. Where are they all? I’ll tell you where. They are in the imagination of these nuts. Yes, I’m sure there are a few. In every society there are a few outliers, misfits, and extremists. But, to claim the president and half the country are racists? Come on! These people need to get out of the coastal bubble in which they live. Mix with the public. Go to a mall, a movie, a McDonalds, a Wall Mart. Fly in a public airplane. Get some perspective.

According to the nuts, whenever something bad happens it is Mr. Trump’s fault. There have been dozens of examples of this in the past three years, but below please find a few of the most recent:

1. Extreme weather? Trump’s fault for not “taking climate change seriously.”
Income inequality, divisiveness, problems at the southern border, crime, “racist” cops, ICE deportations of illegals, gun violence? Trump again. I could go on and on, but you get the point.

2. The recent shootings in Dayton and El Paso are Trump’s fault even though the Dayton shooter was an avowed supporter of ANTIFA and a Warren supporter. Do I think that makes Warren culpable? No. Is Sanders responsible for one of his supporters shooting a Congressman at a softball game last year? No. In my opinion, these shooters were part of the fringe crazies I referred to earlier. Political beliefs are not the primary cause. There are crazies on the right, the left and in between.

2. The Dem candidates were quick to try to score political points from the Dayton and El Paso tragedies. They pounced even before the bodies were buried. O’ Rourke and Booker blamed Trump’s “rhetoric.” Joe Biden, not to be outdone, accused Trump of “fanning the flames of white supremacy.”

3. Congressman Joaquin Castro disclosed the identities of hundreds of Trump donors. Outrageous? Yes. But, understand, the left views those with opposing political viewpoints not as dissenters, but as evil, immoral, and racist. And, once you attach those labels to another person there’s no more discourse, no more healthy exchange of ideas. If you disagree with me, you are evil and immoral, and all’s fair in combatting evil and immorality.

4. Irresponsible media outlets, such as CNN and MSNBC, have been trotting out one moron after another to spew controversy, hatred and divisiveness. For instance, MSNBC contributor, Malcomb Nance, accused Trump of sending “subliminal orders” to neo-Nazis. Nicole Wallace, former communications director under Bush, accused Trump of “planning the genocide of Hispanics.”

However, the “winner” was former FBI counterintelligence officer, Frank Figliuzzi, who opined on MSNBC that President Trump’s respectful gesture to order flags flown at half mast until 8/8 was a subliminal signal to Nazis. Huh? It seems that the letter “h” is the eighth letter in the alphabet. Therefore, “8 8” stands for “H H,” which, as we all know, stands for “Heil Hitler.” Got it? Now, does that sound rational to you. You can’t make this stuff up.

All this nonsense would be laughable, except some people probably believe it. By the way, how does MSNBC permit these idiots to go on the air?

5. The latest ploy is to label anyone who supports Mr. Trump or contributes to his re-election campaign as a racist and white supremist and, consequently, fair game. Since those people, who are merely espousing a different political viewpoint, are “evil” Castro’s action was deemed acceptable by the left-leaning media. The unruly and potentially violent mob that congregated outside of Mitch McConnell’s house a few days ago is a prime example, but there have been many others in recent months. Ironically, many of those compromised donors are Hispanics and AAs who likely also supported Obama. How do they fit the WS narrative? The answer is, they don’t, but that little detail is being overlooked. Sooner or later, someone will be killed, and, of course, it will be “Trump’s fault.”

CONCLUSION

In my view, the country is in a very dangerous period. Violence is replacing honest discourse and debate. This country was built on the latter, not the former. Remember the Bill of Rights?

I know it’s early, but it looks like Mr. Trump will likely get re-elected. Those who have studied history know it is very difficult to defeat an incumbent president, particularly when there is peace and a strong economy, which we have presently. Also, the leading Dem candidates are being exposed. Biden seems befuddled and lost. Harris has been exposed as a disingenuous phony by fellow candidate, Tulci Gabbard. According to the latest Q Poll her support is melting like an ice pop in July. Her support among AAs is down to 1%. Warren and Sanders are being exposed as thinly-disguised socialists. Booker, Mayor Pete, and Beto have no serious support and no prayer in a general election. The others are not worthy of discussion. Who’s left? No one.

If you think the left is fomenting violence and divisiveness now, wait until Trump wins re-election. Normal, law-abiding folks beware. I’m afraid the left will simply not accept the results. As bad as things are now, and make no mistake about it, they are bad, “you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

In San Francisco a small, but vocal, minority is seeking to erase a part of the country’s history. Last month the SF Board of Education voted unanimously to whitewash 13 murals that depict the life of George Washington.

These murals have hung in a high school named for Washington since 1935. They were commissioned by FDR during the Great Depression under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration. As some of you may know, the WPA was a creation of the New Deal. It was tasked with creating jobs for the unemployed, which, at its peak, reached 25%, so the basic idea of the murals was to do some good.

The murals show scenes that represent the history of America – both good and bad. So, among the murals are depictions of slaves toiling in the fields and a dead Native American. All of a sudden, after 80 some years some students and their parents are finding these murals offensive. The Board has caved to the pressure from these people and agreed to whitewash the murals.

Roberta Smith, reporting in the “NY Times” opined that the offended persons “assume that their feelings about the murals are permanent and paramount… and that they have the right to decide for everyone, now and in the future” what is acceptable and accessible art. I see a strong parallel between these people and the Taliban and ISIS terrorists destroying art and artifacts they found objectionable and the Nazis burning books they found objectionable. (Wow! Did I just compare a group of PC activists to terrorists and Nazis? I guess so.)

I think a little history lesson is in order to put this in perspective.

1. Virtually all wealthy landowners in colonial Virginia owned slaves. Like it or not, slaves were economically necessary to maintain the viability of the plantations and farms throughout the South.

2. According to Wikipedia six presidents (Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Jackson and Van Buren) and most of the Founding Fathers owned slaves. Washington, in particular, owned 317 slaves at the time of his death in 1799. In his will he freed all the ones he could legally.

3. According to Henry Louis Gates, Jr. one of, if not the, leading authority on AA history and slavery, many free blacks owned slaves beginning in 1654 and right through the Civil War. And not just in the South. Free blacks owned slaves in the North as well, for instance in Boston (an abolitionist hotbed) and Connecticut. Some free blacks even owned white indentured servants.

So, like it or not, slavery, objectionable as it may have been on many levels, particularly with respect to the mores of 21st century America, was an integral part of our history. The same is true of our interactions with Native Americans.

CONCLUSION

I strongly object to what I call revisionist history. It reminds me of the George Orwell novel, “1984.”

America’s history is what it is, both good and bad. I believe it is necessary to educate ourselves about our history, all of it, including the bad elements. Most historians agree that if you ignore historical mistakes you are doomed to repeat them.

The current trend of removing certain names from landmarks is insidious. First, it’s taking down statues and plaques; then it’s removing Jackson from the $10 bill; then it’s changing the names of schools, sports names, parks, bridges and tunnels; then it’s destroying works of art. Where does it all end? Who decides what is acceptable for all the rest of us as well as future generations? Once you whitewash the murals they are gone forever. That, like the “Times” article said, is not only presumptuous, it’s just plain wrong.

My comparison to the Nazis, ISIS and the Taliban is apt. Cover the murals up if you must, but don’t destroy them.