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ACADEMY AWARDS

The 97th Academy Awards will take place tomorrow night, March 2, at the Dolby Theatre in LA honoring movies released in 2024.

The nominees in the major categories are as follows:

Best Picture –Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, Emilia Perez, I’m Still Here, Nickel Boys, The Substance, and Wicked

Actor in a Leading Role – Adrien Brody, The Brutalist; Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown; Colman Domingo, Sing Sing; Ralph Fiennes, Conclave; Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice

Actress in a Leading Role – Cynthia Erivo, Wicked; Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez; Mikey Madison, Anora; Demi Moore, The Substance; Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here

Actor in a Supporting Role – Yura Borisov, Anora; Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain; Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown; Guy Pearce, The Brutalist; Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice

Actress in a Supporting Role – Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown; Ariana Grande, Wicked; Felicity Jones, The Brutalist; Isabella Rossellini, Conclave; Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez

AA Trivia

  1. The initial AA presentations were held on May 16, 1929, at a private dinner function at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel before an audience of about 270 people.
  2. Fifteen statuettes were awarded; the program ran a mere 15 minutes.
  3. The origin of the nickname “Oscar” has been disputed, as multiple people have taken credit. In my opinion, the most credible source is Margaret Herrick, a librarian and former president of the Academy. Supposedly, in 1921 she remarked that the statuette “looked like my uncle Oscar.” This story was bolstered by a 1938 clipping from the Los Angeles Examiner in which Herrick related a story of her and her husband joking with each other using the phrase, “How’s your uncle Oscar?”
  4. Before 1950 Oscars were considered to be the property of the recipient and several of them auctioned theirs off for various reasons for sums as high as $1.2 million in current dollars. In 1950 the Academy determined that the statuettes may be retained by the recipient, however, if he/she wants to sell it he/she is required to offer it to the Academy for $1 first.
  5. Currently, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (“AMPAS”) is composed of 9,905 voting members. For what it’s worth, despite its liberal reputation the AMPAS membership is not very diverse. According to a recent study conducted by the Los Angeles Times the active voting membership is 94% Caucasian, 77% male, and 54% over the age of 60.
  6. The Academy Awards is the world’s longest-running awards show. It is televised and streamed live to billions of viewers worldwide.
  7. The initial telecast was in 1953. NBC carried it until 1960 when ABC took over. ABC’s contract with AMPAS runs through 2028.
  8. The viewership has varied widely from year to year due to various factors such as the presence or absence of blockbuster hits, but there has been a sharp decline in recent years. For many years the production routinely drew 30-40 million viewers, but the two most recent shows drew a mere 18.7 million and 19.5 million viewers, respectively. There are various reasons for this. Personally, I have found the shows to be humorless, dull and too long, and I no longer watch them.
  9. The most awards by any movie are 11 by Ben-Hur, Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
  10. The individual who won the most Oscars is the late Walt Disney who won 22 competitive Academy Awards and received four honorary awards for a total 26.
  11. Katharine Hepburn won the most acting Academy Awards, four, (all for Best Actress).
  12. Eleven actors and actresses have been nominated twice in the same year for different films.
  13. The oldest actor to win an Oscar was Anthony Hopkins who won for The Father in 2020 at the age of 83.
  14. The youngest was Tatum O’Neill who was 10 when she won for her performance in Paper Moon in 1974.
  15. The Oscars have been hosted by many popular celebrities. The most was Bob Hope who did so 19 times. Other memorable hosts were Billy Crystal (nine times) and Johnny Carson (five times).  They added humor and entertainment value that has been missing in recent years.
  16. AMPAS has made some curious choices for winners due to industry politics or weird, out of the mainstream, “taste.” In particular, there have been several Best Picture winners that defeated nominees, which over time have come to be considered superior and/or more popular with the public. These “winners” are now basically unknown to current movie fans, are rarely, if ever, shown on tv, and have been consigned to the dustbin of film history, whereas the “losers” are frequently seen on tv. For example, how many of you are familiar with Rebecca, which beat Grapes of Wrath in 1940, or How Green Was My Valley, which beat Citizen Kane in 1941, or Mrs. Miniver, which beat Yankee Doodle Dandy in 1942, or Annie Hall, which beat Star Wars in 1977, or Ordinary People, which beat Raging Bull in 1980, or Dances with Wolves, which beat Goodfellas in 1990, or Shakespeare in Love, which beat Saving Private Ryan in 1998, or Coda, which beat West Side Story in 2021? I would venture to say, not many. On the other hand, I would guess most of you are very familiar with the aforementioned “losers.”

Conclusion

Even though the popularity of the AA production has waned in recent years many people still watch it for the Red Carpet, which features the many celebrities who attend in person. If the show gets too boring and dull there is always the DVR.

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I COULDN’T HAVE SAID IT BETTER MYSELF

The following analysis of President Trump’s recent actions is a reprint from one of Bill O’Reilly’s podcasts. It was sent to me by longtime and loyal reader David H. It provides an interesting perspective that I think most of you will appreciate.

  • “The first month of the second Trump term has featured the following in no particular order.
  • 1. Threatening to invade Panama.
  • 2. Musing about taking over Gaza and Greenland. 
  • 3. Suggesting that Canada will soon become the “51st state” and be run by Wayne Gretzky. 
  • 4. Renaming the Gulf of Mexico.
  • 5. Banishing the Associated Press because it refuses to accept the new “Gulf of America” designation. 6. Labeling the Ukrainian leader a “dictator.”
  • 7. Firing many bureaucrats in DC.
  • 8. Slapping tariffs on just about every country except Slovenia, where Melania’s from. 
  • 9. Allowing Elon Musk to do whatever it is that Elon Musk is doing.
  • {This is a] partial list.  Exhausting.  More coming.  But WHY? There’s a reason.  And it’s apparently my job to explain that reason to the world because no one else will, including Mr. Trump.
  • Let’s begin with this, the President gets bored easily.  He’s a deal maker but not a patient one.  He likes action around the clock. Creating political and media hysteria falls into the action category.  It also allows the negotiator to put his adversaries into the land of uncertainty.
  • Last week, the President called the leader of Ukraine, Zelenskyy, a “dictator” and implied that the war never would have started if the big Z had been a better negotiator.  At the same time, Trump went light on bad Vlad Putin, the true villain in the conflict. Here’s why. The President knows old Vlad is a sociopath but needs him to stop killing everybody. Trump also believes Zelenskyy is not likely to support a ceasefire brokered by him and Putin, so he’s running down the Ukrainian, trying to weaken his influence. That’s a hardball geopolitical strategy that could lead to a lessening of hostilities.  And you may have noticed that after the “dictator” comment, Trump quickly sent a U.S. envoy to Ukraine to publicly say Zelenskyy is a brave guy. ‘Stick.’ ‘Carrot.’
  • On the Gaza front, the only reason Hamas is releasing any hostages at all is it fears Trump. The Iran-backed terrorists do not want the American President to insert himself into their territory, which Trump has threatened to do.
  • Panama, same thing.  Trump wants the Chinese out of the Canal Zone and lower charges for American ships.  So, he threatens invasion.  But he won’t invade. The Panamanians will give the USA everything it wants.
  • Are we all understanding?  By discombobulating situations, President Trump creates fear and insecurity.  By using flattery, he gains access to the bad guys.  That’s what’s going on. The worldwide media, of course, could not care less about strategic moves.  It is solely in business to harm Donald Trump, not to illuminate anything.  Thus, it headlines the President’s provocative statements without any context whatsoever.
  • In the end it will come down to results. So far, some good things have happened. Illegal migrant crossings are down 93 percent. Canada and Mexico have both beefed up border security.  Hostages have been freed in Gaza, Venezuela, and Russia. Two Chinese security firms have been fired in Panama. Some blatant corruption has been exposed by Musk.
  • Pretty good for one month, right? Well, not if you follow the corrupt media.  But at this point, the scribes don’t count very much. They have basically marginalized themselves, with a big assist from one Donald Trump. Talk about strategy.”

Conclusion

As usual, O’ Reilly’s analysis and instincts are generally right on point. You may not agree with everything he says. Personally, I don’t always, but 90% or more of the time I do.

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BLACK HISTORY MONTH

As most of you know February Black History Month. Accordingly, I think that this is an appropriate time to pay homage to some of the people of color who have made outstanding contributions to the history of blacks and to America. Some of them, such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Barack Obama, Muhammed Ali, and Jackie Robinson, to name a few, are household names and have been the subject of movies, tv productions and books; others are only known to students of history and the civil rights movement. It is the latter group that I will highlight for this blog. I don’t have the time and space to write about all of them, but below please find brief summaries of some:

  1. Shirley Chisholm – She was the first Black woman to be elected to Congress. She represented NYC’s 12th district in the House of Representatives from 1969 to 1983. In 1972, she became the first woman to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. 
  2. Bayard Rustin – He was a prominent civil rights leader in the 1960s. He is best known for organizing and strategizing the famous March on Washington in August 1963, the one in which Dr. King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
  3. Claudette Colvin – Before Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955, there was a brave 15-year-old who also chose not to surrender her seat on a bus to a white person and move to the back. She was arrested for her impudence. Few people know her story. She was fifteen and pregnant at the time. Therefore, civil rights leaders declined to sue preferring to wait for a case with a better fact pattern in order to enhance their chances of winning.
  4. James Baldwin – He was writer and civil rights activist best known for his essays, novels, plays, and poems. Time magazine ranked his 1953 novel Go Tell It on the Mountain as one of the top 100 English-language novels. In addition, he was an influential public figure and orator during the early days of the civil rights movement.
  5. Jesse Owens – He was a track-and-field athlete best known for winning four gold medals in the 1936 Olympic Games, which were held in Nazi Germany. His performance embarrassed Hitler and all those who believed the Nazis were the Master Race and blacks were inferior. In 1976, Owens received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1990.
  6. Jane Bolin – She was the first Black woman to attend Yale Law School in 1931. In 1939, she became the first black female judge in the United States. 
  7. Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. – He was the first Black general in the U.S. Army. His long and distinguished 50-year career included stints as a first lieutenant during the Spanish American War, a professor of military science at Tuskegee and Wilberforce University, commander of the 369th Infantry of the New York National Guard, and Special Assistant to the Commanding General, among many other positions. He is a recipient of the Bronze Star Medal and the Distinguished Service Medal and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
  8. Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler – She was the first Black woman to earn a medical degree in the United States. After working as a nurse for eight years she was accepted to the New England Female Medical College (which later merged with Boston University) in 1860. 
  9. Gerald Wilson – Before Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and other famous black jazz musicians there was Gerald Wilson. He was a trumpeter, jazz composer, arranger, and bandleader known for “redefin[ing] Big Band.” His band was considered to be one of the greatest in the jazz world, with a sound heavily influenced by the blues mixed with other styles.
  10. Moses Fleetwood Walker – Who was the first black MLB player? No, it was not Jackie Robinson. According to The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) Moses “Fleetwood” Walker is credited with being the first African American baseball player in the major leagues. He was a catcher who played 42 MLB games in 1884. It should be noted that five years’ prior in 1879 William Edward White played one professional baseball game for the Providence Grays of the National League. However, White’s light complexion enabled him to “pass” as white, and he identified as such. Therefore, unlike Walker who was open about his black heritage, he was spared the racial bigotries, indignities and hostilities that were prevalent at the time. Hence SABR credits Walker with being the first.
  11. Thurgood Marshall – He was an American civil rights lawyer and jurist who served as the first black associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1967 until 1991. As an attorney for the NAACP he defended numerous blacks who had been accused of crimes. His most famous case was Brown vs the School Boards of Kansas, South Carolina, Delaware, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.  His landmark victory overturned the then-prevalent “separate but equal” Plessey decision, which had stood since 1896 and paved the way for the integration of public schools.
  12. Crispus Attucks – He was a black whaler, sailor, and stevedore who is generally regarded as the first person killed in the American Revolutionary War.

CONCLUSION

The foregoing are just a few of many black Americans who have made significant contributions to black history and American history. I’m sure I omitted some that were equally worthy, but time and space dd not enable me to mention everyone. Besides, the blog would have been so long no one would have read it.

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COMMONSENSE

What is “commonsense?” We’re all familiar with the expression, but for many of us it is hard to define. It’s reminiscent of former Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s response when asked to define pornography: “I know it when I see it.” According to the dictionary commonsense is characterized by “sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts.” Sounds good, so let’s go with that. 

In his first month in office Donald Trump has accomplished a great deal, arguably more than any other president in history. However, perhaps his greatest achievement has been to cop-opt the common- sense approach to the key issues facing the country, relegating the Dems to the fringes. As I said, we may not be able to define it, but we know it when we see it, and we see it in what Trump is doing.

There have been a plethora of obvious examples, but just a few will suffice to make my point:

  1. Immigration. Open borders with no security and no vetting never made any sense. It’s akin to leaving your home unlocked and the doors and windows open allowing anyone unfettered access. No one in their right mind would do that. Most of the advocates for open borders were those who enjoy the security of walled and gated communities or doormen and/or travel with private security. The obvious results have spoken for themselves. It’s commonsense that people and countries need secure barriers such as walls and other security measures for protection. The Vatican Wall and the Great Wall of China have served this purpose for centuries. The original Vatican Wall dates back to 846, although it has been expanded over the years. The Great Wall of China was constructed over a period of over 2,000 years beginning in the third century BC.  Both walls were built to protect citizens from marauders. It is inane to claim they are not needed or don’t work as the Dems have maintained. On the other hand, look at the European Union. The borders between member states generally resemble a sieve. In the past decade some 29 million immigrants, both legal and illegal have entered causing political, social, criminal and economic problems. Trump’s security measures are commonsense, and they are working.
  2. Biological males’ access to females’ bathrooms and locker rooms and competing against them in sports. This is another commonsense issue. Only a sliver of the populace advocates this. I doubt that very many females would be comfortable with this, nor be would any sane parent of a young girl. Similarly, females should not have to compete against biological males in sports. Males are generally physiologically bigger and stronger. It is not fair, but more importantly it is dangerous. Anyone who watched a biological male boxer beat up a biological female boxer in the last Olympics would attest to that. For years the Dems have ignored this issue or even defended it. Trump has vowed to resolve it. Again, it’s commonsense.
  3. Crime. The Dems’ ill-conceived and ill-advised sanctuary jurisdiction policy and lenient attitude toward crime and criminals has rendered “blue” cities unsafe. Criminals operate with impunity. Law-abiding citizens fear for their safety. Many businesses have been unable to survive. Thousands of people have relocated from “blue” to “red” jurisdictions. This is another commonsense issue.
  4. Government waste, fraud and abuse. This is another obvious issue. For decades people have wanted politicians to deal with this issue. Finally, someone, Trump, is doing something about it. Trump, through Homeland Security and ICE, is cracking down, hard. How could any reasonable person object to tackling this issue? Yet, many Dems are objecting, which has led many people to conclude that they have been complicit and have something to hide.

CONCLUSION

In my view, Trump’s policies and actions to date cannot be categorized as either Dem or Republican, liberal or conservative. He is more of a populist. He is working on behalf of all Americans, regardless of political persuasion.

As I have written in previous blogs, he has not only been resolving America’s problems, more significantly he is on the verge of rendering the Dems a minor party. The Dems hate Trump so much that they are blindly and instinctively committed to opposing anything he says or does regardless of the consequences or if they make sense. As a result, they have found themselves on the wrong side of each of the above issues as well as most others. These are not closely contested issues either. Trump has staked out positions favored by 80-90% of the voters, leaving the Dems stuck with positions favored by a very slim minority.

In addition, they are leaderless at the present time. No one has stepped up to try to unite the Party. It is dominated by its far-left wing. The moderates have been cowed into silence.

The Dems have not offered any viable alternative policies or solutions. They have become the party of “no” and name-calling. They still have not come to terms with the reasons why they lost the 2024 election much less corrected them. That does not augur well for them in 2026 or 2028.

Bad for them; good for the rest of us.

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DEMS IN DISARRAY

Historically, there has been an ebb and flow to politics in the US. Political philosophies and voters’ attitudes and preferences swing from liberal to conservative, from “left” to “right” like a pendulum. With respect to political parties, the Party that loses a presidential election, and often Congress as well, appears to be in trouble, but then it normally rallies in the next one, usually in two years. In politics nothing is forever. A few months can be a lifetime.

More recently, just think back to the political landscape in 2016. The Dems were dominant. Obama had just completed two terms. His presumptive successor, Hillary Clinton, was on the cusp of winning the presidency, which would likely mean eight more years of Dem dominance. She was comfortably ahead in all the pre-election polls. Apparently, she was going to be the first female president.

The GOP was in disarray. nearly a dozen candidates had vied for the nomination. Most of them, like Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, John Kasich, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, and Scott Walker, were solid, experienced politicians.  However, the ultimate nominee was an upstart, an outsider with no political experience, Donald Trump. He was perceived by many to be an ego-driven buffoon, who was certain to lose and drag his Party down with him. But lo and behold he came from nowhere, to win a “Trumanesque” election victory. Trump turned out to be a reformer. He accomplished much, but he was hamstrung by the Dems, the “swamp” dwellers, the mainstream media, and even some in his own Party.

Four years later he was defeated. The Dems were back. They were ascendant as was their philosophy of progressivism, wokeism, DEI, white-guilt and worldview. Americans were told they should sacrifice to help the unfortunate even those in other countries. Stop drilling for fossil fuels to save the planet. Adhere to the precepts of the Green New Deal. The legal system became corrupted. Critics and perceived enemies of the Administration were hounded and punished, often based on false information. Constitutional rights such as free speech and the right to bear arms were being whittled away slowly but surely. A cancel culture developed to punish those who did not toe the line. Open the borders, let everyone in, not just legitimate amnesty-seekers, but also criminals, drug dealers, terrorists and psychos. Come one, come all. Well, all that was unsustainable. It was bound to fail sooner or later, and it did.

Now, Trump is back. Now the voters’ attitude has swung 180 degrees. The pendulum has swung the other way again. Now the mantra is “America first,” “America strong, “close the borders, deport illegals, “drill, baby, drill,” etc.

Now, once again, it is the Dems who are in disarray. History shows they should bounce back, maybe as soon as 2026, and maybe they will. But at the moment in my opinion, it does not appear that way. Here’s why:

  1. We all know that the first step in solving a problem is to admit you have one. Think of drug addicts and alcoholics. The Dems have not ascertained why and how they lost the 2024 election. They refuse to acknowledge their mistakes. The election was not a nail-biter. It was a wipe-out, a landslide. Trump won the popular vote, which has been rare for a Republican. He swept the swing states. He made huge inroads into traditionally Dem voting blocs such as blacks, Hispanics, blue collar workers, and youngsters. This has the feel of a lasting change. These blocs had been reliably Dem supporters since 1932. The GOP now controls both houses of Congress. Truly, the Dems have a big problem and must effect major changes in order to win the next election.
  2. The Party is not in the mainstream. It is dominated by its small, but vocal, far left wing. All we see in the news and read about are radicals such as AOC, Elizabeth Warren, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley, Maxine Waters and Linda Sanchez.
  3. The Party has no visible leader. No one has stepped up to rally the troops. No one appears to be capable of uniting all of the various factions. Former President Biden and former VP Kamala Harris have been discredited and have virtually disappeared. The Obamas and the Clintons have lost much of their influence. Bernie Sanders has reverted to his former role of the crazy radical uncle you hide in the attic when company comes to visit. CA Governor Gavin Newsome, the once heir-apparent, has been exposed as an ineffective governor who has bankrupted his once flourishing state with his extreme wokeism and allowed large portions of it literally to burn to the ground. In lieu of accomplishments he is banking on his looks and glib personality. As they say in Texas, he is “all hat and no cattle.” Chuck Schumer has been an ineffective Senate Majority leader. He has become a caricature, hanging out with the far-left radicals, cursing f**k Trump, chanting slogans and singing on national tv.
  4. They are perceived to be on the wrong side of every significant issue. For example, Trump is in tune with what 80+% of Americans want, “America first,” MAGA, a strong foreign policy, energy independence, paring the bloated bureaucracy, parental rights, separation of girls and boys in sports, bathrooms and locker rooms, and, generally, “common sense,” among many others. That’s what the voters voted for, that’s what they want, and that is what he is giving them. Instinctively, the Dems continue to reject anything Trump says or does. All they do is criticize. They fail to offer any alternatives. They are the party of “no.” He continues to live rent-free in their minds. Consequently, they have been forced into opposing those highly popular philosophies. Somehow, they have become the Party in favor of migrants, transgender rights, the Green New Deal, and allowing boys access to girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms and to compete against them in sports.
  5. Their strident opposition to DOGE is particularly ill-advised. Polls have shown consistently that over 80% of Americans want to eliminate government fraud, waste and abuse, and why not? What normal rational person could be against that? They have fully embraced Trump’s and Elon Musk’s efforts to do so. The Dems’ strong, unwavering opposition makes one think that they are afraid of what will be uncovered. It makes them seem like the abettors and perpetrators of the aforementioned fraud, waste and abuse (and maybe many of them are). To borrow a famous phrase from William Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet,” they “Doth protest too much” meaning that it seems as if they have something to hide and leads one to doubt the veracity of what they’re saying.
  6. Their criticism of Musk, who incidentally has declined to accept a salary, as being unelected is ridiculous given the plethora of nameless, faceless, unelected bureaucrats who have been running the government for years, especially under the Biden presidency.
  7. Most critically, their allies in the media have been exposed as biased and rendered ineffective. Ratings at CNN and MSNBC have declined precipitously. The NYT and Washington Post have lost much of their luster in the eyes of the public.

Conclusion

Trump has managed to accomplish more in under four weeks than Biden did in his entire presidency. He has been a strong, effective leader. Once again, America is respected by its friends and allies and feared by its enemies. He means what he says and says what he means. He has repeatedly demonstrated his acumen as a businessman and negotiator. Everything is negotiable, tariffs, hostage releases, cease fires. EVERYTHING.

Virtually all of his Executive Department nominees have been approved, and their departments are running full throttle to accomplish their respective agendas. He has executed numerous Executive Orders. He is negotiating major legislation with a reluctant Congress. He has been a whirling dervish of activity. His critics can’t keep up. By the time they organize a protest to one of his EOs he has signed three more. He seems to be everywhere. Americans love it! His approval rating has consistently been over 50%.

AMERICA IS BACK!

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THIS MONTH IN HISTORY – FEBRUARY

February may be the shortest month, but there has been no shortage of significant historical events during the month. For example:

2/2/1848 – The US-Mexican War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The US paid $15 million for a huge swath of land that encompasses parts of present-day CA, AZ, TX, UT, NV, NM, CO and WY.
2/3/1870 – The 15th amendment to the Constitution was ratified, guaranteeing all citizens the right to vote.
2/3/1913 – The 16th amendment to the Constitution was ratified authorizing Congress to collect income taxes.

2/5/2020 – The Senate voted to acquit President Trump of all Articles of Impeachment.

2/6/1933 – The 20th amendment to the Constitution was ratified, which changed the presidential inauguration date from March 4 to January 20.
2/6/1952 – Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne of the UK with the death of her father, King George VI.
2/8/1010 – The Boy Scouts of America was founded by William Boyce.
2/9/1943 – In one of the bloodiest battles of WWII the US captured Guadalcanal after six months of intense fighting. The KIA included 2,000 Americans and 9,000 Japanese.
2/10/1967 – The 25th amendment to the Constitution was ratified, which clarified the procedures for presidential succession.
2/11/660 BC – The date of the founding of the Japanese nation.
2/11//1990 – Nelson Mandela was released from a SA prison after 27 years.
2/12/1999 – The impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton concluded with a “not guilty” verdict.
2/13/1635 – Boston Latin, the first taxpayer-supported public school in America, was founded in Boston.
2/14 –          Celebrated around the world as St. Valentine’s Day.
2/14/1849 – Photographer Mathew Brady took the first photograph of a US President in office (James K. Polk).
2/14/1929 – The infamous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre occurred in Chicago, as members of Al Capone’s gang, posing as police, gunned down members of the Bugs Moran gang.
2/15/1898 – The USS Battleship Maine blew up under mysterious circumstances while anchored in Havana harbor. Although culpability was not proven, this incident precipitated the War of 1898 with “remember the Maine” as the chief battle cry.
2/15/1933 – A failed assassination attempt on FDR resulted in the death of Chicago mayor Anton Cermak.
2/19/1942 – The US commenced the internment of Japanese Americans.
2/20/1962 – Astronaut John Glenn became the first American to be launched into orbit.
2/21/1965 – Former Black Muslim leader, Malcolm X, was shot and killed in NYC.
2/21/1972 – President Richard Nixon arrived in China for the first State visit with communist China.
2/23/1991 – US ground troops initiated Operation Desert Storm versus Iraq.
2/24/1582 – Pope Gregory XIII replaced the Julian calendar with the Gregorian calendar. The latter has become the standard worldwide.

2/24/2022 – Russia invaded Ukraine.
2/24/1867 – The House of Representatives voted to impeach President Andrew Johnson. The Senate acquitted him by one vote.
2/27/1950 – The 22nd amendment to the Constitution was ratified, which limits the president to a maximum of two terms or ten years in office.
2/27/1991- Operation Desert Storm concluded.

Birthdays – Hattie Caraway, Bakersville, TN – 2/1/1878, first woman elected to US Senate; John Ford – 2/1/1895, Cape Elizabeth, ME, Oscar winning director; Elizabeth Blackwell – 2/3/1821, Bristol, England – first female physician in US; Norman Rockwell – 2/3/1894, NYC – artist and illustrator; Thaddeus Kosciusko – 2/4/1746, Poland, Revolutionary War hero; Charles Lindbergh – 2/4/1902, Detroit, MI, first non-stop solo cross-Atlantic flight; Aaron Burr – 2/6/1756 – killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel; George Herman (“Babe”) Ruth – 2/6/1895, Baltimore, MD, considered, by many, to be the best baseball player ever; Ronald Reagan – 2/6/1911, Tampico, IL, entertainer, 40th President; Charles Dickens – 2/7/1812, in England, British novelist; Sinclair Lewis – 2/7/1885, Sauk Center, MN, novelist and social critic; William Henry Harrison – 2/9/1773, Berkeley, VA, 9th President (died after having served only 32 days); Thomas Edison – 2/11/1847, Milan, OH, inventor; Abraham Lincoln- 2/12/1809, Hardin County, KY, 16th President, preserved the Union, freed the slaves; Charles Darwin – 2/12/1809, England, author; Galileo Galilei – 2/15/1564, astronomer and physicist; Susan B. Anthony – 2/15/1820, Adams, MA, women’s suffrage pioneer; Sonny Bono – 2/16/1935, Detroit, MI, entertainer; Nicolaus Copernicus – 2/19/1473, Poland, first to declare the sun, not earth, was the center of the solar system; George Washington – 2/22/1732, Westmoreland County, VA – “father” of US, 1st President; W.E.B. DuBois – 2/23/1868, Great Barrington, MA, AA educator; William (“Buffalo Bill”) Cody – 2/26/1846, Scott County, IN, reputedly killed 4,000 buffalo; Henry Wadsworth Longfellow – 2/27/1807, Portland, ME, poet (“Paul Revere’s Ride”).

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SUPER BOWL QUIZ 2025

This one may be too difficult for non-football fans, but I have to challenge the hard core football fans. You know who you are.

Remember, no peeking at the internet. Don’t ask Siri.

1. The first Super Bowl was played in what year?

a. 1966
b. 1967
c. 1968
d. 1969

2. The losing team in the first SB was:

a. Cowboys
b. Raiders
c. Giants
d. Chiefs

3. How many different major cities (or their environs) have hosted a Super Bowl?

a. 10
b. 12
c. 15
d. 17

4. Which city has hosted the most games?

a. Miami
b. Dallas
c. Los Angeles
d. New Orleans

5. Super Bowl 2026 will be played in which city area?  

a. Los Angeles
b. San Francisco Bay
c. Dallas
d. Miami

6. Two franchises are tied with the most SB wins -6. One is New England. Which is the other?

a. Dallas
b. San Francisco
c. Pittsburg
d. New England

7. Each of the following teams is undefeated in SBs except:

a. Jets
b. Ravens
c. Bucs
d. Green Bay

8. The name “Super Bowl” was derived from:

a. College “bowl” games
b. Fan vote
c. Media feedback
d. Child’s toy

9. Other than Patrick Mahomes, who was the only other quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs? 

a. Trent Green
b. Bill Kenney
c. Joe Kapp
d. Len Dawson

10. Who was the only MVP from the losing team?

a. Chuck Howley
b. Len Dawson
c. Bruce Smith
d. Icky Woods

11. How many defensive players have been MVP of a SB?

a. Two
b. Five
c. Eight
d. Ten

12. Which franchise lost four consecutive Super Bowls? 
a. Green Bay
b. San Francisco
c. Buffalo
d. Pittsburg

13. Who was the headline performer at halftime last year?

a. Beyoncé
b. Bruce Springsteen
c. Usher
d. Lady Gaga

14. Each of the following has not appeared in a SB, except:

a. Browns
b. Bengals
c. Lions
d. Jaguars

15. In SB I a 30-second advertisement cost $37,500 on NBC and $42,500 on CBS. The approximate cost of a 30 second commercial this year is:

a. $2 million
b. $5 million
c. $8 million
d. $10 million

16. How many times has a team played the SB in its home stadium?

a. 0
b. 1
c. 2
d. 3

17. Who is the only player to win three consecutive Super Bowls?

a. Ken Norton, Jr.
b. Bob Lilly
c. W. K. Hicks
d. Robert Jackson

18. The coldest temperature for a SB held outdoors was 39 degrees in which city?

a. Houston
b. New Orleans
c. New York
d. Cleveland

19. Which of the following coaches has taken more than one team to a SB?

a. Don Shula
b. Tom Landry
c. Bill Belichek
d. Vince Lombardi

20. Only two wide receivers have won the SB MVP. One was Deion Branch. Who was the other?

a. Jerry Rice
b. Drew Pearson
c. Hines Ward
d. Randy Moss

21. The TV audience for SB I was approximately 65 million (on two networks, (CBS and NBC). How many people are expected to watch Super Bowl LIX on Sunday,

a. 200 million
b. 100 million
c. 120 million
d. 150 million

22. After whom is the SB trophy named?

a. Pete Rozelle
b. Paul Brown
c. Al Davis
d. Vince Lombardi

23. Tom Brady has won the most SB rings (7). What player is next?

a. Adam Vinatieri
b. Charles Haley
c. Terry Bradshaw
d. Bob Lilly

24. Which half-time entertainer became (in)famous for a “wardrobe malfunction?”

a. Beyoncé
b. Janet Jackson
c. Madonna
d. Lady Gaga

25. What marginal player became famous for the “helmet catch” in SBXLII (Giants vs. Pats)?

a. Plaxico Burris
b. Randy Moss
c. David Tyree
d. Bob Schnelker

Bonus question: Who were the first two teams in the NFL? 

Answer: Chicago Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals) and the Decatur Staleys (now the Chicago Bears). Commenced in 1920.

QUIZ ANSWERS: 1. b; 2. d; 3. d; 4. a (11); 5. b; 6. c; 7. d; 8. d; 9. d(3); 10. a (SB V); 11.c; 12. c; 13. c; 14. b; 15. c; 16. c; 17. a; 18. b; 19. a; 20. c; 21. c; 22. d; 23. b(5); 24. b; 25. c

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TRUMP’S FABULOUS FORTNIGHT

Reporter to Trump: “So, Mr. President, how did your first two weeks as president go? What did you accomplish?”

Trump’s reply: “Not much. It was a quiet two weeks. I’m just familiarizing myself with matters. However, I did manage to accomplish a few things.”

Reporter: “Such as?”

  1. I have done precisely what I said I would and what I was elected to do. The voters have spoken. They gave me a resounding mandate, and I am implementing it.
  2. In stark contrast to my predecessor, I have implemented a policy of transparency. My Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, will be holding frequent, impartial and open press conferences.
  3. My first and most critical accomplishment was gaining control of our borders, both northern and southern.
  4. A recent NY Times poll disclosed that 87% of voters are in favor of deporting illegal immigrants with criminal records, and a recent WSJ poll reported 74% in favor of it. (It is unheard of for 87% of Americans to agree on anything.) Additionally, the same NYT poll revealed that 55% of Americans favor deporting ALL illegals.
  5. The number of illegal entries has decreased to a trickle. According to Fox News the number of migrants seeking entry at the southern border has dropped by over 60% since Trump’s inauguration. There were 7,287 migrant encounters at the southern border in the first seven days (Jan 20-26) after Trump’s inauguration by both Border Patrol between ports of entry and by the Office of Field Operations (OFO) at ports of entry, including a low of 600 on January 26.
  6. That compares to 20,086 encounters in the final seven days of the Biden administration (Jan 13-19) prior to Trump’s inauguration, (2,869 encounters per day).
  7. I have dispatched military troops to the border to support CBP personnel.
  8. ICE has been rounding up thousands of illegals, focusing on criminals, drug dealers, cartel members, gangbangers, psychos and other undesirables. Thousands have been deported to their home countries. After some reluctance on their part, I have convinced Mexican and Canadian authorities to render assistance. Thousands of others (the “worst of the worst”) have been and will be transferred to Gitmo pending their deportation. The capacity of the facility is being expanded to accommodate up to 30,000 inmates. Furthermore, I will be dispatching up to 500 troops to augment the force presently there.
  9. Congress approved the Laken Riley Act, which I had championed, and I signed it into law.
  10. I will be investigating FEMA, whose performances most recently with respect to disasters in NC and CA, have been woefully inadequate, with the possibility of reforming or eliminating it entirely and turning over its duties to the individual states.
  11. ICE will be “cross-designating” local police to assist in enforcing immigration laws, including detaining illegals in their jurisdictions. Already, several local police units have volunteered to participate.
  12. As reported in the Wall Street Journal the US Postal Service placed a tariff on packages that some Chinese and Hong Kong companies had been shipping into the US duty-free.
  13. I placed a 25% tariff on imports of certain goods from Mexico and Canada and a 10% tariff on certain goods imported from China. I have employed these tariffs as a negotiating tool to secure cooperation, and they have been very effective. Mexico and Canada have acceded to my demands. China has retaliated by imposing “targeted tariffs” on U.S. imports. I am not concerned about a trade war. I will commence negotiations with President Xi in due course to obviate one.
  14. The US has proposed to assume responsibility for rebuilding and resurrecting Gaza. Currently, much of it is a wasteland of destroyed and burned-out buildings and unexploded ordnance owing to years of war. Basically, it is unlivable. I fear that if the Palestinians were to return to those conditions the seeds of further wars will have been planted, and the cycle of endless wars will continue. To date, no country has stepped up with a viable solution. Therefore, I have suggested that the US assume responsibility for resurrecting it and in the process bring stability and jobs to the area. Sounds good, but I can foresee some hurdles. For example, this would involve the relocation of the current residents. President Netanyahu and various other ME leaders have expressed support for the plan, in general, but the devil will be in the details. For instance, to which country(ies) would the Gazans be relocated? Already, Egypt and Jordan have declined to accept them. Also, the plan presupposes that the Hamas terrorists would be eliminated beforehand, which will necessitate further conflict.
  15. DOGE has commenced cutting waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government. USAID is a prime example. It has strayed from its original purpose. The agency’s doctrine of promoting democracy and supporting programs for disadvantaged people worldwide sounds good on the surface, but it has devolved into a veritable slush fund for fraudulent, radical and wasteful woke projects including some that benefit “miscellaneous foreign awardees” that are anti-American, anti-Israel, and/or affiliated with terrorist groups such as Al Awda, the Marxist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the Palestinian Medical Relief Society. Examples abound, but some include (1) $20 million for condoms for Gazans (not just for safe sex but more likely as casings for IEDs), (2) $20 million for a Sesame Street show in Iraq, (3) $56 million to boost tourism in Tunisia and Egypt, (4) $40 million to build schools in Jordan, (5) $11 million to instruct Vietnam how to burn garbage, and (5) $2 million to strengthen “Trans-Led” organizations. What are the common denominators of these pet projects? They are wasteful; they were authorized by nameless, faceless unelected bureaucrats; and they DO NOT BENEFIT AMERICAN CITIZENS who paid for them with their tax dollars and could also use the money. The good news is that DOGE has uncovered these abuses; the bad news is that it has just scratched the surface of government fraud, waste and abuse. No wonder the swamp-dwellers are squawking so vociferously.
  16. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has assumed the role of acting director of USAID. He will ensure that USAID funds will go to true humanitarian organizations as originally intended.
  17. I have targeted various areas of waste, anti-Americanism and antisemitism in the UN. For example, I have declared my intention to withdraw the US from WHO and UNRWA unless they reform their policies.
  18. I am requiring all Federal employees who have been working remotely to return to their offices. In a related matter I have offered most of them the option of taking deferred retirement. I offered full pay plus benefits through September 30. The goal is to reduce the payroll by as much as 10%, which would save about $100 billion. Some 20,000 have already accepted. Also, the CIA has offered buyout packages to all of its employees.
  19. Inexplicably, in a misguided act of defiance NJ Governor Phil Murphy admitted that he was harboring an illegal in his home, and he challenged Tom Homan to “try to get her.” Such actions constitute a violation of Federal law and I’m sure Tom Homan will be up to the challenge. (Murphy’s aides have tried to “walk back” his comments.)
  20. I have canceled the project of building windmills off the coast of NJ.
  21. Venezuela has voluntarily released six hostages that most Americans were not even aware it was detaining.
  22. I informed Panama that we would retake control of the Panama Canal unless it terminated China’s influence over the area. It agreed to do so.
  23. I terminated the security clearances of the 51 “intelligence liars” who had impacted the 2020 election by falsely swearing Hunter Biden’s laptop constituted “Russian election interference.”
  24. I banned biological men from participating in women’s sports or entering women’s locker rooms under Title IX.
  25. Sanctuary jurisdictions that fail to cooperate with ICE will face reductions or elimination of federal funds.
  26. For the safety of the ME and the world Iran cannot be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. I will ensure that it doesn’t.
  27. In a related matter according to a CNN report 60% of employers say they have already terminated some of the Gen Z workers they had hired fresh out of college just a few months ago. Apparently, their work is just not “up to company standards,” and they are “difficult to work with.” Not surprising given the US’s woke educational system and attitudes of many young people.

Conclusion

The Dems are in total panic, shock and disarray. I think they are afraid that DOGE may uncover their complicity in the aforementioned fraud, waste and abuse. I have more bad news for them. DOGE is just scratching the surface. There is significantly more to uncover in other departments such as education, Medicare, Medicaid and social security. There is no intention to reduce legitimate benefits just save the taxpayers money.

Furthermore, they have no effective counterproposals to Trump’s proposals and actions. Moreover, they have given no indication that they realize why they lost the election. If they can’t or won’t identify the reasons, they won’t be able to fix them. Recently, all eight major candidates for the head of the DNC ascribed it to the old standbys, misogyny and racism. The Party and its supporters are continuing to adhere to the same old tired policies, such as DEI, wokeism, and opposing anything Trump proposes or does. They are on the wrong side of every important issue. Quite simply, they are out of touch with the electorate. They epitomize the definition of insanity, repeating the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.

Chuck (the “Chameleon”) Schumer looks like a fool on tv. The divisive Ilhan Omar and AOC have been among their most vocal speakers. Good luck with that.

Trump has been moving at “warp speed.” They cannot keep up. By the time they protest one action he has instituted three more. They are scurrying around like “Lucy in the chocolate factory.” The good news is he is just getting started. To use a baseball analogy, he has not even entered the game yet. He’s just warming up in the bullpen. Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be an eventful four years. I, for one, look forward to it and will enjoy it.

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THIS MONTH IN HISTORY – JANUARY

According to Wikipedia, January 1, New Years Day, is the most celebrated holiday worldwide. Many historically-significant events have occurred on this date as well as on other dates during the month. Please see below.

1/1/1502 – Portuguese explorers, led by Pedro Alvarez Cabral, landed in present-day Brazil. They named the location Rio de Janeiro (River of January).

1/1/1660 – Samuel Pepys commenced his famous diary, which was to become a definitive chronicle of life in late 17th century London. Famous events described in it include The Great Plague of 1664-1665, which wiped out roughly one-fourth of London’s population, and the Great Fire of 1666, which destroyed much of the city.

1/1/1776 – George Washington unveiled the first national flag, aka the Grand Union Flag.

1/1/1863 – President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the slaves in the Confederacy.

1/1/1892 – Ellis Island opened. Over 20 million immigrants were processed there between 1892 and 1954 when it closed.

1/1/1901 – The British Commonwealth of Australia was founded.

1/1/1959 – Fidel Castro seized control of Cuba.

1/1/1999 – The currency, the Euro, was born.

1/3/1924 – Howard Carter, British Egyptologist, discovered the burial site of Egyptian King Tut.

1/3/1959 – Alaska became the 49th state of the US.

1/7/1714 – British inventor, Henry Mill, received a patent for the typewriter.

1/8/1815 – The Battle of New Orleans, which many historians consider among the most significant in US history, commenced. The outnumbered and outgunned Americans, under the command of Andrew Jackson, defeated the British.

1/10/1863 – The first underground railroad, appropriately called “The Underground,” commenced operation in London.

1/10/1920 – The League of Nations was born. It was doomed to failure because the US never joined.

1/10/1946 – The first meeting of the United Nations took place in London.

1/11/1964 – The US Surgeon General issued the controversial report stating that smoking cigarettes may be hazardous to one’s health.

1/12/1932 – Hattie Caraway of Arkansas became the first female US Senator, filling the remainder of her late husband’s term.

1/15/1870 – The first use of a donkey to symbolize the Democratic Party appeared as a cartoon in Harpers Weekly.

1/19/1966 – Indira Gandhi became the first female Prime Minister of India. Later, she was assassinated by one of her own bodyguards.

1/19/1983 – Klaus Barbie, aka the “Butcher of Lyon,” was arrested in Bolivia. Eventually, he was extradited to France. He was tried and convicted of war crimes and died in prison.

1/21/1793 – Following the French Revolution King Louis XVI was guillotined.

1/22/1901 – England’s Queen Victoria died after a 64-year reign, the longest in British history at the time.

1/22/1973 – Abortion became legal in the US.

1/24/1965 – Winston Churchill, arguably England’s greatest prime minister ever, died.

1/24/1972 – A WWII Japanese soldier, who had been hiding on Guam not realizing the war was long since over, was discovered.

1/27/1945 – The Russian Army liberated Auschwitz.

1/27/1973 – Representatives of the US and North Vietnam signed a treaty ending the Vietnam War.

1/28/1935 – Iceland became the first country to legalize abortion.

1/28/1986 – The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded, killing all aboard, including Christa McAuliffe, a teacher, who has been slated to be the first “ordinary” citizen in space.

1/29/1919 – Prohibition was ratified. The unintended consequence of this ill-advised constitutional amendment was the substantial growth of organized crime, which was only too happy to provide illegal alcoholic beverages to a thirsty populace. The amendment was repealed on December 5, 1933.

1/31/1943 – The German Army surrendered at Stalingrad in what was generally considered to be the turning point in the European Theatre of WWII.

Birthdays: Paul Revere, 1/1/1735; Betsy Ross, 1/1/1752; Louis Braille, invented the reading system for blind people, 1/4/1809; Joan of Arc, 1/6/1412; Millard Fillmore, 13th President, 1/7/1800; Elvis Presley, 1/8/1935; Richard Nixon, 37th President, 1/9/1913; Alexander Hamilton, 1/11/1755; John Hancock, 1/12/1737; Benedict Arnold, 1/14/1741; Albert Schweitzer, 1/14/1875; Martin Luther King, 1/15/1929; Andre Michelin, pioneered the use of pneumatic tires on cars, 1/16/1853; Benjamin Franklyn, 1/17/1706; Muhammad Ali, 1/17/1942; Robert E. Lee, 1/19/1807; Edgar Allen Poe,1/19/1809; Ethan Allen, 1/21/1738; Douglas MacArthur, 1/26/1880; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1/27/1756; William McKinley, 25th President, 1/29/1843; Franklyn Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President, 1/30/1882; Jackie Robinson, 1/31/1919.

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AUSCHVITZ REMEMBRANCE DAY – POIGANCE AND A FEEL-GOOD STORY

Yesterday, January 27 was the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. During WWII the Nazis created and operated five concentration camps specifically designed to murder Jews and other “undesirables,” such as Soviet POWs, ethnic Poles, homosexuals, Romani (gypsies), and persons with disabilities. The other concentration camps were Chełmno, Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka. Auschwitz was, perhaps, the most notorious of them all. Approximately 2.7 million Jews were murdered at the above-mentioned camps (out of the overall total of six million). Of that total Auschwitz accounted for the most, approximately one million.

In addition to the mass murders at these camps some two million Jews were murdered in indiscriminate mass shootings. Most of these people were buried in mass graves. Other methods of extermination included murders in ghettos, labor camps, deliberate privation (of food, water, shelter and medical treatment), disease, brutality, antisemitic riots, and arbitrary acts  

The Nazis spent many years and much time and resources to develop the most efficient method of murdering these people before they settled on using gas chambers in these camps. Their goal was complete extermination. Most historians denote that this fixation came at a huge cost to their war effort and likely contributed their ultimate defeat.

These death camps were horrible beyond description, but occasionally we hear of a “feelgood” story. For instance, recently, I came across such a story in the NY Post about two sisters who were imprisoned at Auschwitz as very young girls, miraculously survived and eventually were reunited as adults. The older one, Eva Sbornik, was born in a labor camp and sent to Auschwitz as a toddler. Normally, the Nazis murdered toddlers upon arrival. However, her train was delayed and consequently arrived after the camp guards had destroyed the crematoriums in a vain attempt to hide the evidence of their crimes from the rapidly advancing Allied forces. As a result, she was spared.

The younger sister, Elenora Umlauf, was actually born in Auschwitz’s infirmary on April 30, 1945 after the camp had been liberated. Almost certainly if the camp had still been run by the Nazis she would have perished. Even so, she was very sickly and the Red Cross doctors who treated her doubted she would survive, but she did.

Thus, both sisters survived, but for many years neither one was aware of the other’s existence. Ultimately, they were reunited along with their mother.

Incredibly, both are still alive today. Each one has attained the ultimate revenge on the Nazis, which is to survive and live a long and successful life. Both live in Germany. Sbornik is a doctor specializing in internal medicine, and Umlauf is a pediatrician and psychotherapist.

Both related their remarkable story in an interview with the NY Post in conjunction with the aforementioned 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

Sbornik took the occasion to tell the world to remember the Holocaust.

Sometimes, luck and happenstance decide who lives and who dies. For example, one survivor, 92, was the beneficiary of such luck. He was nine years old and living with his family in Greece when the Nazis arrived. When they began arresting Jews in the area his family fled. “We were hiding in the mountains in a monastery, but we stayed together,” he remembered. One time, “[a Nazi soldier] took a shot at me, but thank God I had already turned the corner and didn’t get shot. However, another child that was crossing the street at that time took the bullet that was meant for me,”

There were many other similar stories told by other survivors, stories of bravery and fortune. These stories should not be forgotten.

Attendees at Monday’s commemoration in Oswiecim, Poland included several World leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Britain’s King Charles III and French President Emmanuel Macron, among others, and dozens of Holocaust survivors. The U.S. delegation included Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, who played a key role in negotiating this month’s Gaza truce agreement between Israel and Hamas, Howard Lutnick, Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Commerce, and Charles Kushner, father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Trump’s choice as ambassador to France. Due to the advanced age and ill health of many of the survivors this year’s ceremony is regarded as perhaps the last major observance of Auschwitz’s liberation that any notable number of survivors will be able to attend.

Various Polish and German officials gave speeches that said all the right things.

For example, prior to the ceremony, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda remembered the victims of the camp in a television address, saying his country has a special role in preserving the memory of Auschwitz. He stated, “We Poles, on whose land occupied by Nazi Germany the Germans built this extermination industry and concentration camp are today the guardians of memory.” At the ceremony on the former grounds of Auschwitz, Duda, accompanied by a group of survivors, laid a wreath at the so-called “Death Wall,” where many shooting executions took place. Some of the survivors wore blue-and-white striped scarves, the colors of the prisoner uniforms they were forced to wear at the camp.

In addition, in several interviews with German media, Scholz stated that it was “depressing how many people in Germany hardly know anything about the Holocaust.” Each state in Germany has control over how the Holocaust is taught in schools, and instruction is inconsistent.

Conclusion

A day after the political rally, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk posted on X that calls at the rally to forget “German guilt for Nazi[s’] crimes” sounded all too familiar and ominous, especially given the setting. Moreover, in an appearance on Germany’s public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk, Abraham Lehrer, vice president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, said of the horrors Nazi Germany perpetuated at Auschwitz: “We must not allow commemoration to be ‘enough.’ “

According to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, which represents the world’s Jews in negotiating for compensation and restitution there are only about 1,000 Auschwitz survivors still living. As time has gone by and the survivors dwindle people have begun to forget and some are even beginning to deny it ever happened.

In my opinion that is unacceptable. It greatly increases the likelihood for a recurrence. Already we are seeing a dangerous rise in antisemitism. We must keep the memory alive and never forget!

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