Harmonica: This Land is Your Land

 

Harmonica: This Land is Your Land

Woody Guthrie wrote the song “This Land is Your Land” in 1940.
My harmonica teacher, Luke, says “it was a critical response to the song God Bless America.”

Key of C.  Chords: C7 F C G G7

Woody Guthrie (1912-1967)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woody_Guthrie

 

This Land is Your Land

4    -4   5  -5   -5  

This land is your land

 -5    4  -4  5   5

This land is my land

 3   4 5 -4 -4  -4  -4  4   -4   5  5

From California to the New York island

 4    4   -4  5  -5 -5 

From the redwood forest 

 -5 -5   4    -4    5  5

To the Gulf Stream waters

 -4   -4  -4   -3   3  -3  -4   4

This land was made for you and me

 

Sad Days for America

I will be marching with others in Vancouver, Washington, on March 28, 2026, to protest the policies of the cruel, incompetent, and immoral  Trump Republicans. 

No Kings Day Protests.

Repost from 2024:

I strongly support the ideas and platform presented by Democratic candidates. I donate to Democratic candidates in every election.

We got through the COVID epidemic under Biden/Harris/Medical Team leadership. We stayed out of the Israel/Hamas killing spree.  Unemployment is lower. Needed  conservation measures began. We supported NATO allies against Russian attacks.  Water quality improvements were initiated. More was invested in electrical power options and uses.

I do not support the anti-federal governmental policies, anti-women's rights and anti-homosexual rights agenda, denial of climate change, States Rights renewals, and Christian Moral Majority opinions of current Republicans. Republicans complain too much, want lower taxes, and have no constructive solutions for the problems our future presents. Also, Donald Trump helped stage a violent attack on the Congress, refused to concede defeat by Joe Biden, lies often, and has numerous criminal convictions for misbehaviors. His off-hand remarks are often quite offensive to many people, even a former Republican and military veteran like me. 

Joe Biden looks trim and fit to me. Most of the time, his speeches are just fine.  Nevertheless, he has consulted with his doctor and has now decided to not run for President again. We thank him for his many decades of governmental service to our Country. This man exemplifies respect, honor, dignity, and loyalty to his basic political views and principles.

Now, the 2024 Presidential Election, has become very interesting.

Who will be the Democratic candidates?

I need to listen and learn.

Make America Great Again

Make America Great Again?

Really now, was America really "Great" at some undefined decade in the past.  And, should we return to that state of "Greatness" that we have left behind.

How about 1910 before World War I?  Women could not vote, Jim Crow laws made life miserable for Negroes throughout the South, people lived to around 50, no anti-biotics were available, no Social Security or Medicare, sweat shop non-union work conditions, pollution, coal consumption, rich white men in charge ... 

How about the 1930's: The Great Depression, Jim Crow laws, discrimination towards women in jobs, limited advanced medical treatments, harassment of gay people, A World War on the horizon, few telephones, rich white men in charge, Nazi racist ideology on the rise, limited divorce laws favor men ...

How about around 1850: Slavery, everybody worked as farmers, few colleges/universities, no votes for women, widespread poverty, limited government, Civil War looming, no electricity, no plumbing, few roads, rich white men in charge, all Christian Churches supported slavery ...

How about the 1780's: What the current Tea Party politicians like to tout as "Great." Slavery, rich white land owners have all the political power, very limited government services, everybody dirt farming, repression of Native people, repression of women, little or no taxes, free-for-all exploitation ...

How about the 1990's: computer boom and good new jobs, a bustling economy, easing persecution of gays, Clinton Democratic administration, tougher laws, rich white men controlling power, corporate greed, repression of the working class, America First Jingoism, environmental exploitation and destruction, ignoring the serious climate changes, blind worship of  Christian myths, pollution of the oceans and great rivers, our oil addiction, money-money, fast food spending, spend-spend, bigger cars, RVs, and guns, world travel, species extinction, etc. Was this all GREAT??

So, just when was "America Great"? Pretty much always for rich white men and rich Christian preachers in control of jobs and politics and indoctrination.

Karen and I gave $120.00 to the Biden/Harris campaign, Ellon Musk gave $45,000,000.00 to Donald Trump's campaign. Really! Again, rich white men and wealthy corporations trying to take control.

I wish for and hope that America can improve, become better, be more inclusive, deal constructively with environmental and energy problems, adopt Green Lifestyles, and that our citizens can have respect and appreciation for all the efforts by Federal, State, County, and City governments and employees to improve our lives in hundreds of useful ways.  

I seriously doubt that we might be 'greater' and 'better' and 'improved' in the future. The old simpler definitions of "GREAT" (i.e., huge military industrial complex, tougher laws, rich white men controlling power, racism, discrimination, repression of the working class, America First Jingoism, environmental exploitation and destruction, ignoring the serious climate changes, blind worship of  Christian myths, pollution of the oceans and great rivers, our oil addictions, money-money, spend-spend, bigger cars, RVs, and guns, world travel, etc.) are NOT Great and will lead to worldwide disasters, famine, wars, and disease.

If you are a minimum wage worker, keep always in mind that Republicans have always voted against minimum wage increases for workers. Republicans and Trump have also been consistently against the Affordable Health Care Act (Obama Care).  Republicans have always resisted and voted against Social Security since President Roosevelt and Medicare since President Johnson.

Republicans like to complain about various programs, complain about people they don't like, complain about crime, complain about immigrants, complain about governmental rules they don't like, complain about overpaid government employees, complain about catering to old people, complain about rising prices, complain about liberals, etc., etc. Their opinions about "governmental failures" and "creeping socialism" dominate their thoughts, not the good achievements of our people.

“The modern conservative is engaged in one of man’s oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.” - John Kenneth Galbraith

Republicans consistently preach about the Magic Bullet of REDUCING TAXES. Yet they seldom specify which governmental services should be discontinued, expanded, or eliminated. They claim that reducing taxes will result in more and better jobs? How?  "Trickle Down Economics" will just result in more trivial goods purchased from China, higher Federal debt, and richer billionaires.  They want more high paid police to protect their property and lives; and, maybe less welfare for homeless mothers or no food for children at school or more abortion restrictions or less Medicare benefits, or cutting the pay of government employees, or no Green initiatives. A Modernized White Jesus (getting rid of the Jewishness) would agree with their plans, they believe. Consume more for myself and my family, and ignore all the warning cries of the Earth and less fortunate people.

Democrats have also failed in many ways to govern wisely for the long run. However, in 2024, I think that even the more limited Green Platform of the Democratic Party offers better ideas for our people. 

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

On December 7th, 1941, the Japanese military attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.  2,043 military personnel and civilians were killed. and 1, 178 persons were injured. This event is just real history for me.

Remembrance Day

Attack on Pearl Harbor

Today I watched numerous films, made in the 1940's, about World War II in the Pacific.  Turner Classic Movies featured a number of classic films about the War. 

On September 11, 2001, Islamic Terrorist's attacked the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon. nearly 3,000 people, mostly civilians, were killed; and thousands more injured.  I remember this event vividly.

Very sad days in the history of America. 

U.S. Navy Arizona RIP

President Joe Biden

 Karen and I supported and voted for Joseph Biden for President.  We financially supported numerous candidates we thought could best help our country.  

We are both pleased with the actions of President Biden thus far, and are confident and hopeful he will offer better solutions for governing our country.  

The President Trump was ineffective, divisive, a liar, and a traitor to our constitution.  

Donald Trump Deserves Our Disrespect

 “In my life, I have watched John Kennedy talk on television about missiles in Cuba. I saw Lyndon Johnson look Richard Russell squarely in the eye and and say, "And we shall overcome." I saw Richard Nixon resign and Gerald Ford tell the Congress that our long national nightmare was over. I saw Jimmy Carter talk about malaise and Ronald Reagan talk about a shining city on a hill. I saw George H.W. Bush deliver the eulogy for the Soviet bloc, and Bill Clinton comfort the survivors of Timothy McVeigh's madness in Oklahoma City. I saw George W. Bush struggle to make sense of it all on September 11, 2001, and I saw Barack Obama sing 'Amazing Grace' in the wounded sanctuary of Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, South Carolina.

"These were the presidents of my lifetime. These were not perfect men. They were not perfect presidents, god knows. Not one of them was that. But they approached the job, and they took to the podium, with all the gravitas they could muster as appropriate to the job. They tried, at least, to reach for something in the presidency that was beyond their grasp as ordinary human beings. They were not all ennobled by the attempt, but they tried nonetheless.

"And comes now this hopeless, vicious buffoon, and the audience of equally hopeless and vicious buffoons who laughed and cheered when he made sport of a woman whose lasting memory of the trauma she suffered is the laughter of the perpetrators. Now he comes, a man swathed in scandal, with no interest beyond what he can put in his pocket and what he can put over on a universe of suckers, and he does something like this while occupying an office that we gave him, and while endowed with a public trust that he dishonors every day he wakes up in the White House.

"The scion of a multigenerational criminal enterprise, the parameters of which we are only now beginning to comprehend. A vessel for all the worst elements of the American condition. And a cheap, soulless bully besides. We never have had such a cheap counterfeit of a president* as currently occupies the office. We never have had a president* so completely deserving of scorn and yet so small in the office that it almost seems a waste of time and energy to summon up the requisite contempt.

"Watch how a republic dies in the empty eyes of an empty man who feels nothing but his own imaginary greatness, and who cannot find in himself the decency simply to shut up even when it is in his best interest to do so. Presidents don't have to be heroes to be good presidents. They just have to realize that their humanity is our common humanity, and that their political commonwealth is our political commonwealth, too. Watch him behind the seal of the President of the United States. Isn't he a funny man? Isn't what happened to that lady hilarious? Watch the assembled morons cheer. This is the only story now."

-   Charles Pierce

Donald does like playing golf and grabbing women and lying.

Who has better physical and mental health: Joe Biden or Donald Trump??

 

Since both Joe Biden and Donald Trump are over 70 years of age, it is a legitimate question for any voter to ask about the status of their physical and mental health.  I am not talking about the differences in their political views.  I am 74, white, retired at 70, an Independent, and in decent health. 

Both of these old Presidential candidates have had physical exams, and were judged to be in “satisfactory” physical health by medical doctors.  Mr. Trump prefers not to exercise.  Joe Biden exercises every day.  Just looking at them, I would say that Joe Biden looks far leaner and more fit than Donald Trump.  Leanness in older men is medically advantageous say all doctors.  So, I will give an edge to Joe Biden on physical health. 

President Trump’s mental health is more questionable.  His character is abrasive.  He frequently insults others, calls people sophomoric names, bullies his chosen staff, tweets baseless claims at all hours, lies, is vain, gets angry quickly, contradicts himself, and rants till he is red faced – all signs of mental unfitness.  He overuses the words “great, greater, and greatest” like he is casting magical spells.  His sister, a former Federal Judge, says he is “cruel” and “unprincipled.”  John Bolton resigned and called working with Trump a “college food fight,” and Trump called the respected and conservative former National Security Advisor an “idiot.”  On the other side, Joe Biden speaks clearly, speaks carefully and respectfully, stays calm, seems to relate better to all kinds of people, and works well with colleagues.  Joe Biden doesn’t need to criticize someone or invent conspiracy theories or act like a teenager on Twitter.  I’ve seen no evidence in Mr. Biden of this kind of obnoxious mental instability in the past or at present.  Mr. Biden is also much more informed and grounded about medical science issues.  Consequently, I give Joe Biden a much better rating for his mental health. 

Mr. Trump constantly makes insulting remarks about “sleepy Joe Biden” being “worn out.”  Mr. Biden just says, “Mr. President, just watch me work when I am elected.”  For me, style matters, and Joe Biden has much more class and poise.  

I think that Kamala Harris and Mike Pence are equals in physical and mental health.  So, we have satisfactory backups in case either of these old men die in office. 

In my opinion, Joe Biden is a healthier choice for a Better America. 

 

Guns and Self-Defense Facts

 "For each instance of successful self-defense or justifiable homicide using a gun, there were twenty-two cases of assault or criminal homicide, unintentional homicide, suicide and attempted suicide using a gun."
-  Arthur L Kellerman, et al., 'Injuries and Deaths Due to Firearms in the Home', in the Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection and Critical Care, 45:2 (1998).  

This is not counting the non-lethal but serious injuries from gunshots.  Many more people injure themselves while playing with guns.  

Too many Americans watch all those old white power Western movies.  Now, in 2020, most of us live in urban and suburban neighborhoods, not the West of the 19th century.  Improved gun control and safety measures are more sensible in our day.  

Crazy Killers with Arsenals

Why I am Voting for Joe Biden

 From an old friend, Philip Yantis, from our college days (1965) and while we were working part-time at the City of Commerce Library in East Los Angeles.  We both volunteered to serve in the U.S. military.  

"To friends and family who support Trump, I copied this from another friend's post but it says what I wish to say in regards to the coming election:

A friend (who happens to be a staunch Trump supporter) asked me ‘why I want Joe Biden as my president?’

"It was actually a good, reasonable question…one that deserved a reasonable, and honest answer.

My support for Joe Biden has more to do with my severe disdain for Trump than it does with overwhelming affection for Joe Biden.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe Biden is a good, decent and honorable man…his politics and ideology are moderate, which I like...and, I believe he will work to unite us, rather than divide us. I believe he will restore a level of dignity and rational behavior to the office of the president.

But Joe Biden and I are not ‘perfectly aligned’ ideologically…no, this is not about ideology, or partisanship, or even specific emotionally charged issues, such as 'pro-life vs. pro-choice'.

No, this election is about the very character and soul of our nation…it is about placing ‘love of country’ above ideology.

I believe Joe Biden is basically honest, and will not insult us with a never-ending barrage of easily disproved lies…

Joe Biden will not tell us the 'free press' is the ‘enemy of the people’…

Joe Biden will not tell us we should trust Vladimir Putin more than we trust our own CIA, FBI, NSA, or DOJ…

Joe Biden will not advocate separating families and caging children…nor will he demonize immigrants with lies and hate-filled rhetoric…

Joe Biden will not tell us that NATO, which has successfully maintained peace in Europe for the past 75 years, is obsolete…nor would he abandon our long-held allies in Syria, an act that Lindsey Graham called a ‘stain on the character of our great nation’.

Joe Biden will not insult our closest allies (Angela Merkel, Emanuel Macron, Justin Trudeau) while flattering and fawning over Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un.

Joe Biden will not pick unnecessary trade wars with our closest trading partners

Joe Biden will not deploy federal troops against our own citizens, against the expressed wishes of the duly elected governors and mayors…

Joe Biden will not 'tear gas' protesters to clear a path for a blasphemous photo op holding a Bible upside down against the backdrop of the actual bishop of the church who expressed outrage at the actions of the president

No, Joe Biden, a devout Catholic, won’t ever use Christianity as a blasphemous prop under any circumstance…

And, this is important...even respected (former) republican leaders, some that even I respect, such as Gen John Kelly, Gen Colin Powell, Gen James Mattis, Adm William McRaven, Adm Michael Mullin, and Rex Tillerson will never feel compelled to warn me that Joe Biden is a threat to my nation, my constitution, and our democracy.

And finally, white supremacists, such as David Duke, will never endorse Joe Biden and tell us that voting against Joe Biden is betraying our white heritage…and if any of these White Supremacists did endorse him, Joe Biden would quickly denounce their endorsement and their racist beliefs…

Joe Biden will never say, 'I take no responsibility at all'...that is simply not in his nature...

I could go on, but I think you get the point…I want Joe Biden as my president because he is ‘not Donald Trump’. I want Joe Biden because in many ways he is the antithesis of Donald Trump.

I want Joe Biden for my president because I truly do love this country, and I truly do believe America, all its citizens, and the entire world deserves better than what we have gotten for the past 3 ½ years…

I could talk about the COVID response as well, but you already know what I would say about that…

I hope this clears up my reasons…and I sincerely hope everyone will take the time to consider what is the character that we want for America…what does it really mean to ‘make America great’…"

I want Joe Biden because he is man enough to choose a running mate that challenged him in the debates, a woman of color, and of Indian heritage who called him on bussing. He did not denounce her, call her vile names, do everything in his power to destroy her - which is what Trump would’ve done. He pulled her into the fold and didn’t hold a grudge because he is man enough to take criticism and grow from it, not stew in it.

Comments

Social Security and Medicare Funding

 I am concerned about the Donald Trump attack on the Payroll Tax that funds Social Security.  Half is paid by the employee and half by their employer, for a total of 15% of the wages of the employee.  Republicans, in general, have long been against Social Security since the 1940's.  

Medicare has a Trust Fund created by payments from both employees and employers.  Pro business interests have always been against Social Security and Medicare.  

My wife and I benefit greatly, at the age of 74, from Social Security and Medicare.  I want my children and grand-children have the same benefits in their old age.  We both worked and paid Social Security and Medicare from age 16 to age 70.  

I am against paying of benefits from these earmarked Trust Funds out of the General Fund.  I don't see how it will be funded consistently out of the General Fund.  

I favor the approach of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in managing these invaluable U.S. Government services and programs.  

Thanks to FDR, Lindon D. Johnson, and George Bush II for creating these programs.   

 

Wearing a Mask - Sensible Prevention

My wife and I observe the Covid19 Flu Prevention medical advice for social distancing, wearing a mask, cleaning hands, and avoiding buildings with lots of people. We appreciate all the people doing the same in Vancouver, Washington. We thank all the hospital workers for their courage, and hope that the many that are ill can recover. We avoid the uncooperative people not wearing a mask.

I cannot understand President Trump's attitude towards masking, reducing testing, and getting back together in groups. His familiar "We are doing a GREAT job" or "blame China" are unconvincing anymore. How about something like "this is a really tragic flu virus, and we can and will do better at helping people in the coming months. For now, mask up, social distance, and avoid large groups of people. We will work with the FDA and commercial labs to carefully evaluate the efficacy and safety of new treatments, new vaccines, and new drugs to combat this killer flu. We all need to be patient, practice safety measures, cooperate, and work together."

During World War II, in Los Angeles, we had mandatory blackouts. People who did not turn of lights at night were criticized and fined. Not wearing masks right now, not social distancing, and not helping to prevent the spread of this deadly flu are like people who refused to turn out their lights in 1943. Come on people, cooperate and help us out of this pandemic.

I Really Don't Care

On 6/20/18, Melania Trump, visited a detention center in Texas for young children separated from their deported illegal Mexican immigrant parents.  She questioned officials about the condition of the children; and was told it was very difficult and emotional for the children.  

I found it odd that Mrs. Trump wore a overcoat that day with the bold print text message: "I really don't care.  Do you?"  

I would prefer Michelle Obama or Laura Bush's style and skill when representing our country.  

I have had "some tolerance" for Donald Trump and his wife.  However, his tiresome "zero tolerance" rhetoric, and her insensitivity (in my opinion) have really lowered my already less that neutral tolerance for the two.  

Looking for a Place to Happen with the Tragically Hip

The Place was Dodge City, Kansas; and the Happening was in June of 1972. 

Karen and I, driving in our orange Volkswagon bug, at the 100th meridian.

Driving for hours. Incredible thunder and lightening in Kansas.  Nervous.  Country kitchen breakfasts. Delightful lovemaking in small town motel rooms.  Smiling Americans.  Being young.  Wheat and Big Spaces!!! 

Karen and I have never been to Winnipeg in Canada like the Hip band, but we've been across parts of the Great Plains and the Great Basin and Mojave deserts many times.

“At the hundredth meridian,” by the Tragically Hip band, 1992.

“Me debunk an American myth?
And take my life in my hands?
Where the great plains begin,
At the hundredth meridian
At the hundredth meridian,
Where the great plains begin.

Driving down a corduroy road,
Weeds standing shoulder high
Ferris wheel is rusting off in the distance
At the hundredth meridian
At the hundredth meridian
At the hundredth meridian
Where the great plains begin.

Left alone to get gigantic
Hard, huge and haunted
A generation so much dumber than it's parents came
Crashing through the window
A raven strains along the line of the road,
Carrying a muddy, old skull
The wires whistle their approval,
Off down the distance
At the hundredth meridian
At the hundredth meridian
At the hundredth meridian
Where the great plains begin
At the hundredth meridian.
At the hundredth meridian
Where the great plains begin

I remember, I remember Buffalo
And I remember Angelo
It would seem to me I remember every
Single fucking thing I know.

If I die of vanity, promise me, promise me,
They bury me some place I don't want to be,
You'll dig me up and transport me, unceremoniously,
Away from the swollen city-breeze, garbage bag trees,
Whispers of disease and the acts of enormity
And lower me slowly, sadly and properly
Get Ry Cooder to sing my eulogy,
At the hundredth meridian
At the hundredth meridian
At the hundredth meridian
Where the great plains begin.”

At the Hundredth Meridaian, the Tragically Hip band. Writers: Gord Downie, Robert Baker, Paul Langlois, Johnny Fay, Gordon Sinclair. 1992. 

"I've got a job, I explore, I follow every little whiff

And I want my life to smell like this
To find a place, ancient race, the kind you'd like to gamble with
Where they'd stamp on burning bags of shit

Lookin' for a place to happen, makin' stops along the way

Wayward, away we go, it's a shame to leave this masterpiece
With it's gallery gods and it's garbage-bag trees
So I'll paint a scene from memory, so I'd know who murdered me
It's a vain pursuit but it helps me sleep

Lookin' for a place to happen, makin' stops along the way
Lookin' for a place to happen, makin' stops along the way
Lookin' for a place to happen, makin' stops along the way

Jacques Cartier, right this way, I'll put your coat up on the bed
Hey man, you've got a real bum's eye for clothes
And come on in, sit right down, no you're not the first to show
We've all been here since, God, who knows

Lookin' for a place to happen, makin' stops along the way
Lookin' for a place to happen, makin' stops along the way

Jacques Cartier, right this way, I'll put your coat up on the bed
You've got a real bum's eye for clothes
Come on in, sit right down
We've all been here since, God, who knows."

Looking for a Place to Happen, by the Tragically Hip band. Writers: Gord Downie, Robert Baker, Paul Langlois, Johnny Fay, Gordon Sinclair, 1993

"Long Time Running is a Canadian documentary film, which premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. Directed by Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier, the film profiles the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip during their final tour in 2016, the Man Machine Poem Tour." The lead singer, Gord Downie, passed away from brain cancer at age 53 in October of 2017.


The two songs shared above by the Tragically Hip band where from the compilation album Fully Completely released in 2014.

Catching the Sun

The United States needs to intensify its implementation of solar energy electrical power production as have Germany and China.  The near future is obvious!

I will begin studying renewable energy topics during in the next eight months.  

Solar Energy - Wikipedia


Catching the Sun.  Documentary film, 73 Minutes, 2015.  
Filmmaker: Shalini Kantayya.  Wikipedia article. 

Flags, Marriages, and True Believers

The Confederate flag represented many Southern white mens' desires in 1850 to exploit and enslave people of color, to institutionalize slavery, to revolt and kill, and to separate from the United States of America.  In 2015, flying the Confederate flag over governmental buildings in these United States of American is inappropriate, since most people today do not support the Confederate ideology.  Numerous Federal Constitutional Amendments and many federal and state laws attempt to reduce discrimination and reduce racism.  Most people consider the Confederate flag a symbol of racism and destructive rebellion.  Such a flag has a place in a history museum, but not flying over a U.S., state capitol building, courthouse, or a university.

I was pleased by the recent United States Supreme Court decision to remove restrictions on marriages imposed by various States.  Marriage between adults of different races, different religions, or of the same sex seems to me a private matter and personal preference.  I am comfortable with letting adults chose the person they wish to love and marry.  Of course, you can be sure that States like Louisiana and Texas, ones that still fly the Confederate flag, and have statues of Confederate rebels everywhere, will still refuse to grant marriage licenses to those persons that authoritarian politicians and religious bigots arbitrarily chose to disrespect and harass.  

It is interesting to see the current GOP candidates, scurrying to gain the favor of the religious conservatives, waffle on the fundamental issues of liberty, and support the need for "State's Rights."  Do these candidates mean to say they would have no problem if the majority of the citizens of say Louisiana voted to ban and criminalize same sex marriages, interracial marriage, and abortion; established Southern Baptist Christianity as the State religion to be taught and prayed about in public schools, allowed persons to carry handguns and rifles into churches and supermarkets, flew the Confederate flag over all governmental buildings, did not pay taxes to the Federal Government, used Federal land for private purposes, encouraged alcohol and tobacco usage, built a wall around their State to keep Mexicans and other undesirables out of their State, did not allow women or dark skinned people to vote, etc.  These GOP political candidates don't have the courage to defend a position in defense of liberty and individual rights, and shuffle the issue off onto the plates of local or "State" issues.  I used to be a Republican until the religious fundamentalist Moral Majority stunk up the scene. 

I favor a government where the laws are generally consistent and uniform between all the States of these United States of America.  I favor a government that encourages liberty and justice for all.

I do understand that disagreements between State governments and the Federal government in the U.S.A. are complex, difficult, and ongoing.

I don't find the Bible or Koran very useful for information for living a good life, their 'histories' are boring and uninstructive, and their rules and social customs often irrelevant to current world circumstances and diversity. Also, believers and preachers of these two creeds have a long and bloody history of forcing others to obey their arbitrary rules and convert to their religions.  They do not believe in individual freedom and liberty, and are opposed to and want to oppress others favoring modern values, and often are at odds with a scientific and pragmatic world view.  

"True Believers," in Eric Hoffer's sense, are dangerous to civil peace and prosperity.  Whether they be Christians massacring Native-Americans and enslaving Africans, Islamic Jihadists massacring tourists in Tunisa or mosque-goers in Iraq, or dumb drug addled white supremacists waving a Confederate flag and then murdering nine black people in a church in South Carolina, black rioters in Los Angeles, Nazis, KKKers, or the Timothy McVeighs or Jim Jones's of the world ... all were true believers in theivery or murder or terrorism "justified" by religious or ideological dogmas or anger/revenge.  

A Portrait of another sullen True Believer, Dylann Roof:

"Oh, I wish I was in the land of cotton,
Old times there are not forgotten."

Crying Over the Dead

Today is an American holiday called 'Memorial Day.'  It is a day to remember American soldiers who were injured or died in wars of the past.  Yes, sometimes fighting in wars is necessary in self-defense; but, still an evil and not to be glorified.  

Even the god Krishna tried to convince Arjuna (a professional soldier) in the Bhavagad Gita that fighting and killing were a duty and necessity.  The Bible and Koran tell of how "God" slaughters people, and how murder is acceptable to punish "sinners" and non-believers. Fervent religious people are often quite pleased with killing other people.  

Scores of millions of people have died in the many useless, stupid, tragic, horrible, cruel, and crushing wars of the past. Most of the men that started or fought in these destructive rampages where merely pawns in the hands of nations or dogmas or greed or dictators or petty warlords.  There were a few heroes, and many evil men, and mostly just extremely scared people crying and screaming as the bombs exploded and bullets whizzed by and their loved ones and friends were torn apart and murdered.  

So, let us instead remember on this Memorial Day to celebrate the real joy that everyone felt when we heard "The War Has Ended" and people could live again in peace.  Let us remember the millions of civilians slaughtered by soldiers marching under ten different flags.

I recommend that we adopt an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to Limit the War Making Powers of the U.S. Government. 


I served in the United States Air Force from 1969-1983.  I served because the United States forced men of my age, through "The Draft," to serve in the Vietnam War.  Penalties, social ostracism, and imprisonment were imposed on young men if they did not "serve their country" in the military.  I had been indoctrinated in my youth in Catholic Schools to hate communists and have few moral reservations about killing atheistic communists.  Again, sadly, we were merely pawns in the hands of nations or dogmas or ideology or religions or greed or dictators or petty warlords.  

When I hear women and men talking these days about how we need to fight and kill those cruel Islamist ISIL brutes in the Middle East, and that President Obama is not "tough" enough, and these same people never gave one single hour of their life in being a soldier and/or seeing and smelling the carnage of battle, it makes me want to vomit.  

Peace and Memorials to Peace, Less Thinking about War "Heroes"  

Beware of worshiping flags, signs, emblems, and symbols.  We, and every nation, including our "enemies," indoctrinates its ruled population to stand up and show worshipful reverence to their own nation's flags and favored religious symbols and fallen soldiers and heroes.  On Memorial Day the graves of dead soldiers in America are decorated with U.S. flags and the Christian cross and gunfire salutes to their following orders.  But, remember, the map is not the territory.   

Before you get too worked this Memorial Day about our military "heroes," our brave fighting men, our courageous soldiers ... please recall just a few of the cruel acts they did to earn such glorious distinctions, to wit:


"On March 9, 1945, United States military warplanes launched a bombing offensive against Japan, dropping 2,000 tons of incendiary bombs on Tokyo over the course of the next 48 hours. Almost 16 square miles in and around the Japanese capital were incinerated, and between 80,000 and 130,000 Japanese civilians were killed in the worst single firestorm in recorded history."  

 

The United States military, during Operation Rolling Thunder, killed over 90,000 civilians in North Vietnam from 1965-1968.  Listen to a "heroic" professional U.S. soldier tell of "silencing" the Hanoi defenses to rescue one downed pilot, and the "business" of war.  

On February 14, 1945, the United States military dropped 3,900 tons of bombs on the city of Dresden in Germany, and killed over 25,000 civilians.

The United States military dropped atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 and killed over 129,000 civilians.  

The United States military killed over 550,000 civilians in North and South Vietnam from bombing, artillery attacks, and heavy weapons attacks.

 And, recently, we made a "mistake" about Iraq having any weapons
of mass destruction and for having anything to do with 9/11.
American military soldiers killed over 120,000 Iraqi noncombatant civilians.  

 

Heroes?  Artillery men, air bombers and gunners, snipers, tank gunners ...

Only crying on Memorial Day.

Yes, the horrors of war and the intense survival necessities of battle for he conscripted soldiers is nearly unfathomable.  

 

 

Only crying on Memorial Day.

I recommend that we adopt an amendment to the U.S. Constitution
to Limit the War Making Powers of the U.S. Government. 

Memorial Day: Sorrow, Guilt, Shame, Revulsion