Six decades ago, Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote from a Birmingham jail cell that it's time to be impatient and demand change. His words could not be more relevant.
Timely reminder. The fight is now rejoined. “Those who profess to favor freedom and yet depreciate agitation, are people who want crops without ploughing the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning; they want the ocean without the roar of its many waters. The struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, or it may be both. But it must be a struggle. Power concedes
nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.”
Excellent words and so very true. Remember Kent State and the murder of those children in our effort to stop the war in Viet Nam. I believe that the fight to save our democracy will take such incidents before we are finished.
George Washington certainly had power, all agreed he should be president, but he did so only because he felt it was his duty. He refused a third term and could not wait to return to Mt Vernon. I would call this conceding power even though others wished him to stay .
It's at the point where Merrick Garland owes us an explanation of why Trump hasn't been dealt with swiftly and why there are over 150 seditious members of Congress still sitting – in Congress!!!???
I have to disagree. First, I think Merrick Garland is building a strong case against Trump and will indict when it is solid. He, unlike Trumpists, doesn't try cases in the media. You can thank your fellow citizens who elected seditionist to Congress.
I consider Garland to be very weak, and I have held that opinion of him for some time. Interesting how Garland made a public TV appearance about the youg Airman who released highly classified material; but, makes no comment about DJT.
Weird! I posted a response that popped up 2x. Deleted one and both disappeared. Anyway. Jack Smith may be providing the "cover" that Garland needs. We are living through uncharted waters with the psychiatric imbalance of the Orange Grifter on display daily.
Then Garland is in the wrong job. Hopefully, Jack Smith with give Garland cover. We need strong advocates for protecting our constitutional democracy, especially at this time. Strong means aggressive. Overly cautiouis people often given away the game before the game has even begun.
White religious leaders are just that: Religious. I, too, am a Seminary graduate and ordained. A close friend from Seminary, a black man, once remarked about me: "Deep inside you, VIncent, is the soul of a black preacher man". Often it is the least among us who are the greatest among us.
How sad that two energetic visionary BLACK legislators are vilified while two WHITE Members of Congress -- Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert -- are celebrated.
Look at it this way: notorious and celebrated aren’t the same. A criminal may have notoriety. Boebert, startlingly, clung to her seat by only about 500 votes, and she clearly hasn’t learned from that experience. (Her opponent of 2022, Adam Frisch, has announced his intention to run against her in 2024.) Greene owes her seat to gerrymandering, not to any talent or dedication to her job. Unfortunately such is the nature of her district that the nation is probably stuck with her. As for Reps. Justin Pearson and Justin Jones, they have not only become national heroes, their images recognized everywhere, but symbols of courage, free speech, and resolutely defending the interests of citizens amid the bloodbath of gun carnage. In one of the Republican Party’s classic self-owns, these young legislators were not only made famous but regained their seats as well.
If Boebert had any sense, she’d realize how precarious her position is, and do a job of work, or look as if she’s doing it. But it’s actually to our advantage that she puts on this Ship of Fools exhibition. I hope we can help Frisch get the votes he needs next time. I don’t know about Greene, that district was scientifically engineered to put someone like her in office. But nothing’s impossible.
"Ship of Fools"! SO appropriate. Once a fool, always a fool. That may sound unfair, but my sense is that Boebert does not know how to get out of her own way. She enjoys the spotlight and the glam, but a star she is not.
Fortunately for us. She makes the ideal foil for any Democrat from the president on down. “Take a good look,” they can imply. “Let MAGA win, and this determines your future.”
Remember Boebert's background, as the owner of Shooters Grill in Colorado, where the serving staff wore guns holstered on their hips, and served 'Shotgun burritos', 'Locked N' Loaded Nachos, 'Swiss & Wesson' burgers and 'Rifle Toast.' That tells us a lot about her. (I understand the business is closed, as the Landlord decided not to renew her Lease.)
Shooters Grill served “sliders” without a permit at a rodeo, which caused food poisoning in their unfortunate customers. That may have been the beginning of the end. Shooters Grill, in a nice bit of irony, will be replaced by a Mexican restaurant.
Thank you for our astute analysis, Catherine Creecy. It does seem like a stacked deck for elections in the gerrymandered districts. What did the Republicans expect would happen when they expelled 'the two Justins' (Pearson and Jones)? As you say, the reinstated lawmakers achieved a level of recognition and notoriety as defenders of democracy.
MTG and LB should be embarrassments for the Republican Party. Given their acceptance, I wonder if they represent what the GOP feel in an appropriate level for a female; i.e. not well-educated and often blissfully uninformed?
Yes, I agree. MTG definitely knows how to play her cards for personal advantage. She virtually rides whatever horse she thinks will win. KM is quite the superfluous dud front man for the Republicans. In his victory (?) speech, after finally securing the Speaker's position following 15 ballots over 4 days, McCarthy waxed poetic about his upbringing: 'my father always old me, its not where you start, but where you finish'. He proclaimed that he 'will never give up.' I still question WHY the GOP would accept him as their representative for Speaker of the House? Weak individuals in positions of political power serve NO useful purpose, other than perhaps making their colleagues feel more empowered.
I would add to McCarthy's dad quote: . . . but where you finish even if corrupted to get there." Each of us can contextualize a parent's remark, even when the remark itself is not remarkable. The GOP "accepted" him because he is so easy to manipulate. He has no spine, no b***s and most certainly no sense of ethics. So consumed with self-importance and self-gratification, McCarthy would sell his entire family for a "win". "Weak individuals" do indeed serve a purpose where the strong and ill-willed/ill-intended are actually running the show.
On Lincoln’s last day, you write of MLK. Thoughts of Tennessee and MLK preaching: “And so Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness: recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That’s a new definition of greatness. And this morning, the thing that I like that about it - by giving that definition of greatness - it means that everybody can be great. Because everybody can serve.”
Can anyone name any examples of Democratic lawmakers offering “thoughts and prayers” as a solution for the plague of semiautomatic weapons, or insulting Black constituents with demands for more civil language, or to wait a bit later, until at length the historic moment for the signing of the John L.Lewis Voting Act should have come around? I would be curious to know this. I put it to you that the fault lies not with our “body politic,” but with one specific part of it, in outspoken language, as you request, the Republican Party. It has hardened its heart against dead schoolchildren and their grieving families, and is deliberately and strategically scheming against democracy, putting obstacles in the way of Black citizens to vote. There is a solution to our problems, and that doesn’t lie with civil vs. uncivil speech, or even refraining from intercessory prayer for the grief-stricken if one’s belief system tends that way. It’s electing more Democrats to make better laws, so that our Democratic president can sign them. Is this possible? Elections are decided in the swing states, sometimes by very small margins, precinct by precinct. For example, last November, more than 107 million Americans voted. The Democrats lost the House by 6,675 votes in five congressional districts. That’s how close Hakeem Jeffries came to becoming Speaker.
The GOP roll out their stereotypical 'thoughts and prayers' phrase in an mock effort to show they care about the lives that are sacrificed by gun violence. It is merely a convenient catch phrase, because what Republicans really care about are the political contributions they receive from the NRA gun lobby, which aid their political aspirations.
“If you’re black and you’re worried about police brutality, that’s identity politics. If you’re a woman and you’re worried about the male-female pay gap, that’s identity politics. But if you’re a rural gun owner decrying universal background checks as tyranny, or a billionaire CEO complaining that high tax rates demonize success, or a Christian insisting on Nativity scenes in public squares—well, that’s just good, old-fashioned politics.”
- Ezra Klein
“You can tell people of the need to struggle, but when the powerless start to see that they really can make a difference, nothing can quench the fire.” - Leymah Gbowee
If we—and now I mean the relatively conscious whites and the relatively conscious blacks, who must, like lovers, insist on, or create, the consciousness of the others—do not falter in our duty now, we may be able, handful that we are, to end the racial nightmare, and achieve our country, and change the history of the world. If we do not now dare everything, the fulfillment of that prophecy, re-created from the Bible in song by a slave, is upon us: God gave Noah the rainbow sign, No more water, the fire next time!
Baldwin, James. The Fire Next Time
John Lewis, 1940 – 2020
“We were beaten, we were tear-gassed. I thought I was going to die on this bridge. But somehow and someway, God almighty helped me here. We cannot give up now. We cannot give in. We must keep the faith, keep our eyes on the prize.”
"For myself I have always felt that if the premises of Christianity were valid at all, they placed the Negro upon precisely the same plane as the white man; that if the premises of democracy were true for the white man, they were true for the black. There should be no artificial distinction created by law, and what is much more to the purpose, by custom simply because the one man has a skin different in hue than the other. "
The Journal of Negro History
Primitive Law and The Negro, pg. 2
Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
Barack Obama
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, commited, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead
All we need to do to understand that those in power will not cede power without a fight, is to read our own history. Observe the GOP attitude toward the insurrection effort of Jan. 6, and any demonstration by POC, Women, or LGBTQ+ groups. Our laws and our religion are designed to protect white supremacy. Most of those people who cry out about 'woke', and educated 'elite', hold law degrees, some of them from multiple universities. Yet they want society in general to remain ignorant.
One last citation:
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."
Thank you for your very powerful writing, Steven, and reminding us of the wisdom of Martin Luther King, Jr. His call to action should have been answered, and yet here we are yet again, stymied with inaction on changing gun legislation., something many other countries have been able to do. The United States holds the unenviable status of having experienced more mass shootings than days in this year 2023.
It has been more than a decade since December 14, 2012 mass shooting, when 26 people were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Newtown, CT. Twenty of the victims were 5 & 6 year old children and the six remaining were staff members! That horror should have brought the train of GOP obstinacy that blocks progress on gun legislation to a screeching halt. It is beyond conscience that Republicans wilfully obstructed efforts to move laws forward then, as they do now. We should applaud Alvin Bragg's fortitude in going forward with charges against Donald Trump, as well as taking on Republican 'attack dog' and Trump sycophant, Jim Jordon. Jordon. a former College Wrestling Coach, may find himself metaphorically 'pinned to the mat' and 'down for the count', in the fray that ensues. It takes courage to not only do what is right, but what is necessary. Political courage to stop the hemorrhage of innocent lives lost due to gun violence, needs to prevail in 'the home of the brave'.
The time is now - thanks for this well-written missive and reminding us of the eloquence of MLK. They all ask for civility which means those who are protesting are supposed to be civil but those who are oppressing, corrupting and lying do not.
USA lost ground due to Trump. We need to reclaim decency honesty and integrity but only after Trump is properly dealt w in court. His stench must be eradicated
Thanks, Steven, for this excellent and important analysis. It is time, more than ever, for people to fight for what is right and to help America live up to the promise of its ideals. Thank you for continuing to be a beacon of light for bringing out the best in America
A belief in white supremacy, superiority is bogus. Ancient China was more progressive, united, civilized , economically advanced than white Europe. Africa, the cradle of civilization, practiced farming 10,000 years ago, Northern Europe-6,000, and contributed to science and technology, esp. mathematics, metallurgy. They also wrote. You might say Europeans grew strong and dominant from trade and acquiring goods produced by these ancient civilizations.Black people in America have been "waiting" since 1619, indigenous Americans even longer. Yet, Asian Americans are kicked, beaten on the streets of our cities; Black Lives Matter protests resulted in police violence, tear gas, hosing. A good indication of the treatment of American Indians is found in the book"Killers of the Flower Moon." And who doesn't like the movie, Dancing With Wolves?
Some black progress has been made. We did have a highly respected black president. When he won, I was looking out the window at kids going home from school. A young black boy , all alone, had the biggest smile on his face and was practically dancing, so proud was he. My heart sang along with his. It is also interesting that since black men were always called "boy," black jazz musicians started calling each other "man." A common expression by all today (Hey, man, come on, man, man am I hungry ) but its beginnings unknown.
There is nothing I can say about guns that I haven't already said. I am against them. All of them. Some piddly few attempts are made that really wouldn't end the problem. No "Profile in Courage" here. Japan was an aggressive, warring, murdering enemy, guns galore . Yet today, has probably the strictest gun laws on earth.So change is possible tho it took war to do it. But American laws..............what laws?
I am afraid that wait will never end. Here I am in Florida : ( with old Ron not only banning books, interfering in education, wanting dates of girls' periods, fighting with Disney , he now allows anyone to carry a gun anywhere exposed-stores, streets,Walmart, even church if they want to.An intelligent man with all sorts of accolades acting like a power grabbing SOB. Yep ! A long wait.
I don't care if people are rich. Wish I were as do all who buy lottery tickets. But they need to pay their dues. Be giving. Help others with less and in need. Be like Ben & Jerry.
The terrible troubling fact today in America is, I believe, poverty. 1 in 8 kids go to sleep hungry. Poor ones are denied a school lunch because they can't pay.(Imagine the embarrassment and affect this has on a child.) Pay in this country is a crime. Companies run by Ebenezer Scrooge. Work like a dog and get a quarter raise after six months. Trillion dollar companies. Have to work an hour to buy a loaf of bread. There is a skinny woman at an intersection I drive through who walks up and down the median, homeless,hungry sign.Looks distraught. But she smokes, so one thinks if she can buy cigarettes, she can buy food. But you know, in her unhappy existence, probably no friends, uncaring relatives, I think if a cigarette gives this poor soul a little peace, a little happiness, keeps her from sadness each day, give her a whole carton ! Her better off "sisters" are in the grocery store buying bottle after bottle of wine. Let her smoke !!!
So many tell me they wish it were the 50s still. Except for African Americans, those years were happy.Safe. Inexpensive. My dad gave mother a $20 bill for groceries. (She did, however, think it wasn't enough, so actually got a job at the candy, nut counter at Woolworths. Daddy said she would break a cashew in half so weight on scale would be correct..)
Mollere said trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit. Must be a lemon tree seedling
Yes, your addition is spot on. It amazes me that KM, along with all his shortcomings you aptly identify, displayed no embarrassment about his grovelling to win the Speaker's Chair. I believe there was even a picture of some of his furniture and possessions being moved into Nancy Pelosi's former office, before he had secured the job. Corruption is not an issue, it seems, after DJT established a road map for bad behaviour by a President, and flaunted imbecilic behaviour, as if it was his badge of honour.
Timely reminder. The fight is now rejoined. “Those who profess to favor freedom and yet depreciate agitation, are people who want crops without ploughing the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning; they want the ocean without the roar of its many waters. The struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, or it may be both. But it must be a struggle. Power concedes
nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.”
Excellent words and so very true. Remember Kent State and the murder of those children in our effort to stop the war in Viet Nam. I believe that the fight to save our democracy will take such incidents before we are finished.
George Washington certainly had power, all agreed he should be president, but he did so only because he felt it was his duty. He refused a third term and could not wait to return to Mt Vernon. I would call this conceding power even though others wished him to stay .
That sounds very much like Frederick Douglas.
It's at the point where Merrick Garland owes us an explanation of why Trump hasn't been dealt with swiftly and why there are over 150 seditious members of Congress still sitting – in Congress!!!???
I have to disagree. First, I think Merrick Garland is building a strong case against Trump and will indict when it is solid. He, unlike Trumpists, doesn't try cases in the media. You can thank your fellow citizens who elected seditionist to Congress.
Would like to see results before next election
I consider Garland to be very weak, and I have held that opinion of him for some time. Interesting how Garland made a public TV appearance about the youg Airman who released highly classified material; but, makes no comment about DJT.
I think Garland is smart not to try DJT in the media. That would play into the MAGA'ts hands
Weird! I posted a response that popped up 2x. Deleted one and both disappeared. Anyway. Jack Smith may be providing the "cover" that Garland needs. We are living through uncharted waters with the psychiatric imbalance of the Orange Grifter on display daily.
I retired judge friend of mine said Garland is way too super super cautious
Then Garland is in the wrong job. Hopefully, Jack Smith with give Garland cover. We need strong advocates for protecting our constitutional democracy, especially at this time. Strong means aggressive. Overly cautiouis people often given away the game before the game has even begun.
I remember first reading the Letter from the Birmingham Jail in seminary. White religious leaders still haven't responded appropriately.
White religious leaders are just that: Religious. I, too, am a Seminary graduate and ordained. A close friend from Seminary, a black man, once remarked about me: "Deep inside you, VIncent, is the soul of a black preacher man". Often it is the least among us who are the greatest among us.
How sad that two energetic visionary BLACK legislators are vilified while two WHITE Members of Congress -- Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert -- are celebrated.
Look at it this way: notorious and celebrated aren’t the same. A criminal may have notoriety. Boebert, startlingly, clung to her seat by only about 500 votes, and she clearly hasn’t learned from that experience. (Her opponent of 2022, Adam Frisch, has announced his intention to run against her in 2024.) Greene owes her seat to gerrymandering, not to any talent or dedication to her job. Unfortunately such is the nature of her district that the nation is probably stuck with her. As for Reps. Justin Pearson and Justin Jones, they have not only become national heroes, their images recognized everywhere, but symbols of courage, free speech, and resolutely defending the interests of citizens amid the bloodbath of gun carnage. In one of the Republican Party’s classic self-owns, these young legislators were not only made famous but regained their seats as well.
Word play: Notoriously celebrated! Hopefully, their constituents will come to their senses.
If Boebert had any sense, she’d realize how precarious her position is, and do a job of work, or look as if she’s doing it. But it’s actually to our advantage that she puts on this Ship of Fools exhibition. I hope we can help Frisch get the votes he needs next time. I don’t know about Greene, that district was scientifically engineered to put someone like her in office. But nothing’s impossible.
"Ship of Fools"! SO appropriate. Once a fool, always a fool. That may sound unfair, but my sense is that Boebert does not know how to get out of her own way. She enjoys the spotlight and the glam, but a star she is not.
Fortunately for us. She makes the ideal foil for any Democrat from the president on down. “Take a good look,” they can imply. “Let MAGA win, and this determines your future.”
And LB particularly enjoys her salary of $174,000. / year.
Remember Boebert's background, as the owner of Shooters Grill in Colorado, where the serving staff wore guns holstered on their hips, and served 'Shotgun burritos', 'Locked N' Loaded Nachos, 'Swiss & Wesson' burgers and 'Rifle Toast.' That tells us a lot about her. (I understand the business is closed, as the Landlord decided not to renew her Lease.)
Shooters Grill served “sliders” without a permit at a rodeo, which caused food poisoning in their unfortunate customers. That may have been the beginning of the end. Shooters Grill, in a nice bit of irony, will be replaced by a Mexican restaurant.
Thank you for our astute analysis, Catherine Creecy. It does seem like a stacked deck for elections in the gerrymandered districts. What did the Republicans expect would happen when they expelled 'the two Justins' (Pearson and Jones)? As you say, the reinstated lawmakers achieved a level of recognition and notoriety as defenders of democracy.
MTG and LB should be embarrassments for the Republican Party. Given their acceptance, I wonder if they represent what the GOP feel in an appropriate level for a female; i.e. not well-educated and often blissfully uninformed?
The fact that Kevin the Coward McCarthy has openly embraced MTG would seem to answer that question.
Yes, I agree. MTG definitely knows how to play her cards for personal advantage. She virtually rides whatever horse she thinks will win. KM is quite the superfluous dud front man for the Republicans. In his victory (?) speech, after finally securing the Speaker's position following 15 ballots over 4 days, McCarthy waxed poetic about his upbringing: 'my father always old me, its not where you start, but where you finish'. He proclaimed that he 'will never give up.' I still question WHY the GOP would accept him as their representative for Speaker of the House? Weak individuals in positions of political power serve NO useful purpose, other than perhaps making their colleagues feel more empowered.
I would add to McCarthy's dad quote: . . . but where you finish even if corrupted to get there." Each of us can contextualize a parent's remark, even when the remark itself is not remarkable. The GOP "accepted" him because he is so easy to manipulate. He has no spine, no b***s and most certainly no sense of ethics. So consumed with self-importance and self-gratification, McCarthy would sell his entire family for a "win". "Weak individuals" do indeed serve a purpose where the strong and ill-willed/ill-intended are actually running the show.
NOW! Period. Full stop.
On Lincoln’s last day, you write of MLK. Thoughts of Tennessee and MLK preaching: “And so Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness: recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That’s a new definition of greatness. And this morning, the thing that I like that about it - by giving that definition of greatness - it means that everybody can be great. Because everybody can serve.”
Thank you so much for this, Steven Beschloss! My feelings exactly, but I can’t form them into such beautiful language!
Can anyone name any examples of Democratic lawmakers offering “thoughts and prayers” as a solution for the plague of semiautomatic weapons, or insulting Black constituents with demands for more civil language, or to wait a bit later, until at length the historic moment for the signing of the John L.Lewis Voting Act should have come around? I would be curious to know this. I put it to you that the fault lies not with our “body politic,” but with one specific part of it, in outspoken language, as you request, the Republican Party. It has hardened its heart against dead schoolchildren and their grieving families, and is deliberately and strategically scheming against democracy, putting obstacles in the way of Black citizens to vote. There is a solution to our problems, and that doesn’t lie with civil vs. uncivil speech, or even refraining from intercessory prayer for the grief-stricken if one’s belief system tends that way. It’s electing more Democrats to make better laws, so that our Democratic president can sign them. Is this possible? Elections are decided in the swing states, sometimes by very small margins, precinct by precinct. For example, last November, more than 107 million Americans voted. The Democrats lost the House by 6,675 votes in five congressional districts. That’s how close Hakeem Jeffries came to becoming Speaker.
The GOP roll out their stereotypical 'thoughts and prayers' phrase in an mock effort to show they care about the lives that are sacrificed by gun violence. It is merely a convenient catch phrase, because what Republicans really care about are the political contributions they receive from the NRA gun lobby, which aid their political aspirations.
“If you’re black and you’re worried about police brutality, that’s identity politics. If you’re a woman and you’re worried about the male-female pay gap, that’s identity politics. But if you’re a rural gun owner decrying universal background checks as tyranny, or a billionaire CEO complaining that high tax rates demonize success, or a Christian insisting on Nativity scenes in public squares—well, that’s just good, old-fashioned politics.”
- Ezra Klein
“You can tell people of the need to struggle, but when the powerless start to see that they really can make a difference, nothing can quench the fire.” - Leymah Gbowee
If we—and now I mean the relatively conscious whites and the relatively conscious blacks, who must, like lovers, insist on, or create, the consciousness of the others—do not falter in our duty now, we may be able, handful that we are, to end the racial nightmare, and achieve our country, and change the history of the world. If we do not now dare everything, the fulfillment of that prophecy, re-created from the Bible in song by a slave, is upon us: God gave Noah the rainbow sign, No more water, the fire next time!
Baldwin, James. The Fire Next Time
John Lewis, 1940 – 2020
“We were beaten, we were tear-gassed. I thought I was going to die on this bridge. But somehow and someway, God almighty helped me here. We cannot give up now. We cannot give in. We must keep the faith, keep our eyes on the prize.”
"For myself I have always felt that if the premises of Christianity were valid at all, they placed the Negro upon precisely the same plane as the white man; that if the premises of democracy were true for the white man, they were true for the black. There should be no artificial distinction created by law, and what is much more to the purpose, by custom simply because the one man has a skin different in hue than the other. "
The Journal of Negro History
Primitive Law and The Negro, pg. 2
Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
Barack Obama
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, commited, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead
All we need to do to understand that those in power will not cede power without a fight, is to read our own history. Observe the GOP attitude toward the insurrection effort of Jan. 6, and any demonstration by POC, Women, or LGBTQ+ groups. Our laws and our religion are designed to protect white supremacy. Most of those people who cry out about 'woke', and educated 'elite', hold law degrees, some of them from multiple universities. Yet they want society in general to remain ignorant.
One last citation:
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."
Nelson Mandela
Yes, and as my Accountant pointed out to me, many Lawyers are charged, indicted, fined and/or do time in Prison.
Thank you for your very powerful writing, Steven, and reminding us of the wisdom of Martin Luther King, Jr. His call to action should have been answered, and yet here we are yet again, stymied with inaction on changing gun legislation., something many other countries have been able to do. The United States holds the unenviable status of having experienced more mass shootings than days in this year 2023.
It has been more than a decade since December 14, 2012 mass shooting, when 26 people were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Newtown, CT. Twenty of the victims were 5 & 6 year old children and the six remaining were staff members! That horror should have brought the train of GOP obstinacy that blocks progress on gun legislation to a screeching halt. It is beyond conscience that Republicans wilfully obstructed efforts to move laws forward then, as they do now. We should applaud Alvin Bragg's fortitude in going forward with charges against Donald Trump, as well as taking on Republican 'attack dog' and Trump sycophant, Jim Jordon. Jordon. a former College Wrestling Coach, may find himself metaphorically 'pinned to the mat' and 'down for the count', in the fray that ensues. It takes courage to not only do what is right, but what is necessary. Political courage to stop the hemorrhage of innocent lives lost due to gun violence, needs to prevail in 'the home of the brave'.
The time is now - thanks for this well-written missive and reminding us of the eloquence of MLK. They all ask for civility which means those who are protesting are supposed to be civil but those who are oppressing, corrupting and lying do not.
USA lost ground due to Trump. We need to reclaim decency honesty and integrity but only after Trump is properly dealt w in court. His stench must be eradicated
Thanks, Steven, for this excellent and important analysis. It is time, more than ever, for people to fight for what is right and to help America live up to the promise of its ideals. Thank you for continuing to be a beacon of light for bringing out the best in America
A belief in white supremacy, superiority is bogus. Ancient China was more progressive, united, civilized , economically advanced than white Europe. Africa, the cradle of civilization, practiced farming 10,000 years ago, Northern Europe-6,000, and contributed to science and technology, esp. mathematics, metallurgy. They also wrote. You might say Europeans grew strong and dominant from trade and acquiring goods produced by these ancient civilizations.Black people in America have been "waiting" since 1619, indigenous Americans even longer. Yet, Asian Americans are kicked, beaten on the streets of our cities; Black Lives Matter protests resulted in police violence, tear gas, hosing. A good indication of the treatment of American Indians is found in the book"Killers of the Flower Moon." And who doesn't like the movie, Dancing With Wolves?
Some black progress has been made. We did have a highly respected black president. When he won, I was looking out the window at kids going home from school. A young black boy , all alone, had the biggest smile on his face and was practically dancing, so proud was he. My heart sang along with his. It is also interesting that since black men were always called "boy," black jazz musicians started calling each other "man." A common expression by all today (Hey, man, come on, man, man am I hungry ) but its beginnings unknown.
There is nothing I can say about guns that I haven't already said. I am against them. All of them. Some piddly few attempts are made that really wouldn't end the problem. No "Profile in Courage" here. Japan was an aggressive, warring, murdering enemy, guns galore . Yet today, has probably the strictest gun laws on earth.So change is possible tho it took war to do it. But American laws..............what laws?
I am afraid that wait will never end. Here I am in Florida : ( with old Ron not only banning books, interfering in education, wanting dates of girls' periods, fighting with Disney , he now allows anyone to carry a gun anywhere exposed-stores, streets,Walmart, even church if they want to.An intelligent man with all sorts of accolades acting like a power grabbing SOB. Yep ! A long wait.
I don't care if people are rich. Wish I were as do all who buy lottery tickets. But they need to pay their dues. Be giving. Help others with less and in need. Be like Ben & Jerry.
The terrible troubling fact today in America is, I believe, poverty. 1 in 8 kids go to sleep hungry. Poor ones are denied a school lunch because they can't pay.(Imagine the embarrassment and affect this has on a child.) Pay in this country is a crime. Companies run by Ebenezer Scrooge. Work like a dog and get a quarter raise after six months. Trillion dollar companies. Have to work an hour to buy a loaf of bread. There is a skinny woman at an intersection I drive through who walks up and down the median, homeless,hungry sign.Looks distraught. But she smokes, so one thinks if she can buy cigarettes, she can buy food. But you know, in her unhappy existence, probably no friends, uncaring relatives, I think if a cigarette gives this poor soul a little peace, a little happiness, keeps her from sadness each day, give her a whole carton ! Her better off "sisters" are in the grocery store buying bottle after bottle of wine. Let her smoke !!!
So many tell me they wish it were the 50s still. Except for African Americans, those years were happy.Safe. Inexpensive. My dad gave mother a $20 bill for groceries. (She did, however, think it wasn't enough, so actually got a job at the candy, nut counter at Woolworths. Daddy said she would break a cashew in half so weight on scale would be correct..)
Mollere said trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit. Must be a lemon tree seedling
Yikes! Nothing like making Rodeo fans ill from food poisoning, and yet LB was able to win re-election. albeit by a slim margin, in her State.
Yes, your addition is spot on. It amazes me that KM, along with all his shortcomings you aptly identify, displayed no embarrassment about his grovelling to win the Speaker's Chair. I believe there was even a picture of some of his furniture and possessions being moved into Nancy Pelosi's former office, before he had secured the job. Corruption is not an issue, it seems, after DJT established a road map for bad behaviour by a President, and flaunted imbecilic behaviour, as if it was his badge of honour.