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As the clock approached midnight, the last of well wishers who’d slipped in just before the gates closed around 830 pm gave their condolences to the Biden family….
The posted schedule said Friday’s viewing would be between 12-4 and 6-9 pm…
So many people showed up that the family stood non-stop from 12 noon to a little after 11pm greeting everyone of the overwhelming number who showed. Many of which had the long trip down south to our Southern portion when they were done…..
And that is rather amazing.
One person, obviously nervous, was overheard to have said “thank you for all you do” when meeting Joe… Oddly that encompasses how lucky Delaware is to have it’s Bidens….
One has every right to be selfish when losing one’s son. I cannot imagine…. Friends who’ve lost theirs, describe the dark hole that swallows you up and takes years to accept… Years.
But many of us have to grieve as well. And recognizing that fact, and allowing the public to share their grief, shows something we rarely see in today’s political spectrum…. an understanding of people…. And that is what makes the Biden’s special, up and down this state, whether rich or poor, whether liberal or conservative, whether white or brown. Around Joe Biden, none of that matters. We are all people, just like him…..
That makes Delaware very lucky……
As one surveyed the entire spectrum of humanity, lined up for hours to spend seconds at the casket and offer condolences, one saw not differences, but similarities… We are 99% all the same… We have dreams that need fulfilled. We have pains that need soothed. We have love that needs to be expressed…. and we have tears.
One cannot see Mitch McConnell opening his doors to his constituents. Nor can one see tens of thousands whose inner beings told them to go, lining up to offer condolences… Nor for John Boehner… Ted Cruz…. Scott Walker…..
But for the Bidens to do so seems absolutely natural…. Because of who they are….
So, to join that one stuttering person strung out from hours of waiting…. “Joe, Thank you for all you do…..”
If you are a writer …… when you stare death in the face you have to write about it. And that was today in Legislative Hall.
Everyone dies…..
But not everyone truly …lives….
And without question, Beau Biden had a really full life for a man of 46 years. It is that we should celebrate simply because it is exceptional… Many of us tonight still walking this earth, in the remainder of our lifetimes could not accomplish what this fellow has…
And I think we need to celebrate that…. Here was a man who lived well. Married well. Had a wonderful family. Served his country in Afghanistan. Ran the Attorney General’s office better than many of recent memory…..
If he could do it… so can we… we are all mortals… the root of which comes from the Latin word for death…. He didn’t sit on his butt. Perhaps we do…
And that, is what we should celebrate….. That here on this planet was a man who cheated death once as a little boy, and was determined not to cheat himself out of one moment of living knowing it could go at any time…. He lived a good life. Though we grieve for what could have been, had cancer not called his number, we must remember that like him many Americans have gone before and died prematurely. Not all of them lived as well as he.
If each of us can carry a little of the fire he had, and muscle through the grind of every new day with passion in remembrance of him, then his spirit lives on, here on earth, as it does in heaven…..
Amen.
Death is not a bad thing… It is sad due to the goodbyes, but those goodbyes are temporary… One day we too will be dead and then find ourselves in the same boat… Will we meet up? Tradition says yes. Something in our genes tells us yes. And personal stories passed down man to man, woman to woman, of strange, odd, occurrences surrounding people who’ve passed, tell us maybe….
Mankind has always believed so, and being of that species, until I receive direct proof I will continue to believe so with every particle of atom of my body…
Death is like going to Europe… or New Zealand… Someplace so awesome, and so far away, we can only go there once, and must have all our ducks in order before we make the trip. Some of us can’t make it right now… We have things to do here. But when we’re done, we too will get our ticket and head over to join the celebration that has been ongoing since the dawn of time….
No. Death is not a bad thing… It is the next step….. A graduation…. An acknowledgement that we have gone through our trials and tribulations here on this planet and now, have the universe to travel… For that we do.. No longer bound by space or time, we who still are can only imagine the possibilities that being so free can provide…
So for now, Beau… it’s “see you later.” Say hello to your mom and sister for me… I never met them but I knew their husband and dad, so can only imagine that they really have to be a super great pair of people….
And if you can use your position in space time to enable us down here to continue making the world a better place, give us a wink, will you? Or nose wiggle, or whatever it is you have to do up there…
Although down here it may seem awhile… up there: Carry on dude, we’ll be there shortly….. ❤
No. Death is not a bad thing.
Pictures speak 1000 words.
On the one month anniversary date of the Newtown shootings, Delaware steps up to take down the NRA. Delaware Governor Jack Markell, Delaware Lieutenant Governor Matt Denn, and Attorney General Beau Biden, announced the legislative agenda to take on gun violence.
“The gun safety measures we are proposing will strengthen our ability to keep guns out of the hands of those who should not have them,” said Governor Markell…. “This package of gun safety measures is directed at individuals who might impose violence with a gun.”
Lt. Gov. Denn. then said: “With respect to guns, our proposals focus on two important goals: keeping guns away from dangerous people, and protecting victims from the weapons most likely to be used illegally.”
I know that military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips designed for battle have no place on our streets. These proposals are a reasonable and sensible approach that will improve public safety and respect the Second Amendment.” said Attorney General Beau Biden.
The proposals are as follows:
1. Requiring Background Checks for Private Firearm Sales.
Because 40% of all firearms nationwide are acquired from unlicensed sellers, this is an enormous loophole—one in which convicted felons, minors and other prohibited purchasers can readily avoid background checks and easily acquire guns.
2. Requiring the Reporting of Lost and Stolen Firearms.
A mandatory reporting requirement provides law enforcement notice of suspicious patterns of behavior by persons who repeatedly fail to file reports yet claim that their guns were lost or stolen after the guns were recovered from a crime scene
3. Banning the Sale, Manufacture, Delivery and Unlawful Possession of Large-Capacity Magazines:..
30 mass shootings (with four or more victims killed) occurred in the United States from 1982 through 2012. Although the circumstances of such mass shootings varied, each incident had one thing in common: they all involved one or more large-capacity ammunition magazines. This bill would prohibit the manufacture, sale, purchase, transfer or delivery of large-capacity magazines.
4. Banning the Manufacture, Sale, Delivery and Unlawful Possession of Military Weapons:
The sale of military-style assault weapons – firearms that are made for the battlefield and have no place in our communities – was outlawed in 1994, but the ban expired a decade later. This bill would prohibit the manufacture, sale and delivery of these military weapons
5. Banning Possession of a Firearm Within 1,000 Feet of a School.
By outlawing possession of a firearm in close proximity to school, we will enable law enforcement to interdict those individuals who knowingly possess firearms and do so in near school buildings and school yards. The purpose of this law is to create safe school zones, where children are secure, where parents can have peace of mind that upon leaving them in the morning, they will not be subjected to gun violence, and where teachers can go about their important task of educating our youth without fear of violence.
In a fair and balanced approach, Delaware’s Democrats protect the 2nd Amendment while moving forward to combat gun violence.
The NRA could have pushed forward such legislation 30 years ago. They chose not to. Since they abrogated their duty of keeping is safe from guns, the government of the state of Delaware, now has to do their duty for them.
“We will not bury our heads in the sand and pretend that gun violence has nothing to do with guns” Matt Denn
Why you have to do a reality check everytime Gingrich speaks……
Gingrich quotes describing President Obama as the:
“finest food stamp president in American history” because more people will end up getting government aid than new jobs.
Fact: George W Bush followed Newt Gingritch’s plan while in the White House.
Fact: The best remedy for less public assistance, is more jobs.
Fact: During the 8 years of George W. Bush, there was 0 net job growth…. Zero.
Fact: Under Obama’s tenure, 2.9 million new jobs have been created, (get this) in the private sector.
Truth. Gingrich’s taunt works better against his own policies. They certainly don’t apply to those of President Obama.
Bottom line; If you want more welfare and public assistance, vote Republican.. If you want jobs, vote Democratic.
History is all the proof you need.
Right click to open full image… Pictograph Courtesy of Viral..
So, can someone tell me again, why we shouldn’t tax the rich, and instead, balance the budget on the backs of everyone else?…….
I seem to be missing that little detail where that all makes sense……
The story goes that Warren Buffet, rather worried about his investments early 2008, wanted to talk to God… God told him to use his phone and he’d send him the bill… He got and paid the $333 million dollar charge. His investments flourished, too… That would be the end of the story, except he was down in Sussex County recently, following up first hand on a corporate case being processed out of Georgetown… once again, he asked God for the right to call, and agreed to accept the charges… When he got his bill, he was fuming… He was only charged 25 cents… “God”, he said, “you ripped me off on that first call, big time!”… God said, “Warren, don’t you get it? In Sussex County, that’s a local call…”
Local call or not, Sussex County is weighing in on whether to say a prayer before County meetings or to not… Here are a few takes on that policy: one, two, three, four……
As someone who grew up where prayers were always said before football games and county meetings, it isn’t a big deal…… That is, as long as everyone agrees it isn’t a big deal. You don’t see prayers before meetings conducted in New York.
Not because New Yorkers are heathens, but because in New York, you have a multiplicity of religions, so praying a prayer from one of them, is a slap in the face for all others…
Why it’s even an issue in Sussex County is because the Positive Growth Alliance, has been building condo’s like ants, and lots of people who did not grow up in Sussex County, now live there. Many have different ideas of religion than those who’ve always been there all their lives…
If everyone believe in the same version of God as does David Anderson, then of course, duh, why are we even arguing about it… Of course we’re going to pray to God to guide us through this meeting.. That’s what He’s for!
Suddenly, thanks to Rich Collins and the Positive Growth Alliance, we have tons of people who do object to having David Anderson’s version of God, one who dislikes Homosexuals, and one who casts pox on Democrats, one who believes married people should have sex only when they have children, one who believes sex between animals is immoral, one who believes taxes are caused by the devil, one who believes that nature was made to bulldoze and pave with a combination of petroleum and gravel. … one who believes that oil companies have the divine right to pollute oceans, one who believes that animals were made for us to kill. … one who believes a national religious holiday should fall on the first day of deer season.. one who believes pick up trucks and baseball caps are proof that homosexuality is a sin,… on who believes killing someone with a gun is not a sin, but taking that gun away for the safety of others is…
(yes, I’m having fun and talking tongue in cheek)…
The point I’m making is that Sussex County is changing; and it is changing mostly thanks to Rich Collins and the Positive Growth Alliance.
Can you make new citizens join the current religion? If so, then by all means, just like the days of old, they will see no qualms in having a tiny prayer before the meeting.
But if they don’t want to join that religion, then, to force one group of religious people to impose their prayers on others, is not American…In fact, it’s kinda creepy…
If in an effort to show fairness, the Sussex County decided they would do prayers from all religions in alphabetical order, when they came to “B” and hit Buddahism, giving an Buddahist prayer before the session, most of those in the audience would be saying WTF! This is our nation, why do we have to listen to such crap…
Which is… exactly what those Buddahists think, who have opened a business in Millsboro, and have come before the county to ask for a variance on something or other that is in their antiqued code….
So… If it is unnatural for a Baptist to suffer a Buddahist prayer, it is equally unnatural for a Buddahist to sit through a Baptist prayer…
It’s not about one religion being right and the other wrong. It’s about who the citizens are that make up Sussex County. If you want to blame anyone over this controversy, the blame solely lies with those who built up Sussex County and brought in all these new people to begin with… Now that they are here, we have to make Sussex County as fair to them as New York, is fair to us, when we take our business up there……
Positive Growth, huh? Depends on your version of positive I guess………….
Rumors were that New Castle County Executive Chris Coons was holed up in Delaware’s Democratic headquarters last night to plan his strategy for taking bead on Mike Castle… Delaware’s whiningest politician… (or is it winningest? idk)….
Both are running for the Senate seat to be vacated by Delaware’s most effective public servant ever to work in Washington…
Initial speculation was that Chris Coons will have a tough fight… (He is running against a well funded cardboard cutout...)
After all, Coons has been beat up a little in the tug of war between the people living, dying, and breathing in this county, versus the interests of the developers and labor unions…. But beat up politicians are the expected par for course when you decide to take someone who isn’t new to the process… And one good thing about politicians previously beaten up: they tend to have more longevity….
Fortunately for us, politicians evolve. But right now, if one were to ask me, the election would be between a rock and a piece of paper… The scissors would decide the outcome… Coons was vibrant his first race in 2000… But working in the dark of the New Castle County building can take a little life out of the man… He will need to revisit his youth and find the tone he once had… especially down in Sussex County… It would be nice to hear him guffaw once in awhile…
Mike Castle stands for ancient history… He will say he is experienced having served 18 years in Congress already… But experienced at what? What did he do to help our state over his entire term while he was in office… Word is… he will say he voted… That’s good. But anyone can vote…..
A Delaware Senator needs to get results. We are not a giant state.. We only have one Congressperson… Therefore our Senators must share a larger percent of the burden of getting Federal money NOT to go to another state, but to come here…. Each senator here has 33.3% of the responsibility of getting money into Delaware… That’s compared to the 3.2% of responsibility a Senator from New York has…
Mike Castle has not delivered 33.3%… We Delawareans are suffering because of it… If he didn’t deliver in the House… what makes one think as he gets older and older and older and older and older that he will deliver 33.3% in the Senate?
I’m sure in this fair state, there will be at least one knucklehead who will support Castle.. That’s acceptable. No one can be perfect and win unanimously.
The winner of this contest will be the one who can break out of his mold and convince voters of Delaware that he will bring change to both Congress and Delaware… Right now, change is a hard concept for Mike Castle to sell.. Against conventional wisdom at the moment, I’m telling you that according to the numbers not out yet, the ones forthcoming in October of 2010, Chris Coons will have the edge….
But he will need all the help he can get…… Now is the time for Jason330 to dust off Mike Castle’s record……… again..
Aware that many accounts would cover the whistle stop in Wilmington, Delaware, instead of being one of many, I chose to watch the train pass through Newark.
Face it. Today’s temperature had something to do with it… The idea of standing in bitter cold for many hours, … well… let’s leave that to the next generation… I would be content to say I saw the train pass by…
My biggest take away from watching his train go past, and looking around at where I was, was how much trust someone like our President must have in our nation each time he goes out into the public realm… For as tight as security was… opportunities abounded for the unthinkable…. at an almost infinite number.
He has to trust his nation, just as we have to trust him….
Did I say it was cold?
The bridge next to the old Newark Assembly Plant was covered with security. The steps and platform going Northbound were maxed out with people, all bundled in warm clothing.. Packed like sardines hopefully they had body warmth to share… Being without any heavy clothing, this author kept going and found a parking spot at some undisclosed Newark location where he could park ten feet from the security fence that was 40 feet from the track… Listening to WDEL, the train was just leaving Wilmington at 2:00 when the electrical anomaly surged… My radio went dead as did everyone’s electronics… All around everyone checked their cell phones, if they were speaking, they got cut off, and if they checked their clocks were temporarily set to 0:00. But as the signal was re-established, the cell clocks reset themselves. Unfortunately my car radio had to be done manually… (it has been so long since the last time change… Which sequence of buttons does one push?)
Fronted by a slow moving Amtrak helicopter at roughly 1000 feet, the anticipation began to build… Shouts of “lights” and the far off sound of a blaring train horn sent the anticipatory levels to near peak… Traveling slow, with syncopated lights blinking, one Amtrak engine with two cars pulled behind it, shook the ground under my feet… Bracing against the cold, we cheered as the train pulled through the station, the crowd roaring and shaking their signs. Looking through windows for any sign of a wave, I remember thinking… is that the Georgia Train Car I have heard so much about? It looks like a regular Amtrak car…. The crowd must have thought the same thing, for no one but me, who was by now freezing, moved towards their car…..
Once inside the warm cockpit, I remember thinking that the difference between the train leaving Wilmington and its arrival in Newark, had been too quick… Another train, THE train, must be coming… Braving the cold, was a bounty of protesters (or supporters) carrying large cardboard letters… Darlene Battle and a group from Acorn, put their signs up for Steve Beard to photograph. The sign once raised, said in bold capital letters: ELECTRIC CARS: YES WE CAN! (That photograph should be circulated on email in the near future…..)
I couldn’t help but think that with the coming of this new administration, where on earth could one invest and create a plant that could be capable of building our nation’s first electric car… An abandoned car assembly plant might be a start… And if one could find one such factory next to a University that was internationally known for its research into renewable technology, perhaps one may have found the ideal location in which to invest in a plant to make electric cars… And if one could ever find two underutilized automobile manufacturing locations, just miles apart in close proximity to that same university, then that might be the ideal core to initially invest all into that new technology….
Gee, I wonder is such a place even exists?
But it was time. Braving the cold once again this author found a location near the fence, and felt the sub-audible hint of an oncoming passenger train… The crowd began to roar as the two engine Acela train raced past on the near track at 70mph. The train was long.. Probably the longest passenger train I have ever seen on the East Coast in twenty years.. I didn’t count the cars, but at its back… in antiqued splendor, rolled the old styled blue colored gold trimmed in the word “Georgia”….. rail car… At such wind speeds no one was on the back deck, still draped with flags… the windows raced too fast to see anyone inside…. but how brave or how trusting one must be to travel it in today’s era…
It was cold, did I mention that?
As I raced back to the warm confines of my car…. a Delaware National Guard Chinook hovering at about 5000 feet up, was following the train.
kavips 
