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Hats off to El Som for knowing the best music for each occasion.. .
The taxpayer was walking down the street. In pulling a phone out of his pocket, a dime fell to the sidewalk and rolled to the curb. Someone, a tired person, sat on it and drank wine out of a bottle in a paper bag…….
I bet you thought this was going to be a posting of deep insight, didn’t you?
“I am often asked what I would like to see happen above all else in our country and in our world.
So many things to pray for, so many things to work for,
But certainly my answer would be a world, where all children are loved and cared for–
first by the families into which they were born, then by all of us who are linked to them and to one another.
When we are reminded of the bounty and protection we enjoy, most of us are … grateful.
Our gratitude has its roots in a view of government that dates back to the days of the Pilgrims, and the successive waves of immigrants who came to this country, seeking religious and political freedom, and better economic opportunity.
In this view, government is an instrument, both to promote the common good and to protect individuals rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
There is nothing more important to our future than the well being of our children, for children are at our core==
Not only as vulnerable beings in need of love and care, but as a moral touchstone amidst the complexity and contentiousness of modern life…
Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes children to raise up a village.– to become all it should be.
The village we build with them in mind, will be a better place for us all…..
Hillary Clinton — “It Takes A Village”
As Trump spews racist comments out both left and right sides of his mouth, Republicans don’t hear it and continue to do their duty and push the vote button beside his name…
In a way, they are comparable with those Germans still fighting for Hitler after the war was inevitably lost. What really were they fighting for? More dead by prolonging the inevitable?
All Republicans need to recognize their party is RACIST… Not all it’s members are RACISTS, but… the party itself…. IS…
It is anti-Black, no matter what lip service they send minorities. It is anti-immigrant, primarily focused on Hispanics, but their language is broad enough to include all non white Americans. It is anti-women, reveling in “pigs” and “fat” and other derogatory terms used to give women pause, more then accurately call anything out as it really is…
Basically the Republican party is nothing but bullies who intimidate others into staying in line…
It is also sexist and highly derogatory to women…. Based on recent comments, it appears that a woman not only has to do what men do, but also do it backwards, and remain “pretty” and “smiling” throughout the entire process…
We just witnessed the worst possible candidate every nominated by a major party make a huge fool out of every Republican still intent on voting for him… And there was silence… Exactly how bad was Mr. Trump?
Well…. Let’s for a moment just pretend he is a ….. woman, shall we?
“Imagine a woman who showed up to a presidential debate unprepared, sniffling like a coke addict and interrupting her opponent 70 times. Further, let’s imagine that she had 5 kids by 3 different men, was a repeated adulterer, had multiple bankruptcies, paid zero federal taxes and rooted for the housing crisis in which many thousands of families lost their homes. Wait… there’s more: she has never held any elected office in her life.”
So … why are you still voting for him? There can be only ONE reason….. he is a male………… probably the worst fvcking male on this planet, lol, but still, he is a male…
Face it… You are sexist….
Most often we argue whether the office is needed. Allan Loudell over the years has opened his forums with a question regarding just that… Of course all the candidates say it is important, they are running for that office. But in the US, 43 of 50 states have a lieutenant governor. In 25 of those 43 states, the governor and lieutenant governor are elected on the same ticket, ensuring that they come from the same political party. In the remaining 18 states, they are elected separately and, thus, may come from different parties.
Delaware is in the last category.
The Lieutenant Governor has one prime duty:…to step into the governor’s role should that person become incapacitated. In Delaware, they also sit as the honorary chair of the Senate, similar to the Vice President sitting in front of the US Senate, as well as head Delaware’s Board of Pardons, which decides who shall be pardoned and who shall not.
Everything else is window dressing which is why many consider this statewide office position to be worthless.
Quite often the Lieutenant Governor (at least in Delaware) is touted as a stepping stone to the governorship… Some have jumped from one to the other… But many more have not. Over the past 50 years, only three former Lieutenants became governor. Just 3.
Which is why we are fielding a weak field this year…. If one of the criteria is to put in someone capable of being governor in a crises (such as loss of the real governor) then we have a very feeble field from which to draw. Almost all of Delaware’s entrants come from the very bottom of our ballots, you know those names and titles at the very bottom after you’ve voted for everyone whom you came for?
This year we can choose between a Wilmington City Council person; a Kent County Levy Court (their county council) person; a New Castle County Register of Wills person; a Rehoboth Beach City Commissioner, and a Sussex County Register of Wills person….. And there is one person who is a state senator.
Really. There is no one with acceptable “creds” to step in and run a state. It will obviously have to run by itself.
Of course if you listen to all of them, each will chime that their experience has prepared them for being immediately thrust into the governorship… That is like me boasting since I know how to drive, (shift, brake, accelerate, turn left and right) I’m prepared to win at Talladega if chosen as an alternate; none of these have any executive experience strong enough to jump in at a moments notice and run one 50th of the most powerful nation of all time.
So, experience is out of the mix when it comes to choosing. It really evaporates down to personalities of who you like. Men? Women? Rural? Urban? Suburban? Resort? It becomes a high school election cycle with so many candidates creating too many variables to predict. Who ever wins, wins.
If you want to stay away from candidates bought and paid for, don’t vote for anyone sending you a mailer to your house. That rules out McGuiness who has the “Delaware Way” royal’s support and whose future function will be to make sure that Copeland Enterprises has smooth sailing into the next cycle.
If you voted for Bernie and nostalgically wish he were the top candidate, then you should probably vote for Sherry Dorsey Walker who was at all Bernie’s functions this spring primary season and would be a good candidate for his support if it were forthcoming. An Afro American choosing Bernie, is a solid enough “cred” right there.
If you are a senior, and desire a champion, then Poppiti is definitely the one for you. As the local expert on Wills, he has a fondness for those in the golden years. Having heard from quite a few older Americans, he probably has the most empathy for those in their waning years of life.
If rural inclined you have a choice of two, Eaby and Fuller, the first from Kent, the second from lower Sussex. Eaby stands out with his view on legalizing and taxing Marijuana and applying those monies to k-12 educational needs… (I can see the disclaimers on the textbooks now… “Provided by Marijuana Proceeds”). It shows creative thought. The other rural candidate, Fuller. hasn’t yet outlined a solid platform. His background comes from the criminal justice system.
A state senator is not ready to be a governor. They can preside over the Senate having some familiarity there, but even neophytes can do that task without any prompting. But she more than any other candidate has had constituent experience and that speaks volumes. However unlike all the other candidates, she does have a voting record on Education… and her votes show her as a follower of Sokola, and not as a leader on educational matters. Since education IS the primary function of state government, the one that can get us in hot water the quickest, her unfamiliarity with its deeper issues probably precludes her from being first choice to step in as governor. On the other hand it was her surprise pro-gay marriage vote, despite her ministerial father’s warning to her, that pushed that into reality….
It is almost a flip of a coin.
However, looking at the long term plan for Delaware and the nation, the last thing we need are people catering to conservatives and the thing we need most are Bernie people in power to make decisions that are people based over investment based..
Therefore on that alone, one should probably support Sherry Dorsey Walker as Lt. Gov. In this day and age, after having an Afro American president followed by a woman one, it is probably time to have our first female Afro American elected to a statewide office in a state that is 22.4% Afro American itself and home of Harriet Tubman’s legacy.
In a field where no one has executive experience, the symbolism of the office actually becomes more important than the duties it performs (probably time to get rid of such an office). In this case, who would provide the best symbol as Delaware’s face to the world, takes precedence over any competency issues among any of the candidates. That’s the sad truth. And that, along with the fact she was behind Bernie Sanders 100%, is what swayed me to support Sherry Dorsey Walker in this upcoming primary race as this state’s Lt. Governor.
“I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.” (Title 10, US Code; Act of 5 May 1960 replacing the wording first adopted in 1789, with amendment effective 5 October 1962).
And interesting story which could be true or not. For it is believable. Myself, I believe it to be true because it fits with my preconceived ideas, but in today’s world, even I could be punked; its veracity is based only on my personal feelings, my trust in the people who shared it with me, and it has no bearing to anyone else but me. But I offer it just in case any of you have sworn off a certain brash candidate but are also having reservations about supporting everyone else. I decided to fill in with this because I think it shows a huge difference between one particular candidate and all three of the others, both major parties and minor.
(And in this age of campaign rhetoric and baloney on fb from everyone you know who suddenly has come out of the closet to post memes….. reading this story from start to finish is a nice break from the madness surrounding us every four years.) Check for something to dry your eyes…
Here is the main stream media’s version if you would like to peruse it there…
“I thought for a time that Bernie Sanders might be our best option for President. I liked his radical ideas, and I believed, and still believe, that things need to be changed. But then I was reminded that some people speak well and inspire, and others actually show up and get things done. It may not be as inspirational; it may not lead to a slogan or button, but the showing up–consistently and firmly–changes lives.In February of 2007, when I was working part-time in the bookstore of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I was diagnosed with bladder cancer. I did not have insurance, and I did not have savings. The urologist who diagnosed me sent me to Planned Parenthood, where a female physician mapped out the treatment options for me. I was treated for a time by Planned Parenthood physicians, not the cartoon abortionists or criminals they are often said to be. The doctor at Planned Parenthood put me in touch with an oncologist who, when told of my lack of insurance or funds, treated me as a family member, telling me to remind the billing department and other personnel that I was her family member. Being labeled as such entitled me to discounts on my treatment.It takes a woman. Or women.I attempted to pay, as well as I could, the fees for the treatment, but the hospital chose to report me to a collection agency, which began legal action. My physician was startled, and suggested that I contact both the billing department and my senator.The billing department told me I earned too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but I could apply for financial aid offered by the hospital. However, I was told, the collection process would continue.I contacted the office of my senator, Hillary Clinton, and within two weeks I was speaking to someone in her office, who, at one point, handed the phone to the senator herself. “You did not enter a credit agreement with that hospital,” she told me, “so I cannot fathom why they are pursuing you as if you did. In addition, that hospital is aided by the state of New York and the federal government, so they are way out of line. You need to fight this cancer and get well: You don’t have time for this nonsense. Let me look into it.”Within a week, the collection calls ceased, and within a month, Hillary Clinton put me in touch with two organizations offering financial aid to people undergoing cancer treatment. These organizations eliminated half of my debt, and within eighteen months, I had paid the remaining amount, without any collection activity or annoying calls.I just re-read the letter that Hillary Clinton sent to the hospital (It was Roosevelt, if you must know), and in her indignation, she refers to me as her friend. Not a constituent, but a friend. She prevailed upon the proud history of the hospital and the medical profession to do the right thing, and adjudged the collection activity to have been an “unfortunate mistake or oversight.”On two occasions I received letters from her, and once a phone call. The doctor from Planned Parenthood and the oncologist recommended by that organization continued to treat me at discounted rates. My friends–again female–at the Museum kept my cancer a secret, and probably saved my job.I am now receiving treatment through insurance made available through the Affordable Care Act, and while I am cancer-free, there are still follow-up procedures that are necessary.And yet–Hillary Clinton and Planned Parenthood are villainous, despicable, ready for defunding or defeat. I don’t understand that, and I don’t understand how we have difficulty in choosing our next President or where our donations should go. But that’s me.That’s my time with HIllary Clinton.”
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Wasn’t that awesome? I know that every Delaware legislator has a story just like that one. I know many appointed public servants have likewise. We all know it is part of the job. We vote legislators in… we vote them out based on things other than their care or concern for other people.. Things like policy. Things like political parties. Things like religious endorsements… Silly huh?
But as I read this… I got the distinct impression that the humanity. the empathy, the motherhood here was completely missing in the GOP, was invisible at the GOP convention. And post DNC convention, all we hear from Republicans is double down toughness, hate, and an overwhelming amount of flubbering. In fact, the Republicans have no empathy for anything that is weak. Appropriately they opened the convention with a WWF personality! Got to be tough, resilient, got to smash, bash, hurt, demoralize, and destroy our “opposition”….
But their “opposition” is people. People like you. People who when born, changed their mom and dad’s lives forever. People who as children, gave their grandparents hope that better days would one day come. People who became college educated, who sought out and were given good jobs, who help make America work on a daily basis doing what ever their alloted task is to do.
These are not our enemies. Our enemies are people arrayed against us who are tough, resilient, who intend to smash, hurt, demoralize, and destroy us; our enemies have exactly the same traits as the Republican convention showed they want us to think they have…. I don’t want to be ruled by terrorists; people who act no different from ISIS.
I want to be ruled by a good king. A kind king. A wise king. A king who will call up a hospital that has overstepped its authority, and can put them in line.. I want someone who will care…. Not an asshole who says: you’re weak; toughen up…
So, who are we? Flaming assholes? Or real human beings… We support the guy who throws a baby out of his rally? Or someone who stops harassing collectors from incessantly calling?
To me, as an American. There IS only one choice. I’ll leave you in suspense until November as to who that is…
🙂
Why is this happening I hear as the news is announced. Social Media explodes with “what is this world coming to…”
The answer is that the world is no different than it ever was… Except that today, it is just awash in guns thanks to the NRA….
The NRA’s campaign of madness drove everyone to buy a gun. Whether mentally stable or not…they now have guns and are itching to use them… Seeing a cop kill someone needlessly on YouTube, is a good reason as any….
Extreme passions will always exist. But the caliber of weapons in their hands, don’t have to.. WE chose to allow that, and now, finally, it is our policemen who are dying for it…
Ban guns like Australia, and let’s fight with bows and arrows instead… Though crimes of passion may remain, our death toll will go down and that is what we all want..
Right now, I don’t think anyone cares about the 2nd Amendment anymore… Do you know of anyone out there saying these dead policemen are just the collateral damage for keeping our rights? (That is exactly what Wayne LaPierre said of dead blacks; wonder what’s different about “dead policemen”?)
Let me explain the rational behind actively banning all guns…. If you say nothing and the gun owners scream 2nd Amendment rights, nothing will change; guns stay the same… And the exact opposite would occur if you scream BAN ALL GUNS and the NRA stays silent, which is why gun laws do get passed in crime ridden inner cities….So what has to happen is that you work to ban all guns, yet are willing to accept any compromise that allows some to remain safely in hands of people who will never use them in anger… If it appears that having guns banned is really about to happen, the NRA will modify their stance into a compromising position, instead of losing the right for anyone to own a gun forever.
We will have success, in fact both sides will win… But that achievement can ONLY happen if political pressure far great than the NRA’s, lines up to BAN ALL GUNS…..
Saying you want all guns banned is not really to ban all guns….. but to make the NRA believe it is about to happen so they un-harden their hearts and compromise….
On one hand you proclaim noisily that you want to ban all guns, and with the other you craft legislation that compromises your principles and allows some guns, but puts restrictions strong enough to keep guns out of the hands of all but the most trustworthy of collectors…
Instead of posting on social media you stand with the blue, like and share, you should be protecting the blue from being shot by posting you are against all guns… Get it? ALL GUNS…. (but really you aren’t: wink, wink)….
Everyone is hungry. All sit down at the tables… Food is brought out and everyone gets served…. but Bob….
Bob looks around and says, “I deserve food”.
Everyone looks up and says: “We all deserve food” and continues eating…
Bob still has no food….
So. What’s Bob to do?
kavips 