Yoke me?

The history of the old south, is just that southern history of stories—tales of gold and Spanish moss in the distant trees, white columns and mint juleps… a land of fantasy because that didn’t happen in any of my family. The only Spanish gold in days of old that I am aware of is the school song that I attended in Alabama.  Then there is southern chivalry.

The real purpose of chivalry was how a gentleman stood against a gentleman on the battlefield. All the “foo…foo” that people talk about is simple manners that have been made up as time has progressed. In the last 40 years it has started to fade away. The delicacies of society are nothing more than made up big monied bull manure.  A gentleman was supposed to only fight a gentleman, knight to knight, bishop to bishop, king/queen to king/queen but of station denoted the person and or representative. They are supposed to be evenly yoked. 

  

We have an election coming up. Now I just can’t think of President Trump being in office for 4 more years. Although, at this rate it will happen. The democrats are missing the “equal yoke” in the equation like General’s “U.S.” (Hiram was his birth name) Grant and Robert E. Lee fought in the Civil War. The only reason some may speculate as to the outcome of the Civil War is because the general’s had Sherman and Jackson. The outcome might have been different had Jackson lived.  

When Reagan’s time administration ended after 8 years, the general republican consensus was never again to elect a president as old as Ronald Reagan.  What was done with Trump? Trump was older than Reagan in his first year of Presidency. 

The position ages men twice as fast. Obama had black hair and was young and vibrant when he became president. After eight years he his no longer young and vibrant. Look at the past president’s pictures for proof. 

I think most of the democratic hopefuls are great; are they strong enough to beat the current sitting President? No. Even though, I would love to see a woman president in my life time, it is doubtful and not this year. Women are their own worse sex enemy meaning women are most critical of women. It doesn’t matter about race either when it comes to women. I know of one woman I have met in my lifetime that could beat Trump out. She is a strong district Vice President in a property investment corporation in Atlanta. She is much younger than myself, her sons are grown, and she has a very supportive husband. She has only had one spouse. Her background is clean. She is respectful to everyone she speaks to and chooses her words wisely. She is polish gold in the bank. But, she is not running for President or involved in the political arena to my knowledge. 

What is needed is an equally yoked hard-sensed older male. I know Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden are not the contenders. I like them both but they will not be able to beat Trump unless they know how the deal of deflection works. It has already started too.

The question was raised the other day, that Joe Biden had been Vice President for eight years. How come he wasn’t able to get anything fixed then, what he is promising now? Sanders folded to Clinton. How weak is that?  Those will be the main reasons for not voting for either of those good men.  So where would the Democratic party go from here? There are a lot of men and women seeking the nomination. 

I challenge each and every voter to keep in mind: 

(a)The constitution is not going to be changed. To change the constitution is not an easy feat. The first or second amendment is not any trouble, period. It never was. Gun laws are left up to the states. The right to gather is up to the municipality. The right to redress has to be peaceful. 

(b) Abortion issues are state problems. Do not let the government set national laws on this issue. 

(c) Education has national guidelines only. The states sets the rules. Talk to your teachers and become educated on education. 

(d) Stay informed not to be told what to think. Question everything, even if it comes from the party you support. 

(e) Just because a president has been voted to be impeached, there has to be a trial. The Trial takes place in the senate to remove him from office.  No President in the history of the United States of America has been removed from office. They have been impeached but not removed. 

Last words on any subject this evening:

Mueller's report wasn't a waste of money, some serious criminals were convicted. Did we learn form these issues or are we going to learn from these issues? 

Graduates, when one door closes another one opens.  

Best to close and open everyday with prayer. Lay your problems at the foot the of the cross. 

God bless each and everyone to stay safely in HIS arms. 

Update

It has been a while since I have written on my blog. It was the first winter in this old house. I like to froze my big old shinny hinny off. My children took care of getting me extra heaters and extra Sherpa comforter and lap blanket for me to keep warm under. They were great too.  I also inherited two new members to the family. My daughter brought me two Russian Blue kittens. I named them Smoky-kitty and Coffee-kitty. They are such a handful and are worse than two little toddlers. They get into everything. 

Summer is finally here and due to the humidity, my left leg is swollen like a big sausage. That is the leg I have the most problem with. Life goes on and unfortunately for me I feel stuck in many ways in this house. The heat and air quality are hot and bad, I can’t even get out and sit down on my porch. The inside of the house of this house can be brutally scorching as well. I cannot totally blame my problems on the weather, because it is hard for me to naturally control my body temperature. One day it could be 30 degrees outside and I am hot and the next freezing. Same in the summer time. All I can do is adjust my clothing and keep hydrated with plenty of liquid—water.

Of course, this is my blog and I would be remiss not mentioning politics or today’s society ills. Well the drama on the hill is as usual—drama. The president seems to want to fight all this investigation going on. He shouldn’t. He should consider it as an opportunity to improve. I know I didn’t support him or vote for him, but in all honesty, could anyone else have done better? Maybe and maybe not. I don’t know the future. I just hope for peace in our country.

The society ills, well, we will always have those and we will have to bound and be untied to overcome what ails America. I know I sound uninterested in politics and society, but I have had some really bad problems—physically and mentally especially since Christmas. I feel I am finally coming out of it slowly but surely. I spent a few more days in the hospital.  I do worry about all this teen gun violence in school. I know how to use a gun and use one very well.  However, due to my problems, I am not stupid. I gave up keeping weapons when I got married. I really wanted a safe environment for my children to grow in and it was.  I would no more own a gun because of the physical and mental illness problems that I do experience. Furthermore, I don’t see the need for one. I still strongly believe in the 2^nd Amendment; always have. People must remember that it is actually up to the states to make laws for gun safety and not our national government.

I will make this recommendation, tell someone you love them every day. It truly makes a difference in peoples lives. My children are grown and still I tell them one way or another “I love you.”

God bless each and every one.

March for our lives-- the 2nd Amendment is secure.

The marches led across America were very moving. I was really proud of our young people taking their part in such a democratic constitutional part of our government. It was a chance to address their grievances in hopes of being heard to make changes.

As I have told many of my friends, at no time will the 2^nd Amendment be in jeopardy in this great country of ours. If the NRA or anyone tells you otherwise, they are wrong period. The 2^nd Amendment is the same in 2018 as it was in 1776. All of our states and commonwealth holdings must abide by the 2^nd Amendment.

We will cover how an amendment to the constitution is changed and then talk about who is really in charge of gun control.

To change any of the constitution, both houses of US Congress has to agree with 2/3rds of both houses the changes to be made. Then, the changes are sent to the states for ratification. 3/4ths of the states (38 states) must ratify the changes by their legislature or special ratifying conventions by a specified time period. A president cannot change the constitution. The Supreme Court cannot change the constitution. That is under the law of 1 USC 106b and the Constitution itself.

But, this actor said and that actor said…. They were paid advertisement by the NRA. Do not be so blinded by money and pretty bright lights and specialized advertising. Ones fears of protection or having something taken away from them can be used against you. There are companies paid to do just that and they have been around for a long time.

Who is really in charge of gun sales and possession thereof? The states. Each state has their own agenda for legality when it comes to gun control, however they cannot take your weapons away from you because of the 2^nd Amendment.

I heard today: that is what Hitler did to the Jews. They took their guns. Well, Adolf Hitler is dead, this isn’t World War II, they didn’t have a 2^nd Amendment, nor was their government set up the way ours is. History cannot repeat itself. There can be many similarities.  

Each state can set laws allowing for certain weapons to be possessed and owned, licensed or not. A state cannot take your weapon that you have protecting your domicile, unless there is a legal entanglement involved. Then that is a wholly different matter in context.

My suggestion is to gun owners, know the laws in your state. Do not wait or depend on lobbyist groups like the NRA to tell you anything. We are supposed to be intelligent individuals, well it is time in this case to act like one. God gave us brains, USE THEM!

There are more than 300 million weapons owned currently in America. 5 million of them are AR-15 semi-automatic rifles. Assault weapons are what is used by the military and law enforcement. Educated yourself on the difference. Assault weapons have generally been banned except with a special ATF Licenses. These type license do not come easily and are generally issued with special provisions. However, AR-15 was a weapon originally designed for military use as an automatic and re-designed for use as a semi-automatic. They had been illegal in some states but slowly they have become legal.

The NRA will tell you they aren’t a lobbyist group. YES, THEY ARE. They are registered in Washington, DC as a lobbyist group. They really lobby in the states because the states laws do not have the same requirements of reporting lobbyist funds as the national government does. If you don’t believe it check it out on your own. There are enough government websites that are available due to the Federal Information Act. Just “Google” list of government registered lobbyists. To see if the information is official most times it will read (dot) gov.

We as a society so steeped in automated technological advances will believe almost anything on the internet, especially if it is untrue—a lie. Including what comes out of the mouths of our government. Do not be so obtuse nor naïve when it comes to common sense. The NAACP use to have a slogan “The mind is a terrible thing to waste.” Well it is. We all have them. We all took hopefully took government and history in school. If you have never actually read the constitution, read it; the “Federalist Papers” – read it.

It is our duty to get involved with our government. It is our duty to criticize our government and share the jokes that the comedians make about our elected officials. I remember late former Presidents Nixon, Ford, and Reagan were roasted often (Nixon more so after he resigned). The former Presidents GHW Bush, Clinton, GW Bush, and Obama all were at the brunt of a lot of jokes as well. Some very malicious but funny. Many time Chevy Chase would pretend to be Ford and trip down the stairs from Air Force 1. Reagan had horse jokes, the Bushes had family jokes, Clinton had sex jokes, Obama well what can I say… I won’t, but they were pretty bad as well—racial in nature. However, bi-racial jokes would have been funnier. Joke is a joke is a joke.

Out of the mouth of children, Jesus favorite were children, there comes truth, hope and dreams of growing up in a safe world. If we cannot do our parts as a society, then we all have failed. It takes a community to raise a child. Always has and always will. If think for one minute you raised your children by yourself, then you either locked up somewhere with no exposure to anything or raised them on a deserted island with just you and them.

Yolanda R. King was in Washington DC standing tall like the grandfather she never knew, Martin Luther King. She said, “I have a dream that enough is enough.”

There were millions who marched today across this great land of ours. No more violence, gun control is needed. It as a March for our Lives. State and national legislatures I would be very afraid for your jobs if you all don’t cooperate. Many of these young people will be turning and are already 18 and have taking the opportunity to vote. Do not fall into the NRA green machine of its money. Government control does not need to be handled by big mega corporations but by the people. 

This is just my opinion. It is meant as no harm to anyone or inanimate object. It is not malicious because I am not a malicious person. It is done to exercise my rights in Freedom of Speech in accordance with 1^st Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America in which I am a naturally born citizen of.

Freedom… it is all about freedom to choose. Freewill was given to us by God and no man can take that away from us.

2nd Amendment is not an issue or even in question

When my son was six months old, I attended a service for a fourteen-year-old-boy who had died from a gunshot wound. The teenager’s father was a paramedic and the first one on the scene. His mother was a young counselor for troubled teens. His sister was a senior in high school. I will never forget what I saw that day.

Three adults and fourteen young students were killed at a high school in Florida. The why is yet to be answered. The weapon of choice for use in the mass killings was an AR-15. I cannot help but think, what if this were my children? My grandchildren? My great-nephews? A spouse? Could any of this have been prevented?

Up close and personal

Nikolas Cruz, the alleged shooter, is 19 years old. He and his biological brother were adopted by the Cruz family.  His adopted father, Roger, died of a heart attacked several years ago. His mother, Lynda, passed away in November 2017.  Nikolas lived with family friends. Many acquaintances stated he was an introvert, nice quiet person, and there was no indication of something like this every happening.

Yet, Nikolas had behavioral issues and was supposed to be on medication but had not seen anyone for over a year. As a member of Jr. ROTC, he was a member of the high school marksman club and participated in NRA grant sponsored shooting competitions.  He eventually was expelled from school and could not come on to school property with a back pack. Teachers knew he was a potential threat. They had received e-mails about him. Students joked that if they had a shooter, it would be Nikolas.[1] The FBI was notified of a YouTube video that Nikolas had made but stated he couldn’t be positively identified. Furthermore, the FBI was contacted again in January 2018, with information where protocol was never followed. Why was the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms not contacted as well?  

Local law enforcement stated he purchased the AR-15 legally.

Weapon of Choice

The AR-15 (ArmaLite Rifle) was manufactured in the 1950s along with an M-16. Component wise, they are about the same weapon except the M-16 is strictly for military use. The AR-15 was used in south east Asia and eventually was sold to private individuals. By 1969, the M-16 was fully integrated into the military. When weapons are made, the have to be within the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (AFT) enforced rules and regulations for public use. The AR-15 was never made with the intention of public sale. Therefore, it was modified differently from the M-16.[2] Some states however, did outlaw it. It is the states who are in control of the gun laws as long as they do not obstruct the 2^nd Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. What is the difference between an assault rifle and non-assault rifle?

An assault rifle is classified as a fully automatic weapon and has been restricted for public use since 1934. An AR-15 can be modified to be an assault weapon very easily. As a non-assault weapon, a repeating in fire is a fast as one can pull the trigger. The magazine is generally sold in 30 rounds but 100 round magazines can be purchased.[3] The bullet used is smaller. In comparison, a handgun bullet can be stopped by a thigh bone. An AR-15 would shatter the thigh bone.[4] Simply put one is a knife and the other is the butcher. As of 2016, there is an estimate of five million people in America own AR-15. [5]

Mental Illness

Mental health in this country is a serious issue and one that we should not stigmatize but learn about. I have a mental illness. Yet I would not ever attempt or want to own a weapon like any type of firearm. Why? I do not trust myself with one. It is that simple. I don’t even trust myself to drive. Yet there are more than 43.8 million people (adults) who are experiencing a mental health issue in the United States any given year. 70% of all youth in the justice system have a mental illness and 20% of those have a serious mental diagnosis. [6] Many adults or children will not get help. Why? Shame for one. Companies generally do not want to hire people with mental illnesses. Generally, children have streaks of cruelty toward each other when one is different than the norm. Medical insurance and good facilities are lacking. People with mental health issues, I am do apologize for stating this, should not own a firearm period., It may prevent you personally from ending your life. 

I personally function two to four days a week but, I have to live alone.

The Solution

The 2^nd Amendment to the constitution is not in jeopardy. It isn’t even in question. (a) Stop the sales and manufacturing of the AR-15. Grandfather in all owners of the AR-15 to be re-registered within a year. (b) Communications between national and local law enforcement agencies needs to step up some more. Was there an officer at the school in Parkland, Florida? Yes, there was at the time of the shooting, but, he was not able to get to the shooter fast enough. If a student is a potential threat, everyone needs to know. This means students and school officials need better lines of communication. (c) Does the ATF need more personnel? (d) People who put guns in the hands of shooters better make sure they act legally responsible. If they do not, they will be held accountable. (e) All reports of a possible incident, should be investigated without hesitation.

We as a society, needs to do one important thing, remember that the best defense in life is the human brain. Please contact your local, state, and national elected representatives to make some changes. No more band-aiding the issues until it happens again. Have we learned nothing from previous incidents? Fourteen children and three adults are missing from a community. Maybe it could have been prevented. But, from where I sit we all dropped the ball.

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[1] Dwyer, Colin & Scott Neuman. “What we know about the Florida School Shooting Suspect.” NPR. 2.14.2018 (accessed 2.17.2018) https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/14/585908507/what-we-know-about-the-florida-school-shooting-suspect

[2] “AR-15 Rifle”. Gun Owners of America. (accessed 2.17.2018) https://www.ar15goa.com/about/the-ar-15-rifle/

[3] Wegmann, Philip. “Can a bump stock make an AR-15 fire full-auto… yes…” Washington Examiner. 10.03.2017 (accessed 2.17.2018) http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/can-a-bump-stock-make-a-ar-15-fire-full-auto-like-a-machine-gun-yes-and-its-relatively-cheap-pretty-easy-and-completely-legal/article/2636432

[4] Zhang, Sarah. “What an AR-15 can do to the human body.” Science – WIRED. 06.17.2016. (accessed 2.16.2018) https://www.wired.com/2016/06/ar-15-can-human-body/

[5] Schoen, John W. “Owned by 5 million Americans. AR-15 under renewed fire after Orlando Massacre.” CNBC 6.13.2016 (accessed 2.17.2018) https://www.cnbc.com/2016/06/13/owned-by-5-million-americans-ar-15-under-renewed-fire-after-orlando-massacre.html

[6] “Mental Health by Numbers.” National Alliance of Mental Illness. (accessed 2.17.2018) https://www.nami.org/learn-more/mental-health-by-the-numbers

Frosted flakes, Religion, and Politics

I am not a lover of cold cereal. I am not crazy about milk. However, there are a few I really enjoy like Cheerios, Frosted Flakes or Raisin Bran. I really dig Frosted Flakes, bananas, and ¼ cup of really cold whole milk. I really would love the milk if it was really fresh from the dairy cow even more. When you pour the flakes in the bowl, chop up the banana into lots of bite size pieces, and pour the cold milk gently over the top until it is slightly wet… it is perfect! I really like taking my time eating it, savoring every single bite.

After half way through the bowl, I notice the flakes start to wilt and become saggy(soggy) like my old milk powdered breast and big round flat behind that has spread more than a mile with the senior age. Look of cushion for a late middle-aged salt and peppered haired hag. (Okay, I like to make jokes about fast approaching old people, because I am one. The clock gets faster as one gets past 55.) Everything starts to sag after 55 and I don’t care if you cover it up or have surgery it all sags. I feel like General Sherman himself marched across me more than a few times during the Civil War. This southern belle no longer “dings”. It is more like a “dung.”

Well we can view politics the same way my wet and soggy cereal has become. When a politician is elected, they have this viable crunch. The inclination to want to change the broken nationally governed system. About the end of year two, their dreams are drowned and wilted in half the bowl. They just lay there with no crunch whatsoever and very little fruit. We look in that bowl and see what? A soggy left-over mess that still taste good but the crunch no longer exists. It is the end of year one of the Trump administration, and what do we see in the huge dinosaur nation on Capitol Hill? I see two branches of government stuck in the bottom of the bowl but among the soggy. You might see somewhere in there find a crunchy flake or two that is about to turn and drown in that soggy mess. When I think of Capitol Hill, I think of extremely high altitudes where the air is lacking and it is hard to breathe; all of life’s oxygen has been sucked out. Are they the “Walking Dead?” Is this the dark side of the fabled “Zombie Apocalypse?”  

What happened? It didn't overnight. It seems since the “nouveau riche” of the Gilded Age, something has seriously has happened in our country. We have the entitled because dad gave it to us; the entitled because the made it really happen by luck only; the entitled who have a little; the entitled who want because they worked their butts off for it, but didn’t get it; the entitled who want but will never have it because they are lazy in mind and spirit; then, the entitled who are sick or disabled and in most cases just happy to still be living and remembered.  Let’s get one thing straight. What are we truly entitled to? Nothing because we are just ships (vessels) passing through a period of time looking for the guiding light, and hoping for calm seas. The seas of GOD.

Political society is like modern evangelicalism. It truly wasn’t that noticed or participated in America until mid to late 19^th century and it grew big in the 20^th century to explosive in the late 20^th century and early 21^st century. 

In history, why did the colonials really come over? Very few were interested (there are exceptions like about six religions total during colonialism). Was it to start a “Nation under God”? (The phrase came about around the 1950s-Truman’s administration.) Guess what, many certainly didn’t come over on the boat with the KJV? It was for free land claims and the popular Bible was Geneva. They really didn’t want Anglican religious control or for that fact any religious control. A few communities started with religious fervor. What happened to them? People just walked off and went into the woods. By the way this is not fake news, but academic truth. I learned this at a public university (BA) and a private high religious university (MA).

Political society wasn’t much thought of unless one was a property owner. As time progress, political society was bitten somewhere by a rabid animal. 

Here it is 21^st century and what is happening? People are retreating from Washington DC into the woods. Stale and fresh human minds are leaving quickly the hill. Why? It is because, since the Gilded Age, political life in America are showing signs of the rabies disease, mainly foaming at the mouth. In the many words of the sense, I too see modern evangelism foaming at the mouth as well.

There is a hardening of the arteries in the true sense of faith and politics in America. They have become so intertwined it is unreal. I do not want religion in government nor to I want government in matters of religion. How dare political society want to dictate my faith! 

I do not have faith in my neighbor; I do not have faith in my community; I definitely do not have faith in those who govern. I have faith in GOD ALONE and Jesus, incarnate. That faith in GOD and Jesus (incarnate) dictates my hope through his grace in my neighbors, community, and those who govern.  

So, when I see a grandstand of people at a prayer breakfast with the president the first thing that comes to mind: Use of emotional religious matters to control the people of a nation. This is nothing new. During the mid-industrial period in America, religion was used to control the workers by many industrial capitalists. They felt religion would make many a drinking Irish immigrant behave publicly, be more productive with less drinking or morally illicit acts. This was when? About the Gilded Age period.

With the enhancements of modern technical communications, religious politics seems like a rampant diseased of psychological warfare. 

Your faith is not between one’s country and you. Your faith is only between you and GOD.  

The Son is the radiance of GOD’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. (Hebrews 1.3)

We cannot share our faith because it is only between you and GOD. You can share hope through his grace and you can share the written word because your personal faith dictates your actions. Do not let anyone use your personal faith as a tool against you for control unless they are GOD.

GOD bless each and everyone. 

The American Dream; what is it?

What is an epic? It can be a poem of reflection, tales passed down of ancient traditions, or the history of a nation. It has always been dependent on the people living during a specified time period, their idealism, their dreams, and what they make of themselves. One of the great cornerstones of the epic is that people have escaped from something to build on personal ideals somewhere else.

In 1931, James T Adams wrote a book, The Epic of America, on the history of the people who escaped from what they believed was tyranny, extreme government control, to travel to something new, a wild territory. They were in search of a new life. Some of the people in search of were nothing more than people emptied out of a prison somewhere physically or mentally. Some settlements faced the same problems in which they were escaping from, religious tyranny or extreme control. Those who felt this pressure went further into a wilderness to carve out individualism, a life of hard work. They built off the sweat of their brow, the pain from their bodies, and carved every inch of what they had accomplished by hand. Some survived and some did not.

But somehow, through the individualism of time, a nation was built. According to Adams, like the dinosaurs through the evolution of time, social and economic industry came into existence where large corporations and capitalism flourished. Further as he expressed, were corporations, a new type of dinosaur, monster? [1]  During this era of corporations and capitalism, dreams of individualism still existed. Some were rewarded by extensive monetary gains and others were not.

Those dreams of freedom, equality, and opportunity were still evident in 1931. Why? It was written as being evident in the Constitution of the United States. Therefore, it was evident to white men of property and means. It was soon later extended to all men; then to men of color; eventually to the opposite sex, women.  It took a Civil War to recognize people of color. It took more than 100 years to recognize women. This way, all of the shores of America had an equal opportunity at carving out their place for individualism.  In 2018, does that equality opportunity still hold true? The Equal Opportunity Act was just a passing dream, but somehow became a law. It also depends on who is enforcing the equal opportunity -- the powers that control. 

It is no secret, that this so called “American Dream” that was coined by James T Adams, has grown into something that truly is not real, but creative writing to make the history of the American discovery somewhat philosophical and greater than reality. Yet, in 2018, there are still others who are escaping from their tyrannical countries in search of that American dream which is nothing more that the dream of material opportunity. A hard lesson one should learn in a capitalistic society about dreams, they may or may not come true because there are winners and losers in life no matter how we look at it. It is a given. There will always be the haves and the have nots. There will always be the poor and the wealthy.

Life is up and down. Endicott Peabody said "Things in life will not always run smoothly. Sometimes we will be rising toward the heights — then all will seem to reverse itself and start downward. The great fact to remember is that the trend of civilization itself is forever upward, that a line drawn through the middle of the peaks and the valleys of the centuries always has an upward trend."[2]  Is that upward trend always feasible? Can rising toward new heights destroy what is natures ability to function with man? Caution will always be needed due to the element of the unknown, human thought.

Just as there were Hebrews who assimilated into the Egyptian society to eventually gain their freedom to help build pyramids for the empire, the Pharaoh, there are empire leaders and empire builders. Do not confuse the two. Hierarchy, the pecking order, is a part of humanity, or animal nature and inequality will always thrive in nature or nurture. The Hebrews eventually escaped to be lead by another. It matters not whether people are in a monarchy, democracy, republic, socialism, communism, or dictatorship, there will always be hierarchy. There will always be an order. One can argue this fact however, we must look to the answer within our own lives. Did we not have someone telling us at any point in life what to do and where to go as humans (not necessarily in a derogatory sense)? Do the animals battle for the leader of their habitat? Do countries battle for the power of principle?

In 2018, the American dream is just that a dream. If one escapes and comes to America today, there is no wild west to conquer, no undiscovered territory. There is not greatness to be had. Capitalism of success is a very slim percentage by chance. That same percentage exists in purchasing a lottery ticket. The American dream is nothing more than an epic tale written in a 1931 book of inventive writing, a creative choice of words. It is not materials that one can achieve that makes this country special. Material possessions are temporary measures in a life we are just passing through. Materialism is not a permanent fixture. Surely an economy, war, hurricane, tornado, flooding, or fire has taught many this lesson on materialism-- come and go. 

What is special about this country is the real dream is freedom to pray, freedom to speak, freedom to pursue, and the freedom of opportunity that prevails for each of us. Let us not abuse that fact. It does not ensure anyone of anything because there are rules and consequences to where our dreams take us always. It matters not the nation--rules exist. Man should definitely embrace not a national pride, but healthy respect of that land in which they reside. If anything, we should consider the self as “…a citizen of the world, rather than belonging to and being formed by a particular nation… [W]e should give our first allegiance to no mere form of government, no temporal power, but to the moral community made up by the humanity of all human beings. National attachments lead to the alleged evils of nationalism and factionalism, while becoming a species being will culminate in a gentle transnational togetherness.[3] 

God bless each and everyone in their lives to achieve “HIS” purpose and none other.

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[1] Adams, James T. The Epic of America. Little Brown and Co. Boston, page 342.

[2] Meacham, Jon, “Keeping the Dream Alive.” Time Magazine. June 21, 2012, page 4. (accessed January 30, 2018) http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2117662_2117682_2117680-1,00.html

[3] Milikh, Arthur. “Civility and Rebarbarization.” National Affairs. Number 34, Winter 2018. (accessed January 30, 2019) http://www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/civility-and-rebarbarization

The wall isn't what it appears...

“Anything worth doing, is worth doing well.”  G.K. Chesterton.

I tried to firmly implant this type of philosophy in my home while raising my children. When doing laundry, we should complete the task to our best ability. It means to follow the steps and make sure that it is completed properly which includes folding or hanging the laundry as well. 

I am currently looking at a window air conditioning unit. There is a board covering up the space and caulking to seal it in place. However, there are small holes that allow cold or hot air in to my house. It is very difficult to regulate the temperature at times. The installation was not performed in a manner that would depict a job well done.  

History is often forgotten in our country which includes short term historical memory. In October 2006, former President G.W. Bush signed the Secure Fence Act 2006 (Pub. L. 109-367) into law. It passed the House, 283-138. It passed the Senate 80-19.[1] In 2006, Congress allocated $1.4 billion for the fence and $50 for maintenance over 25 years. [2] However, in 2017, studies show that “Since 2007, VISA overstays have out number undocumented border crossers by a half million.”[3]

Studies further show (source for listed below):[4]

Escalating cost projections, Homeland Security of $21.6 billion over 3 ½ years 

Former Homeland Security Director Michael Chertoff and others argued “…that the wall does not add enforcement value except in heavy crossing areas near town, highways, or other vanishing points.”

Studies show in 2017, according to the White House that what is standing as part of a current wall, “as an enforcement tool: between FY 2010 and FY 2015, the current 654-mile pedestrian wall was breached 9,287 time.”

There is a dramatic decline in the US undocumented population between 2008 and 2014.

In 2014, studies “… find 2/3rds of undocumented workers did not illegally cross the border, but were admitted (after screening) on non-immigrant (temporary) visas, and then overstayed their period of admission or otherwise violated the terms or their visa.”

I have contended all along, that there are too many loopholes in the immigration policy period. Do we normally put the cart before or after the horse? Do we secure the front of the barn door, when the back remains wide open? In any effective job, one has to start at the top. What good is building a wall to keep out, when the top laws are vague, not secure, and with way too many loopholes? It does not good to enforce faulty laws/regulations/statutes.

The thought process followed here is on land. But, wait a minute. What about the water borders? Pablo Escobar (1949-1993) flew numerous shipments of illegal narcotics to the Bahama’s and crossed it into Florida by boat. Do we not have waterways that are protected by the US Coastguard? How easy is it to bypass land all together and take a water going vessel from Tampico to Corpus Christi or Port Lavaca? Much to my surprise the US Coastguard is under “Homeland Security.” At first, President Trump, it was proposed to cut the Coastguard’s budget $1.3 billion dollars to add it to the “Wall Fund”: however, through many objections, their budget will remain as is for another year at $9.1 billion dollars. [5]

It all needs to stop dead in its tracks before making these issues a worse cluster mess. (I wrote that so nicely.)

Solution: (a) Combine the US Border Patrol and the US Coastguard as a separate military branch that does nothing other than making sure our borders are safe from terrorist, illegal narcotics, and illegal entry and well as specialized rescue missions on land and or on the water. Outfit them with the best equipment, technology and weapons available for success. (b)  Look at all the laws in immigration and seal the loopholes. (c) Change the laws of venting for incoming immigrants. Improve the communications systems and detention between state, local, and national as a combined effort. Then and only then, pull a full enforcement that is sound, effective, and will not be kicked out by federal oversights in court.

This is just my opinion. No one has to agree with it.

Have a pleasant Monday and may God bless each and every one.

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[1] “109^th Congress Public Law 367.” US Government Printing Office. October 2006., (accessed 1.29.2018) https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-109publ367/html/PLAW-109publ367.htm

[2] Linskey, Annie. “In 2006 Democrats were saying Build the Wall.” Boston Globe Newspaper. 1.27.2017 (accessed 1.29.2018) https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2017/01/26/when-wall-was-fence-and-democrats-embraced/QE7ieCBXjXVxO63pLMTe9O/story.html

[3] Warren, Robert and Donald Kerwin. “The 2,000 Mile Wall in Search of a Purpose.” Centers for Immigration Studies. 2017 (accessed 1.29.2017) http://cmsny.org/publications/jmhs-visa-overstays-border-wall/

[4] Warren, Robert and Donald Kerwin. “The 2,000 Mile Wall in Search of a Purpose.” Centers for Immigration Studies. 2017

[5]Horton, Alex. “The White House Almost Slashed the Coastguard’s budget.” The Washington Post. 9.14.2017. (access 1.29. 2018) https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2017/09/12/trump-just-gushed-about-the-coast-guard-it-really-needed-the-boost/?utm_term=.8bfae0269e0f