Monthly Archives: July 2018

Racism on the Rise

12 Thursday Jul 2018

Posted by in Politics, President Trump, Racism

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I wish everyone would be as distressed as my wife and I were when we read about an “incident” in Los Angeles. A 91 year ethnic Mexican was beaten with a brick by a black woman with her daughter. He was a permanent resident walking on a sidewalk during the Fourth of July celebrations. After that, a group of young black men thought he was trying to abduct the girl so they kicked and punched him while he lay curled up on the sidewalk. He has broken bones and teeth. Both incidents were videoed with the mother yelling “go back to your country”.

Another incident occurred in a Cook County Park District Park. A man harassed a woman wearing a Puerto Rico flag shirt. He kept yelling at her for not being an American citizen. She had flawless English and he didn’t so I wonder whose family has been citizens longer (Puerto Ricans are citizens).

Most racial incidents are not recorded for the internet and TV audiences but those that are show racism is exploding. The incidents against brown skinned people are growing rapidly. In California, it has increased over 40 percent since Trump started his racist campaign against Latinos. He said they are rapists, murderers, and drug gangs.

White against black racism grew during Obama’s tenure with Trump pushing the birther lies. He has been shown to say he would undo everything Obama has done. He has repeatedly fired up crowds against Mexicans. The President’s rhetoric and actions have made racism acceptable or even patriotic. Not since Woodrow Wilson have we had such an openly racist President.

What is the Acceptable Level of Cruelty?

09 Monday Jul 2018

Posted by in Immigration, Politics

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A conservative reporter asked that question and it summed up the problem precisely. Illegal immigration is against the law. Asking for asylum at an entry port is legal. Crossing the border elsewhere isn’t. The vast majority of the people crossing the southern border are not Mexicans. They are from crime-ridden nations to the south of Mexico where murder, rape, torture, beatings, and kidnapping are very day occurrences in rich and poor neighborhoods. The rich hire bodyguards and get visas. The poor must walk north.

That’s where the question becomes relevant. In the past we have arrested illegal crossers, processed them and released them until the hearing. They usually don’t show up. The asylum seekers usually did show up. We tried GPS bracelets and 99% came to their hearings. We don’t catch everybody and no wall is going to make much of a difference when they are fleeing the nightmare we created for them. The gangs and drugs are our fault.

The question is if the previous ideas didn’t work then maybe we should try illegal, inhuman and immoral practices. ICE has been roughing up legal and illegal refugees, separating babies from their mothers, locking 150 people in a 3,000 square foot enclosure with one toilet for days, and deporting mothers and fathers while keeping the children. The Administration hopes its methods will deter all immigration from the south.

The only real deterrence is weather. The numbers are down from last year because the temperature is 15 – 20 degrees hotter this year than 2017. It’s always lower in summer than other seasons because of the heat and drought.

While the places they are coming from is worse than the place we put them, they will keep coming.

Time to Reflect

09 Monday Jul 2018

Posted by in Politics, U.S. History

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As I write this on the 2018 Independence Day, I reflect on the past and the current state of the United States of America. When I was young it was the Fourth of July fireworks, a family reunion picnic at Cave-In-Rock, and swimming at Pounds Hollow. I don’t remember any of the adults ever discussing anything relating to what the holiday is about.

Perhaps it mirrored the colonists before and during the Revolution. About as many were for as were against the separation from England. Many historians believe most colonists didn’t care either way and just wanted to be left alone. Doesn’t that remind us of today’s siloed or tribal groups? For decades we have lead the free world “morally,” financially, and militarily. The vast majority of Americans supported the bi-partisan strategy so real congressional dissension was rare and short-lived. The “We-Against-Them” was the American side against the Communist side. Now we and them are within the border.

As we are celebrating the 242nd Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we must look at what has become of America. We have always had trouble with race relations but they seem to be getting worse again. The separation between rich and poor has become greater than any time in over a century. We have damaged relationships with nations we have been closely allied for decades and made friends with countries we have had tentative relations for decades. The political divide is greater than any time in the last 157 years. The discourse of the political parties and the administration has fallen to historic lows. The President’s diatribe is the leading factor in the abandonment of civility. America’s current philosophy is to turn inward to the despair of our international commerce and diplomats. Not since we moved the Indians West have Americans felt so compelled to carry a gun. Much of this is lobbying industry, unlimited money to campaigns and phony social media stories.

I wonder if the founding fathers, who had many vices, would be proud of today’s America. Decide for yourself after reading the Declaration and the Constitution.

Roe V. Wade

05 Thursday Jul 2018

Posted by in Healthcare, Women

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I am morally against abortion after three months, but I think a woman has the right to make that decision herself. A wife and mother who is having trouble coping with several kids and can’t face another one should consider an abortion. A single woman who accidentally becomes pregnant should be allowed to do as she wants.

Another moral issue people face is rape and incest. If abortion is immoral because it takes a life then the resulting abortion from rape or incest is immoral. The same applies to save the life of a mother or a horribly developed fetus which will die in agony in days after birth. The anti-abortionists don’t seem to care about what happens to the unwanted baby that isn’t immediately adopted and goes into the system. These people should rush to the adoption agencies or register with the State to take care of the child for free for the next 18-21 years.

Most of those same people are against any sex where babies are not wanted. That is a ridiculous idea for most humans. Their belief that sex education promotes sex is also crazy. Non-partisan studies show it reduces sex and what occurs is safer. More education has shown to cause fewer pregnancies and abortions in teenagers.

Pregnancy occurs even with the use of pills and condoms because they aren’t 100% effective. Accidents, rape and incest do occur so education and use of RU486 should be easily available. It is 95% effective in the first 50 days but less so in the second trimester. Had this pill or a legal abortion been available in the mid-1950s my twenty-nine year old sister would still be alive. She bled to death from an illegal abortion. Her death may be part of my support of a women’s right, but many other factors have as much influence. We must cut abortions, not by law, but with education and pills.

Why Trump Loves Putin

05 Thursday Jul 2018

Posted by in International, President Trump

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Why is President Trump so friendly and supportive of Russian President Vladimir Putin? He refuses to admit the Russians interfered with the 2016 Presidential election. He is willing to forgive Russia for annexing the Crimean Peninsula and is heavily involved in the Eastern Ukraine fighting. A long and extensive investigation confirms the airliner was shot down by Russians using a Russian anti-aircraft missile.

Could it be because Putin has full control of his legislative body? (Agree or unpleasant things happen to you or your family.) The remaining news media is very supportive of Putin because the media outlets are repressed by exile, harassment and jailing of reporters and owners, or murder. Putin does not fear an investigation since his old KGB friends run the new security service. Putin has revised the Russian Constitution to where he can be in office for the rest of his life.

Our economic and military allies dropped Russia out of the G-8 Alliance, now G-7, because of the Ukraine invasions. Trump wants to reinstate Putin because of Russia’s economic power. Russia is far down the list on economic power since its economy is based on gas and oil prices. It has little other trade impact with the rest of the world.

Is rumored blackmail true? Is it because Putin’s cut from all trade and take-over’s has made him a multi-billionaire and Trump loves billionaires? Is it because without Putin’s help Trump would have lost the election?

I doubt if we will learn any more after the upcoming meeting between the two Presidents. It will be a love fest.

Tariffs Are Taxes

05 Thursday Jul 2018

Posted by in Tariffs, U.S. Taxes

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When an item is imported at a price of $10.00 and is subject to a 30% tariff, the item becomes a $13.00 purchase. The American company that manufactures the same item will now raise its price to $13.00 giving it an additional $3.00 profit. So tariffs are just another tax on the consumer. The recent tax cut was minor for most people and tariffs will more than offset the few dollars saved by the cuts.

A car dealer has said the average price of a car he sells will increase over $5,000. A builder of a single family home stated his homes will raise about $7,000.00 per house. Both raises are for materials imported from Canada, Mexico, European Union, and China. If the reader isn’t buying a new car or house, the cost of clothes washers and dryers, dishwashers, and many other imported appliances is going up substantially.

The backlash is clearly stated by the Texas Governor who has pled with Trump to remove the steel and aluminum tariffs from China because no American company makes the specific grades or worse the American smelters are already at peak capacity. He says the potential increase of 17,000 steel jobs will cost 550,000 Texas jobs. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and many companies have predicted an economic disaster if the tariffs aren’t dropped.

Why doesn’t Congress do anything about tariffs? It is because they have had their attention diverted by a concocted immigration emergency. Common knowledge shows Congress is incapable of juggling two or more subjects at once. They gave us a few dollars a week tax cut for political gain and refuse to address the tariff disaster. A three year old child has a greater multi-tasking ability.

The Constitution says Congress is to levy tariffs and they have shirked the responsibility.