Update no.778

Update from the Heartland

No.778

7.11.16 – 13.11.16

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

To all,

            As fate and timing would have it, Jeanne and I made our semi-annual journey south to Austin, for a long weekend visit with our middle son and his family.  Friday was Veteran’s Day (Remembrance Day).  Our grandson invited us to attend the Dripping Springs Elementary School Veteran’s Day celebration.  In a very nice touch, the students who had veterans in attendance handed each veteran a handcrafted remembrance poppy.  Judson said, “A poppy for Poppi.”  The gesture was very touching to me, since I know the history and significance of the poppy.  Judson understood some of the importance, but he is only in the 4^th grade, so I had to cut him some slack, and I did not really want to get into the details of Flanders Fields.  In the category of it’s-never-too-late-to-learn, I pedantically experienced the Texas Pledge of Allegiance to the state flag.

"Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas,

one state under God, one and indivisible."

I subsequently learned, the state legislature created the original pledge by statute in 1933, and specifically recognized the 1836 Republic of Texas national flag (an implicit statement).  We live and learn.  For the record, I did not recite that pledge.

            In the afternoon, Jeanne and I made our way to the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center (HRC) at the University of Texas, Austin, to register and complete orientation for my independent researcher credentials.  Why, you may ask?  Well, as I also learned, Leon Uris donated his papers to the HRC archive.  My interest in the papers of Leon Uris stems from the very first book I read just for myself (not school or any other stimulant) – “Battle Cry” by Leon Uris (1953).  I credit Uris and that book with my interest in historical fiction novels, and I like to think, in my passion for writing as well.  The book was probably a bit rich for my 12-year-old awareness, but I am not cognizant of any damage done to my character or psyche.  In fact, I should also give Uris credit at least in part for my service as a Marine.  Once a Marine, always a Marine!  Uris was a proud Marine who survived combat during the difficult Battle of Guadalcanal (1942/43).  I have read nearly all of his books: “Exodus,” “Mila 18,” “Armageddon,” “Trinity,” among many others.  Anyway, I suspect I might find some important research material in his papers that might be applicable to my work; we shall see.  I did not have time to begin my exploration, but at least I am now certified to access his papers (at some future opportunity).

            Friday evening, Melissa and Tyson went to a concert in Austin with friends – Gogol Bordello (I had never heard of them).  We stayed home with the kids.  Judson and I had a nice chess match; he is pretty good for nine years of age.  We also watched the U.S.A. v. Mexico fútbol match – not the outcome we expected, but still a great match to watch, something exquisite about surgically precise passing.

            On Saturday, we had the honor of watching Judson’s team play their own fußball match with a better outcome than the U.S.A. national team.

            As is often our choice, we departed for our return home after we said goodnight to the grandchildren and they went to bed.  The drive through the night was uneventful.  Traffic was slightly greater than usual for that hour of the night, but thankfully, what traffic there was remained orderly and respectful.  We also had cloudless clear skies the whole way home with a one-day short of the largest, brightest, Super Moon in 70 years to light the way.

            This week’s Update is late, but as we say, better late than never.  We needed a good nap after arriving home safely in the early morning hours and retrieving the dogs from the boarding kennel.  They are glad to be home, as we are.  Thank you so much for a great weekend, Melissa, Tyson, Avalon and Judson.

            Well, wonder of wonders, the sun rose in the east the next morning, as it has done for the last . . . oh . . . five (5) million years.  My hearty congratulations to Donald John Trump, who won the campaign for the presidency by the very benefit of the rigged electoral system he has been whining about incessantly for 18 months.  Whatever disappointment and/or embarrassment we may suffer and may have to endure for the next four years, we shall overcome.  This too shall pass!

            According to the rules, Trump is actually not president-elect until the Electoral College convenes in December and the electors cast their ballots in accordance with the instructions from their respective states.  The Electoral College tally per those state rules shows Trump with a sufficient lead that the formal electoral vote will be (should be) a pro forma matter.

            I would like to remind everyone that all of the votes are not yet tallied and that process may take several more weeks.  The results, as of this writing, indicate that Hillary Clinton won the simple popular vote by a not-insignificant margin; unfortunately for her campaign, her support was concentrated in large metropolitan centers and was not spread out sufficiently across this Grand Republic.  Our electoral process has never been based on a simple, national, popular vote . . . by design and intention.  Those are the rules.

            This is our Brexit . . . as The Donald accurately predicted.  I can only hope soon-to-be President-elect Trump amazes us all and becomes the leader we all need him to be, not just the dictator some of us wish him to be.  We have endured a horrific silly-season, and I sure as hell hope he makes it worth all that pain and agony.  The eternal optimist in me remains hopeful.

            I am reminded of the Cornish proverb:

“From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggety beasties

And things that go bump in the night, Good Lord deliver us!”

            For those who supported the “Manhattan Mussolini,” I offer one piece of counsel, gloating in victory is NOT becoming!  You should be humble in your victory and continually remind yourselves of the slave’s admonition to the Roman emperors – all fame is fleeting!

            An exchange below with a friend and frequent contributor may be illuminating.

            This exchange may prove useful.  There are more than a few contributors to this humble forum that enthusiastically supported Trump in the election.  This thread is but one.

“Looks like Trump is our next PREZ.‚ And Repubs hold Congress & Senate.

“Who's ready to join me in a VICTORY DANCE?”

 . . . to which I replied:

     Gloating is NOT becoming.

. . . the contributor’s response:

“Is it ok if I start throwing eggs at Obama and all his progressives who have helped to destroy America (and our world)???????

“I agree, but I do believe Obama has done immeasurable damage to our country and world, whether through direct/indirect action, or his inaction.

“Isn't it ok if I hate someone who I think is treasonous?”

 . . . my follow-up reply:

            Hate is a very strong word.

            We shall respectfully disagree. Treason is a very clear legal term, which I do believe is erroneously applied in this context.  But hey, that's just me.

 . . . Round three:

“I agree, ‘hate’ is a strong word and an emotion I really most often in life do not ever have.

“My belief though is that Obama is let's say a traitor to our country and Constitution, evidenced from day#1 when he assumed office.

“Did you know on my MS spell checker, every time I do a spell check and it comes across Obama, it wants to correct the word to mamba.  Isn't a mamba the most venomous snake in the world?  Or, it could be the Black Mamba, is the deadliest, versus common Green Mamba.  Given my fears of Obama & Cabal, I would not be surprised anything could happen between now and Trump being sworn into office.  That’s the scary part for me.

“On ‘treason,’ the American Heritage Dictionary defines it as follows:

“trea·son (trēzən) n.

“1. Violation of allegiance toward one's country or sovereign, especially the betrayal of one's country by waging war against it or by consciously and purposely acting to aid its enemies.

“2. A betrayal of trust or confidence.

“So, on the definition above, I do find Obama & Cartel, GUILTY.  But that is not up to me, and I doubt the AG or DOJ will ever take that position, since political institutions don’t act in concert with the old days of trying someone who commits treason (or is a traitor).

“I'm sure you do not agree, and I realize my charge is strong, but we would never have had nearly eight-years of Obama and his socialist/Marxist gang, and all the damage done to USA and our world, had someone kept him from being installed in the highest office in the most influential and strong country in the world, par to the ancient Roman Empire.

“If the Hillary supporters are angry, they cannot be angry at those wanting to take our country back, but they should be angry at their master, Obama, because his total failure in leadership (360d) in my humble opinion, is exactly the reason Hillary could not get in, and Trump did.  It did not help Hillary to have the trail of corruption going all the way back to her law firm and Bill's 2 terms.”

 . . . my reply to round three:

            I am not going to engage in a tête-à-tête with you (or anyone else) over the definition of treason, or the application of the word and legal term in this context.  Clearly, you believe he has harmed this country, and I do not believe so.

            Barack Hussein Obama is a good man, with a kind heart and spirit, who has conducted himself with dignity, humility, grace, and respect for those who do not agree with him.  I certainly do not agree with many of his actions as President, but he has been and remains the President of the United States of America, duly elected twice.  He deserves our respect for that.

            I am left with the impression that you choose to apply the word treason to anyone who does not agree with you, or you do not agree with in principle.  In that sense, perhaps you are using the term treasonous with respect to my opinions, since we do occasionally disagree on matters of principle or policy.  You have not used that term with me directly or to my face, but perhaps in other forums I am not a party to.  If so, that is your choice.  Respectfully, questioning the President’s allegiance to this Grand Republic and the general well-being of ALL American citizens is wrong, divisive and actually anti-American . . . yet indicative of the times in which we live.

            I do not question your allegiance or loyalty to this Grand Republic, even though we fundamentally disagree on the conduct and performance of the President.  C’est la vie!

            May God bless the United States of America.  The nation is bigger than all of us.

 . . . to which I added:

            Clinton won the popular vote.  By the time the total vote is finally tallied, I suspect her margin will not be trivial.  The irony here is the very rules Trump whined incessantly about being rigged were the very rules that got him elected as president.  We have never had (and I respectfully believe should never have) a simple direct national popular vote.  States matter for a host of reasons based on the essential principles that founded this Grand Republic.  So, it is understandable that the majority, who lost this election, are a bit upset about that reality.  Let us give them their due.

 . . . Round four:

“I appreciate you taking the time and energy to explain your position and opinion, though I would offer, many might disagree (at least those types that read my posts).

“Obama has harmed many people I know directly:  I know people who had their hours cut back to under I believe 27 per week, because the employer did not want to participate in ACA or Obamacare.  For those people, going from 40 to 25 hours a week, was very damaging to their cash-flow and capacity to survive in an already very expensive city to live in (San Diego).   So I guess Obama was not responsible for that.

“Do you know Obama personally, or are you going off your intuition, are you basing your observations based on what?

"I already gave the definition of ‘treason’ [above], and will stand by that:

“1. Violation of allegiance toward one's country or sovereign, especially the betrayal of one's country by waging war against it or by consciously and purposely acting to aid its enemies

“2. A betrayal of trust or confidence.

“Hopefully sooner-than-later we shall find out who has been funding ISIS.  If Obama had knowledge that we are funding a terrorist entity, then does that make him guilty of treason?

“I am surprised since you have a son in law enforcement, that you do not automatically see how divisive Obama has been for nearly 8-years on race relations and turning a targeted segment, against cops. Cops are not always right on their use-of-force, but most cops I know, they cannot stand Obama because they too feel he has had something out for them (along with Eric Holder).

“Obama has not at all been a leader, he has been a divider and dark cloud on our nation.  As much as both of us may not like Trump's style and at times insulting others, at least I think he has the capacity (unlike Obama) to inspire us for a better way and better times.

“As evidenced by Russia already stating they want to renew a good relationship with America, due to Trump's election, makes me have more hope than 2-days ago.  Hopefully it is not a ruse.  But under Obama, our relationships with many countries/players, has deteriorated to levels I never witnessed in my lifetime before.

“That being said, we agree to disagree but our friendship remains. Love you brother and thank you for your service in USMC!!!!”

 . . . my reply to round four:

            Wow!  So, President Obama is responsible for cutting back working hours of individual citizens.  I never knew he (or any president) had that kind of power.  You live and learn, I suppose.

            Let’s be clear and factual, shall we.  PPACA was created and passed by both chambers of Congress.  PPACA is NOT an executive order.  Please note the recorded congressional votes for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) [PL 111-148; H.R. 3590; House: 219-212-0-0(4); Senate: 60-39-0-1(0); 124 Stat. 119; 23.March.2010] [432].  I make no claim and offer no defense that PPACA is perfect; far from it; however, it was a noble attempt to provide needed health care for millions of lower income citizens.  I am all for improving it.  I’m not in favor of rejecting it outright without a better system to replace it.  I will never support the foolish Republican position, as it is on so many issues . . . first my way, and then we might consider your concerns.

            I know the definition of treason.  I know what the Constitution says about treason.  I also know what the Supreme Court has said about treason, as well.  So, let us stick to substantiated facts rather than succumb to emotional parochial partisan party politics.  I understand and accept that you and others do not like President Obama; however, your dislike (for whatever reasons) does NOT constitute treason . . . no matter how many times you say it.

            Yes, I have a son in law enforcement.  He does not see President Obama in the same tainted light that you apparently do.  In fact, I (we) see President Obama’s efforts to bridge the racial divide and heal the racial wounds that have festered in this Grand Republic for centuries.  He has attempted to walk a very fine line . . . and done it admirably.

            Why do you think Putin and Russia were so against Obama & Clinton . . . because they were such patsies and push-overs?  Really?  And, why do you think he loves Trump so much?  . . . because Trump is going to stand up to Russia’s hegemonic efforts to dominate her neighbors?  Really?

            Yes, we shall respectfully disagree.  That is the beauty of a free society.  It has been my honor to serve this Grand Republic . . . despite our many warts, flaws, wounds and egomaniacal leaders.

Semper Fidelis,

Cap

FYI: the exchanged continued with other Trump supporters chiming in; however, this should suffice to reflect the depth of emotions associated with our current president and the de facto hope the “Manhattan Mussolini” will remedy all the ills we suffer in this Grand Republic.  After all, he publicly proclaimed for the nation and the world, “I alone can fix it.”  We shall soon see how he intends to deliver on his proclamation.  I will be watching very carefully for his contemporary version of The Enabling Act of 1933.

           Comments and contributions from Update no.777:

Comment to the Blog:

“I share your wish that the press would cover ‘third party’ candidates who have enough ballot presence to possibly win.  I suspect the news sources no longer feel a need to compete with each other due to the consolidation among their operations. In any case, they have done the nation a disservice by failing to cover alternatives to the stinking ‘major party’ candidates.

“I write this the day before ‘Election Day,’ having voted a few weeks ago.  It fascinates me that turnout has been very high for that.  As I read your post, I listened to the local CBS station report that waiting times have been over an hour at the early voting location, which is quite large.  The NBC affiliate reported the same story last night. What makes that so interesting is the unpopularity of the Republican and Democratic candidates.  Are people that eager to vote their fears, or is something else happening?  As you point out, we have no way of knowing today.  Party affiliation could be meaningless, and I'm sure independents are voting early as well.  Most of the voters the two stations interviewed gave no hint of how they'd voted.

“A potential local factor not mentioned on TV is that polling places were moved, at least for my precinct, in late September. Mine was moved to a place I cannot reach unless the weather is nice enough to ride my bicycle there. That factored into my early voting decision; I reached the early voting location by bus.

“If this election is ‘rigged’ at all, it will be through such maneuvers as that, not through people voting more than once or computer hacking.  We have a precedent for that kind of chicanery in Ohio in the messy election of 2004.  My clergy person endured several hours of waiting that time, and so did many others voting in lower-income areas.  Others gave up.  Various other games, such as poll workers telling people to vote in some other precinct, played out as well.  I would like to have poll watchers and other outside scrutiny via the United Nations.”

My response to the Blog:

            Thank you for your observations.  I share your concerns.

            One of my very serious concerns is de facto voter suppression efforts.  To me, long lines at polling stations are one of many voter suppression efforts, and an indictment of state and local governments for their failure to fulfill the most basic of governmental functions – voting by ALL eligible citizens.  I shall have a first hand observation of our local voting process tomorrow.  I am retired (self-employed, perhaps), so I plan to vote after my late morning nap – my first time with a mid-day vote.  I expect little to no lines.  Previous times, the bottleneck was the registration check.  I do not recall ever waiting for an actual ballot station.  We seem to have sufficient quantities and locations of polling stations.  Mine has remained the same for the duration of our present residence, and it is close enough I could walk – a little over a mile.  We shall see.

            If one voter gives up, or does not vote because of any number of obstacles, government has failed.  Such obstructive conduct should never be tolerated.

  “That’s just my opinion, but I could be wrong.”

Cheers,

Cap

P.S.: I voted at 13:00 CST, Tuesday, 8.November.2016.  There was not one person in front of me upon my arrival at the polling station . . . at either the registration check desk or the actual voting machine.  The machine I used was a simple touch-screen device with the coded paper tape created in parallel, as I voted.  I was impressed.

            My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                        :-)