Original Post:
11/11/16 - After the November 8, 2016 Presidential Election but before the January 20, 2017 Inauguration.
Update/s below :) so skip ahead if you've already read this first part. Look for Lady Justice. (That's her right up above.)
Facebook post by Michael Rex:
"And now for the other side, if you're a Trump voter who is tired of being called a bigot, if you say you voted for him based on gun rights or economic issues, or because you think Hillary really was that awful, and in spite of his rhetoric, rather than because of it, I believe you. If you're in my life, I clearly don't think you're a vile hateful person. But if you're now watching protests across the country and you don't understand why, or think they are just being sore losers, let me break something down for you. These people aren't just angry or sad that someone they didn't support won the election, they're scared.
They're black Americans who hear talk of law and order and remember a racially charged stop and frisk program, or see an emboldened KKK holding a celebratory parade.
They're Muslim Americans who worry that spitting in their face is now okay and violations of their rights to assemble and their rights to privacy are about to come.
They're LGBT Americans who fear not just of the loss of marriage rights or restaurants gaining the right not to serve them, but of an administration that thinks it's more important to research electrocuting the gay out of them than AIDS.
They're Hispanic and Latino Americans who are scared their children will be bullied in schools, and their families ripped apart while their culture is mocked.
They're women who are wondering if we've normalized groping, and if their career endeavors will be judged by their face and body, and not their minds
I believe you when you say you didn't vote for any of these things. Most of America wasn't thrilled with the choices we had in this election. But If you didn't know that this is why they're protesting, if you think it's really just about free tuition or more government giveaways, then you, like the elite liberals you love to castigate, have also not been listening. If you're tired of being called a bigot, then you need to use the same voice you used on Tuesday and speak out against these things fully and clearly. It's not enough that you didn't say them yourself. You need to reassure your friends and family members who feel like they no longer have a seat at the table that you still stand with them, even if your priorities were different on Tuesday. If you aren't willing to do that, then you have no right to call for unity."
In response to the above, I said:
The thing about all of the 'uglies' listed above are that they are ALL AGAINST THE LAW. The thing about Rule of Law is that the laws of this land are indeed for everybody, something that seems to have gone missing somewhere along the way, especially it seems in recent years. No wonder folks are afraid. That's precisely one of the reasons that We the People (finally) stepped up to say: No More.
I am not a Republican. I am not a Democrat. I am not hyphenated. I am an American citizen, period.
We are governed not by a president, not by congress, not even by our courts.
We are governed by the Constitution of the United States of America which grants sovereign rights to the PEOPLE of the United States. It is We the People of the United States of America who wield the final authority. We are not just saying 'NO' to corruption in our government; we are also saying 'NO' to those who have long been disregarding the fundamental premise of our form of government.
We are a Constitutional Republic, not a democracy, for a darned good reason.
The difference between the two is that in a democracy the majority rules; a Constitutional Republic ensures and protects equal rights to all citizens of the nation - prevents that 'majority' from straying from the collective Will of the People of said nation. That's also the reason for the separation of powers - the 'checks and balances' - of our Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. The whole thing is designed to protect EVERY citizen. It's been a while since that has been acknowledged, let alone emphasized, so it's no wonder people aren't aware of the concept.
The only ones who should be afraid of Rule of Law (aka the Constitution of the United States of America) are those who have broken, are breaking, or plan to break those laws. Everyone else should be heaving a great big sigh of relief.
Protests are perfectly legal. Rioting is not. Having differences of opinion is perfectly legal. Infringing on the rights of others is not. Having a heated debate is perfectly legal. Punching someone in the face is not. Worshiping (or not) in whatever manner best suits you as an individual is perfectly legal. Harming others, for ANY reason, is not.
THAT's what our nation is SUPPOSED to be all about.
'Haters' on all sides are entitled to their hatred, believe it or not. What they are NOT entitled to is acting on that hatred in a way that hurts anybody else.
*I'd apologize for the extremely long post but I'm not sorry.*
Unity under the Constitution is a win-win-win-win ... for all law-abiding American citizens. I expect that it might come as a shock to some, who don't really understand what Rule of Law actually means, when January of 2017 rolls around and our Constitution goes back into effect. Most of us will be absolutely unfazed by it, or appreciate it; too many are in for a rather rude awakening when they are made to understand that no they really aren't exempt after all. What do you think that blindfold is all about?
p.s. We've already spoken out - with ballots. If you're getting your information from the media, you haven't been listening to the ones who cast those ballots. Most of us did it for ALL of us, including and probably mostly FOR the very folks referred to in the first part of this post. Jerks on both sides are giving the vast majority of Americans a bad name and inciting angst that's so totally NOT what ANY of the rest of us want.
2017 July 17
Just about six months in and my neck is more flexible than it's ever been.
That's from watching the ongoing partisanship at play both here in the States and abroad. I have to say the performance has been nothing short of amazing. I barely even know where to begin, but know darned well there's no way I can hit any but a few of the things that have stuck in my mind. These have been some busy months, I tell you true. I'm lucky not to have whiplash.
First, apparently ISIS is out of Mossad. I've heard it said that the 'Caliphate' is finished, but that doesn't mean an end to trouble. Our President has handed the military reins back over to the military so there's hope that even more progress will be made. Europe's plight is abysmal at the moment. The Middle East ... uffda is the only word that comes to mind.
The partisanship is nowhere more pronounced than in DC of course. The health care thing, however, is bogged down not by opposition from the Left (which was factored in from the get-go) but rather the attempt by the Right to replace the ACA or phase it out or some such thing rather than simply repealing it (which in my opinion is what should be done - there's no place health care is even mentioned in the Constitution so it would fall under the 10th Amendment and belong to the States/People - but what do I know?) and being done with health care being a Federal issue except to keep Medicare and Medicaid funded for the States to disburse.
The only good thing I'm finding is that at least this batch refuses to sign off on something they haven't even read. Still, it would be a much quicker read if it just said, "Whereas, ... ; and, whereas ... ; and, whereas ... ; now therefore the ACA is herewith repealed in its entirety." After each whereas you put things like 'failed to deliver as promised' and 'caused harm to the citizens of the United States of America' and 'has no Constitutional basis' and yada yada. You could even skip the 'whereas' part and the 'now therefore' and cut straight to the chase. Short and to the point. But what do I know? And really, what do I care, for my own part? I'm no more affected by the ACA than those guys are, not on a personal level - but I do care, and deeply, about everyone else who is affected by it.
Our Veterans are finally seeing some light at the end of their perpetual tunnel as the VA is in the throes of a good house-cleaning. Happy face!
Unemployment is down and the stock market is up. Big smile! TWO big smiles!!
Had I not spent about a decade in the Construction Zone, and if I were as gung ho about the Wall as many are, I might be frustrated that it's not built yet. On the other hand, the flow of illegals from south of our border has dropped significantly and law-breaking illegals are being caught, so even without the Wall there's progress on that front. Sanctuary cities might soon find themselves footing their own bills, which might help too.
Our power-generating industries are seeing some growth I hear, a relief in many ways so long as alternatives are being aggressively developed. We are out of the Paris Accord, so will have billions in the bank that would not otherwise have been there. I think we ought to be aggressively developing our renewables, as I just said, but prudence pokes in and reminds me that those billions don't mean we as a nation are out of the red yet - that's going to take a while. In the meantime, we can at least get/keep ourselves out of any kind of dependency on foreign oil. Except I think we should go partners with Canada (I lived too close to Canada for too long to think of it as an actual foreign nation) and make North America completely self-sufficient while the rest of the world can have the fossil fuels we would have been using. Taking our share of the demand off that market ought to ease things for others, a person would think. And, somehow, gas prices are about half of what they were for too long there, and once in a while actually take a further dip for a little while.
It is now the rule that for every new regulation put into place, TWO existing ones must be removed. (In my opinion, the ACA only counts as one existing regulation so they can get rid of something else too if they want to add some kind of new regulation.) Of course there's nothing to say they can't remove as many regulations as they want; it just means we aren't going to be getting new regulations without getting rid of twice as many old ones.
More attention has been being paid to our educational system than I've ever seen. At least a part of that has to do with what we're discovering about our facilities of 'higher education' and what it says about the caliber of the schools that have been producing a lot of the 'students' who attend them. In different places, at different levels, people have started keeping a lot closer eye on the educations their young are getting (or not) and my gut tells me that there's likely to be a bigger surge in home-schooling (it's already nothing to sneeze at) and private or charter schools as options. I think that has been going on for longer than most realize but my feeling is that it's going to take an even more significantly big jump - and would have taken that jump regardless of Left/Right affiliations or anything that goes on in Washington. Until our educational system gets back up to par, other options are likely what I would opt for if I had younglings. Not saying all places are in such dire straits, but enough to cause some serious concern.
On a personal level, I was happy that my tax refund wasn't taken as a penalty for me not having had health insurance last year. It went instead to my student loan so that's a win-win for me and for Uncle Sam. I don't at all mind it going toward my own loan, but I have to admit that yes I did kind of mind it going toward somebody else's health bills when I myself accrued health related bills of ZERO for that time span. But then I'm not a socialist. I can't afford to be, having bills of mine own to try to pay.
International relations are either great or horrible depending on who you ask. Don't forget that we Deplorables elected a non-politician (a businessman instead) in November of 2016 for a reason. Against the will of the entrenched republicans (largely), and most assuredly against the will of the democrats, we saw a viable alternative (viable being a matter of perspective; from ours, Hope is always viable) and there you have it. To many of us, having someone to protect and preserve our own best interests as a nation both at home and abroad is a big change of pace, and a vast relief. Others feel differently of course, but I am not 'others'.
Knock on wood, the riots here in the States seem to have abated somewhat although protests continue off and on. Likewise terrorist attacks in our homeland. Perhaps they would have died down anyway, but it's just as likely that *perhaps* it might have something to do with the rumor that our Rule of Law has begun to come back into effect. Not everywhere, mind you - Chicago is not exactly safe these days, and there are other places as well - but hopefully a good dose of Justice followed by a healthy shot of Mercy will help bring some Peace to even those places before say the end of this century.
Europe, on the other hand ...
Every day I bless my ancestors and that's all I'm prepared to say on that topic for the time being. Otherwise this post would become hugely too emotional.
In case you're wondering where all those agitating rioters might have disappeared to ... I think a bunch of them have gone on a Continental Tour.
One thing I've noticed just lately is that references to our Constitution have been coming into conversations more than I ever expected. That brings me joy and hope for the future.
I'm still waiting on regular reports from various Cabinet members, but have been pleased that a number of folk who are experts in one thing or another have been available for their input about issues. As I said, we're but six months in and not everything can happen at once, so let's not rule things out just quite yet. Plus, I don't have time to keep up with everything so perhaps I've just missed a thing or two or three in the process of living my life in between everything else that's going on.
I heard just the other day that there are actually some California folks who are speaking out and standing up about conditions there.
OH.
Holy buckets!
This belongs at the top of this update. Supreme Court Justice appointments. Our beloved Constitutionalist Scalia has a worthy successor. WHEW. Other vacancies are in the process of being filled, although not yet on the Supreme Court, subject to getting past the hurdles and caltrops used by people who really ought to know better by now. There are likely to be one or two more vacancies on the Supreme Court within the next year or two, hopefully to be filled by Justices who believe in our nation.
As for that list of folks up at the top of this post, the ones who are 'afraid', I'm hoping that they will soon get over it. Their fears are no different from the fears of us all, when it comes right down to it, and all of our fears are addressed by that same Rule of Law. Not rule of tyranny; not rule of political party; not rule of majority or minority; not rule of emotion or opinion - Rule of Law. That means our Constitution.
If I hear the word Russia one more time except for references to geology or archaeology, I do believe I may vomit. Copiously.
The same goes for 'investigations'. We can assume the legitimate investigators are doing their jobs and will let us know in due course what conclusions they come to.
And I don't really mind that our President uses social media to keep in touch with us. We already knew he blurts before we ever elected him. We blurt too sometimes. Many of us blurt a heck of a lot more than he does, although I have to say most of us do not have anywhere near the mind behind those blurts that our President does. I find myself going through what I know of history, ancient and more recent, looking for someone to compare this President of ours to - some come close, but ... I'll have to dig deeper I think to find a match for him. There are candidates in different arenas, but none who manage to fit all those arenas into one person. This too is of course a matter of perspective and depends on who's doing the looking. Socialists and communists are going to come up with a whole set of boogeymen while the rest of us are going to be looking among the heroes of our world's history for comparisons.
I want to comment on a phenomenon that seems to me inexplicable but maybe somebody can help me to understand. Today's democrats don't seem to have much imagination. If you want to know what they've been up to and where to begin looking, all you have to do is wait and listen. Sooner or later they'll accuse somebody of something heinous. Just thought I'd mention that on the off chance somebody in the world hasn't figured it out yet. No I have no axe to grind, not being a republican; I'm an Independent, but an observant one. I'm just being a bit snarky. And don't worry about the democrats getting a heads up. They have tunnel vision. That's snarky too, I know. I'd be snarky about republicans if they'd give me something to be snarky about. Aside from most of the ones who are now sitting in Congress, most republicans seem at least halfway sensible, at least the ones I know. There. Snark.
On the whole, I personally would rather snark about the plodding republicans taking their own sweet time about things than hear one more word in the dazzling display of spectacular speculation of the current crop of democrats.
We Independents are the audience here more than we are active participants on a regular basis. We get to yap and yipe about everybody to our hearts' contents. And you know what? There are more of us than a person might think. Consider this for a minute. You can't possibly believe that every democrat out there is a radical rioter dead set on global communism. Likewise you can't possibly believe that every republican out there is a dyed-in-the-wool demon-hunter with everyone except them being the demons.
Between those two ends of the spectrum are a whole lot of in-between folks who just love our nation and want what's best for all of us. You might be an Independent and not realize it (yet). The further apart those two ends get, the more of us there are in that middle ground. Just sayin'. That middle ground is our common ground as a nation. If our politicians can't recognize that, and insist on remaining divided, it doesn't mean that We the People have to follow their lead and allow ourselves to keep getting sucked into that division.
Snark advisory.
You'd think that both the democrats and the republicans would have figured it out when our nation collectively elected an 'outsider' as our President.
Huh.
Because red and blue are already taken, I suggest white as the color for us Independents, to round out the colors of our Stars and Bars. Before you get on your high horse and call me racist, there's something you should know about the color white. It is the presence of ALL colors, very literally. Look it up. And get off your high horse. Come on down and walk with the rest of us for a change. You might be surprised how much you like us. You might be shocked to find that you are us.
WHITE (take my word for it or click on the link)
"Q:
What colors make white?
A:
QUICK ANSWER
White is produced when all colors of the visible spectrum are combined."
