Although I have never marched around dressed up funny with a bunch of weirdos, I have studied the Constitution.
I find it amazing how people that haven’t displayed any particular education in or affiliation with government, history, law enforcement, responsibility, weapon use, constitutional law or the English language are convinced of their expertise on all of these subjects.It may be a bit presumptuous of me to speak to this subject. My credentials are meager. They include only a major in history, having served in the army, having served as a commissioner of police (voted best in the state by the Fraternal Order of Police), having held elective public office, having appointed a judge and having some actual familiarity with the Constitution.
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One of my great grandfathers was the last surviving veteran of the Civil War from Tennessee.
William Nelson Morgan was known to everyone as Uncle Bill. He survived 2 days beyond his 105th birthday. I was 9 years old at the time.
The lieutenant governor came to his funeral. Others waved what they thought was the Confederate flag. In reality it was Lee’s battle flag.
The family and close friends knew that he had fought for the Union.
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I have been so otherwise engaged these past few weeks that much of my usual reading has been thrown in a pile.
I watched an interview this morning with Chrystia Freeland. It concerned her newest article in The Atlantic. I will get to it. That is one of the magazines in my pile.
According to the interview her article focuses on the ultra-wealthy. However, the most salient points she makes are also pertinent in understanding various other communities.
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Despite my obsessions with current events, history and the rest, I sometimes need a respite. I spent most of yesterday listening to music. It was an idle I too rarely gift myself.
There was a spectrum of genres to be savored. There were artists to be brought back to mind. There were moods to be indulged. There was a soul to be pampered.
The time was well-spent. The music begged to be shared. How could I not? I could list enough to keep you listening for hours on end.
Not all of it was universal in its appeal. There were, however, a couple that do seem to cross every boundary. These two in particular share the added benefit of having been performed by a group called Blast!
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Have you ever dieted? Have you ever tried?
Age has brought on a decrease in my metabolism. Some of the medications I take have caused a further decrease.
These and other factors have contributed to undesired weight gain. I blame my success at quitting smoking for adding to my problem. I frequently think I might be justified in taking up the habit again – for health reasons. Maybe not.
Returning from Scotland last year, I discovered that I had lost 11 pounds in one week. It finally dawned on me that I had not eaten lunch during the trip. I had simply been too distracted to notice that I had missed those meals. Being less sedentary than is my usual routine may have also factored in.
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One is not innocent until proven guilty. One is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
At least that’s the way it is supposed to be. When it comes to Wikileaks’ founder Julian Assange, however, the powers that be are doing everything possible to engender the presumption of guilt.
Joe Lieberman, in an apparent attempt to appear macho, is trying to lead most other congressmen in declaring Assange guilty, saving the costs of a trial. A Fox analyst has called for the “illegal killing” of Assange. He never bothered to differentiate that from legal killing.
It is important to realize that the powers that be are concentrating on the supposed violation of law, the excessive punishments supposedly deserved, the “rape” charges, anything to divert attention from the content and collateral issues involved. It should be made clear that the charges are not for rape.
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The revelations by Wikileaks point for me to a personal nexus.
Because of this, I ask you to trust me; to trust my take on this entire brouhaha. It’s easy to go with the overwhelming push by the government, the media, the powers that be. If one side is all you have ever heard, it should not come as a great surprise if your perception of reality shares the same distortions as those of your source.
Put all of that aside. I’m going to take you around to the other side for a better, clearer look at all of this.
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The Democrats will learn the wrong lessons from the election. The Republicans will learn the wrong lessons from the election.
How can I say that? Because of the truth embodied in the old saw, garbage in, garbage out.
The bulk of the society has decided that what they want to be facts really are facts. People actually believe that Obama is a Muslim. They don’t believe it because it is true. They believe it because they want it to be true.
And besides, the Internet told them so.
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There are a few truisms in politics. It is obvious that the Democrats have yet to learn them. It appears necessary to take them back for a review of PoliSci 101.
Any nationwide election is multifaceted. This one was especially so. That means both the mistakes and correctives are many. I can cover them all but most of you have lives. So, I’ll touch on just the most glaring problems and their remedies.
Okay, class. There is no need to take notes. You must, however, pay attention. Truancy is its own punishment.
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Did your mommy tell you that you are special? Of course you realize she may have been biased.
You cannot look anywhere without seeing the results of the behavior of people who think they are special. The guy(s) who cut you off on the freeway this morning; the student who filmed his roommate’s private encounter; the bankers who take our help (read: taxes) after screwing the world’s economy and then give themselves billions in bonuses are a few examples.
Given a few days, I’m sure you could come up with one or two more. They’re out there. I just question whether we’re truly aware of how much damage this attitude causes.
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