CELEBRATING 246th IN MIDST OF THREATS

                          Happy 246th Birthday U.S.A. !

Celebrating our nation's Declaration of Independence 

                                     July 4, 1776

Yankee Doodle (1991 Remastered) 

The Robert Shaw Chorale -- Traditional Battle Cry of Freedom

Our nation's founding fathers subsequently wrote a constitution giving us a republic ... "if you can keep it" Thomas Jefferson said.

Threats from outside our country have been combatted  but perhaps none like the assault from within such as our current one involving our most recent ex-president.   We must be aware of what we are facing so that we can optimistically confront and overcome this threat to our freedom and independence.

Dangerous, frightening, challenging are only a few of the words I might use to describe these history-making years.  Efforts to convert our form of government to an autocracy appear to be that former president's undertaking.  He has proven his words cannot be trusted when he speaks of saving democracy, believing in law and order since his actions are just the opposite.  

His political party and most of their senators and house representatives appear to support him given their public stance.  Only a few of their number have had the courage to publicly oppose that ex-president.

Even our Supreme Court has made court rulings jeopardizing our system including some years ago when a ruling allowed contributions of what has become excessive amounts of corrupting funds to begin unduly influencing our political campaigns.  

Most recently a newer combination of SCOTUS judges appear to be making rulings based more on political ideology using warped constitutional interpretations.  

They have taken away a woman's right to control her own body's health with a ruling that may even threaten other individual rights.  Gun rights have been expanded endangering citizens even more.  The separation of church and state has been undermined which is most counter to our constitution.  Environmental health protections have been weakened with other adverse rulings possibly in the offing.

Election systems throughout our country are in danger of being corrupted by this ex-president and his supporters.  Their efforts to suppress voting continues in selected states to acquire power by any means, legal or otherwise persists.  Lies and false conspiracy theories continue to be spread by our ex-president and his supporters.

An attempt to prevent a peaceful transfer of Presidential power occurred in a seditious act January 6, 2021 at the U.S. Capitol.  Currently, the U.S. House Committee on January 6th is conducting hearings on that insurrection to establish how it occurred and who was involved.  Our Attorney General's office will determine if the facts reveal accountability for what appears to have been a coup effort.

Much testimony suggests the ex-president demands individual allegiance to him over all else.  This is contrary to government officials' oath being first and foremost to the U.S. constitution.   Morality and ethical behavior appear to be mostly lacking in those previous administration officials.  Many refuse to testify under oath to the committee.

Given all these circumstances, my thoughts move along the full spectrum of positive to negative views then back again to our nation's future as events unfold.  I am determined to believe our nation's democratic republic grand experiment will overcome this threat from within to which we are being subjected.

Democracy is  fragile.   We the people have the power to keep this independence for which many died those many years ago and in subsequent years.  Our elections will be critical. 

I realize most if not all reading here likely recognize all that I've written.  I refuse to be discouraged and hope you will not be either.  This coming patriotic holiday simply arouses thoughts and feelings in me I feel compelled to express.   I am optimistic that truth and real justice will prevail however long is required.  

Happy Fourth of July to one and all ! 

IAN'S JOTTINGS -- TONE DEAF -- JAN. 6 -- SCOTUS

UPDATE:   United States Select House Committee on January 6th .......

                           Hearing Tuesday June 28th  1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT)

There are a couple new-to-me blogs of interest I've discovered which you may appreciate, too.  Coincidentally, both of these gentlemen bloggers live across the pond from the U.S.  Take a dip, you may enjoy reading them as much as I have.

The first blog that came to my attention is written by a man with an interesting blogosphere history I learned about in a recent comment in case you missed reading it.  Ian Bertram has started a new blog, "Ian's Jottings", featuring an intriguing variety of topics.  You can visit Ian's blog HERE. 

Ian's no stranger to the blogosphere since Ronni Bennett at "Time Goes By" (TGB) first introduced his "Panchromatica" blog years ago.   Some of what she wrote included:

"He's a serious man with passion for world peace and human rights, but he also has a wicked sense of the absurd as demonstrated by ...  this link I took from his site."

You can read what Ronni wrote May 4, 2004 HERE.  (note: some links there may no longer be active.)  She had been visiting Ian's site before starting her blog.  Ian had discovered Ronni's early blogging efforts and they both regularly posted photos on "fotolog".  

When Ronni concluded she needed to give up her beloved longtime Greenwich Village brownstone apartment on Bleecker Street making her first move to Portland, Maine, Ian responded to her request to be a TGB guest blogger during her moving days.   

I've visited the new blog, "Ian's Jottings", and suggest you read his  June 16th "welcome" post  to gain information about his other blogs, art site, intended "jottings".  Based on his writing I've read,  I look forward to a variety of appealing subjects including his memoir, music featuring talented artists and much more.  The alternate history topic such as "Dunkirk" is entertainingly thought provoking as is considering his unusual idea that is revealed in "Green Earth", given our world today.

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The second blog, "Tone Deaf",  I discovered later which I sought after reading Roderick Robinson's comment on Sabine's blog "Interim Arrangements".  When I visited Roderick's blog I learned he had written several books.  I was fascinated when I read what he wrote about in one of his books, Opening Bars:  "Everyone has a voice so why not sing -- but at eighty?"  That's right, he became a singer at the ripe age of 80 years.

Exploring some of Roderick's blog writings I discovered he dabbles a bit in political commentary occasionally enhanced with a bit of poetry, has had a lifelong interest in aviation, is adapting to some significant medical issues and most recently has explored writing about everyday happiness.   He asks a pertinent question about the life he's lived that we all might ask about our own life you can read HERE.

Roderick's humor emerges with a light-hearted touch in his writings to also blend into one blog discussion about bellybuttons.   Subsequently, there's a description of perfection and then there is the account of his being insulted.

His novels are enticing especially since I note one is set in Arizona.  His appealing self-assessment:  "In my novels all women are heroines."  Hm-m-m!

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SUMMERTIME

Norah Jones with pianist Marian McPartland.  Tanglewood Jazz Festival 8/30/2003

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United States Select House Committee on January 6th -- more hearings in July

"Donald Trump and his supporters are a clear and present danger to democracy."  

      Preserve our constitutional capitalistic democratic republic when you vote.

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SCOTUS recent warped political interpretations of our constitution defy common sense with serious ramifications:

Separation of church and state is now compromised based on a recent case ruling.

Regulations in numerous states to restrict gun proliferation have been invalidated per a ruling.

Women's rights retracted including making decisions affecting the health of her own body.                             (Women no longer equal with men who are permitted to  make health decisions about their body.)  

QUESTIONS: DEMOCRACY VS AUTOCRACY

(My life has been busier than usual the past week or so and will continue to be for at least another week or more.   I've been visiting other blogs  less frequently but will resume again soon.) 

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                     Tears For Fears -- "Everybody Wants To Rule The World"

Performed on a recent Late Show With Stephen Colbert celebrating the release of their latest album "The Tipping Point".

DW a respected German news source, one of several media in other countries I follow, recently reported "Democracy in decline worldwide" in Peter Hille's article you may read by clicking on that title with these excerpts:  

"For the first time since 2004, the Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI) has recorded more autocratic states than democracies around the world.  Civil society activists often represent the last bastion of resistance."  [Emphasis is mine.]

Hille's report continues:

"Of the 137 developing and transition countries examined, only 67 are still considered democracies.  The number of autocracies has increased to 70."

Additionally, Hille notes:

"This is the worst political transformation result we have ever measured in the 15 years of our work," says Hauke Hartmann, BTI project manager at the Bertelsmann Foundation.  This is due to the fact around the world there are fewer free and fair elections, less freedom of opinion and assembly, as well as increasing erosion of the separation of powers." [Emphasis is mine.]

Many tactics were employed for four years during our previous president's administration to weaken our democracy including spreading falsehoods about our election's fairness, attempts were made to stifle contradictory opinion, and limiting efforts were directed toward our free press.

Most egregious was the exploitation of the legal system to undermine our U.S. Constitution including efforts to erode the separation of powers in our nation's three branches.  The executive branch increasingly dictated to the other branches, legislative and judicial, often attempting to ignore or circumvent the rule of law which was espoused to being believed but  actions demonstrated otherwise.

You are probably aware of many examples of efforts within our country that continue to be made to weaken our democracy as practiced by that former president and enablers.  Consider voter suppression laws in some states.  Efforts to manipulate election officials.

Those who falsely lament most about our 2020 election being stolen appear to currently be engaged in using nefarious means to be able to attempt to steal future elections should they not like the results of fair and legal voting.  They do so under the false flag our election process cannot be trusted  Even members of their own political party have stated unequivocally there is no evidence our election results were false and cannot be trusted in the future with existing officials.

Unfortunately, one political party appears to currently be dominated by that ex-president with those who are appeasing autocracy supporters, to describe at best what they are about.  This would seem to give voters who want to preserve our democratic republic pause to seriously think about not only their national but local and state candidate selections, including judiciary, plus voting choices in the future.

Voters no longer will be deciding between two political parties with differing issue views but united in their dedication to democracy and how best to govern our democratic republic.

Voters may well be choosing between a party dedicated  to retaining our freedoms within a democratic republic or a party that is masquerading an intent to convert our government to an autocracy with a dictator calling himself a duly elected president.  

Hopefully, more and more people will consider these issues preparatory for congressional elections as well as presidential election primaries, national conventions, and general elections   What are your thoughts?

REMEMBERING 9/11 TWENTY YEARS LATER

You may read my recollection of 9/11 written ten years after that momentous day by clicking on the link below.   I was not blogging in 2001.  (Also, to read history of 9/11 click here.)

https://joared-along.blogspot.com/2011/09/911-remembered-10-years-later.html

Comments written then triggered still strongly felt reactions from readers though a decade had passed.  

This 20 year anniversary of such a tragedy continues to elicit from me only slightly tempered emotional feelings as I've felt on 9/11 every year since 2001.   

I had no loved ones, friends, acquaintances, whose lives were taken, but like so many across this nation, around the world, we didn't know what was happening ... what might happen ... where ... when ... who ... why?    

Reliving the experience I wrote about, I again felt the increasing anxiety I felt then about what was occurring as I was viewing on television events unfold in real time that morning.  I was simultaneously speaking on the phone with my daughter in Virginia as the east coast atrocity came to the Pentagon, much closer to her.  Was my son and family safe in middle America?   What about family who I learned later could actually view the Twin Towers out their window?   At some point it even crossed my mind to wonder if we were safe on the west coast?

Like many, I never imagined such an attack could or would ever occur on our shores.  I had been a mere child on December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor, (click to read event history), the day that has lived in infamy, so did not fully grasp the significance of that event at the time, unlike 9/11 when I was an adult.   

Also, on the Hawaii attack we did not have the immediacy of visual television news capturing the real time tragedies as occurred on 9/11.   Radio broadcasts, newspapers were dominant news sources.  I think most of us have wanted to believe that our shores would never again be subjected to such a foreign attack.  9/11 proved we were wrong.  

Domestic terrorism as we experienced January 6th is what we are subjected to today.  We cannot rule out foreign forces will continue to be of concern.   Our democratic republic is under assault but largely from within.  Truth has been trampled as leaders have let the American people down.  

We have ceased to be united as a people despite our differences, unlike how we were after December 7th, then for a short time after 9/11 before actions taken then went askew.  There is a truth to the saying, "United we stand, divided we fall."  We are long overdue for putting our country over political party. 

May we preserve our nation intact with a government as prescribed by our Constitution, not led by a one person leader who perceives and promotes himself as omniscient, God-like.    

Meanwhile, we remember 9/11, the lives of those taken from us, honor the national heroes who rendered aid.  

 

May we never ever have to experience any tragedy even remotely like this again.  

FAMILY -- CELEBRATING INDEPENDENCE -- AGING

 Celebrating Independence Day -- July 4th!

Let us preserve our independence, democracy, freedoms, by re-pledging our allegiance to the  United States Constitution this year and for future years.

Following the Constitutional Convention in 1787 Benjamin Franklin, one of the founders of our country is reported to have been asked, "Do we have a republic or a monarchy?"  His reply was, "A republic, if you can keep it!"

Our democratic republic was threatened during the previous federal government administration like never before as select officials acted in ways that could be interpreted as violating their oath of office and threatening our republic.  Even now numerous legislators are reticent in defending our form of government.

May we not succumb to being governed by anyone, including a future or former leader who seeks primary allegiance to him/herself,  rather than our Constitution, takes actions to undermine our democracy that leads to establishing another form of government such as an autocracy, monarchy, theocracy. 

Let us remember bipartisan election officials across this nation have unequivocally stated 2020 was our most secure Presidential election so we should reject those false conspiracy theories that state otherwise.

We must persist in establishing true equality for everyone, safeguard voting rights for all without suppressive efforts aimed toward some, despite political efforts and selective judicial rulings otherwise.

Let us continue to pursue social and financial equality for all our citizens regardless of race, creed, color, sexual gender.

May all those who planned, supported and participated in the Capitol January 6th insurrection be identified and prosecuted with preventative actions to ensure such an activity never again occurs.

May American patriots re-dedicate ourselves to supporting and preserving the United States of America's constitution, our democratic republic and our planet's environment.

FAMILY  DELIGHT

We continue having high hot temperatures in our Southern California drought conditions.  Uninterrupted electric power provides much-needed air conditioning I certainly appreciate.  Fortunately, water rationing has not been necessary to date.   

I feel emotionally rejuvenated following a visit the past week with a few of those still living family members who drove halfway across our country to my home.  We always have a variety of frequent virtual communications throughout the year, but with the pandemic we did not see one another in person for much too long.  What a delight to hug a young grandson who has grown immensely since last I saw him as he prepares to enter 5th grade.

I especially benefited from having my son aid me by performing numerous long overdue tasks to enhance my ability to more comfortably keep living in place independently in my home.   There is much more work to be done that will continue to be my focus.  He may be able to return in the future to provide more assistance.  

Unfortunately, aging's effects have slowed my work efforts considerably, including my determination to reducing my possessions, so my progress is slow.  Also, I expect I'm not alone in finding performing everyday necessities I once considered as incidental in life requiring minimal time and effort have now become much more prominent major time-consuming activities.

In the mix for me will be finally getting crowned -- not the royalty variety -- following another earlier root canal.  I will continue my weekly blog post here but visiting other's blogs to comment may be lessened, as this past week, while I order my life a bit more.

SO-CAL WINTER -- SANITY -- VACCINATONS

             "The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history."

Winter has finally arrived here in Southern California.   What that means where I live at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains is, we're finally receiving some rain, but unfortunately not much so far.  Our outdoor temperature is cold but not below freezing.  The mountains above us are expected to receive snow.  This weather may actually persist for a week or two.

Life already seems a bit more sane with our new U.S. President in the White House coupled with the administration he is forming.  We now have a President who actually believes in his oath of office, is dedicated to protecting our constitution.  

Our new President expects all government appointees and employees allegiance to be to our constitution unlike the personal demands of the person he replaced who betrayed his oath and the American people.  Our new President promises truth which will be refreshing after the four years of all the lies to which we were subjected from our former leader.

Lots of unfinished business remains including achieving accountability from those who violated our U.S. Constitution while falsely claiming to be patriots defending democracy.  Of course, any thinking person recognizes their violent overt and covert actions demonstrated they were in fact destroying democracy.   Rooting out those destructive forces attempting to take autocratic control of our government will take time requiring also that we continue to guard against any others like them in the future.

I am heart-brokenly angered that we citizens must necessarily confront home-grown terrorists on our own shores -- that we are now required to take such action to preserve our democratic republic's freedoms.  Still, that is our responsibility as our forebearers cautioned: "...if you can keep it."  

I like the idea describing our nation's situation expressed by the young poet, Amanda Gorman at the Presidential inauguration.   Our nation is young, we are in the process of growing which includes making and learning from mistakes.   We are:

                   "A Nation that isn't broken, simply unfinished."               

Covid-19 Vaccinations 

A young family member on the east coast has been engaged in administering the vaccine.    She also reports recently receiving her second Pfizer injection, experienced only some slight swelling and soreness at her arm's shot site.

Vaccinations against Corvid-19 continue here in Los Angeles County but not without considerable problems for those attempting to make a required reservation.  Initially the reservation website system crashed but, hopefully, will now continue to be operative.  

Complicating matters has been officials reports of receiving limited vaccine but only learning from one week to the next how much they'll actually receive.  Obviously, how do they plan in advance each week how many reservations can be accepted under such circumstances?

Now that it has been revealed the previous federal administration did not hold back vaccine for later release as they had said, there is concern L.A. County may not have an adequate amount to provide the second injection when it is due for some recipients.  Remains to be seen if that issue will develop or how it will be addressed.

What about Pfizer shipping fewer Covid-19 vials to the U.S. after language changes on the order when "extra" serum was discovered in the vials?   Some pharmacists report having difficulty extracting that "extra" amount.  

I'm considering here in L.A. County that there seem to be a number of issues surrounding possible vaccine availability, distribution, coupled with the rush of people seeking the vaccination as they invite more groups of people and open an increasing number of drive-thru locations providing the injections.

One large drive-thru at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds has opened near me.  Years ago my husband and I went there a couple years when they offered the annual flu shot, which proved to be a very efficient process.

I've decided to bide my time for now, deferring getting the vaccination rather than getting caught up in the current milieu of people and issues.  I'm sure many individuals are much more in need of the Covid-19 protection than I am as they need to work, risk having to encounter lots of people in their business and day-to-day lives.  

Maybe the next vaccine will be approved for use before long.   The most recent one mentioned is from Johnson & Johnson and is one injection.   The clinical trial results will be released soon which will be of interest in terms of the efficacy percentage and side effects.  Of course, we do not choose the vaccine we want to take and accept whatever is being distributed at the time wherever we live.  

Meanwhile, I will simply continue practicing the precautions as I have been including  staying at home more than I would have in the past -- a while longer certainly, but that won't be a great inconvenience for me.  

What about you?   

U.S. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC SURVIVES TO THRIVE

I am thrilled beyond words with tears welling-up in my eyes as I write this,  that the majority of United States voters are preserving our democratic republic, the constitutional form of government our nation's founders gave us "if you can keep it", as Benjamin Franklin cautioned.  Our democracy and our freedoms prevail as I could only hope all citizens in other nations might benefit from also.

Projected winners for the offices of President and Vice President in the U.S. have finally been made:  the Joseph Biden-Kamala Harris ticket are expected to win; defeating the incumbent President Donald Trump and V.P. Michael Pence after their serving only one four-year term, but a very long, harrowing, grim, demoralizing, chaotic one.

U.S. voters have tried to patiently await the ballot counting in our fifty states which continues as I write this.  Meanwhile, the incumbent is filing multiple lawsuits contesting various state vote tallies citing undocumented, so far, voting violations.  

To date our citizens have been highly engaged in this election with a historic number of people voting.  If the totals prevail, as is expected, Biden-Harris have received a record-setting number of winning votes, 74 million.  The incumbents have also received record numbers of votes but sufficiently less than our projected winners, Biden-Harris.

Biden-Harris are expected also to receive the most Electoral College votes in addition to having won the popular vote.  The incumbents did not win the popular vote four years ago but did acquire the most Electoral College votes which is what enabled them to assume office.

How symbolic that the state of Pennsylvania popular vote totals will give the Biden-Harris Presidential/Vice Presidential candidates the necessary Electoral College votes to officially become elected.  Philadelphia, PA is where our founding fathers wrote and signed our constitution.  

Here is a timeline that could still be problematic if states delay in reporting results:

December 8, 2020:          Safe Harbor Deadline -- States must choose electors that will be accepted by                                                                                        Congress; voting disputes must be resolved.                                                                                                      (Described in this ABA Journal article)

Here are the final timelines once our individual states popular votes are finalized:

December 14, 2020:          Electors Convene and Vote in D.C.

January 6, 2020 at 1 p.m.: The vote will be finalized and certified in a joint session of Congress.

January 20, 2021 at noon:  The President is inaugurated.

Our citizens have rejected efforts to alter our form of government which would have turned it into an autocracy led by a vindictive man who has created primarily chaos in our country for four years, nurtured hate-filled divisiveness and violence, tragically has failed to fulfill his basic oath to protect each of us as the pandemic continues to take lives.  

I am fully aware there will be no quick fix for all the challenges facing our nation.   I hope our citizens will continue to provide the meaningful support and patience to aid our new leaders unifying efforts by thinking primarily of what is best for our country, ultimately each of us.

I celebrate our nation once again will have leaders I can respect, of whom I feel proud, who present the true soul of the majority of American people who care about each other in all our diversity and about all people around the world. 

REASSESSMENT

I’ve taken quite a lengthy break from writing here.  Thanks to commenters for your continued interest despite my mercurial writing commitment.   I really haven’t known if I would resume writing, but concluded if I did, I wanted a limited publishing schedule and posts of relatively short content.   We’ll see how well I can follow that plan as it’s no understatement to say that I can tend to become a bit verbose as you likely have noted. 

Also, especially since 2016, when I begin to write I’m often challenged with thought intrusion associated with preservation of our threatened democratic republic’s freedoms.   Consequently, I experience frustration resisting excessively writing about the state of our nation.   I realize too much of this subject matter may be less than appealing to readers here, but I seem to feel the need to express myself.

Those were my thoughts before the most recent actions initiated by our nation’s leader who has now unleashed the potential for even more dangerous unpredictable world events.   Escalating uncertainty ensues with unknown consequences.  Additionally, indicators of our planet’s climate changes, denied by this same leader, increasingly manifest themselves in destructive weather events around the world we read or hear about in our daily news such as the present horrendous Australian fires.   

I long for a nation and world that seems not to have so many more such serious issues demanding immediate resolution.  I entertain the hope we will overcome these challenges for the betterment of humankind but wonder if any will occur in my lifetime, much less that of my children and grandchildren.  Perhaps in a more desirable environment my thoughts and writing would explore light-hearted topics.  I try to differentiate between what I can realistically do to positively influence matters and what is beyond my control.   

The manner in which I can act to impact the situations has altered through the years.   My ageing, physical condition has gradually limited me more, but the very least I can do is to vote as I have now arranged to do by mail should I be unable to visit my voting site.  Traditional voting sites are changing in California and elsewhere, anyway.  We just need to insure as best we can the security and integrity of our states voting systems.  We also need to combat voter intimidation through limiting laws and any gerrymandering prevalent in some states. 

We can combat the forces that defy our nation’s values with the November 2020 national elections offering a significant major opportunity to do so.   We need to facilitate new voter registration through every method possible as one means of accomplishing this opportunity for necessary meaningful change.   

Meanwhile, we’re all faced with finding coping mechanisms to aid in retaining our sanity for relief from the unbidden heavy life complications foisted upon us.   We each do so in our own way.  I use a variety of methods in an effort to balance my thoughts with other input.   Just a few alternate focus areas for me include following my distant family members activities, listening to music, pleasurably reading both fiction and nonfiction, engaging in a variety of other involvements that also serve as distractions, but humor of all kinds is a saving grace. 

I never knew what one favored type of humor, often flippant and funny, sometimes with serious meaning, was called, “Paraprosodokian”, where the statement ending can be quite unexpected, a reversal  from the beginning of the statement, such as: 

"War does not determine who is right – only who is left."

What prompts your choice of writing topics? 

How do you cope with any frustrations you may feel with life issues? 

RESIST ----- PERSIST ! ! !

Muzzling and Intimidating the U.S. Press

There is no longer room in the United States for dissension as continuing actions by the country's current administration demonstrate, despite what our leader would have us believe.

Excuses and reasons the administration gives for why "pick and choose" news outlets are blocked from White House press briefings simply are smoke screens in our leader's ongoing efforts to demean, discredit, destroy the Fourth Estate -- our free press.

More and more the question arises as to whether or not this leader has much to hide -- so, no wonder he wants to curtail press and other investigative efforts with loud pronouncements -- "not true" -- "did not" -- "lies" -- reminiscent of past presidents' later proven false claims.  "Methinks the man doth protest too much" to paraphrase Shakespeare's Hamlet.  So far, though truthfulness has hardly been one of his strong character traits, we've given him the benefit of the doubt as is the American way. Would he do the same for us?  His words might say, "Yes", but his actions likely would say, "No".

Only a Press that supports our current leader's point of view is permitted -- his administration's alternate facts -- fake news -- reporting his outright lies, distortions of which he's proven to be a master.  Eliminating such phony reports is laudable, desired by most, but this administration arbitrarily excluding credible credentialed news outlets from Press news briefings is a blatant effort to control the news the media reports that has little or nothing to do with the accounts legitimacy.

These news media attack actions also serve as a distraction -- a tactic our leader often uses when there are matters he doesn't want the public and news media to focus on, such as issues like
-- questions of  Russia's involvement in U.S. politics, even our government,
-- questions of conflicts of interest with his business dealings,
-- questions about what he may be hiding by not releasing his income taxes.

Citizens, who in good conscience to safeguard our democratic republic.....

    -- our nation's founders, WWII veterans, especially, other military service men and women fought and died to preserve,
    -- those in the Press who attempt to provide the truth to the rest of us to preserve our nation's sovereignty and freedoms, some of whom have also died in the process,

are under assault by this administration!

The 'Cool' Aid (misspelled deliberately to not malign the commercial product) that this administration's leader serves -- already drunk by a large but minority number of our population -- is addictively sweet to the many drinking it.  His possibly hypocritical words often espouse their morals and values, that some of them are all too willing to impose on everyone else rather than allow all individuals the freedom of determining what is best for themselves -- contrary to what our nation promises us.  

His words feeding false fears of inadequate existing security measures with a need for excessively more, scapegoating others, fosters a willingness by a worried segment of the public to relinquish freedoms, little by little, for contrived safety.

History tells us this is a repeat of the pattern that ultimately resulted in nations leaders evolving into dictators.   Before that final step occurred some of a leader's programs might even temporarily have increased his country's prosperity, disarming his people into believing he has their best interests at heart.  They were increasingly willing to grant him even more power unaware he was becoming what seemed to be a benevolent dictator.  The price they paid -- their freedoms -- for too many, even their lives -- was high.

Those who recognize the danger today -- who express disagreement with any of his actions -- who publicly resist his efforts to thwart reality and the truth -- are increasingly prevented from expressing themselves -- chastised from his bully-pulpit.   In time, probably subjected to much worse.  His vindictiveness for those who disagree he freely demonstrates.

Early on in the leader's campaign to gain power -- by making gross flamboyant statements to appeal to the basest of human nature's qualities -- his words (later excused simply as violating political correctness which many applauded) incited the subsequent unleashing of an unsavory segment of supporters to begin initiating violence into the community.  Later lukewarm statements condemning such actions are periodically uttered by the leader, but they know through subtleties unknown to the public that he doesn't really mean it.   The documented instances of racist, sexist, other discriminatory violence increases as is happening in the U.S. such as this most recent crime.

In fact, this administration's leader wants the violence to increase the public fear which he can grandiosely exploit with a promise to quell by using more and more law enforcement -- hopefully, for him -- to a level he can marshal the military, declare martial law(?)   Then, his power will have no restraints.   Our leader's supporting segment of the public embrace their, essentially, benevolent-seeming dictator so they willingly relinquish each little freedom for safety like mindless sheep led to slaughter.

Just the other day one of his most trusted advisers in a rare public interview stated an intent for "deconstruction of the administrative state" which clearly could lead to a different form of government (bet you didn't know you elected as pseudo-President the author of that statement).   Continued characterization of  "media" as the "opposition state" dominates the White House position.   Our leader in another context used the term "military operation" inappropriately toward those he's scapegoating that discloses his real mind set on executive actions he's ordering as his minions rushed to try to explain away what he said as being otherwise.

In the meantime, the Legislative Branch of our democratic republic's government has decided to go along with this leader in order to accomplish some of their goals --  and they like the power.  After all, they believe, they can control him if he goes too far astray.  They're thinking, don't we have checks and balances to protect us?   History in other nations shows us some supporting government officials thought that once, too, only to be rudely disabused of that notion when they realized too late they were impotent and dissident purges began sweeping up even some of them.
  
Our Judicial Branch becomes subverted with appointment of an Attorney General who seems likely to have a rubber stamp perspective on his leader's views.  The Supreme Court may take a bit more time to mold but expected additional appointments may bring them around.   We might wonder, will they be a check and balance to protect our democratic republic?

The Fourth Estate -- the Press -- the last bastion of the people to help us preserve our democratic republic -- continues to be under assault by an administration that is busily.....
.....disparaging, demeaning, destroying all Press dissension,
.....punishing perceived Press dissension by exclusion from attending briefings,
.....preventing true transparency in disseminating executive branch government actions information,
.....obfuscating executive branch actions using the smokescreen of necessary secrecy from the press,
.....eliminating the means by which citizens can expose government wrong-doing,
.....requiring all news stories about government be reported only in a positive light, even if untrue.

When this leader happily tells the American people all is progressing just fine for his administration, he's correct.   He's thinking of the plan above, not the people's goals they're thinking of, no matter what verbiage he spouts to them.  We already know he speaks out of both sides of his mouth.

The chaos and confusion his governing manner creates that is so distressing to so many in the U.S. and around the world is exactly what he wants in his march toward consolidating power in himself despite --
--his behavior, whether rational or irrational,
--his words, whether or not factual and true,
--his actions, whether in the best interest of the people or not.

Make no mistake, this administration is not just a routine change of one political party assuming office over another so many want to believe as has been the case throughout the history of our country which so many of us have accepted in the past.

Mollifying this administration is exactly what they're counting on -- the people's belief their leader shares their basic ethical, moral and spiritual values despite the fact his lifetime of actions, words have demonstrated otherwise in his personal and most notably business practices.  A failure to recognize that their leader's pursuit is primarily for his own personal interests -- anything that's legal, or not, if he can get away with it.  

Our system of government.....our democratic republic.....is under assault by means of taking over from within.....by using our own systems of law, then stretching and going beyond laws limits -- in the beginning -- then, further and further afield.   Laws will eventually be whatever the government dictates with no freedom protections, quite unlike today as imperfect as law may sometimes be.  

SAVE OUR CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC,  AMERICA!   

RESIST -- PERSIST!!!