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 ! 

NATION'S VALUES BETRAYED

This American citizen considers our nation’s values have been betrayed once again by an individual, our U.S. President, who is unable to acknowledge truth and insultingly expects others to believe his lies -- despite the fact that he assumed his governing office with no humility, even though the popular majority did not vote for or support him (of course, he never likes to be reminded of such facts). 

Our leader continues to market divisiveness, lies pathologically, frequently contradicts himself, pettily resorts to juvenile name-calling, expects everyone to always like/respect/agree with him, while being oblivious to the fact such behavior as his does not result in the admiration he so desperately demands.    

That leader continues making knee-jerk decisions defying common sense frequently.  He does so without benefit of consultation with those more knowledgeable -- does so in a manner that doesn’t allow appropriate post planning -- as with the recent treatment of infants and children taken from their parents who were seeking asylum -- to name just a few of his dangerous behaviors. 

This leader and his supporters (some likely well-intentioned) will eventually learn they are being complicit in his effort to alter our form of government – by misusing our constitution to undermine our democracy and reduce our freedoms.   That this leader assumed office in the first place has occurred because of an electoral college voting system (long overdue for reassessment).  Some supporters acquired have been misled and unwittingly influenced partially through their very own social media activity. 

This social media has been subjected to manipulative machinations by a hostile foreign nation led by an autocrat committed to eliminating world democracies by any means possible.  Our leader, reprehensibly, courts this and other dictators he repeatedly praises and has intimated aspiring to emulate.    So, it’s not surprising he seeks to assume similar controls in our country over all branches of our government, continues efforts to undermine and destroy our free press if they don’t parrot his spiel – in his efforts to nullify our constitution’s checks and balances to prevent such a result.  

Some of our nation’s most immoral and despicable traits selected groups demonstrate continue to be exploited by those in the highest leadership positions for political and maybe even personal gain.   One of the most recent evidences of just how dangerous this is, occurs when we consider -- how could anyone even entertain the thought of separating infants and children from their parents?   Parents who should have a legal right to seek safety and asylum in a country other than their own.  Then, this leader deliberately actually issues orders for others to separate them without, at least, assuring reunification plans were in place.   

Might we wonder if those receiving such immoral directions should refuse to follow them?   Might we wonder what more is this leadership capable of doing to each of us if we are not in his favor?

My mind reels with memories of the parallels of just such a similar activity separating children from parents in other countries justified at the time citing other immoral reasons when I was a mere child myself during WWII.   When I became an adult recalling those years I wondered where had been the good people in those countries to resist such despicable actions – refuse to enforce them?  

Similarities were depicted in a haunting mother/children scene in the movie, “Sophie’s Choice” starring Meryl Streep in too horrific a video to post here – and yet, the babes screaming, mother in shock, has now happened in my country! 

Are those who put the leader(s) in power who ordered this travesty of human decency complicit --- fellow citizens -- acted in my and your name – including other of our citizens who followed those immoral orders? 

When does morality, including that of those pointedly pronouncing their religious convictions but who say or do nothing, demand a stand be taken? 

   We are reminded of that famous quote:

        “The only thing necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing.”

We also might wonder, based on past behaviors, what plans our leader may have for those of us who see through his schemes – maybe his using for his own gains our military establishment for which he claims to have such a patriotic affinity? 

Or maybe he’s just enamored or obsessed with putting on big military parades, thinking somehow doing so aggrandizes his power and serves as testimony to his virility? 

Has he been ingratiating himself with our veterans, armed services and their families in a systematic effort to obtain for himself, above all else, unquestioning alliance and allegiance as he is known to have attempted to demand from others?  For what purpose? 

Meanwhile, we must demand these children be reunited with their parents!

SPIRIT LIFTING 4th of JULY

Juno is in orbit around Jupiter!

What mysteries about earth's beginnings will we learn?

My spirit is lifted with renewed optimism for the future as I experience feelings of patriotism and pride from Independence Day 2016.    I welcome positive events that stimulate such reactions for me reinforcing that I  live in a great nation and am committed to my country continuing to be so.  These are a couple events prompting such views. 

NASA scientists at Jet Propulsion Lab shared on the internet their ecstatic reactions to the Juno spacecraft's successful precise movement into orbit around Jupiter after a five year journey from Earth.  I viewed NASA's live streaming video of this event July 4th night simultaneously with PBS's program Capitol Fourth orchestral patriotic music playing and spectacular colorful visions of  fireworks filling my television screen.   

One NASA scientist observed  how Italian Astronomer Galileo in 1610 first observed moons moving around Jupiter.  This was just one of his many discoveries but one with profound implications for scientific study. 

This Guardian link features a video of the NASA scientists event mentioned above.

Hope everyone had a special 4th.