When Will It End?

From the 1600s right into the 21st Century, The United States of America has been embroiled in racial injustice and there appears to be no end in sight!

Of course, when we look at slavery and its abhorrent effects upon a group of people when controlled and abused by another–there is no way justice could prevail in that situation. Beyond the “supposed end” of slavery, the injustices continued throughout Reconstruction, Jim Crow and even the appearance of Civil Rights Movement which is still being judged today. Did the civil rights movement ensure equality, justice or fairness–not just by society but in the eyes of law and Supreme Court Justices? Or was it all an act designed to pacify people for a time?

Depending upon who is asked, the answers to the aforementioned questions will certainly differ. Though laws were written, supposedly to ensure equality, our society as a whole has either ignored the laws or circumvented them. All of the protests and rallies of the 1960s and beyond have yet to change the mindsets of those in our society who are determined to hate and belittle anyone who doesn’t look like them or act like them. The problem goes beyond being a political issue, but it is an inherent moral, humanity issue and it’s time, we all did something about it.

First steps are difficult when everyone is not on the same page, so it is imperative that we all get on the same page, working to achieve, “total equality and justice” in our society for all people, no matter what their ethnic origin is. The best way to get there in the first step is to start treating all people like human beings instead of subordinates who are inferior to one group. Anyone harboring hatred for anyone else because of their skin color, religion, or sexual orientation needs to take a good look at themselves in a magnifying mirror. It is amazing what one can see when we take a very close look at ourselves and see the flaws that others may not see–with a passing glance. Of course, when we see certain blatant behaviors that indicate the level of hatred that resides within a person, we know they haven’t truly looked at themselves to see what we see.

What does hatred look like? It looks like pure evil–arrogance in how we treat others, defiance in how we refuse to accept all human beings as human beings, and ignorance in not realizing that no one group of people is superior to another–no not one. The evil pervades with lack of knowledge and determination to hold onto beliefs instilled from childhood. In some cases, those with wealth assume they are superior to others because of their bank accounts, not realizing that no amount of money will keep them from the same fate we all face–death. Some are hate-filled because of their lack of ability to achieve what others have when they think their “privilege” should be more significant than someone else’s hard work. Some are hateful simply because they can be–without cause–to unjustly mistreat others.

So, how do we combat the hatred? There is no one answer to this question. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others thought peaceful protests would make a difference. Sometimes they did and sometimes they didn’t. Sometimes, taking a more militaristic stance against injustice was thought to be the answer. That didn’t work either. The key to combating hatred is two-fold. One way is to wait until those who taught hate, die and the other is to educate–all people–in understanding that love really is key to finding solutions to racial injustice and inequities. But the first “love” must come from loving self. When we love ourselves and want to see no harm come to self, we are generally more compassionate and accepting of others. Love, in its purest form, is seen in our service–what we do for others and how we treat others.

Loving others doesn’t mean we have to agree with them on all levels, it means we’ll acknowledge our disagreement and agree to disagree, civilly, without name-calling or attempts to denigrate with whom we have disagreements. Serving others does not mean we become door-mats, or subservient to others, it means we stand up for what’s right, not afraid to speak truths or denounce lies. Until we reach this stage of interaction with our fellow human beings, we will continue fighting for racial justice and equality and many of us, may not live long enough to see the injustice end.

But while we yet live, we must fight to see the injustices and inequities end for the future of America and in order to do that, we must acknowledge the fundamental rights of all people–as guaranteed in the Constitution and the natural order of humanity. We are all human beings–one blood–bleeding red and we should have the ability and access to voting our choice in any and every election, no matter where we live, without the interference of anyone who disagrees with our decisions. We should not have to continue fighting for the right to vote, but in this society, one filled with hate and deluded by lies, fight we must, and we will.

The Courageous vs. The Cowardly

As much as many of us had hoped for an indictment of twiceimpeached, we didn’t see it happen because most of the Republican senators either had their balls in a vise or couldn’t find their spines. We knew that would happen. We’ve watched it for the last five years. Before I get too far gone into the cowardly acts, let’s focus on the those who rose to courageous status.

First of all, there were ten Republicans in the House who chose to impeach the person leaving the White House, who shall ever after be named (by me) twiceimpeached. They were the courageous in the House and they have also withstood the rancid behavior of those who disagreed with them, from within their party, the idiotic, upset over those who choose to operate with a sense of morality and patriotism (something others could have learned from). So we can applaud: Rep. Liz Cheney of WY, Rep. Anthony Gonzalez of OH, Rep. Jamie Herrera-Beutler of WA, Rep. John Katko of NY, Rep. Adam Kinzinger of IL, Rep. Peter Meijer of MI, Rep. Dan Newhouse of WA, Rep. Tom Rice of SC, Rep. Fred Upton of MI, and Rep. David Valadao of CA. These are the courageous in The House and we owe a debt of gratitude for their stance in upholding a standard of decency, justice and their oath of office. 

From the Senate, these seven voted to convict twiceimpeached because it was the right thing to do under the circumstances: Senator Richard Burr from NC, Senator Bill Cassidy from LA, Senator Susan Collins from ME, Senator Lisa Murkowski from AK, Senator Mitt Romney from UT, Senator Ben Sasse from NE, and Senator Pat Toomey from PA. These are the Senators who deserve our thanks for standing up to a party that apparently condones insurrections and seditious traitors. 

One would think, since all have taken an oath to “preserve and defend the Constitution of the United States,” that finding someone guilty of trying to overthrow the government wouldn’t have been that difficult. But apparently, for the 43 who voted to acquit twiceimpeached, their political futures were far more important than upholding their oath of office. As a result of their cowardice, they have not just condoned the seditious act of a government overthrow, but have left the path forward open to a more ardent and dangerous attempt again, not just on the Capitol, but all government institutions. Attacks by domestic terrorists on the physical buildings are one thing, when our democracy is attacked and is now on the stage of mockery and derision for the entire world to see, an attack by foreign terrorists is inevitable. 

I have often encouraged others to only do the right thing and thereby avoiding doing the wrong thing. It would seem that someone should have reminded the cowards of such words. But then again, cowards are only capable of cowardly behavior. They have no spines or moral compasses by which to govern their lives. They are driven by a need to gain and retain power and individual wealth, forgetting they are elected by people who expected them to look out for their best interests. Condoning an insurrectionist and domestic terrorism puts the entire country at risk and when those from outside this country invade us, because we have shown them how, no one will be safe. 

Though I am not a Republican and would under normal circumstances, stand fiercely opposed to most Republicans and their political posturing to ignore the needs of the poor and vulnerable, I choose to stand with these who have determined to stand up, for right, even with all the backlash thrown their way. Cowards are always prone to using bullying tactics and I see the bulk of the Republican party in leadership, both on state and national levels as nothing more than a bunch of bigoted cowards. History will not be kind to them or their descendants and I hope they live a long time to see what their actions produce in this country and the reluctance on the part of other world leaders to pay attention to America as a leading force. 

Hopefully, we will all remember the courage of those who stood for America and our democracy in doing the right thing. Unfortunately, we cannot forget the cowards since we must do all we can to make sure they never succeed in the political arena. Every American must remember 1/6/21 as the most infamous day in the history of the 21st Century, when an American president incited an insurrection against elected leaders of the Executive Branch of government, placing the vice president and speaker of the house in imminent danger. One could assume from what has been revealed, the intent was to remove any possible means that would keep him from declaring martial law and retaining power for himself (and Putin). Call him, not by name, but twiceimpeached, so he will never forget his place in history. 

“Access Denied”

I’m not sure how many black Americans feel about all the uproar from those who don’t fully understand, why Black Lives Matter, or what it means to have been denied access to so much in this country that has made the, “wealth gap” between black Americans and white Americans so great. Simply put, from the time African slaves were brought to this country, we have been “denied access” to the basics that promote prosperity for the general populace.

For those who do not claim to be racist, I would like for you to take a walk-through history–via an actual book or Internet research to understand how the denial of access has kept people behind. For those who know and understand–I hope you’ll speak up to confirm what I say and I’m going to use the plural pronoun, “we” because my ancestors were part of the journey and the multitudes who were denied access.

• We were denied access to the native language of the many tribes brought to this country. Fear of what was being said, and not understood by white slave owners, forced African tribesmen to forego their native language to learn a new one–in captivity.
• We were denied access to learning to read or write the new forced language because the white slave owners knew, that once we learned how to read and understand the environment and how it purposefully kept people under control, we would rebel and fight for the freedoms we rightfully deserved as human beings.
• We were denied access to protecting women and children from being molested and raped by white slave owners who “raped the women” to expand their wealth of slaves without paying for more. Many of those women were raped in front of the men they had been given to for “procreating more slaves” and the men were prohibited from doing anything to protect their women.
• We were denied access to having our inventions patented because we were not considered “full human beings.”
• We were denied access to raising our own children when the “master” thought it was more beneficial to separate black children from their mothers so they could benefit economically.
• We were denied access to joining the military to fight in early wars and had to join all black regiments (check the history for yourself), there was more to the black regiments than the Tuskegee Airmen than many have no knowledge about.
• We were denied access to buy land or houses in specific areas and had to use white allies to purchase for us and then were denied access to equality of living in peace and freedom because white neighbors didn’t want us around them.
• We were denied access for the opportunity to go to school with white children (segregation).
• We were denied access to use public transportation in the same way as our white counterparts.
• We were denied access to college education and therefore established our own after a number of black people, sat in hallways, on the floor, grappling to understand what was said by white professors so they could also get a higher education.
• We were denied access to hotels, bathrooms, theaters, and restaurants and when were given access–we were seated in out of the way places so as not to upset or offend the white clientele.
• We were denied access to be accurately portrayed in the movies, and in television shows as a people with their own rich culture.
• We were denied access to economic growth–bank loans, mortgages, and other businesses. When some dared to defy the status quo and established their own access to economic wealth (Black Wall Street), angry, bigoted white people burned down the town and killed many of the residents.
• We were denied access to equal justice in all areas of our “so-called justice system. We were never given opportunity to prove innocence because were always judged guilty simply because of our skin tones.
• We were denied access to the same amenities of our white counterparts on trains, in bus depots and on buses.
• We were denied access to community amenities–the swimming pools, the tennis courts.
• We were denied access to healthcare and dental care and funeral homes–we had to establish our own which were not equal to the access others had.
• We were denied access to cemeteries–I guess dead black folks were a big threat.

So, I get why some people are up in arms with the current environment and awakening of reality–black people have a right to be angry and to protest the injustices suffered by our ancestors and what many are enduring right now–access denied–to being treated like a human being, American citizens, with justice for all.

The following is taken from a post on Facebook in response to someone bemoaning the fact that Black people wanted their own television station and colleges and universities–they did not understand why, so I responded. There was so much more, but at the time I read their post, only two things struck me to remember.

For Blinded Eyes–Historically

This morning, I woke up at 3:00 am and could not sleep, so I started scrolling through Facebook posts and ran across a post that got my attention. I cannot remember who wrote it, but perhaps, if they read through this one, they will know who are.

 

I do not remember all of it, but there are two things which struck me the most. You see, the post was bemoaning the fact that the author did not see the need for: BET (versus WET) or Black colleges versus white colleges. I wish I could remember more, but at 3:00 am, I guess I am doing good to remember this.

 

BET–the Black Entertainment Television–why? Because for years, there did not appear to be any room for black entertainers on most television networks. Most of the network productions portrayed black people as clownish or stupid, illiterate, and poor, with a few exceptions. The reason BET needed to be–because the WET (White Entertainment Television) (the author’s words, not mine) was all there was–and still does not adequately portray who black people are. But I want the author to remember think about this–exactly how long has the television industry been around and exactly how many shows accurately portrayed the black community? How long did it take for black entertainers to be taken seriously and given serious roles in the entertainment industry?

 

HBCU–Historical Black Colleges and Universities exist because for generations–white colleges would not allow black people entrance. The few black people who got into the hallways were left there–outside the classrooms, straining to hear what was said so they could keep up with the workload, but never accepted as part of the class. Historically, and apparently now, that attitude still exists today in some people who think black people are not good enough to get where they are.

 

I would ask the author and any who agreed with them to do some research and remember that the slaves were not allowed to learn to read, then they weren’t allowed into white schools, colleges, hotels, and when they were allowed into restaurants, they were seated “out of the way” of the white clientele.

 

If anyone is still reading this–that is a miracle, but I want to say this much. Instead of bemoaning or complaining about black people wanting equality and justice, remember what was done to us–and all the “access denied” that we endured, and yet, many of us have managed to do so much more than some white people who always had access to whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted it–and we did not. My response is not meant to stir up more racial hostility, but to hopefully cause some to wake up–and understand, we are just trying to obtain what you’ve always had–“access to doing better.” Whenever I see a lack of understanding about the history of black folks in America, I will address it and I would hope that–it would open the door to conversations that matter and will make a difference to all.

I do not have a problem addressing issues when I see them, but I will take the time to respond in a coherent manner, that does not promote any further racial tension. What I will not do, is to ignore the obvious ignorance that some have displayed simply because they want to deny history, or never understood it.

 

 

 

Donald Trump’s Devil’s Deal

“The Art of the Deal” negotiated from hell!

When will “real Americans” stand up—sans political party affiliation—and do what’s right for America?

From the beginning—in 2015—most of us knew that a racist, pathological lying narcissist was running for the highest of the land. And most of us knew—he would make a mockery of it and he has.

From making “Faustian” deals with the White Evangelicals to the brain-numbed Republicans, a deal was made with devil. The “Art of the Deal” was to negotiate giving him cover for whatever he wanted to do, and they did, including allowing Putin’s influence to reign in the White House.

He told the churches, he’d get them whatever they wanted as long as they provided him with superficial “religious” cover—just enough to fool the gullible—and they did, according to Reverend Ron Schenck in a CNN interview. I’m sure, if Republicans were truly to be trusted and showed any integrity at all, they would probably say the same thing and even if we don’t know for sure what was said to them in 2016, we see the results: tax cuts for the rich, nothing for the poor; Betsy Devos serving as the Secretary of Education when she knows nothing about public education and therefore, all American students suffer for the payment she made to Donald Trump to destroy public education. Immigrants lost—they are no longer wanted in the United States—a bigoted stain of ugliness we may never be able to shed.

“What do you have to lose?” he asked of black voters. Well, we have lost so many lives that I do not dare attempt to name them or this essay will be far longer than I originally anticipated. With all of the brutality shown by some police officers against black people—more than ever, we have to vote for people who see us as people and will do the right thing, no matter what the political party affiliation is—Black Lives Matter—whether they’re Democrat or Republican and no one should be allowed to get away with snuffing out their lives simply because of hate. Now, this doesn’t mean that everyone else’s life doesn’t matter, but specifically it means that we all recognize that all life is important, but when it comes to Black Lives, it would appear that officers in certain police departments are members of the KKK or some other White Nationalist group and they demonstrate their loyalty by killing us and laughing about our cries that, “I can’t breathe.” We are not people to them. We do not matter to them. Donald Trump gave white officers the green light to take our lives—without fear of consequences.

He duped the LGBTQ community by ignoring the needs of the trans members and denying their right to serve in the military or receive medical care for their transition. Religious fodder that made the Evangelical community grunt with satisfaction and greedily beg for more—disdain and disregard of our fellow human beings.

The Hispanic community fare no better than any other group of non-white Americans and many of them still support this inept bungling menace. He turned his back on Puerto Rico during one of the worst times of their lives and thought tossing paper towels at them like they were some sort of game show contestants.

To say that Donald Trump is an ignorant son of a gun (my mother raised me right) would be an understatement. He has proven time and time again just how ignorant he really is—from not knowing historical facts almost every fifth grader knows to deliberately and calculatingly turning back consumer protections—designed to keep us safe. As a result, when the Coronavirus Crisis hit the shores of America, we were woefully unprepared because the “stable genius” ignored the warnings from the WHO and China. His ego would allow him to admit he didn’t have a clue and when the experts repeatedly made it clear he knew nothing, he stopped heeding their advice and as a result, as of this writing, America has lost over 134K people to this virus. Had he one ounce of dignity, integrity, or empathy, many of those lives could have been saved, but no—his ego and his desire to be re-elected is far more important than human lives.

There is some hope on the horizon, and it does not come from the federal government or anyone in the White House. The beacon of hope America has lies in the intelligence and willingness of its governors to do what is right for their constituents. Leading the way, Governor Cuomo, and Governor Gretchen Whitmer—Michigan’s own, “That Woman.” There are others, but these two refused to give into the egotist’s noise and did everything they could to save lives which included, total lockdowns (except for essential workers) and daily briefings as they disseminated the data for all to hear and understand. Yes, the economy took a hit (but Wall Street rallied), but the loss of lives could have been worse had it not been for the stance taken by the governors who refused to cave to the bullying from the White House or other Republicans. Our heroes—and they deserve to be called heroes—are the governors who put people before profits and dared to mandate protocols to keep everyone safe—wearing a mask, social distancing, and making sure hands were clean. Its commonsense approach is still shunned by the idiots, but some of those idiots—learned too late, that wearing a mask, saves a life. Some of those who raised the loudest ruckus, are no longer counted among the living.

I’m sure I haven’t said anything that most attentive people don’t already know, but I felt  the need to reiterate some of the travesties we’ve endured because some people—just didn’t understand—elections have consequences and we are all suffering from those consequences. We have another presidential election on the horizon. I hope the gullible have learned their lessons and will vote for the people who care about them more than money, who care about children more than money, who care about our military more than Putin. It is not about party affiliation—it is about voting for the people who understand the Constitution, will keep their oaths of office, and stand up for all Americans—just doing what’s right, rather than what is political.

If we want this Devil’s Deal to end—everyone eligible to vote—must vote Blue for every Democrat on ballots across the nation so we can move forward and clean up the mess and the stench left in the White House. We can do this. I know we can. I am going to do everything I can to remind people, daily, until November 3, 2020—our voice and vote matter and if we look to a future that includes us all—we will vote Blue.

Come on Michigan Women of Valor! Come on American Governors! Come on American Voters — let’s end this deal with the devil!

 

Being A Proud Black Mother

I’m a proud black mother

Who reflects upon history

And understands the timeline,

The never-ending chronology

Of mothers’ fears, worries and concern,

About every child delivered and born

Into this world of inequality and scorn

Simply because of their skin tone.

 

I’m a proud black mother,

Who can and does empathize

With those who stood quietly,

Tears rolling down their face

Pain ripping apart every fiber of their being,

As they watched their babies,

Torn from their arms,

Sold, abused and misused, slaughtered and maimed

All at the white man’s whim

With no humanitarian laws against him.

 

I’m a proud black mother,

Who lived through Jim Crow laws,

Never fully understanding then,

Heartache endured of my kin

Who had to stay in “their place,”

Never muttering a word against

Discriminatory acts, fear etched in their face,

Because the laws were never just,

Never considered the black man worthy of equality

Or having just laws to protect their families,

All we got was silence, no response to our pleas

To be treated like human beings.

 

I’m a proud black mother

Who gave birth to two children

My daughter and son, in that order.

Teaching her how to avoid situations

That could traumatize her life,

Teaching him how to avoid strife

While living black.

Over 40 years later, since my children were born

Not much has changed, children are still torn

From their mothers in one way or another,

From police brutality or someone else’s brother,

Who just didn’t understand

How precious life is for every black man.

 

I’m a proud black mother

And though some may never admit,

Days of being concerned, fretfully

About the plight of every black child

Will never end, until every man, woman and child

Stops treating human beings differently,

Until laws include a humanitarian stance

With equality and justice for all,

No matter what our skin tone is called,

Because the simple truth is this,

If we believe mankind began on the African Continent,

We are all of African descent

And can no longer hide in ignorant bliss

Behind the lies of inferiority of one man

To appease a fragile ego of those needing

To feel and act superior.

 

I’m a proud black mother,

In my advanced age, still willing to take a stand,

Actively involved with my vote and my hands,

Working with the community to silence the hate

That if not quelled, will eventually obliterate

Any forward movement, any strides made

To cross that finish line where all men, women and children

Are seen as humans and not just the color of their skin.

But until that happens, please understand the need for all to see

Black Lives Matter—especially to mothers who look like me!

A Little Perspective

With all of the Executive Orders limiting and quarantining people–all over the world–and especially in the United States, people are grumbling.

CEOs are grumbling about losing money in businesses–the sports arena, airlines, children and parents are grumbling, every market that contributes to the economy is grumbling because of the attempt by many leaders to save lives–from a destructive virus that does not discriminate and then we have an occupant in the WH who chose not to recognize and deal with the situation earlier than he did. But this isn’t about him, it’s about us–the everyday, working Americans who have apparently taken the privileges (to get into cars and drive where we want to go, when we want to go, and do what we want, when we want to do it), we have as a right.

There are hungry children all over the world. There are adults struggling with lack of job skills, addictions and apathy. There are homeless people living in parks, dumpster diving to eat, sleeping in public toilets so they have someplace to wash their face. There are people who have job skills and can’t find jobs. There are companies who won’t hire specific groups of people and have wage caps that won’t allow a person to save for a rainy day.

Well that rainy day has come and it’s been raining for four weeks now with no sign of a let up, yet. Why? Because of that pesky virus that’s killing people and since we weren’t prepared to contain it or stop it, here we are–on lockdown–except for going out for essential needs–food and medicine. And here is where things get really crazy. The grumbling by folks who yet have lives to live–angry because they can’t travel to their homes up north, or have their landscapers cut their lawns (they can do it themselves, but that’s too much to expect of the privileged, right?) or they can’t go to the salon or the barber or get their nails done or do some spring painting or plant gardens. Really? Did anyone see the statement about lives lost?

Over 200,000 thousand people have contracted the virus in America and 20 thousand have lost their lives. In order to minimize any further loss of life, governors–primarily–have issued executive orders asking people to stay at home, away from large gatherings so they limit contact with others who might be carrying the virus. And what do silly people do? Complain and grumble.

I wonder what they would do if someone had started a war and over half of the nation’s buildings were destroyed, banks, hospitals, stores, farmland–everything. The homes in the Hamptons, and Martha’s Vineyard and further north in Michigan–all desolated and the beaches demolished with contaminated water. What good would privilege do anyone then? There is no food to be found, no water to drink and the air is polluted with contaminates from exploding bombs. What would we do then? There is no shelter other than a partially standing wall here and there, and masses are huddled wondering which way to turn or fearful if they’ll be attacked for the shreds they now call clothes. The rats are thriving, but there is little animal life left and people are hungry. What will they do?

We are not in that situation but there are people in other countries who are and they’re too busy trying to survive to complain. So why can’t we do the same? We need to take another look at ourselves and see this situation from a different perspective. We may be doing without our favorite restaurant or getting gussied up or entertaining friends and families, but what we have, that the dead don’t have is–another chance to live our lives, if we practice social distancing and abide by the executive orders of those who are simply trying to keep us safe. If we don’t have life, having a job won’t matter, flowers and vegetable gardens won’t matter, homes in other places won’t matter, none of it will matter if we are dead.

So, do everyone that’s left a favor–practice social distancing and give us all a chance to live until the next pandemic (for it will come), but let’s learn from this one how to survive and thrive, while we can. Think about it, with a little more perspective other than not being able to live our “privileged lives” having everything we want.

COVID19 Our Lives Matter

I’ve been watching as the world turns and evolves and grapples with the devastating crisis for which there is no cure. Lives are changed forever–and some are lost–leaving grieving families and friends, wondering what happened. Though I am not a health expert or scientist, I can say with confidence, this didn’t have to be this way.

When it was first known–with the confirmed case in November in Wuhan, it should have been taken seriously and every effort made to make sure the loss of lives was mitigated by attempts to thwart the spread of the virus–not deny its existence. The denial of its existence and refusal to address the damage the virus could cause is the reason we are seeing what we see now in America.

When will the lives of human beings become more important than a election to trump? Oh, he’s doing “something” now, but what he could have done when he was first told of the possibility of widespread contagion and didn’t do, will never make up for the lives lost. And the first thing he did–dismantling the agency that could have prepared America for this pandemic–should have been a red flag about his incompetence. Anyone supporting his position right now is just as guilty of murder as he is.

What we don’t need is a petty, grudge-mongering self-indulgent narcissistic bully in charge of anything that has to do with this crisis. America deserves to have leadership who at least understands the importance of having experts direct the path we take to navigate us to victory, with the least number of lives lost in the process. What we don’t need is a pathological liar who blames everything he did wrong on others. What we don’t need is a bloated egotistical orange menace trying to explain anything.

What we need is strong leadership capable of assessing the situation and doing what’s right, no matter who does it. Now is not the time for egos to rise to the surface–whoever comes up with a viable solution should be welcomed, no matter what their political party affiliation. We need appropriate supplies for our healthcare system and workers, tests for those who need to be tested and a populace who takes the warnings and admonitions seriously. We cannot stop a virus from spreading if we’re not willing to do our part to keep it from spreading.

STAY HOME!  STAY HOME! STAY HOME! BY STAYING HOME, WE SAVE LIVES–OURS AND OTHERS!

What we really need in this situation (aside from appropriate medical care) is a wealth of common sense exercised in every community. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the more we isolate ourselves from potential harm, the fewer lives will be at risk of contracting this virus.

The stories–of lost lives and hurting families are numerous–primarily because families didn’t get a chance to say good-bye to those afflicted and died. We can do better folks. We must do better. Use technology to communicate with others rather than attempting to congregate in public places where the virus can attach itself. If we exercise a little wisdom now, we’ll have plenty of time to gather together when the decline of the virus is known and we can all breathe a little easier.

This is not a great time for any of us–most can’t stand to be isolated–but we must do, what we must do, because our lives matter. We must listen to the experts, not the know-nothing menace in the WH!

 

 

Politically Engaged

Looking back at the year 2019, I must admit, I was more engaged in the political arena than I ever thought possible. Though I was politically inspired to run for president in 2020 (reaction to trump in 2017) and motivated to support candidates in 2018, I never thought I’d actually run for an office. Although I didn’t win the seat for City Council, I gained so much more—friends, experience, and respect from the residents of Eastpointe (at least that’s the way they make me feel). And of course—support from family is always appreciated.

First of all, I attended my first swearing-in-ceremony for our Governor in January of 2019 and later that night, attended her inaugural ball. What a blast—from freezing outside in the morning to enjoying the glitz of the evening.

Later, in the same month, I was inspired to run for a seat on our City Council during a meeting with our State Representative, Kevin Hertel. I knew there were two seats open and knew one would be retained by the incumbent, and thought I had a shot at the other.

Thanks to the help of Robert Roscoe (who became my campaign treasurer), we were able to obtain the number of signatures needed to get on the ballot and from that point on—my life was a bit of a whirlwind. I was also serving as the secretary for our 9th Congressional District, secretary for the South Central Macomb Democratic Club, secretary of the Official Democratic Black Caucus of Macomb County and on the executive board of the Macomb County Democratic Committee. I also learned how to get endorsements by other groups

I began attending City Council meetings in 2017 and was even appointed to our Zoning Board of Appeals in 2018. Attended a class to enhance my understanding of what the role entailed and met Cliff Wilson (a really great guy), who was also in the class.

Did I mention that I also started working for the Eastpointe Community Schools District? Well, I did and met the most awesome women anyone could ever hope to meet—Karen Beltz, Michelle Dyrval, Helen Lee and Laurie Jeffries. Not that the others at the school weren’t awesome as well, but these were the women with whom I worked,  on a daily basis. During my short tenure at that school—we had a blast and I am so thankful for meeting them and still enjoying their company when possible.  They did not hesitate to support my political ambitions and I’ll be forever grateful to them.

The run for City Council entailed so much more than I’d thought about, but I was up for the challenge. Filed paperwork, opened bank account and ACTBlue Account, and planned a fundraiser, as well as attended others. I attended school board meetings, council meetings, city events, marched in parades, and trekked about the city wearing out two pair of gym shoes starting on a third pair. I participated in candidate forums, completed questionnaires, and was interviewed by local newspaper and television reporters, as well as an independent filmmaker (released later this year in 2020). I had meetings with residents on a regular basis, ramped up my social media accessibility for all and marveled at all the people I met—online.

There were people online (especially Facebook) who didn’t appreciate my campaigning on community group pages, but then there were awesome defenders of my campaign—Lauren Tossey immediately comes to mind, along with Laura Pagels and Jeanne Trice. And after that, a number of residents—Frank Accavitti, Phil DiMarialet, and others, let me know they supported my efforts.

During this time, I also became a block captain involved with our Eastpointe Neighborhood Watch Program—that’s how I met Laura and Jeanne and other residents on our three block area. I have the best neighbors in the world! And those in the NWG are the best. For “First Responders Day,” we provided our fire department with a meal and with a plea to assist, many of the block captains participated in providing a “Thanksgiving Meal” to our police and fire department.

Additionally, I met many people on the NextDoor community site. Tom Klawender will be a lifetime friend along with others, Gayle, Victoria, Danielle Gaston, Devi, Carol, Rhonda—and so many more, I can’t even remember everyone’s name at the present moment. And then there are is my Twitter Family (numbering over 9K) that were encouraging and supportive of my efforts in my political run. My social media family makes me realize how blessed I truly am.

As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t win the seat, but my determination to keep my promise, being a voice for the community, has put me on a different path—one I know I’ll enjoy and with the help of the residents, I know we’ll make a difference in this city. Here are the thoughts of one resident, posted on her page on Facebook and had me in tears:

I could be here the rest of the year ( ) writing about all the people that made 2019 better.

I’m going to keep it to one aspect and two people.

When I was in college, I had a professor in my ‘State and Local Government’ class who exhorted us to pay more attention to our local leaders, as what they did would have more of an impact on our daily lives than anything done on a federal level. He was right. Most of us can’t even name their Mayor or State Representative, but can tell you everything they like, or don’t like, about the President.

Keeping this in mind, both Ril Brozowski and Mary Hall-Rayford have reminded me of Professor Jarvis’ words from almost 40 years ago.

Ril for making Dania and I aware of the ‘players’ on our City Council, and for giving us some great advice PRN during our local elections this year.

Mary was a candidate for City Council this year. Unfortunately she did not win, but that has not slowed her down. Mary has some great insight into character and she has continued to be involved in the community. She makes herself available to all.

These two are the people the Prof spoke of and they have inspired me to heed his words….even if it has taken me years to do so!   Comment by Sue Fancett

So, this is how the year ended—with me in tears reading what a resident thought of me.

Now, I’m more determined than ever to make sure Eastpointe Residents have a voice in our local government—someone who will stand up for and with them as we move forward in becoming the Family Town—that embraces all.

Educating Voters

Status-quo politics won’t change until those voting change–educating themselves about the candidates! The sooner we all realize that nothing in politics is going to change until we change, the better off we’ll be–with people in elected offices who will get things done.

Far too often, the voting electorate is stymied by the multitude of candidates for any elected office and instead of educating themselves about the candidates and the issues they promote, they simply rely upon “name recognition” or who can schmooze them the most. Let’s face it–with most of the issues, all candidates from either side of the spectrum say the same thing with a few minor differences. On the national level, everyone is talking about healthcare, jobs, education, climate change and infrastructure. On the local levels, the issues are pretty much the same with every candidate declaring how much they love where they live. But are they doing the work to demonstrate how much they love where they live?

Everyone wants a job with a living wage–one in which they only need to work one job, not two or three to survive. Everyone needs quality, affordable healthcare since none of us knows when we might fall ill or have some devastating event occur in our lives. No one wants to ride on roads that are crumbling or see railroads in need of repair or bridges deteriorating. And most sane people–want access to a quality education for their children and grandchildren–along with the hope of leaving a planet behind that will sustain life for hundreds of years to come. Those are the issues. And for us older folks–we want the government to leave our Social Security and Medicare alone!

What’s stopping us from electing the person who will work to solve all the issues? Identity politics–whether it is about party affiliation or name recognition– it is the basis for how many people vote. Some vote against everyone by writing in ridiculous names or by not voting at all. For those who practice–write-in-buffoonery or not voting–it is a vote–and probably for the person least wanted. We see the best example of that–right now.

How do we get the right people in office? We research, listen, ask questions, and evaluate what we discover–educating ourselves as to how the candidates have performed in the past (if they have previous experience), look at what they’re doing right now, and talking to them one-on-one in town halls or coffee hours on the campaign trail. A responsible electorate will not allow a person’s status to intimidate them and keep them from questioning any potential candidate. A responsible, worthwhile candidate will make themselves available to respond directly to the electorate, as often as possible.

So, to get who we want in office who’s going to work for the people, we must do our homework and do it early. We must listen to what candidates are saying to determine their message–regardless to whom they’re speaking–is consistent. We must not become–one issue voters–for when we allow the one issue to influence our decisions, we ultimately allow the wrong person to be elected. We must remember–elections have consequences--and that we will seldom agree with everything any one candidate about everything.

Many people have developed their own formula for determining how they’ll vote. Mine is simple–will I regret voting for the individual at a later date? If I can see where a candidate falls in line with at least 3/5 issues that matter to me, that’s the person I’ll choose. I can always fight for the other two at a later date. If there’s only one or two issues I agree with, I won’t vote for them–that’s too much of a risk to regret.

Since I am a political activist promoting the Democrat’s agenda, I suggest that the DNC and all of its affiliates spend some quality time educating voters about why we should put them in office and not just about voting against trump. Provide the facts, not speculation–with data easily understood. Provide a clear unified message and acknowledge room for improvement in a position on any issue. Include everyone–without a purity test–since none–no, not one–is a perfect human being. We don’t need perfect human beings–we need compassionate, empathetic, people with integrity in office–those who will govern for all the people and not just some.

As the campaign season progresses, I will continue to write about what we should be looking for in a candidate who will serve the country well and help to regain our standing on the global stage. Look for it–it will be coming on a regular basis.

Until We Learn To Think First…

Many people are still pondering the dilemma in which we currently find ourselves. How did we get here? Where is here? We’re in the middle of a sink hole, where the erosion of our democracy is crumbling beneath us and there appears to be no way to save ourselves. We got here–to this place–in the middle of the sinking hole–because many people either refuse to think or don’t know how to think--before they vote!

How do we know? A quick review of 2016–helps those of us who are willing to think, understand how hatred and foolishness brought us here. There were those who hated Hillary Clinton so much they were willing to believe every negative piece of propaganda published and promoted about her. Then there were those who were foolish enough to allow their emotions to overwhelm a sense of duty and priority when Bernie Sanders was not the nominee–so they either didn’t vote or voted for a third–guaranteed–losing party. Had they thought about all the possible consequences of their actions–propelled without thinking–we might be in a different place. But they didn’t and we aren’t. Yes, I know the Russians played a role in the election, but does that mean, we were outsmarted by our adversaries simply because we refused to think?

I know a number of us could see right through the haze of confusing information that continued to bombard our sensibilities and did the right thing–not the party thing–the right thing. And that’s because we were thinking. I know many people who regret their actions because they refused to think their political party could lead them astray. What I’d like to know is–did it ever occur to any of them–to think about what was right or wrong, what was best for the nation?

Okay, so that happened in 2016 and people started thinking–just a little bit– in 2018 and we were able to set the nation back on course–at least in the House–bringing to a halt all of the policy decisions that devastate the poor and vulnerable. I mean, let’s face it–the only people who benefited from the “biggest tax cut ever” are the very rich, not the working class or poor and certainly not immigrants simply seeking a better life in America.

In 2019–on a local level–again the lack of thinking or at least right thinking–surfaced again. When people vote for a person because of a desire to see a particular race in office or merely on name recognition–we don’t always get the best person or even the right person in office–one who will address the needs of all, rather than just themselves.

So, here’s my solution–especially for Democrats if they want to win in 2020. Let’s stop talking “party” and start talking right and wrong, best and worst, and let’s begin with educating voters on how to research a candidate, what questions to ask them, and to think about how their lives will be impacted if a certain candidate(s) wins an election. It’s been said before and I don’t think it can said enough–Elections Have Consequences–and it’s usually the voter who suffers the consequences of their vote (or not voting) when thinking is not part of their process for making a decision.

Does the candidate demonstrate professionalism in their demeanor and interactions with others?

Is their public persona a reflection of their private persona?

Does the candidate have an understanding of the role they seek?

Will the election of their candidate cause a disruption in personal budgets? Will taxes rise?

Are they more concerned about the voters’ needs or their own?

Are they accessible to the voters?

Are they candid with voters when answering “vital” questions (not the garbage that has nothing to do with anything)?

Are they ambitiously pursuing a political career or they sincerely interested in making a difference in their local community?

Now, those are some pretty important questions when thinking about a candidate. What about the voter? What kind of questions should a voter ask of themselves? First of all, think about “motive” in choosing a candidate. Is it based upon race, age, gender or capability or simply–name recognition? Does bigotry tend to color perception of a person? What type of bias exist–within the voter–that will either impair or enhance perception of a person? None of these questions can be answered “with forethought” unless a person is willing to learn to think beyond the moment and more than just about self or feelings.

Our planet has been compromised and endangered because of people who cannot think beyond the moment. Climate change is real and having a person in the WH who only cares about making money and keeping his corporate lobbyists happy means, we’ll not long have soil in which food will grow that won’t kill us. We’ll not long have water we can drink or air we can breath without choking or coughing up the toxins in the air. That’s not the end of it–our children and grandchildren for decades to come will suffer because many of us–refused to think–before voting for someone who did not have our interests at the forefront of their plans.

The answer is very simple–every voter needs to educate themselves on the candidates and the issues and be willing to think. Democrats need to be available to educate voters who don’t know where to start finding information and promote thinking country over party, race, gender or religion. We need to learn to think before we act–gathering as much information as we can get in order to make a rational, logical decision about who gets our vote or how the issues will impact our lives. We only get one shot at selecting the right person during any election, so our one vote, must count the first time.

Until we learn to think first–we are going to allow the wrong person to be elected in just about every election–and then all we’ll have left–is complaints and fearfulness about our tomorrows. Access to the Internet, no matter which search engine is used, brings us that much closer to having sufficient information about any candidate–that will provoke thought and help us to make better decisions, in every election.