Random Thoughts On Our Leaders

If one more person asks me about what I think of the impeachment process, I'm gonna scream. No, I was not in favor of impeachment...not because I think feckless leader is innocent. I was against the idea of impeachment because it was going to be turned into a sideshow and the Democrats would be unable to stop the circus train from going off the rails. This is not governmental business as usual; this is something completely insane. More like Hitler and the takeover of Nazi Germany which We, the People, could never fathom; still  chanting NEVER AGAIN, we elected a less-than-benevolent despot. The man is a nutter and there is nothing to be done about it.

So, to remedy my own malaise, I have assembled some quotes about our government and our nation's would-be character from established leaders:

The strength and power of despotism consists wholly in the fear of resistance.

                                  

When men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon.

                       Thomas Paine                                 (January 29, 1736 - June 8, 1809)

There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.   

John Adams (October 30, 1735 - July 4, 1826)

 

The surface of American society is covered with a layer of democratic paint, but from time to time one can see the old aristocratic colours breaking through.

                                   Alexis de Tocqueville (29 July 1805 – 16 April 1859)

We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.

Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) 

Unhappy events abroad have retaught us two simple truths about the liberty of a democratic people. The first truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic State itself. That, in its essence, is fascism — ownership of government by an individual, by a group or by any other controlling private power. The second truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if its business system does not provide employment and produce and distribute goods in such a way as to sustain an acceptable standard of living. Both lessons hit home. Among us today a concentration of private power without equal in history is growing.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt -
Simple Truth - message to Congress, April 29, 1936

 

One's philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes... and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.

Eleanor Roosevelt (October 11, 1884 – November 7, 1962)

Only a cheap politician, greedy for political gain, would try to single out one individual for blame. The fault lies not with the individual but with the system, and that system is Richard Nixon.  

Pat Paulsen (July 6, 1927 – April 24, 1997)

Being President doesn’t change who you are –            it reveals who you are.  

Michelle Obama (January 17, 1964 - )

When I listen to the testimony, when I read the tweets, when I watch the physical behavior of those who are purported to be our civic leaders, our representatives to Washington, I am saddened, disappointed, and at times, repulsed by what I see. I cannot fathom the bullying, the despicable language, the inability to tell the truth. It's sad, tragic, disheartening, and disgusting. We have no leaders, only schoolyard bullies dragging everyone in this nation down to their level. 

I used to think we deserve better than that. Now I am not so sure. Have we elected the government we truly deserve? 

I have no idea how to answer the question what do you think of the impeachment process? other than to say, "Open testimony is the only way to go. Get it out on the airwaves." Beyond that, no one has any control over the circus train wreck. 

For lack of any sort of role model these days, I must turn to one of my personal heroes, a lady whose soft hand I once shook when I was a child, a woman who talked to us kids in a way that made us proud to be American and hopeful that any one of us could be the next great leader of this country. Now, more than ever, we should strive to emulate Eleanor Roosevelt's grace, understanding, intellect, kindness and core inner strength. Most of all, we should practice what she preached:

Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events;  small minds discuss people.

That's more than just the Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week, it's a desperate cry for civility in all things.  

Every Day Should Be Veterans Day

January in November. It is frickin' cold out there. Anyone who thinks climate is not changing is a troglodyte. Which defines most of our governmentally unstable secretariat. Seriously. 

But let's not dwell on the theoretical; let's talk about the practical. It's cold out there and some people are without shelter.

It's Veteran's Day, folks. 

Armistice Day in New York City
Nov. 11, 1918

It used to be called Armistice Day because at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice was signed ending the Great War...which came to be known as World War I, the war to end all wars...which it was not because we had a rerun less than 20 years later. Poppies in England, platitudes in America, and utter disrespect for our veterans. As a nation, our disdain for those who have served in uniform is beyond shocking; it is a blight on American society.

Those who gave themselves to defend this country lack access to consistent health care. Too many of our veterans are homeless. Too many need psychological evaluation and help. And too many are deported because they came to this country illegally as children.  Sure, we can all focus on this incredible injustice, but it really speaks to a larger issue prevalent in American society: we are unwilling to take responsibility for our own population. 

We treat each other abominably. Our government ministers cut social services, education, and arts funding because they don't see those aspects of culture as having value just as we do not value service to this nation. As the entity America, we turn our backs when confronted with the reality of service instead of the poster images we want to see. Our armed forces and our veterans need social services, education, and yes, even access to the arts. De-funding and dismantling the programs telegraphs a very clear message to those who have put on the uniform: You Don't Matter. Doesn't matter if you need any particular program...that they are rapidly becoming unavailable to those who do need and rely on them is to our collective shame.

This disdain is a blot on the American conscience. It shows us up for who we truly are: a nation that elects leaders with no honor. Not every leader has to have served in the armed forces, but they must respect that we sleep safely under the blanket of the security the armed forces of this nation provide. This doesn't mean we turn a blind eye to misconduct or misdeeds; we do not. But we have a moral and ethical obligation to our service members and our veterans to ensure they are getting the best armor, the best health care, the best educational opportunities commensurate with their choice to put our nation first.

Once upon a time in the not-too-distant past, members of the Armed Forces were derided, belittled, and damned for being part of an immoral war machine. Come on, you remember Vietnam and the treatment leveled at American vets. Yes, it was a complicated time, but we learned a great lesson from that period. We learned a government goes to war, not the army. We learned to discriminate between what was duty and what was morally reprehensible as we learned that dereliction of duty is not a cut-and-dried matter. But that was then, this was now, and I must believe We, the People have come to understand the importance of those who choose to serve in the Armed Forces. You can see that shift in airports, in public places, even in the grocery store. 

Veterans Day is not Memorial Day. Veterans Day is to recognize the service given to this country with great personal sacrifice. All too often, there is blood, not lucrative investments, that is spilled on the ground, but that has little to do with Veterans Day. The bottom line is that every day must be Veterans Day. 

As you listen to the next 11 months of non-stop bullshit coming outta the mouths of politicians, listen for the part when they talk about those who serve our country. Listen to what they say about service, about our responsibility to them, and then, demand concrete answers. Hold their feet to the fire and make the candidates address issues of veteran right, benefits, and even citizenship. 

This is a non-partisan issue. Your party of choice has nothing to do with this. Your voice and your vote however, count. 

To those of you who serve our country now, we salute you. To those who have served in uniform, we thank you. And for those who dream of marching, sailing, flying, or going to the moon, we support you. 

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

You have a voice and a vote.

Use them well.

Home Again, Home Again, Fiddle-Dee-Dee

 Ten days goofing off in Israel is merely scratching the surface. 

The first time you go to Israel, you really have to do the tour thing. For a tiny country, there is way too much to do and see. I'm past the tour thing. Now, the only thing I wanna do in Israel is hang out with my friends and do stuff I haven't done before.  

We drove north to Agamon Hahula which is right at the Golan Heights. This is the plasce to be for bird migration watching. Word is, it gets pretty crowded with lots of winged critters...as well as crazy kids on bicycles. We did see lots of birds, not as many as I 'd hoped, but it was a great day to hike, and hike we did. Last time I was up at the Golan was after the '67 War when things were still hopping and for reasons that escape me now, we went to the fence-line. We didn't go that far, but it's a strange sensation to know that on the other side of that hill is a buffer zone between us and Syria. All things considered, recent events and close proximity to Syria should be scary. It was not. 

Which brings me to the little red circles on the television. When you see a red circle in the upper right of the screen, it's not an advert or message from the cable provider. It's telling you missiles are being fired into Israel. The crawl on the bottom tells you where the target is, and you get to decide if you should be in the bomb shelter. Everyone knows where the bomb shelter is. You have to. You wanna talk about proximity? While I was there, missiles were fired on several nights. Iron Dome took care of most of them, but one did hit a house. Not a convoy. Not a military base. Not a checkpoint. A house. What would you do if missiles were being lobbed indiscriminately at your house?

Four days of Jerusalem was a good idea. I abhor the city a bit less now. I had visited Yad Vashem when it was new back in 1969, but it is much different now. I was a kid back then, now I am a parent and grandparent; it makes a difference. You look at the children and you see your own. Yad Vashem is graphic and terrifying all at the same time. You ask yourself over and over, why didn't they do something, anything, when Hitler delineated the beginning of the end? Knowing this was the week of the first yahrzeit of Tree of Life in Pittsburgh did nothing to mitigate the sense that We, the People are not doing enough to recognize, to grok, to fully grasp the magnitude of the changes we are seeing. 

We managed to wedge our way into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which is a surreal experience at best. There is no organization, no map, no signs, just hundreds of people jammed into a small space trying to experience the place where Jesus died...all the while taking smiley selfies. That was weird. Trust me. 

my note is in there with others.

I did make it to the Western Wall after the  riots in the morning. I didn't know there had been riots. We couldn't figure out how to make the TV give us anything except NETFLIX so we were blissfully unaware it was Rosh Chodesh (New Moon). Had I known, I would've been there but alas.... I got my note into a crack, had a brief conversation with G-d, mostly one sided, and stood with my forehead touching the wall, feeling so small within the great machine of being a Jew. Explaining how small one feels to someone who has not stood there is difficult. 3000+ years of Jewish history and here I stand, having the audacity to think of myself as a stalwart link in this chain. 

And I'm okay with that.

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

No place is perfect. 

Some places are good enough.

Other places are just plain special.

It's okay to like them, too.

Sunset in Herzliya.