The Soul of America

After the 2016 election I was worried. Oh, certainly about the election of Donald Trump, yes. But it was more than that. I was worried that there was no one out there that could see through the sham of his rhetoric, that no one wanted to. I was worried that young voters had turned off to being a catalyst for change in our country, that they just didn't care. Apathy is what concerned me. Because it is apathy that allows dictators to grow, it is what allows countries to fail.

Yesterday was a day of marches across America. What was important wasn't just the marches themselves, because we have seen numerous marches since Trump took office. No, it was who organized, spoke and who came out. These were young people, some who cannot vote yet and others who will be voting for the first time come this fall. They were carrying on a tradition that hits to the very soul of what makes America, America. It is the idea that we can effect change, that we are the masters of our own destiny, not some lone person sitting in a gilded cage pulling strings to remain in power. Someone once said that in America we have a revolution every four years. Well, maybe yes, maybe no. Sometimes we tend to slide along without really watching too closely what is happening and we end up with something that is not so pleasant.

The marches yesterday were about saving lives, the lives of our children, the lives of innocent people at concerts, movie theaters, or anywhere else someone picks up an assault weapon and starts shooting. This is a problem that both political parties should be concerned about, and should have taken action on long ago, because it affects everyone.

Here is a clip of Emma Gonzalez speaking yesterday. She was one of the survivors of the Parkland, Fl shooting. Someone once asked her why she thought so many people listened to her. She smiled and said she thought it was because of her hair. There aren't too many bald girls out there, so she stood out. I can say with quite a bit of certainty that that isn't the reason.

This is a righteous cause. This is the America I know and love. I stand with Ms. Gonzalez and her friends.

It's old, I know, but sometimes those oldies just seem analogous. :)

A Fateful Choice

Last week right about now I was watching the Academy Awards. This year I came away with quite a few interesting movies that I would like to see. Last night I watched my first selection, Darkest Hour. This is the story of Winston Churchill's first days in office and the momentous decisions that he was forced to make. No one can know how they will react to the circumstances they find themselves faced with. Winston Churchill turned out to be a man who was the right choice for the time, despite some people's misgivings.

While I knew of the plight of the men at Dunkirk I was not aware of the sacrifice made to save so many lives.  The decision that Churchill made that day had to have been the most haunting of his career.  

If you haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend it.

Music Montage

I was going to put this up for Saturday night, but I had to get some sleep before the snow removal project.   It's time for one of those lighter posts, this time with a musical mix of new and old.  So if you've got a snow day sit back and relax and enjoy a few selections I've come across.

Old, but new...

A reminder?

A little country...

It's so, well, obvious...

An oldie, but a goodie...

So I liked the name...

A Tale of Two Guns

This week there was another horrific school shooting, this time in Florida, with seventeen people killed and numerous injured. Those killed were sons and daughters, friends and co-workers. They were going about their lives with no inkling that they would be cut short at the hands of someone with a gun. They were in a school, an environment that should have been safe. Now they are gone, with their families and friends left to continue on with only memories.  

We hear on the news that the FBI was given a tip about the shooter back in January, but failed to follow up. Apparently a mistake was made, something they will have to deal with. But this is not the central issue here. It is the gun and who possessed it. We cannot use the FBI as a scapegoat or as some kind of political cover. The second amendment to our Constitution gives people the right to “bear arms”. However, it does not go into how we are to determine whether or not someone has the capability, mental stability or maturity of judgment to handle a gun. We have been left with a system that seems to base the right to possess a gun only on whether or not the person is breathing.

The mass shootings garner much of the news attention, which is understandable, given the trauma to so many people. But there are other cases out here that are worthy of notice, not just because of those who are hurt, but because they show what happens when you put a gun in the hands of someone who may, or may not, act with good judgment. These are shootings by ordinary people. People who just stumble into events that morph into situations that end in tragedy.

The first one occurred in January in Rochester, Minnesota.

Rochester Teen Shot after Traffic Accident

No incident is all black or white.  There are obviously details that we may not know.  But did he deserve to die? Over a traffic accident? One witness to the incident said there was no pushing or hitting by the victim. It sounds like a conflict between two immature people, one of whom may have been on some substance and one of whom had a gun. The whole situation got out of hand and now a person is dead. As his father said, killed in one of the safest cities in the world.

The second incident occurred just this past week. Also as a result of a traffic accident.

Man shot after wielding a knife

In this case the shooter was hailed as a hero. As one of the drivers in the accident said, who on earth thinks that a drive on the way home from work will end in being attacked with a knife after a traffic accident? But even here there is tragedy, both for the victim's family and friends and for the shooter himself, an ordinary person who will have to live with having taken a life.

Both of these incidents involved handguns. The mass shootings involve semi-automatics. But the pain for those involved is the same. Someone has died needlessly.

And just to add another wrinkle.

There are these guys:

They throw a whole new curve into the mix when they start making their own guns.  So what is to be done?  

Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble

The stock market here in the United States recently took a small dive.  According to some it is fear of rising interest rates.  I don't know if that is really the case, it seems that for some time it has not been tied in any way to reality.   But perhaps that is actually the case for much of our financial system.  I ran across a video from 2017 which discusses in depth the workings of this system.

Bubbles come in different forms.  Sweden has a housing bubble, I feel we have a stock market bubble.  But if the people in this video are correct the whole world is in a bubble that could cause massive pain if, or when, it bursts.

Wearing the Purple

I admit it, I am a fair weather fan. I haven't been watching the Vikings that often over the past few years. But this season is different. Like everyone else in Minnesota I have been drawn in by the rush of having a winning team.

But this isn't about me. It's about a group of guys who never quit. Whether or not they win in Philly they have shown a never give up persistence and teamwork that should be a lesson to others in my country. For them I'm wearing the purple.

Go Vikings!

Update:

The Eagles took the Vikings 38 - 7 in a blowout victory.  My hat's off to the Eagles, they were on their game.  I will be rooting for them in the Super /Bowl.  But I also want to tip my hat to the Vikings for giving their fans an exciting season.  There's always next year...:)

Poor in America

This is a Frontline Special that aired in November of last year.  Back in 2012 they interviewed three families, focusing on the children and how their family's economic situations affected them.  Then they returned in 2017 to see how their lives had changed, or not.  When governments enact policies these are the people whose lives are impacted the most.  Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican these are the people for whom you need to provide support and help in times of need.  We cannot ever be considered prosperous or successful as long as the neediest among us have no future.

So when you consider policy choices make sure that first you do no harm.

The video is just shy of an hour long.

Poor Kids