Over the weekend, we have had a demonstration of how Presidential power is limited by the US Constitution. My biggest worry was that Homeland Security would NOT obey judicial orders. However, the judicial orders were obeyed.
Therefore, I can be secure in my belief that I live in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
The country of the US has THREE branches of government.*
The EXECUTIVE branch, headed by the President, is tasked with running the day to day business of the government.
The legislative branch consists of the House of Representatives, elected every two years from districts of substantially equal populations; and the Senate, elected every six years, with two senators per state.** The legislature passes laws and approves funding.
The JUDICIAL branch decides the outcome of lawsuits and has the authority to find that a law or proclamation is UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Federal judges are appointed for life. Federal judges can void a law passed by congress or find an action by the President to be unconstitutional. SUCH JUDICIAL ORDERS ARE OBEYED.
It is important to note that ALL court decisions on unconstitutionality require that the law, order, regulation, be unambiguous. One is actually not allowed to say, "Well, I meant this to apply to green cards, but I have changed my mind." People who have to obey the laws, etc. must be supplied with a written manifestation of the law, regulation, etc.
People are giving money to the ACLU. Excellent.
But if immigration is your key issue, please consider giving to the National Immigration Law Center and the International Refugee Assistance Project.
Do NOT protest at airports. Demonstrations at airports are an excellent excuse for Homeland Security to deny attorneys access to clients being held at airports. These immigrants need attorneys way more than they need protesters. If you must protest, do not protest at airports.
THIS IS ALSO A RED HERRING, AFFECTING ONLY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE.
WHO GETS APPOINTED TO THE US SUPREME COURT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE FACING THIS NATION.
* Each state also has a government with three branches. Counties, cities, and towns, have governments. Many regional areas form governments for very special purposes like running regional transit.
** Currently, there are 50 US states, so there are 100 senators. There are 435 representatives.
Monday, January 30, 2017
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
BY THE NUMBERS
The largest one day protest ever.*
400,000 in New York City
100,000 in Boston
250,000 in Chicago
500,000 in Los Angeles
60,000 in St. Paul
50,000 in Philadelphia
40,000 in San Diego
50,000 in Austin
85,000 in San Francisco Bay Area
20,000 in both Houston and Phoenix (40,000)
10,000+ crowds in Tucson, Sacramento, Kansas City, New Orleans, Charlotte, Nashville, Raleigh, Miami and Olympia (90,000)
500,000 in DC
+ marchers in small towns throughout the entire US, including Alaska and Hawaii
1,000,000 outside the US
Perusal of photos of the crowds leads me to believe that the majority of the marchers were SOCCER MOMS.** It is generally considered to be a bad political idea to anger soccer moms. It is an even worse idea to anger politically active, internet connected, politically organized soccer moms.
For the future of women's equality, there is nothing more important than the next US Supreme Court Justice.
The US President nominates the candidate for the US Supreme Court, and the US Senate confirms the candidate.
This nomination is important for EVERYBODY.
It is important that the candidate support equal treatment of marginalized people.
It is also important that the candidate support the constitutional protections against governmental search and seizure.
Do not let numbers denial distract you from shouting*** your objections to any appointment that does not meet with your approval.
* The Women March, January 21, 2017. Number sources from thehill.com.
** No longer used political slang for middle class women who invest time in driving their children to activities.
*** Hopefully, social media will start reflecting the beliefs of actual people rather than the beliefs of Russian trolls.
400,000 in New York City
100,000 in Boston
250,000 in Chicago
500,000 in Los Angeles
60,000 in St. Paul
50,000 in Philadelphia
40,000 in San Diego
50,000 in Austin
85,000 in San Francisco Bay Area
20,000 in both Houston and Phoenix (40,000)
10,000+ crowds in Tucson, Sacramento, Kansas City, New Orleans, Charlotte, Nashville, Raleigh, Miami and Olympia (90,000)
500,000 in DC
+ marchers in small towns throughout the entire US, including Alaska and Hawaii
1,000,000 outside the US
Perusal of photos of the crowds leads me to believe that the majority of the marchers were SOCCER MOMS.** It is generally considered to be a bad political idea to anger soccer moms. It is an even worse idea to anger politically active, internet connected, politically organized soccer moms.
For the future of women's equality, there is nothing more important than the next US Supreme Court Justice.
The US President nominates the candidate for the US Supreme Court, and the US Senate confirms the candidate.
This nomination is important for EVERYBODY.
It is important that the candidate support equal treatment of marginalized people.
It is also important that the candidate support the constitutional protections against governmental search and seizure.
Do not let numbers denial distract you from shouting*** your objections to any appointment that does not meet with your approval.
* The Women March, January 21, 2017. Number sources from thehill.com.
** No longer used political slang for middle class women who invest time in driving their children to activities.
*** Hopefully, social media will start reflecting the beliefs of actual people rather than the beliefs of Russian trolls.
Thursday, January 19, 2017
SAY IT ISN'T SO!
We tried to "make it so." Instead, the Trump is going to be our President.
Stop saying, "Let's (violent act) Trump." We are a DEMOCRACY. At all times, at least 50 % of us disagree with the other 50% regarding a political issue.
This is not "Game of Thrones" or "House of Cards."
In the United States of America, WE DO NOT KILL PEOPLE WHO DISAGREE WITH US!
Take your anger and use it to reform your local political process. We need to fix each gerrymandered district.
Take your anger and write Trump a letter telling him, in human terms, just how much he can help you.
We need homes for people, we need health care for people, we need equal opportunity for all of our citizens. We need to protect the sick, the poor, and the disabled.
STOP THREATENING TO KILL THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
If you can not celebrate, join me as I watch Bill Maher. He will make jokes. I will have a toke and a drink and mourn my dreams of fair and equal treatment for women.
Honestly, if you want to know how I truly feel, I feel that women have supported Black, Brown and Gay causes, and that many Blacks, Browns, and Gays have NOT supported women being in power.
I told you that we would all "hang together or hang separately". I enjoy hanging out with you all. But it is time for you all to examine yourself. In my humble opinion, many men do not truly accept women as human beings who are totally equal to men.
Enjoy your peaceful protests. I will be there in spirit.
Stop saying, "Let's (violent act) Trump." We are a DEMOCRACY. At all times, at least 50 % of us disagree with the other 50% regarding a political issue.
This is not "Game of Thrones" or "House of Cards."
In the United States of America, WE DO NOT KILL PEOPLE WHO DISAGREE WITH US!
Take your anger and use it to reform your local political process. We need to fix each gerrymandered district.
Take your anger and write Trump a letter telling him, in human terms, just how much he can help you.
We need homes for people, we need health care for people, we need equal opportunity for all of our citizens. We need to protect the sick, the poor, and the disabled.
STOP THREATENING TO KILL THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
If you can not celebrate, join me as I watch Bill Maher. He will make jokes. I will have a toke and a drink and mourn my dreams of fair and equal treatment for women.
Honestly, if you want to know how I truly feel, I feel that women have supported Black, Brown and Gay causes, and that many Blacks, Browns, and Gays have NOT supported women being in power.
I told you that we would all "hang together or hang separately". I enjoy hanging out with you all. But it is time for you all to examine yourself. In my humble opinion, many men do not truly accept women as human beings who are totally equal to men.
Enjoy your peaceful protests. I will be there in spirit.
Friday, January 13, 2017
FAKE MEDICINE
We have now all experienced the dangers of fake news.
Let us now consider the dangers of fake medical advice.
As a January ritual, many of us try to improve ourselves and our lives by making New Year Resolutions. Usually these are propaganda based decisions. Women have to be skinny. Men have to have great jobs.
It is VERY LUCRATIVE to sell diet stuff.
There is a recent study that dietary supplements are USELESS. The study did NOT involve vitamins.
SO PLEASE IGNORE THE EVIL IDIOTS WHO ARE TELLING YOU NOT TO TAKE PRENATAL VITAMINS. Prospective mothers' use of prenatal vitamins has greatly reduced nerve and brain based birth defects.
ANYTIME someone tells you that a medicine does or does not work, you can look at various websites to see if the person is totally unscientific and/or lying to you in order to make lots of money. I prefer websites connected with real science and medicine, like the Mayo Clinic website. University Hospitals have good info also.
There are an incredible number of wanna be healers out there. If you want to experiment with your own body, be my guest. But please do not spread fake medical information. The grandchild who is harmed may be your own.
Let us now consider the dangers of fake medical advice.
As a January ritual, many of us try to improve ourselves and our lives by making New Year Resolutions. Usually these are propaganda based decisions. Women have to be skinny. Men have to have great jobs.
It is VERY LUCRATIVE to sell diet stuff.
There is a recent study that dietary supplements are USELESS. The study did NOT involve vitamins.
SO PLEASE IGNORE THE EVIL IDIOTS WHO ARE TELLING YOU NOT TO TAKE PRENATAL VITAMINS. Prospective mothers' use of prenatal vitamins has greatly reduced nerve and brain based birth defects.
ANYTIME someone tells you that a medicine does or does not work, you can look at various websites to see if the person is totally unscientific and/or lying to you in order to make lots of money. I prefer websites connected with real science and medicine, like the Mayo Clinic website. University Hospitals have good info also.
There are an incredible number of wanna be healers out there. If you want to experiment with your own body, be my guest. But please do not spread fake medical information. The grandchild who is harmed may be your own.
Thursday, January 5, 2017
THE BARD'S TALE
I ADORE the fantasy history stories about bards, especially how bards had immunity from retaliation.
Life in a small town can lack really excellent music, especially prior to recorded music. If you cut off a bard's head for singing an obnoxious song, then you would not have anybody to play at your daughter's wedding.
So an unspoken deal was made. The bard was allowed a few songs which reminded the king (actually little more than a warlord) that he was not omnipotent. But the rest of the night would be light, fun, excellent music.
One of the reasons the king allowed such liberties was that the king got 'cred' for hosting such amazing entertainment. The king also got a sense of what his people were secretly thinking by listening to the 'protest' songs.
Live music is still appreciated, especially at milestone events.
I am ashamed that our musicians will not play for our new president. I think that 'shunning' is a useless tactic. Without access to our president, how can we convince him that he is wrong?
Elizabeth Ferguson has NAILED the solution. She will sing for our new president, if she can sing "Strange Fruit". This is a win, win, win. She and Trump win by getting publicity. We all win by rehearing old songs that we should rehear.
I vote for Billy Joel singing, 'We Didn't Start the Fire",
Life in a small town can lack really excellent music, especially prior to recorded music. If you cut off a bard's head for singing an obnoxious song, then you would not have anybody to play at your daughter's wedding.
So an unspoken deal was made. The bard was allowed a few songs which reminded the king (actually little more than a warlord) that he was not omnipotent. But the rest of the night would be light, fun, excellent music.
One of the reasons the king allowed such liberties was that the king got 'cred' for hosting such amazing entertainment. The king also got a sense of what his people were secretly thinking by listening to the 'protest' songs.
Live music is still appreciated, especially at milestone events.
I am ashamed that our musicians will not play for our new president. I think that 'shunning' is a useless tactic. Without access to our president, how can we convince him that he is wrong?
Elizabeth Ferguson has NAILED the solution. She will sing for our new president, if she can sing "Strange Fruit". This is a win, win, win. She and Trump win by getting publicity. We all win by rehearing old songs that we should rehear.
I vote for Billy Joel singing, 'We Didn't Start the Fire",
Friday, December 30, 2016
NEW YEAR CLARITY
If Debbie Reynolds could forgive Elizabeth Taylor for taking and then discarding Eddie Fisher, then you can forgive your brother for whatever stupid thing he did.
Groups can forgive other groups for the atrocities of the past.
Anger and hatred do not just ruin your own life, they can ruin life for us all.
This does not mean that you have to be friends with the person that abused you. It just means you have to give up YOUR OWN HATRED AND ANGER.
In my 43 years of practicing law, I have found that it is sometimes best to delay a court case until the parties are no longer full of anger.
I have never seen a problem between two people or two countries get solved without talking to each other.
Currently, too many people have decided to "shun" our new president. This means that our new president will hear only from those people who agree with him.
True courage is being the first to say, "I am going to talk with X and see if I can at least reach a compromise with him."
Personally, I believe that all of you should be brave enough to stop supporting the war on drug. The current Chicago is replaying 1930s Chicago, where the violence did not stop until alcohol became legal. Do you think it is OK to continue this slaughter just because it mostly kills Blacks and Mexicans?
SMILE AT YOUR NEIGHBOR! FORGIVE YOUR ENEMY! FIGHT FOR JUSTICE!
HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Groups can forgive other groups for the atrocities of the past.
Anger and hatred do not just ruin your own life, they can ruin life for us all.
This does not mean that you have to be friends with the person that abused you. It just means you have to give up YOUR OWN HATRED AND ANGER.
In my 43 years of practicing law, I have found that it is sometimes best to delay a court case until the parties are no longer full of anger.
I have never seen a problem between two people or two countries get solved without talking to each other.
Currently, too many people have decided to "shun" our new president. This means that our new president will hear only from those people who agree with him.
True courage is being the first to say, "I am going to talk with X and see if I can at least reach a compromise with him."
Personally, I believe that all of you should be brave enough to stop supporting the war on drug. The current Chicago is replaying 1930s Chicago, where the violence did not stop until alcohol became legal. Do you think it is OK to continue this slaughter just because it mostly kills Blacks and Mexicans?
SMILE AT YOUR NEIGHBOR! FORGIVE YOUR ENEMY! FIGHT FOR JUSTICE!
HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Friday, December 23, 2016
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!
I hope you all have happy and fun times during the Holiday Season.
I am going to have to spend Christmas through New Years working. No wassailing for me!
Luckily, I have already spent time with my family in a lovely celebration of a marriage.
Almost all major religions ask that we take care of the poor and the sick. Perhaps this year we can find homes for the homeless, food for the hungry, and jobs for all workers.
Please do your best to stop spreading fear. If you are afraid, you often make irrational decisions that cause harm to both you and others.
But mostly, please have a good time this holiday season.
I am going to have to spend Christmas through New Years working. No wassailing for me!
Luckily, I have already spent time with my family in a lovely celebration of a marriage.
Almost all major religions ask that we take care of the poor and the sick. Perhaps this year we can find homes for the homeless, food for the hungry, and jobs for all workers.
Please do your best to stop spreading fear. If you are afraid, you often make irrational decisions that cause harm to both you and others.
But mostly, please have a good time this holiday season.
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