GIN'S MILL

A open letter to the U.S. Congress

2010-08-02T18:09:00.000-05:00

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE U. S. CONGRESS:

Gentlemen and I use that term with some reservation, on behalf of the majority of the American people I am requesting your immediate attention to the serious matters facing this country and the quagmire you have been instrumental in getting us into. You were elected to carry out the country’s business and you have failed miserably in your sworn duties. We, the American people are tired of the petty partisan politics, be you Democrat, Republican, or Independent, and hereby demand that you immediately cease and desist. You were elected by the people and therefore are servants of the same, the people that paid in blood and pay still that allows you to serve. You have dishonored us all with your constant attacks on anything that threatens your own ambitions and have allowed yourselves to become tools of the few at the expense of the majority. We have the longest war in our country’s history, an economy on the brink of collapse, debt that will haunt our grandchildren, and yet you went on summer break without acting on unemployment extension. This country belongs to us, the American people and we have allowed you and a small minority to take control as if it were a kingdom and you are the knights serving a king. You are all found guilty, Republican, Democrat, and Independent alike, of gross negligence and we demand your immediate cessation. We will no longer tolerate our daily lives being driven by a small minority on the left or the right, nor the media that mirrors these two extremes.

I speak for the majority because the majority lives in the middle of the political landscape. Republican or Democrat, we know we have a border problem, an energy problem, a huge and growing deficit, people losing homes, jobs, and wars that we grown weary with. We realize there are some hard decisions to be made and that there will be disagreement on how we meet these challenges, but we will no longer accept partisan politics that see you representing a small majority of greedy individuals at our expense. I remind you all, this is the people’s country that our great-great-great grandfather’s paid and died for and we inherited it, not for your personal fiefdoms but for all the people. Our forefathers stated:
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” You have failed miserably in your duty and it will no longer be tolerated. If you are unable or unwilling to immediately go to work in a bipartisan manner, then you need to resign you position immediately for you are no longer fit to represent the people that you have sworn to represent. We do not have a Republican or Democrat problem we have a problem with YOU and we are no longer interested in hearing how it is the “other guys” fault. It is your fault, the United States Congress. Why do you think that you have the lowest approval rating in congressional history? Senator Graham just yesterday admitted his party, along with Democrats were at fault and must find a bipartisan way of dealing with the country’s business. I applaud Senator Graham and call on other Republicans and Democrats to step up as he has done.

If you agree with me, then copy and paste and send to your representative. If enough of us demand what rightfully belongs to us we may, just possibly save our inheritance.

Gulf oil spill----how big is the disaster?

2010-06-25T16:38:00.002-05:00

The Gulf is dead; there is no real problem; and every position between those two extremes are being touted by “experts” of all size and shape. There are hucksters, quick buck artist, and people with all political agenda’s. There are some making more money on a daily basis than they usually make in a week, and others that are not receiving a dime. Every politician from Washington to the mouth of the Mississippi River is trying to gain political capital, along with every “cause” under the sun. Unfortunately, the truth is really unobtainable because there is no event in our history to meter this disaster.

CNN had a clip showing Alexandra Cousteau, granddaughter of the famous Jacques. Ms Cousteau was speaking to the dead dolphin (porpoise to us old timers) and she seemed to indicate the species is endangered. I was not familiar with Cousteau so I googled her and was surprised to see she held a BS degree in Political Science and not a graduate degree in Marine Science. Now certainly that in itself does not disqualify her as someone who has had a lot of experience in the marine world, but it does give me pause for a 34 year old young woman speaking to the impact of this disaster. Let me make it very clear, I am no expert on anything. Let me repeat, I am NO EXPERT. I have sailed, run yachts from Texas to Key West to Mexico and fished the Gulf from the early 50’s. During the Sky Lab experiments, National Marine Fisheries asked a few of us early off-shore fisherman to cooperate in some experiments and when I asked “why us” they said we know you are not scientists but you have observer experience that we do not have. Once again, I am no expert on anything but like Ms. Cousteau I can have my opinion. As most know, dolphin are mammals, air breathers, maybe more intelligent than a chimp and they may just get the word and leave the area. Why not? We have always seen dead dolphin and the story has not yet been told. Let us hope for the best.

No one can possibly know how bad this thing will be and part of the stress that is being felt, is because we simply just don’t know and our worse fears take hold. The media has not helped and they are being aided, in some occasions by people with agendas. BP has been an easy target and the President close on the heels of BP. I have to believe that the Deepwater Horizon was being operated by some of the best people in the world of off- shore drilling, competent, hardworking, people just like you and me and maybe one company man that cared about nothing but the bottom line. Greed is at the bottom of all the bad decisions but to boycott the local BP station is wrong. A small business man has been hurt for something he had no control over. Maybe it is time to ask “US”, some questions like why is it that we emit more greenhouse gas than China, a country with 4 times the population. We were in China this past winter and were surprised to see all the solar and wind generation. The U.S. consumes more energy than the EU combined and the U.S. and Canada represent over 30% of total consumption with only 5% of the population. Pogo said years ago, “We done met the enemy and dey is us”. For those that have concern over mother earth let me say some 65 million years ago a meteor hit in the southern Gulf and life as we define it, all but ended. Only some one cell organisms in the ocean remained and the whole process we call “life” began again. This was the 4th time in geological history that something of cataclysmic proportions happened and it will happen again. . Not to worry, mother earth will figure it out but it may be with the absence of Homo sapiens In the meantime let us all keep positive
and as Boone Pickens said,” The best time to plant a tree was 20yeaars ago; the second best time is now”. Let us all start today and plant some trees.

The Gulf Oil spill and what it means

2010-06-20T14:31:00.002-05:00

There has never been a human related disaster to equal the Deep Water Horizon and not a lot of natural ones of the magnitude of the Gulf spill, so to say what the short tern or long term environmental impact will be is speculation. As usual, there are those that say the Gulf will die and others saying it will make no difference. The truth in the end will be between these two opposites. Only time will tell the full story. One thing however, that is certain is that if our visitors stop coming the economic impact will create a disaster perhaps greater than the spill itself. The Alabama Beaches from Dauphin Is., Gulf Shores, and Orange Beach represent one of the largest sources of tax revenues for the state and if that is lost there will be no revenue to repair the damage caused by the spill. It will also cause the loss of thousands of jobs that will further destroy Alabama’s weak economy. There are some figures being circulated that show over 10% of the country’s GDP come from the Gulf States and an interruption of that will directly affect those living in Portland, Mane or Portland, Oregon.

I have spoken to many people over the last few weeks from as far away as New Mexico and Michigan, to those from surrounding states and almost all tell me the beaches do not look nearly as bad as they had been led to believe. It boils down to----the media is killing us by showing nothing but negative pictures, at times reporting from one beach but showing pictures from another state. We do not need to be told that we have oil on our beaches but that changes from day to day, depending on where you go to the beach and how the wind is blowing. You hear “toxic oil” over and over and I wonder how many people associate toxic with radio active material, cyanide, or rat poison. The fact is crude oil is made up of over 90% carbon and hydrogen; anyone that has ever changed oil in the engine room of a boat has been covered with oil. Certainly with oil in the water a swimming advisory will be issued and probably best to keep out of the water, but getting oil on you should be no reason for panic. Another thing I hear over and over is, “My kids would rather play in the pool” or “I don’t like to swim in the Gulf because of Jaws” and besides the beach (which is fine to walk and sunbathe on) is only a part of the many things to do here.

There was a big announcement yesterday that Buffett and the Zack Brown Band will be doing a free concert July 1 and that next week some very big name entertainers will be announced coming to the beach. So, if you really want to help us please just come and spend a day, a night, a week or a month and enjoy this great area and be part of the solution. One post on Facebook I read was from someone that said they had lived here for 25 years and how bad this disaster was and the Gulf was dead. To that person let me simply say, I have been on this beach for over 60 years and in the 40’s there was oil washing up from sunken Liberty ships, along with German U boats. We have survived hurricanes, red tides, bad economies and we will survive this.

Thoughts from Bali

2009-11-27T00:54:00.000-06:00

After almost 20 years of spending many months in Bali, I find myself contemplating the changes, as well as those from growing almost 20 years older. When I first came here in the early 90’s, which by the way was 15 years after some of my friends, there was little phone service, areas that had no electricity and highly undependable service for those areas that did have it. Cell phones, computers and such were unheard of, and although there were motor bikes and old cars, many people walked, rode a horse, or used a bicycle. Although you can still get to remote parts of the island where life is much simpler, in that some small villages still exist without electricity, the Bali I first saw is gone. That is not to say the spiritual, artistic, and culture is not still in tact, because it is but it is sort of like the Gulf Coast in the 60’s and today. The beach is still there and white, the Gulf is still blue and the fish, although much fewer are still there. But the landscape of tall buildings, shopping centers, subdivisions, and thousands upon thousands of tourists have certainly had their effect. Go back 20 years anywhere, and compared to 2009 you will see the work of change.

Nyoman Warta has driven me around this island for over 15 years, helped me understand the culture, especially doing business, and from a young 20 year old without a care in the world he is now a mid-40’s family man with 3 children. The Balinese, for the most part live in family compounds, and when I first met Nyoman he had no home phone and maybe lived with 12 family members. Now there are over 30 people, he has 2 cell phones and a home phone and of course the televisions, DVD’s that go along with 2009. As a young boy he tells me no one had any money to speak of, but the river was full of fish, crabs, and shrimp, and the garden produced 365 days a year. He said people were continuously smiling and when a big ceremony was up-coming, they were celebrating a month ahead. Now pollution has destroyed the marine life, food is purchased, and people work right up to the day of the ceremony and there is never enough money. “Lot stress now Gin” is the way he puts it. Another victim of Western culture. When I first came here, I lived on $20 a day. Five dollars for the room, $3 or so to eat and the rest for whatever. It is true we had no hot water, electricity on and off, no beef, no bacon, and lots of rice, chicken, and fish. Clancy and I still live in a simple bungalow with no a/c but we do have 3 fans, a small refrigerator, cell phone, and a dozen restaurants with wireless. I had a wonderful pasta dish last night with calamari, shrimp, and fish in a cream sauce that was excellent. A fresh salad with a great citrus dressing, and a after dinner late that would shame Starbucks for roughly $12 but over half the $20 that use to pay for everything.
In America I am constantly challenged with things that just “cost too much”; anything from $60,000 cars, to million dollar homes, to $6000 to send a child to a private school. Looking through a recent yachting magazine I was amazed to see the page after page of “mega yachts”, vessels that would cost perhaps a 100 million. It use to be that large yachts were 50, 60, and even 70 feet long, now you simply add another 100 feet and a helicopter or two. I don’t know anyone that could own such a thing, but I do wonder how often they smile, for I do know some people that seem to have little time but to chase more money and protect what they have and have very little time for anything else. As Wolfe said, “you can’t go home again”, and that is true for me, as well as Nyoman but there is a distinct feeling of loss for a more simple time. As one of my Balinese friends said to me recently after just returning from the U.S., “it is impossible to return to what it was like when I was a child after I have been out in the world and seen what is there”. I remember our first television and the whole family sitting there in amazement, looking at this snowy black and white screen. Most homes had no a/c and most families had at most one car. Would I want to return to that? Surly not, but I readily admit life was far more simple---- a ball and bat, Saturday movies for .15, outside until called for supper, and playing games that now are forgotten. I guess if you never played a game with a 2” piece of old water hose and a broom stick, or hid beneath a pier and attempted to swim underwater without the kid standing on the pier jumping on you; or gone to a double feature with a cartoon and serial, then you don’t understand the nostalgia. I am constantly amazed how many 14 and 15 year olds, going up the age ladder to the 40’s, are constantly sending and receiving text messages. I have read where some kids stay awake until early morning texting and wonder if their lives would not be better with a stick and piece of hose. But we will never know that because, “you can’t go home again”.

And old family friend use to quote, “the best of the past is the best of the present”. Good music, good food, good wine, romance, a new baby, were all present before there was America. I remember my son in his early teens arguing this philosophy, stating how you could now fly across the Atlantic in several hours, only to be told, “yes my boy but 15 days on a luxury liner is so much better”. Perhaps these are simply the musing of a man growing older but as I look around in America and Bali as well, I see people racing to get to some unknown destination. Most in the pursuit of money and material objects and I cannot help but wonder, “do they ever get there”? I remember the remark of a very successful physician when asked, “how much is enough”, and his response, “never enough”. Once it was thought that to be a millionaire was truly a financial pinnacle but only a few years ago my son said, “Dad a million is not a lot of money”. If you think I am going to offer some deeply insightful road map to a more peaceful place, I am reminded of the words of His Holiness the Dalai Lama that he offered his audience recently that I had the pleasure of sitting in the audience. As he sat on the stage, feet tucked beneath him he said, “some of you came today because you are curious, and that is fine. Some of you came however thinking you will receive some great knowledge and you will be disappointed”. So I have no road map to offer, perhaps we and the world are where we are supposed to be and karma dictates the world that we now have. His Holiness teaches, “Love, Compassion, Forgiveness, and Self Discipline”. Perhaps in that is the road map.

Hope and change both good words

2009-10-12T11:22:00.000-05:00

I think I’ll change the conversation, at least for me if not for anyone else. The fact that the President won the Nobel Prize is fact and now part of history. If one wishes to continue to debate this fact, then let them so do but it is a waste of energy and no one should waste energy. I will also continue to believe in change and hope. For if one could never change, then I would still perhaps be a racists. I was born in the Deep South in 1942 and “whites only” was the standard on drinking fountains, and also eating establishments, hotels, and of course schools. I never questioned this-----why should I, as we had Evergreen who was my grandmother’s----in those days we said “servants” and that is probably exactly what they were. At any rate, in my 30’s I met an Episcopal Priest that changed my world view forever. So yes, I believe people can change and then so can a world.

Hope is also a word I will continue to hold on to, as without hope we become a people of “no hope” and I chose not to be part of that group. Why would we shy away from a President that speaks of “hope and change”, when it could lead to peace? If a man can change, so can others and if others can, so can a nation and so can a world. Imagine if tomorrow every person in the world said, “Today is peace” then it would be. Impossible you say? Then take a dose of hope and change and call me in the morning. What kind of world do you wish to live in? Why not work toward higher ideals? Believing in a better world does not mean we must ignore the reality of today nor our history but we can change the world, just as the world was changed my Gandhi and Dr. King. Just as it was changed by Jesus and Lincoln.

Maybe John Lennon said what I am trying to say when he said, “If someone thinks that love and peace is a cliché that must have been left behind in the Sixties, that's his problem. Love and peace are eternal. That is the world I will work for and for those that say it’s too late, never be like that, naïve, I say, “that is your problem”.

I stand with the President

2009-10-07T19:07:00.001-05:00

It never ceases to amaze me how unsophisticated the American public is when it comes to our political system. The average Joe seems to be unaware that we have three separate branches of government and the President runs only one of those. The President has been in office a little over 8 months, is fighting two wars, the worse economy since the Great Depression, trying to work with Republicans that are much more interested in seeing him fail than accomplishing anything for the country, and yet it seems we will have a health care bill, after 70 years of talking about it. Will it be the bill that some of us hoped for? One with a public option----the jury is still out but if there is not, the blame is with the Congress and not the President. If the President is sent a bill with a public option, he will sign it.

There are people that will not support the President regardless of what he does. Some of those are simply people that will not support a Democrat regardless, while others will not for fear of loss of their money and still others because of the color of his skin. I hear people deny the latter, feeling that political correctness dictates they deny their bias. I have more respect for the redneck that says, “I ain’t going to vote for no black man for my president” as opposed to the educated person that has some sham excuse because they fear political correctness. Stick your head in the sand if that makes you feel better but to deny the discrimination that we live with is absurd.

The first full day in office saw the President sign the order to close Guantanamo and yet we hear from Republicans that it is not safe to bring these dangerous people and incarcerate them in America. Do they really expect us to believe that we cannot find secure prisons for these people? We have murders, bombers, psychopaths, mafia dons, and serial killers and they want us to believe that the people that were scooped up in Bush’s rampage are too dangerous to even be in a prison? Give me a break. It has already been admitted that many were not guilty of anything and some were legitimate journalist.

When it comes to Afghanistan I expect to see more troops being sent but the strategy has changed. Instead of fighting a war that Alexander the Great could not win, nor the Brits or Russians, the focus will be to make the villages safe and protect the locals. I have not been to Afghanistan but I do have friends that have spent years there and it is like stepping back in time a thousand years. I have spent years in Indonesia, been in Laos, Cambodia, Burma, India, Nepal, Vietnam, Thailand, and some places I have forgotten and there is a similar mind set in all these countries. They are ancient cultures, numerous belief systems, put a lot of value on “face” and feel America is a bully and have no respect for their culture. If we are to gain anything in Afghanistan, it will be by “winning over” the local’s one village at a time. The Obama Administration knows this, as does Gen. McCrystal.

Since March, the Dow has improved over 40% and there is talk of the recession being over. The President has said over and over that un-employment will go over 10% but there is no doubt the economy has improved. I know it is old news, but when Bush came to office, we had a huge surplus and when he left we had the largest deficit in history. It took the Bush Administration 8 years to accomplish this and Obama has had only 8 months to start our recovery. The President has been challenged as to his place of birth, his religion, his experience, and has been depicted as a black medicine man, and one crazy news person has alluded to his death. Yet he still remains calm, still reaches out to Republicans, Iranians, North Korea, and is open to all with ideas of how we make a better world. I worked for the President, donated and stood with him. I still stand
with him today.

A visit with His Holiness the Dalai Lama

2009-09-17T16:13:00.002-05:00

I have admired His Holiness for many years, as do so many but discovered he would be in Memphis this next Wed. for a public appearance. An hour later I had purchased a ticket to see this remarkable human being that describes himself only “As a simple monk”. Over the last 20 years I have spent in months perhaps 4 years somewhere in Asia. Living in Bali, Hindu of course, but a significant population of Buddhist, as well as Moslems. The religious tradition of Bali is Buddhist/ Hindu and it is hard to separate the two. I have also been in both India and Nepal and the Nepali people, now home to thousands perhaps millions of Tibetan refugees is a very different place than anywhere else I have been in this part of the world. It is hard to spend so much time in a part of the world without something rubbing off and sticking to you. Like many in America, I was raised in the Christian tradition and at one point in my adult life was a Candidate to the Episcopal Seminary. I have grown much more Eastern now however, and the belief in reincarnation gives me no pause for thought. I have no need to neither convince nor defend this belief.

For the first time in many years, we were not in Asia as usual over the last 12 months and I think perhaps I have grown “stale” with America and all that goes with it, so my discovery of HH in Memphis is like a breath of fresh air. I have read every book written by Carlos Castaneda, a system of thinking that stretches ones mind to the limits, but a tradition I have great respect for, Kaprov’s Tao of Physics, and also two by HH. All offering the reader the same but in a different style. Perhaps that is why His Holiness has always appealed to me, in his great respect for all religions. I do not consider myself a religious person but a spiritual one and try to live up to that-----which I mostly fail. Anyone that has spent any real time in Asia has thought about enlightenment, nirvana, re-birth, karma, and how those things have affected their lives. Don Juan speaks of “perusing knowledge and gaining personal power”, the Balinese speak of “balance”, in other words, how does one know good without knowing evil----the black and white they wrap around the banyan trees. These are all just words, we are the ones that give them meaning and the use of them in our daily lives is how we measure ourselves.

After going to bed last night as sometimes happens, I thought about HH and his so very peaceful persona and I thought about enlightenment and that he most probably was born an enlightened person. Don Juan speaks about the road to knowledge and I have often thought of myself on that road and is that not the same as the path to enlightenment. I think it must be. One part of me says, “How in the world can you see yourself as one on the road to enlightenment with all your failings”? I have met thousands of people that must be far ahead of me; the Jain monks carrying their begging bowls, dressed in rags, on the road alone until death relieves them. How, a person of no real credentials can ever even feel he could see the first mile of a road that leads on forever, is too much. Then I thought of HH and how he says over and over he is just a simple monk and I thought well I am just a simple person, on that we can all agree, and my karma is mine and the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. So I will take that first step, and this simple person will simply try to be a better person. “Namste, the divine in me bows to the divine in you”.

Peace

Carter is exactly correct

2009-09-16T17:25:00.000-05:00

President Carter’s remarks on racism in the South is dead on correct. Having roots in the South that span 7 generations and having lived 67 years I think both President Carter and I have a credible view of racism where we live. Michael Steel, chair of the Republican Party disagrees and states the GOP has a significant black membership that would disagree. But let’s take a look at the two men. President Carter, Nobel Laureate, one of the most respected past Presidents in the country’s history and Michael Steel, a feeble choice by Republicans to attempt to compete with the country’s first Black President. I lived briefly in the Bay Area and no, you did not see racism like you would in Selma, Al, Jena, La, or Lucedale, Ms. But as Gen. Powell stated, any black American has experienced some form of Racism.

Robert Gibbs has taken the best position in stating the President does not see that much racism because if he says anything else, he will immediately be accused of “playing the race card” and attention will be taken away from the major topics. When I regularly hear the “N word, those people, they have more kids to collect welfare”, it is hard to deny the facts. Is the group of hate mongers a minority-------of course they are. Are there Democrats with this same bias, of course but when I hear things such as, “After all it was blacks that sold blacks, I did not own slaves, I know racism is alive and well.

If OEN were a political party, what would it be?

2009-03-17T19:47:00.000-05:00

If OEN were a political party, what would it be like?

I have no problem with stating that the people that publish on OEN, and some that do not but make comments are far above the average in either party. I would bet on the average, they are much better educated, far better read, and a good deal more sophisticated. I read recently that only 25% of the applicants that try to join the military are turned down, either for education or physical condition. Is it any wonder that we have in the United States Congress the type people we have been saddled with, when in fact the electorate is so poorly informed, under educated, and therefore unable to understand the issues? Oh, only if OEN were a political party. But wait---------who would have been our candidate for the recent election? Certainly Obama had a lot of support, but he has also had his many detractors, with some calling him a pawn of a secret society that has brought about the present financial disaster. There are also people that supported, Paul, McKinney, Nader, Kucinich, and others that I forget, so how would this diverse group ever agree on a candidate? There is disagreement on almost every issue that one would wish to discuss in the political arena, from choice, stem cell, climate, bailout, and the list goes on. How then, if this above average group of people cannot agree, can we possibly expect the average “Joe” to understand the issues and therefore play a meaningful part in government, part of which is electing their representative and then following how that person performs?

Business feels threatened by labor, and labor feels business considers them as disposable. The free market contingent sees regulation like the Baptist Church sees dancing and yet we see this financial disaster that has resulted in part from lack of regulation. There is disagreement with people making over $250,000 over taxes, those that favor and those against stem cell research, choice, marriage, evolution, health care, and the list goes on and on and on. Not only is there disagreement with almost any issue one cares to lay on the table, there is an extreme amount of harsh rhetoric, right down to pure hate. People are mad as hell about a multitude of issues and as this economy grows worse, there will very well be violence. Many comments on OEN have included guns and the use thereof. There have been many comments that in a less free society that would be considered tyranny and the person would be subject to arrest. So, how do we bring the country back together so that we can solve some of the most critical issues facing us?

When the President gave his acceptance speech, he spoke about a “call to service” and I heard that call very clearly. My problem was, and is, what can a 67 year old man of average intelligence and average means offer? I considered the Peace Corps but wonder what I could really offer, as besides owning a few businesses, being a bar tender and boat captain, I have not that much to offer. Last year while traveling in Vietnam, I met a lady that was there with Habitat but found out that she had paid roughly $4000 for the trip. If both my wife and I went, that would be $8000. I have also thought that maybe I was looking too far a field, too ambitious with my desire to help, and maybe needed to look a bit closer to home. I am a substitute driver for meals on wheels, and I do support a program that feeds school children in need of meals on the weekends, and I can give $25 here and there but it does not really seem enough, not big enough, not important enough to satisfy my desire to help------but maybe the very small things could develop into something much larger if we all did just a few small things. Maybe also, we all need to let our anger be aimed at the reality people will go to bed tonight hungry, or those that sleep in the street, instead of each other. Perhaps in the constant game of “whose fault this is”, we could accept the problems and work together for solutions. Maybe if we treated each other’s opinions with a bit more civility, we would find that we are more alike than different. Maybe if a few started, then more would follow, and real change could happen. But, for real change to come about, we must learn to believe it can really happen and avoid the rhetoric of the “end is here”. But if the writers on OEN cannot do it, then how can we expect the Congress and the average “Joe” to get it. There was a small merchant in a small Alabama town that recently gave his employees $16,000 in $2 bills and asked that they spend it to help the economy but also give 10% away. There is a café in another state that feeds people and if they can, they pay and if not they still eat. These are people making a real difference.
The President said loud and clear, “we are the nation that put a man on the moon, invented the automobile, airplane, and transistor and fought a world war on two hemispheres”. We can move this country into a new era if we have the will but it will depend on us becoming more civil, more compassionate, more charitable, and a desire to want a brighter future for everyone. We can do this.

If you are not happy or you don't like this economy it may be your fault

2009-03-04T17:12:00.000-06:00

America is a place that is obsessed with being happy, having a good time, and “looking good” and we pay a big price for that. Mystic Wizard just did a poll (it is still under polls) and asked the question, “Are you happy”? Most people responding say they are either not very happy, all the way to feeling suicidal. Part of the reason we are in the economic free fall we find ourselves in, is from sub-prime mortgages, and the result of over spending by consumers.

Yesterday, my wife and I drove from the small island we live on in the Gulf of Mexico to a small town about 30 miles away. When I was a child, the area was almost 100% farming and rural, but now it is mile after mile of large developed subdivisions and large houses. Many of these homes would exceed 3 and 4000 sq. feet, huge garages and swimming pools, and I would guess equally large mortgages. Parked in the garages you will find big suv’s, expensive foreign jobs, along with boats and motorcycles.

There was a time, when a 3br 1 bath home and one car was the average for many American family, but now it would seem that a family of 3 needs at least 4 bedrooms, and a 3 car garage. How did we get to this spot? Part of it is about our obsession with being happy, concern that OUR children will have the same jeans, bikes, ipods, cell phones as their friends. In other words it is about “looking good”. How can we be happy if we do not look good and that means a big house, big car, big vacation, and expensive clothes. If there is not money, then there is credit. Why have we fallen into this trap? Can we blame it all on Wall Street, banks, mortgage lenders, advertisers, or should we take a harder look at ourselves. After all, it is much easier to blame someone else or some other entity than ourselves; we see that with today’s Republicans trying to blame Obama for 8 years of Bush mistakes.

There was comment made on another OEN piece recently by someone that lived part time in Thailand, and said that though there were many poor people, how happy Thai people were. I have also spent time in Thailand, and yes “the land of smiles” is true. The point was made that Thai people had their violence and problems that all societies have but that basically they were a happy people. Since 1992, I have spent 4 to 5 months each year in Indonesia with a great deal of time in Bali and I can absolutely state the Balinese people are unique to say the very least. That is one reason Bali has been, and remains one of the world’s great travel destinations. Like the Thai, Bali people are certainly not without their problems, but overall they are extremely happy people. I have watched and interacted with the Balinese people for many years and some of the big differences between them and Americans are they are of one religion; very community involved, live in family units, that is 3 generations living in one house, and are very focused on art and music. The biggest problem I have seen in Bali over the last 15 years is the “westernization” we have exported. You see more kids over weight, television that was relatively unknown a few years ago is now everywhere, and money has become much more important.

I like diversity, in food, music, and people and whereas America is certainly more diverse that either Thailand or Indonesia, perhaps America is paying a big price for diversity. We have Christian fundamentalist that hate other Christians, Christian churches that are constantly splitting apart, resentment against Jews and Moslems, Republicans against Democrats, far right and lefts in each party that seem angry with everyone and the whole country obsessed with money. Is there one person that is not nostalgic when you read a novel set in a small town that speaks of the local hardware store where men sit around the pot belly stove and talk; where everyone turns out for the fourth of July fireworks; where the county fair is a big event; where people do not lock their doors? Could it be that maybe a much bigger part of the economic disaster we now find ourselves in is more to our own making that we wish to admit? Now before I go too far, I know it is not me as we live in a small sensible house, drive two, 2002 automobiles, have no expensive hobbies. But, the fact is I have responsibility because it is my country, I am a citizen and just like Iraq, I was against it from the start but I do have my part of the responsibility for that immoral war. In America we want to blame the “other guy” for the problems and take no responsibility ourselves. Look at the recent circus in Congress passing the stimulus bill; Republicans voting entirely against it, screaming about physical irresponsibility after 8 years of driving the economy into the ground. Does it not seem that both parties would meet and admit the country is in peril, so we have to do something that maybe we would prefer not to do, but for the sake of our country this is what must be done? Could they not, just for a moment stop playing politics with our lives----or is that just too much to ask for? And before I go further, let me be loud and clear that Democrats play a major role in all of this as well. Perhaps when you have a job that is very secure, great health insurance, a wonderful retirement and promises of high paying jobs should you care to retire early, maybe just maybe you can afford to play political games. In the end however, WE elected each and every one of these people and therefore WE must take responsibility for their lack of performance.
Hopefully after we get out of this debacle we can learn that more is not necessarily better and many times less is preferable. Maybe we can learn to value integrity in a person more than their financial statement. Maybe we can teach children that character is more important than their ability to hit a ball. Maybe we can set an example that honor is much better than an expensive home, and to help another is much better than your name in a private club. We can blame Wall Street, Republicans, Democrats, China, and the media but after that we have to admit what each and every one of us has contributed and if you think you have not, then you are really in trouble.

One person's view of this economy

2009-02-25T10:01:00.000-06:00

As we all try and understand the financial dilemma we are in and exactly what it means to us individually, there are mostly dire predictions. Everything from total insurrection to 25% unemployment, to the military being called out to restrict our movements, to a small cadre that will rule the world from some hidden location. I go back and forth like a ping pong ball, right brain, left-brain and back again. I have thought that perhaps I needed to ask my son to return to me my old shotgun and rifle maybe for protection from those looters, and maybe to shoot some food. Then again I decide on a more positive approach, reminding myself that the huge losses we have experiences are not lost as long as we have not sold anything and that yes, we will probably have enough to eat. At my age, there is not much I would buy, as there is just not much I want, remembering that most of my life has already passed.

If you are reading this waiting for some great point, you may wish to stop here because I do not have one, but here is what I offer and maybe thinking this out, will help me see things clearer and hopefully you. This is a brief story of what I have seen and experienced over the last 60 years.

I was born in 1942 to an old Southern family that did not have much money but still retained some of the semblance of the “grand old South”. My father had spent most of his inheritance but we still had a summer place, a boat, and hunting camp. By the time of my teens in the 50’s there was not much money at all, and as my friends parents built homes, we remained in a rental home. I was not a very good student but I did manage to get a university degree, married at 21 and started my adult life. I opened a real estate office in 1965 and the year before the largest employer in the area, a military base was closed. There was never a worse time, as the total population was only around 200 thousand and the base employed 18,000. There were businesses closing, foreclosed homes everywhere, banks unwilling to lend and a general malaise. The first positive step I took was to learn about foreclosures and how they could be sold. In those days, most loans were either FHA or VA and both institutions were willing to finance for a small amount down. Some sellers were so anxious to avoid foreclosure they would sell their home by the buyer simply taking over the mortgage. Over the next few years I bought 4 or 5 of these homes, rented them for enough to cover the mortgage and sold them years later at a nice profit.

Gradually as the economy improved over the next few years, I expanded the business to include construction and development of lots. By the late 70’s life was good and I owned a yacht, built a new home for my family, traveled and enjoyed the “good life”. Then in 1979, in a down economy, we were hit with a major hurricane that devastated the industry. Interest rates went to 22%, no one was buying homes, and I was stuck with 30 completed homes. To add fuel to the fire, my wife of 16 years and I got divorced. The private school tuition, maintaining 2 residences, alimony and child support, along with the banks and I was dead. Beat, broke and bankrupt. I left the area, after finding that no one wanted to hire a broke developer and went to another state to try and start over. It did not work out. I left there and took a job as a boat captain running a sport fishing yacht. I had been president of the local big game fish club and had a reputation for catching fish, but to go from boat owner to boat Capitan, a paid hand working for a bunch of rednecks just did not work. I was married again and my new wife got a job with a time-share development and they needed a real estate broker. I had kept my license and took the job. It paid $500 a month-----not much, even in 1982 but it did pay the rent. Shortly after that, my wife and I started selling and we quickly started making money. Since we were broke, it was a lot of money because when you are broke it is hard to take on new debt and the money goes further. By that time the development we were working for got into to trouble and it was time for a change. Over the next few years we opened a real estate office, developed a condominium, bought a beautiful sailing yacht and life was good. At least before my wife decided that it was not the life for her. I finished the condo, made nothing, say good-bye and went sailing. I left with a debt free boat and $6000 hidden under my bunk. I sailed for a year or so, during which time I worked on a charter boat for $20 a day plus tips. I returned with $2000 to my old stomping ground and took a job as a bartender. Five dollars and hour plus tips, free food and 2 shift drinks, and live aboard my boat.

A boat friend had delivered a yacht from Bali to Darwin and told me about Indonesia. Sixteen thousand islands some that had never really been explored. What the hell I thought, I’ve quit better jobs than this so why not go. By then I had the $6000 back again and so for the next 6 months I traveled from Lombok Island in Indonesia all the way to Thailand. Busses, ped cabs, ferries, and foot I saw the countries. Like all things, those times come to an end, usually as funds get low but it was time to return. Shortly after returning a family member asked me what I had seen and the birth of a new idea came forward. He would put up the money and I would return and buy a container of furniture. Why not I thought, so after being home only two months I was back on the road. We had not a clue whom we would sell the stuff to but one thing led to the other and I finally opened a small store. Retail jail it is called and for a fellow that had been sailing and roaming around the world, it was not exactly what I was looking for but I have always had a rule and that is you do what you have to. The store found a niche and we did well. I say “we” because a friend that was helping me get started turned into wife 3. Do you know the feeling of, “I know this is a mistake but I am doing it anyway”? That was marriage 3. It was not the best time in my life and when I had to buy back what I had given when we were married------well just another lesson.

One of my favorite movies is Jeremiah Johnson staring Robert Redford and Will Geer. Redford is the new mountain man and Geer is the old grizzly bear hunter. At the very end of the movie, Redford has survived by the skin of his teeth and they meet high in the mountains in winter. Snow all around cold, and Geer finds Redford spitting a rabbit and Geer says, “you’ve come far pilgrim, were it worth it”? “It weren’t nothing, I hardly noticed”. I guess all old men look at life a bit that way, as when most of your life is behind you, it seems that you have come a long way-----and for me, “it weren’t nothing”. If I had not come the path I have, I would not be with the wife I now belong to. That has no value----it is priceless. Have I made mistakes? If you have come this far with this tale you already have that information. I think the point is, I am still here and after we get to wherever this economic tsunami leads us, I will be there. The most important thing in my life is my wife, followed by children and grandchildren and their health. Right brain whispers to me and asks if I remember the old Sadu in Nepal who had only a staff and bowl. There was something very powerful about him, yet he had nothing but the wisdom he had gained traveling his path in life. I remember the high priest in Bali, sitting and mostly smiling as I spoke no Balinese and only a small amount of Indonesian. My Balinese friend told me that I was very honored, as the old man had many each day that came to him and that very morning as I waited, a writer for a western magazine had left in a huff because he had to wait. The old priest told my friend that when the writer returned he did not want to see him as he was too arrogant but that I had silently waited and he would like to meet me. Right brain asks what that is worth in money and I have no answer.
None of us know where the road leads us and certainly this is a hard time, but in the end we simply die and it all begins again or whatever your belief system tells you. I am reminded of what St. Paul said when asked what he would do if the world were to end tomorrow. “Hoe my garden” was the reply.

It is no time to give up

2009-02-14T14:22:00.000-06:00

Alexandra Pelosi was on The Rachel Maddow show Fri. night, talking about her soon to be broadcast documentary on the recent presidential race. She attended a number of McCain/Palin rallies, filming and interviewing the people that came to see the Republican ticket. There was lots of anger, shouting, and even a fight leading Pelosi to make the statement that there really are two parallel Americas trying to exist as one. I understand completely the point she was making but like Maddow, I simply disagree. As the President has stated over and over, “we are not just a red America or blue America but one America”. We are conservatives, liberals, gays, straights, Latinos, African Americans, as well as Africans, white, red, yellow, and brown. We are laborers, professionals, too many religions to list, poor, rich, and yet we are all Americans. Somehow, we have got to put that at the top of the list, and party affiliations, regional differences, religious differences, must remain secondary to our national heritage. Those that have been called to military service, be it WWI or Iraq, did so to defend not a religious belief but rather the ideal of what it means to be an American. For the first time in many years, the night Barack Obama was elected as our president I had the overwhelming feeling of pride. After 8 years of lies, deceit, our Constitution being trashed, the people spoke loud and clear and said no more. But, as the president said that very night, 48 % did not vote for him but that he would be their president also and would work to earn their vote.

If we look at some of the most divisive issues, abortion, and marriage rights, Pelosi’s point of two Americas seems to fit and therein lays the problem. It is the absolute certainty that each side believes they are right and the other side is wrong. So, how do we get from here to there? Perhaps a beginning would be to remind each of us, that country must be put first. That is, our personal beliefs must be subjugated for the whole and the whole is our country. As the pastor TD Jakes said, we are not a Christian nation as we have Jews, Moslems, Buddhists, Hindus, and non-believers, along with Christians. Our Constitution guarantees us that we can worship and hold any belief system that we want and it also protects those that have no belief system. We can argue, disagree, shout, go to court, vote, write letters, and demonstrate but in the end, we must remember that first is the fact that we are all Americans. We make mistakes as a nation, and we make mistakes as individuals but we are capable of learning as a nation, as well as individuals. This is the strength of our country.
There are those that say, “the end is near”, there is nothing left but doom and I reject that. There are those that say our new President is simply a pawn for a powerful few and I reject that. Like Lincoln, who came at a time when the nation was in peril of breaking apart, Barack H. Obama has come at a similar time. This unlikely man, child of a single mother, raised in part by grandparents, not really knowing a father, has become President of the United States. A few short years ago he was un-known and today he is one of the most recognized faces in the world. We face some very hard times ahead, perhaps in its own way, just as hard as Lincoln faced but I cannot think of a single leader that I would rather have at the helm of the ship of state. “I know Mr. President there will be mistakes made because you have already told us so. You have also said that you and we, will learn form those mistakes and we will carry on. I may disagree with some of your decisions and I will feel free to let you know but I will not lose confidence in you.” I think you are a man of unique ability, generous in spirit, perhaps the most eloquent speaker in our history and maybe, most importantly a man of good heart. I know you will do everything within your power to lead us out of this dark place, back to America at it’s best. You said recently regarding the stimulus bill, “Do not let seeking perfection stand in the way of the essential” and I believe that also applies to other issues. Perfection is always a lofty goal, but one that fails in the job because of seeking perfection, serves nothing but their own ego. My pledge to you and my fellow Americans is I will do everything in my power to examine all sides of the issues, to remember there is always another side, to speak clearly and civilly, and remember, “Yes we can”.

Are Republicans being obstructionist?

2009-02-11T09:58:00.001-06:00

What do Republicans hope to gain with obstructionism? I called multiple times the senate offices of Shelby, Sessions, McCain, and Kyl today, and all phone lines and mailboxes were full. I particularly wanted to reach Shelby, as he had also voted against Eric Holder and had stated yesterday that, “the man on the street was against the stimulus bill”. When asked what he offered in the bill’s place, he avoided the question, obviously because he had nothing to offer. The Republican Party is in shambles; McCain/Palin was a disaster, Joe the plumber, and now the election of a black man to head the party, when the base of the Republican Party is in the South where they are still fighting the Civil War. You don’t believe that? Just today I was talking to a man from Memphis who took the old “states rights line” that says the Civil war, or as the last generation called it, “the war of northern aggression”, was not about slavery but states rights. I heard the same thing at the University of Alabama in 1962 when George Wallace stood in the door and defied the federal troops. Look back at the states that McCain heavily carried and you are now looking at the base.

Knowing how much people in Alabama disliked the election of our first African American President, Shelby and Sessions feel safe in voting against the stimulus bill, calling it a disaster in spending tax payer money; yet in the Mobile Press-Register the school board stated that without federal bailout funds there would be schools closed, teachers fired, and the usual reduction in spending that schools across the country are now experiencing. Mobile has hoped and the contract was actually awarded to EADS, for the air force tanker contract that, is now being re-evaluated due to Boeing’s charge of “foul”. Both Shelby and Sessions strongly support this contract, and although they both have damned wasteful federal spending, of course this is not wasteful spending. I wanted to ask my two senators where they were, when only 8 years ago we had the largest surplus in history, only to be left with the largest deficit. Both senators supported Bush/Cheney on Iraq, tax cuts, and of course Justice Roberts and Alito.

It is fairly clear neither senator, along with McCain and the rest, have a clue what to do or where to go but their only chance to remain in any sort of leadership spot light, is to simply be against anything the Administration wants to do. Regardless of how bad our economy is, regardless of job lost, foreclosed homes, two wars Republicans have decided their own political ambitions are more important than the welfare of the country. With the election of Barack Obama, the voters showed both parties that their vicious, selfish hold on the American People could be broken. It is time that the voters “cleaned house” of both Democrats and Republicans that have gone to Washington as a public servants, only to build a dynasty that it’s only aim is, to keep themselves in power and offer some effort on behalf of their largest contributors.
The president has just finished his first news conference and is receiving high marks from the pundits. Ed Rollins, Republican consultant made a very good point about the Republicans, in that after the 8 failed years of the Bush Administration the Republicans are returning to their roots of conservatism. The only problem with that is, they are a trillion short and a trillion late and the issue at hand is how do we avoid another Great Depression. It is not rocket science to see that a great majority of the American people believes] that the President is their best hope and Congress offers nothing. The Republican Party bears the brand of Bush/Cheney and until they can convince the voter that they represent something different, they will become even less of the minority

HELP

2009-02-02T10:02:00.001-06:00

I started this blog for the purpose of putting into words, some of the thoughts I have about politics and other events I find interesting. I had also thought it a good way for me to communicate with my friends that are spread across the globe, some of which I rarely see in person but still keep in touch with. I also write a good bit on OPEDNEWS, a web based news sight that has both professionals, as well as people like myself and there is at times, a lot of “back and forth”. OEN, as we refer to it, gives me all the time and interaction I need and therefore I have to remember my blog, which when I think about, I “cross post” some things. But, I get no reader response at all on ginsmill and just wonder if anyone reads it at all. Therefore, I am asking anyone that does read anything, please send me email at arnold_gin@yahoo.com and tell me what you think. If I had found OEN before I created this blog------I probably would not have ever created it. But, it did give me a chance to put in words some of my thoughts and other than the signature line on my emails, I have none nothing to promote the blog. Anyway, should you stumble in------let me know.

Peace,gin

Can Obama's attempt to "reach accross the isle" work

2009-02-02T09:44:00.001-06:00

Is President Obama’s attempt to “reach across the isle” a waste of time or will it pay off in the future? Like many, I was disappointed to see 100% of House Republicans vote against the proposed Stimulus Bill but not surprised. Conventional thinking is, that Republicans by voting no, will be in a better position to take back the Congress and the Whitehouse, should the stimulus fail. No one can say for sure exactly what needs to happen nor can anyone promise that the proposed stimulus will work but there is no argument that we are in the direst financial situation since the 1930’s. “The U.S. economy suffered its biggest slowdown in 26 years in the last three months of 2008”, so says Dean Baker, co-director of Center for Economic and Policy Research. From Krugman to Friedman to Feldstein, all agree that immediate action is necessary. How I ask, can Republicans in the face of all this economic disaster put their own political fortunes ahead of the welfare of the entire country? Does the big radio ape (I refuse to dignify anything by the use of his name) really speak for the Republican Party?

Republicans sent emails to reporters stating their objections to the Stimulus because it included: 50 million to the National Endowment for the Arts, 150 million to insure honey bee farmers, 335 million for preventing sexually transmitted diseases, 150 million for repairs to the Smithsonian Institution, 426 million for the CDC, 20 million to remove fish barriers in rivers, and 25 million to clear off-road trails. Republicans can certainly ask the question, “why would we support the arts” but believe it or not, as one of my artist friends told me years ago, art is the historical record of “who we are as a people”. Besides that, artist are amongst the lowest paid people in our society and funding the arts is a form of economic stimulation. If anyone has read a newspaper in the last year, the disappearance of honeybees has been of great concern across the country. Scientist are not certain of the cause but without bees, any 6th grade student knows that life cannot exist. Believe it or not Republicans, bees keep us alive. Of course we could ignore the Smithsonian--------that is probably one reason it is in need of repair-----but it is one of the largest tourist attractions in the country. Do we want it to fall down? The last time I checked, the CDC was the place that people turned to when they were scared to death of SARS, Ebola, new strains of Flu, or other threatening diseases. But lets just say, we don’t need art, the CDC, bees, and the rest; the total of this part of the stimulus is something like 0.149 of the 800 billion. So there you have it, the Republicans voted 100% against the bill because 0.149 of it went to things they did not like.

I, like many was unsure of the bank bailout and still remain so but I do not know, nor does anyone else what it would be like if we had not taken that action. In the same way, how can we argue against so many economists and their belief that something must be done to get the economy going again? It is easy to be a sideline pundit, pontificating this and that and I have been guilty many times but when the rubber hits the road, I would be a little shy it stating people like Krugman and Friedman are simply wrong in their economic opinions. My father was a physician and we argued about everything but when it came to medicine, I took his opinion. Republicans seem to think that the Stimulus just does not have enough tax cuts, yet Moody’s Economy has tracked stimulus spending and tax cuts for business’s put only .33 (cents) per dollar back in the economy, whereas expanding the food-stamp program puts into the economy a $1.73 for every dollar spent and expanding unemployment benefits puts $1.64. Of course one cannot object to feeding people and also support programs like this. I could remind Republicans that our President’s mother was once a recipient of food-stamps, but then again that might be the very reason for them to be against that “LIBERAL” program.

The only group that was rated lower than former President Bush was the Congress and it would seem Republicans are anxious to retain that position. But, as the President stated in his acceptance speech, 47% of the voters did not vote for him and therein lies a big part of the problem. Living in South Alabama I know many of this 47%-----my family for example and almost the entire congressional delegation. They are strong pro-lifers, supported Bush and his illegal war, want government to “stay out of things”, of course that does not include the plans to build air tankers in Mobile, and as much of the stimulus money they can get, and of course government help after hurricanes. Their mentality is, “government should stay the hell out of things--------unless we call on um”. Therefore, the elected officials must appeal to that voter or better yet, “be one of them”. Sen. Jeff Sessions is one such character. Sessions was born in Selma, Al. the sight of the famous 1965 Selma to Montgomery March and was later nominated by Reagan as a United States Attorney. In 1985 as U.S. Attorney he un-successfully prosecuted 3 civil rights workers for voter fraud. He spent hours interrogating black voters in predominantly black counties, where after 1.7 million votes cast produced only 14 allegedly tampered votes. The jury spent less than 4 hours before acquitting all three. In 1986 Reagan nominated Sessions for a federal judgeship but he lost when the Senate Judiciary Committee refused to let a vote come to the floor, reminding the committee of his remarks about the NAACP, KKK, and the ACLU. Sessions had previously stated that the KKK was not so bad; except he had learned they smoked pot. Sessions once labeled the ACLU and the NAACP as “un-American, and they forced civil rights down the throats of people”. He also called them “communist inspired”. In Oct. 2007 Time reported a lobbyist, Lamar Young told prosecutors that on May8, 2002 he paid thousands of dollars in apparently illegal contributions to big names in Alabama Republicans, including Sessions. Young was a key witness in the trial of former governor Don Siegelman that saw him convicted and sent to prison. Forty former state attorney generals, both Democrats and Republicans cited “irregularities”. Sessions supported Bush’s war 100%, opposed a bill by Sen. Specter that would allow Congress to file a law suit to get presidential signing statements declared unconstitutional, opposed Sen. McCain’s anti-torture amendment in 2006, 0 rating on the environment, and 100% vote with big oil. But, he was just re-elected by a landslide.
I know the President campaigned on “reaching across the isle” and I also know that is something the majority of the American people, including myself desperately want; But we must get the message across to both parties that we, the simple citizens are not going to take it anymore. The election of Barack Obama, if nothing else sent a message loud and clear, that the machines of both parties are still not stronger than a unified citizenry. We must also remember that 47% that voted for McCain, in my case, they are friends, and family and certainly not bad people. As the President moves our ship of state forward, he will need us all and if we are to survive, we had better all come forward.

I do not like conspiracies but if the shoe fits

2008-12-23T17:47:00.001-06:00

If you watched Rachel Maddow Monday night, she had some very interesting facts about the banks that received TARP funds. The following questions were asked of these banks: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#283583121. How much has been spent?
2. What was it spent on?
3. How much is being held in savings?
4. What’s the plan for the rest of it?
It would seem that these are all good questions and certainly since we are talking about “tax payer monies” it would seem only appropriate that the questions should be answered. JP Morgan Chase however, have stated to the AP that they are declining to give the information out. The Mellon Bank asked the AP to please not say that they were refusing to give out any information and that after receiving 3 billion of our dollars.

The application for TARP funds is a one and a half pages and asks the name and address of the institution, it’s federal id numbers, address and city and oh yes, there is a line asking the amount requested. The last time I borrowed any money to purchase my home, it was at least 5 different documents, the longest which was probably 8 pages. It would seem that when the loan was in the billions, it would at least be as many pages as it takes to buy a home------or how about a car. When the Congress was debating whether or not to bail out the auto industry, it would seem they wanted the CEO’s to drop compensation, the union to give up benefits, all the suppliers, dealers, and parts people to come to the table and yet when it is the banks, they receive a blank check, and “how dare you question how we spend YOUR money. It would seem that Vice-President Cheney, in his admission to torture is not the only arrogant person around. One thing that has been reported about how the money was spent is the admission that the various banks that have received bailout money have paid out over 1 billion in bonuses. When we were all told of the consequences of not doing this bailout, we were led to believe that if something was not done, we would face an entire breakdown of the whole monetary system and throw the country into a financial disaster greater than the Great D. I for one was not willing to take that chance and so stated my position a dozen different times. Now, it appears, that we are in the financial disaster, perhaps greater that the dreaded GD, with the only difference being the 350 billion given to a few banks.

I have spoken, written, and screamed my position on conspiracies, in that I simply am a disbeliever but it has become much harder to maintain that opinion. We know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we were lied to about Wad’s, Cheney now admits that we were lied to about torture, it has been admitted that there are billions missing that was moved by our government from N.Y. to Baghdad, so one must begin to grow suspicious. Amy Goodman just did an interview with Mark Crispin Millerhttp://www.alternet.org/election08/114674/rove%27s_it_guru_warned_of_sabotage_before_fatal_plane_crash%3B_was_set_to_testify/ , about the recent crash and death of Mike Connell, a Rove operative. Connell, an experienced pilot, who died under suspicious circumstances, was Rove’s IT specialist and was under subpoena regarding the Ohio vote in 2004. His company, GovTech, was one of three so called “middle men” companies that after the votes are cast, they are then sent to a server, in the Ohio case it was located in Tn., and then back to the Secretary of State. People that follow the electronic voting issue are quite familiar with this but it appears that this is the opportunity to “shave the vote”, thus Fl. 2000. Connell was present in Florida at that time, as well as Ohio in 2004, and Alabama in 2002. All of these races were decided in favor of Republican candidates and all were extremely close. A whistleblower by the name of Stephen Spoonamore broke the story and according to Spoonamore, Connell said he “did it to save the babies”.
I have to admit, there is a lot of evidence out there that supports a lot of dirty laundry and although I have spoken out loudly about conspiracy talk on OEN, my case has become much weaker. I may very well need to apologize to Mr. M and Mark Sashine, as I have criticized them for their conspiracy thinking-----they may just be right.

Now is our time

2008-11-04T13:02:00.001-06:00

Is it the fact that this is such an historic election that the turnout is so great; or is there something else going on? I voted for the first time 44 years ago and I have never seen the same sort of feeling that people are expressing across the country. No doubt, the young voters are turning out in mass and that is maybe the most positive sign of all, for these voters are the future, not only of this country but also of the world. After the last sad, corrupt, and depressing 8 years, people are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Not for a minute do I believe that the hopeful election of Barack Obama will solve the many problems we are facing, but at least perhaps the healing can begin. Healing our economy but also healing us, and at the same time contributing to the health of the rest of the world. Tomorrow this election is over, and regardless of the outcome, history will have been written. The ads will be over, the debates, signs will come down, campaign offices across the country will shut down, and people will return to their more normal routines. The economy will still be bad, troops will still be in Iraq and Afghanistan, and people will still be dealing with job loss and no health care. There is a lot of work ahead and if the Obama Administration is to be successful, it will take us all to be part of the solutions. We are going to have to take a new approach to things, in that we are going to have to begin to solve problems on the local level, and not always expect “them” to do it. We are going to have to begin giving our time to local needs, without expectation of “what is in it for me”. We are going to have to work on helping those on the bottom, to find a way out of poverty and thus become part of the solution instead of part of the problem. Young people will need to think anew about public service, and instead of a rush to get to Wall Street, work on main street a few years giving back.
Even though our country has been severely injured from the last miserable 8 years, there is a sign of change that is sweeping the country, a sign of hope, a belief once again that America can still be great. There are those that are frightened by the election of Obama and those people must be made to feel comfortable in an Obama Administration, for if they are not, we are leaving out and losing a very important part of our society. Just like those on the bottom, the people that vote for John McCain, need to know that their security is just as important as anyone else’s, and they will not be asked to do anything that will destroy their peace and happiness. We have to face some highly divisive issues, and we must make sure that all voices are heard and that everyone’s position is acknowledged. If we can come together, realizing that it is ok to disagree on some issues, but in the end, as Obama has so eloquently put, “we are not just Republicans, or Democrats, black, white, urban, or rural but we are all Americans and together we can accomplish anything. There will be people over the next weeks that will damn either candidate, feed on negativism, offer nothing other than some absurd position that will be completely irrelevant. These people will be like the flu, in that they will be out there but like the flu will also disappear. As Barack Obama has said, “now is our time” and it is our choice what we do with it.

Two days on the ground with the Obama campaign

2008-11-03T18:38:00.001-06:00

TWO DAYS ON THE GROUND WITH THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN:

Like many Obama supporters, I have been receiving emails with information, requests for support etc., for many months. Living in Alabama, where McCain has more support than any other southern state, the outcome is fairly certain, so other than a few dollars I felt my contributions were limited. Then, last week I got an email asking if I could come to Florida, and seeing that I live less than an hour from Pensacola I answered in the affirmative. A national person called me and asked if it would be possible for me to go to Destin, a high-end resort town about 2.5 hours to the east, as they really needed some more people there. Going to Pensacola is easy but Destin would require over night, packing, and of course the expense of spending a night or two away. But, I thought, how many times have I told my grown children that, “democracy is not a spectator sport” and therefore maybe I should get off by butt and do something besides talk. So I did. The following is a short replay of my two days.

I got to the campaign headquarters and it looked just like I would expect a Democratic “job sight” to look like. An older vacant real estate office, maybe 25 years old, basic all the way, no frills at all. The young man in charge was a 26-year-old Iraq veteran, tired looking, nursing a broken tooth that obviously was in need of a root canal. The rest, mostly women in their 50’s and 60’s, made me feel right and home, gave me a phone and voter list and said today was the last day for early voting, and start calling. After 130 calls, the poll was soon closing, so I started collating my calls. Just about what you would have guessed, working from a list of supposedly Democrats, and independents, in that some wrong numbers, some McCain supporters, some already voted, some that did not want to talk. In the end, my Obama supporters were probably 3 to 1. I guess it was around 7 that the conference call from Barack came through. I was told that there were 20,000 people on the call, which I guess in my case in a room of maybe 20, there were at least 400,000 people listening. Quite a ground game it seemed to me.

The next day started out at 9:00 with me following Justin to the Fort Walton campaign office. Once again, looked very Democratic, a step down from the other office, and more young and more black. This office----use that term loosely, outside restroom and all----was on a busy intersection, and we began our day putting out signs on the edge of the street. I was told that the day before, a protester was standing across the street holding a sign that read “Obama a baby kiler. When he opened the office, we saw two McCain signs on the floor and Justin commented that “they should not have done that”. Seems the owner of the bait and tackle shop in the other part of the building was a McCain supporter and was displaying his signs on his part of the property. Justin immediately returned the signs to the owner apologizing and “Bubba” dressed in overalls graciously acknowledged the return. Bubba was certainly close in age to me and we shook hands and talked a bit. I was struck by his remarks that one thing was for sure, this campaign had gotten lots of new voters involved, and that was a good thing. I thought, good thinking Bubba and I bet you and I could enjoy a day of fishing together, and is not that something we need in today’s politics.

Mary, a black Air Force sergeant was my canvas buddy for the day and off we went, complete with Amiriah (I’m told princess in Arabic) her 2 yr. Old. A bonus I had not expected. This was the poor part of town. Our first stop was a housing project that had just about emptied out, as people were being moved away. A mixed area, but one thing in common was everyone was poor. Young white kids that looked like you might not want to meet on a dark street at night. Young black kids that seem a bit nicer but not many McCain supporters here. And probably not a lot that were voting at all. I have grumbled about how much we have lost in the market, but these people were more concerned about the next meal and I realized once again, it is the economy stupid and these are the ones that get kicked first and hardest. I know Barack Obama saw many of these people in his community organizing days and somehow, I don’t think he will be able to forget them. I know I cannot. But there was the occasional person that had already voted and the ones that said they were going to vote and in this neighborhood, there were not many McCain signs.

That afternoon I rode with Aaron, a retired Air Force officer who had also taught government and politics. Nice to be with someone my age and mindset. We went to the other end of the spectrum, in that on the water, the price of homes is quickly in the millions. Lots more McCain signs here but also some Obama ones as well. All and all, I would say a split between the two candidates.
On my way back home, I mulled over the past day and a half and came to several conclusions. What we have heard about the “on the ground game” that Obama has-----is exactly the facts. No matter how much money he has raised, I did not see any waste. I could imagine that was stressed more than once by him, as he came from roots that were careful not to waste. Seems the opposite of what the government does. The “hope” that he has built so much of this campaign around, was palpable with these folks. Let me be clear here, there were people working so hard, neglecting family time, tired but still going strong, and some obviously financially very well off, that it was that hope that Obama keeps talking about that was making the difference. I also felt that I should have done more, than give a few dollars and a day and half of my time and how talk is so cheap but getting off the chair is where it is. I do know this, I am a bit wiser for having spent some time with these good folk and once again, I am reminded of why I tend to cast my vote with the Democrats. They do not always get it right, but who does. I want to see a political system that sees me and Bubba both make our points and then go fishing together. If Barack wins, I would hope Republicans like Powell and Hagel step forward and take the Republican Party in a new direction. This country is facing great difficulties and no matter who is elected, those difficulties will be waiting. There has never been a time that we needed more for people of all political persuasions to come together. Tomorrow can be the first step in a very long journey and it will be time to put all party’s aside and reach out as Americans. God bless America.

The Great Race

2008-09-14T17:06:00.000-05:00

There is no doubt about it----this race IS about race. There are lots of remarks out there about Barack Obama; he is too inexperienced, too young, he’s a Muslim, he will raise taxes, and yes some even because he is black. The people that say outright, “I am not voting for any damn”------- are probably amongst the most honest. NPR reported and interview done in York, Pa. with 15 people, 7 of which were people of color and in the beginning the majority said they did not believe that race would be a factor but by the end of the questioning period most admitted that they did think race was definitely a factor. One woman went on to say that she “just did not trust him and once a Muslim, always a Muslim and only if dead would he not be so”. I am reminded of my years at the University of Alabama in the early 60’s at the height of the civil rights movement. There was a lot of very strong language, George Wallace standing in the door defying Federal troops and the first black student being escorted to class. I had a history professor from Arizona who had been a Calvary officer in WWI and he stated very clearly that the “only good Indian, was a dead Indian”. When the woman being interviewed on NPR made the remark about Obama, I had cause to hear the words of my old professor. Depending on what part of the country you are from does make a difference as to how explicit the remarks. In the deep South, where race has been an issue for well over a 100 years, you are much more likely to hear racial slurs than you would in Boston; but there are people in Boston that hold the same views, it is just not as politically correct. The same difference exists in the South between the cities and the rural areas, whereas in the cities you see numerous black mayors and other governing officials and very few in the rural areas. Segregation when it comes to housing is less likely in the city, than in the country where both seem to stay more in their own area of town. This is certainly not to say, that there are not people in all 50 states that will not vote for Obama based on his color, because they certainly are and the last time I heard the home of the KKK is in Indiana.

There is also a bias with those that have and those that do not. In the days of slavery in the South, it was often the overseers that were crueler toward the slave than the slave owner. It is the old story of the class above trying to keep the class below them from coming up to their level. Also, slaves were the property of the plantation owner and no owner in his right mind would abuse his property, plus the owner was often more educated. That still holds true today, in that it has been the blue collar group that has had to struggle more with equal opportunity than the professionals, although it was reported on the same NPR segment of white lawyers refusing to shake hands with a black lawyer. Just the other day I spoke with a woman from the north part of Louisiana who obviously had money and she openly said “if he got elected, blacks would certainly take over”.

In my opinion, the single biggest thing Obama has to overcome is simply his color. There is no doubt the majority of Americans are fed up with the Bush Administration, both domestically and with our foreign policy and here is a brilliant, 47 year old senator with a beautiful family that lacks only one thing. He is not white. Oh, his mother was white------but he remains black. One of the things we all hear countless times from pundits, campaign people, and yes Republicans is that if the Democrats cannot win this time, they never will. Disaster in the economic sector, bogged down in both Iraq and Afghanistan, heating up the cold war, the dollar in the tank, unemployment, housing crisis, high fuel costs, airline industry, and that is just not even half the list. Add to that, a 72 year old man with all his baggage and a total unknown that cannot deviate a whit from her canned talking points.

One other issue I feel that has been missed by the main stream media-----gosh that is hard to believe----is those people that compare black voters voting for Obama because he is black and white voters calling that a form of black prejudice. I say that is incorrect, simply because black voters are simply celebrating the historical event of seeing a black person nominated by one of the two major political parties. People that do not vote for Obama because of color, are just discriminating and furthering the idea that a black person is simply not worthy of being President. Black people have been voting for white presidential candidates for over 100 years. That is, if they are male. It is simply folks, he is the wrong color and I hope I am wrong, wrong, wrong.

Are we that cynical?

2008-08-30T19:09:00.000-05:00

Why have we become so cynical? Almost instantly after Obama’s speech in Denver before 80,000 excited Americans, the blogs and pundits began attacking it from all sides. Obama spoke to health care, lost jobs, education, the environment, our tarnished image abroad, ending the war in Iraq, and solving our dependency on foreign oil. All issues that are both timely and call for a renewed effort on the part of each of us, yet there are many that say it is just an appeal to our emotions. I have heard that it “reminds me of Hitler”, to “someone will assonate him”. What has happened to us as a people that we can no longer simply disagree but we have to attack the person in the vilest manner.

“Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story – of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren’t well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to.”
These were the words he used so eloquently to offer his view of what America can mean and yet, there are people that would attack him for being so eloquent. He spoke to the promise of America----“It’s a promise that says each of us has the freedom to make of our own lives what we will, but that we also have the obligation to treat each other with dignity and respect. It’s a promise that says the market should reward drive and innovation and generate growth, but that businesses should live up to their responsibilities to create American jobs, look out for American workers, and play by the rules of the road.” Can anyone possibly disagree with those words? Words that describe the best of what we can be, words that offer hope to every person, no matter what color or greed. But there are people that will damn him and say, “impossible absurd, liar, cheat”, etc., etc. It seems we have lost our ability to believe in the best of man, lost the idea that things can improve, that each of us can pitch in to make a difference but rather we are more satisfied to think the worst and that this man, will not only not deliver on his word but somehow will cheat us in the process. Higher taxes is the drum they pound and yet they take for granted that highways and bridges, airports and sea ports, fire and police will be ready whenever the need. No one enjoys paying taxes but it beats having no income upon which to pay.
“But what I will not do is suggest that the Senator takes his positions for political purposes. Because one of the things that we have to change in our politics is the idea that people cannot disagree without challenging each other’s character and patriotism. The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook. So let us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain. The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America – they have served the United States of America. So I’ve got news for you, John McCain. We all put our country first.”
I do not know how good a president Barack Obama may make and I do not know how many of his ideas will work but I do know I like the idea of a America that works for all of us and not just a few. An America where the dream is not only alive but becomes reality and the very best of what we can be is shown to the rest of the world. How many times have we all complained about politics and politicians; it is almost an American pastime. Now----maybe just now is our time and instead of our usual pessimism, maybe we can join together “to form a more perfect union” The definition of cynical is-----“believing the worst of human nature and motives; having a sneering disbelief.” Hope however, is defined as “believing that a better or positive outcome is possible even when there is some evidence to the contrary”. This is the stand I make and this is the America I believe in.

GEORGIA LETS NOT GO

2008-08-16T18:52:00.001-05:00

To most Americans, Georgia means Atlanta and maybe the busiest airport in the world but in the last few days, Georgia has been center stage with not only both presidential candidates bidding for the spotlight, but Bush and Company using all the old political rhetoric. Certainly this part of the world ranks very high in the lack of understanding by Americans. It is one of those places that is so often described as "over there" and until the present, has been of no real importance to the average American. To even attempt to understand the region, you must go back and look at it historically, and when you do, you find it was part of the Persian, Greek and Roman Empire; was overrun by the Mongols in the 13th century, followed by the Ottoman Empire and became part of Russia in the early 19th century. It had a brief period of independence after the Russian Revolution but once again became part of Russia in 1921. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, the son of a well-known Georgian family, whose father was one of Georgia’s most famous writers, became president. Gamsakhurdia as a youth led protests against the Soviets, was jailed and then released and began his schooling. He earned a PHD and MD and was also known as a writer. Soon after his election as Georgia’s first democratically elected president, he was caught by a coup that plunged the country in 3 years of civil war. In 95 Eduard Shevardnadze returned to Georgia and was elected president. At this time, the two regions so much in the news today, South Ossetia and Abkhazia were fighting with local separatists and gained a de-facto independence. Shevardnadze was re-elected in 2000 only to lose in another coup, known as the Rose Revolution and Mikheil Saakashvili became president.
Georgia has had a stormy history to say the least, and although Saakashvili is seen as a duly elected president, he does have a history of suppression of the press as well as arresting those that would demonstrate. Both South Ossetia and Abkhazia have looked to Russia for protection and it would seem that Saakashvili was the first to provoke the Russians when he moved troops to the two regions. On a recent trip to Georgia, Sec. Rice told Saakashvili that "we always fight for our friends" and whether she meant support for Georgia’s membership to NATO or was she sending a veiled message to Putin, we will probably never know. In either case, if Saakashvili thought the US would have a face off with the Bear, he is far too stupid to be president of anything. It ‘ain’t going to happen’ and I would guess that South Ossetia would now be part of Russia. Both McCain and Obama of course must now make political rhetoric and it was the ideal time for McCain to espouse his knowledge of foreign policy but when he said it is not acceptable in the 21st century for a country to invade a sovereign nation, I though I was going to fall off the sofa. Of course had Russia been smarter they would have simply accused Georgia of having WOMD’S, and then it would have been ok. But we all know that Russia has always lacked finesse, they simply send in the tanks. They also found out that by sending in the tanks to Afghanistan, it could be very expensive and cause political upheaval just as the U.S. is finding out in Iraq.
To say the least, it is a complicated question and does not have a simple answer but one thing that is not the answer, is committing troops to another war. The high water mark for this country in the world was WWII and the few years after with the rebuilding of both Europe and Japan. Germany and Japan, our enemies, in this struggle are now two of the most advanced countries in the world with a higher standard of living than the U.S. History has proven Vietnam to be a tragic mistake and it will say the same about Iraq. I just returned form a month in Vietnam and it is a booming economy, people are busy, friendly and there was no anti-American sentiment, as well as no feeling of "North vs. South". Perhaps in the years to come that will happen in Iraq but at what price? At any rate, whoever is the next president he will have his hands full and I predict that within two years that either will be unpopular. There is no way that the problems we now face, thanks to the 8 Bush years will be solved. Certainly the war in Iraq will be over, as well as Afghanistan but once again, at what price?

CAN WE STICK TO ISSUES PLEASE?

2008-08-14T16:24:00.000-05:00

As the election cycle heats up, I have noticed a big increase in what I would call "tabloid" emails that will say something like "you must read this, it is scary but if you don’t have time please fdw it to all your friends". Think just a moment; would you agree to a contract without reading it? Would you agree to vote on an issue if you knew nothing about it? That is exactly what someone is asking if they ask you to forward an email that you have not read. I saw one the other day that was comparing Barack Obama to Bin Laden. I am not sure what mental dwarf came up with that but as someone said to me, "if anything were to make me vote for Obama it would be that kind of talk". At a time when the American people are sick and tired of all the political bickering, with major financial institutions failing, job loss, gas at record highs, environmental dangers, and failing infrastructures, some mentally deficient person or persons sends out such vulgar mail. It is one thing to try and attempt to make Obama an elitist, a bit weak when you consider a black man raised by a single white mother, but an entirely different thing to compare him with a terrorist. This is ugly and obscene, and to make an excuse for this type of person by saying they are ignorant and uniformed is simply not enough. It is equal to calling John McCain a coward. Hardball politics does not excuse this type of behavior any more than stupidity does.
The past 8 years has seen the Bush Administration use torture and then try and sell to the American people and the rest of the world that they were justified in doing so; a monumental national debt that now has interest of 1 billion per/day; gasoline at $4 a gal; corruption throughout the Administration; a cowboy foreign policy that has half the world afraid of us and half angry with us and we are quickly moving from the wealthiest nation to a debtor nation. The majority of the American people want these and other pertinent issues to be the topic of the political debate and not the mindless drivel so often seen on television and the ugly emails I refer to. Political debate is not only healthy but is the cornerstone of this thing we call democracy but no where does it say that civility is not also part of this process. It is often the people without facts and merit in their statements that have to resort to character assassination because they are unable to articulate a logical argument. It reminds me of growing up with a boy that would say, "I don’t like him" but when asked why, all he could say was "I don’t like his looks". There will always be people like the kid I grew up with but they are not the people that become part of the solution and the person I grew up with has long since disapered and as far as I know contributed very little.

IT MAY BE THE LAST CHANCE

2008-08-14T15:54:00.000-05:00

The 2009 presidential election may well be the most important one in modern history. The country, as well as the world, faces unprecedented problems from environmental disasters to a nuclear holocaust, to millions starving to death. Figures just released show one out of three Americans living at or below the poverty level and that is in the richest country on earth. For years we have been warned about the future of social security and yet as 2017 approaches (that is the year the amount being paid out exceeds the amount coming in) no one in Washington is doing anything about it. The cost to the government, i.e. the taxpayers, is now 1 billion each day for interest on the national debt. That is not to mention 3 billion people living on $2/day or less, genocide and starvation across Africa, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan that has tarnished America’s reputation with much of the world, and a administration that has sanctioned torture as a legitimate way to gather information. The Dark Side, a new book just released by Jane Mayer, an investigative reporter that has been nominated twice for a Pulitzer, is an inside view of what happened in the Whitehouse, after 911. Lies to Congress and the American people, manipulation of intelligence to support the invasion of Iraq, total disregards for the Geneva Convention and the rules of war are just the tip of the iceberg. Former Senator Hollings of South Carolina spent 60 years in Congress and has just published a new book, Making Government Work and he states clearly that much of a member's time is spent in raising money from special interest groups and therefore "nothing gets done".
I am not sure what kind of President Barack Obama would make if elected but I reject the idea of being too young, inexperienced, and the biggest single factor with many, that he is black. Doubt not for a minute, that many who would use the excuse of too young are really hiding behind their prejudice. In a recent CNN piece a man in Tennessee was interviewed about Sen. Obama and stated without hesitation, "the only black man I am use to seeing with change is a black man with a cup in his hand". Obama has consistently tried to elevate the conversation from personal attacks to issues but has had to respond to his being a Moslem, his not wearing a flag pin, holding his hand over his heart, ugly comments about his wife, pastor, and his former legal clients; the McCain campaign's constant attack and yet he has kept his composure. He was criticized for not going to Iraq enough and then attacked on his recent trip to Europe and the Middle East. His over whelming reception in Europe was criticized as being "to much like a head of state" and "too many network anchors" following him. But still he remains polite and perhaps the most eloquent speaker in modern history. He talks of peace, fighting poverty and hunger, acknowledging all religious beliefs, and bringing the world to a better place.
He has also on numerous occasions acknowledged Sen. McCain's great service to his country and simply states they have a different vision for the country. Some will say, "not possible" but I say, "why not"? Some will talk about taxes going up, others will talk about being attacked by terrorist. To these people I would simply say, look at the economy under President Bush, from real estate to the automobile industry, to Iraq and Afghanistan, to Halliburton, Exxon, your mutual funds, health care, and schools and then ask your selves if that is acceptable. Also ask yourself if living with 1 out of 3 Americans living at the poverty level is of concern to you. If it is not, then ask yourself "what has happened to your humanity". I have never been hungry, never been without a place to call home, never without opportunity, but that is with the grace of God. I could have been born in a different situation and I could be one of the three. And so could you. "Now is our time". Now is our time". Peace, hope, a better world will be discredited by some that will say, "absurd", naive, ridiculous, and I say, "why not".