50 Years Later…

1968 was a bad year for many people in America. All of us alive then lived our lives one day at a time, sometimes one hour at a time. We were happy at times, unhappy other times, and unaware much of the time. 1968 was the year I met Ann, loved her and married in December. 1968 was the year Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in April. So too, Bobby Kennedy in June of that year. Racial unrest was rampant throughout 1968; riots happened. Large swaths of urban areas were burned out by rioting black communities. The war in Viet Nam droned on and on in spite of broad-based political protests. College and University campuses were on the verge of riots and violence throughout the year.

The 1968 Democrat Party Convention was held in Chicago that year to nominate a presidential candidate to be elected in November. Riots took place in Chicago to protest the convention, national policies, and the war in Viet Nam.

The nation was a tinder box. And it erupted several times. We wondered at the time what this would mean for the country going forward. It was to take several years for a better understanding to unfold.

But violence did hold reign in America at that time.

50 years later – 2018 – we are in a similar turbulent time. How turbulent and violent remains to be seen. Half the year has transpired with rising anger and incivility. Violence has broken out in several places. Property damage has been reported. Protests are growing in size and severity. Arrests have been made to restore order. High levels of violence have not been registered to match 1968. Yet. One wonders if assassinations are to be expected soon. Guns now number 330 million. That’s probably double what they were in 1968.

The mood of the public is unsettled. Will peace snap into open violence this summer?

No one knows but the chances rise with each additional issue mismanaged by the white house and intentional incivility sponsored by the white house is made known. Open hostility by the president cheers his supporters and angers the rest of us. The numbers are roughly 40% to 60% in general – 40% in support of trump. But these numbers shift with each issue under discussion.

With the imminent retirement of Supreme Court Justice Kennedy, these issues are in doubt for the future:

·        Gay rights

·        Abortion rights

·        Women’s rights

·        Freedom from religious persecution; separation of church and state

·        Labor rights

·        Access to adequate health care and insurance coverage

·        Access to affordable education

·        Freedom of press

These are heavy duty issues to have hanging in doubt. They define who and what America is in the annals of global history. Immigration rights and welcome used to be a halcyon characteristic of our nation and its character. It no longer is that.

People say this does not define America, but it does. We either welcome immigrants to our nation or we don’t, if they are at our borders or points of entry. They are either welcomed and processed humanely and quickly, or they are not. On all counts they are not so treated. We are not a welcoming nation for immigrants. We must face that fact. Either we accept it or change back to what we were once proud to be. We can’t own the definition without restoring the welcome.

So, we have problems. Huge ones. And all of them need attention and repair.

Until that is done we are in crisis. Added to that crisis is the constitutional crisis adopted by fiat and ignorance. And the political parties are deadlocked and cannot address the problem.

What then do Americans do? Live each day and each hour as they come? See the violence brewing and do nothing to maintain peace? Allow thugs and ill-informed voters to change what we were into what we are today?

Are we to remain meek and do nothing in the face of this travesty? If so, then we have become what we claim not to be so.

How very sad that is.

June 29, 2018

Open Communications

As much as newscasts upset me with their content, at least we have a society that has open communications. Think about that. Facebook content may seem vile at times, but it is a reflection of people finding their voice and using it. Yes, the language can be testy and disrespectful; but let’s face a simple fact: our times are filled with change, upsetting news, and a social order testing its boundaries.

That is a recipe for people confessing confusion and anxiety.

It doesn’t help that such times embolden bullies to act up and act out. They naturally abuse these opportunities. However, there are cooler heads among us; they speak balance, logic and tolerance. Just the thing to restore peace to conversations running amok.

This process uncovers people who pay attention to the issues and go deep to understand them. These folks also share their findings with the rest of us. We become better informed as a result. Imagine that; open communications benefit me with more and better information. It prepares me for more conversations with those who don’t have all the facts, but are hungry for them. Together we become better informed.

And that’s how open communications is supposed to work.

An open, free press works much the same way. Hopefully, they have more resources and trained staff to weed out the junk from the facts and keep us all honest. They also operate quickly and respond to emergencies, lying of leaders, makers of propaganda, and other manipulators of truth. The press does a lot of work and contends with many people who don’t want them to succeed. If the press is stymied, the bad guys have an open field to do their bad things.

The press is the public’s primary defense against political power gone mad. It is also our primary asset to discover truth in the midst of chaos and danger.

Making the press a scape goat for things we don’t like to read about, is dangerous business. A nation without an open and free press is a target for possession by evil forces. Observe any nation with a history of tyrants and dictators. See how the press was diminished and beaten back. Radio, TV, internet outlets, newspapers and books – all are elements of the press. Denigrating them denigrates public power and rights.

Let truth be the arbiter of facts. Always pursue facts and their relations with one another to build the full story of what did go on, what is going on, and what the probable outcomes will be if allowed to continue. This is the role of the press. Trample on it and watch your freedoms disappear.

There are ill-informed people in our midst. There are ignorant ones as well. And emotionally disturbed fellows, too. Such combinations of ‘public’ when riled up are foes to contend with. Keep our balance. Keep our eye on facts and truth. And have the courage to speak your truth to all.

Social media may be messy, but it is available and free. Use it for good. Spread truth and balance. But always speak truth to power. The freedom of speech, press and assembly is the only power we the people have each and every day to maintain our own governance and social order.

Use it.

June 28, 2018

Around and Around It Goes

I know, this will seem a simple topic, but the title refers to a ceiling fan newly installed in our living room. If it performs as we expect, we should be able to live comfortably with the air conditioning set at a higher temperature.

You see, we live on the top floor (4^th floor) of a  10-year-old steel and concrete condominium building. We have large windows, 10-foot ceilings and we face due west. Afternoon sunshine heats up our unit. Heat from the floors below rise to keep our feet warm all year long, and heat radiation down from the roof is noticeable in summer. Although well insulated, we know there is heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer.

Our AC runs continuously from April through October. Electric bills are high for a small home (1150 sq ft); our budget plan with ComEd runs $95 per month year-round. We hope a fan will help de-stratify the air and move the air continuously. This should make it seem cooler to us.

Now we set the AC at 74 degrees. We’d like to put it at 78 degrees.

Winter should provide reasonable comfort as well, pushing the warmer air at ceiling level down to the cooler temps at floor level. Thermostat setting for heat should be good at 70 degrees.

We recently replaced our 12-year old plasma HD TV. It was a warm sucker! With the new LED TV, the set is cool to the touch and does not heat up the room as did the old set. We already notice better summer temps in the house at a higher AC setting. With the fan, we hope for even more comfort and more savings.

For now, we watch the blades go round and round. It comforts us. Too early to know if it is saving money, but it already has boosted our peace of mind. And its totally remote controlled. No chains to yank or switches to flip. Just a button.

It’s a good thing, this new technology. And all the time I thought it was love that made the world go round. Well, it does, but there’s more to it than that, right?

Of course!

June 27, 2018

Words and Consequences

If you are a grouch in public, people will avoid you. They will keep their space behind you while in traffic or walking on the sidewalk. They will expect you not to hold the door open for you, so be prepared. A grouch attracts attention and others build their defenses!

A company markets their products and services. Some messages are edgy to attract attention. Other messages are too edgy and create not only attention, but negative attention. The latter may very well repel customers from buying or using your product. Your brand may be damaged. This is a consequence of your marketing message.

Same is true with other behaviors and posting of opinions on Facebook, Linked In, a blog or a letter to the editor of the local newspaper.  You state your thoughts and let the consequences happen as they will. Most people will read or hear your remarks, or totally ignore them. Those who consume them and like them, feel good and smile or nod their head. Those who disagree with your positions will either divert their eyes and skip to another item. Or maybe, just maybe, the person in disagreement will retaliate. There may be a vile response, or anonymous phone calls if they know your number, or if they know you locally, they may act in other ways.

Freedom of speech is free. But not always free from consequences. Words have consequences. Actions have consequences. That is the way humans interact with one another. So if you have something to say that is important to you, say it but be prepared for the reactions.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders wasn’t prepared for being asked to leave a restaurant in Virginia. But she should have been. She speaks for the president of the united states. She offers excuses and lame ones at that for actions taken by the president, the first lady and staffers at the white house. The record is very clear. Much is said and done that is contrary to American values. And then they lie about it all when a hue and cry is sounded.

They lie; we respond. So do historians, journalists and others in the know. And the rest of us listen to those messages and react accordingly. Our speech is free, too. And our actions too, as long as they are done in a legal manner.

The secretary of the Department of Homeland security is heckled out of a restaurant, a restaurant of Hispanic cuisine, and on the heels of her anti-Hispanic actions on the US-Mexican border. What did she expect? A loving smile and embrace? Hardly.

If you are a disagreeable human being, expect to be treated similarly. It may not be the law of the land, but it is the law of human nature.

And decency. Be civil to be treated so.

June 26, 2018

Due Dates and Deadlines

The month is nearing its end. I know it just started. Look forward to June each year as it is both Fathers’ Day and my birthday month. This year was one of those significant birthdays – 75. Doesn’t seem possible, but neither does the ebbing of the month seem possible. It just started, I swear!

Which then recalls all the things I have yet to do by the end of the month. And the deadlines that beckon based on that work. Will a project move forward or be postponed based on still-lacking elements of the project? Will we be able to fill in the gaps fast enough and expertly, too, to still go forward with the project?

What about all the other things requested to be done. Accepting one role as secretary also gets me filling out reports, building files of saved documents, retrieving older documents, printing and distributing other documents. That doesn’t even include attending all the formal meetings held by the organization; each of these meetings needs minutes taken, transcribed, printed and distributed. More paperwork. Easier in the age of computers, but still the words are said, noted, written, distributed and filed. And retrieved later. You see what I mean? And the excel files created and maintained for on-going work.

I’m supposed to be retired but I’m as busy as a bee (note for younger readers, bee is not a biologic reference, but a metaphor).

Yet the organization is a good one. Busy and moving forward doing its work and serving its mission. This is work needed to be done. Might as well be me to do it. Not enough volunteers willing to do this grunt work; don’t understand why about that, but it is the norm. Ask for a volunteer and it is temporary; maybe even half-hearted.

So the assignment is served and finished for now. On to the next project and tasks related. All in good time. They will get their attention and completion. Eventually these will seem overwhelming but only if I let them. Patience and deep breaths needed.

The email pings and another appointment is requested. When can I meet this person? And where? What’s a convenient site for both of us. Preferably in public where everyone is at ease. And the food and coffee available!

Oh, that’s right, I have another appointment on the same day. Well we will weave the two in with a little time to spare in between.

Wait! Do I know where this site is?  Convenient distance, but is it on the GPS? Do I recall the coffee shop? Ah, yes. I do. Know right where it is. Ok, add to calendar time to get there and back.

Now, back to the backlog of emails. What’s this? A message from an old friend not heard from for 2 years? Well, I’ll save that for this evening and have a good chat via email.

Heck, I haven’t shaved or showered yet. Dishes are clinking so breakfast is near. Dog is walked. Blog is published. Email is caught up. Now for the phone log and messages left.

Retirement? Deadlines? Due dates? What am I doing?

Getting on with the rest of my life. That’s what I’m doing. And working with people and making life better for them and me at the same time. that’s a good payback, don’t you think?

Time for breakfast. See you here tomorrow morning.

June 25, 2018

Face of a Nation

We can stop traffic to allow ducklings, snakes, dogs and cats to cross busy streets. But we don’t know how to manage the pinnacle success of our nation’s history – its welcoming embrace of immigrants from all over the globe.

Yes, we are a nation of immigrants. Each and every one of us.

But now there is a sizable group of citizens supporting closing our borders, separating kids of all ages from their parents, and prosecuting immigrants seeking refuge, asylum and citizenship. We even allowed DACA kids time to get an education, a career start, and a beginning of citizenship. We accepted their contributions of talents and military service. But now we are tossing them out, too.

Not good enough for us, the US?

I don’t think so. There is more courage, spunk and talent in many of the newcomers than there is in many of our fat and lazy citizens who don’t understand the current crisis. Yet they are the bulk of the support for building the wall. Sad. Shameful. Out of character with our nation’s history.

And out of step.

That’s where the rest of us enter the picture. We can change all of this: with what we think, feel, say and do. Think about that. Think. Feel, too.

What you read and see over the internet, TV or radio, does it represent what you think and feel America is about?  Is your image of our nation different? Is it a better one, a brighter sense of future? If so, express yourself.

Share your thoughts on Facebook, or write a blog, or send an email to the radio or TV station. Offer your thoughts on these matters. Don’t be silent. Speak up. Write up. Act up?

Not sure what I mean by the latter, but ‘act up’ in the sense of doing what you can to change the picture our nation is broadcasting of itself through its news persona. I’m not suggesting acting out your frustration or anger. I’m not suggesting civil disobedience.

I am suggesting to be yourself but with an expression that others can witness. That may be a smile, or the willingness to offer your opinion politely in a discussion among friends and family of what you are feeling about current affairs. Somehow we have to be polite but also present with one another. That is not always a comfortable transition to make.

I hate confrontation. I am uncomfortable with it. Can and will often lose my temper and say things I wish I hadn’t. So I avoid public confrontation. It doesn’t work well with me.

I write this blog. It goes on my Facebook page, too. The Blog is read internationally; not a lot of traffic, but readers span Europe, Asia and North and South America. Those readers get my ‘face of America’ from the blog. That’s the least I can do.

But you have to find your own means to be present. A blog? A poem or book of poems? Perhaps you are a visual artist? Then paint, sculpt or create an image expressive of your thoughts, your being in the world.

It is important you do this for your own sake. In this crazy world it is important to the global community as well that you do this. That’s art: good for you and for countless others all at the same moment.

The positive needs to be heard along with the negative. That makes it real. Right now, the Face of the Nation is a poor one and getting worse. It is up to the rest of us to change that face to one more representative of the whole nation.

A whole face of the nation. Will you help make this happen? We need you.

June 22, 2018

Policy, Authority, Discernment and Law

A little early in the morning to be thinking on these terms, but we need too. Too many people think they understand these terms, while others are determined to understand the details. I’m one of the latter.

So allow me to take a stab at defining these. First, authority is the power assigned by law or a superior, to do something, to have the resources needed to determine a course of action and to arrange those actions to take place. Second, policy is a written statement documented to define a problem/issue, and what is to be done about it, what is involved, and why this is so, the objective. Policy is created by a person or agency in authority to take such action. Third, law is the result of a legislative body to write what is to be done, in what circumstances, and the consequences if those actions are not applied as provided for in the legislation. Law sometimes explains why this is so, but is not required.

Fourth, discernment is the process and ability of analyzing, weighing and deciding what is important, what is not important, and what is practical; discernment also attempts to learn truth in context of its most important need.

A little more background. Authority is often assumed by people who think they have the power to take unilateral actions. An owner of a business assumes such authority over his business and the people who work for the business. An opinion broadcaster assumes the authority to state what is on his mind, and he has the freedom to do so; freedom is not automatically an authority, but it is treated as such by the broadcaster. Or author of blogs, essays, news articles and editorials and such.

Often authority is spelled out and assigned by settled law, policy or governing documents. By-laws of corporations and formal organizations do this; so does the Constitution of the United States. Legislation creates laws that spell out authority levels, too. ‘We the People’ grant authority to those we elect to do our work related to governance. Those actively working in government and its agencies have written protocols and policies that direct their actions and grant them authority to exercise it in specified circumstances.

Policy is the result of delicate thought concerning authority, issues and conditions under the purview of people in authority. They consider the desired results or the freedom from problem issues, and arrange the means, the actions, and the procedures to accomplish those ends. Policy is an art to those people and justifiably so. Did I say delicate before? I meant that. It is difficult to set policy in complex human situations. Keeping an eye on the desired outcomes is not easy when disaster is happening or looming. Maintaining order and safety of fellow human beings is a heavy responsibility. Policy must respect all of this.

Law is the result of contravening forces, authorities, policies, and opinions. All of this is in the mix when legislators weigh how to handle the details involved in specified situations. Therefore, a lot of work goes into the messy making of this public ‘sausage’. It often takes months or years to accomplish, and rarely without rancor and huge ideological disagreement.

Discernment is the magical ingredient needed in all of this. This is where minds of goodwill determine that actions should not harm people, and the ‘law of unintended consequences’ is well respected. Too often good people set out to fix a problem only to make a worse one appear. Or miss the goal entirely and make the entire situation even worse.

Discernment is balance, care, logic, realism and it is focused on desired outcomes. Sounds easy but it isn’t. Place yourself in the shoes of a cop trying to determine the facts in a fast-moving situation as it unfolds and decide what is the best course of action. This is when police shootings occur when danger is present and guns are suspected of being in the possession of the bad guy. Bad decisions are ripe for doing at these moments, but not taking action is not a possibility unless your own life is expendable.

The same ‘shoes experience’ for a legislator or judge making decisions about law is instructive. It is not easy doing this work. It takes experience, judgment, and discernment to accomplish. Logic and goodwill are needed in plenty.

When parties bandy about these terms – policy, law, authority, judgment, discernment – as if they are loose and pliable, they are likely manipulators of truth or just lazy communicators.

Do not fall prey to their fallibility. Do your own careful thinking. Then discern who is speaking truth.

That alone is not easy!

June 21, 2018

What’s the Best?

I love the internet. So much information and right at my fingertips. All I have to do is pose a question and Google it. Up pops a number of answers. More than that, there are leads to other sites for even more information. In short order it becomes obvious that my question has to be altered to be more specific. When that is done and the ‘google button’ is pressed, up come tons of information on more specific issues. What a marvel.

This beats the old card catalog in the library any day!

But there's more. Nearly every day the internet queries me on various ‘bests’ – the best city in which to live, to retire, or the rankings of the best universities in the country, or world! I’m sure you recall these articles. Teasers, really, but when you write a column published weekly, monthly, or even daily, these articles spark ideas that soon become a blog, essay or news item.

These ideas often converge. Example: what are the top university rankings in the nation? As I read through the supporting documents I become excited with the growth of size, depth of research, interdisciplinary research findings, and resulting new medical treatments, devices and medicines. Also, the plethora of products and services that come directly from such research.

The quality of life at many of these campuses is great. The vibe of discovery becomes a real pulse of the campus. Students, faculty and staff become aware of the growing significance of their institution. It is a feeling that cannot be missed.

So too a community that makes the ‘best list’. Such villages, towns and cities know their vibe. It is palpable. Seattle has it. So too, Vancouver, Sedona, Colorado Springs and many other hot spots. They know who they are.

These communities are thriving for a lot of reasons. Most of all residents feel connected, engaged and ‘at home’. It is a magic we all would like to experience. The feeling is not easily acquired. It takes work on the part of many to build a community and even more to experience the special feeling. Each community, however, can feel this way if they only work for it. It comes from doing, not sitting or waiting.

Same for universities, companies, charities or any other organization; special feelings of greatness come from group engagement and accomplishments shared. The thrill of the spine tingling is a reward felt infrequently. But it is special.

Reading the news often is a downer these days. Then I read articles that gave me the idea for this blog posting. There are fabulous things happening all around us. Those things are achievements, discoveries, and countless ‘aha’ moments. People are doing these things. You and I are doing these things. Our neighbors, relatives, and strangers on the street are doing these things. We the People are doing these things.

Entrepreneurs are doing those things. Students, too, at colleges and universities are doing those things. We don’t read about these achievements in the newspaper very often, but on the internet and social media we glimpse more of the good that is happening all around us. It is the new news media of our times that shares these special items.

Do not be distracted by the news maker buffoons in Washington DC. They see their jobs as making headlines. They create news they think is important, all the while we are distracted from the real news of the nation.

You and I count for something. We are in the trenches doing the work of the day creating new tomorrows and living them. That’s what is important. Not the hot air coming from the vicinity of the Potomac.

Now that’s what’s best in America. Our people. And what they bring in the tomorrows.

June 20, 2018

When a Wall is Not a Wall

Playing with words makes for odd meanings. Perhaps anti-meanings?

For example, the trumpster claims the Democrats are responsible for children being separated from their parents at the border. Do you know why he says that?

Because he says he has offered a solution to immigration problems by building the wall. If he gets the wall, he will agree to many items on the immigration list: DACA youth, for one, would be given extensions to become citizens without being deported; another is, kids remain with their parents even if the parents are suspected of bringing their kids to America illegally; third, each and every effort Obama established to benefit immigrants and that trump has overturned, will be re-instated (or many of them) as long as congress approves building the wall and funding it.

Of course, we only have trump’s word he will do what he promises. So far, his word doesn’t amount to much. But you do understand, don’t you, that this is how trump makes deals – he upends the status quo and creates havoc; then offers to ease the problems as long as he gets what he wants? Now do you understand the ‘art of the deal?’

I call it bullying. On the school yard or in congress, bullying is bullying. Innocent people get hurt by those who threaten harm; this raises concerns to fix the problem created by the bully so he gets his way.

This is no way to run a country, any country. Most of all, this is not America’s way to run its business, morals, ethics or promise of hope for the long-term future. Period. This is a hoax perpetuated to earn credit for doing something for his own aggrandizement and power. It is all window dressing. Only one person gains anything of value. Others are made to suffer for the ‘good’ of one other person.

What nonsense this thinking is. But I’m not the one who made it up. The trumpster did. And it is clear for all to see.

The last five presidents have wanted to repair the immigration system. None were able to move the needle one iota. They tried to do this behind the scenes and without fanfare. Congress, however, would have nothing to do with it. They blocked all progress. Leaders all wanted something for themselves or their supporters. They did not consider what was good for the country, or what was good for the immigrants, or anyone else, for that matter. They wore their blinders in order to wait for higher bidders.

It’s a shame, isn’t it? Is this what you think America is? Is this what America stands for?

If you don’t think so, then why have we allowed this status quo to continue? It has not been in hiding. We have had other issued to contend with; others have distracted our attention from immigration time and time again; and so we lose sight of the problems until they pop up once again and embarrass us.

Isn’t it about time we held our elected officials accountable to us? For what they have not done? And make them hurt because of it? If so, then let’s do it. Right now!

Meanwhile, each of us can help immigrants in their time of suffering. We can empower organizations and individuals to deliver help to the suffering refuge seekers. This is not impossible to do.

A huge benefit is demonstrating to elected power that we, the people, have the real power and will use it. I think now is the time to do just that.

Who’s with me on this?

June 19, 2018

What’s Really Going On?

The subject today is both ‘future’ and ‘oil’. It could also be ‘immigration reform.’

I’ve chosen these topics because the press reports are divergent. For example, Exxon is reported to be focusing on oil rather than alternative energy sources. Their position is that oil as an energy source is present, in large supply, and still has more supplies to be discovered and recovered to fuel the planet’s energy needs going forward for many years. I’ll give them that factual basis, but what the global community ought to do for the long-term, is a totally different thing.

Alternative energy is needed for many reasons. Most of all it is healthy for all living creatures, including humans. Second, it is renewable and thus infinite in supply. Third, it is geopolitically neutral; no region or nation controls the resources. Fourth, it is self-conserving; consumers use what is readily at hand and use less when less is available (solar and battery interdependency). Fifth, it is most likely cheaper in the long run than oil, oil clean-up of all forms of pollution, and replacement and maintenance of infrastructure.

Alternative energy sources will benefit from reduced demand by appliances of new technology. They sip energy rather than gulp electric current. Battery technology is advancing quickly and will likely revolutionize the automotive industry. This will also simplify delivery of energy to the site of use without costly power grids. The latter will likely remain for major consumption industries and public utilities such as heating, lighting and air conditioning. Even these will change with technology as power demand lessens with increased efficiency.

And, let us not forget changing cultures. We are on the way to eliminate many cars on the roads. Less car ownership, more ride sharing, more walking, and less private transportation in favor of public modes.  These shifts will reduce demand on our current energy supply and demand modalities.

So, Exxon’s focus on oil is actually self-preservation and self-serving. Better for all of us if they focused on what the global population needs – non-polluting, cheaper energy forms that are renewable and more flexibly delivered. That is the future. They ignore it at their own peril. They are not in the oil business but in the energy business.

Immigration reform has been a need for several decades. It could have been simpler to repair and maintain had we done so way back, and then kept current. But no; politicians got involved and used the issue as a political football to gain power and influence. Meanwhile, millions of people were hurt (some lost their lives) and a huge waste of human potential has become a burden on our society.

Perhaps most important, America’s brand, reputation and soul have been lost in this issue.

We are an immigrant nation. All of us. These are our roots. All of us in massive diversity created this nation and push its future ever onward still. We do not do this alone. We do this as a whole people. The system actually requires diversity and a constant inflow of immigrants.

Rather than building a wall, we should be welcoming new citizens to our land. We should be helping them acclimate to our culture, and share their culture at the same time. Their ideas and talents, skills and art forms are needed here.

The White House is not the source of power over immigration; Congress is. So lay this issue where it belongs. Stop the fake positioning, and solve the problem.

What’s really going on in America is a political game that is dishonest at its very core. The future belongs to all of us and we play the most important role in it. We do the work that is the future. We think the ideas that becomes the future. We embrace the good and workable.

We should not be pawns to be played in a power game. Tell congress to get to work and do the work we sent them there to do. Silence the white house misinformation and get back to work.

Our future is better than theirs. Let’s make that evident. November is rapidly approaching.

June 18, 2018

Order and Trust

Routines and protocols emerge over time. This is true in my life, most likely yours as well, and most of us in general. Our institutions work this way, too. And governments.

Well established protocols keep processes working smoothly regardless of changes in the environment. As leaders come and go – bosses and co-workers, too – process keeps us humming efficiently until goals and methods are changed.

Most change comes after serious analysis, consideration of alternatives, as well as outcomes re-thought. An effective organization becomes so through careful thought and analysis. They know their subject matter well, have historical perspective as well, and are well acquainted with what is realistic and what is not.

International affairs thrive on this. How we manage relationships among friends, enemies and everyone else is handled by protocols. These procedures are done for effectiveness and realism, not politeness. Being polite, of course, is a good thing. Friends, however, usually employ casual methods to transact business and agreements. Politeness helps and is encouraged, but not always necessary.

Over decades and generations, we come to know each other well, trust our relationships and respect order and process. All of this provides a solid basis of knowledge and forward motion in our relationships.

Style and personality sometimes enter these relationships. Protocols and process may be interrupted from old patterns. But the work still gets done. Relationships are retained and nourished. Trust is deepened and relied upon.

Until something breaks the rhythm and cracks the trust.

That is what we are confronted with currently. American style and personality, long relied upon as a communication enhancer and builder of trust, is suspended. US relations with Mexico are in tatters. Same with Canada and the leaders of the European Union community. Harsh words, mean name calling and bumptious behavior have unsettled trust with our long-time allies.

What now? A very good question.

As upsetting as this may be, something else should be noticed. The work needing to get done keeps getting done. People tasked with roles and routines continue to perform them. Transactions are completed. Conversations and polite greetings, as well. Life goes on with most routines uninterrupted.

Schools continue to teach. Banks operate as before. Music, concerts, plays and art exhibits are held and planned. Businesses function as before. And people continue to think, act and behave as usual.

Life goes on. The world continues on its path around the sun.  People all over the globe continue their life patterns as though nothing has happened. 

And charities do their work, healing the sick, comforting the frightened, housing the homeless and feeding the hungry. 

Each of us continues to live our lives. In doing that trust is built among each other. New friends are made at home and abroad because each of us is our own ambassador of goodwill. That builds relationships of trust. 

There will always be troublemakers. We can either cower or move on to do the work that matters. I choose the latter. If enough of us do, perhaps the troublemakers will take notice?

With those ideas in mind, what kind of world community could we construct?

June 15, 2018 

Nonprofit Organizations

It may seem odd to some, but very natural to me – I’ve spent most of my life working for or with nonprofit organizations. Some folks wouldn’t think some of these organizations were nonprofit, but they are. Universities are; so are hospitals. Medical practices and clinical associations of them are awash in revenues and insurance claim dollars, but they still have to support enormous overheads and high salaries of professionals trained in very special fields.

Universities almost never generate a profit. Sure, they account for hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, but the expenses are even larger. Government, foundation and donor dollars make up the difference. They remain in operation because of those vital dollars. And no, tuition and fee dollars don’t cover the full cost of educating a student.

Credit unions are nonprofit, member-owned financial cooperatives. They more than break even, but only to generate capital dollars that guarantee the safety and soundness of the financial institution itself. That is also the regulatory requirement. Still, a credit union easily turns over its asset base at least 10 times in a year. So, a $100 million credit union develops cash flow of $1.2 billion annually. That’s a lot of money, but it isn’t profit; it is assets in action, movement. And it is the basis of serving the membership in their savings, loans and financial transactions.

The Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts organizations are both nonprofits of long standing. So too are the many charities serving populations in need. Not populations who are necessarily broke, but in need. Those needs are often not met by other organizations or government agencies. Think about that for a moment. What nonprofits are at work in your community you haven’t given much thought to? Might they include: churches, women’s centers for emergency housing and safety, elder care, caregiver relief groups, education organizations, culture and arts programs, community gardening and beautification agencies, performing arts entities, and so many more? Animal shelters, too, and housing alternatives for low income seniors. The list goes on and on.

These groups and organizations are voluntary in membership, often totally volunteer in operations, and rely on private donations to operate. Think Lions, Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs, too.

I did a quick study of employment by these agencies (organizations large enough to actually hire staff), and they accounted for 13% of American jobs. That doesn’t account for the economic transaction volumes these organizations produce and require support jobs from vendors and other institutions.

Nonprofits represent a powerful economic engine in the economy. They also produce enormous cultural and social benefits to our communities. Almost all of these benefits come from voluntary associations and not government funding.

Who works on the problems of sex trafficking, labor trafficking, families of incarcerated family members, children with debilitating diseases without benefit of yet to be discovered pharmaceuticals? Who takes care of battered spouses and children. Who cares for families burned out of their homes, or victims of floods and other natural disasters. It is not all done by government agencies. Those entities coordinate relief efforts, but the real delivery of person-to-person aid is done by the American Red Cross and other United Way organizations.

I suppose the altruism of volunteer work attracts many volunteers to these organizations. Thank God for them and their organizations. It is a high measure of our humanity that nonprofit entities exist in the first place; it is a mark of excellence that so much caring is delivered to so many people for little or no cost.

If you are looking for a special sense of accomplishment, look to a local charity. Or find a need and start your own nonprofit. You will be a member of a huge army of Americans doing the same! And your efforts will be rewarded in so many ways!

June 14, 2018

Willingness to Help

I spoke with a person the other day and learned that he was unsympathetic to counseling teen drug addicts. I accidentally got involved in this activity and found it fascinating and worth my time. There were times my work clearly helped someone; a lot of times the outcomes were not visible; and many times lack of success marked the efforts. That has not deterred the work, however.

This person evidently feels helping the self-absorbed drug addict is a waste of time. The patient did this to himself, after all, why spend more time and resources helping a lost cause?

I steered the conversation away from this topic to maintain social civility at the event we were sharing. A birthday party, his. So, I thought, let it go and ponder what this position means to our society and to my own time investment. We spoke too little on this matter to articulate any position worthy of discussion, on his part or mine. I can only go on my own experience.

I work with teen addicts because I know parents appear to be powerless in knowing their kids are going off the tracks, and don’t know how to respond once they do learn this. If this were my kid or grandkid, I know I would want to know someone was willing to get involved and save a budding young life. These kids do not know enough of life to make life and death decisions about themselves. But they do. Every day. To use a drug or not, is the question. To use again later in the same day or tomorrow is also a decision often made. The doing buys them time and space to avoid dealing with the realities of not being under the influence.

Avoiding the hard work of living their lives seems to be the point of the drugs in the first place. Our work is to find a break in that logic and practice, a break long enough and meaningful to help them pull back from the precipice.

As I said, this work is not always successful. It does provide a chance, however, that a patient will struggle through the haze to find purpose in his life worthy of remaining drug free.

For those who make it, they become the counselors of the next generation of youthful drug users. In time we may turn the tide on this curse. Like AIDS, drug use affects an entire generation of kids. If we lose them, we lose more than can be imagined for our society. AIDS only affected a generation of my fellow gay brothers. Yet we labored hard to stem that tide and bring both a cure for AIDS to market, and an avoidance of transmitting the disease as well.

We should want to do this work for teen addicts. The effects of not doing so are frightening to me.

I connected with a woman who is committed to a charitable organization meeting the needs of care givers to elders who cannot fully take care of themselves. The program serves the elders, of course, but it also helps the caregivers who are exhausted and frenzied by their efforts to preserve health and safety of a loved elder family member. The commitment to do this work is huge and necessary if we are to call ourselves a caring society. Asking for donations to keep this program alive is very valuable, indeed. It should make the fundraising easier.

It isn’t, of course. Asking for money is always hard work. However, it demonstrates our willingness to help on many levels. That alone is reward for us all.

Elder or teen ager, help for those in need is the quest and mission. Our lives are more meaningful because of it. This is true even if others don't get it. Yes!

June 13, 2018

Housing Options

Inventing new life styles. Sometimes revisiting past options. Some became passé; others renewed our interest with new twists. Think Tiny Houses, for one; small, many built on trailer beds and movable; all self-contained and adequate for a focused, private life.

Unless you are over 50 and have trouble climbing a ladder to a sleeping loft, or soon will have that trouble! Some Tiny Houses have accommodated this drawback and provide a small bedroom with queen size bed. Short of closet space, but still adequate; and it eliminates sleeping lofts except for more agile guests.

Bathrooms are simple but adequate; kitchens come in a range of features from tiny to full size appliances. Lounge space is very limited; still it is workable.

A tiny house anchored to a plot of land with no wheels, is larger and has a square floor plan. These homes offer more living and dining space, good kitchens, and still a bedroom plus other sleeping arrangements. Closets and storage are an added feature plus a covered porch or deck. Now that adds a lot of usable value to the home.

If clustered in small communities of 8 or 10 homes, a neighborhood is made. Add a few of these clusters surrounding a common building housing a meeting space and common kitchen, and a community is born. 

Such communities can house elders, young single adults or couples as starter homes. Even better, place these tiny communities within a busy urban neighborhood and the amenities of the city are near these people. They, too, are near urban jobs that affordable housing allows them to access.

In rural towns and villages, especially those seeking new labor markets or new populations to expand their local communities and economic markets, affordable housing comes in these new packages that ought to be considered.

I’ve watched the Tiny Home Movement grow on cable television with interest. I’d even like to experience this lifestyle. In Illinois the heating and air conditioning would need careful planning, but the shared community building and proximity to neighbors would be a must. We are social people, after all. But then I wondered how many towns and cities would make room for these tiny villages to be built within their building code and land use ordinances. Most likely not many. Enlist aid from those communities and the tiny home movement might offer some amazing opportunities to us all.

All the above present elements that intersect for other locations as well. The important things remain these: affordable, modest size, connection to nearby residents to build sense of community, and adjacent to other communities of life, jobs, culture and medical facilities.

Tiny villages such as these usually do not contain kids or very many of them; schools would not need to fret about burgeoning attendance patterns. No, these villages would house elders and other adults hungry for social contact and modest housing options. And affordability.

The latter for elders speaks to the retirement funding issues that are now on our doorstep and begging for solution. Within 10 years this problem will be mammoth at current calculation. So what do we do about that? Perhaps we should be planning tiny villages as adjuncts to current neighborhoods. The possibilities are exciting and interesting to ponder.

June 12, 2018

Votes Count

Yes, your vote counts, unless that is, you don’t vote.

Words matter, too. And sentiments. And propaganda. Evidence of all of these points are rife these days. So it pays to pay attention. What is happening in the news each day? What do I like, and what do I not like? What is the result of poor public decision making? And what is not?

In a democracy, our votes are the primary way citizens exercise power in their governance. It is not automatic that a vote will make a difference, but taken all together, they do. When vote tallies are close to a tie, individual votes matter even more.

I wish the votes were not as close as they have been in past years. Current statistics demonstrate how divided we are. Slim margins mean tightly fought political skirmishes. The tone at such times is poor - anger, menace, attitude and resentment run high. Not good for our civility.

I look for people who tend to speak my language and sentiments throughout the year. I know they mirror my own. Public discussion helps inform me about specific issues. News reading adds to my data bank; I am able to reason out articulate positions in time. Still later, melding issues together into a logical fabric seems natural.

Listening to many voices on as many topics helps me gain perspective on issues. I make up my mind on some, and often find myself not listening to some voices. I move on to other topics and the thoughts expressed about them. In time I’ll focus on yet other issues. This is the process I use to select voices and positions on topics that interest me.

On broader issues I build trust with groups of people I hope will do the right thing for our country, state, county or town. If they have proven trustworthy in the past, I continue to trust them going forward.

Trust. It is the foundation of our relationships: in family, neighborhood, town region and nation. In business and commerce, as well. Trust is the cornerstone of our many agreements made in life. If someone or organization fails to live up to what we trusted they would do or be, we abandon them and find other trustworthy partners.

Agreements with allies – whether among close friends or foreign lands – is based on trust, too.

Today, my trust in my government is waning. Statements on issues and values are moving away from the positions I’ve chosen over the years. Agreements with allied nations are being broken, agreements I felt certain were safe and long lasting. These agreements are large, complicated and made after many months, and sometimes years, spent finding the exact language with which to agree. Now, in a flash, those same agreements are placed in doubt or cancelled unilaterally.

Trust in our county by other nations is now held in doubt.

Along with it is my trust in my own country’s ability to do the right thing in the name of us all.

That means my votes in coming elections will be more certain to go to other candidates I trust more than the current ones.

Must we really re-think what it means to be an American? Do we really have to re-tune our commitment to allies, refugees and immigrants seeking our promised land? Really?

Frank and open dialog with friends is expected and always good. Entering a conversation with a chip on your shoulder is not a wise thing to do. It undercuts both civility and trust.

Same with everything else on life’s journey. Be civil. Be trusting. Be honest. Be trustworthy.

I’ll be looking for these attributes in candidates in the coming elections. All coming elections.

I hope all voters do the same.

June 11, 2018

90-Day Goals

Read two reports this morning on the internet. One had to do with goals being set for 30-day and 90-day timeframes. The other had to do with how underprepared America, Canada and Mexico are for the employment markets just a few years away. In the US that market is very much here and now.

Two reports that seem totally unconnected. But they are. Cause and effect connected, actually.

As a planner I have seen this problem many times. Goals are focused on short term measurable objectives while outcomes desired push time horizons far ahead.

Imagining the desired outcome at some point in the future – say 3 or 5 years from now – provides the time for deep thinking and creativity. The codependent elements of any situation become more visible when time is given to consider them all. And this practice allows time to manage those elements better to produce better results.

Robotics and artificial intelligence are already part of the workplace in America. It is hugely alive in Japan and China. And other nations. However, in America, we used the new technology to acquire faster precision production, that is replicable. Standardized, efficient, higher quality. This application delivered better results and cost accountants calculated lower costs over time with higher, sustained return on investment in the new technology. Another result: fewer workers on the plant floor. Labor shortage avoided.

But that’s only the immediate labor shortage. Actually, technology will displace a lot of current workers in time. Newer skills, however, are needed by employers right now. An army of underemployed people are available for hire, but they do not have the needed skills.

Who can address this need?  Schools – including community colleges and high schools – but also universities, unions, trade associations and employers.

Did I just say employers? Yes, I did. They are the ones who should have forecast their labor needs. They are the ones who should have determined the resources from which labor needs would be satisfied. Seeing the imbalance of supply and demand, employers should have enlisted partners to fill the gap. They did not. And public resources did not respond either.

There are those who warned this problem was imminent. They were pooh-poohed. But now the warning is a clear and present issue to deal with.

Millions of underemployed and intelligent people can be taught and trained to replenish the labor pool. Chronically unemployed persons are also available for deployment at some level of the labor spectrum. All of this will take ingenuity, cooperation and collaboration on the part of many institutions of commerce and education. We have the resources. We have the people. And we have the know-how to fix the problems.

Why is this not done?

I think the reason is pretty simple: America thinks and plans short term, not long term. We have had this lesson drilled into us for generations. World War II and its aftermath taught us this. Japan and Germany chose long-term planning models to rebuild their economies and cultures. They succeeded. They are the paradigms of strategic thinking and planning. Our own space program taught us how to develop a skilled labor force.

The labor market should have solved the current problem on its own. Now it will need much more in know-how, resources, and collaboration to solve the problem. Market forces and government resources working together can and should be used.

Who knows? Maybe this is the lesson we learn better this time around to keep us performing long term at lower cost. Isn’t that a market ideal we all strive for?

Time to get to work.

June 8, 2018

Diversity meets Discrimination

E Pluribus Unum – from many, one. Latin. Classical language. Ages old. So too the meaning of the phrase. Adopted by a young America when it reached for the stars in defining its hope for the future.

From many people of many backgrounds, nationalities, colors and wealth and poverty, our young nation hoped for unity so we could become one nation out of the many differences among its people. Form a new model of freedom and getting along with one another regardless of differences.

That history led to welcoming immigrants from every land. We welcomed people from many different religions – not denominations, entire religions. We welcomed a babble of foreign languages, and a true melting pot of cultures and beliefs.

They came for freedom and opportunity. A chance to be themselves and expand their horizons as best they could with limited means. The nation was new. It was fresh. Uncharted lands swept far to the west unexplored and ready for adventurers willing to risk life and limb to discover new lives and worlds in which to live.

It was tough. It was rough. It was very diverse.

And yet we all prospered together. Not always with comfort or acceptance of one another, but melded together we became. Then. Now. Hopefully forever.

But wait! This is 2018 and a year of seeming diversity without the acceptance. National policy is set to block immigrants from entering our land. Old, slow and complicated rules will be observed. Oh sure, immigrants will be allowed to enter, but slowly and with frustrating setbacks. Kids are separated from parents and detained in crowded, noisy spaces. Parents don’t know where the kids are; kids don’t know or understand why their parents are nowhere visible.

Immigration is seemingly not welcome. Hospitality is absent. Refugees are not welcomed or embraced with safety. Walls are built, not doors or portals to better horizons.

Surely our history is a mottled mess of discrimination – against Italians, Jews, Irish, Germans, and everyone Hispanic or African. Let’s not get started with African-Americans; they are one with us but often it isn’t so. These are the failures of our compact with history, our welcome withdrawn for diversity and the melting pot. Many times we failed our own values of hospitality. Many times we were our own enemy within our borders.

And we are that still today. Much terrorist activity in America is by Americans against perceived wrongs – bullying, police state, government edicts, open lands, air and water pollution rules, trading and commerce regulations – you name it, someone is against it. Their feelings run deep. They are outraged and resentful against what? Authority they feel they do not control; democracy they do not feel a part of? What exactly is their complaint? Why do they strike out at innocent fellow citizens?

Bombings, mass shootings, demonstrations to protect the confederate flag and Civil War monuments. These are all a part of our current history. Church killings, too; families slaughtered by misfit, mentally ill relatives. Newscasts jar us alert with these happenings. And we wonder why.

Disaffection. Detachment. The one-ness of our national motto – E Pluribus Unum – from many, one – fails in the minds of those who erupt with violence and disdain.

That is a central point that informs us of our collective failure to welcome all and accept diversity; indeed value diversity intensely. Discrimination follows quite naturally.

Gender discrimination against women persists. Sexual predation toward women persists. Same Sex orientation is viscerally unaccepted by many. National origin is questioned as are languages, skin color and so many other ‘foreign’ traits.

We have become a mockery of our own motto. And somehow we recognize it and do not stand up for settling peace among us in order to value each and every one of us.

We are better than this. We have proven that to be true so many times before. We are challenged to do so again and again. That’s what it means to seek diversity and value it.

We are so much more when diversity is the spinal cord of our culture. That’s America to me.

And to you, too?

June 7, 2018

Wondering and Pondering

In case you’ve missed it, this blog is all about making sense of the world. One issue at a time. One day at a time as well. Sometimes an accumulation of topics pressure one another and make for other thoughts and wonderings.

I like to wonder about things. Ponder, too. Weighing bits and pieces of things helps me make sense of them. Glaring detachments appear and fuel more feverish ponders!

Slowly the meaning comes. Most often in the silence of night, say about 2 am. Only the hum of the fan or the click of the refrigerator changing operating modes. Small noises that do not interrupt, but accompany thinking.

Like Agatha Christie’s master sleuth Hercule Poirot who sees dimly an answer to the puzzle he is attempting to solve, ideas form briefly in the twilight of our mind and flit away as fast as they arrived. Maddeningly, we try to recapture them. But it is not to be.

Later the mind returns to its haunting reminder and the solution appears more solid this time.

Catch phrases parallel the logic. Words alone and sometimes paired. Icons of meaning. If we are lucky, we write them down before forgetting them. A while later those jottings recall the thinking and eventually the full solution is grasped.

The emergence of meaning is often this way. We don’t know things instantly most of the time. It comes in dribs and drabs, encroaching on our lives as we do routine tasks. But then, later, we focus on these meanderings and - pow! - we are in full control of the ponder.

Even then the ponder is of fleeting value unless it repeats many times.

When we discuss a topic with others and their attitudes and preconceptions are clear, their discourse is more a debate than conversation. They are telling, not listening. Listening is open, to ideas and diverse thoughts. Listening is not acceptance but willingness to consider. We make up our own minds later, when we have time.

If discussions are debates, little is learned but feeling and determination of the participants. The pondering and wondering is absent. Perhaps later we rethink what we heard, what we encountered. Then we are free to ponder and wonder. Mostly, though, we think on the emotion of the person telling us his woes. That is the larger impression; not the subject matter. No. no.

Maybe that is why I like pondering and wondering. I am free with myself to consider and weigh alternative conclusions. I make up my own mind. I recall what others have shared with me; and yes, these are considered in my pondering. I have heard and retained their tellings. I just don’t accept them as fact other than they are upset.

Making sense of the world requires this process. It is often slow. The tempo frustrates many but the process is more certain to arrive at conclusions more usable. Perhaps that’s why news people pick at the bits and pieces of the news so much? It seems endless, but maybe it isn’t. Maybe this is their way to ponder on air. If so, that’s a good thing. Minds have not been made up yet. Yes, that’s a good thing. Transparent news forming before our eyes.

I’ll go back to my corner of the world, now. And wonder about what I’ve experienced this day. And ponder it well.

Will you?

June 6, 2018

Oh, Too Bad!

My, my, tsk, tsk! Whatever shall we do about this?

Of course, I’m speaking of the rest of our lives. What shall we do? What is our next step?

There are many who wonder these thoughts, these questions. Yet we will do what we always have done – move on with the rest of our lives, doing the next thing – whatever that is – and living life one day at a time. As the minutes, hours and days pass, weeks, months and years add up. Looking back on that passage of time we realize we have done just what we said – living our lives.

That’s what news junkies often forget. They are wrapped up with the news of the day as it unfolds, or as talking heads speak of it. Panels on this subject, panels on that topic, yet it is boringly much the same. Today that is trump. Yesterday it was trump. I suspect tomorrow will be trump.

He wants it that way.

So we must get back on track and continue living our lives. We will still inhabit the same world as the trumpster, but we won’t let that affect us. Time will heal this plague. Just watch us do that!

In the meantime we have work to do. We have tasks that add up to entire issues of vital importance. Research continues. Books are written. Classes are taught. Roads are built and so are school buildings. Bridges and dams, too. The world goes on about its business. Decisions are made and resources are found and assigned their roles. Projects are engineered and constructed.

Life goes on.

Babies are born. People die. People work and build careers focused on their passions and interests. We find each other and form families. We invent new things and speak fresh thoughts. The brains of all of us chug along doing good works. In time we note what has been created and become our culture, our society and our future.

This is the way of the world. Our tribe continues to survive. Tribes meet each other, get along, cooperate on needed projects, and swell our collective social order and cultures. We grow. We morph into whatever we will become.

And that is exciting. Leaders lead until there are no or too few followers. And we find what matters most to us and tend to those matters. We don’t need a leader to tell us that. We inform ourselves.

The more free we are to consider the world around us, the better we are to invent what is needed next. And we do. And life goes on.

Tend to your own garden, my friends. The crop you reap belongs to you and will feed your tribe.

That’s as it should be.

June 5, 2018

Making News

With news cycles consumed with anything and everything trump, one wonders what’s going on in so many other arenas.  Namely financial and economics, education, research, health delivery and health research (medications, diagnoses, treatments, etc.), market product and service trends, career trends, international relations, diplomacy, skirmishes, hostilities and wars, religion and spirituality, governance and justice trends, and so much more. You get the idea.

There is much more going on in the world and nation than trump.

But that’s the point, isn’t it? Trump manages the attention and focus of the world and the country by manipulating happenings, events, and utterances. As long as he has something to do with it, it’s news. He said as much in a 1990 Playboy Magazine interview. Following that interview, all history follows the trump line. His thoughts. His take on things.

Reality, however, gives us much more to focus on. Several billion people live on the planet. How they manage their affairs of life is the stuff of news. How nations behave with one another is news. How major institutions all over the globe function and produce good things for others is news. Universities prepare students for careers and lives well beyond the school’s degrees and certifications. Research is conducted and discoveries made. Discoveries shared and applied, too, so other fields of endeavor can benefit from the new information and understanding.

Generations of people form their lives with one another, build families, and carry on the many facets of society and culture unique to time and place scattered over the face of the planet. They live their lives. You live your life. Our families live their lives as well.

Life goes on. So do countless transactions we manage to do every day. Some are simple – cooking a meal, growing a crop, maintaining a home, cleaning the house, washing the car, and all the rest. Daily chores of life. Unaffected by trump or any other elected official in America. Or Russia, China, or any other nation in the global community.

What we do does influence others, but we don’t label it by cause or by personality. This is not a trump world. It is decidedly not a trump nation, either.

So, trump does not control the news as much as he would like to think he does.

Also important, the news media does not control the news. In fact, they report on trump because he wants them to. And they do. Since they do this, they do not control the news, trump does. And if his nonsense actions are unworthy of public following, then the news media ought not report on such antics. 

There is much more to report on. What is going on in theological circles? What medical breakthroughs are new and exciting? How will the breakthroughs affect you and I in the everyday world? Will school coursework change to recognize society’s needs for more engineering, science and technical research? Will our skill sets change with the times and create wholly new careers? Will citizens adapt readily to the new or will they fall behind.  How much of this is also news?  A lot?  A little?

The reality is we make the news. All of us. Together. If something is going on and we don’t know about it, it still happened. The story needs to get out. We make the news. So let’s report the news. 

The media acts as though the news revolves around trump; it doesn’t; but he wants them to think so.

I guess that leaves the real news and its reporting up to us. It starts with us and ends with us.

So let’s get started.

June 4, 2018ow wHow