Opinion

Louisville, Kentucky

I am still recovering from the results of the Grand Jury in Louisville and what it means to the rest of us. We have laws that say we can defend our homes from invasion by outsiders, but most of the witnesses say the police did not identify themselves in a late night raid. Only one witness of thirteen said he heard the police identify themselves. One officer was spotted with a body camera, but official reports say there was not one. The officers that carried out the no-knock warrant were not the same ones who investigated the case. The casual errors leading to a major catastrophic event are not excusable and the people of Louisville deserve a full accounting of how a citizen was killed. The officers should be held accountable for any behaviors that led to loss of life just like any other citizen. As a society we cannot have super citizens or lesser citizens. The protection and jeopardy of the law should always be predicated on transparency and truth. Vote in 2020 to strengthen decency and truth! Like the heroes of my book Centurion Crew (available on Amazon) act to protect our republic.

Opinion

Fall is in the air

After a long hot summer it is good to feel cooler weather. This summer has provoked anxiety in me and the people I communicate with. Excessively hot days, ash in the air, long-time plants stressed by the heat; it has been rough. I have always loved the season of summer for swimming, vacations, and general relaxation, but this one was different. I travelled to several cities this summer and experienced ash in the air in all of them. It was scary to think that there was no where to escape the effects of massive forest fires, except for places that were hurricane watch or under lockdown restrictions anyway. Football and fall have always been positives for me so I am glad they are here. I am going to spend some time with good books (checkout my book, a thriller called Centurion Crew at Amazon) and tune out some of the politics. I will vote as soon as I can and I hope you do too!

Opinion

2020 has been a bad year

The passing of Judge Ruth Badger Ginsburg adds to a year of anxiety, catastrophe, and loss. We must learn the lessons of this year and work to make the future better. Too many voters were not enthusiastic about Hillary Clinton leading to the election of Donald Trump, and now almost 200, 000 are dead with no leadership on the way forward against the pandemic. We cannot even get consistent messages on wearing a mask from Trump. Trump says he does not believe that humans contribute to climate change and jokes about it, meanwhile millions see that the climate is more threatening with drought, fires, storms, and changes in nature. The United States will vote this year on long-term and short-term existential issues. Trump will likely be the worst president in US history, or the last democratically elected president. The Republican Party has gotten away with a lot of lying and now find themselves in a rut of corruption and filth. Vote Democrat to save the republic and create a new Conservative party!

Opinion, Words to ponder

Belief in absurdities leads to atrocities

“As long as people believe in absurdities, there will be atrocities” – Voltaire

When I read this quote by Voltaire I feel he is warning us that lies come with a heavy penalty. This is an age where presidential lies are common occurrence, and a group called QAnon makes unfounded claims about pedophile rings running the Democratic party. Americans have to fight to hold media and organized political parties accountable for knowingly spreading lies, or we will all be in danger. While we cannot change others, we can begin with ourselves, and insist on research and facts in communications about issues of the day. Our nation and survival on this planet will depend on our insistence on truth and our valuing of humanity. These are daunting times for us all. Take a break and relax with my new thriller Centurion Crew, available at Amazon!

Books

Book Review: Begin Again by Eddie Glaude Jr.

“Begin Again” by Eddie Glaude Jr. is an excellent reflection of today’s issues surrounding race and equity, with a review of the life and times of James Baldwin. I found this book provocative because it revealed clearly that confronting white supremacy and systemic racism are not new. Black Americans have been challenging the evil known as racism on multiple levels for many years. The book examines not only the damage to Black people perpetrated by racism, but the debasement of Whites as well. Even the establishment of the White identity in the Americas is discussed as a pillar of racism. I would advise anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the modern world to read this book. For lighter but still informative and entertaining reading; check out my book “Centurion Crew” on sale at Amazon now!

Books, Uncategorized

Do you need a break?

At a time when chaos seems to rule our society it is easy to feel anxious and the need to escape for a bit. Widespread corruption that seems to go to the top of our government, climate change leading to incredibly hot days and forest fires, and no one intelligent seeming to be in charge. I have a remedy for you. Read my new book “Centurion Crew: A Mack Johnson Novel”. You will be taken to a world where men and women actively defend the constitution. Where bad actors run into the limits of evil doing, and the good guys make a stand using intelligence and guile. I wrote the book considering what could happen if an amoral fascistic person became president and there were persons with a mission to defend the republic. I think you will enjoy the book which is available on Amazon as an Ebook for $9.99.

Opinion

Surprised?

The saga of the evil orange clown grows to an astounding level as he admits to knowing that COVID19 is deadlier than flu months ago. Tens of thousands of Americans have died due to lack of leadership on this pandemic, and no one who has been paying attention is surprised. We are living in a horrific time with the western United States suffering climate crisis events and COVID19 widespread throughout the country. We have no leader at a time when threats are accelerating and leadership is required to avoid existential catastrophe. Republicans seem to think this is all a political game and do not seem to have any sense of urgency. The ethics of the Republicans have been nonexistent when it comes to Trump. Please pay attention and vote like the future depends on it because it does.

Opinion

Millennial voters

There is a lot of reporting that millennial voters are not motivated about the upcoming elections. I hope the reporting is incorrect because no group will be impacted more than younger citizens. The continuation of our republic, civil rights, economic growth, climate policy, healthcare policy, and infrastructure development are all on the ballot. If America makes the wrong choice in 2020 there will be a series of unfortunate events accelerating the demise of decent culture and civilization. If you know a millennial or are one; make sure you share the importance of voting with someone who is struggling with priorities and choices. The choice this year is clear and stark. Vote in 2020 like your life depended on it; it does!

Opinion

Can’t Decide who to vote for?

If you can’t decide on who to vote for in this election try thinking about your priorities and hopes for the future. Do you want young people and future generations to know that lying is a path to success? If you are fine with lying your way to victory then vote for Trump. Do you care if clear crimes and corruption go without accountability; then vote for Trump. If you do not care whether current and future issues are adequately addressed; then vote for Trump. If you are fine with bullying, xenophobia, ignorance, racism, sexism, and fear-mongering; then vote for Trump. If you believe that the climate crisis is a hoax and unworthy of serious attention; vote for Trump. If you believe the United States Constitution matters and that we need a president who has a clue about the importance of the office; then vote for Biden. We will get the government and the reality that we deserve. Please research, register, and vote as soon as you can in 2020.

Opinion

Would a foreign agent try to divide America or unite it?

Donald Trump is suspected by many people with expertise in government and espionage of being an agent for Russia or it’s oligarchs. The experts believe that there is a financial trail that tells the story of who Trump’s real bosses are. Many point to Helsinki and Trump bowing down to Vladimir Putin while rejecting America’s intelligence agencies. Trump still has not released his tax records as he promised he would years ago. We have a new problem today with Trump working to pit Americans against one another using pre-existing racial divides in our society. The Russians used racial divides to help Trump in the 2016 election and are doing so again in 2020. As Americans consider their vote in 2020 here are some questions we should ask ourselves: 1. Why does Trump attack Americans and suck up to Putin? 2. Why doesn’t he release his taxes? 3. Why doesn’t he support our troops when Russians place bounties on their heads in Afghanistan? There are many other questions to ask about Trump and his motivations. See if you can think of three more that I have not mentioned. Research the issues and plan your vote in 2020!