Tuesday, June 23, 2020
They're Calling it the Walk of Shame
My personal opinion is that Donald Trump is one of, if not the most incompetent presidents this country has ever had. That said, I just stumbled across this video (look at it full screen with sound) of Trump returning to Washington after the Tulsa humiliation, and on a human level can't help but feel sorry for him. This is a man who is crushed, shell shocked and defeated. I wish things were different. I wish he had turned out be the man I thought he was when I voted for him. Personally, I wish him well. Politically I hope he's gone next January.
Monday, June 22, 2020
Some additional thoughts
There are some thoughts that have come to me following my post earlier today and I want to voice them before I lose the inspiration, so here goes.
In the minds of many northerners and a significant number of southerners the Civil War was fought to preserve the union. Lincoln was adamant that there could be only one nation; one country. Many counties in the south voted against secession. Western Virginia became the state of West Virginia because its people wanted to remain in the Union. Lots of lives were lost both north and south fighting for the 'one nation' ideal. And yet today we have a six-block 'autonomous zone' in the middle of Seattle, Washington calling itself CHOP.
Seattle's mayor and the state's governor seem content to let the zone stand. Readers of this blog know that I am not a Donald Trump fan, but I would have applauded him had he followed through on his threat to send in the military to retake the area.
I've been harping on the 99% of us who have not involved ourselves in the protests and demonstrations, and asked when if ever we will take a stand. Now I'm wondering what that stand would look like. What options do we, being private citizens have?
Many of us have guns and permits to carry them. We could just go to war with those demonstrators who destroy property and defy laws, and wipe them out with our vastly superior numbers...couldn't we? No we couldn't, because we respect laws and life and behave as decent intelligent human beings.
We could peacefully counter-protest and again through overwhelming numbers make their voices and actions insignificant. Then it would be we who get the headlines and videos. But we won't do that. We're the invisible majority.
I haven't looked, but there are probably on-line petitions we could add our names to, calling for a restoration of law and order. Some of us might do that; hit the submit button and say that we've done our part. Most of us won't, and petitions aren't very effective anyway.
There is something we could do. Something that makes perfect sense, that follows the Constitution of the United States to the letter as the founders of our country envisioned, and employs the most formidable weapon available to us. We could pick up a pen and write.
In the minds of many northerners and a significant number of southerners the Civil War was fought to preserve the union. Lincoln was adamant that there could be only one nation; one country. Many counties in the south voted against secession. Western Virginia became the state of West Virginia because its people wanted to remain in the Union. Lots of lives were lost both north and south fighting for the 'one nation' ideal. And yet today we have a six-block 'autonomous zone' in the middle of Seattle, Washington calling itself CHOP.
Seattle's mayor and the state's governor seem content to let the zone stand. Readers of this blog know that I am not a Donald Trump fan, but I would have applauded him had he followed through on his threat to send in the military to retake the area.
I've been harping on the 99% of us who have not involved ourselves in the protests and demonstrations, and asked when if ever we will take a stand. Now I'm wondering what that stand would look like. What options do we, being private citizens have?
Many of us have guns and permits to carry them. We could just go to war with those demonstrators who destroy property and defy laws, and wipe them out with our vastly superior numbers...couldn't we? No we couldn't, because we respect laws and life and behave as decent intelligent human beings.
We could peacefully counter-protest and again through overwhelming numbers make their voices and actions insignificant. Then it would be we who get the headlines and videos. But we won't do that. We're the invisible majority.
I haven't looked, but there are probably on-line petitions we could add our names to, calling for a restoration of law and order. Some of us might do that; hit the submit button and say that we've done our part. Most of us won't, and petitions aren't very effective anyway.
There is something we could do. Something that makes perfect sense, that follows the Constitution of the United States to the letter as the founders of our country envisioned, and employs the most formidable weapon available to us. We could pick up a pen and write.
Just imagine the power the president would have if in his hand he had letters from the 292 million adults in this country, telling him to restore order and sanity to this country. It's unfortunate that the President at this moment is Trump. Better yet, what if a Senator from Georgia received letters from the 6.8 million adults in his state telling him to do whatever possible to stop this crap. And a Wisconsin Senator received similar letters from the 4.1 million adult Wisconsinites. And on and on. There could be no more powerful tool.
And while we're at it, let's write to the NFL commissioner telling him to focus on football and forget the political activism. And to the big-name football players and other athletes, telling them that yeah, kneeling during the National Anthem is disrespect to the flag. And to the CEO of Quaker Oats, telling him that the brand names Aunt Jimima and Uncle Ben are a recognized part of Americana, have nothing to do with racism and should be retained. Write to the appropriate officials telling them not to screw around with the names of schools and military bases, or historical statues. Write to Disney and tell them that Gone With the Wind is not a racist movie. I guaranty that if each one of the silent majority wrote the above letters that common sense, law and sanity would soon prevail. But we won't do that. I am not aware of a single incident in recorded history where close to an entire population acted in concert for any cause. It is always the vocal minority, those who build up their cause by tearing down others who get the attention and make the headlines.
In the next few days Maribel and I will probably be poking around antique shops. If I see a Confederate flag I'm going to buy it. Whether I'll have the guts to fly it or not I don't know.
And while we're at it, let's write to the NFL commissioner telling him to focus on football and forget the political activism. And to the big-name football players and other athletes, telling them that yeah, kneeling during the National Anthem is disrespect to the flag. And to the CEO of Quaker Oats, telling him that the brand names Aunt Jimima and Uncle Ben are a recognized part of Americana, have nothing to do with racism and should be retained. Write to the appropriate officials telling them not to screw around with the names of schools and military bases, or historical statues. Write to Disney and tell them that Gone With the Wind is not a racist movie. I guaranty that if each one of the silent majority wrote the above letters that common sense, law and sanity would soon prevail. But we won't do that. I am not aware of a single incident in recorded history where close to an entire population acted in concert for any cause. It is always the vocal minority, those who build up their cause by tearing down others who get the attention and make the headlines.
In the next few days Maribel and I will probably be poking around antique shops. If I see a Confederate flag I'm going to buy it. Whether I'll have the guts to fly it or not I don't know.
Do We have a Limit?
The various news medias continue to characterize the current racial protests and demonstrations as "...a nation in turmoil" and other such dramatic headlines, implying that the entire population is caught up in what I believe historians will say was a shameful period in our country's history. I use the word shameful because 99% of the adult population is doing nothing while the 1% taking part in the hysteria is attempting to destroy an important period of our past.
In addition to those taking an active physical role in erasing history, there is a second wave jumping on the white guilt, self-flagellation bandwagon. Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben's Rice are disappearing, with apologizes from Quaker Oats for perpetuating the raciest stereotype all these years. It's funny...I've been consuming those products for nearly 80 years and never once thought about race or any significance at all about the product names or icons. The NFL and other sports organizations have become white apologists, as have TV channels and just about any other organization you can name.
There is an urgency about changing the names of military bases and schools because the present names are associated with Confederate military people or events. Just yesterday Maribel and I took a ride through several residential neighborhoods in Fort Oglethorpe. In one relatively new subdivision every street name was that of a Confederate general. How long will it be before some group demands that the streets be renamed?
But what really prompted this post is a comment Maribel voiced during our ride yesterday. She wondered if a time will come when public libraries will be stormed by activists to remove all Confederate related books, or worse yet, if local authorities will voluntarily remove them. That brought to mind seeing newsreels of Nazi book-burnings. Would those of us not caught up in the hysteria stand by and allow that to happen? Is there a limit to what we will tolerate?
Maribel and I frequently visit antique/junk stores. Occasionally we will see Confederate flags for sale, though not nearly as many now as there were months ago. The thought crossed my mind that I'd like to buy one, and fly it on our front porch below the American flag. Obviously not because I support the Confederacy, but because I support the preservation of history. But I won't do that.
I won't do it because I am concerned that some zealot will see it and return in the dark of night to vandalize our house, or throw rocks through a window. I don't feel good about my fear. I feel like a coward, too fearful to stand up for a principle I believe in. And somehow I don't think that I'm alone in that fear.
What will it take for me, and I believe the vast majority of Americans to say, "Okay...that's enough!"? Do we have a limit? Sadly, I don't believe we do. I think that, as long as we're not individually, physically confronted our attitude is to sit back, shaking our heads and letting whatever happens, happen.
In addition to those taking an active physical role in erasing history, there is a second wave jumping on the white guilt, self-flagellation bandwagon. Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben's Rice are disappearing, with apologizes from Quaker Oats for perpetuating the raciest stereotype all these years. It's funny...I've been consuming those products for nearly 80 years and never once thought about race or any significance at all about the product names or icons. The NFL and other sports organizations have become white apologists, as have TV channels and just about any other organization you can name.
There is an urgency about changing the names of military bases and schools because the present names are associated with Confederate military people or events. Just yesterday Maribel and I took a ride through several residential neighborhoods in Fort Oglethorpe. In one relatively new subdivision every street name was that of a Confederate general. How long will it be before some group demands that the streets be renamed?
But what really prompted this post is a comment Maribel voiced during our ride yesterday. She wondered if a time will come when public libraries will be stormed by activists to remove all Confederate related books, or worse yet, if local authorities will voluntarily remove them. That brought to mind seeing newsreels of Nazi book-burnings. Would those of us not caught up in the hysteria stand by and allow that to happen? Is there a limit to what we will tolerate?
Maribel and I frequently visit antique/junk stores. Occasionally we will see Confederate flags for sale, though not nearly as many now as there were months ago. The thought crossed my mind that I'd like to buy one, and fly it on our front porch below the American flag. Obviously not because I support the Confederacy, but because I support the preservation of history. But I won't do that.
I won't do it because I am concerned that some zealot will see it and return in the dark of night to vandalize our house, or throw rocks through a window. I don't feel good about my fear. I feel like a coward, too fearful to stand up for a principle I believe in. And somehow I don't think that I'm alone in that fear.
What will it take for me, and I believe the vast majority of Americans to say, "Okay...that's enough!"? Do we have a limit? Sadly, I don't believe we do. I think that, as long as we're not individually, physically confronted our attitude is to sit back, shaking our heads and letting whatever happens, happen.
Saturday, June 13, 2020
Moments in Time
It was on December 23, 2014 that our caravan of moto taxis finally reached the home we'd traveled over rutted mud roads through cornfields and dry forests to find. It was a few miles from the village of San Bernardino in northern Peru, where a teacher had told us of a poor family struggling day-to-day just to survive.
Our charity, Promesa Peru Chiclayo had donated school supplies and furniture to the school some weeks earlier. We normally didn't get involved with individuals or families, but the conditions that the teacher laid out for us convinced Maribel and me that we wanted to see the family ourselves.
The house was typical of houses in the poor desert villages; a mud floor with crumbling walls and a leaking roof. But also typical was the effort of the family to keep their dwelling as clean and organized as possible.
We had stopped in the city of Tucume to buy as much food as one moto could handle. Previously in Chiclayo we had purchased clothing, school supplies and toys.
Now almost six years later I don't remember how many kids there were or the names of the grandmother and mother. We never saw the father which was usually the case. It's a macho thing...the father doesn't want to see his family receiving donations; things he can't provide.
I do remember the names of one of the girls, Her name was Maritza, and she had one of those smiles that could light up a room. She loved Maribel and would run to her and hug her on the several occasions that we returned to the house. I think that she and the other kids wanted to show affection toward me but couldn't overcome the strangeness of a gringo being in their home.
Me and Maribel were reliving our visits to that family over lunch today. Some of the kids will be in their teens now or nearly so. I wonder if they ever think about us. I know we'll never forget them.
Our charity, Promesa Peru Chiclayo had donated school supplies and furniture to the school some weeks earlier. We normally didn't get involved with individuals or families, but the conditions that the teacher laid out for us convinced Maribel and me that we wanted to see the family ourselves.
The house was typical of houses in the poor desert villages; a mud floor with crumbling walls and a leaking roof. But also typical was the effort of the family to keep their dwelling as clean and organized as possible.
We had stopped in the city of Tucume to buy as much food as one moto could handle. Previously in Chiclayo we had purchased clothing, school supplies and toys.
Now almost six years later I don't remember how many kids there were or the names of the grandmother and mother. We never saw the father which was usually the case. It's a macho thing...the father doesn't want to see his family receiving donations; things he can't provide.
I do remember the names of one of the girls, Her name was Maritza, and she had one of those smiles that could light up a room. She loved Maribel and would run to her and hug her on the several occasions that we returned to the house. I think that she and the other kids wanted to show affection toward me but couldn't overcome the strangeness of a gringo being in their home.
Me and Maribel were reliving our visits to that family over lunch today. Some of the kids will be in their teens now or nearly so. I wonder if they ever think about us. I know we'll never forget them.
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
Looking at Numbers
Though I'm not very good at advanced math (anything beyond algebra) I have always enjoyed working with numbers. In my days as a process engineer I relied heavily on statistical process control (SPC) to analyze and hopefully improve mechanical and human processes. Statistics can be misleading and even deceiving depending on the bias of whoever is analyzing or presenting them. Numbers and statistics are being sited frequently recently regarding the corona virus and racial demonstrations. There are a few numbers being tossed about that have caught my attention so I thought I'd do some of digging on my own just to gain a little perspective.
The United States Census Bureau estimates the population as of July 2019 to be 328,239,523. Of that number 77.6% or 254,713,870 are adults. We're being told that there are thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of people protesting in the United States. Let's round it up and make it an even million protesters. That number would include all the athletes, celebrities, politicians, kids under 18 and other notables who are jumping on the "I am outraged" bandwagon. If my math is correct, 254,713,870 million minus 1 million leaves 253,713,870 million adults or 99.6% who are not demonstrating, are not outraged, are not demanding that police departments be disbanded, and are not burning and looting. So despite the news media painting a picture of a nation in rebellion, for over 99% of us adults it's pretty much business as usual, corona virus aside.
Next I wanted to see the ethnicity make up of our 328,239,523 Americans. Again from the census bureau, the percentages are:
Non-Hispanic White - 61%
Hispanic or Latino - 16.7%
Black or African American - 13.4%
Asian - 5.6%
Other - 3.3%
An interesting projection by the census bureau is that by the year 2055 the White population will be 48.4%, Hispanic 28% and Black 13%.
On one of the news videos I saw a young female protester holding a sign that read "Stop killing us!" That made me wonder who it is that is killing "us" so I tried to find some stats on police killings. The only useful stats I found was titled people shot to death by police. I know that George Floyd was not shot to death but the stats are indicative of the issue. For the years 2017 to date in 2020, victims of police shooting deaths were:
White - 1,398...40.9%
Black - 755...22.1%
Hispanic - 542...15.9%
Other - 133...3.9%
Unknown - 588...17.2%
Total - 3,416
Unfortunately the 'unknown' number is high and is probably skewing the distribution so it's difficult to draw precise conclusions, but it seems that blacks are being killed in numbers beyond their percentage of the population. But here are some other numbers that may serve to identify who is killing "us".
From 1976 to 2005, 94% of black victims were killed by other blacks. In 2017 blacks accounted for 52% of all homicide victims. The overwhelming majority of the perpetrators were black. In 2018 when the homicide victim was black, the suspected killer was also black 88% of the time.
Let me throw out one other number. Zero. To my knowledge zero is the total of all of those people carrying "Stop killing us" signs who have done the research and realized that maybe they're demonstrating in the wrong neighborhoods, and are showing their signs to the wrong people. It might be more impactful if they demonstrated in the high crime neighborhoods, and changed their signs to read, "Stop killing yourselves!" But that's not gonna happen. It's easier to deny responsibility and blame society.
Zero is also the number of celebrities, athletes, politicians and preachers who have had the courage to say that the key to stopping racism is for blacks to clean up their own act first. But in this day and age saying something like that is akin to committing social suicide.
It's pretty clear who is killing blacks. To really and finally change the situation it's going to take enough of the right people to first, say it, and then do something about it.
Remove the Lincoln Memorial!!
It appears that the iconic Robert E. Lee memorial in Richmond, Virginia is about to be removed. A judge has issued a 10-day stay, but given the sweeping histrionic behavior at the moment, the statue is probably doomed, all because those who know absolutely nothing about Lee associate the statue with slavery and racism.
Robert E. Lee was one of the most principled, noble yet humble Americans that this country has ever produced. I would encourage those who dismiss him as simply a racist to read some of the many books about Lee's life prior to the Civil War, during the war, and more importantly after the war. He, more than any other southerner dedicated his post-war life to rebuilding the south and advocated obedience to the nation. If someone were to ask me today who a young man should model his life after, my instant response would be Robert E. Lee. And now we want to and probably will remove the memorial to a man we should be proud of.
Following the uninformed logic of the memorial destroyers, the next target should be the Lincoln Memorial...the monument to the 'great emancipator'. Lincoln was anti-slavery, viewing it as immoral and unjust. He was not pro-black.
The Emancipation Proclamation, issued on January 1, 1863 was a strategic, not a humanitarian move. At that time in history the North had suffered one battle defeat after another. Northerners were tired of the war and were beginning to doubt that victory was possible. In France and England there was talk of recognizing and supporting the Confederacy. Initially the conflict was viewed as a war to preserve the union. The Emancipation Proclamation made the cause of the war one of human freedom, thus ending any discussion of Confederate support from foreign nations. And the emancipation granted freedom to slaves in the south, a territory that the Federal government had no control over anyway, so it in effect was meaningless.
As mentioned before, Lincoln was anti-slavery, but Lincoln did not see black people as being an intrinsic part of American society. He saw them as an alien group of people who had been unjustly uprooted from their country. Lincoln supported freeing slaves gradually, and talked of compensating slave owners. He envisioned the freed slaves to be encouraged or perhaps obligated to return to their country. 'Send them back to Africa', he is reported to have said...a rather naive notion since many of the slaves had ancestors dating back 200 years in this country. No such words ever came from Robert E. Lee.
So if we're going to take down Lee's memorial it seems only just to take down Lincoln's memorial. Maybe we could dig a deep hole called the 'history repository' in Montana and bury the memorials side-by-side. We'd have to leave room for the Washington Monument. George was also a slave owner.
Robert E. Lee was one of the most principled, noble yet humble Americans that this country has ever produced. I would encourage those who dismiss him as simply a racist to read some of the many books about Lee's life prior to the Civil War, during the war, and more importantly after the war. He, more than any other southerner dedicated his post-war life to rebuilding the south and advocated obedience to the nation. If someone were to ask me today who a young man should model his life after, my instant response would be Robert E. Lee. And now we want to and probably will remove the memorial to a man we should be proud of.
Following the uninformed logic of the memorial destroyers, the next target should be the Lincoln Memorial...the monument to the 'great emancipator'. Lincoln was anti-slavery, viewing it as immoral and unjust. He was not pro-black.
The Emancipation Proclamation, issued on January 1, 1863 was a strategic, not a humanitarian move. At that time in history the North had suffered one battle defeat after another. Northerners were tired of the war and were beginning to doubt that victory was possible. In France and England there was talk of recognizing and supporting the Confederacy. Initially the conflict was viewed as a war to preserve the union. The Emancipation Proclamation made the cause of the war one of human freedom, thus ending any discussion of Confederate support from foreign nations. And the emancipation granted freedom to slaves in the south, a territory that the Federal government had no control over anyway, so it in effect was meaningless.
As mentioned before, Lincoln was anti-slavery, but Lincoln did not see black people as being an intrinsic part of American society. He saw them as an alien group of people who had been unjustly uprooted from their country. Lincoln supported freeing slaves gradually, and talked of compensating slave owners. He envisioned the freed slaves to be encouraged or perhaps obligated to return to their country. 'Send them back to Africa', he is reported to have said...a rather naive notion since many of the slaves had ancestors dating back 200 years in this country. No such words ever came from Robert E. Lee.
So if we're going to take down Lee's memorial it seems only just to take down Lincoln's memorial. Maybe we could dig a deep hole called the 'history repository' in Montana and bury the memorials side-by-side. We'd have to leave room for the Washington Monument. George was also a slave owner.
Saturday, June 6, 2020
If I Was a Big City Cop.....
If I was a big city cop I'd resign. I would be unsure of what my role is today, and hesitant to take action of any sort. Hell, I don't think I'd even write a traffic ticket unless the offender was white, middle to upper class, was driving a BMW or Mercedes, and I was sure there was no one in the area taking a video. And even then I'd be worried that I had somehow violated his civil rights and sparked a riot.
One of the many police brutality videos playing constantly on TV is that of a 75 year old man being pushed to the ground. Look at it closely. The cops were in a single-rank moving formation. The man approached two cops, put his hands on them and tried to impede their progress. They pushed him and he fell. One of the cops stopped momentarily and appeared to be thinking about aiding the fallen man, but a second cop urged him to move on which he did. What should those cops have done when the guy approached? These days there is no right answer to that question.
I read an article this morning about cops at a regular morning role call who left the room when the mayor unexpectedly walked in. If I remember correctly this was in Louisville, Kentucky. One of the cops stated that they felt there was no support from the mayor. I would bet that most cops in the cities experiencing racial demonstrations feel that same lack of support. There are even cops who openly join the protesters.
I can see a day in the near future when the Louisville mayor orders the police to disperse a crowd of protesters, and the 15% who are black and a number of whites refuse to follow the order. What then? Take that situation further. The governor of Kentucky calls out the National Guard, and they refuse to mobilize.
Trump would attempt to send in the army, but high-level military figures are already voicing concern about using US troops to confront civilians. Trump is growing less popular each day, and I don't think it is beyond reason that the army would refuse to act, or at least became splintered. And unless someone quickly filled the leadership gap, (it won't be Mike Pence) we would have anarchy. Or a dictatorship if Trump were successful. I am not saying this is going to happen...it won't. But I don't think it is too much of a stretch to imagine it.
One of the many police brutality videos playing constantly on TV is that of a 75 year old man being pushed to the ground. Look at it closely. The cops were in a single-rank moving formation. The man approached two cops, put his hands on them and tried to impede their progress. They pushed him and he fell. One of the cops stopped momentarily and appeared to be thinking about aiding the fallen man, but a second cop urged him to move on which he did. What should those cops have done when the guy approached? These days there is no right answer to that question.
I read an article this morning about cops at a regular morning role call who left the room when the mayor unexpectedly walked in. If I remember correctly this was in Louisville, Kentucky. One of the cops stated that they felt there was no support from the mayor. I would bet that most cops in the cities experiencing racial demonstrations feel that same lack of support. There are even cops who openly join the protesters.
I can see a day in the near future when the Louisville mayor orders the police to disperse a crowd of protesters, and the 15% who are black and a number of whites refuse to follow the order. What then? Take that situation further. The governor of Kentucky calls out the National Guard, and they refuse to mobilize.
Trump would attempt to send in the army, but high-level military figures are already voicing concern about using US troops to confront civilians. Trump is growing less popular each day, and I don't think it is beyond reason that the army would refuse to act, or at least became splintered. And unless someone quickly filled the leadership gap, (it won't be Mike Pence) we would have anarchy. Or a dictatorship if Trump were successful. I am not saying this is going to happen...it won't. But I don't think it is too much of a stretch to imagine it.
And all because we got hit with a catastrophic virus and racial turmoil at the same time, and during a period when we have a leadership void. These things are cyclical. We will probably find a cure for the virus, and the racial tension will ease, until another virus and another racial incident surfaces in 20 - 50 years. Then we will see and hear slightly, but not too different versions of everything we're seeing and hearing now.
Thursday, June 4, 2020
About Being Prepared
It was about 75 million years ago that an immense asteroid or comet known as the Chicxulub Impactor slammed into the earth in the state of Yucatan, Mexico. The ensuing devastation decimated the earth and wiped out many species including the dinosaurs. Donald Trump has not yet blamed China, the World Health Organization, the Center for Disease Control, Democratic governors or the Obama administration for that catastrophe but I'm sure it will come. Or maybe he will say it was Fake News and never happened.
Let's assume that humans were there at that time. How do you anticipate that an asteroid perhaps 50 miles in diameter will slam into the planet? Perhaps astronomers could have given us some warning...maybe days or even weeks. So what? How do you prepare for an event of that magnitude? You don't....game over. The job of any survivors is to salvage what's left, try to stabilize the situation and develop a plan for recovery.
The corona virus story isn't far off from the above. Nobody could have anticipated it. Even had there been a few weeks warning, how do you prepare for something that you don't even know what it is? Pointing fingers doesn't solve anything. Denigrating China, the WHO or CDC doesn't get us closer to controlling the virus.
Trump can't be blamed for our lack or preparedness. He can be faulted for ignoring the early warnings of medical authorities that this thing was bigger than a bread box. He should be faulted for his dismissing the potential of the virus as we learned more about it. His early comments that "We shut it down", and "We have tremendous control over this virus" were misleading and foolish. He has mishandled the situation from the beginning and continues to do so. In a national emergency, which is what this is, a president must provide leadership. Trump has done nothing but engage in Twitter wars, made threats, fired those who don't agree or glorify him, insulted countless people and has made a joke of himself, the office of the president and the United States.
Let's assume that humans were there at that time. How do you anticipate that an asteroid perhaps 50 miles in diameter will slam into the planet? Perhaps astronomers could have given us some warning...maybe days or even weeks. So what? How do you prepare for an event of that magnitude? You don't....game over. The job of any survivors is to salvage what's left, try to stabilize the situation and develop a plan for recovery.
The corona virus story isn't far off from the above. Nobody could have anticipated it. Even had there been a few weeks warning, how do you prepare for something that you don't even know what it is? Pointing fingers doesn't solve anything. Denigrating China, the WHO or CDC doesn't get us closer to controlling the virus.
Trump can't be blamed for our lack or preparedness. He can be faulted for ignoring the early warnings of medical authorities that this thing was bigger than a bread box. He should be faulted for his dismissing the potential of the virus as we learned more about it. His early comments that "We shut it down", and "We have tremendous control over this virus" were misleading and foolish. He has mishandled the situation from the beginning and continues to do so. In a national emergency, which is what this is, a president must provide leadership. Trump has done nothing but engage in Twitter wars, made threats, fired those who don't agree or glorify him, insulted countless people and has made a joke of himself, the office of the president and the United States.
Now he is doing virtually the same thing with the George Floyd incident. The actor Dwayne Johnson has called for Trump to provide leadership. I strongly disagree. Trump has proven himself to be an ineffective fool, incapable of providing leadership. This country would be better off with Trump completely out of the picture. I am not advocating forcibly removing or impeaching him. I am saying that he should be completely ignored. Let the state governors take full responsibility for the corona virus and protest responses. And if federal resources are needed, let the governors interact directly with the appropriate federal agencies. Let Trump occupy himself by posing with bibles at churches, comparing himself to Abraham Lincoln, touting all of his accomplishments on Twitter, proposing the use of new drugs, and doing his Rodney Dangerfield impersonation on "....why I don't get no respect!"
Political polls are showing that Biden is leading Trump. I fervently hope that even the most die-hard republicans have realized by now that Trump is a liability to their party and this country. I have voted for a republican candidate every election since 1964. I will not be doing that in November. Instead I will be checking the box next to the name of whoever the democratic candidate is. Well.....unless it's Stacy Abrams. In that case I'll write in Harry Truman.
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