#897 – Dick Bernard: Voting and Polls…Virginia's 7th Cong District Primary and a vote at a Peacemakers meeting

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Some quick comments. I generalize the data in below paragraphs, but I don’t think I’m far off.
Last night part of my daily news watching time was interrupted by reporting on the Cantor-Brat Primary in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, a place far away from where I live.
There was endless breathless chatter about this last night, and today. What does this all mean? My favorite distiller of national political news, Just Above Sunset, has this overnight post. Here and here is some information about the aforesaid election and congressional district.
For me the basic relevant data was the voter turnout. That is always the important baseline in American election: Who showed up at the polls?
In general (not attempting to be precise, though I don’t think I’m not too far off):
757,917 is the 2010 population of the 7th District.
Over 60% of these, it would appear, would be of voting age.
That would be, perhaps, about 450,000 potential voters.
Of these, most would appear to be Republican leaning, perhaps 250,000.
Yesterday, 65,000 voted (heavy turnout for the Primary); 29,000 of those for Cantor.
There can be endless arguments about what yesterdays vote in suburban Richmond VA means.
For me, the essential fact is (as it always is), who showed up at the polls to actually vote. Cantor got, perhaps, 12% of those who would probably be inclined to agree with him. Maybe 13% voted for Brat. 75% of Cantor’s natural “base” didn’t bother to vote at all.
Voting matters. Well informed voting matters even more.
Yesterday, I was at a meeting in which I participated in another interesting vote.
It was the Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers (MAP), a group in which I have long been active (Their website is down at the moment, so I can’t provide a working link). I’d guess we people in MAP would self-describe as peace and justice activists. Others might call us “leftists”….
We’ve been around since 1995.
There were about 25 of us at this summer meeting, and at the end, someone suggested complimenting President Obama on the courage to do the prisoner swap with Afghanistan. More on that in a moment.
Back home, last night, on the CBS evening news, the latest poll was reported that a majority of Americans “disapprove” of the Prisoner swap. It was a typical piece of reporting – no idea of what the exact questions were, etc. But probably accurate data, as it stands, involving, perhaps, a sample of 500-1000 people across the United States.
Back at the MAP meeting, the suggestion morphed into a motion that our organization should write the letter of compliment. In fact, I was the one who made the motion.
After a short but very active flurry of debate, a recorded vote was taken: 14 in favor, 7 against, 4 abstaining.
I cannot comment on why people voted as they did, except that it is a safe bet that those objecting were not birds-of-a-feather with those who are wanting a continuation of Guantanamo and a continued U.S. dominance through military in the south Asia region. The “no” voters in my particular circle likely didn’t think that the Presidents action went far enough. But, of course, I don’t know that.
In this small group, which includes, now, about 75 organizations, only about a third of the delegates were in attendance (here, that is called “summer vacation”).
But, like the vote in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, the decisions are made by the people who show up and vote. Those who stayed home have no say.
If you want the right to complain, you have to show up….
The political parties know this, through endless examples like Cantor’s defeat in his home district.
Best we learn that same lesson.
POSTNOTE: Also at yesterdays MAP meeting, a filmmaker discussed her major project, “9 Pieces of Peace” Nine Pieces of Peace001, described as “A universal story of courage and compassion as a Vietnam veteran, a peace advocate, and a community struggle to find common ground.” More about the upcoming release here.

#896 – Dick Bernard: Magnifique!* An evening with Mozart's last three symphonies

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For subscribers (and all): here’s the May 3 “For Pete’s Sake” concert in honor of Pete Seeger. The originating post is here.
My sister Mary Ann’s continuing posts from Vanuatu can be seen here. Scroll to the June 7, 2014 addition at the very end of the post.
*
While by no means an expert, I like orchestral music, and a favorite composer is Mozart. So when we dug out our tickets for last night, and they said “Mozart: The Three Final Symphonies”, I was pleased. It would be a great evening at Orchestra Hall.
And it was.
The program: Symphonies 39, 40 and 41, all composed in 1788, when Mozart was 32 years old; all first performed in 1791, the year he died at age 35, less than half my age.
What a life he lived. And what a legacy he left behind. Larger than life in many ways. A prodigy.
I can’t sit still with his music in my ears.
(* – Mozart was Austrian, and thus German language. But the French “Magnifique” as a descriptor works just fine for moi!)
It happened, last night, that a young man took the seat next to me, and was very friendly, striking up a conversation before the concert began. He’d been the Orchestra “years before” he said at the invitation of a teacher at the college he was attended. This concert was “pretty pricey” he said. We chatted, briefly, about this and that.
No question, that he was engaged and enthusiastic about the performance he was witnessing.
I got to thinking about a recent Facebook post I’d received from my daughter, about Grandson Ted, who was 14 yesterday, and whose birthday we’ll celebrate in an hour or two.
The Facebook post included grandson Teddy Flatley’s arrangement of Spanish Flea, June 3, 2014, South St. Paul MN. His Mom, my daughter, Lauri: “Ok… so I have to admit it. I’m pretty proud of this kid. Not that I have ever NOT been proud of him. Today was just a flat out reminder of how extraordinary he is to me. Way to go T Flat. I can hardly wait to see where the road takes you next!”
Happy Birthday, Ted!
Shortly before that, daughter Joni had e-mailed files with music programs of her kids, Spencer and Parker, 14 and 12. I’d attach those audio files too, but don’t have the expertise….
Ted is mathematical, a good aptitude for a musician, and he seems to have settled in with music as a specialty. Spencer and Parker like band, but Trap Shooting and Baseball respectively seem to be their activities of choice.
For all of us, our own way in our own time….
Looking through the program I noticed an upcoming program: Pixar, June 26-28, 2014: Pixar001
This afternoon I’ll ask the three kids if they want to go to this concert.
It will be interesting to see their response.
Great music from the proverbial “old dead musicians” isn’t all there is, but it surely is very important to all of us, especially the young, and I hope the boys stay interested.
There are variations that reach across generations. As previously noted in the blog about the Bugs Bunny at the Symphony concert, fine music and ‘toons go hand in hand.
Could be much worse….
Fine music has to be accessible to and encouraged for young people. This includes pricing and accessibility. Fine music isn’t for only those who can “afford” it.

#895 – Dick Bernard: Swiftboating Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, an opportunity to change the narrative on war.

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The week just completed marked the 70th anniversary of D-Day (June 6) but the June 4, 2014, USA TODAY someone left in the McDonalds in Wahpeton ND, marks the true nature of “news” this past week. Indeed, the newspaper carried a long article on D-Day on page three; but the front page lead story was: “Bergdahl under new scrutiny”. A safe assumption: anyone who follows “news” knows who “Bergdahl” is, at least as portrayed in the media.
June 1-8 was a busy and sometimes stressful week for me, so I missed many things. But to the best of my knowledge, as of today, Sgt. Bergdahl has not had the opportunity to say a single public word: indeed, he was in captivity in Afghanistan for five years, and was simply an Army man before that, not called on for interviews. Others for whatever reason and with whatever motive can offer their own “truths”, which may or may not be true. Bergdahl has had no such opportunity.
Having been an Army man, serving in an Infantry Company for a year and a half, most of that as Company Clerk, I know far more than most the general lay of the land in this basic level organization of people, usually more or less 100 people. Picture a tiny town where people are gathered together on a common mission, and even need each other, but don’t necessarily like or even know each other. There can be and there are relationship problems. The reality is not “Hogan’s Heroes” or “MASH”. Even in peace-time.
I will not rush to judgement about Bergdahl, his Dad and Mom or anyone else from the fragments of information available.
In my opinion, Bergdahl is being swiftboated much as Presidential candidate John Kerry (now U.S. Secretary of State) was swiftboated in 2004. No one knows (or may ever know) what the “truth” might be, and the rush to judgement is shameful. The soldier is a useful pawn for those who don’t give a damn about him.
I’m reminded of the Jessica Lynch case in the early days of the Iraq War. Lynch, too, was a POW, similarly misused, but early portrayed as almost a female Rambo, singlehandedly taking on the Iraqis. Later it fell to Ms Lynch to personally reveal the truth about her captivity, which was very different than the fictional account that was spun about her exploits. She had been used, without her knowledge. She was just an ordinary GI found in extraordinary circumstances.
There is, as I suggest in the headline of this blog, an opportunity within the circus of speculation about Sgt. Bergdahl, and that is the opportunity to deal with many important questions which have long faced the United States, and which the action of the Prisoner swap has brought to the public eye. Just a few of these questions: (I have tried to phrase all of these questions in the affirmative; I could as easily phrase them in the negative. They should be answered from both perspectives.)
1. We’re hopefully ending America’s longest war, which began in October, 2001, directed at Afghanistan. (It was the bombing of Afghanistan which caused me to become a peace activist, which was, then a very lonely position. 94% of Americans supported that bombing, and a majority felt it would be a long war. Afghan War Oct 2001001)
Every American owns this war, through our action, or inaction.
What are the components of the “balance sheet” of that war? Wins. Losses. We need to talk about that, honestly.
2. The five Guantanamo detainees released in trade for Bergdahl are portrayed as the face of evil. How can we keep them incarcerated without so much as charges against them? How does keeping them imprisoned make them less dangerous?
3. How does keeping Guantanamo open serve our interests?
4. What conceivable good have we done for ourselves by sanctioning torture?
5. Then there’s the great ado about Sgt Bergdahls Dad speaking a sentence or two in Pushto at the White House. What’s wrong with that?
I have my own answers to each of these, for other settings.
Back to Army man Bergdahl: before I began this post, I read an excellent piece in the New Yorker by Charles Pierce, recalling a piece of Ernie Pyle writing from the front in WWII. This was straight talking Ernie Pyle, talking about straight talking GI’s in the midst of battle. (Pyle was one of the first authors I remember reading as a teenager, out there in North Dakota. He was a gripping read.) Pyle writes, here, about arm-chair quarterbacks of War. Take the time….
The conversation we need to have, in my opinion, is whether to revere War or Peace.
No question in my mind as to which will ruin us (War); and which gives us a possibility for a future on this planet (Peace). As a nation we have revered War. Just look at the monuments: are they primarily related to War or to Peace?
Changing a narrative is difficult. It involves personal change, regardless of “side”. Peace is very complicated – consider your basic family unit co-existing together even day-to-day. But is daily War better? What family survives constant War within?
Let’s talk.
POSTNOTE:
My e-mail on June 2 – which I didn’t see till later in the week – included a very interesting “forward” from a friend about “The Fallen 9000” on D-Day.
I tend to check these things out, and looked at the website which turned out to describe a Peace project on a Normandy beach put up on the occasion of Peace Day, September 21 last year. (Peace Day is September 21 each year).
Take a look.

#894 – Dick Bernard: Remembering Pete Seeger

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UPDATE JUNE 8, 2014: Here’s the May 3 “For Pete’s Sake” program.
Today, June 5, and Friday, June 6, a very special event, the radio replay May 3, 2014, concert in tribute to Pete Seeger.
As announced by the show producer, Larry Long, “We are happy to announce that For Pete’s Sake: Celebrating Pete Seeger’s 95th Birthday will be aired in its entirety through Heartland Radio (Minnesota Public Radio/The Current) on June 5th, Thursday, noon – 2 pm Central Time, and June 6, Friday, 7 pm – 9 pm Central Time.
Radio Heartland is a 24-hour folk, roots and Americana music stream over 89.3 The Current (www.radioheartland.org and on HD radio at KNOW 91.1 FM HD2 in Minneapolis/St. Paul).”
We had a conflict on May 3rd, so we weren’t able to attend the actual concert. A friend, David, who was there, shared the program booklet with me. It can be read here: Pete Seeger w Larry Long001
More about the concert at Larry Long’s website.
In an e-mail to his list subscribers yesterday, Larry Long also said this: “We are presently looking into the possibility of making both the audio and video documentation of For Pete’s Sake: Celebrating Pete Seeger’s 95th Birthday available to the general public through a KICKSTARTER campaign.”
Stay tuned.
Here’s a memory article about Pete shared by another friend, Kathy: Pete Seeger Remembered001

#893 – Dick Bernard: The VA Hospital System

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My family is chock-full of military veterans, including myself, thus the word “VA” is a readily recognized acronym.
My first living memory of the VA Hospital was Fargo, 1946, where my Grandpa Bernard (Spanish-American War) had his leg removed (diabetes related). He was 74 then, which happens to be my present age…. In 1957, Grandpa lost the second leg, and died, at the same VA Hospital: age 85. He served his country. VA served him.
(click to enlarge)

Josephine and Henry Bernard at VA Hospital Fargo ND 1946 after amputation. I don't think Grandma's strategic position in front of Grandpa's leg was a coincidence.

Josephine and Henry Bernard at VA Hospital Fargo ND 1946 after amputation. I don’t think Grandma’s strategic position in front of Grandpa’s leg was a coincidence.


Later I had plenty of contact with the system between the early 1980s and 2007 (St. Cloud, Minneapolis, and Fargo again) when my brother-in-law was confined, first for mental illness (I don’t think that was military related, though he was an Army vet 1971-72, serving in Germany at time of Munich Olympics disaster); then hospitalized several times relating to major aneurysm surgeries. Especially given the severity of his disabilities, there was nothing to complain about. The system did its best, and its personnel were attentive.
Of course, politics didn’t enter these earlier experiences. Now all there is about the system – is partisan politics: how to spin the crisis.
The VA is a huge, complex system dating back to 1930: an organization whose mission is care of veterans of military service, by people, and thus a place in which, at the micro level, it is 100% certain that flaws will be found, and then magnified. Of course, corrupt people don’t advertise their corruption: such is hard to uncover.
But politically, as now, heads can be made to roll: the big juicy target, the target the one farthest away from the specific examples of corruption. Here it is Eric Shinseke whose head rolled, but the real political target is President Obama (who, paradoxically, is not running for anything this year, but has been made the symbol of his political party in advance of the 2014 election….)
There are other factors, too: I am active in the local chapter of a group called Veterans for Peace and annually attend their Memorial Day observance. These days the stories told are less about horrible battles of WWII; more about homeless vets; vets whose demons of one sort or another control their life: substance abuse, etc.
Grandpa saw combat in the Philippines but to my knowledge he did not come home shell-shocked, mortally wounded psychologically.
Used to be, in the good old days of war, say the Civil War, that you were killed in combat, or badly physically wounded, with minimal access to treatment. It was simple to count “casualties” then in the man-to-man days: killed or (physically) wounded.
Enter the era of new war: Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and their companions.
The number physically killed – at least on our “side” – has been greatly reduced, largely due to technology. Those physically injured are less likely to die, but the cost of surviving is great. We see and hear examples of this all of the time.
Civilians on the other “side” bear the brunt of the killing these days.
Here at home, the incidence of “walking wounded”, post traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, now rages due to multiple tours of duty in combat areas, and all the other reasons not necessary to recite here. These are people who may not have been physically wounded, but are all but totally destroyed mentally and emotionally. Pair all of these incidences of need for treatment which an easily documented reluctance by Congress to appropriate needed money to shore up the system, and the supposed scandals down-line at Phoenix and elsewhere pale in comparison.
The systemic problem we’re dealing with here, in my opinion, are a combination of our own casual attitude, as citizens, towards war; and Congress tendency to starve the VA system while playing politics with each and every situation.
We citizens aid and abet by our silence, or our unwillingness or disinterest to learn the facts.
In every system in which people are involved and there is a hierarchical structure, there is the potential for problems. This includes the biggest and most efficient of businesses. The desired alternative is to find the problems and fix them; not the oft-chosen political way, to find a scapegoat, and punish the entire system by firing the boss because of the sins of a few.
Sundays St. Paul Pioneer Press had a great column by Ruben Rosario on this topic. You can read it here.