Haiti

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Last night I listened to the entire presidential debate; I only watched the first and last five minutes or so.  I will leave my personal comments at that.  For an excellent summary of commentaries overnight: “The New Cleveland Show“.

There have been several comments and suggestions left at my Opinions blog from a couple of days ago, here, and yesterday’s blog was about a recent visit to Gandhi Mahal area devastated in late May.  Take a look.

This post is head-lined Haiti.  I will write about a learning about Democracy as viewed by Haitians perhaps later today.  I had two very powerful visits to Haiti in 2003 and 2006.  We have some things to learn from them.

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HAITI: In my life I have come to believe that there is no such thing as a “coincidence”.  Even supposedly random occurrences have meaning.

So it came to be, in 2002, that I met a fellow resident of Woodbury at a meeting in Minneapolis, and that led to an extraordinarily rich experience in learning about our impoverished neighbor, Haiti, including two study trips to the Caribbean island country in 2003 and 2006.

These were my first dives into how it was to be desperately poor.  We cannot imagine….

Both trips were facilitated by persons who were advocates for the poor.  My contribution to the Haiti literature, such as they are, can still be read here and relate my impressions after the trips.  The photo at the end of this paragraph is from Newsweek of March, 2004, less than three months after our visit, and right after the coup which removed the democratically elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Haiti Coup Feb. 2004 (click to enlarge the image).

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The remaining words are about Haiti and voting, and are motivated by the danger of American nonchalance at who to vote for, or even what the vote means, not only this year, but always.

Haiti has always had an intimate but very uncomfortable relationship with the U.S.  It was born of a slave revolt against the French in 1804, 17 years after the United States officially came into existence.  Being we were a slave nation, there was no interest in recognizing a neighbor created by slaves who cast off their chains.  President Thomas Jefferson had no interest in recognizing the new country of Haiti. I have heard it said that one of the first resolutions of the new Congress was to not recognize the new leadership of the new country of Haiti.  Haitians were no longer slaves; but their country was not treated as a partner in any sense of the word.

In my era, the Duvalier family were the dictators of Haiti for near 30 years.  A populist Catholic Priest, a proponent of liberation theology, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, took on the system, and engineered the first free elections in the country in 1990.

This was no easy task: the populists were enemies of the entrenched state; the peasants were largely uneducated, and the official written language of the country was French, not the community language, Kreyol, which was mostly verbal.

So when it came time to vote, there were immense impediments to voting, far, far worse than anything we experience in today’s United States, including threats and acts of violence.

Nonetheless, when finally given their opportunity, the peasants walked long distances, they stood in long lines, and they cast their votes.  Ask anyone who knows something about Haiti, and they likely will have stories they can share.

Of course, there are ways to put poor people like these in their place, and it was done.

I think of these wonderful Haitian folks this year in this election in our country, where an optimist will predict only 60% of those eligible will even bother to vote, and then only for a single person, the president of the country, then go into hibernation for another four years.

Those poor Haitians, some of whom I had the privilege to meet in 2003 and 2006, knew and know the value of democracy.  We should to.  We shall see how it all turns out.

Can we lose Democracy here in the U.S.?  Absolutely.

If one follows the political history of Haiti, you’ll find only brief moments of Democracy, one of which was largely the creation of Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

But Democracy is fragile, and in Haiti’s case an unusual coalition of the U.S., France and Canada, effectively killed the dream of Democracy by all of the means available to richer and more powerful people and countries.

Here we have a current President who wishes to be an autocrat, indeed, whose models are autocrats…and whose base is the wealthiest, and those with the most to lose if he wins, including those wealthy folks.

Haiti remains impoverished and under the thumb of the U.S., with all of its tentacles.

We deceive ourselves if we think it can’t happen here.

 

 

 

 

 

Gandhi Mahal

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Today is the day of the Presidential Debate.  It is also the 4 month anniversary of the destruction of Minneapolis restaurant Gandhi Mahal by fire.

I last saw Ruhel Islam, owner of Gandhi Mahal, on March 5, 2020, at a fundraiser for Mn Interfaith Power and Light. Ruhel serves on the Board of this organization.  It turned out to be the last group activity we attended as the Covid-19 global pandemic took hold.

Not long before Mar 5, I’d scheduled our 8th annual World Law Day dinner for Gandhi Mahal, as had been the previous seven.  That event, scheduled for April 15, had to be cancelled due to the pandemic.

Then came the week of May 25.

Everyone can tell similar stories to mine.  Few had their livelihood destroyed as Ruhel did.  I have shared photos and stories art this space several times since May 29.  I have no doubt that Ruhel and his family will recover, but it will take a lot of time.  They are equal to the task.

Most recently, on Sep. 25, I stopped by the restaurant area of 27th and E. Lake Street, in early afternoon.  Each time I’ve been in that area – perhaps 10 times since late May – there has been improvement.

The rubble and ruins which was the restaurant remains, but each time the surrounding area, including the restaurant area, seems to be preparing for future life.

Sep 25, 2020 Gandhi Mahal area from the north. Behind the pile of rubble from the building next door to the restaurant is the remaining wall of the restaurant, destroyed by fire May 29.  One room of the restaurant survived, and only a few walls remain of the popular restaurant.

On the last visit, a few days ago, I had a chance to look more closely at the surrounding environment.  The postoffice, a half block from the restaurant and destroyed in the fires of May, was being cleared of debris, and the next trip I assume it will be cleared.

Just behind the restaurant is the East Lake St. Branch of the Minneapolis Library, which has been closed since March because of the pandemic.  It had been  basically ‘guarded’ by fence after May 28.  Friday I could walk up to it.  It appeared to have been undamaged – at least none of the many large windows appeared to have been broken, nor was there evidence of fire, nor has it been in the news.

I’m an ordinary citizen, so I don’t know any more than what I directly observed or have read.  But the same lack of damage appeared to have spared the apartments next to the library, and the church just across the way from the postoffice.

It was the businesses, including the postoffice, in the vicinity of East Lake Street that seemed specifically targeted in the aftermath of May 25, and these businesses have always seemed to cater to residents whose signage is often in languages other than English, etc.  Somebody targeted a neighborhoods infrastructure.

When the carnage began, about May 27, someone in lower town St. Paul identified the groups that would probably be seen in the ensuing protests and cautioned us to not paint with a broad brush people labeled as protestors.  The groups identified were: 1) Activists; 2) Grieving Citizens; 3) Rowdy Idiots; 4) Chaos Agents; 5) Professional Thieves.

Whoever burned Ruhel’s business, and damaged and destroyed others, and why, may never be identified, and if identified and charged, will probably not be charged and tried for many months down the road.  Of two things I am quite certain: Activists and Grieving Citizens were not the culprits; the places to be destroyed were targeted and very likely coordinated.  The investigation will be long-term.

After Minneapolis-St. Paul in late May came other high-lighted places: Seattle, Portland, Kenosha, clearing Lafayette Park …and talk about sending “federal troops”, and enforcing “law and order” in supposedly out of control “Democrat run cities”…and states.

The ball is in all of our courts.

The East Lake Street Minneapolis Public Library Sep 25, 2020, one half block from former Gandhi Mahal restaurant.  I doubt that this building was damaged in the events after May 25.

Across the street from the Library, East Lake Street Minneapolis Sep 25, 2020.  Note broken windows.

Gandhi Mahal area from the Library, looking west. Sep 25, 2020. The back walls of the restaurant remain standing. One room of the restaurant was not lost in the fire, and the street walls of that single room also stand. The businesses which would have been to the right in this picture all were destroyed, as was the postoffice, which would be off the photo to the left.

Across the street from Gandhi Mahal Sep 25, 2020

Opinions

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POSTNOTES Sep 28, 2020: Going through flotsam here at home, I came across the May 27, 2007, issue of Newsweek which I had kept for some reason.  A dozen pages might be of interest to you.  You can read them here (two separate pdf’s (click to enlarge): Newsweek May 200720200928 and Newsweek May 2007 (2)20200928

The excellent film, “John Lewis: Good Trouble”, will reprise on CNN Saturday evening Oct 3, 10 p.m. ET (9 p.m. CT)

Next week, Oct. 4, Netflix will air David Attenborough’s “A Life on Our Planet“

Sep 18-27 was Twin Cities Ten Days of NonViolence.  Many programs were on zoom and were recorded and can be replayed. Here is the link to access them.

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Today’s Washington Post on-line reposts the eight editorials by the Post on the upcoming Presidential election.  Here is the link.   We subscribe to the Washington Post, the New York Times (both on-line), and the Minneapolis Star Tribune, all very worthwhile.

Special event on-line Sep 30: Covid-19 and Political Polarization.   Pre-registration required.  Sponsored by FairVote Minnesota, donation requested but optional.

For those in my ‘neck of the woods’ in east metro St. Paul, my local Senate District (Maplewood/Woodbury area) has posted the schedule for a series of Zoom “meet and greet” for local candidates.  Details are here.   The website also has information about getting lawn signs, etc.

I continue to blog.  Most recent posts for Sep. 19, 21 and 26. There will likely be two additional posts between tomorrow and October 1.

I expect my mail-in ballot very shortly, and will fill in and return right away…by regular U.S. mail.  There are at least 34 positions on which I’ll cast a ballot, from local offices to President of the United States.  All positions are important.

COMMENTS:

from Carol:  As you know, I voted the first day of early voting.  The Secretary of State’s website info said that until the last part of October, the only early voting location in Washington County was at the Government Center in Stillwater (where I went).  However, the Woodbury newsletter we just got indicates the county has opened several other polling places – inc. in Central Park.  I have no idea if the newsletter is incorrect, or if they had more interest than expected?  Last time there was early voting in Central Park, they had a sign out by the street.

I’m surprised you haven’t received your ballot yet.  We got ours several days ago, and my cousin received hers one day after they went out.  You might want to consider voting early in person.  For my friend and me, there were no lines (just a smattering of people), and they were being very careful – even had sanitizing wipes on the table, and the person who took your ballot sealed it with a glue stick so people didn’t have to be pushing their masks aside and licking their envelope…
Don’t know if I said this, but when I went up to the counter with my information sheet, the lady checked the computer, saw that I had requested a mail-in ballot (which hadn’t arrived yet), and said she was doing a process to “spoil” the mail-in one and to just shred it if it showed up.  Of course if you get your ballot in the mail, you can drop it off at any voting site also instead of trusting it to the USPS.
I’m thinking that the earlier we can get those ballots handed in, the better.  There’s mischief afoot…Over 860,000 Americans Have Already Voted, Compared to Fewer Than 10,000 by This Point in 2016 (Newsweek today)
from a long-time friend, responding to another e-mail from me, but not directly pertaining to the election, but nonetheless something in everyone’s election equation: “One of [my friends] came to [our] Friday breakfast and told us her grandson had a fever and she is waiting for the covid test for him. So I feel I have to wait until we hear the test results…so I am staying in.”

from Joe: Lots of folks are voting early in person.

No worries about it being rejected on a technicality.    Faster than mail.    We still haven’t received our ballots yet.
Folks I’ve talked to seem to prefer in person, and this is a great way to spread it out vs election day
Something for folks to consider
Vote Faithfully

from John, ‘on the road’: Just working my way through northern New Mexico and  southern and western Colorado – if lawn signs and banners are any indication  – this is heavy trump country – of course it’s also very sparsely populated…

Interestingly enough, though, virtually everybody I’ve talked to when the subject has even come up is very anti-trump.

from Molly: on Civics Education “…we are seeing the frightening results of this lack…

Yep. I bet lots of us remember “Civics” or “American Government” –required classes in high school….”
Molly
ps. this is NOT the same as what DT is calling for–“patriotic” education– aka “propaganda”. More here.

Friends, Faith, Freedom

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In effect, I started this post back in the early summer, when I started thinking about our countries devolution into, essentially, two ‘tribes’ – Democrat and Republican.  This led to a series of posts, primarily in August, especially August 1 and 2, 2020, on the “D’s” and the “T’s” (what used to be Republican is for the moment anyway, the party of Trump). (NOTE: Personally, I don’t buy “Independent”, or other minor parties.  In the end analysis, either D or R normally prevail, and have for years.)

This post follows up on the others.  See Archives for links to the earlier posts.

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In the end analysis, “politics” in our democracy is always personal; unfortunately it has become tribal.  Whatever your “side”, everyone of us is accountable for what is, and will be.  In one way or another we got ourselves into this; we’ll need to get ourselves out of it.  There are endless examples in each of our own lives.  Here are three observations from my own observation:

Sep 23, 2020, near Wyoming MN.

Friends: Wednesday was a perfect day, perfect fall leaves, a perfect time for lunch at a friends home about 40 miles from here.  Bud, the host, is one of a group of about a dozen of my wife’s long-time friends originally from the east side of St.  Paul.

Yesterday there were five of us in attendance, three women, two men.  There were nine at the first such gathering I attended 7 years ago.  Five of those who were at the restaurant that day in 2013 have died.  So goes life…we all have the same destination.

Enroute to lunch I saw several very large flags at half-staff, very likely honoring the memory of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

There was no direct or indirect discussion of politics at lunch.  I didn’t expect such, though I know there are differences of opinions. There was no need for discussion of ground rules.  “Don’t go there” is understood.  Still, issues come up.

One of us brought up a familiar issue –  the shortage of currency this spring and summer.  Why is there a shortage?  I fact-checked the issue when I got home.  The Facebook allegation shared was not true.  I’ll let it ride, but disinformation is a curse in the present day.

Back home, as usual, “breaking news”, all politics.  Our civil war nation is making us all an emotional wreck, trying to pretend all is okay, if indeed, the only rule is “winner take all”.

Our lunch bunch is not unique, I know there are little clumps of conversation, liberals with liberals, conservatives with conservatives, so-called independents seeking people of like minds.  We can do that these days, wherein in the days of my grandparents, the options were not so simple.  Today you can pretend that your point of view is the only point of view; that fiction is as good as fact; that belief is all you need….  We need to get out of our comfort zones, if even a little.

Faith: Another ‘no talk’ rule in day-to-day relationships.  Don’t bring up religion.

Earlier the same day, enroute to a haircut, I was behind a car at a stop light.  There was a small bumper sticker on the back window.  Hard to see, but very simple: “Vote your faith”.

The small sign peaked my interest: it seems to be rooted in a website whose prominent spokespeople are right wing evangelical Christian conservatives even liberals would know.  People who are leaders of “The Base” of the current President; people of influence who set the conservative religious agenda.

I thought of my own Church, the Basilica of St. Mary, where “faith” seems to have different meanings for the variety of people who worship there.  (There has really been no public access there since March 15 – the pandemic, of course.  Some photos below.)

I ushered at one of the last public Sunday Masses there: 9:30, March 15.  Today there is very strictly limited Mass, by reservation only, people in my age group advised not to attend (highest risk from Covid-19 exposure.)

“Vote your faith” as Catholics (or anyone else) know is not a simple definition.  The people who filled the pews at Basilica earlier this year are very diverse, from the most zealous purists, to the down and out and hurting where the church, perhaps in a time of hurting, is the place of solace they need to be.  A place where on so-called moral issues the rank-and-file Catholics disagree with each other, and the hierarchical party line does not reflect the beliefs of perhaps even most of the flock.  (I put “poliical beliefs of Catholics” in the search engine, and here is what came up first, from Pew Research .  Check it out.  My church is a mix of conservatives, moderates and liberals.  We don’t all think alike.  Make no mistake, the church hierarchy is the public face of “belief”, but only the public face, and even that changes in such things as who is periodically elected as Pope by the Cardinals…and on and on and on.

Freedom:  I’m lifelong United States and during my adult years I have always been aware of people and politics generally.

It is a given that everyone of us have a great assortment of beliefs and strengths of feelings about any aspect of our life.  To examine this diversity I have quite often set up some kind of continuum, with polarities on either end.

It seems to me that every American, perhaps every human, cherishes “freedom” far more complex than the usual contemporary example of who wears a mask, and who refuses to do so.

Here is a suggestion for a Freedom polarity in our tribal society.

On one end, in my opinion, is the notion of individual freedom; on the other, freedom for all, regardless of station in life, temporal “power’, etc.  In any society there are endless variations of this: Use freedom as an excuse to kill someone, and regardless of the outcome, the killer faces some consequences.  The person killed is dead.  Etcetera.

On one end of my continuum for the United States would be the slave holders, which were a major part of the power structure in the early U.S. “Freedom” for a slave holder was individual.  It didn’t extend down to his slaves.  Put the words “slavery” and “Bible” in your search engine, and you find a great plenty of justification for slavery.

The Civil War interfered with this definition, giving freedom to slave.  Not all agreed, and in some senses the Civil War is still being fought.

On the other end of my continuum are the folks who are preparing for the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, celebrating among other major themes, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights declared by the UN is session in 1948.

Certainly someone can argue that one who believes in slavery however defined can also believe in human rights for all, but I’ll leave the challenge to everyone to at least discuss this argument might mean.

POSTNOTE:

I was over to Basilica for the first time since March 15 last Sunday.  It had been six months.  I was there at 11:45, when the public Mass was being held.  There were only a few cars along the street.  As noted, attending Mass in person was “reservations only” (a policy I agree with).  There were, to recall the old song, abundant “sounds of silence”.  It was eerie.  For near 25 years I’ve been there nearly every week, without fail.

Here are some photos I took last Sunday, at the Basilica.

I highly recommend the series on Racism sponsored by Basilica which I and about 50 others were attending at the time the pandemic began.  The series is available on the website of St. Thomas University.  Here is the link.  Note the information for getting a discount code which makes the series available for no fee.

Bell Tower, Sunday morning. All photos at Basilica of St. Mary Sunday September 20, 2020 by Dick Bernard

Sculpture of Homeless Jesus, sponsored by Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis. (More here and here.)

A reminder of Covid-19 on sidewalk at front of Basilica on Sep 20, 2020

 

 

The Court

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Overnight: “The Real Loss Now“.

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A letter writer, a health care worker, responding to Saturday’s post, “Ruthless Now”   lamented the instant national pivot to the Supreme Court issue at the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, at the same time as we collectively seem to forget 200,000 Covid-19 deaths now reached in the United States, far and away the world leader in death from the disease.

We can’t pretend the two issues don’t exist, and we need to deal with both, at the same time.  Once again, Just Above Sunset, in “The Sum of Us”, effectively sums up the national uproar developing.  It is worth the time to read.

In addition:

Here is the history of confirmation of Supreme Court Justices of the United States, as recorded by the United States Senate.

Most any position you want to argue begins somewhere within this timeline of appointees to the Supreme Court.  (You’ll see the letters “V” and “C” fairly often.  “V” = Voice Vote; “C” = Confirmed.  In other words V/C represented a consensus confirmation in a U.S. Senate which has always been divided by party.  (Scroll to end of list for the glossary of what other letters mean.)

There are lots of things to talk about: the refusal to grant Obama Supreme Court nominee Marrick Garland even an introduction in early 2016 will come up, as it should.  There was and is rank hypocrisy, if anyone cares.

In conversation the Reid Rule, aka “nuclear option”, might be brought up.  Harry Reid was Democrat Senate Majority leader who changed the rules for confirmation of candidates for certain judgeships and Cabinet officers because of minority party obstruction.  This Ballotpedia article from early 2017 seems to give a fair reading to what and why led to Reids frustration….  For sure read the short background section.

Most likely Roosevelt’s bit concluded attempt to pack the Supreme Court’ in 1937 will be a ‘yah but’.  History.com provides a couple of articles about this initiative during the worst days of the Great Depression.  (Roosevelts idea never reached conclusion – it was not pursued.)

In my opinion, we are witness to a legitimate crisis which has been developing since before Harry Reid responded to obstruction by the other party on judicial appointment matters in 2013.

And on and on.  I don’t know what will happen.  I submit that nobody knows, not even the most powerful people in Washington.  This is time to take action, as an individual or as part of a group or a movement.  Get on the court.

Sunday, I took a time-out to revisit an old neighborhood I had last visited about 1970, featured in the Minneapolis paper on Saturday.  I’ll do a blog later about that delightful walking tour of two blocks of what once was called “22 1/2 Avenue”, but first, one photograph of a sign seen at one house there:

Minneapolis, September 20, 2020

Later in the day came an unexpected and delightful photo from a North Dakota neighbor of my Uncle and Aunt Vince and Edithe.

It’s text: “my RBG cup”

We are, as a country, again at the point of crisis, as we were when Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address in 1863.  It’s a good time to re-recite those few scribbled words, and apply them to today.

IMPORTANT POSTNOTE: About a year ago I was subject to a vicious and malicious hack attack of both e-mail and website.  The apparent point of origin was Ukraine.  Lately, there have been no indications of malicious mischief.  However, if any of my communications seem unusual for me, or even if they disappear, it is not my doing.  Just be aware of the possibility.

“Ruthless Now”

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Late yesterday afternoon I was driving down a street in our near neighborhood, and saw a vivid sight, inadequately captured by my camera in this snapshot:

Sep. 18, 2020

An hour or so later I first heard the news of the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Overnight came my favorite commentary on national events, Just Above Sunset,  “Ruthless Now”, with commentaries  about Justice Ginsburg.  There will be a deserved and endless series of reports and analyses.

“Ruthless Now” is a very good place to get grounded. The “ball” is now in every one of our “Court”.  I invite comments…and action.  Some years ago, my friend, Kathy, sent me a little 2007 book picked up “at the Library sale.  It looked interesting.”  And especially pertinent now.
Here’s the cover.  Probably you can still find this little book on line….
COMMENTS:
from an old  friend: That Just Above Sunset article is a phenomenal article, just as RBG was a phenomenal person.  She had planned to retire in 2017 to have a replacement selected by the first women president, but that plan failed when the rug was pulled out from under it by the antiquated Electoral College and a suburban women’s voting block which might now be motivated to return to supporting Trump.  It would be ironic that losses in women’s rights would be associated with a block of women voters, while RBG was struggling so hard to make it through four more years to at least have a chance of being replaced by a decent centrist president with continued efforts towards women’s rights.  ??????  What more can be said? ??????

The Bus

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Sunday’s Opinion section had a very interesting commentary by Mike Miles.  More below in “The Bus”.

First: In Minnesota, absentee voting begins on Friday, Sep 18.  All details are at the website of the Minnesota Secretary of State.  For other states, The Washington Post provides what seems to be an excellent and easily used link, here.  I saw this in a most interesting commentary by Dana Milbank of the Post.  I never thought we’d reach this point of near chaos in our democracy.  We have, we’re the only solution, one person at a time.

ALSO, Friday begins the annual Twin Cities Nonviolent program (Minnesota).  All details are available here.   This is an important ten days dedicated to nonviolence in our lives.  Check the program and participate and share this information with others. This is a serious venture, of a global program on Nonviolence.

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The Bus: It was a real, and pleasant, surprise to see the Sunday Minneapolis Tribune feature opinion on Sunday: “Extremism is not what we believe, but how” by Mike Miles.  Here’s the pdf of the article: Mike Miles STrib Sep 13, 2020

Peaceful protestors have been taking an abundance of false cheap shots, lately, as if they are thugs, which they definitely are not.  I’ve known the movement since shortly after 9-11-01.

I think I met Mike Miles once, a brief time on August 29, 2008, here in Woodbury.  [Please note Mike’s comment at the end of this post.]  I would not have known that but for the comment, in his column, about driving a peace bus accompanying Kathy Kelly and peace activists who walked from Chicago to St. Paul with planned arrival to coincide with a big peace march coincident with the beginning of the 2008 Republican Convention in St. Paul – the one where John McCain was nominated for President by his party.  Oh, how time flies by….

Here’s a photo of the bus and the walkers on August 29, 2008, at Ojibway Park in Woodbury:

Peace Bus, Aug 29, 2008, Ojibway Park, Woodbury MN photo: Dick Bernard

The Peace bus in Woodbury August 29, 2008

The bus was a support vehicle.  The activists walked the entire route.  At the end, Kathy Kelly, spoke at the Peace Island Conference, sponsored and put together by the Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers.  We competed with the GOP Convention a couple of miles away, the convention receiving most of the attention, but was an amazing conference, nonetheless.

Here’s a dialogue at the Woodbury Library with local residents the evening the bus arrived:

Group discussing the bus trip at Woodbury Public Library Aug 29, 2008

Here’s Kathy doing her talk at Peace Island:

Kathy Kelly at Peace Island Conference, St. Paul MN, Sep. 3, 2008

There remain seven weeks to election.  Get to work.

COMMENTS:

from Bill: Thanks Dick for the remembrance.  Back then David Harris and me and others joined Kathy’s group outside of of Red Wing and walked wither into town.  They spent the night in Red Wing where they helped us prepare for the VFP march on Sunday night on the march from the capital to the RNC.

On the walk into Red Wing I was stopped by a young man in a large pickup truck who motioned me  with my peace sign to approach him.  He said: “you are disrespecting my service to my country!  See the lanyard on my rear view mirror?”  I said “yes”.
He said “ I earned that by serving my country as a Marine in Iraq.”  I said “ thank you for your service but I am very sorry you worked for the wrong commander-in-chief.”
Peace
from Mike, the author of the column: I actually was not the driver for this. I spent 10 years doing the bus so I can’t always remember specific bus outings. Bill Hill was the driver at that time. The bus would not have made it to Minneapolis if I hadn’t gone to Chicago to oversee an emergency replacement of the transmission which broke the first day of the walk. In 2008 we were hosting a street medics training at Anathoth for the RNC protests. We were also working with the folks who were serving free meals to protestors. Eventually details come back. Mostly.

Fire.

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Postnote Sep 15, 2020:  Just Above Sunset “Only Science”.

from Greg Sep 15, seen in MinnPost: Megafires.

Davis Ca August 19, 2020 by John.

It’s a beautiful day here in the Twin Cities.  At mid-afternoon, the temp was 69.  bright sunshiny day.  I visited the historic Dowling Community Garden in south Minneapolis.  The scenery is typical near-fall flowers and foliage.  Summer is winding down.

When the Garden first appeared, in the heat of WWII, gardeners would be hard-pressed to even imagine the scene on the west coast, many savage wildfires in California, Oregon and Washington state.

These days, most all of us can easily stay up to date through many media, including personal.  For myself, I have a half dozen people in the three states each directly affected in one way or another.

Plus a year ago we AMTRAKed through much of Washington and Oregon and Northern California, so we saw the environment on the ground.  Two folks we dined with, from rural OR south of Portland, especially concern me.  Their farm is in the affected area.  We didn’t keep in touch with them, but we know where they live.

The west coast is not an abstract place to me, or to most of us.  We are not isolated as we might have been in long ago history.

We dismiss what is going on in the west, and in other places, at our peril.  The consequences are coming forward in bits and pieces – more severe weather: hurricanes, heat, etc.

We can argue that the science is not accurate; that all of this is just natural, that human behavior doesn’t impact all that much, and on and on.

Best we pay very close attention, and open our minds to the possibility that we may well be cause in the matter of the increasingly severe weather and change in climate patterns.

That’s all I’ll say about it.

Dowling Garden Minneapolis Sep 12, 2020.

Voting

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Today is 9-11, 19 years after 9-11-01.  I took a photo of the Twin Towers when they were just opening, at the end of June, 1972.

World Trade Center at the end of June, 1972 photo Dick Bernard from Statue of Liberty area

2,977 died on 9-11-01.  The death toll from Covid-19 so far is nearing 200,000 on this date.  At Shanksville memorial today the President noted “radical Islamist terrorists” and the “heroes” on the plane.  Earlier in the week the Presidents talk about other “losers” and “suckers” made headlines.  This mornings paper headlines this years terrorist attack: Russian hackers once again interfering with this years election, and the White House attempting to disappear this, or minimize it, blaming the Chinese and Iranians, and blocking full access to data by Congress to intelligence.  Yesterday news was of a whistle-blower about information control about who and how outside interference in the 2020 election is taking place.  Woodward’s book, and Peter Strzok’s…the Post Office fiasco.  The beat goes on and on.  Have we learned nothing in the past 19 years?

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Voting in Minnesota begins September 18, 2020.  Everything you need to know is here.

I reached voting age (then 21) in 1961 seven months after the election of John Kennedy as President of the United States.

All elections have consequences; in my own life as a voter, none more so than this year.  On my 2020 ballot, there will be 34 offices for which I can cast a ballot.  I plan to vote here at home, as soon as my absentee ballot is received.

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August 20, I wrote why I support Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for President and Vice-President.

More than anything else, we need to change the Tone of our country.  Recovery will be exceedingly difficult: Biden, Harris and the Democrats are up to the task.  Last week on this screen I saw the three words that effectively speak about the needed change: “Empathy, Kindness, Humility”, the  essential qualities in a united nation.  The words preceded an on-line statements by seven people, six women, six persons of color, including Kamala Harris, MN Lieutenant Government Peggy Flanagan and U.S. Senator Tina Smith.  The topic was the 2020 school year.  It was a powerful hour, hosted by Democrat’s leaders at local, state and national levels.

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This is a stark year.

I can think of no election in which the American people face such a stark and crucial choice as this year: the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage, the crucial decennial year of the U.S.census, the year when the Republican Party has de facto become the Party of Trump, throughout the ballot, everywhere.  And on and on and on.

Back on June 13, I wrote on national politics to a friend:  “My one statement for this letter is this: in the last 62 years only in the last three have I felt totally excluded – and in 35 of these years a Republican was President.“   Politics has always been a rough game, but never like now.  We are in an unannounced Civil War.  Change is up to us.

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How I personally will vote is no secret; nor is the why.

This year I will vote by mail, as early as possible.  Normally, I’ve gone to vote on the day of the election.

As always, I try to cast a well-informed vote.  This is not difficult, but it does take time to be informed.

We contribute quite a lot to assorted political campaigns.  The most important thing any one of us can do is to network out our information to people in our own networks.

My incumbent state Senator is being challenged by the former mayor.  The Senator has become a state leader in her eight years in the State Senate (Minority Leader), and I’m impressed with how she’s done her job representing about 140,000 constituents in her diverse district.  Representing a diverse constituency is very hard work.  Obviously her Senate colleagues agree she knows the political process.  She gets my vote.  The challenger was a good mayor, to my knowledge, but she’s on the Trump side of the ticket…not a salable commodity to me, for certain.  I see her lawn signs cropping up, just emphasizing her first name – common tactic, which says nothing about her and what she stands for.

Down ballot races are as important to me as for President.  Many of the 34 positions on my ballot are for Judges of one sort or another.  There is a single contested race.  The Minnesota State Bar Association has a process where it’s members can weigh in on such.  You can read the poll result here.  You will note the poll shows 91% of respondents prefer the incumbent.  There is plenty of internet information about the challenger for anyone. wishing to ‘deep dive’.  The incumbent has my vote.

My towns city council has eight candidates for two positions on the city council.  One is incumbent; another incumbent is apparently not running again; a second candidate has impressed me with her energy and her qualifications.  I generally think my town is well run, and that is a strong motivator.

POSTNOTE: My plans are to have no further ‘political’ posts until the election.  I’ve said everything I can say.  I hope, in coming weeks, to do more retrospective things, largely based on a Covid-19 era project of looking through and classifying thousands of photographs taken over the years.  It has been an enlightening process, remembering assorted things from years ago.

A few days ago, Sep. 5, I did a blog, Road to Abilene. I said I’d watched only the first 40 minutes of the two hour talk.  Since then I’ve watched the entire workshop, and a good friend has offered a long comment to which I responded.  I really recommend taking the couple of hours to watch the entire workshop, which seems to have been presented to a military group in suburban Washington D.C. in 1981.  It is worth your time, in my opinion.

Late June, 1972, New York City. Photo by Dick Bernard

POSTNOTE: I planned this blog for Friday, but didn’t pay attention to the date, 9-11, till today.

I’ve noted, most, the dissonance with the continuing recognition of the tragedy of 9-11-01, as opposed to the relative disconnect with the seriousness of the Covid-19 pandemic in which we are now enmeshed, and the disastrous fires in the west, and so forth.

I won’t go into any detail other than sharing with you my own feelings about 9-11-01 at the time of 9-11-01.  You can read it here:9-11-01 Aftermath001and Post 9-11-01001 (click on each to enlarge).  There seems a dramatic difference in emphasis between today’s catastrophes in many areas, and today’s reverence for yesterday.

[in rereading the Post 9-11-01 memo, I note an item I did not forward, of, allegedly, Palestinians cheering the collapse of the Twin Towers.  At that time, 20 years ago, we were not yet besieged with misinformation – there was no such thing as YouTube or Facebook or Twitter – people were more trusting of sources.  Of course, I no longer have that source document, so I have no idea whether what I saw was correctly labeled, or where the photograph originated.  Lots of people look exactly like Palestinians, of course, including Israelis.  I am much more careful these days when nothing can be accepted at face value.  I always welcome fact-checking,]

POSTNOTE 2: 6 a.m. Sep 12: Overnight came Just Above Sunset, “The Chaos Agent” focusing on disinformation in the tragic fires in the western U.S.  It is worth your time.

Since the first reports of Minneapolis fires in the wake. of George Floyd’s death, I’ve had my suspicions about the perpetrators of the damage, and it has not been on the folks living in the affected neighborhoods, nor on Trumps favored invisible villain: “antifa”.

It will probably take a year or more, but the truth will out on who did what, when and where.  By then, it will be too late for the people who succumbed to rumors and fear and loathing.

As my writings right after 9-11-01 point out, our national response to 9-11-01 led to my becoming and remaining an activist.  19 years later we’re in the midst of an even greater disaster, aided and abetted by a President we freely elected, who is now shamelessly seeking reelection.

I repeat the too often used words: “caveat emptor”.  Let the buyers beware.

COMMENTS (More at end of this post):

from Jermitt: I appreciate your sharing of your reactions to the news regarding trump and the up-coming elections.  The latest disgusting information about trump should be a strong lesson for everyone.  Unfortunately, many people will dismiss it.    I’ve seen and used the Road to Abilene in some of my workshops.  It provides a lesson  for all of us.   Thank you.

from Kathy:  Glad you included link for voting info.  The environment is so easily confusing for folks…registered, not registered, can I check if my vote has been received?  etc.

I am an election judge and talking to everyone that will listen as to options to vote.

from DH: The person who used the terms “losers” and “suckers” was NOT Pres Trump.   The person who used the terms has admitted such but of course the media won’t publish the error.   It is a repeated tactic to place blame hoping some will believe the lies (reminds of the tactics that Jr High students use when caught).

I know where you stand and I am on the opposing side.   Have been Dem in the past but not any more.   I will vote for Capitalism which I believe is an issue on the ballot.   Biden is for Socialism / Communism as Obama said, “Biden and Bernie think the same.”    I will vote Absentee as an informed voter.   I have listened to both sides of the issues and agree with the Republicans.   Biden looks better on TV because they have factored in an old picture.   I do know that is possible — my friends in Canada have been photo manipulation for 40 yrs.

 

Reflecting on “Unions”

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Earlier this week, on Labor Day, we had one of our periodic Zoom family gatherings.  My sister asked me a question that was hard to answer on spur of the moment.  I took a stab at it with the below letter, which I sent the next day and in which you might have an interest or an opinion.

“Mary, your question about the guy who said he was a member of eight unions (or some such) caught me flat-footed.  I thought a lot about it this [Tuesday] morning on my walk.

Perhaps the confusion begins because the comment came on Labor Day, which celebrates Labor, and thus often incorporates unions of workers, like the AFL-CIO.  Of course, there are many other “Unions” which don’t have particular affection for organized labor.  Like, perhaps, the US Chamber of Commerce, or the National Association of Manufacturers and on and on and on.

I just looked up “Union” in my old unabridged dictionary – the paper version of 2129 pages.  The first definition (of 13) under “Union” is “1. A uniting or being united; combination; junction; fusion.”  (emphasis added)

The very first sentence of the United States Constitution talks about forming “…a more perfect union….”  The Charter of the United Nations doesn’t get as specific, but the intent is exactly the same.  You can read it online here.  

Of course, “united” is a difficult concept to practice, as is “union”, but the purpose for each union is exactly the same – a group of disparate people/philosophies attempting to cobble together a somewhat workable coalition.  As you know, I lived within the labor part of Union for many years.

I got to thinking of my own personal experience which I will try to define briefly.

At this moment in history I am affiliated with the following “unions”:

  1. On the Board of French-American Heritage Foundation (active member/leader)
  2. On the Board of Citizens for Global Solutions MN (active member/leader)
  3. Life Member of National Education Association (since late 1960s), Education Minnesota (since 2000).  As part of Education Minnesota, I think I am also a retired member of the Minnesota AFL-CIO.  I pay no dues to any of these, and other than perusing newsletters and absentee voting for officers, I’m not active.
  4. There are other affiliations as well: Homeowners Association since 2000 (which is a union as well); American Legion (since 1994); etc.

I could get creative and easily come up with at least eight unions I am currently a participating part of.

As you know, I’ve been more than a passive part of many assorted groups over the years, often as President (or like position); for 27 years Executive Director [we were called “field representatives”] representing usually 1000 or more teachers in locals of sizes varying from a dozen to over 1500 members.  Every one of them were very similar and very different, dependent on the personalities that made them up.  (There is no ‘cookie cutter’ union, trust me.)

Probably my most unique experience was as President of the teachers union staff union, the Professional Staff Association. which went on strike against the employer Minnesota Education Association in 1979 or so.  In that time period I represented my state in a new group called National Staff Organization which was comprised of probably more than 1,000 union staff around the U.S.  We were truly unique.  There was no central office, just an informal organization that had one conference a year, and had no particular dues that I can remember.  We were a head-scratching operation, to say the least, an organization of organizers which wasn’t sufficiently organized to attract any attention.  A mutual support group, shall I say.

My most recent experience, not always pleasant, was Trustee for [our uncle] before and after his death.  Before he died I represented what I believed were his interests.  The minute he died, all of his 32 or so designated heirs in a legal sense became my boss, which was not always a comfortable position to be in – not all heirs think alike – just like in a union local. 

I could go on at great length about this point of commonality within the family we share, but will pass on the opportunity.  Try not to pretend that you’ll live forever.  That’s my temporal advice as we participate in the last season of each of our lives.

Anyway, let’s start with that.

Our national and international “unions” of which we are all members – the U.S. and the World itself – are deeply stressed at this moment.  We’re all in different places and circumstances.  Be engaged.

POSTNOTE: After the George Floyd killing on May 25, I reflected on police unions, and there were several comments.  You can read that here.

I shared the above letter with a retired colleague union rep in Wisconsin, and he commented: Your definition of “union” is right on.   I have often used the same description, but you have taken it somewhat deeper.  The key is “Be engaged”.  Each of us has an opportunity to be engaged in one way or another.  Like you, I’ve been engaged in many different ways in many different organizations.