Voting 2020: A Potpourri

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This post has numerous parts, thus “potpourri”.  Browse through, check out what you wish.  

Pre-note 4:30 a.m. Nov. 6, 2020: Overnight, “Rage Against the Inevitable”.  As I noted yesterday, “my next election post will likely come after there is [some relatively reasonable] consensus on who is declared winner of the Presidential election.”   Blogging will continue, including on politics.  Check back each week.

Pre-Note Nov. 5: This post is really a potpourri of items about the election I found of interest till election day itself.   It began before the polls opened on Nov. 3 and continues.  I’d suggest simply scrolling through and looking at whichever you might find interesting.  And most of all I suggest you stay engaged as a citizen.  We are all called on to be “President” of this country in which we live.  Avant! (Forward!)

The Nov. 5 Just Above Sunset summarizes post election thus far: The New Longest Day.

My next election post will likely come after there is at least consensus on who is declared winner of the Presidential election.

Nov. 6 from JoAnn Ward, my former State Representative: Greetings in this time of uncertainty.  I became involved with Braver Angels (previously Better Angels) while serving in the MN House.  Please consider signing the letter, and joining me in the work of a higher partisanship – for the maintenance of our Union.  Call, email, or text me with questions, or to share the work.  I’d love to hear from you.

I am a moderator for the workshops, and I invite you to explore the Braver Angels website to learn of the many ways to connect with others who are also on this journey.

We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory … will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.
— Abraham Lincoln, 1861
 
“Life is short, and we do not have too much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel with us, so be quick to love and make haste to be kind.”
Henri-Frederic Amiel
“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.” Denis Waitley
 
“So let us begin a new remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” John F Kennedy

POSTNOTE Nov. 7, 2020: Just Above Sunset: Such a Shame.

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There has been numerous comments to my Oct. 23 post: “Antifa”.  In particular I’d recommend revisiting the link at the beginning of the post to the website of the Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, for information on past and upcoming programming on its Fascism in Minnesota in the 1930s.  Information in the following two sections: “How Do We Know Fascism When We See It?”  “Brooks Turner: Legends and Myths of Ancient Minnesota”.  There is an important on-line live discussion on Nov. 18 7-9 p.m.  Details at Brooks Turner section.  The previous talk by Brooks Turner may be on the WAM YouTube channel.  The talk was very interesting.

During the month of October, through Election Day, I created a blog including the front page headlines of the Minneapolis Star Tribune for each day.  That post is here.

Last week, a. highly respected group I’m part of, Fresh Energy, had its annual breakfast, this year, virtual.  Here is the program, including the keynote speaker, for those interested.

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Originating Post Nov. 3, 2020: Today is Election Day.  The first polls open in about 10 minutes.

I’ll publish  the first part of this before the polls open on the east coast, and not make any amendments or additions till after the stateside polls close, which for me, means tomorrow.  I cast my ballot by mail in early October.  Anyone who knows me or reads this blog knows where I stand and why, and has for some months now.

This is easily the oddest election in my lifetime, at minimum.  I’ll have opinions to share later.  In the interim some thoughts on voting, below.  And for the history buffs, the summary I did of the very long month deciding the 2000 Presidential election involving George W. Bush and Al Gore.  At your leisure, here is the 20 pages: U.S. President Election 2000.

Here’s what the overnight Just Above Sunset summarizes as the last day of campaigning ended yesterday: When Less Is Never More.

A following post will be my own musing on my history as a voter in the United States of America since I turned 21 in 1961 (21 was then the voting age).  Have a good day.

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Added Nov. 4, 2020:


 front page of Sunday July 15, 2001 New York Times.  This is the first part of a several page report in the New York Times about the controversy in the 2000 election.

Also, a Nov 1, 2020, New York Times report on voter suppression: “Why Are Republicans So Afraid of Voters?” Voter Suppression NYTimes 11:1:20 

COMMENTARY FROM GERMANY

Oct. 6, 2020 from Annelee in rural Minnesota: The email on Trump is from my niece, [who lives] near Munich, Germany. There are no words  I can add, only sadness when I look at the Trump signs around my home. Will people wake up too late?

Hello Aunt Annelee,

You wanted to know what Germans think about Trump.

Well, only ridicule and malice. What more can you say about such a theater. we are sitting together at work and teasing and laughing at Trump. No one can understand how the American people endure this man. Only lies and stupidities come out of Trump’s mouth. Here is a report on Trump. All morning, the reporters ridicule and tease Trump on the radio and TV. Really funny. The Germans are slowly starting to care less who becomes president in America. This is your president. We are a sovereign state that no longer lets America dictate what we should and should not do. It won’t be a good time. the transatlantic relationship has ruined Trump. We Germans will survive this, we are a strong people and have survived very different, worse times. we will also survive Trump’s sanctions and make our politics and not those that Trump would like to have for Germany. The politics for Germany is made in Germany and not in the USA. Such a madness. Was it all just fake and Trump has no COVID at all or is this man really just insane when he has COVID, how irresponsible. This is supposed to be the most powerful man in the world, this is a madman and clown. COVID is extremely contagious and can be fatal. How many people have to die in the US before anyone wakes up in the US? Without words.

The situation in the morning

President on steroids

By Roland Nelles , US correspondent

Dear reader, good morning,

Today we are dealing with Donald Trump’s return to the White House

06.10.2020, 06.07 a.m.

Between madness and reality

To the outside world, what is currently happening in the United States may seem bizarre or curious, maybe even laughable. For many people who live in the country, however, the situation is no longer funny.

The handling of the coronavirus by US President Donald Trump and his entourage in the White House is becoming more and more delusional. As things stand, Trump has apparently discharged himself from the hospital because he wants to prove to the whole world what a strong guy he is and how harmless the virus is from his point of view. When he returned to the headquarters of power, he posed on the balcony of the White House for the photographers without a mask .

Donald Trump on his return from the hospital

Donald Trump on his return from the hospital Photo:

from Germany Oct 6, 2020   SCOTT / REUTERS

They are images like from a Hollywood autocrat parody , but they are real. Trump gives the fearless fighter to win the November 3rd election. At the same time, he further downplays the danger posed by the virus: “Do not be afraid of Covid! Do not let it dominate your life!”, Trump tweeted to his compatriots. “I feel better than 20 years ago.”

In particular, the relatives of the more than 200,000 Americans who have died of the disease in recent months are likely to wonder more than ever whether their Commander in Chief still has all the cups in the cupboard. The US journalist colleague Gloria Borger commented: “If 1,000 people died every day in plane crashes, would the president also say, don’t you fear flying?”

Trump’s doctors have indicated that the president is doing much better, but that he is not yet out of the woods. Trump apparently takes steroids , according to the hospital , which experts say can lead to extreme activity, mood swings and sleep disorders in some patients . Feelings of megalomania are also said to have occurred.

What exactly triggers the treatment at Trump is not clear. Either way, it’s not a particularly comforting feeling to know that the most powerful man in the world is under the influence of drugs that could have the mentioned side effects.

COMMENTS (more at end of the page)

Nov. 3 from a good friend in England:  Many thanks Mr Bernard I just read your blog & Just Above Sunset.

A year of election fever. 4 years of tweets, bluster & lies.

I can see my old English literature teacher, who assigned us Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, rolling his eyes as was his wont, and perhaps quoting from that very book:

“That will do extremely well, child. You have delighted us long enough.”

Or as Juliet said (according to Shakespeare): “Wilt Thou Be Gone?”

In this context less is definitely more.

Nov. 3 from Kathy: Nice grounding experience to be working at the polls today.  Despite the fact that 70% of our precinct voted ahead of time there were 50 folks in line when we opened at 7:00am in St Louis Park.

Steady all day since then. No drama, just determination and commitment to participate.  To vote.
Grateful to be here.
Nov. 7, from Flo, responding to Joann’s Braver Angels above:
I didn’t want another four years of Trump, but I’m really concerned about how the US will overcome the very seriously divided government we now have from a very contentious election. An acquaintance of ours here asked to meet with us in early August to discuss our politics. We agreed, believing that we could share our perspectives respectfully. Unfortunately, his agenda was to tell us how wrong we were to be Democrats. When we parted company on the matter in mid-October, he was convinced that our nation needs to split between conservatives and liberals, two nations where we’ve been one since the Declaration of Independence. Yes, like the split that led to the Civil War. I’m still shaking my head about his anger directed particularly toward me for not understanding why it had to be the outcome! Yes, we live in a very red rural area of Minnesota. What do you think?
(2, also from Flo) Several Leagues in your area, including Woodbury, I believe, have been engaged in the Braver (Better) Angels initiative. Let me know if they still are. It would be an incredible uphill battle to get one going here. For a couple of conversations we had with the guy who wants to divide the US, a guy who had promoted “Conversation Leading to Understanding” joined us. That didn’t go well, either. All I can say is that we tried.
Response to Flo from Dick: A suggestion to you, personally.  You are very astute and aware of the politics in your area.  Probably best to start conversations with people who you know to be more moderate.  I used to say ‘’each one, reach two” – I’ve decided two was too ambitious. If we each tried to reach one, more doable.

Headlines

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At this space, in my October 2 post, I said this: “It is my intention to take a vacation from this space for at least the next month (through the election)”.  As I began  this post (October 7), I was already finding this a difficult task.  There were 11 posts then to now.  I let you know about three.  No apologies.

What I decided to do was simply copy the main front page headlines from my morning paper, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, for each day of the past month.  It’s as close to Twitter I will ever come.  On occasions, there are secondary headlines from the same page, if directly related to the main head.

PRE-NOTE: We have subscribed to the “STrib” for many years.  Headlines and their placement, of course, reflect the newspapers assessment of the important news of the day, and reflect the general editorial slant of the publisher.  I think the Strib would currently assess itself as moderate right, traditional conservative Republican.  Most of its endorsements for national office this round have been for Democrats, including for President.

Here they are.

Thu Oct 1: “Trump’s new foe – the election”

Fri Oct 2: “TRUMP HAS VIRUS”

Oct 2 came this e-mail, in relevant part:

“I was visiting with one of my teen [friends who] WAS an ardent Trump supporter.  She commented that this “testing positive for the virus” may all be a farce so that Trump can drop out of the remaining debates after his horrible showing.” 
[Nov. 2: I still struggle with the lack of verifiable evidence of Trump’s disease and treatment.  As I understand it, in addition to the usual privacy of medical records, there is the matter of Non-disclosure agreements which may be in effect.  At any rate, we will probably never know the real story.]

Sat Oct 3: “TRUMP HOSPITALIZED”

Sun Oct 4: “Crucial 48 hours for Trump”

Mon Oct 5: “Mixed messages on Trump”

Tue Oct 6: “Return downplays peril”. “Hospital cuts close COVID facility.”

This date an e-mail from our friend Annelee in rural Minnesota.  Annelee just turned 94, and grew up and until age 20 lived in Adolf Hitler’s Germany.   Her e-mail contents are the post you can find here.

Wed Oct 7: “Trump tries to regain ground”.  “Rate of COVID-19 unknowns reach new high.”

Thu Oct 8: “Wisconsin clamping down” [Covid-19]; “Stark differences on pandemic” [Harris-Pence debate]

In the Harris-Pence debate, which I watched, I most noted Pence’s assertion and false equivalence with Obama’s alleged inaction on the Swine Flu virus in 2009.  Here is how the Center for Disease Control reports on it.  This flu originated in the U.S., three months after  Obama became President and did affect huge numbers of people – over 60,000,000 – with about 12,000 deaths (over 220,000 deaths and over 8 million cases from Covid-19 so far).  Here are the worldwide statistics on Covid-19.

Fri Oct 9: “Trump calls for arrest of his foes.  He identifies Obama, Biden and others.”  “Militia kidnap plot targeted MI governor.”  [The arrest of white nationalists in Michigan yesterday reminds me of an article I saw and saved from the Sep 25, 2000, USNews and World Report.  You can read it here (2 pages): USNews 9-25-2000001]

Sat Oct 10: “Alarm over plan for poll ‘guards'”

Sun Oct 11: Covid-19 “Case record fuels worry statewide”

Mon Oct 12: “GOP races to confirm high court pick”

Tue Oct 13: “[Supreme Court nominee] Barrett vows fairness; Dems zero in on ACA [Affordable Care Act]” “2nd COVID peak hits hard, wide.”

Wed Oct 14: “[Amy Coney] Barrett elusive on ACA, Roe, election” [Affordable Care Act. Roe: Women’s right to choose.]

Thu Oct 15, above the fold: “Daily [Covid-19] deaths return to June peak”.  “[Supreme Court nominee] Barrett defers on presidential powers”.   “Virus resurgence sends shudders across Europe.” “Marking birthday [George] Floyd never had.”

Fri Oct 16: “Jobless rate falls as many stop looking.”  “Schools feeling surge in COVID-19.”

Sat Oct 17: “State [Minnesota] virus cases up 50% in week”.  Election-Day Fervor, Every Day”

This evening we watched Rick Steves Fascism in Europe on public television, about Germany, Italy and Spain.  Yes, it can happen here and in some ways eerily reminiscent of the tactics used by Hitler, Mussolini and Franco in the 1930s.  We, the people, need to be complicit for autocracy and fascism to succeed even in the short term.

Thursday I watched the outstanding documentary “Prosecuting Evil, The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz”.  Mr. Ferencz prosecuted war criminals at Nurnberg after the German surrender in 1945.  The film is easily available and worth watching.

Sun Oct 18: “Trend in [Covid-19] cases signals ‘dark days’ “

Mon Oct 19: “So long, old friend” [about the death of legendary twin cities sports reporter, Sid Hartman]

Tue Oct 20: “Minn. case growth outpaces testing” [Covid-19]

Wed Oct 21: “Justice Dept. offers training to MPD” [Minneapolis Police Department]

Thu Oct 22: “New [Covid-19] virus deaths tie 1-day record.”  “Officials out to foil poll “armies”.”

Fri Oct 23: Final Presidential Debate “Final arguments on virus, race, jobs”.  “Four officers in [George] Floyd case will go to trial.”

Sat Oct 24: “Boogaloo linked to 3rd Precinct assault.”  “Masks could easily save 100,000 lives.”  “Early turnout shatters records.”

Sun Oct 25: “IN GRIEF, A PLEA TO THE POLICE.”  “Workers return warily to the office.”  “Weekly virus toll is highest in months.”

Mon Oct 26: “COVID, heart attacks a deadly combo”. “As his aides test positive, Pence is going to Hibbing”. “National discourse on race is echoing in presidential election”

Tue Oct 27: “Barrett sworn in [for Supreme Court] amid lingering bitterness.” “[Gov.] Walz says next weeks critical in COVID-19 stand”

Wed Oct 28: “Schools improvise as virus spreads.”  “[Gov] Walz: Every option on table for deficit.”

Thu Oct 29: “Another wave of shutdowns.”  “Minnesotans urged to take care for vote, Halloween.”  “Teachers buckling under pandemic workload.”

Fri Oct 30: “Court puts late ballots on hold.”  “Record day for COVID numbers.”

Sat Oct 31: “As clock ticks down, rhetoric ramps up.”  “Record 738 virus cases in hospitals.”  “Already cast vote [in MN]: 1.6M and counting.”

Sun Nov 1: All the front page headlines: “Tested like never before.”  “Runaway October for state [COVID-19] infections.”  “At a crossroads, U.S. is choosing its future.” “‘COVID Paradox’: Jobs, no workers.”  “N. Dakota sounds late virus alarm.”

Mon Nov 2: “Parties scour state for last-minute votes.”  “Hormone Boost Could be Covid-19 Key.”  “Don’t expect a winner on Nov. 3.”  “Senate control takes cue from top.”

Tue Nov 3: “A rush to finish early voting.” “DOJ to monitor in Mpls. for first time since 2004.” “Trump stokes more fear of fraud.”

Wed Nov 4: “BALLOT OVERTIME.”  “3 key heartland states still counting.”  “Biden takes Minnesota; Smith retains her Senate seat.”  

I personally was amazed that voting turned out to be very orderly and even quiet on Election Day.  No reports of problems. A couple of drive-by’s seemed to indicate that there were no significant lines on Election Day.

Thu Nov 5: missing

Fri Nov 6: “DECISION DAY” “Last states set to complete counts”.  Biden closes on victory; Trump baselessly attacks result.”

Sat Nov 7: “DOING THE MATH.”   “Biden lead grows,, but race not called.”  “Trump’s bids to overturn results in court fall flat so far.”

Sun Nov 8: “BIDEN WINS.”  “Harris makes history as Vice President.”  “‘This is the time to heal, ‘ president-elect tells nation.”

Mon Nov 9: “Health Workers Told: cut Quarantine short.”  “Biden starts his transition as virus rages.”

Tue Nov 19: “Walz plans focused virus rules.” “Vaccine trial shows early sign of promise.”  “Restrictions to target top sources of spread.”

Paradise

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Remembering a disastrous fire.

Oct 25, my brother John, who’s an avid explorer, sent a note with several photos, from the former Paradise.  Here are his notes, followed by a few comments.

“…. California, that is

Two years after the big burn that pretty much wiped out this town of several thousand that was nestled in the pines in the foothills.

A local artist took advantage of a burned out big tree to craft this carved Phoenix rising – maybe someday it will. But not for now the hillside behind shows the devastation of the fire. 

Previous downtown area is  about 90% burned out shells or cleared concrete pads.

Some green and nice area survived but it’s going to be decades before anything gets back even close to normal.”

I wrote back to John:

“Your mention of Paradise brought back a memory from our AMTRAK trip [June, 2019].

We were waiting for the train at Salem [OR], ready for the final leg to Davis [CA].  An old guy (older than me), was waiting for the same train, heading to LA [Los Angeles] area.  He was very fit for his age, hispanic, very articulate, his muscle shirt revealed a very prominent Marine tattoo.  He was so proud of his Marine grandson, who had not long before completed Marine boot camp, and wore Grandpa’s belt at the graduation.  He was very talkative, and told us he and his wife had been in the Paradise fire and lost everything.  They survived.  Within a month, she was waiting to see a doctor and died of a heart attack in the doctors office.  He wasn’t over it, that’s for certain.  I wanted to take a picture, but it wasn’t appropriate, I felt.  I picture the guy in my mind as I write.  We weren’t in the same part of the train as he, so we never saw him again.
Stay safe.
Just talked to [son] Tom who said the Rocky Mountain fire in Colorado is the biggest ever in the state.  He thought it might end soon, as they’re expecting several inches of snow in the mountains.  Apparently not so in your area.”
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A couple of other comments came on screen from others in the family: “It’s a heartbreaking tragedy. Hope survivors have found peace in wherever they’re living now.”   “Paradise as a home in the forest comes with some huge downside risk.  I suspect more than a few are rethinking the joys and pleasures of life in the forest preserves where you’re one match away from tragedy and disaster. Risk is omnipresent and takes prudent balancing wherever you hang your hat.” 
November 1, 2020:  I’ve thought a lot about the sentence which precedes this one: “Risk is omnipresent…hang your hat.”  It is true that we spend a lot of time, if we have that luxury, of trying to assure safety of whatever is important to us.  It is also true that sometimes we go to great lengths in the opposite direction of safety – sometimes with intention, sometimes not.  If you take a few moments, I would guess that everyone can list examples of each in your own life; things that worked, or didn’t.
Long ago, in my working years, I ‘burned out’ (I didn’t know that at the time), quit my job, and ended up  unemployed for a full year.  It was an opportunity to restore and regroup, but at the end it was terrifying.  It was literally half a lifetime ago – near 40 years.  I often reference that time as “the best and worst year of my life”.  There were worse, and obviously there were better.  It happened.  Here I am.
At the beginning of that year of unemployment I happened to be visiting my sister and family at their home and went with them to their church on Sunday.  In the church bulletin that day was a short essay on Risk which has always spoke to me and I’ve used often, and which I offer to you now.  An opportunity, if you wish, to reflect on how risk has impacted on your own life.  Have a great life.
I am not sure of the authorship of this quotation.  It is sometimes attributed to Leo Buscaglia, sometimes ‘anonymous’.  In the source I saw it, there was no specific attribution.  Whatever, the thoughts are of value.

White Nationalist

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The following is being published today (Oct. 31) and will be a link to the Antifa post of Oct 23.  This arrangement is intentional; the posts are directly related.

Pre-note: Today (Oct. 24) the top headline in the Minneapolis StarTribune was “Boogaloo linked to [Minneapolis] 3rd Precinct [police station] assault”.  Gandhi Mahal restaurant was one very easy block from the 3rd precinct.  It perhaps may never be provable, but I continue to believe that Boogaloo or their partners in crime were involved in the mayhem after George Floyds murder on May 25.

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Oct. 9 I sent this note to those on my blog list:

“Yesterday’s reveal of a plot to kidnap the Michigan Governor reminds me of the article (click to enlarge): USNews 9-25-2000001.  I read in a laundromat on September 24, 2000, (two weeks after 9-11-01).  The magazine was published a year before 9-11.
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Yes the magazine was a year old when I saw it.  Yes, I was in a laundromat washing heavy rugs at the time and a headline on the cover caught my eye.
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Above is the link to the two page article.  Take the time.  Remember, this was written 20 years ago.”
Here are the responses received to the article.

from Barbara Oct 9: Thanks for sharing this 20 year old article.  Now they have had 20 more years to spread and organize their hate.   And stockpile “guns.”

from Maria Oct 9: Thank you Dick, I am donating to the Southern poverty Law Center since, probably, over thirty years. Since the day after President’s 2016 inauguration, one of my posters, in peaceful demonstrations, said on one side “NO ALT RIGHT” and on the other “ NO KKK “.

from Emmett Oct 9: A scary world that has not changed much in 20 years.  Hope you and all your family are doing well.

from Mike Oct 9:  Very scary next few months.  Hoping for a peaceful transition of power, but not at all confident it will happen.

from Molly Oct 9: Good Morning, Dick, and yes, this is chilling stuff–and the depth this has reached in this country is horrifying.  Indeed, that article [here] from the National Review that I sent a week or so ago about the decline in required classes in Civics or American Government nails, I think, a lot of the root cause of some of this garbage… Yes– that old saying  “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” seems evidenced here, too…As does a lot of the writing of George Orwell…

from Norm Oct 9:  Those folks are always out there as well as among us waiting for an opportunity to make a dramatic splash to be seen and to be hear and, in their eyes at least, to be feared and not ignored.

Unfortunately, Donnie has empowered them with his many words and actions as well as his too few words and actions to be bold and open about their intentions.

from Steve Oct 9: Really disturbing reading. A country as large as this one, with such freedom of mobility, and personal freedoms (a good thing, often taken advantage of, often misused or misunderstood) is vulnerable. Vigilance, personal responsibility, and a commitment from all of us to the purposes and aspirations of our government (of constitutional authority) is so important. We’ve often let trust and active discussion be clouded and assailed.

I hope we can weather this storm. The weather reports have been troubling.

from Fred Oct 9: Just read the article. It reminds me that the director of the FBI—name escapes at the moment—noted a couple of weeks ago that far right extremists and racists are currently the greatest danger we face. I see today that some of the men arrested were among those at the earlier protest at the state capitol. They were the guys carrying long guns.

There were informants operating inside the militia cell in question so that is encouraging. Commie (and constitution) Buster J. Edgar Hoover riddled the US Communist party with his agents and did the same with the KKK. One hopes that tradition is continuing with improved safe guards to prevent over-reach.
from Jermitt Oct 9: We will continue to be plagued with these individuals as long as trump is around, and beyond, I’m afraid.  Michigan as well as a few other states have been havens for these criminals………open carry laws have been an issue as well.
from Peter Oct 9: Locally, my community’s school is falling apart from the relentless assault on education. But people don’t experience it as that, they look to themselves or others for the causes of their distress.

I think organized society is in serious danger of collapse long before the bad weather knocks us down. The collective version of “fight or flight” is not well understood, but it is extremely powerful.

from DH Oct 9: I wish the names of those involved with the Russian Hoax would be released before Nov 3.  The documents of proof were recently unclassified so will be released soon.   You will notbelieve the names because they are all prominent Democrats.

from Chuck:  That article is amazing…in that nothing really changed…except for getting worse.  That old saying… the only thing we learn from history is that we don’t learn from history…needs to be edited. We don’t remember what we should have learned for our own survival.  One thing I question I want to ask white supremacist… “Do you know how monocultures work out?”

from Lillian Oct 10: [I] read this article on the militants.  It is scary especially in light of the recent near Kidnapping attempt of the Michigan Governor.  It seems so much of the news implies these hate groups are new or are here because of Trump.  As evidenced by this article, they’ve been around for a long time.  They are definitely bolder with Trump in the Whitehouse and probably adding to their numbers.

I am reading See No Stranger by Valarie Kaur.  It talks of how to change in these days.  For a quick listen, check out her speech at the National Moral Revival Watch Night.  So inspiring.  “What if this darkness is not the darkness of the tomb but the darkness of the womb”

from David Oct 9: Thanks for sending this. In 1967, when I was in college (U of M., Duluth), Norman Lincoln Rockwell, then head of the American Nazi Party, was invited to speak at the student center. There was a bit of protest about providing such a person a forum. In the end, he was allowed to speak. He showed up in his full Nazi regalia. There were a few hundred in the audience, mostly students who treated him as a clown, hooting and laughing throughout his speech. I felt that anyone who saw and heard this guy would immediately see him as a joke. However, had I a better sense of history, I would have known that Rockwell, and people like him, need to be treated seriously. Whether he believed his own “shtik,” plenty of others did, and still do.

Unlike 1967, people like Rockwell no longer communicate their message to hundreds at a time but now are able to reach millions with the tap of a keyboard. Their importance is exaggerated, but not their danger. The recently foiled plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor is just the latest example. Our president winks and nods while others take up arms and “stand by.”
from Leila: Thank you for the article and providing food for thought.  It points to the fact all our troubles (racism, white supremacy, climate change, healthcare, etc and not to mention international contradictions) have been around longer than just the stress these past 4 years have created for the people .  With all the wealth and power concentrated here, America acts like a backward country .  I wonder when all this duality of setting high goals and then allowing it to be undermined began and why.

20 Years

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20 years ago today – it was a Saturday – Cathy and I married.  Most folks who read this post know us in person or various aspects of us from references here.  There is no need to go into detail.

Like for most everyone else, COVID-19 has changed our routine.  Our anniversary dinner will be takeout, probably from our friend Ruhel’s temporary restaurant, Curry in a Hurry.  It’s a long trip for takeout, but he deserves our support.  His restaurant, GandhiMahal, was burned to the ground in the aftermath of George Floyd murder.  I most recently wrote about the former restaurant here.  The perpetrator(s) are not yet in custody.  Here’s my most recent photo at the restaurant site, of the one section that survived…it was where we used to hold meetings.

A sad reminder of what used to be.  Where we hope a Phoenix arises.  (The interim restaurant is less that two miles away, at the corner of 31st Ave and Franklin.  Curry in a Hurry.  Try it.)

Portion of Gandhi Mahal Oct 22, 2020

Back to 2000, and the present and future:

Our wedding trip in 2000 was about a week, to Washington DC and Concord MA.  I saved the newspapers from the days of the trip, and they’ll be an anniversary surprise – Minneapolis Star Tribune, Washington Post and Boston Globe.

We came home on November 6, and two days later was the 2000 Election that lasted until mid-December when Al Gore accepted the Supreme Court ruling that George W. Bush was to be President.  There was a peaceful transition, however emotional this event was.  I kept all of those newspapers as well – it is a big box.  Within the box I found my 20-page summary of the daily post-election news.  Self-serving: I think it is a good primer of what happened, then.  It can be read here:U.S. President Election 2000 (click to enlarge).

Our time in Washington and Concord in 2000 was interesting.  We scored a visit to the White House, and on Halloween eve we were in the Gallery of the House of Representatives for an evening session.  My dominant memory from that evening was the Republican Congressman from Illinois who came up to meet the few of us in the gallery and to apologize for what we were seeing on the floor – two clumps of competing legislators, no one paying attention to even the speaker who was talking about workplace safety.  Somewhere I have the Congressional Record for that evening and the speech is probably in there if I’m interested.

We did the other tourist kinds of things one would expect in the two places, and flew back home to begin a life in the same place where I am writing this post.  Two days after we landed, it was Election Day, 2000.  Everything was normal till it wasn’t….

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It’s a chilly, sunny, basically very nice day in suburban St. Paul.  A week from today is the election. What more can I say?

Less than a year later 9-11-01….

Here’s the most recent photo of the two of us, Sep 14, 2020, taken by our friend Don, 91 years young.

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United Nations at 75

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First, Willie Nelson on Voting.  VOTE.

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Snapshot of United Nations, New York City, Dick Bernard , Late June, 1972

Today is the 75th birthday of the United Nations.  I am a strong supporter of the United Nations.  I’m in good company.  Not everyone is a fan.  Whatever its problems, the UN has been a major factor in keeping nations and peoples from obliterating each other as we did in ever more deadly wars especially WWI and II.  Ways are found to moderate passions.  The potential problems remain daunting, but not insurmountable.

Here’s the UN’s own rendition of its history.

Here’s my friend, MN Gov. Elmer L. Andersen’s, tribute to the United Nations at a speech he delivered May 1, 1968: Elmer Andersen I Trust..001 (three pages, click to enlarge).  He was speaking, that day, on the occasion of raising the UN flag beside the U.S. flag at the site of the Hennepin County Government Center.  The flag, properly subordinate to the U.S. flag, flew there for 44 years before being removed in March 2012.  You can read that story here.

It is not hard to imagine a United Nations.  We are, after all, a United States including 50 political entities called ‘States’, and assorted other territories such as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

The UN began with 50 countries as signatories, and now includes 193 member nations of great diversity and even greater complexity.  The diversity is shown in tables in Dr. Joseph Schwartzberg book, Transforming the United Nations System, Designs for a Workable World, which can be ordered here.  The tables can be seen here, updated to 2017: Wealth of UN Countries.

I don’t forget other efforts, like the proposal for a League of Nations, and the Kellogg-Briand Pact, both important.

Antonio Guterres of Portugal is the current Secretary General of the UN.

Wednesday I was one of those on a Zoom call where Mr. Guterres spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, gave us an update on the UN at 75.  You can listen/see his presentation online, here.

Personal Comments:  We live in a country where “me” seems to have become a dominant philosophy.  Our President is at the pinnacle of this philosophy: all that matters is what matters to me.  This crosses lines: our cause is most important, others must be subordinate to mine.  Our day is ruined if our team loses:  “Fire the coach.”  “I’ll never watch them again.”  Combat is too-much our national ethic.

The concept of “We” is a struggle for those of us who have; an inaccessible dream for most who have not.

We ‘haves’ can afford – we can ill afford – such a luxury.

Every single one of us, everywhere, is on this planet together.  As we know so well, climate, Covid-19, our very economy, and on and on, do not honor national borders.

We don’t wall others out; we tend to wall ourselves in, like the old medieval city states.

Our oceans no longer protect us, and we’re destroying them, too.

As most all of us know, living together even in a family unit is not always peachy keen.  Neither is living alone.

The United Nations, in a very real sense, was founded on an ideal perhaps quite similar to the American ideal of the founders in 1776.  It is no accident that the UN headquarters in in New York City, rather than Paris (though the first UN meetings were actually in Paris.)

The Minnesota chapter of the United Nations Association was named for Governor Harold Stassen, whose progressive passion was a primary driver of the United Nations movement.  Yes, he was a Republican, as was Elmer L. Andersen.

I hear that Hubert Humphrey was a cheerleader for having the UN headquarters in Minnesota.

These days I maintain a monument to a couple of personal heroes, both military veterans, who dedicated much of their adult lives to the cause of global cooperation.  AMillionCopies is the space recognizing Lynn Elling and Joe Schwartzberg.  Take a moment to take a look.

We can work together.

Happy Birthday, United Nations.

COMMENTS (more at end of post):

from Harry:  Thanks for this reminder, Dick. At 15, in 1945, I had so much hope for the UN.  Then, they gave a few nations veto power and made the UN practically impotent! I prayed for the UN at Mass this morning that it come to live up to its potential!

response from Dick: I understand, Harry.  It was a political reality, then, and in too many ways still is, that the winners took charge, and the veto gives them power.  In many ways, though, I now see examples of the other countries figuring out ways to build coalitions, etc., which don’t depend on the security council for approval.  We keep on, keeping on.

from a long-time friend:  I fully support Harry’s comments about the nations that have veto power.  It has made the United Nations impotent.  And the biggest violator of morality has been the US.  It is shameful how the US has been complicit to what has been done to the Palestinians.  It’s 75th birthday is nothing to celebrate.  I would advocate that the organization be disbanded were it not for segments of it that try to do the right thing, like the shelter in place facilities that they have established in Gaza.  But unfortunately the US doesn’t support those organizations.

Recall the 2014 invasion of Gaza.  On seven different occasions the UN had provided notice to Israel as to the Schools, Churches and Mosques that were used as “shelter” facilities for the Gaza civilians.  The unfortunate result was that Israel used that information to focus its attack on those specific facilities killing 2000 Palestinians, most of which were women and children, including 400 Christians.  But does the US care?  Not at all.  All of this is a part of the systematic extermination of Palestinians, which all started in the 2006-2007 timeframe when Israel withdrew its settlements form Gaza and besieged its population.  And what did the most powerful member of the UN do, absolutely nothing.  The actions of the US have been disgraceful.

Then there was that incident a few years back when President Bush gave Israel the “green light” to carpet-bomb Gaza and Lebanon, which was a war crime that Israel will never pay for because the US has veto power to protect Israel from war crime prosecution.  There is hope that the International Criminal Court will one day develop a broadening strength to eventually punish Israel for their crimes.

Well enough on that infuriating subject.  Hope you and your family are doing fine.

from Flo: Thanks for the reminder. Peace is so illusive these days. I’ll go to our Black Lives Matter stand again this morning, though my signs are for Peace. Those who don’t like what we stand for are very verbal and often hateful. Go figure …

from Mark: a film clip of Dwight Eisenhower talking about war.  Well worth your time.

from Norm:  Ah yes, Dumbarton Oaks and all!  The UN still has value in spite of Donnie and his ignorance, arrogance, insecure, and narcissistic behavior towards taht body.  Unfortunately, the behaviors of some of the peace keeping forces looking for a little extra piece or two on the side, i.e. international relations, if you will, with those that supposedly they were there to protect has given the UN opponents some unneeded ammunition for their cause.

“Antifa”

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POSTNOTE Oct 25: Today’s Minneapolis paper had two 16 page advertising inserts about a major exhibit on fascism in Minnesota at the Weisman Art Museum at the University of the Minnesota.  This includes an online talk Oct 28 7-8:30 p.m. and an exhibit beginning Oct 25 through January 2021.  Here’s the link with details.

POSTNOTE Oct 30: I watched the on-line talk on Oct 28, and visited the museum on Oct. 29.  The talk was very interesting and will be available on-line probably by Saturday.  Watch this space for the link.  November 18, 7-9 p.m. there will be an on-line panel.  Detail here.  The only exhibit at the Weisman is the newspapers, which are free for the taking.  I took 25, for distribution to anyone who might be interested.   “Fascism MN Weisman” (click to enlarge) is the 4-page folder about the project at Weisman.  Parking at Weisman is easily accessible – it has its own lot.  Its address is 333 E. River Parkway Mpls 55455.

POSTNOTE Oct 31: My “White Nationalist” post, just published, directly relates to this.  It includes 15 comments from individuals on the topic.

portion of covers of two 16-page advertising inserts to the Oct. 25 Minneapolis Star Tribune, topic fascism in Minnesota.

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Oct. 23: I listened to the final Biden-Trump debate on Thursday night.  There will be endless commentary elsewhere today.  Compared with the previous two debates (I listened, also, to the first; the second didn’t occur as we all know); last nights was relatively civil.  For more on the final debate: here.

A few days to go to the election itself.

I title this post “Antifa” because it’s one of Trumps favorite words to label people like me.  It’s short for anti-fascist, I guess.  A code word from the dark web.  Sometimes I feel I’m part of an evil cabal: “Democrat”, “liberal”, “left”, “progressive”.  You know….

Yesterday an insight – something I hadn’t thought of before: Trump fancies himself as a Fascist leader: thus, to be antifa is to be against him.  Just an opinion, off the cuff.

Earlier this week on public television we saw Rick Steve’s travel film entitled “Fascism in Europe”.  It is an excellent primer, produced by Steves in 2018, about the Europe of Mussolini, Hitler and Francisco Franco in those “good old days”.  It seems a primer for anyone who wants a United States of Trump.

Check your local public television station.

Trump admires Strong Men; and his cadre, his base, seems largely of similar inclination.

Pretenders to power tend to study how others achieved power, and work the program.

Of course, power is temporary.

Mussolini (dead at 61, firing squad) is described as “charismatic personality and consummate rhetorician” (Britannica).  Italy was the first Fascist country – he was in power 1922-43).

Hitler (dead at 56, suicide in his bunker) was a passionate nationalist and orator and his book made him wealthy.  He needs no further description.  What became his thousand year Nazi Germany Third Reich lasted a dozen years.  He caught a wave at the beginning, and crashed at the end, taking down his entire country.

Francisco Franco (dead at 82, illness) was a military man, and ran Spain from 1936-73.  He, too, has his own brutal story.  But he didn’t have a violent end.  Of the three, maybe he was a success?

This trio is the basis of  Steves travelogue.  Personal opinion: All of them, and all others like them, have very large opinions about themselves, and thrive only because their subjects (voters) don’t pay attention to what they have done and are doing their own countries.  The People, writ very large, ultimately lose if they don’t take action.  The longer they wait, the worse and more difficult it gets.  Ask the Germans, the Italians, the Spaniards….

Of the thousands of images I’ve seen of Hitler, et al, the one most telling comes very near Hitler’s death, when he comes up out of the bunker to meet with the children and old men who have volunteered to save the Reich.  Hitler is a truly pathetic figure, and as I mention he was only in his 50s at the time.

There are infinite numbers of other pretenders or aspirers to the status of Supreme Leader.  Trump is only the most recent.

The end for all of them is always the same, as it is for all of us.

The antidote, always, everywhere, is “we, the people” who refuse to succumb to the lies and deception and promise of glory.

We, the people, are the solution, especially in a democracy, as fragile as ours can be.

Vote.  Exercise your voice.

POSTNOTE: In a recent post I added an article from US News and World Report Sep 24, 2000.  It’s on White Nationalists.  Here it is: USNews 9-25-2000001.  (I’ll post comments on this article on or near Nov. 4.)

Sunday night watch 60 Minutes and Lesley Stahl’s interview of Donald Trump (the interview he walked out on, and then released in violation of previous agreement with CBS.)

COMMENTS (more at end of post):

from Jay: I am glad you are well and keeping at it. I am sorry but I have felt fascism is getting stronger in US and some other countries for several years now. Specially with Trump in power. And it is not by only “white” people. India and Philippines are moving that direction. I can only hope the violence will be minimal.

response from Dick:  My main issue in this election was the “tone” of the country which is set by the President.  Hopefully, Biden will be elected, and will set about the very, very difficult task of changing the tone of all of us.  It will be very, very hard.  (The same applies to the other countries you mention.  People are sloppy at electing leaders, especially in democracies.  There are consequences.  Thanks for feeding in.

from Glenn:  “The rise of Fascism in 1930’s Minnesota” is being repeated by “The rise of Antifa in 2020’s Minnesota”.  Thanks to the Democrat party, this time it has infested most of the country!  Today, of course, the term is Orwellian.  Like in most liberal left propaganda, word meanings are changed at will.  When you have an obviously fascist, anarchist organization, call it Antifa (for anti-fascist).  That way the “deplorable uneducated masses”, which include everyone but the left, won’t catch on.

If, as you sarcastically said, you sometimes feel like Democrats, leftists, liberals and progressives may be part of an evil cabal, there may still be hope.  Maybe you should take those feelings more seriously.  For people who support a hateful, socialist, pro-abortion, baby-killing party, the term “evil cabal” seems appropriate.
Though you seem to be blind to anarchy, fascism and hate, you will probably also hate this message.  If so, please do us both a favor and delete us from your propaganda list.  We already hear more than enough of these hateful lies from the Democrat party propaganda purveyors like Hollywood, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR etc..
from Dick:  It’s a free country…at least so far.  Glenn’s contingent, and there are plenty of them – though a minority, I feel – are the people Trump talks to at his rallies.  Fear, loathing and grievance are their emphasis.  Theirs is a country of winners and losers.  Trumps only objective is his personal “win”; his supporters don’t see that reality.  My main issue is the very negative “tone” set by Trump.  It will be hard work to get back some positive equilibrium.  It will require lots of effort by the more moderate types.
from Gail: Thanks, Dick.  It’s important for us to know this history, in the hope that it won’t be repeated!
from Jeff: check out 3 part series  Long Shadow  about the long consequences of WW1….one segment reviews fascism, communism and Wilsonian liberal democracy.   It’s on Amazon Prime.
from Dan: Thanks for the tip on this exhibit, Dick. I’ve just ordered the booklet from the Weisman. Maybe I’ll see you there tomorrow.
from Joyce: An excellent commentary from Heather Richardson on things like fascism, communism, socialism.

 

 

 

 

 

Communications

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Yesterday I was at the local supermarket which is our favorite.  I was waiting near the checkout, and noticed the employees were unusually animated (read: silly).

These days the store is usually a serious place, with Covid-19 and all.  I particularly noticed one employee who some weeks earlier had seemed pretty depressed and angry; today she was among the silly ones.

I got to thinking back to the silliest meeting I ever had to preside over, which was impossible to control.  It was 20 years ago – about a dozen professional people, the Board of a state-wide organization, normally serious and professional, but this particular day “off the rails”.  “The meeting from hell”, shall I say….

After that meeting I found we’d been meeting on the day of a full moon.

This morning – today – the trivia question, at the local coffee shop I frequent, was when the next full moon would be.  Were we at the the time of that full moon?  Was it coincidence?  Of full of meaning?

(Spoiler alert: the next full moon is actually Oct. 31, the last was October 1).  I googled “full moon human behavior” and here’s one article at the top of the list.  Doubtless there’s many more.

Beware the full moon?

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Another discovery, yesterday, was an e-mail list from January, 2013, containing 287 names.

A few months earlier , the Fall of 2012, I had received a book originating from my college alumni office: “Alumni Today 2012”, the meat of which was 239 pages of names and data about alumni, the oldest from 1923 (one entry) to more entries from my years at the college (1958-61), to the most recent year (2011).

I have one earlier college Directory, from 2000.  Of course, that one was more ‘primitive’ in a technological sense.  There was a 16 page E-mail address section at the end at the end of that book.  In 2000, the college did have a website and an e-mail contact, but it was hard to find, at page xii.  For most of us, then, the home address (U.S. mail) and phone number were the main connection method.

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In 2012, the Directory came at a reflective time for me.

I “mined” the directory for e-mail addresses of people I knew of, especially from my years as a student at the college.  I came up with the aforementioned 287 names.

In college days, I was a worker-bee, but in no sense of the word, a party-person.  I wasn’t outgoing, in a going-out sense!

At the end of 2012 I spent a lot of time preparing sort of a retrospective on my college years, and at the New Year in 2013, I sent a reminiscing blog to the 287.  Here is that blog.

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I’ll be sending today’s blog to the same list.  Today, 7 years later, that list is 104, compared to the earlier 287.

I haven’t analyzed the attrition, but obviously I know of its existence.  People “leave” such lists for varied reasons, especially senior citizens like myself.  There are elective drop-outs, of course; but there is also the normal attrition: death, disability, changing e-mail address, ending up on the wrong end of “spam blocker” features, people no longer doing computer, on and on.  You can expand the list.

How we’ve changed.

A new Alumni directory is in preparation.  I’ve ordered it.  It will be interesting to see.

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Full moon, communication styles, ideology, whatever….

We have more ways to communicate, and as I sort of coined many years ago, “more ways to communicate less”.

I’m glad the alumni directories came out, and will come out again.  And I’m glad I did the project. We need to work at staying in touch.

Debates

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The first Presidential debate I can recall was the Kennedy-Nixon debate in 1960.  It was the first televised presidential debate in history.  I was in college, not yet 21, the then-voting age, but I do remember that it was a college event in a time of only black and white television and small screen TVs.

We now have the spectacle of the 2020 Presidential ‘debates’.  The first one was held, sort of; the second was cancelled, there is supposed to be a third, and there was one vice-presidential debate.  It has been a very odd year.

Tonight was to be a town-hall format involving both candidates.  For reasons all readers now know, tonight one network carried Biden; another carried Trump.  There was no debate.

Here’s what the Commission on Presidential Debates has to say about debates.

I may add more to this post later, commenting on a fascinating series of debates from the year 1927, which I learned about in 2001, involving three young Englishmen, debating at 31 American colleges and universities in the fall of 1927.

October 12, 2020

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A look back to the ‘good old days’.

In 2001, in the wake of 9-11-01, I had the unexpected honor of meeting Alan King-Hamilton in person, in London.  There is a story, not relevant to this piece, about how I came to meet him, and later to be honored with a copy of his notes taken during a 1927 debate tour with two Cambridge University colleagues of 31  U.S. colleges and universities in the midwest and western U.S.

Later, I augmented his notes with contemporary college and other newspaper accounts of the actual debates.  The entire collection is worth a book, which I hope someone will write – perhaps in connection with the centennial of the trip coming up in a few years.

Where the debates occurred can be seen here: King-Hamilton et al 1927001.  A 1927 photo including King-Hamilton, and his colleagues Elvin and Foot, is here: Alan King Hamilton 1927001.

Debate has a very long and honorable history, especially for making and interpretation of Law, which is the essence of government.  It is disappearing.

Alan King-Hamilton, 1927

Originalists.

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October 16: I heard that Sen. Whitehouse’s presentation on Oct 13 was very important to hear.  Here it is, very worth the time to watch.  It zeroes in on the issue as consideration of Judge Barrett races to likely confirmation.

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Monday, October 12, was day one of the consideration of Trumps third nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court.

I listened to the opening statements of the Committee, through Sen Amy Klobuchar.  Every word uttered Monday was extremely carefully crafted and recorded for use, now and later, by friend and foe, regardless of party.

This is being published as a blog Tuesday, Oct 13, before Day 2 convenes, but will not be publicized until after Election Day.

There will be no analysis in this post, other than the second sentence in the above paragraph.

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Ironically, one of my earliest blog posts at this space was May 17, 2009, when President Obama, in the first months of his first term, spoke at Notre Dame.  Doubtless the nominee was in the audience that day.  What I wrote then is here.  The links, there, are likely no longer accessible.  (My personal story about my brush with abortion is here.  ink in 1st paragraph.)

Amy Coney Barrett was most certainly in the audience that day in 2009, as part of the Notre Dame Law Faculty.  Fr. John Jenkins, had been President of Notre Dame University since 2005, and now is a Covid-19 veteran in the audience when Barrett was presented at the White House.

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Much talk will now be about how Law is interpreted in light of the original intention of the founders of this country, the people who wrote and signed the Constitution, as subsequently amended.  Thus the title of this post: “Originalists”.  Other words crop up with some frequency and are worth researching as well: “Textualists”, etc.

Just for reference, here is some data from the 1790 census, which was taken when this nation was age three.

3.9 million people, 700,000 slaves (counted as 3/5 of a person, 150,000 Native Americans (not counted), 6% of the population eligible to vote (essentially all white men of means).

The “good old days” (my opinion) were not all that good, and not at all reflective of today, with about 330,000,000 people, in one of the most diverse nations on earth.

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All the rest is argument.  The election is about three weeks from today.

October 13: Commentary on Day One, “Carefully Considering Nothing”, can be read here.

October 14: At one point in the hearings this week, chair Lindsey Graham acknowledged what has been obvious since before the nomination: once again, when the vote is taken, it will likely be straight party-line, reflecting the canyon that divides our country into warring camps.  About all I can do is offer the history of Senate confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court Justices, as compiled by the historians of the U.S. Senate.  Here it is.  Take some time to study it, and reflect on how we’ve gotten to this truly dismal place in our 233 year history as a country; and our own individual place in that history, and our country’s future.