Decency
Yesterday I planned to participate in the 24 hour vacation from American commerce. I thought (and think) it a good idea, and publicized at least twice the ideas (listed in Feb 24 and 28 posts). It’s now a day later and time for my personal report.
My wife would attest, I think, that if the American economy depended on my personal shopping we’d be in depression. It’s not my thing.
I almost passed on my daily cup of coffee at Caribou yesterday, but didn’t. I usually leave a dollar tip; yesterday it was $5. American business to me is mostly young people who are servers, cashiers, and the like, and they make precious little. In fact, they don’t know this, but they are an important part of my day, more so than just the coffee.
Service workers of any age are the first in line as victims of slashing ‘waste’, though without these largely low wage workers everyone’s quality of life would suffer.
Otherwise, I mostly stayed with the program yesterday, though all this practically meant was either doing the needed shopping the previous day, or the next….
Two things I was going to do yesterday, I deferred: I was going to pick some “targets” for an excellent commentary about the Target chain, but why not just share again the column I shared in the Feb. 24 post: op ed on DEI. One of my “targets” was going to be the local Target. Why not just communicate with the corporate headquarters in Minneapolis? I’ve known Target since the mid 1960s when I lived near one of the five original stores in suburban Minneapolis. (Target today has 1600 stores nationwide. I note that a reader of yesterday’s post, Carlo, left a comment about Target. See comments below.)
The second action, which I will do today, was to write four folks with a considerably larger ‘footprint’ than mine with some information from 1959 I think they will find useful about ‘the rule of law’, now so under attack in our country. I last sent this around to this list on February 14, 2025 (scroll down).
Of course, there remains the remainder of February 28, 2025.
I published yesterdays post at 12:30 a.m., and after noon, was when I learned of the outrageous spectacle in the Oval Office which is front page news everywhere. We have not heard the last about this outrage, and it is possible that the Bully Response to any difference of opinion may have met its match this time, and in addition be an excellent teaching opportunity for those of us who believe that persons deserve decent treatment, and that bullies are losers and cowards.
We live in what has been, with all its many faults, a wonderful place, possessing only four percent of the world’s population, but controlling near one-fourth of the world’s wealth. Wealth of UN Countries. Another of the timeless sayings I remember from my youth is “being too big for your britches“. This applies to countries too.
I try to keep in perspective that each of us is only one, and we all depend on each other regardless of how omnipotent we might feel.
If you’re a Minnesotan, here’s a listing of contact information for our elected state and national officials: Legislators 2025. Exercise your franchise. Here, from 1971, are some tips for effective communication with legislators: Political letter writing tips 1971. (There are endless tip sheets on this topic, as you know, and 1971 is a long time ago, but the elements never change. To communicate, you have to actually communicate, regardless of the medium or the message!)
The essential tip, as Michelle Obama so memorably said last summer, “Do something.” Every day….
COMMENTS:
from Tim Snyder on yesterday at the White House: here about five minutes. This came as a freebie from Tim’s “Thinking About” Substack. I think it is accessible as a single use. Tim is an outstanding resource.
from Paul: I have been frustrated, depressed and angered by the dangerous actions unfolding in our nation and around the world. It is shocking. I am wondering what I can do to stop what is happening to America. There is an atmosphere of hate being fomented that will have long lasting consequences. There is demonizing of the vulnerable that has happened elsewhere in history. Apathy, acquiescence, ignoring reality is not the remedy.
from Carlo: I took part in the Blackout. I enjoyed being home and not buying anything with the rest of the folks.
Then I saw online that Hobby Lobby was permanently closing one of its MN stores. I said, “Yes!” I decided years ago to boycott Hobby Lobby. I had my own personal boycott. Yesterday I spoke with a woman who had also decided to boycott Hobby Lobby years ago. That was surprising. I decided I will not spend my money where I and others are not treated with dignity and respect. I feel good about my decision about Hobby Lobby. And, I am never going back to Target. Years ago, I wrote their previous CEO after they publicly donated to the Republican Party and asked him, “Why do you want to tick off over half the people who walk through your doors with a donation to one party?”
With them rescinding DEI even though black women benefit the least from DEI, I have decided to permanently boycott them.
from Ellen: I saw the debacle of the Oval Office shakedown of Zelensky by Trump and Vance on the 28th.
from Remi: As I had feared, Zelensky was lured to Washington for this purpose. It was nothing less than a setup—an ambush meticulously orchestrated and executed by Vance, who had claimed that Ukraine was parading foreign leaders for propaganda tours. I could not be more disappointed and disgusted.
We do not need to act like frightened children. We have the power to stop this Chaos. It is time to ask our representatives to do their jobs.
Following are the things that a president can and cannot do:
The Constitution limits what a president can do in several ways, including:
Making laws:
Congress has the power to make laws, not the president.
Declaring war: Congress has the power to declare war, not the president.
Overturning laws: Congress has the power to overturn laws, not the president.
Taking over powers from other branches:
The president cannot take over powers from other branches, such as Congress or the courts.
Sidestepping checks and balances:
The president cannot use executive orders to sidestep checks and balances.
The Constitution also limits the president in other ways, including:
The president can veto specific legislative acts, but Congress can override vetoes with a two-thirds majority.
The Senate advises and consents on key executive and judicial appointments.
The Senate approves or ratifies treaties.
The president can be removed from office through impeachment and conviction for treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.
Please share.
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Republicans are again upsetting the American people with their Save ACT, where married women are going to be going to be required to produce their birth certificate to vote. THAT IS ABSOLUTE NONSENSE.
The 19th Amendment, passed on June 4, 1919, gave women the right to vote. No ifs, ands or buts, no conditions.
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Mr. Trump’s discussion about Canada becoming the 51st State is nonsense. The conditions regarding statehood are spelled out in the Admissions Clause of the US Constitution. Those conditions do not exist and are highly unlikely to exist anytime in the future.
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One thing I do not understand is why our representatives didn’t start the process of amending the constitution regarding qualifications for a person to run for president in 2020. The constitution states that a person must be a natural-born citizen, at least 35 years of age, and have lived in the United States for 14 years. That’s it! I feel some additional requirements are needed. For example, a person cannot be a felon, convicted of fraud, have bankruptcies, be indicted, participate in an insurrection, etc.
Amending the Constitution is not an easy process. It takes a 2/3 vote of the United States House of Representatives, a 2/3 vote of the US Senate, and a 3/4 vote of the states to ratify an amendment. The president is not involved at all except to sign it into law.
I remember debating whether 18-year-olds should have the right to vote when I was in the eighth grade, and I believe that was in 1958. It took until July 1, 1971, for the ratification of the 26th Amendment, when 18-year-olds gained the right to vote. I was told that that was the fastest-passing amendment in our history. I haven’t verified that, but that’s what I was told.
In my opinion, it’s time for us to update the constitution, and this is as good a time as any.
And I would like to state that we shouldn’t be afraid; we have the tools and just have to use them.