Red State/Blue State

    The Looming Tower is the famous title of the book written about 9/11. Lots of reflections have taken place since that book was released.   What we have gained and what we lost has been reflected upon in great detail as we marked the 20 th Anniversary of 9/11 in this country.   The type of things we value were on display. Law enforcement heroes and firefighters who showed courage in the face of looming disaster were remembered and honored. The heroes of the doomed Pennsylvania flight who chose to take the plane down rather than allow the evil hijackers to assault the government were praised and lauded.   What we cherish was on full display.   How we learned to grieve is part of our legacy. The long road back to restore the pride of our New York skyline was another tale.   We even debated, in the tradition of Americans, how to remember the Towers and the legacy that they left to us. It was also a stark reminder of why we went to fight in Afghanistan.   In all of these

  Women at Work: News from "A Century of Women"  This month, women are more interested than ever in issues that pertain to a growing awareness in this country and globally that they are the backbone of the work force. And women are also driving factors in the economy. With issues of childcare and children’s health, all issues that touch us in an economic sense also affect the lives of women and families. This month, in “A Century of Women ” we look at issues of: ·          Wage Gaps: Native American women provide 40 percent of family income. There is a growing divide in the work force that sets up a huge hole for these vital cogs of talent and diversity! ·          History’s Forgotten Females: The women who worked alongside their husbands and the men who explored the globe were often forgotten. As they say, history was written by men and those who conquered! We know of women like Sacagawea, the young woman who was critical to the success of the famed journey of Lewis &

    What is this about really? Are we somehow conflating this withdrawal with the idea of America as a superpower?  Is it about American Exceptionalism and the idea that we have lost our innocence? Is this something that we will use to justify what we are doing in the world; where we are going, and what we want to be known for in the world? Just asking what we want to stand would be a good start in terms of questions going forward. This may be a conversation that needs to be had in the coming years. All of the talk,   and the hopes and aspirations were discussed and mapped out before being put into the small 21st Century online political group that was created in 2017. The thoughts & ideas came from a hopeful take on the dark reflections seen in the election of Trump in 2016. Are we a country and a people that are even capable of building a better tomorrow?   We need to be able to have this serious talk with Allies and others of good will;   The media seems to be on the o

"  I know I’m on my way out ” was the way my Dad spoke of dying the last week of his life. The people who lived through World War II had a kind of stoicism about death that carried them through to the end. The last week of his life, he would reminisce back on some of the days he spent in England during the war.. He even remembered the names of the girls he dated!  He always had stories to tell from the mighty Eighth Air Force. The stories they wanted to compile that would leave a record of what they did...what they accomplished and what they left behind... I went with my Dad to his last reunion with the mighty Eighth. Ironically enough, it was held in San Antonio complete with a visit to the Alamo.  As with the fall of the Roman Empire, nothing lasts forever. They knew that. But there was a kind of sad but bittersweet connection with the Alamo....those who died for a glorious lost cause. Remember the Alamo... In the latest war...we see the talking faces on TV and those who speak

Everyone has their ‘pet peeve’ for the egregious behavior of Trump and his supporters.  The big ones for me include these top ten: 1. Giving the Russian agent the Polling data from the 2016 campaign DIRECTLY from the  Campaign Manager Manafort and Gates…that got me…it stood out- as the definition of what “COLLUSION” is! 2. Trump’s cavalier abandonment of our Kurdish allies- meaning we cannot be counted on to stand with our allies; our word is NOT our bond! It means that US standing…is shot around the world... 3. The fact that the hypocrisy of all that Trump has done is met with silence from the GOP after all they have complained of Benghazi and Bill Clinton/ Obama’s Executive Actions Going after heath care with NO Idea of replacement by any ideas on the right! 4. The silent undermining of governmen. Steve Bannon- now Indicted- bragged of ‘deconstruction’ of governement, and all agencies including the EPA/ Education/Post Office/ State Dept/ all agencies….even Weather (See book

  For those who have never read this book, ,”The Fifth Risk” is a chillingly prophetic narrative that perfectly embodies the reasoning and set of circumstances that have led us to this point in the pandemic. Not only is there no plan for getting us out of the Pandemic-at least from the Trump Administration- there is instead a decisive narrative which Lewis lays out that allows you to understand why there is a pattern to the idea of simply ‘dropping off the cliff.’   The plan from the beginning, long before the Trump Administration even began to take power, was to break down the walls of governance that had surrounded the Washington agencies for decades prior. Of course, many of Trump’s supporters argue: That is the point! Steve Bannon proudly declared that government would be ‘de-constructed.’ And even those who ended up disagreeing with Trump heavily, such as John Kelly and Rex Tillerson, did help implement the policies that were laid out in the beginning of Trump’s tenure in offi