Showing posts with label My Take. Show all posts
Showing posts with label My Take. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

My Take: State of the Union


Last night President Trump presented his State of the Union address. 

The President stated his case for the improvement that the country has seen since he took office and also his four pillared vision for the future.

I was encouraged by The President's cross-aisle gesture:

So tonight, I am extending an open hand to work with members of both parties -- Democrats and Republicans -- to protect our citizens of every background, color, religion, and creed. My duty, and the sacred duty of every elected official in this chamber, is to defend Americans -- to protect their safety, their families, their communities, and their right to the American Dream. Because Americans are dreamers too. (from CNN.com)

But, his wide ranging claims of achieving prosperity for all (do I hear a chicken in every pot?), rising wealth, huge tax cuts, and increased jobs sound like he is doing a great job.

The evidence would suggest otherwise:


“After years of wage stagnation, we are finally seeing rising wages.”
Analysis from The Washington Post: Trump once again takes credit for something that began to happen before his presidency. Wages have been on an upward trend since 2014, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and in fact their growth slowed during the first year of Trump’s presidency.



“Just as I promised the American people from this podium 11 months ago, we enacted the biggest tax cuts and reform in American history.”
Trump repeatedly claims he passed the biggest tax cut in U.S. history, but it’s just not true.  He’s earned Four Pinocchios for this claim before — but repeated it 57 times in his first year as president.
The best way to compare tax cuts (or spending plans) over time is to measure them as a percentage of the national economy. Inflation-adjusted dollars are another option, but a percentage of gross domestic product helps put the impact of the bill into context. Trump’s tax cut, according to Treasury Department data, is nearly 0.9 percent of GDP — compared to 2.89 percent of GDP for Ronald Reagan’s 1981 tax cut. Trump’s tax cut is only the eighth-largest — and is even smaller than two of Barack Obama’s tax cuts.














































From my perspective, here is what I see:

Congress is unable to pass a budget and we have already suffered through one government shutdown with another looming a mere 8 days away.

Leading via the Tweet is not a way to run a government.

Making the news to control the news is effective but counterproductive.

The U.S. military is suffering because of the budget crisis and lack of emphasis.

Federal workers are bearing the brunt of abuse about the inefficient government, when the problem lies with political appointees.

My Take: The State of the Union is not a good a portrayed, but needs work to develop a collaborative sense of purpose and then combined action to achieve that purpose.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sunday, December 24, 2017

My Take: Upside Down Christmas Tree


Do we really need a twist on the idea of how to display a Christmas Tree?

The newest fad is the upside down Christmas Tree.

I am not a fan.

There is something unsettling about seeing a tree on its top. I am not sure why the idea of an upside down tree is being embraced as widely, except that it is just new. 

Proponents of the new approach to a traditional symbol say that it leaves more room under the tree for presents. Really? 

Trees still grow from the bottom to the top, right? We are living on Earth, not in some artificial gravity environment. 

It seems to me to that the fad is nothing but a marketing ploy to get us to get on board and replace our artificial trees.

My Take: NO to the upside down Christmas Tree. I like my trees displayed the way they grow. Hopefully the new display techniques is just a passing fad.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

My Take: What Does it Mean?


We are a distracted nation. Our passions are consuming us regarding disrespecting the national anthem and our flag, yet the world is scarcely taking notice. The enemies of peace loving peoples are continuing their assault upon the very fabric of our society.

Added to this, there have been devastating hurricanes and earthquakes across the face of the world. Our news media has lost focus on the relief efforts and have stopped encouraging us, as a nation, to step forward and support the rebuilding efforts for millions of Americans and all nationalities across the Caribbean.

The Presidential Oath of Office, as prescribed by the Constitution, reads as follows: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Note: There is no evidence to confirm that Thomas Jefferson
actually penned this statement
The key part, in my mind, is the very end: ". . . and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."

This statement, by itself, defines the ultimate job of the President.

This, then, becomes the point where it is important to separate the person from the position. It is OK for the person that occupies the office of President to have an opinion and to feel strongly about issues, but  as the President and the defender of the Constitution, protecting the right to disagree and dissent means supporting those who take a contrary position in a professional and understanding manner. 

My Take: We live in a country where the right to disagree is protected by the Constitution. This is materially different from a monarchy or a despot-controlled country where personal rights are not protected.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Thursday, August 24, 2017

My Take: Shuttering the Government


The ultimate sign of political weakness is contained in the threat to shut down the government. 

In a New York Times article, Trump Widens Rift With Congress as Critical Showdowns Loom, the President  ". . . threatened a government shutdown over his long-promised border wall and attacked key lawmakers whose votes he needs heading into a crucial legislative period." Trump reportedly said: "Build that wall. Now the obstructionist Democrats would like us not to do it. But believe me, if we have to close down our government, we're building that wall." As reported by Wake up to Politics

It is easy to say that I'm going to "take my ball and go home." But, it shows an immaturity of thought and action that imposes penalties upon all Americans by shuttering the government in order to attempt to force through an unpopular and singly focused opinion. 

To make such a statement, with the new budget year just over a month away, is frightening especially since the President is blessed with a Republican controlled Congress that he can't get along with.

The one positive thing that the President may be accomplishing is reviving bipartisan cooperation--against him!

Why do some politicians believe that being in elected position gives them the right to impose their narrow beliefs upon others rather than developing and inclusive atmosphere where everyone is better off living under the rights and privileges that the Constitution provides?

My Take: Shutting down the government because it can be done is not living up to the inauguration day oath: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

My Take: Making the news


The White House
I just have to comment on the wild White House weekend.

It is hard to remember that the current administration has been in office only six months and a few long days.

The only constant seems to be a virtual merry-go-round of faces moving through key administration positions.

During the past week or so, it has been a truly revolving door of people in key positions. 

And then there are the tweets from the President. Daily insights into what matters most to the President. 

From yesterday, the President tweeted:

Only the Fake News Media and Trump enemies want me to stop using Social Media (110 million people). Only way for me to get the truth out!

And on Monday after the changes in The White House:

A great day at the White House!

I have no idea where everything is heading but I am sure of one thing: 

Making the news is controlling the news!

The President is certainly controlling the news!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Friday, July 14, 2017

My Take: White House Sideshow


Upon returning from vacation, I was saddened to learn that the circus sideshow that has become the White House continues unabated.

The continuing news about the Russia investigation and entanglements is making the entire American system the laughing stock of the world. 

The bigger problem is that the focus upon the disclosures and allegations is distracting us and the news media from the real news happening around the world. 

We: the news media, people, and government of the United States, have become so inwardly focused that we are ineffectively dealing with activities around the world. When damage control becomes the main diplomatic activity of the day, then we have become totally reactionary and are not setting policy and pushing programs and focusing the direction of the world.

The inward focus means that the United States has effectively abrogated its world leadership and allowing other countries are setting the direction and respond to international issues while the U.S. deals with its internal crisis.  

We need to set policy, not be totally in the respond mode to other's actions.

My Take: The Sideshow that has become the White House needs to end and the business of governing must begin.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD


Friday, April 28, 2017

My Take: Taxes


I am not a fan of taxes.

It seems that everyone has a new tax plan. I like hearing that at least some of the plans are to reduce taxes.

How can that be bad?

Having just made it through another tax season, the wounds to my personal bank account are still very fresh. I welcome plans to reduce taxes.

I am patriotic and I pay my taxes, but I know that I would be stimulating the economy more if my tax bite were lower.

Why do some people believe we need more taxes anyway?

I was encouraged by the recently proposed tax reduction plan. Sure, it may not make a lot of sense given that we have a wall rivaling the Great Wall to construct, but if the government can get by with less, I'm a big supporter!

Simplifying the tax structure may actually increase revenue by ensuing that everyone pays their fair share and that the highest per capita earners do not get away paying less than middle income earners.

My Take: Let's reform the tax structure and require government to live within its means.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Thursday, April 6, 2017

My Take: Loss of Privacy


Soon, I expect many more ads to start appearing on my computer because Internet privacy has been repealed. 

My service providers are going to begin selling my browsing history to make a buck.

I feel as if my privacy is being invaded. 

It is like people can rummage through my personal mail and then sell lists of whom I receive mail from to advertisers.

It is wrong. 

I'm thinking about a VPN to try to keep at least some privacy. Big corporations do not need to know when I am planning to go on vacation--that becomes a security issue because I plan all of my trips on line. Cruises, get-aways and the like.

Even my car repairs and home repairs are subjects of internet searches. Also, all of my medical doctors now have web services that I use to schedule appointments and renew prescriptions. Do I really need big business to know these types of personal things?

No.

Just like I do not like having my USPS mail examined.

My Take: What happened to the idea of privacy?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Friday, March 3, 2017

My Take: Breaking the Deadlock


I like the words and the thought behind "Get America Moving Again!" They apparently date back to the Kennedy-Nixon era, and were coined in a speech given by then Senator Kennedy just before the election of 1960. The words are in the last line of the speech. I believe the words are true today. The phrase was later used during the Carter election campaign. 

Washington seems to be deadlocked in right now. 


I saw it yesterday as the minority leader of the House and the Speaker squared off with differing visions to the present and the future.

The minority party appears bent on obstructionism--not allowing anything to happen without dragging it out as long a possible.

The majority party cannot seem to get out of its own way and get programs and budgets moving to get programs implemented. With every new turn, another call for an investigation slows the process of getting America moving down to a glacial crawl. 

Sadly, the election of 2018 begins in just a few short months! We will have to go through the dysfunctional process yet again and precious little will get accomplished by our representatives.

Contributing to the deadlock may be that the administration has not filled nearly 2,000 jobs! This was reported last week by CNN in Trump still has to fill nearly 2,000 vacancies. It could be a major jobs program!

I found a link to apply for a position in the administration. Apply here

I'm not keen of commuting into D.C., and I enjoy my current employment--so I am not planning to apply, but there seem to be many jobs available!

My Take: Maybe if the jobs get filled, with competent people, America will get moving again and then, maybe, America will be great again.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

My Take: Resistance is Futile


The situation that developed in Washington, DC, last evening with the firing of the acting Attorney General and replacing her with another person in the span of about 15 minutes demonstrated everything that I was afraid of with the new administration. This is not a taping of the reality TV show The Apprentice, this is government in a dangerous and complex world.

Signing the Travel Ban Executive Order
Briefly, the situation that transpired was documented in a NY Times article titled, Trump Fires Acting Attorney General Who Defied Him. From my uninformed vantage point, the problem centered on the fact that the administration did not vet the Immigration Executive order through the Department of Justice before issuing it. 

The drama could have been avoided had the Attorney General been given the opportunity to comment on the legality of the immigration ban and they could have been asked whether she could have support it. The drama would not have played out in the news and the acting Attorney General could have provided her reservations and then quietly resigned rather have the splashy after-dark drama occur which further obfuscates what the administration is trying to accomplish.

Travel Ban Airport Demonstrations
The type of theatrics which are documented in the Times article are an unnecessary sideshow and undermine confidence in the administration to work collaboratively and to be inclusive of those who possess an alternative opinion.

This Executive Order has become one of the most contentious of the new administration partly because of the shock effect. Homeland Security was unable to prepare for implementation and it was unevenly enforced. Vetting the Order might have enabled it to be handled evenly and reduced the confusion associated with its implementation.

My Take: Regardless of the opinion of the legal experts, the Travel Ban Executive Order was going to be signed. The administration could have done a much better job, however, of ensuring they were aware of the potential backlash and human toll its promulgation was going to cause.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Thursday, January 26, 2017

My Take: Really, A Wall?


I do not have great memories of places that are walled.


Berlin Wall Exhibit
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum
I remember the Berlin Wall! President Ronald Reagan succeeded in ending the Cold War and that brought the wall down. 

Then there was the Kurt Russell movie Escape from New York. A scary movie about a wall keeping criminals in Manhattan and the President crash landing in the middle of the chaos.

Decades ago, when I was in junior high school (this was the time before there were things called middle schools) I remember that in history class (yes, it was history and not social studies) I remember discussions about how the United States was the greatest country on the planet and we were fortunate to have the longest undefended borders. Both the borders with Mexico and Canada were undefended. I believe there were places along the both borders where crossing between countries was as easy as driving across county lines in the United States.

Later, I remember that while stationed in Germany during my Air Force career, one day the family was on a trip to the Maginot Line driving along back roads of Germany and suddenly, we crossed into France. There was not a formal border crossing--that is during the 1990's. It made me a bit uneasy that crossing countries even in the time before the European union could be done so easily. The Maginot Line was a wall of sorts--it failed miserably.

And now, the United States is about to build a wall along the Mexican Border. Walls are designed to keep someone out and others in. That is a simple fact of walls. There are stronger than fences. Robert Frost wrote a poem, Mending Wall, about how walls crumble. The poem is a notional conversation between two neighbors walking the stone wall dividing their property and repairing it. One neighbor wonders why there is a wall at all. 


He only says, "Good fences make good neighbours."
Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
If I could put a notion in his head:
"Why do they make good neighbours? Isn't it
Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.
Before I built a wall I'd ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offence.


China has the Great Wall, although it is of little practical use now. Cities during medieval times used to be walled. Castles and Keeps were walled to prevent the roaming hordes from stealing in.

What are we walling in or out? Are we sure?

Have we lost the American Dream and should we now retire the Statue of Liberty that great monument dedicated to the inclusiveness of America?

Mending Wall begins:


Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,
And spills the upper boulders in the sun;
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.
  
And that is My Take. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

My Take: Projecting Power


Air Force One
Reagan Library
I was there, recently, at the Reagan Library and I saw it first hand. I saw and touched, and entered the aircraft that served as Air Force One during the Reagan administration.

It is beautiful. 

When it carries the President of the United States, it is the most important aircraft in the world!

I read with fascination yesterday how the President-elect was making an issue about the purchase of two new aircraft to serve as Air Force One

It is important to note that the current aircraft are almost 30 years old. There are a lot of improvements to technology which have occurred since these aircraft first flew.

When Air Force One touches down in a foreign country, it is a statement. The President of the United States has arrived and no other county's leader arrives in such a manner. It recently infuriated the Chinese and caused an incident. 

But Air Force one is more than transportation, It is an extension of the Office of the President. It is a working area that allows the conduct of the Executive branch to continue during long and otherwise non-productive flights. 

Air Force One is as much a projection of national power as sending an aircraft carrier into some country's backyard or flying B-52's along a disputed border area. It makes a statement: The U.S. is here. 

My Take: The President of the United States should not be transported in a 30 year old aircraft. Project power and prestige with a new symbol of national power. The President-elect needs to focus on big issues.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

My Take: the Ballot Arrives


My Sample Ballot
A copy of the Official Ballot for my voting area arrived in the mail yesterday.

The past two years of political position jockeying have melted away and the reality of the decisions the are going to be made in a few short weeks are now squarely in focus. 

The debates that weren't, the mud slinging, the ads on TV will soon be over. Since I do not live in a battleground state, I have not been subjected to the complete ferocity of the campaign. I am sure that those whose lives are tied to states like Ohio, Florida, andCalifornia are  being subjected to a never-ending tirade of advertisements. And they cannot be good.

I have heard some disparaging comments about the upcoming election, for instance. "There are 300 million people in the U.S. and these two are the best we can find for President?"

My Take: Decision time is rapidly approaching!


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

My Take: The First Presidential Debate



How many times did I hear "It was the worst thing ever?" And it was. I also heard "surreal" used in the post debate discussions.

I heard Trump flip-flop on the tax return situation? He went from  "No" to "If she does, I will."

There were a lot of statements made during the debate. Many false, some true based upon the political fact checking site Politifact. The New York Times also published an article this morning fact checking the debate. 

I felt that Lester Holt had great questions, but it was clear that at least one of the candidates never took a debating class in school. He was thuggish and talked over top of the others when they were speaking, while there are some who appreciate that approach, it is not conducive to addressing the issues.

In my estimation Trump generally overstated facts or just made statement that had no basis in fact, like the following statement he made about Hillary and ISIS, from the New York Times:

On Mr. Trump saying Mrs. Clinton had been “fighting ISIS your entire adult life.” 
In reality, the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, began as an Al Qaeda affiliate that sprang up in Iraq as the Sunni insurgency amid the power vacuum created by the American invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein’s government in 2003. It was largely defeated and pushed into Syria during the Obama administration’s first term, when Mrs. Clinton was secretary of state. It eventually split from the original Al Qaeda and rebranded itself as ISIS, sweeping back into Iraq in 2014, when she was out of office.
—Charlie Savage
I was looking for four things during the debate: leadership, integrity, context and details. Here are my grades for the candidates based upon what I heard:

                                      Trump            Clinton

Leadership        -                 +

Integrity         -                 +                   

Context           -                 -

Details           -                 -

In terms winner or loser? Neither candidate clearly won, but Trump was the bigger loser. His grasp of context and basic facts highlighted his lack of preparation and his "I'll just wing it" approach to something as important as the debate. He apparently believes that debates are a performance and not something materially important to the process of selecting a President.

One statement which clearly demonstrates his failure to grasp context was the statement about the $14 million loan he received form his father to start his business. The New York Times fact checker details it as follows:

On Mr. Trump’s loan from his father.
Mrs. Clinton said it was $14 million in loans from Mr. Trump’s father that helped him get his real estate business off the ground. Mr. Trump said it was just a “small” loan. A recent Wall Street Journal article notes a series of loans and gifts that Mr. Trump received from his father, citing a casino disclosure document from 1985 showing that Mr. Trump owed his father and his father’s company about $14 million.
—Steve Eder

Seriously, someone who can call a $14 million loan small lacks context. 

Trump also said, in the Spin Room, after the debate: "I'm smart for paying no taxes." So a man who would be President believes he is smart for failing to pay taxes? 

Who won and who lost? 

My Take: Chuck Todd, the moderator of Meet the Press, said it best--there was a big loser tonight and it was the American people.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sunday, September 25, 2016

My Take: The Debate


The first Presidential Debate between two of the candidates running for the nation's highest elected office is scheduled for tomorrow. I wish the top four candidates had been included; however, it will have to do with just two.


What am I looking for from the debate?

Leadership, integrity, context, details.

I actually can sum up my four wants in four words--but they are big words.

Leadership--one of the candidates needs to be a leader. Not a backbiting slanderer, but a leader who can rise above the muck slinging and take the shots and jabs while not responding in kind to ensure that their voice is heard as a voice of a leader amid the cacophony around them.

Integrity--this one seems to be the toughest. I am already biased that neither candidate has the integrity necessary to be the leader of the free world. Hopefully I will be surprised, but at every turn both sides have shown a propensity for fact twisting and deception.

Context--too many phrases are stolen from context to remake the world into an imaginary image. The candidates need to provide correct context for their remarks and not just make emotionally appealing or repulsive statements. 

Details--the time for the broad generalizations for programs is over. It is time to indicate how the next President will work with the Congress to enact legislation. Presidents do not pass laws and do not fund programs--the Congress does. Both candidates need to provide details of the programs and the plans to have them enacted.

It is crunch time. The polling places in some states are already open for early voting. 

My Take: It is time for this campaign to become about real issues and plans and stop focusing on the peripheral and incidental problems.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Thursday, September 1, 2016

My Take: The Media is Selecting Our Next President


I have been very busy lately with the pace of life speeding up as school starts and summer ends. I have even lost the "bubble" on the Presidential Olympics.

Do You Know These People?
One of them will likely be our next President
I have noticed that the two "horse" race seems to be broadening.

In some of the latest polls, which I view on RealClearPolitics, there are four names in the race.

The current face-off between the front runners is a media creation. Uneven coverage of the issues during the primaries and coupled with the sensational antics of both of the current major party standard bearers caused the electorate to focus on "form" and overlook "substance."

The same is happening now. But, may be beginning to change.

I have heard commentators suggest that both of the leading candidates are flawed Presidential contenders--yet, the media, when showing poll results continues to focus only on those two even though there are at least two additional candidates garnering up to 20 percent of the potential vote (depending of course on which poll results you choose to view).

Even the scheduled presidential debates only recognize the two major party candidates. The media is limiting the access of Americans, the voting public, the We the People to a predefined paradigm without recognizing that many Americans are asking for alternatives.

Can you name all four of the candidates who received at least 5 percent of the interest as recently as the August 30 NBC News Poll?

My Take: Keep your options open and do not let the media shape you views or vote!Search for the truth by digging deep!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

My Take: And the Votes are In


Well, despite what I wrote a few days short of a year ago, the Republican nominee for President was been crowned last evening. No longer do we have to hear the news media reporters talk about the "presumptive" nominee.

Donald Trump is the Republican Nominee for President of the United States. 

The Republican primary season is over, the results are in and have been confirmed. 

Half of the stage is set for what is shaping up to be one of the most divisive presidential elections in the history of our country.

Voter turnout in November could be either astronomical or it could be lethargic.

My Take: There is change afoot. We, as a country as a society, are losing tolerance and becoming reactive and afraid. I have to believe it is a by product of the past 8 years although I do not fully understand how or why. I find the news reported battle between the old guard of the Republican Party and the newer members interesting. I have to admit--the old guard are trying to protect something that has been largely ineffective for the past 12 or more years. Maybe they need to embrace the change, for the good of the party--but then, it threatens their positions. 

Perhaps, we are seeing the evolution of the two-party system into a multi-party free-for-all?

Keep your eyes open--there could be significant backlash in November.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Friday, July 8, 2016

My Take: Police Shootings


I read a very difficult editorial in the New York Times this morning.  It was titled "What White America Fails to See," and I found it difficult to internalize and accept.

Yet, I know there are truths contained inside the words that Michael Eric Dyson wrote and I feel his hurt and frustration. 

I wish that we were a multi-cultural nation of equals. I wish the concept of America being a "salad bowl" was actually true or even close to being correct--but clearly, it is not. Multiculturalism is a difficult concept and it is clear from the virulent words of at least one candidate for president, not understood or fully appreciated. 

Maybe it was easier when America was "melting pot." Even if the concept was a facade, we believed that we could operate from a singular point of view across different ethnicities. I can see how America was built upon the backs of the newest groups of immigrants in history. The cities and the railroads and the critical infrastructure were built by those newest to America. Yes, that a gross generalization, but fundamentally accurate. As the newest immigrants assimilated, they became Americans and were, mostly, accepted. 

But some groups, cultures, were never accepted; hence, multiculturalism has always been with us but the majority were blind to the inequity.

The police shootings of the past two years highlight the cultural differences. The author of the editorial this morning suggests that we view other cultures through binoculars. That resonated with me. We watch from a safe distance and make judgements without experiencing the the reality of life happening where the binoculars are looking. 

Some of the hard words that he wrote cut deeply. 

You hold an entire population of Muslims accountable for the evil acts of a few. Yet you rarely muster the courage to put down your binoculars, and with them, your corrosive self-pity, and see what we see. You say religions and cultures breed violence stoked by the complicity of silence because peoples will not denounce the villains who act in their names.
Yet you do the same. You do not condemn these cops; to do so, you would have to condemn the culture that produced them — the same culture that produced you. Black people will continue to die at the hands of cops as long as we deny that whiteness can be more important in explaining those cops’ behavior than the dangerous circumstances they face.
"Black Lives Matter." I have heard many smug people, including some political candidates, insist that "All Lives Matter" and I too, for a while was blind to the deeper meaning of the cry. Yet, even though my binoculars are still firmly in my hand, I am appalled at the events of the past two days and I am fully aware that a white person in either of the situations in Louisiana or Minnesota would not have been executed by the police.  And that is the problem. 

I watched the video of the Minnesota shooting. There are a lot of things in that video that are just wrong.

My Take: It was wrong! It was murder. Even I am afraid.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Saturday, July 2, 2016

My Take: When Serving Brownies is Bad


Brownies
I love it when Chris makes up a batch of brownies. I usually means we are headed somewhere to meet with friends and that there will be an assortment of desserts.

I especially love brownies served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup covered by a mound of whipped cream.

And now I learn that a third grader in Collingwood, New Jersey, was subjected to police interrogation because of a simple statement made in reference to the delicious dessert being served at the end of the school-year party.

Collingwood, NY
According to The Inquirer in an article titled Why police were called to a South Jersey third-grade class party, a 9 year-old boy made a comment about brownies being served to the class, in reference to the end of the year party. Another child exclaimed that it was a racist remark and police were called.

Sadly it does not end there.

"The boy's father was contacted by Collingswood police later in the day. Police said the incident had been referred to the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency. The student stayed home for his last day of third grade."

All about brownies? 

It is clearly a policy that was poorly implemented. The article indicates that police have been called to investigate incidents was many as 5 times per day in a school district with a total enrollment of 1,875 students. Given that there are only 14,000 residents in the borough, I cannot imagine there are too many police officers remaining in the community to handle more serious matters.

One mother opined "Are we going to have to send kids to school with a lawyers name and number?"

As a society we are losing our perspective and the ability to resolve disputes at the lowest level. There is too often a rush to call police and a lawyer. 

My Take: The police and the courts need to begin to help people develop common sense by enforcing regulations against frivolous police reports and lawsuits. 

Brownies do not have any other name!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

My Take: Who Will Speak Up?


I have been shocked by the apparent mood in America which would condone discrimination and the exclusion of particular identifiable classes of people from the protections of The Constitution.

There are some in the country who want to build a wall, exclude certain religious classes of people from entering the country, and limit other classes of people from access to public services.

This concerns me and as I was turning these proposals over in my mind, I was reminded of a statement that I learned many years ago. 




The words are from by Martin Niemoller, an outspoken protestant pastor.  

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Socialist.


Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— 

Because I was not a Trade Unionist.


Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— 

Because I was not a Jew.


Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

My Take: There are parallels to America today.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

My Zimbio
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