Unfit for Public Office

There seem to be more than a few candidates for public office that meet the qualifications for the label: unfit for public office. Unfortunately, there are those in the current congress who likewise meet the qualifications.

Let me focus on two candidates for the presidency,: Trump and DeSantis. 

We know a lot about Trump and despite his bluster, and promises of doing great things, arguably he actually made some positive accomplishments during his term. That written, however,  I believe Tucker Carlson has the best assessment of the former President as published in a Washington Post article:

Carlson, who had shared private meetings with the president and defended him on-air, added in a text: “I hate him passionately. … What he’s good at is destroying things. He’s the undisputed world champion of that. He could easily destroy us if we play it wrong.” - The Washington Post

The aptitude for destroying things seems to be the position of the Republican Party. Look at the current Republican-controlled House of Representatives. The Republicans seemingly have no platform except to destroy the United States by forcing a default on the national debt. 

Turning to DeSantis. He meets the definition of forcing his narrow vision onto people while telling them he is making them free. It is a classic bait and switch. He is making Floridians free; free from choice. 

I quote from Letters from an American about how DeSantis is imposing his draconian view of society onto Floridians:

When Florida governor Ron DeSantis last March signed the law commonly called the “Don’t Say Gay” law, he justified it by its title: the “Parental Rights in Education” law. It restricted the ability of schoolteachers to mention sexual orientation or gender identity through grade 3, and opponents noted that its vagueness would lead teachers to self-censor.

Under the guise of protecting children, DeSantis echoed authoritarians like Hungary’s Victor Orbán and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, who claim that democracy’s principle that all people are equal—including sexual minorities—proves that democracy is incompatible with traditional religious values. Promising to take away LGBTQ Americans’ rights offered a way to consolidate a following to undermine democracy.

DeSantis sought to shore up his position by mandating a whitewashed version of a mythic past. At his request, in March the Florida legislature approved a law banning public schools or private businesses from teaching people to feel guilty for historical events in which members of their race behaved poorly, the Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees (Stop WOKE) Act.

In July the Florida legislature passed a law mandating that the books in Florida’s public school cannot be pornographic and must be suited to “student needs”; a state media specialist would be responsible for approving classroom materials. An older law makes distributing obscene or pornographic materials to minors a felony that could lead to up to 5 years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Unsure what books are acceptable and worried about penalties, school officials in at least two counties, Manatee and Duval, directed teachers to remove books from their classrooms or cover them until they can be reviewed. 

In January, DeSantis set out to remake the New College of Florida, a public institution known for its progressive values and inclusion of LGBTQ students, into an activist Christian school. He replaced six of the college’s thirteen trustees with far-right allies and forced out the college president in favor of a political ally, giving him a salary of $699,000, more than double what his predecessor made.

On February 28, right-wing activist Christopher Rufo, the man behind the furor over Critical Race Theory and one of DeSantis’s appointees to the New School board, tweeted: “We will be shutting down low-performing, ideologically-captured academic departments and hiring new faculty. The student body will be recomposed over time: some current students will self-select out, others will graduate; we’ll recruit new students who are mission-aligned.” 

Then, this Tuesday, the board voted to abolish diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the school. DeSantis has promised to defund all DEI programs at public colleges and universities in Florida.  

The attempt to take over schools and reject the equality that lies at the foundation of liberal democracy is now moving toward the more general tenets of authoritarianism. This week, one Republican state senator proposed a bill that would require bloggers who write about DeSantis, his Cabinet officers, or members of the Florida legislature, to register with the state; another proposed outlawing the Democratic Party.

DeSantis and those like him are trying to falsify our history. They claim that the Founders established a nation based on traditional hierarchies, one in which traditional Christian rules were paramount. They insist that their increasingly draconian laws to privilege people like themselves are simply reestablishing our past values.

Be careful for whom you vote. There are wolves seeking to destroy democracy. The promise of "Making America Great Again" just may result in disaster.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Closing a Chapter of History

I am not a Royals watcher, but I have always appreciated the steady leadership that Queen Elizabeth II provided to the United Kingdom and the world.

Through all of the travails, she provided was a constant not only for the United Kingdom, but for the free world. 

I now understand the saying, "The Queen is dead, long live the King."

And history will remember her leadership through seven decades.

A chapter of history is closing and her relatively sudden passing provides an opportunity to pause and reflect upon our own endeavors and direction. I wish the United States had leaders committed to bettering the country rather than forcing their own personal biases upon others.

The next days will allow us to reflect upon our own leadership as we remember Queen Elizabeth II. The world is complex and we need leaders that can work across the spectrum from domestic to international and serve the greater good of the people of both the United States and the world. We must not elect "one trick pony" leaders but rather those who can operate in the world.

Rest In Peace Queen Elizabeth II.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Tackling a Tough and Sensitive Problem

 Addressing the carnage being caused in this country by fire-arms had become a pressing social issue. 

The problem is that people are looking at only a portion of the problem and that, many times, is through a partisan political lens that imposes biases upon a solution. It is time to throw off the chains of partisan politics and work together to make a meaningful impact on the problem. 

Is there a problem? A correspondence in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) reported:

The previous analysis, which examined data through 2016, showed that firearm-related injuries were second only to motor vehicle crashes (both traffic-related and nontraffic-related) as the leading cause of death among children and adolescents, defined as persons 1 to 19 years of age.4 Since 2016, that gap has narrowed, and in 2020, firearm-related injuries became the leading cause of death in that age group. From 2019 to 2020, the relative increase in the rate of firearm-related deaths of all types (suicide, homicide, unintentional, and undetermined) among children and adolescents was 29.5% — more than twice as high as the relative increase in the general population. (Highlighting added)

Let me restate what was reported in the NEJM: the leading cause of death among children and adolescents (persons aged 1-19 years) since 2020 is fire-arm related.

So let's agree, there is a problem.

I believe there are three things, which would not violate the Second Amendment of the Constitution, that can be done to reduce the fire-arms related deaths in America. Restrictions that have legally been placed upon Constitutional rights in the past an--for instance it is unlawful to use our Free Speech right and yell fire in a theater, therefore, it is permissible to ensure our freedoms are practiced in a socially responsible manner. 

So, what do I think we as a country can begin to do?

Step 1

Increase funding for mental health services focused upon the adolescent age group. This includes increasing  access to Mental Health treatment in schools to both identify and assist troubled students--those who both desire to kill others or those who might do harm to themselves. We need to dedicate resources to creatively help this age group while also removing the stigma associated with receiving mental health care.

Step 2

Why can anyone buy large amounts of ammunition? Why can teenagers buy large amounts of ammunition designed only to kill people because it is used in assault weapons? Fix this. Significantly increase taxes on assault weapon ammunition and limit the number of rounds that can be purchased. Also, establish 21 years old the minimum age limit to purchase ammunition used in assault weapons. The drinking age and the age to buy cigarettes in 21, why are youths allowed to purchase ammunition which is designed to be used in weapons designed only to kill people? I would advocate that shotgun ammunition and .22 caliber ammunition still be available to younger people for target and sport activities. Ammunition purchases should be entered into a federal database much as purchasing some decongestant over-the-counter drugs are tracked.

Step 3

Create and enforce limits on the purchase of weapons. All weapons! The limits should include a waiting period, a background check, and a minimum age to purchase (perhaps 21), but not possess fire-arms. In parts of this country fire-arms are used for protection in wilderness and open areas and by youthful hunters. Weapons designed for hunting game or self-protection should be allowed for younger persons, but they should not be able to possess assault fire-arms, nor should they be able to purchase weapons. 

Something must be done. We must not abridge rights granted to us by the Constitution, but we can ensure that the Right to Bear Arms is accomplished in a socially responsible manner in order to stop the carnage and help protect those members of our society that are unable to protect themselves. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Serving at the Pleasure of the President

I read an article yesterday about two Trump appointees who do not understand how government works. Mehmet Oz and Herschel Walker were appointed to the President's Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition. This week, President Biden asked them to resign because they are candidates for federal office in their home states. 

The referenced article is from CNN. 

Biden requests Mehmet Oz and Herschel Walker resign from presidential council or be terminated

Both refused the President's request.

Wow. Clearly both men do not understand that Presidential appointees serve at the pleasure of the President! They are not elected officials. According to the article, President Biden has a stated policy that individuals running for federal office cannot serve on Presidential committees and councils. 

Both Oz and Walker made statements which misconstrued the truth suggesting that political motives were at work. What is scary is that both are candidates for the Senate and do not understand the basics of being an unelected person on a Presidential commission or council. Just what we need, more senators who do not understand how government works and who are intent on pushing their own narrow definition of what America should be.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Ending as it Began

 The year, is ending the way it began with the news being about COVID. 

It seems that the country continues to blame the government when the citizens are unwilling to do what they are asked to do to stem the infection. It is kinda f like the experts are saying do this--and the uninformed are saying No, we don't want to and then complaining that COVID is running out of control. 

That, friends is a no win situation. Until people do what they are asked to do there is no reason to blame the government for not having a plan. There is a plan--follow it and get vaccinated. 

And the continued stream of misinformation is actually killing people. 

For instance, I came across this insightful article about interpreting death rates.

How do death rates from COVID-19 differ between people who are vaccinated and those who are not?

From the article comes this example:

Why we need to compare the rates of death between vaccinated and unvaccinated

During a pandemic, you might see headlines like “Half of those who died from the virus were vaccinated”.

It would be wrong to draw any conclusions about whether the vaccines are protecting people from the virus based on this headline. The headline is not providing enough information to draw any conclusions.

Let’s think through an example to see this.

Imagine we live in a place with a population of 60 people.





Then we learn that 10 people died. And we learn that 50% of them were vaccinated.





The newspaper may run the headline “Half of those who died from the virus were vaccinated”. But this headline does not tell us anything about whether the vaccine is protecting people or not.

To be able to say anything, we also need to know about those who did not die: how many people in this population were vaccinated? And how many were not vaccinated?

Now we have all the information we need and can calculate the death rates:

• of 10 unvaccinated people, 5 died → the death rate among the unvaccinated is 50%
• of 50 vaccinated people, 5 died → the death rate among the vaccinated is 10%

We therefore see that the death rate among the vaccinated is 5-times lower than among the unvaccinated.

In the example, we invented numbers to make it simple to calculate the death rates. But the same logic applies also in the current COVID-19 pandemic. Comparisons of the absolute numbers, as some headlines do, is making a mistake that’s known in statistics as a ‘base rate fallacy’: it ignores the fact that one group is much larger than the other. It is important to avoid this mistake, especially now, as in more and more countries the number of people who are vaccinated against COVID-19 is much larger than the number of people who are unvaccinated (see our vaccination data). 

This example was illustrating how to think about these statistics in a hypothetical case. Below, you can find the real data for the situation in the COVID-19 pandemic now.

As can be seen, many people misinterpret the data. 

Here is the current chart (as current as I can find) for the United States:

The death rates among unvaccinated is much higher than fully vaccinated and digging further into the data it can be assessed that many of the fully vaccinated deaths have underlying complications, as in the case of Colin Powell.

So--the plan is get vaccinated, if you choose not to get vaccinated don't try to say the government doesn't have a plan. Your exercise of your rights is killing people and maybe yourself. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

9/11 - 20 years Later

It is of course Saturday: the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attack. 

We are hearing stories of the survivors from ground zero and from the school children that were with President Bush as he received the news. But, I know that each of us have a memory, a story about that day when the world actually did stand still as we pored over the rubble and nationally collected ourselves. 

It is the stories of every American, no matter where they were nor what they did that day which are now part of our national fabric. The fear, the disorientation, the anger--those memories unite us because everyone over the age of about 25 definitely have memories of that day. 

I sat alone in a far away land watching NBC News in total disbelief worried about my family in Maryland. I felt helpless and small, safe in the truest sense of the middle of no where. My memories are very different that those of people who were living in the Beltway area and the rest of America on that day. I am told there was an eerie sense of quiet as all the air traffic quickly was grounded. My story included taking of of the first United Airlines flights from LA to Baltimore after that day and the security that was present everywhere. 

Chris and I had planned to journey to New York City this weekend, but we had not realized that it was the 20th annual remembrance of the day and have decided to avoid the crowds and the city and rescheduled our trip for another time. 

WE should each write our stories of that day down especially now with the end of Afghanistan so they are not forgotten. 

Remember! Do not let history be rewritten.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

To Space and Back

Blue Origin Liftoff
July 20, 2021

It is the stuff that from which dreams are made--walking up the gantry, launching in a rocket, flying into space and then returning safely to Earth.

Yesterday four humans did just that--to space and back in 10 short minutes. 

Jeff Bezos and three others went into space--the final frontier, in a rocket that he had built and tested--the Blue Origin. It was like a scene from an old Evel Knievel stunt where he flies his motorcycle over ten semi-trailer trucks. 

Except, this worked. 

And now space tourism begins--the opportunity to launch into space and become an astronaut. 

I watched hoping and praying that it would work. We need a hero right now. With all that is happening in the country and the world mired in a pandemic that will not quit--we needed some good news. And we received it. Space has become closer.

I remember watching with held breath 52 years ago yesterday as Neil Armstrong jumped off the Lunar Lander onto the surface of the Moon. It seemed that the promise of space and space travel had arrived. But, in reality, it had not. Getting into space requires extraordinary effort and since the end of the Apollo Program in 1972, no human has stepped foot on the dusty Moon. 

Maybe again someday soon. 

Maybe as of yesterday the dream is again alive and, hopefully, it will not be overtaken by world events.

Maybe, just maybe we can join with Buzz Lightyear and truly believe in "to infinity and beyond."

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Saying Good-bye

 

America is saying good-bye to the longest war that it has ever waged: Afghanistan. 

I admit I have mixed emotions about the end of the war and the way it is ending, but I do believe that the time has come to allow the Afghans to either stand or fall on their own. 

I find the Republican resistance to the withdrawal interesting, since it was the former president who first announced the withdrawal during October 2020:

Trump's Afghanistan withdrawal announcement takes US officials by surprise

President Biden is following through on something his predecessor proposed and should, therefore, have bipartisan support. 

The sad state of politics in America is clear in this episode. The two parties have fallen into camps of progressives and obstructionists and this issue highlights the irrational approach to government both parties exhibit. 

I am looking forward to September 1, 2021 as being the first day in a very long time that America has not been at war. 

I do have to take issue with the notion that Afghanistan is the longest war that the U.S. has fought. Too many people forget the Cold War (1945-1991) which we waged longer. And don't tell me that no one died during the Cold War. There are many civilians and military personnel who died waging the Cold War. 

I long for peace. I hope that the church bells ring as the last American military forces depart Afghanistan and Americans begin the search for our collective post-9/11 Era identity and place in the world--that is the truer struggle. Afghanistan is the last active reminder of the America which began to take shape after 9/11/2001.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Let's Just Move the Moon

 

Our elected officials never cease to amaze me. 

It was reported yesterday that Texas Republican Representative Louie Gohmert asked the Park Service to change to orbit of the moon to help fight climate change. 

I can't make this up--here is the video from a reputable source:

Seriously!

Well, the good news is that Republicans are at least admitting that climate change is real! 

That is something to celebrate--they are beginning to accept scientific fact. 

They are also apparently admitting that the Earth is not flat. 

For those who do not want to view the video, the conversation, as reported in The Guardian went something like this:

“We know there’s been significant solar flare activity, and so … is there anything that the National Forest Service or BLM can do to change the course of the moon’s orbit, or the Earth’s orbit around the sun?” Gohmert asked. “Obviously that would have profound effects on our climate.”

Eberlien said she would have to “follow up with you on that one, Mr Gohmert.”

“Well, if you figure out a way that you in the Forest Service can make that change, I’d like to know,” Gohmert added.

Something to ponder on this Friday.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

It is Fragile

Photo:FRANCOIS PICARD/AGENCE
FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES

We do not realize it on a daily basis, but our cyber infrastructure is fragile and potentially full of holes.

The ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline highlights the point. But that is not the first. Baltimore City suffered under a ransomware attack for months and have potentially lost millions of dollars. 

Theoretically, hackers could turn off home appliances and some automobiles. Think of what we have connected to the internet. Our watches, even, which allow us to know the time. It is proverbial train-wreck waiting to happen. Wait, it already has. 

The things we depend upon are connected to a fragile network which is being exploited and can be shut-off during times of crisis. 

I'm not writing this to scare, but rather to prepare for the inevitable: Life without the internet. It will happen at some point unless we become smarter about how we connect to and employ the internet. 

It is fragile!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Sky is Falling

People watch a Long March 5B rocket, carrying China's Tianhe space station core module,
as it lifts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in southern China's Hainan province on April 29, 2021.
Credit: Getty Images

 It promises to be a spectacular show somewhere in the world as an expended Chinese rocket body makes an uncontrolled reentry to the planet form space this weekend. 

It has raised a lot of attention here in there U.S. and I have read storied in almost every major news paper including The New York Times and The Washington Post. 

This morning, however, I am going once again to Scientific American for their view on the problem. 

Falling Uncontrolled from Space, Giant Chinese Rocket Highlights Risk of Orbital Debris

First though, this is not as new problem. As Scientific American points out debris has been falling from space for years. And some of it is big and actually does make it to the surface of the planet. The problem is described below from the article:

“It really isn’t about this one rocket body … because every rocket body in Earth orbit is uncontrolled,” explains T.S. Kelso of CelesTrak, an analytical group that keeps an eye on Earth-orbiting objects.

The true magnitude of the problem can be identified by a quick check on CelesTrak.

“It shows there are 2,033 rocket bodies in Earth orbit … at least those that we have orbital data for, as there may be more classified ones. Of course, every one of them is uncontrolled. Of the 2,033, 546 belong to the U.S. and only 169 belong to China.

“Maybe we all need to be more responsible and not leave uncontrolled rocket bodies in orbit,” Kelso told Inside Outer Space.

But the U.S. isn’t even the worst offender in terms of orbiting booster debris. That would be Russia, with 1,035 rocket bodies.

“There are another 66 rocket bodies in Earth orbit that we have no data for, because they are classified,” Kelso noted. That is, there are no “where are they?” orbit elements available. “Most we have no idea what orbit they are in, so they could re-enter or just run into something else in orbit, pretty much without any warning.”

One of those is from a 1967 launch, and eight are from launches in the 1970s, Kelso added.

For the most part, we, living on the planet have been lucky. Most of the rocket bodies that make it back crash harmlessly in the ocean. Every so often, big pieces, like this one, generate some concern and then after nothing bad happens we quickly forget about the problem. That needs to change and all of the space-faring nations of the planet need to work together to remedy the growing space junk situation.

A good site to track the progress of the Chinese rocket deorbit is Space.com. It could be a spectacular show somewhere on the Earth.

The sky really is falling, Chicken Little.

-- Bob Doan, ELkridge, MD

Just in Time, Isn't

New Ford F-150 pickup trucks were unableto be sold because of the global
 shortage of semiconductor chips
PHOTO: JIM WEST/ZUMA PRESS
From the Wall Street Journal

Tuesday taunts me.

As I wake in the morning, Tuesday says to me, I am not Monday and I am not Wednesday--what are you going to do today? 

I struggle with that. 

This Tuesday is seems that the auto industry is struggling with something that the U.S. military did away with a decade ago--Just in time logistics. 

According to an article in this morning's The Wall Street Journal titled, 

Auto Makers Retreat From 50 Years of ‘Just in Time’ Manufacturing

It doesn't work during wartime because there are too many things that need to be controlled for it to work. 

COVID-19 has exposed the weakness in the system and that in resulting in production problems for manufacturers. From the article:

The hyperefficient auto supply chain symbolized by the words “just in time” is undergoing its biggest transformation in more than half a century, accelerated by the troubles car makers have suffered during the pandemic. After sudden swings in demand, freak weather and a series of accidents, they are reassessing their basic assumption that they could always get the parts they needed when they needed them.

“The just-in-time model is designed for supply-chain efficiencies and economies of scale,” said Ashwani Gupta, Nissan Motor Co.’s chief operating officer. “The repercussions of an unprecedented crisis like Covid highlight the fragility of our supply-chain model.”

It is fascinating to watch manufacturing giants relearn what they thought they knew as the global economy becomes more entwined. 

The manufacturers are moving to a hybrid system where the most critical parts are stockpiled. Toyota, according to the article, is stockpiling a 4 month supply of some of its critical parts. 

"Just in time" is used by other corporations as well and the pandemic coupled with the Texas weather event is forcing a rethinking of how supplies should be stockpiled. 

Maybe "just in time" is finally becoming "in the right amount." Just a thought.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The President Speaks

 Doug Mills/The New York Times

 I thought President Biden gave a great speech last evening that laid out a plan for the future of America. Let me start there. 

It has been 100 days since Joe Biden was inaugurated. America is a very different place that it was four years ago, but there is hope for the future. 

I reviewed the transcript this morning and continued to be impressed with the attempt at inclusiveness. I was impressed that there were cogent sentences that laid out complex policies without vilifying any particular group. There were invitations to join together and a call for working together restart America. The president laid out a Jobs Plan and called for the Congress to jointly approve the plan to move America forward. 

The president said:

We all know life can knock us down. But in America, we never, ever, ever stay down. Americans always get up. Today, that’s what we’re doing. America is rising anew. Choosing hope over fear, truth over lies and light over darkness. After 100 days of rescue and renewal, America is ready for a takeoff, in my view. We’re working again, dreaming again, discovering again and leading the world again. We have shown each other and the world that there’s no quit in America. None.  (from NY Times)

The president is calling for government to rescue Americans caught in the middle of an economic downturn and COVID-19. how can anyone be against that? Wait, this is still America and people are allowed to dissent.

And how to bring about renewal? I found the following to be especially exciting:

Look, think about it. There is simply no reason why the blades for wind turbines can’t be built in Pittsburgh instead of Beijing. No reason. None. No reason. So folks, there’s no reason why Americans — American workers can’t lead the world in the production of electric vehicles and batteries. There is no reason. We have the capacity. They’re best-trained people in the world. The American Jobs Plan is going to create millions of good-paying jobs, jobs Americans can raise a family on. As my dad would then say, with a little breathing room. And all the investments in the American Jobs Plan will be guided by one principle: Buy American. Buy American.

As the president pointed out, this is nothing new and it was not invented by his predecessor. The president went on to say:

And I might note parenthetically, that does not violate any trade agreement. It’s been the law since the ’30s, buy American. American tax dollars are going to be used to buy American products, made in America, to create American jobs. That’s the way it’s supposed to be, and it will be in this administration.

I was encouraged by what I heard. Sadly, the opposite side has not proposed solutions, only objections. My view is if you want to object that's fine, but what are you proposing instead? 

The president noted:

I have never been more confident or optimistic about America. Not because I am president. Because of what’s happening with the American people. We’ve stared into the abyss of insurrection and autocracy, pandemic and pain, and “We the people” did not flinch.

I hope the momentum of the first 100 days can continue and that more and more the opposition will decide that there is merit in the ideas. At least there is a plan to discuss and determine the future for America. I still cannot fathom how we can decide against helping Americans in need.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

A Time for Hope

 The verdict is in; the jury has spoken: Guilty on all counts.

George Floyd and Derek Chauvin

I have a complex and possibly surprising reaction which may be unpopular with some.

I believe that the verdict is, at the same time, just and sad. 

The verdict cannot resurrect George Floyd and allow him to continue his life and it will not replace him to his family and friends.

The verdict has destroyed the life of a police officer who, when he began that day, had no idea his response to that incident would become a catalyst for change in America.

The verdict is also commentary on the sad state of police training in the United States. We have seen evidence of this time after time in the news. I am sure that Derek Chauvin believes in his heart that he is a good police officer. And that, friends, is the problem. It highlights the ineffective training in many police departments. Police are servants of the people charged with enforcing the law. But, like all public servants, including the military and civilian employees of federal, state, and local governments; they are and must be held to a higher standard. 

So for the complex part of my thought--the defense, in my opinion, tried to equate Derek Chauvin to how a normal human adult would respond in a particular situation with the training that he had at there time. 

But Derek Chauvin was not a normal rational adult, he was a police officer. The standard of conduct to which he is held is higher than that of a normal, rational adult. 

I have been held to a similar higher standard all of my adult life as both a military officer and now a federal civilian. I understand the burden, but it has become part of my life and self.

Derek Chauvin had a responsibility to separate emotion, frustration, and anger from his professional actions. It is hard! But because he was a police officer and not a just a normal American adult, he was necessarily held to a higher standard. 

Is Derek Chauvin a bad man or a bad police officer? I believe NOT. I believe the system failed him. The system failed George Floyd, and the system also failed America. 

Now is NOT the time to defund the police, but rather to closely examine their budgets and ensure that the officers we rely upon for protection and law enforcement get funding for the training they need to protect both themselves and the public. 

Now is also NOT the time to celebrate the conviction of a man, but rather to grieve the death of another man that brought us to this place. Thomas Jefferson wrote, The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. Sadly, perhaps this is one of those times. Heroes come from unlikely places. We must move forward with the memory of this day fresh in our minds and dedicate ourselves to correcting the racial inequities which exist across out country.

Now is the time to work for measurable change. The vision of a truly inclusive America, the bright city on the hill shining for the world, still exists and we must dedicate ourselves to making it a reality.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

 

Here is an interesting twist on the news. Or is it entertainment? Or something more sinister?

An article in the Wall Street Journal this morning reports:

Cable-News Viewership Falls After Trump’s Exit

From the article:

U.S. cable-news viewership fell for all major networks in the first three months of the year, as the country moved past the presidential election and its chaotic aftermath.

Fox News lost 32% of its total prime-time audience compared with the quarter ended Dec. 31, Nielsen data show. CNN and MSNBC had smaller declines of 16% and 7.8%, respectively, though each fell more substantially from highs they hit in January.

I have to admit--I am not watching the news as closely as I did before President Biden was inaugurated. I am not as fearful that some great travesty or policy statement will occur overnight which could create chaos or destroy the stock market. 

I am more confident that a more rational and reasoned approach to governing has arrived. 

Are there problems? Yes. But, they are being addressed. 

Maybe we are moving towards a kindler and gentler time?

I hope so.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

It is Only One Ship

A satellite image on Friday showed tugboats and
 dredgers working to dislodge the Ever Given container ship
 in the Suez Canal.Credit...Maxar Technologies

As you have likely heard in the news, there is a big ship blocking the Suez Canal. The ship and the canal are half a world away, yet we are beginning to feel the effects of the canal's blockage here in the United States. 

The whole world is feeling the economic effects of this one ship closing the canal. It really is astounding when I think about it that the world economies are so dependent upon a few critical canals and passages around the world. 

I can think of a few others: Straits of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, Panama Canal. There may be more. 

I am not sure that people understand the size of the ship in the canal. From the New York Times article, here is an attempt to help people grasp the magnitude of the problem:

But with the ship stretching about 1,300 feet long — roughly the height of the Empire State Building — and weighing around 200,000 metric tons, by Saturday morning they still had not managed to dislodge the vessel.

Just for comparison, a U.S. aircraft carrier is about 1,000 feet long. 

As the New York Times article further noted, once the ship is cleared from the canal and other ships begin transiting, they all may arrive at destination ports at once causing additional delays in getting offloaded.

It reminds me of the horseshoe nail proverb. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Workweek in the Books

 Another workweek is almost in the books. The arrival of Friday is celebrated and the beginning of the awaited weekend in upon us. 

From The Wall Street Journal

Sadly, it has been an abysmal week for the stock market and investments. It seems the bottom has fallen out and the optimism which once was pervasive is evaporating and the bears have come out of their winter slumber. It is weird when I look at the markets and say to myself, "Oh, I only lost that much?" And the outlook is not much better for today based upon comments by the Fed chairman regarding interest rates.

In a foreboding piece of news, it was reported that the 30-year home mortgage rate topped 3 percent for the first time since July. I was really enjoying the hot house selling market. Being a sellers market was really driving up prices. I knew it couldn't last, but I had hoped that it would. 

Well, the weekend cannot come too quickly to give everyone a breather. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD