Horsemen of Fear

My country, 'tis of thee,

sweet land of liberty,
of thee I sing:
land where my fathers died,
land of the pilgrims' pride,
from every mountainside
let freedom ring!

We have songs in America which we learn as Children. I remember singing them all on Friday afternoons during WWII. We love our Country, and take the words of these songs into our collective DNA. As we grow older, we take for granted the truths of these songs. “Let Freedom Ring” is the last sentence of America, My Country Tis a Thee. Do Children still sing these songs?

We sing our National Anthem at football, baseball, and other games where we, part of a large crowd sing proud of our Country and all that it stands for, written in these songs.

What song would we sing when horsemen come into parks where children are playing and happiness is destroyed by trucks of military men with masked faces that seem like a movie is playing out in this new reality. The horses have face shields, the men with black masks completely covering their faces. These same horsemen trampled a man last month in Los Angeles. This is not  let Freedom Ring  this is terror.

MacArthur Park L.A.

Our Friends, neighbors, and workers we depend on are now fearful of the ICE team dragging them into vans without cause or warrants. Let Freedom Ring seems far away, and broken. If you have a brown skin, no warrant needed, no due process is available, no criminal background can save you.

I have always admired policemen on horses. They let you pet the horse and they are your friend and protector. Now, it seems that our President's henchwoman, Kristi Noem is playing out some kind of power ploy, and gives National Security as a reason for this action for employing the National Guard and Horsemen to inculcate fear into our Communities.

The President says that He Loves God. What kind of Man says love and god in the same sentence and then employs Horsemen to instill fear in our People...

 

Born in 1935, my remembered years as a child, were mostly concerned with not having enough money to pay our bills. Then too, there was the War. Our Nation was at war. My little bank book had savings stamps. The way of life was determined by little books of stamps which were our ability to buy stuff like gasoline, sugar, meat, shoes, tires as we were compelled as our National policy of imposed rationing. There was one thing though, we were ONE as a Nation.

The changes of rationing was our duty as our part of the war effort as it was called. Never did we think that the rationing was pulling us in different directions as a Nation. We were One and even as Children, we were proud of our little stamp books.

Each stamp cost 10 cents.

It seems as though our National slogan has become reversed. Out of one we are becoming many. The Supreme Court is partly to blame for this as the policies our the current administration has instituted new directions for our National philosophy.

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe Wade, and made the States responsible for a woman's Choice, some states have choice some do not. Now the Court has again made some States amiable to the Constitutions 14^th amendment section 1, which gives automatic citizenship to those children born in the United States, and some will not.

Our Nation has become a patchwork quilt of states who are at a life and death contradiction with each other. It seems like we are a war within our Nation. No stamp books can help with this, of a Supreme Court deliberately destroying our Constitution...I weep.

Why does our National spirit not rise up and say, enough is enough? The very fabric of Civility for each other seems to be in question. The President spreads his hatred of the immigrants, and seeks to have the Court uphold his executive orders as though they are NOW the Constitutional requirements for our Nation. Will our Constitution survive until the midterms? For all practical purposes the President has become a dictator.

Out of One, we have become Many...

 

AMERICA'S LEADERS

Where are they? Our former Presidents are silent as our Country careens toward autocracy and another Mid-Eastern War. Obama did give a talk at the Connecticut Forum. I listened with great interest to his words of how we are at an inflection point for the way our Country is being led by the current President.

We have, as a Nation become normalized to the present White House occupant talking much like a 6 year old never finishing a sentence and saying stuff that has no relation to the subject at hand. Obama has the polish of the grand orator and casts a spell on his audience, and we are reminded what an adult leader's command of the subject and truth of law is supposed to sound like.

However, never did Obama mention the present President by Name. What would our protests be like, if our signs never mentioned the name, the image, the damage, words that shout out loud of what we are demonstrating against. Say the Words! President Obama. Say the words ! 

If, as it has been said by many thinking that our Country is facing an existential threat from the current leadership's administration,  why then, is it not acceptable for our former Presidents to step up and find the Words to inspire and promote a change. It has been said that normally former Presidents do not become a voice which might be in opposition to the current President.

The current President has cast aside the Constitution whenever he wishes for he believes that the Supreme Court gave him immunity for whatever he does while in office. He believes that He Runs the Country and the World...This is not normal.

This current situation mandates that former leaders of great consequence in past times of need, now step forward, and lend their voices to give rational reality of the moment. Picture this – What if Obama gave the protesters in Philadelphia an opening salvo at the next protest. What if Clinton gave his formidable presence and voice to his opposition of what Trump is doing to our Country. And, perhaps “W” with his humor, said words of contrarianism with overlays of reality to a rally in Texas...

Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that former Presidents don't have first amendment rights after they leave office. Responsibility of the oaths of Office should not dissolve after they are not sitting behind the Resolute Desk...the oath of office should give an inner voice to the conscience of these great leaders to protect our Country long after they leave office. As this oath guided them throughout their years in office, the imprint of the Oath's importance for the now, is needed as our Country faces a new threat of war, which the current Secretary of Defense, Peter Hegseth and the Secretary of National Intelligence, and Tulsi Gabbard are woefully unqualified to lead.

So, Picture this...the former Leaders of our great Nation giving us their voices to support our protests and say the Words in Real Time of what we are facing, from the man would be king. Taking down his lies and threats to all of us who resist, and demand accountability from our leaders in Congress, the Courts, who should be leading us with honesty and truth to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.". 

                                          Will they Stand with US ?

 

President Eisenhower's Words 

                  about military Parades                   

President (and General) Eisenhower strongly rejected the idea of a military parade to showcase to the world America's military might. Eisenhower’s response:

“Absolutely not. We are the pre-eminent power on Earth. For us to try and imitate what the Soviets are doing in Red Square would make us look weak.”

One lone soldier in Trump's parade, holding aloft a small drone marching by himself, down the avenue, looking small and very insignificant...President Eisenhower was so very right...

 The most difficult part of this event for me was at the end when the President administered the Oath of Office to the new and reenlisting young men and women. The words he spoke...

 “"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

I wondered what the young minds of these brave men and women were thinking when the person who was administering this sacred oath had instigated an insurrection at our Nations capital and was breaking his oath daily in his quest for more power to make himself a king. On the “No Kings Day” of protests, nation wide, our numbers were in the millions, saying, NO .  

 

While the words of the President calls the Protesters animals, this Man holds a rose. The Policeman holds a billy club and looks to strike the man and his rose. Who is the animal?. He is not in this picture, Instead, he sits in the oval office of our Nation's capital and calls out in his many lies, that the protesters are animals, criminals, and violent people. I have watched many hours of the protests of the past days and I don't for the most part see the protesters engaging with the police.

Some of the burning images you see on Fox news and other networks are the same ones which were started on the first day. Four Waymo cars were set on fire, and these images have been seen over and over to imply that they are burning cars every day. I do not condone this action for it is not productive in what the protests are supposed to be about. The protests are about ICE taking away productive immigrants working and supporting their families. They about ICE kidnapping and dragging folks away without due process. 

I saw a pregnant woman being dragged into a van and it was violent. I saw police on horses trampling a protester on the ground, it was brutal and horrifying.

When I see four to one people engaged in a struggle, the one being a protester, I wonder how we got here. LA is not the only City having protests, all across our Country protesters are making their voices heard. A growing existential threat to Democracy is upon us. The Nationalization of our state's National Guards and the calling up of Marines is a playbook chapter out of Mein Kampf. Is Martial Law next?

Constitution Gone 

California seems to be dominating the Presidents fixated brain. The strawberry fields in the central valley are being harassed and the workers are afraid to come to work. When workers in all of the industries relying upon immigrant workers don't come to work, we will have shortages in all areas of our lives of witch we depend upon. Food producers, hospitality workers, garment makers, dock workers, gardeners, sanitation workers, construction builders, the list goes on for jobs that white Americans will not do. California's Central Valley produces 25% of the Nations food. The fourth economy in the world, the President seems to want our State to decline. How does that help our County be great?

As the Protests spread, the President prepares for his big beautiful birthday parade. He sits atop of our Government, as a King and wants us to pay homage to him, for him, as he is breaking laws that are documented in our Constitution.

I will be attending a "No Kings Day" nation wide protest on Saturday June 14^th in Oceanside CA.

Hopefully as in the past, it has been, and will be peaceful and tremendously attended.

 

Senator Tammy Duckworth

"In shock and acting on pure instinct, I tried to fly the helicopter. Unaware 

That my legs were gone, and focused on finding a landing spot, I struggled to press the pedals."

The Words of our United States Senator Tammy Duckworth from her autobiography. I read this book with wonder, admiration, and tears. It profoundly affected me. As a woman who grew up in the years (1930's -1960's) of how we should be oriented for the future of our lives, I never could have dreamed of her service to America and her accomplishments.

Now we have a Director of Defense who is trying to take away the rights of women in our armed forces. Again, I have the emotional reaction of deep sorrow for woman in service for out Country. The Administrations views of women is that they should stay home and have babies. Having babies is a wondrous experience and one of the most life changing happenings that a woman can have. It also makes you grow up from being a child to becoming an adult. Responsibility, it makes one care totally for another human person. Sadly, it doesn't affect everyone that way.

The person in the White House is speaking words of his importance, about the big beautiful parade on his birthday to be celebrated on June 14^th. It is the 250^th birthday of the U.S. Army. The irony is so rich with hypocrisy, that you almost get sick. Senator Duckworth's father could trace his background to serving in the army in America's Revolutionary war. In contrast the family of the President includes illegal landlord records of discrimination, graft, and racism. Not serving our Nations Army, with the bone spur reason, was his way to avoid duty for his country. He bragged bout this when questioned.

For Girls and women, and men too, of all ages and backgrounds, this book is one which will leave a lasting legacy of what one woman can do, and continues to do in serving her country with wit, determination, and the greatest gift of all, love of Country.

 

A New Day of Hope

My One Small Voice

Hello to All who read this blog, and thank You for your time. Today, amid the Grey Clouds which are the months of May and June, I awoke and with my small fur person and found a second wind for my vim and vigor. What a relief ! Reading the newspaper this morning I found little to be hopeful, but the feeling of a coming happiness would not be quelled. So I share a picture with you to see a beautiful scene from a faraway place.

Watching the PBS broadcast last night was the element that started this feeling of Hope.

Amna Nawaz, one of the anchors of the nightly news for PBS is a favorite for me. She shared many of the speeches given to the Class of 2025 graduating classes. I don't know Amna, but her words made me smile, telling the students about the values we hold dear, speaking the words about our Country's Democracy. Her speech stood out for me because of her work and words on the PBS Nightly News, and the fact of her background makes the case for our Nation's opportunities for immigrant people. The different races and faiths creating the wondrous fabric of hopes and dreams for a better life in America.

I did google her entire speech on YouTube and learned more about this woman with whom I spend my time with every night. I remember my own graduation so long ago. My three small daughters attended with my Mom, Dad, and Husband. It was not an easy thing to do, completing my degree at night and in the summer. I don't remember anything about the speech given for this solemn event. However, the occasion was of incredible importance for my daughters, as they saw their Mom receiving the degree which allowed me to become a teacher of the Arts of life.

  

I remember the light in the eyes of my students when they had an aha moment. They had greater energy for new projects with this insightful  understanding. My own energy was infused with the hope of their future's challenges met and achievements attained. These energizing memories will build my vim today, for I know that Hope will endure for my future and for my small Great Grandson who lives so far away...

One more image of our Planet Earth,
The Birthplace of Hope...