The Enemy Within
Let us think together as we walk up the 365 steps into the US Capital. Imagine for the first part of our journey that we are actually walking through time. Each step of our mythological trip takes us to the 8th century BC of Homer’s Odysseus and the battle to capture Troy. The ten-year battle only ended after clever Odysseus convinced the Trojans that the Greeks had admitted defeat, gone home and left the colossal wooden horse to honor the courage of the people of Troy.
Come out of yesterday into today with your final step. A Republican wooden horse is there. This horse is decorated with the banners of noble men and women: Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt (a Domecrat), Ullis S Grant, Dwight Eishower, Nancy Reagen and hundreds of other Republicans. . . supporting civil rights, protecting the environment, promoting economic fairness, & advocating health programs.
Inside are Maga Warriors dedicated to the destruction of America! Since July 4, 1776 we have survived 12 wars. These new warriors unlike the Greeks are not armed with swords and lances but with the promise to enact laws : a national ban on abortion, make gay marriage illegal, end climate change programs, put the Department of Justice under control of the President, change Social Security retirement age from 68 to 70 by adding two months per year to 70, reduce benefits to the 62 million in Medicare and 82 million on Medicaid.
The 900-page 2025 Project written by 140 former employees of Trump is a project of the Heritage Foundation. It calls for a fundamental change in government. The forementioned facts are only the tip of the spear that would accomplish what the enemies of democracy have been unable to do for 248 years. Vote to save Democracy!
Instant Replay in Sports and Politics
Before you read any further let me state plainly, I am a proud lifelong liberal, Democrat a fourth generation Idahoan. I have not put my good mind on the altar of blind political allegiance. I have voted for men and women of good character from both parties.
I watched the June 24th Presidential three times, my version of instant replay. Instant replay has been an important part of sports: football 1986, basketball 2002 & baseball 2008. To the credit of refugees most calls are proven correct but for errors the right calls have been critical to determine the outcome.
It is our nature to blame someone for problems. Dear reader, I leave that decision about the debate up to you. Robert Burn’s poem “To a Mouse” “The best laid Plans of Mice and Men” often fail from 229 years ago aptly focuses on the correct problem.
The debate format: 90 minutes, 2 minutes to respond to each question with 1 minute for rebuttal, muted microphones, no live audience. . . major flaws, a promise to keep each candidate on topic not realistic where no guardrails were used by moderators to offer immediate responses to false statements or personal attaches that had nothing to do with the eight topics: immigration, veterans, world opinion of administration, abortion, January 6th Insurrection, law enforcement & climate change.
Finally, the problem of attention span. Recent studies indicate that Americans attention span has shortened. Only 47% are focused on what they are actually doing while 53% have their minds on something else, The consequence details are lost, a problem now of “epidemic proportion”.
Finding fault is not the purpose of my letter but rather to challenge all Americans to identify problems & offer solutions.
Pluck Out My Eyes
Let me pluck out my eyes so I might not see your ugliness. Your political and philosophical views threaten our Country. You do not rule out the use of force to overthrow our Constitutional government, you support efforts to deny women the right to abortion, you endorse state legislature’s actions to deny some Americans the right to vote, you reject legal immigrant’s right to enter the Country, you advocate the idea that more guns will make us safer, you believe in the in the “Big lie” . . .
Let me pluck out my eyes so that I might not see photos of when you were a baby, first grade pictures when you had fewer teeth, your high school graduation photos.
Let me pluck out my eyes so that I might not see the visual moments captured of your time at summer camps, road trips with your family, hunting and fishing expeditions.
Let me pluck out my eyes to hide a visual record of your service to our country as a member of the US Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard.
Let me pluck out my eyes so that I might not see your checks given to charities like the Red Cross, of your volunteer work in your town or across the Country to help people devasted by hurricanes, tornadoes, earth quakes, or forest fires.
I will not forget any of your opinions that I find so repugnant but my letter is a note to remind myself and others that to allow our prejudices to blind us to our shared humanity is wrong. Hopefully in the light of each new day I can find a renewed faith in all Americans.
Betrayal by the State
I attended three high schools in Idaho: Donnelly-McCall, Borah, and Meridian. I graduated from Meridian High School in 1963. Mr. Claxon was my U.S. government teacher for a year. He used a standard text, Magruders. At 18 I was very proud of being an American. Using student government, I advocated that students at Meridian say the “Pledge of Allegiance” every day. Years later Meridian students advocated this practice at the State Legislature. It passed to become common practice at schools in Idaho.
By not educating young people about their responsibility as citizens is “Betrayal”, consider the following truth: Only nine states and the District of Columbia require one year of U.S. government. Thirty-one states only require a half-year of civics or U.S. government and 10 states have no civics requirement.
The part of my year of government demanded that I understood the Constitution and Amendments. If this Nation is to endure, each generation must have a clear understanding of how and why our democracy works. Lacking that on this Memorial Day we will have betrayed the blood sacrifice of the 1.25 million (1776-2024) who have fought and died to protect the United States of American and Constitution.
Now that we are faced with the alternative of autocracy or democracy. If those running for office at the state and federal level in 2024, love this country and its values make a year of government mandatory for every student in high school. The founders understood the necessity of an educated, responsible citizenry as a vital element for the preservation of democracy.
How can we demand that citizens act to save this country by voting when many given recent polls clearly have no knowledge of what they are suppose to save?
Digital Slavery
Writing a Letter to the Editor is a journey, a word map! A trip into the known and unknown. Creating any map requires exploration prior to creation. Much like teaching you must learn the material before you pass it on to the students, readers.
The current strike by the Screen Actors Guild (160,000 members, SCA) and Writers Actors Guild (11,000 members, WAG) is the first since 1960. Actors and writers fear that AI (Artificial Intelligence) will be used to replace them and modern streaming services will continue to share very little or nothing to the creators of visual art. The struggle is fundamentally about ownership: the master or the slave.
The annual salary for actors varies from $96,000 the highest, to the medium salary $46,000 and $32,000 the lowest. A number of variables contribute to this wide discrepancy: popularity of the performer, role in the production, number of days worked, job availability, & peridium pay.
Actors in California pay more than $2,000 a month for apartments, the highest total tax rate
in the country, and $5.82 a gallon for regular. For most Americans when you work you get paid but acting does not guarantee a steady dependable 40-hour week! The bills do not stop coming so unfortunately an actor’s life may become one of feast or famine.
In the US the studios made 26 billion last year. Global revenue in 2022 was 77 billion. With AI the film industry once they have captured your image, they may use it as frequently as they wish without any guaranteed additional compensation. Streaming is another method to show a popular film over and over ad infinitum with little or no financial payment to performers or writers of films.
I support the actors and writers in their revolt against the masters with their bold assertion that they have the right to own their own bodies, words.
The Yard Stick of History
Using our yard stick, we can work from the present to the past. Today there are 195 countries recognized by the UN. All of today’s global powers have long histories. The US is the newest.
Iran is 14.5 times older; China is12 times older & Russia is 3.5 times older. We are the first to experiment with democracy as a form of government. Today’s dominant powers have suffered through invasions, civil wars, and periods of serious instability. Our own Civil War cost us 600,000 with wounds so deep they still threaten our Union.
Now the possibility that our democracy may give way to autocracy exist. We may find hope after reviewing what saved us from the very beginning. Early political divisions challenged the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Federalists voted in favor of the Constitution (1787) and anti-federalist who insisted on adding the Bill of Rights in (1791). Nothing is new about citizens with strong differing opinions on a variety of issues. The enduring hallmark of our country is a willingness to compromise. Our Constitution and Bill of Rights are the products of men and women who labored to create a more perfect Union.
Compromise is not a sign of weakness but rather a statement of strength. Today 46 million US citizens were foreign born. In America today there are 1,500 people of different races. This beautiful tapestry of diversity makes us the world’s strongest country.
Old Man Soup
For most of my life I have never read the labels on foods at grocery stores. As I grow older, I read all the labels before I buy.
In my dream I went to the Political Super Market in 2024. My Companion and I discovered two brands of Old Man soup. The first JRB bottled in 1942 and second DJT in 1946 with, expiration dates at 86 and 82 respectively in 2029. The labels on each brand detailed % of important nutritional ingredients with additional information about domestic and internal additions.
Biden’s Bipartisanship: One billion for FEMA for cyber security (1921), Infrastructure Bill & JOB’S Act $1.2 trillion to rebuild roads, bridges, included in total $17 billion for port infrastructure improvement, a guarantee for clean drinking water, & access to high speed internet nationwide with $550 billion for new job creation.
Biden’s leadership on the world stage: Congressional support for Ukraine $75 billion, NATO donating $30 billion & stronger with addition of Finland and Sweden , unwavering support of Israel’s response to terrorist’s act of Humas, encouraged Israel to protect the Palestinian people, and advocate of two a state solution after war is over, and the recent successful meeting with President Xi Jinping to renew communications between military of both countries & to block ingredients used in manufacturing of fentanyl that has killed thousands of Americans.
My Companion, Democracy, was reading the label on the DJT can! She urged me not to buy the poison : Abolish the U.S. Constitution, punish political enemies by using the FBI, deport millions of immigrants, purge America of the “radical Left”, appoint to the Department of Justice and courts those who support the desire for revenge.
Do not betray the millions who came before you. Citizens who pledged their Allegiance to the US Constitution & Amendments and the 1.25 plus million who died defending this Country. Their blood sanctifies the 7,591 words that protect us all.
WHO SHOULD WE BLAME?
THE November election and its aftermath reminds me of a children’s story: Henny Pennie. She was hit on the head by something. She probably suffered from PTSD announced the “The Sky is falling.” “We’re going to tell the king.” She enlisted the support from others: Cocky-locky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey, Turkey-lurkey, & Foxy-woxy to tell the king. Two lessons: the sky is not falling and never trust a fox.
The sun, moon, and stars still decorate the sky. Let us write our own story, “Who is to blame?” Let’s blame Democrats for everything in the past.
The Republican Party in a historic landslide victory have a President, Senate, and House of Representatives of the same party. As we turn the pages of our story let us see IF the Supreme Court starts ruling to protect the people, have cleaner air & water, work with others to halt climate change, alliances are strengthened (NATO & SEATO), the economy has improved, taxes for lower and middle class have been reduced , consumer goods (food & gas)cost less), international Health Care for all Women is guaranteed, pensioners still have Social Security (1935), the Affordable Care Act (2010), & Medicare & Medicaid A & B (1965).
The Fox in our story has already taken us down a dark tunnel of lies: Trump University, Trump Bible, a promise to reduce the national debt but increased the debt by 7.8 trillion dollars.
Who should we blame?
Dark Shadows
In reviewing the topic of conspiracies, I found them in all places, times, and subjects. You might choose to identify my topic today as just another fiction to explain an unpleasant reality.
Today you will find dark Shadows in bedrooms, libraries, classrooms, courts, political parties, legislatures, the media, board rooms, capitals, militias, universities, colleges, the environment . . . virtually everywhere!
The Shadows are so abundant that at first looking past the darkness is nearly impossible. Let us shine the bright light of Truth on all of them. The fact is that all have a common, coordinated purpose to create chaos and confusion. Your world becomes so dark that that you come to doubt everything. The greater causality is that you come to doubt yourself! In that tragic moment you conclude that there is no “Truth”. It is easy then to join the legions of zombies who devour virtues and ideals.
Once you understand that the Shadows are part of a coordinated plan to destroy America, act! When Shadows in courts take away a woman’s right to make decisions about health care, vote. When Shadows in libraries dictate what may not be read by parents and children, vote. When the Shadows stop teachers or students from studying certain topics, vote. When the Shadow over your state, one out of nearly 100, has passed a voter restriction law, vote. The darkest Shadow is a Presidential candidate who promises autocracy not democracy, vote!
I recognize that the word “vote” may be over kill! The companions to vote should be: make donations to the candidates of your choice, speak & write to make your opinions known, and peacefully demonstrate no matter what your politic. All of these bring us back to a way to save ourselves, no one else will- Vote.
A Global Question with Many Answers
The Idaho abortion case currently being argued before the U.S. Supreme was initiated by the Federal government. When Roe was over turned a previous Idaho” trigger law” only allowed abortion to protect the life of the mother or in the first 14 weeks in cases involving rape or incest but not when a pregnancy puts a woman’s health presents a serious risk.
I would argue that the number 1 is the most powerful number in your world. Imagine your number 0ne is your wife, daughter, or granddaughter. Today given Idaho’s legislative action: since Idaho’s draconian abortion law in 2020 58 OBGYN physicians have left Idaho or retired. Should your number 0ne have problems during pregnancy carry a child full term is 33 times more dangerous than an abortion. Each year in the world 78,000 women die from illegal abortions and 7 million women are treated for complications from unsafe abortions. Twenty five million illegal abortions are performed annually, 45% of those are unsafe
Only 29% of the earth is land, 57 million square miles. Idaho at 83,570 square miles is only 0.00145% in the book of abortion globally, an explanation mark at most. Reasons for abortions are grouped in these categories: upon request (75 countries), no abortions allowed (24 countries), to save the life of the mother (42 Countries), for broad social and economic reasons (13 countries) and to preserve the health of the mother (50 countries).
Currently 1.12 billion (60%) women have access to legal abortions while 753 million women (40%) are restricted or denied legal abortions.
Restrictive and criminalizing abortions will only increase the number seeking illegal abortions and death. Now that the government and not a woman and her physician are empowered to decide about her health care, puts your number One in great danger in Idaho.
A New Goliath
A new Goliath in the Holy Land who like his name sake Goliath the Philistine in the Old Testament cannot be slain by a small smooth stone. There is no David to kill him but the citizens of the United States can.
Our Goliath did not have a normal birth but was delivered by caesarean section by the United Nations.in 1948. From that date forward He has become bigger and stronger with the support of the United States of America. From 1948 to 2023 the United States has given Israel 264 billion dollars.
America’s Jewish population has been and is a powerful lobby. America has the largest Jewish population in the world, 7,600,000.
Now that Israel’s government has been taken over by Netanyahu (a criminal) and religious extremist the people of Israel and Palestinians are both held captive.
The 300,000 Israeli Citizens do not agree on politics or religion. The majority of people in Israel want the sacrifice of innocent people in Gaza to end.
It is correct to condemn the brutality of Humas, an extreme militant group committed to the destruction of Israel. It is also worth noting that unscrupulous Jewish leaders and religious extremist will use this tragedy to stay in power even if it means killing innocent Palestinians.
We can kill Goliath not with stones but dollars. Since we are paying the bill (264 billion) we need to tell Goliath to stop!
Lobby Congress today and each day for an end to the bombing in Gaza! You do not have stones but you have a voice and a vote. Accept the fact that you are both a citizen of this country and the world. Work politically to use a language politician understand- Money! Kill Goliath and offer a rational majority on all sides additional leverage to support a two-state solution and an end to apartheid. Surely the divine whether Jehovah, Allah, God, or the Universe will bless you.
Promises to Palestine
Before Palestine was declared a country by the United Nations in 1988 eleven super powers ruled the area: starting with Egypt and ending when the League of Nations made Palestine a British Mandate in 1922-1948. As early as 1917 in the Balfour Declaration, the British foreign secretary, advocated the idea of a national home for Jewish people. Supporting the Zionist (1897) goal of a Jewish state in Palestine.
Let’s travel a path of broken promises that will help you understand the conflict between Palestine and Israel. Palestinians & Jews each have a legitimate title to the same house. Throughout the Twentieth Century the Palestinians were promised a homeland and the right to self-determination.
During the Mandate period Palestine was 27,000 square miles in size. Wars between the Palestinians and Israelis in 1947, 1967 and the present conflict have dramatically changed the size of Palestine. In 1947 the UN voted to partition Palestine and in 1948 the UN allowed Zionist forces to invade Palestine. Arabs objected to the Nakba “Catastrophe) that resulted in the displacement of 700,000 Palestinians & the destruction of 400 Palestinian towns and cities. After the 1948 war with Israel Palestine was 10,000 square miles. As a result of the Six Day War Palestine was 2,402 square miles. In Gaza today 2.3 million live on 141 square miles. Currently 5.9 million Palestinians are listed as refugees. Three generations scattered across the Middle East are in refugee camps to live in fear & to suffer. The homeland and promised self-determination for Palestine have been denied for decades, while the Israeli apartheid regime has become ever more efficient at denying Palestinians’ rights while continuing to displace them. All the early agreements that promised the right to self-determination and a home land for Palestinians were the victims of nationalism, racism, and religious fanaticism.
A Virtual Swearing
Let us listen to the voices long since silenced: Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William McKinley and John Kennedy. In unison they offer a reason to be cautious. All were victims of assassination!
Other world leaders have also been killed by extremist notably Archduke Franz Ferdinand and in more recent times Anwar Sadat. President Sadat was killed during a military parade when Muslim extremist attacked him in Cairo, Egypt in October 1981. Egypt’s military on that day could not protect him from a well-planned attack by a few determined assassins.
Recently our brave Capital police could not stop a coordinated attack on our Congress. It will take months of painstaking inquiry to have a clear, complete understanding of an event that has shaken the very foundation of our government.
What we do know is that plus 8,000 insurrectionists came from all parts of our country to DC. Encouraged by the fact that over 50% of Republicans believe that the election was “Stolen
The mob failed to stop ratification of the Electoral Congress. Yet after the attack 121 Republican members of the House of Representative and a dozen Senators voted to overturn the vote of the people adds additional clarity to the depth of Our Grand Canyon divide.
The swearing in of President elect Bidden and Vice President Elect Harris is scheduled for January 20, 2021. To date President Trump has done little to accept the time-honored tradition of a “peaceful transition” of power. The insurrectionist movement is not over.
I would favor a virtual swearing in ceremony not to protect Joe and Kamala from Corona 19 but to protect them from the virus of anger and hate that no doubt infected those who assassinated four of our previous Presidents.
Children of Gaza
Dear Haid,
The presentation of this anthem is now up on U-Tube. Moscow Unitarian-Universalist of the Palouse. Title is “The Universe Prays for Us”. The words, music, and images from James Webb, galaxies, are presented on two large screen televisions in front of the Sanctuary. Below you will find my brief introduction to explain my motive. I need someone to translate the anthem into Hebrew, Arabic, and Farsi. Once that is done, I will package everything up and send the anthem and explanation to Middle East countries who have embassies in D.C. Hope to hear from you .
Sincerely, Stan Smith
The Universe’s Prayer for Us
1
Where have all the flowers gone
Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone
Long time ago
Sleep as seeds to await the dawn
When will we ever learn?
When will we ever learn?
2
Where have all the memories gone
Long time passing
Where have all the memories gone
Long time ago
Lost in time
Consumed by many yesterday’s
When will we ever learn?
When will we ever learn humility?
3
Where have all the lessons gone
Long time passing
Where have all the lessons gone
Long time ago
Kept in Holy books and minds
Who love their children dear
When will we ever learn?
When will we ever learn humility?
4
Where have all the soldiers gone
Long time passing
Where have all the soldiers
Long time ago
Gone to grave yards much to soon
Taken by hatred & greed
When will we ever learn?
When will we ever learn humility?
5
Where have all the children gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the children gone
Long time ago
Gone to tomorrow
To run and laugh and play
When will we ever learn?
When will we ever learn humility?
6
Where have all the stars gone?
Long time passing
Light images of stars that are born to die
Long time ago
See a vast universe unfolding
When will we ever learn?
When will we ever learn humility?