TAINTED JURY

9 Feb 2021 Dwight Douglas

The Stain on America

If you have ever served on a trial jury, you have a good idea about how that judicial process works. Some folks believe that if they just don’t vote they will never face jury duty but keeping your name off the voter rolls does not guarantee you won’t be summoned. Many state and federal court districts pull prospective jurors from lists of licensed drivers and tax records. So, if you pay taxes or have a driver’s license you have a fair chance of being selected for duty.

Before a juror can take his or her place in a legal trial, they must first undergo a vetting process known as “voir dire.” This bastardized French term means “to see to speak” or “to speak the truth.” In our judicial system, candidate jurors are presented with some facts about the case and then asked questions. For example, I was called for jury duty in a medical malpractice case. The lawyers asked if anyone or their family had a bad experience with a doctor. When I raised my hand and told them my father died after being misdiagnosed with kidney disease, I was dismissed.

A number of consulting firms do instant analyses of possible jurors to help their clients, usually the defendant’s lawyers. You may have seen the TV show BULL, in which the principal character, psychologist Dr. Jason Bull, works as a jury consultant. The jury selection process is not all that complicated. Sometimes a juror gets seated because they have experience with the subject matter. There are times a lawyer wants to seat a juror so they can help others on the panel understand the complexities of the case.

This week, the US Senate is holding a trial with no juror scrutiny, no voir dire and no process to eliminate any jurors with a major bias on the matter at hand. The case involves the 45^th President of the United States, who the House of Representatives has accused of a high crime. Click here to read the charges. Simply put, former president Donald Trump has been charged with inciting a riot by asking his loyal followers to go to Capitol Hill and stop Congress from certifying the 2020 Election, which he lost. His act clearly led to an insurrection executed by his fans and political army.

It’s important to point out that the insurrection and the impeachment vote took place while Trump was still the president. Then, last week, 45 Senators voted that the trial is unconstitutional because Trump no longer holds office. That vote was a clear indication that the jury is tainted.

That raises the concept of “jury nullification,” under which a judge can dismiss one or more jurors from being seated after discovering they held a belief that a defendant was guilty or innocent. You probably have heard that an impeachment is a political rather than legal trial. The Constitution provides the presidential impeachment process to give the Congress a way to ban a convicted person from ever again serving as a federal officer. This is the true goal of the Democrats who have brought this second case against Trump.

In a legal trial, if inadmissible evidence is mistakenly or purposefully presented to the jurors, or if any of the attorneys make improper statements during their arguments or examination of witnesses, a judge may decide that the case has been severely tainted and declare a mistrial. In an impeachment trial, however, the judge has no such recourse, even when knowing jury is highly biased.

When Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney’s leadership role was challenged by highly biased reps in her conference, the House took a secret vote to determine her future. Had that been a public vote, it’s unlikely that Cheney would have maintained her leadership role. Some members would have wanted to go on record voting against a fellow Representative who wanted to impeach Trump. Despite the fact he no longer holds office, some still fear the former president. Sad.

If a secret vote was used in Trump’s second impeachment trial, he would probably be convicted, but because each member’s vote will be in their “permanent record,” some will be unable to give a truthful vote. But before getting depressed let’s not forget that Donald Trump will soon face full legal trials with real juries. There are federal, state and local legal cases building to bring him to judgement for things like election law violations, tax fraud and evasion, jury tampering, election result tampering and, of course, inciting a riot that killed people. Trump ordered his mob to the Hill, they rioted, and several people lost their lives in the melee. Surely a wrongful death civic suit is on the way, which will cost Trump tons of money to defend himself and even more if he loses.

If I were to be called for jury duty on any case against Trump, there is no way I would be seated. I am just as biased as those Republican Senators who would vote to acquit Trump no matter what the charge. How is that justice for all? A prosecutor would be screaming bloody murder in a legal courtroom where a judge would allow such biased people to be seated on a jury, but in this impeachment trial only Senators can decide, regardless of their prejudices. Their seats were awarded by votes of the people, who were never asked to consider whether a candidate would be free from their political party’s mandates when voting in Congress. It’s a case of let the buyer beware.

The two Senators in my state of Florida, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, are hardcore Republicans who would acquit the Donald even if he were charged with murder. But wait. This is a murder case. Do they truly believe Trump didn’t cause the riot? We’ll never know. There was no voir dire requiring evaluation of their feelings before being seated on the jury.

This second impeachment trial of Trump is a tainted event in our history and a dark stain on America. For three hours, the former president failed to act during the riotous insurrection that he ignited. The man is guilty of many things, but the Republicans want to sweep them all UNDER the carpet instead of calling Donald John Trump ON the carpet for his numerous derelictions of duty. It’s a kangaroo court, and plenty of people are jumping mad — including me.

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Gold, God, Guns & Goofballs: If you only read one chapter of this book, try “Take a Knee for America” and think about our never-ending conflicts between minorities and the police. I’m not asking you to take a stand but having a deep and honest conversation about why some people think the way they do would be productive. This is a book for the moment which seeks to start a conversation about peace. And if you are worried about social media, you really should check out the chapter called “Social Media Menace.”

Get the Kindle Version HERE. Or order your paperback edition HERE.

8Feb

OLD GUYS ROCK IN AMERICA

8 Feb 2021 Dwight Douglas

Oldest President, Oldest Quarterback

We are now starting to see years of hard work and focus paying off for some notable people. We just witnessed the oldest quarterback to ever take the field in a Super Bowl game win for his team and the oldest man to ever be sworn in as US president now living in the White House. We are dealing with a pandemic that sometimes gets us down, but we continue to move forward as we observe lower numbers of new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths. And while not a precise indicator of our entire economy, the stock market has certainly not suffered in the first months of a new administration.

I obviously love these events because I am an older guy. I have always been respectful of experience, but I have also railed against old fashioned, regressive ideas gumming up the works, no pun intended. The celebration of older age is seen on TV all the time. When a reporter honors a person who has reached 100, their standard question is, “What is your secret?” The reply is often some snappy advice, like drinking white wine at dinner or taking daily walks. Some say simply that the secret is to just keep breathing. The United Nations estimated that 316,600 centenarians worldwide were still breathing in 2012.

George Shultz, economist, diplomat and businessman, died the other day. He was 100 years old and served four presidents over the years. He certainly earned his stripes and staying around for a hundred years provided ample opportunity to make a difference. Perhaps more so than a younger, dead man could.

When I saw 43-year-old Tom Brady win the Super Bowl, I couldn’t help asking myself if 43 is old. Football is a young man’s sport, but Brady is a wonderful example of an older guy taking care of his body and mind while continuing to do the work he loves. While Brady is susceptible to injury at his age, the opposing team’s defense never got to him. Protection is more important to an older person, and one of their safeguards is knowledge about how to avoid the possibility of danger.

I am extremely aware of what I can and cannot do physically. As for mental acuity, I rise to the challenge of staying sharp and on top of things. Being old and retired gives me more time to read and deeply dive into various viewpoints that keep me astute. Old age becomes bad only when one holds rigid positions, outdated viewpoints or off base opinions. The world constantly changes, and a wise and experienced person like George Shultz could always pinpoint the moments of movement and change course accordingly. That’s what kept him successful and young.

I have never accepted modernity without question, but I have always remained open to new ideas, new partnerships and seeing things through the eyes of another regardless of their age. I am invigorated by learning new ways of doing things, especially when it comes to technology and culinary arts. I had no idea that spaghetti could be made from zucchini until just a few years ago.

Throughout my life I have always posed this internal question, “Why is this good for me or society?” I remain unconvinced that being a far-right conservative is good for anyone. The position seems to exist only because someone said it should. Despite pondering it quite a bit, I still have no idea what values Ted Cruz holds or, more importantly, why he is so inconsistent.

I’m sure you’ve had a birthday party or two where you looked around and thought, “Gee, I made it through another year.” Take that to the next level and think about the funeral of a 95 year old person. The church is empty because all of their friends are gone. So, I don’t focus on age as the decline of the journey. I use my acquired wisdom and knowledge to concentrate on those things currently before me. What can I do today that will make a positive difference?

I become frustrated when seeing people get mired in events that enact past mistakes. It brings a pause and makes me wonder if they are stupid. It was tried back in 1967 and it didn’t work then so why would you think it will work now? I admit to getting some satisfaction by saying I told you so to those repeating bad history. As those words tumble from my mouth, I hear the mental echo of things my parents said to me when I messed up as a kid. Yes, I have become my parents.

My mother and father never stopped learning. Even after a rather cult-like allegiance to Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew, they eventually admitted that they misjudged both of those goofballs. As for me, I hope that folks who glued themselves to Donald Trump will wake up one day and realize how ill-informed they were about a man who was totally incapable of handling the responsibilities of a US president.

The community hierarchy of America’s tribal nations was based on law and order. Interestingly, a group of the tribe’s oldest women were the ultimate judges of right and wrong. They not only sat in judgement, but they also decided the punishment for offenses. It was logical to Native Americans that their oldest, most experienced tribe members should execute the laws of the land.

Something great flows when younger people can learn and be motivated by giving older folks their day in the sun. I am sure Patrick Mahomes II, a 25 year old guy from Tyler, Texas, will remember what happened when he played in the 2021 Super Bowl. I have a feeling he will be motivated to work harder because of a 43 year old man named Tom Brady. Oh, to be 43 again, or maybe even 53. Hell, I’ll take 60! Okay, I’m suddenly feeling the need for my afternoon beauty nap. I’ll have more for you another day.

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How to Hire Great People: Tips, Tricks and Templates for Success

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4Feb

MOVING FORWARD IS TOUGH

4 Feb 2021 Dwight Douglas

The Era of American Grievance and Lies

Imagine an 11^th grade high school class comprised of devout Evangelists, Islamists and Hasidic Jewish kids. Now, think of their teacher arranging a debate in which the students have to defend the firm religious beliefs of their debate opponents. Boy, I’d love to be a fly on the wall for that one! It would be quite a challenge for the kids.

We know that Congress is full of contrarians. One camp is filled with those who oppose or reject popular opinion while folks in the other have an unusually strong sense of self and are vocal about their differing opinions. Florida Representative Matt Gaetz fits into that category. Ohio’s Jim Jordan can be labeled as a defender by some, but to others he’s a vindictive source of torment. When the tactics of blocking, arguing and criticizing get in the way of discussion and compromise, nothing productive follows.

I have a theory about Donald Trump and those people who want to be like him. Every shove raises an opposite force of equal proportion. All too frequently, I find myself screaming at the TV “That’s not true!” when hearing something like “All democrats hate America!” The true meaning of one who says that is “I hate anyone who disagrees with me.” When COVID-19 hit, most Republicans simply blamed China and offered precious little in the way of solutions. It’s the typical tactic of a contrarian. Usually, a ton of ad hominem surfaces while arguing such a point and speakers attack the character of those opposing them instead of dealing with the facts.

I tend to merely wave my hand at the older bigots in Congress and dismiss their perverted views and attitudes as the result of just being there too long. Ted Cruz, who is a small-minded person parading as an intellectual, introduced TERM LIMITS, but made sure they would not affect those who, like himself, are “grandfathered” in Congress. It’s like the “reform” we sometimes hear from successful immigrants, “Hey, I’m in now so close the door and don’t admit any others like me.” By the way, Ted Cruz’ father came to America from Cuba.

The daily discord in Congress is disturbing in many ways. Their lofty talk about compromise and unity is meaningless; they don’t care about those ideals at all. They would rather win the argument, massage their base and ask for more money from their voters, concepts far removed from keeping America great, or at least safe. The best recent example is the way Republicans decried the terrible Capitol Hill riots but, once the smoke cleared, were incapable of punishing the members who supported Trump’s incitement. It’s like they weren’t there. These same folks feel that convicting Trump by an impeachment trial in the Senate would be outrageous.

Minority House Leader Kevin McCarthy cannot bring discipline to new House member Marjorie Taylor Greene for her anti-Semitic, racist, xenophobic, and hurtful rhetoric. Even though McCarthy personally condemns such words and thoughts, Trump is still the puppet master of his political actions. McCarthy believes he can dodge the pressure by letting the Democrats vote Greene off committees. Wait and see how that won’t work. McCarthy will ultimately become the target of the malcontents, malicious traitors and cancerous contrarians of Congress.

Politicians have learned how to lie and take dark money to get elected. They have a naïve notion they don’t have to give the devil his due after he’s delivered the dinero. Such fools! Taking the money destines one to eventual ball playing on a burning field in hell.

We have always elected a certain number of whacked lunatics to Congress. We’ve had KKK grand wizards and outwardly racists fools like Steve King of Iowa. He was voted out after his neighbors learned his ways. I must believe that Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert have embarrassed their constituents and will be replaced in 2022, but right now they need to be controlled. I just read a story about Ms. Boebert claiming 38,000 miles on her House expense report. Wow, stealing gas from the government; shouldn’t she be fired right now?

It’s easy to see that we are living in weird times. The fact that I was backing Liz Cheney 100% on her fight to keep power in the House of Representatives is proof. Now before you possibly start thinking things couldn’t be stranger, consider last night’s story from Reuters, “Newly unsealed court documents and other records show that Merck & Co and U.S. regulators knew about reports of suicidal behavior in men taking the company’s anti-baldness treatment Propecia when they decided not to warn consumers of those potential risks in a 2011 update of the popular drug’s label.” Donald Trump uses this treatment every day. Could the 45^th President be suffering from a drug induced depression that has turned him into a monster? Hey, I am just reporting the news here. Yes, it comes with a large dose of opinions and fearful conjectures but at least you don’t have to pay for it.

As I have said before, getting rid of one goofball just causes another to pop up. You can play whack-a-mole all day but, like a rat’s tooth, break one off and another will grow in its place. These politicians raise money on being “persecuted” and maligned by the other side, but like any good martyr they desperately seek love. I guess the love that Matt Gaetz never got from his own father, was replaced by the “love” Donald Trump fed him. He’s so beholden to Trump that he wanted to resign from the House to become Trump’s lawyer during his Senate impeachment trial. Matt took an oath to protect the Constitutions of Florida and the US but has done much harm to both. This attorney is now risking his membership in the Bar Association. Disbarment would end his career as a lawyer, but not as a liar.

It’s going to take years for us confused voters to uncover the real criminals here. I do have some hope, given that hardly anyone in my generation has anything kind to say about Richard Nixon. The sycophants and losers hanging onto Donald John Trump’s shirttail should wake up and smell the covfefe. They are so stupid that they don’t even realize they are complicit in crimes against America. Like I said, it’s going to take a long time and moving forward in conflict is never an easy process.

Book for the Recovery – Build Back Better!

How to Hire Great People: Tips, Tricks and Templates for Success

Kindle and Paperback Click Here

The book that tells it like it is…

Get the Kindle Version HERE. Or order your paperback edition HERE.

3Feb

GUTLESS GOOFBALLS IN THE GOP

3 Feb 2021 Dwight Douglas

The Choice Between Cheney & Greene

The madness surrounding the newly elected representative from the 14^th Congressional district of Georgia is a great example of how the Peach State has not only amazing power on the Hill but also a huge ability to stay in the news. Currently, hubbub is swirling around Roman Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. She’s from the small town of Rome, Georgia with a population of 36,000.

So, we have this brand-new Congressperson, who has claimed that tragic school shootings were stunts to make conservatives look bad, now assigned to the Education Committee of the House of Representatives. Excuse me, but this is goofy. At another time in our history, Greene’s videos, comments and posts would have kept her from getting elected to Congress in the first place but remember that her Democratic opponent dropped out of the race and the replacement candidate was hardly known.

But now, what to do about her? While the Democrats and reasonable Republicans want her to be punished in some way, there is also a group of about a dozen Republicans who want Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney to resign because she voted to impeach Donald Trump. So, we see tough working conditions in the body that governs working conditions. It’s funny how the US Congress often ignores its own rules. It was only a few years ago that they enacted stronger measures for handling sexual harassment in their chambers.

While millions of people are on unemployment insurance and hundreds of thousands of families are dealing with death from COVID, our congressional knuckleheads are dragging their feet about providing relief. The remains of a Capitol Hill Police officer are lying in state in the rotunda while these political losers want to argue about the mythical benefit of a “targeted” relief package. There is no way Congress can discern those who are unemployed. Even the Treasury Department doesn’t have that data; it’s secret, like Donald Trump’s tax returns. Quit quibbling and send out the money!

We have a vaccine that could end America’s COVID crisis, but its rollout is crippled by lack of supply and scattered distribution. It’s clear we need a national strategy, but don’t hold your breath because the people we sent to Washington won’t support a strong planner. They feel a need to mess with every niggling detail and their lack of focus prevents progress.

Here are my thoughts. First, let’s throw Marjorie Taylor Greene out of Congress and ask the Republican Governor in Georgia to send a more worthy representative to fill the seat. It’s a legal step and should be taken. Next, anyone who attacks Liz Cheney or demands she resign from Congress should lose all their committee positions. If Congress cannot uphold its own rules and policies, then they have no right to complain that Donald Trump’s impeachment trial is unconstitutional. The insane statements of Congressional members undercut citizens’ confidence in the body.

I know my position would raise concerns about the leaders in Congress undoing the vote of the people, but it’s done all the time. Florida voted to allow ex-cons to vote, yet the state’s Governor and Legislature created a law that prevented thousands of them from voting applying what amounted to a poll tax by using their debt against their right to vote. The 2018 amendment, which was approved by nearly 65% of Florida voters, ended the state’s permanent disenfranchisement of felons, but the politicians circumvented the peoples’ will by taking vote away from 1.4 million felons. Many of those were low level, non-violence drug law offenders.

Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is a spineless human being who is not concerned with the voters. He’s focused on how Donald Trump will view him. What a weak leader! McCarthy cares less about what Marjorie Taylor Greene said about executing members of Congress and more about an ever-eroding base of voters who might storm the Capitol again. Trump and his mob have Kevin by the balls.

I am a Democrat who proudly defends Liz Cheney. She voted her conscience in an honest belief that Donald Trump incited the riot and presents a true threat to the long-term course of the Republican party. Sure, some accuse her of trying to up her brand and enhance her chance for more power, but that’s too simplistic. Liz’ Father Dick Cheney doesn’t like Trump and sees him as a short-term exploitation artist. Dick is not dumb; he knows how Washington and the world work. Liz is her own woman, but such a true replica of her father that he should be proud. Wait, did I just write that? Wow, out of body experience!

I suggest that when a crime is committed or a rule broken, we follow the guidelines of proper punishment and stick to them. If one promotes insurrection and a riot then takes place, the promotion becomes insurrection in and of itself. The penalty for insurrection is ten years. Maybe we should give the fat, orange guy five years and call it a day. We’ve got better things to do.

If we are truly a law-and-order country, we must stop applying rules differently across various classes of people. If we believe all men and women are truly created equal, then we must apply our laws equally. We need to stop wasting our time talking about stupid people and move forward. Creating divide does not achieve unity.

Book for the Recovery – Build Back Better!

How to Hire Great People: Tips, Tricks and Templates for Success

Kindle and Paperback Click Here

The book that tells it like it is…

Get the Kindle Version HERE. Or order your paperback edition HERE.

2Feb

LOONY LIES & CANCER

2 Feb 2021 Dwight Douglas

Mitch McConnell’s Last Term

American politics and governance provide only a few examples of true leadership. The process is based more on gamesmanship and less on leadership. Our former president was far from a leader; he was a psycho complainer.

Today the new Trump lawyers threw their first pitch and revealed what they hope to pull off during the former president’s second impeachment trial. They will claim that Donald John Trump never urged his followers into insurrection and has always promoted peaceful assembly and protest. They will assert that Trump bears no responsibility for the Capitol Hill riot and, above all else, they will argue that an impeachment trial for a president who has left office is unconstitutional. Isn’t that like saying the man who embezzled money from the company the day before he was fired has neither guilt nor a legal obligation to pay back the money? What country is this?

If Trump did not commit the crime of inciting an insurrection, why do those who carried out the treasonous and seditious acts say they were following his orders? I’m sure the trial will cover the content of Mr. Trump’s speech right before the mob marched to the Capitol and killed people, but Trump’s hired hands will say his words couldn’t possibly incite a normal person. What a convoluted court drama! The accused blame the leader while the leader faults the accused. Who can we believe, or should we simply let all of them go Scott-free? But let me move on to today’s main story.

Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell made a dramatic and surprising statement yesterday about some of the lunatics in the House of Representatives. Although he didn’t speak her name, McConnell denounced newly elected Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Monday, calling the far-right Georgia Republican’s embrace of conspiracy theories and “loony lies” a “cancer for the Republican Party.” According to the Associated Press he further said, “Somebody who’s suggested that perhaps no airplane hit the Pentagon on 9/11, that horrifying school shootings were pre-staged, and that the Clintons crashed JFK Jr.’s airplane is not living in reality. This has nothing to do with the challenges facing American families or the robust debates on substance that can strengthen our party.”

The former Senate leader’s pronouncement drew a line in the sand and boxed in his House of Representatives counterpart Kevin McCarthy, who should now act. Perhaps he will condemn those Republicans who endorse such bullshit and strip them of leadership roles, or maybe not. We have to wait and see.

The outrageous claims of Trump wannabe Marge from Georgia are the direct result of Republicans ignoring all the daft lies of the past four years. Maybe they’re all crazy, and I mean that in the mental illness kind of way. Greene garnered only 229,827 votes in a district with slightly under one million people, but she was elected and that gives her a megaphone. I believe she’s not highly intelligent. I know saying that is politically incorrect, but if she were the least bit aware, she would know all that QAnon stuff is fantasy. What any of that made-up shit has to do with America being great is lost on everyone except the other dumb people. Maybe her boredom with older anti-Semitic tropes is what led her to say that the California wildfires were ignited by Jewish controlled laser beams coming from secret space satellites.

Mitch is attacking Marjorie because he thinks her lunacy will cost Republicans future elections, including her own election in in Georgia two years from now. The Democrats can easily find someone with more creditability than Miss Georgia Greene. By the way, have you ever noticed that when a Senator or Representative announces they are retiring from Congress they begin to say what they should always have said? It’s ironic that they become truthful when no longer seeking reelection.

McConnell is 78 years of age and he was just reelected to a six-year term. He will be 84 when his term is up and it’s unlikely he will run again. So, this is probably the end for Mr. McConnell and all of a sudden, he’s telling us what he honestly believes and thinks. Using his great political skill, McConnell was able to manipulate Trump to cause himself the least amount of pain, but he surely doesn’t like what has happened to his party.

Mitch will forever be labeled a failure because he couldn’t stop the election fraud scam within his caucus and an insurrection occurred under his watch. For the next two years McConnell will have to work at cleaning up his party while the Dems trample over him. He’s now much less relevant, but at least, he’s finally speaking out.

The loony lies McConnell has called out could very well destroy the Republican Party and, if given enough oxygen, might ruin the House and the Senate as well. If we were to line up Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and Marjorie Taylor Greene to ask why they are being so stupid, they would endlessly tell you why they are right, and we are wrong. Their lies, conspiracies and misinformation make America look bad. Consider Rand Paul saying that masks do not protect against COVID-19. Yeah, he really said that. Think about Ted Cruz’ belief that a president cannot commit a crime. What about murder, Teddy? As for Josh Hawley, he just wants to be president one day. God help us all!

We need to keep our eyes on Mitch McConnell to see if stands his ground. If he recapitulates and walks it all back, we’ll know, he’s just another dirty, grifter politician. We have accepted mediocrity for so long it will be hard to know a real leader when one comes along. It’s as if we are as brain dead as Q himself. I assume he’s a man, but I know he’s a dick.

Book for the Recovery – Build Back Better!

How to Hire Great People: Tips, Tricks and Templates for Success

Kindle and Paperback Click Here

The book that tells it like it is…

Get the Kindle Version HERE. Or order your paperback edition HERE.

1Feb

CANCEL CULTURE IN AMERICA

1 Feb 2021 Dwight Douglas

Jargon, Slogan, War Chant or Necessary Evil

As a student of history, I can take any example, examine it from multiple angles and discover it has happened before. If we can learn from our current moments in time, we might become wiser and better able to prevent bad things we see coming our way before they can cause harm.

Let’s consider the Teapot Dome bribery scandal involving one of President Warren G. Harding’s cabinet members, Albert Bacon Fall, who was Secretary of the Interior from 1921 to 1923. This goofball had leased Navy petroleum reserves at Teapot Dome in Wyoming and two locations in California to private oil companies at low rates without competitive bidding. Why did he do that? Well, he took bribes from the oil companies. Fall was charged, convicted and became the first presidential cabinet member to go to prison. Albert Bacon Fall literally took the fall because no oil executives were convicted.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, “When the affair became known, Congress directed President Harding to withdraw the leases; the Supreme Court declared the leases fraudulent and ruled illegal Harding’s transfer of authority to Fall. Although the president himself was not implicated in the transactions, the revelations of his associates’ misconduct took a severe toll on his health. Disillusioned and exhausted, he died before the full extent of the wrongdoing had been determined.” So, Congress canceled the deals but someone in a higher office canceled President Harding’s life.

Not all Cancel Culture targets create their own demise. America has the glare of news coverage, rumblings on social media and various bullies pounding their pulpits to cancel people. But what exactly does cancel mean in this context? When people behave badly they can become ostracized by others they don’t even know. The powerful cold-shoulder of cancelation can get a person fired from their job, disbarred from law practice or even arrested for a crime they may or may not have committed.

Shunning, disowning or moving an individual to isolation is not a new concept. Many tribes used this method as a strong but less violent way of punishing those who broke community rules. When it was revealed that Minnesota Senator Al Franken had taken sexual liberties with coworkers during his former life as an entertainer, he was spurned and slammed by many. This happened in the thick of the Me-too movement and it wasn’t long before the Cancel Culture urged Mr. Franken to resign. He left Congress and was replace by a female. Knowing what we know now, would he still be canceled today?

There are many people I would like to cancel but can’t because my voice is not that powerful and my leverage is even less so. Besides that, I simply don’t have the time or motivation to frame a campaign or hype a hashtag. I have absolutely no use for Florida Representative Matt Gaetz and would surely support canceling him, but then what? We would probably end up with someone like Georgia’s Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. She denies that a plane hit the Pentagon on 9-11, supports the idea that the Parkland school shooting was a “false flag” operation meant to usher in tighter gun laws and believes that the California wildfires were ignited by a Jewish space laser program.

The dumbing down of America has brought us some real doozies. First there was Sarah Palin of Alaska, then along came Donald Trump and now we have the quirky QAnon people preaching their platform. Instead of wasting time talking about the Republican party divide, let’s find a way to stop these lunatics from advancing lies that have major, destructive consequences. It’s time to cancel your subscription to the far-stupid media.

Gabriel Sterling is an official in the Georgia Secretary of State’s office and one Republican whom I really respect. He forcefully came out against election fraud claims and stated that big lie had incited intimidation, harassment and death threats. Mr. Sterling got specific and spoke directly to Donald Trump, “It has to stop. Mr. President, you have not condemned these actions or this language. Senators, you’ve not condemned this language or these actions. This has to stop. We need you to step up and if you’re going to take a position of leadership, show some!” During his speech in the Georgia capital, he added, “Someone’s going to get hurt, someone’s going to get shot, someone’s going to get killed! It’s not right.”

The lie of the stolen election drove thousands of people to charge the Capitol, proving that Mr. Sterling was right. People were hurt and killed in that tragic melee. If ever there was a reason to cancel Donald Trump and all the sycophants kissing his fat ass, there it is. Folks were warned but they did nothing.

The term Cancel Culture is a slick slogan that easily rolls off the tongue, but let’s not forget that the word “culture” has a far greater meaning. Culture embodies the customs, arts, social institutions, intellectual achievements and other manifestations of human activity by a nation‘s people or other type of social group. The Trump tribe is a culture of lies and misinformation. It’s hardly an intellectual achievement and certainly more worthy of cancellation than a low rated TV show.

Most people perpetrate the lie after they’ve been caught up in a crime, but when the lie is itself the crime peace and redemption can never be reached unless the liar admits the untruth. There were lies aplenty in the Trump tribe. People were told COVID is not that bad and there’s no need to wear a mask. The 2020 stolen election fraud caused an insurrection at the Capitol Building. These were the “facts“ of the far-dumb fiction followers that caused lives to be lost .

I’m not proposing we cancel Trump by erasing all that has been written or said about the man. Some believe he was the best president we have ever had. That reminds me of the 1958 Edsel automobile. The Ford Motor Company invested $250 million developing the Edsel, believing it would be the best car ever. The Edsel was a total failure, just like Trump.

So, here’s where we stand after four years of Donald John Trump. The Republican are not happy, the Democrats are mad and impatient, the Progressives want more socialism, and the far dumb folks want to take back “their country” with flags, guns and more lies. There’s no telling what QAnon might do if they gain significant power, probably public executions. Then there’s that orange Trump guy worried about Cancel Culture when he should be focused on staying out of jail. If you don’t convict, you are complicit.

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29Jan

FREE FOOD FRIDAY

29 Jan 2021 Dwight Douglas

Solving the Hunger Games in America

I worked at a company in New York years ago that figured out a way to keep more employees in the plant every Friday. It was a benefit they named Free Food Friday, and it worked. Friday attendance increased, and some people who had the day off came in just for the chow but ended up doing a little work while they were there.

Right now, America is facing some serious and staggering food statistics. According to NPR, “Even before the pandemic hit, some 13.7 million households, or 10.5% of all U.S. households, experienced food insecurity at some point during 2019, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That works out to more than 35 million Americans who were either unable to acquire enough food to meet their needs, or uncertain of where their next meal might come from, last year. The coronavirus pandemic has only worsened the problem. According to one estimate by researchers at Northwestern University, food insecurity more than doubled as a result of the economic crisis brought on by the outbreak, hitting as many as 23% of households earlier this year.”

When you have enough food and no worries about where your next meal will come from, this problem probably never crosses your mind. On the other hand, when a person can’t eat they may fall into a deep depression or do some bad things to get food. So, what can you do to help? Well, you could contribute to food a bank.

Maybe start here. That is Feeding America, which is a nationwide network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and programs that provide food and services to hungry people. For every dollar you give, the Feeding America network of food banks helps provide at least ten meals to people in need. You can click this link at their site to see the local food bank in your zip code.

As negative as this sounds, there are times I wonder if the people lined up in their cars to get a free box of food don’t actually need the help. Then it hits me. Who would sit in a car line for food if they didn’t need it? That’s much less fun than Free Food Friday.

The intense and distracting political partisan rhetoric in our government right now is drawing attention away from helping our fellow citizens during a pandemic. I don’t know about you, but I am utterly sick of the crazy conspiracy theories some of our desperate politicians are using when jockeying for power. It would be far better if they were addressing the problems of unemployment and hungry citizens. What fools these jokers are, arguing about things that don’t matter to 28 million households.

If you want to give your voice some power, click these links on my blog page to find your Senators and Representative. Send your Congresspersons a stern message. It’s time to feed America.

Thank you for your support.

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28Jan

WOKE WOLVES OF WALL STREET

28 Jan 2021 Dwight Douglas

The Stock Market – Easily Manipulated

P.J. O’Rourke is a funny and creative writer. His fabulous book titled None of My Business attempts to explain how money and the stock market work. To be honest, the book didn’t teach me anything new but it’s humorous and enlightening.

Stock market trading profoundly changed when “regular” Joes and Janes were given access to computers, powerful financial analytical software and the internet. I started dabbling back in the late 80s with the dream of making a bunch of money. After signing up with Charles Schwab, getting their software installed on my Compaq computer and connecting to their server, I was good to go. I worked the software like a video game, buying the stock of businesses I understood such as broadcast and software service companies and realized some gains along the way.

Six months in, I met with my financial guy, old what’s his name at Schwab, and had to face the substantial number of transaction fees I racked up. At that time, each trade cost me $30. My guy asked why I was trading so much and I replied, “It’s fun.”

Something happened yesterday that should make us all a bit nervous, especially those with money in the market. On the same day that Apple reported that all of their product lines were up to the tune of $100 billion in sales, a quake coming from the online chat service named Reddit rocked the investment establishment.

Reddit was founded by Alexis Ohanian, yes, the guy who married Serena Williams. He’s long been a bastion of free speech and “open” information exchange. According to CNBC, “Mr. Ohanian, who resigned from Reddit’s board in June and urged for a Black director to replace him, said the GameStop short-squeeze that was instigated in recent weeks — pushing the video-game retailer’s stock up nearly 2,000% this month alone — shows the disruptive nature of the internet.” How could a company explode that quickly in such a short period of time? Look to the actions of a group of people who, in another time and place, would probably be hackers and protesters.

Most likely weaned on the movie lizard Gordon Gekko who told us that “greed is good,” these amateur traders want to stick it to the man. The New York Times said it best, “Propelled by a mix of greed and boredom, gleefully determined to teach Wall Street a lesson, and turbocharged by an endless flow of get-rich-quick hype and ideas delivered via social media, these investors have piled into trades around several companies, pushing their stock prices to stratospheric levels.” In fact, several GameStop investors became billionaires in one day. WTF?

These scoundrels have run up the value of GameStop, a marginal company, because they have ganged together to control investing and the timeline to reap profits by selling when the stock value crests. It should be against the law.

Then, just when I think I know what I am talking about regarding the stock market, I get an opposite opinion from a friend, “I do not share your view on this, at all. The ‘whiz kids’ of Wall Street are playing the very same game of the ’established investors’ who work their subterfuge in plush corner offices using far more subtle, and perhaps undetectable, ways. The result is exactly the same for each group, wealth acquired by manipulation. The real problem is a lack of control to prevent devious strategies.”

My friend didn’t stop there. “Yes, we have the Securities and Exchange Commission, but I think they’re in bed with the stock market establishment. If that wasn’t the case, I’m sure they could implement a bulletproof mechanism to detect and prevent exploitation. I am more aligned with the whizzers, showing us all that the system is vulnerable to control by a few. Their transparent behavior is unsettling only because it brings into the light what has been happening in the dark for decades. It’s a seriously flawed, perhaps corrupt, system.” Well, that certainly does fit into my previous statement that much of the Stock Market is a giant electronic Ponzi scheme.

Are the internet and the way people use mass communication platforms for evil intentions the bigger villains in this story? These rebellious investors are raising their middle fingers at authority, marching to the opening bell while waving flags of disruption and discord. How can we guard against the insane behavior of these Wall Street “whiz kids?” Should we close the internet?

I applauded Facebook when they stopped political advertising the month before the election because it impeded misinformation getting to the public. Most voters had already made up their minds by then, and 81 million people told us they wanted a change. The economy of the United States is not the stock market, but the symbiotic relationship is apparent. People tend to spend the money they make selling stocks. When they use their gains to buy things the whole boat rises with the tide, but the harsh reality is Joe the Plumber doesn’t make more money.

The Securities and Exchange Commission was created after the 1920s stock market crash. It’s supposed to protect investors and the national banking system without thwarting or manipulating the natural market fluctuations. The market is a tool for the people, like the Federal Reserve adjusting interest rates and effecting institutional corrections that become necessary at times. Without knowing the accurate picture of our economy, we are at the mercy of a bunch of day traders at the bar.

Amateur investors chatting up a storm on Reddit and creating stock market waves shift our attention away from legitimate investments into new companies needing dollars to bring their great products to market. Things will calm down when the stock market imposes control over these rouge traders and suspends disruptive trading. After the market took a few minor steps, the Dow Jones went back up; nothing to see here, move along.

It’s time for Elizabeth Warren and people like her who understand how all this works to roll up their sleeves and figure it out. Maybe my friend is right. It could be those assholes on Reddit showed the man behind the curtain is not really controlling anything, but it’s too important to give the wolves more time in the henhouse. Someone has to clean up the feathers. Gee, maybe we could use them to start a pillow business.

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26Jan

A REWRITE OF HISTORY

26 Jan 2021 Dwight Douglas

Trump’s Leftover Waste of Money

Right before Trump left office, he put together a commission to study and address schools applying a more accurate history curriculum about slavery in the US. It was mostly motivated by the 1619 Project published by the New York Times. One of the first things the 46^th President Joe Biden did was to sign an executive order to dissolve the 1776 commission. For you to fully understand the context of this letter, you unfortunately might have to read this report: The-Presidents-Advisory-1776-Commission-Final-Report

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen of the 1776 Commission:

I read the lengthy complaint letter to America titled The 1776 Report and want to share my feelings and thoughts about what you and your cohorts have written. I read it all with an open mind, attempting to grasp your purpose and intent. As someone who cares deeply about this country and the issues you covered, I am compelled to express my raw reactions.

Here’s my basic understanding. The United States of America is not a person who needs its large ego to be defended but rather a homeland that needs to be protected. So, I assume your first goal is protecting American citizens from misinformation and bias. That’s noble, but sadly, it’s not the overall thrust of what you have produced.

I see this warning draped in flowery language, “…unrealistic hopes and checks against pressing partisan claims or utopian agendas too hard or too far.” Are you speaking about anyone who disagrees with your version of the truth? You quickly add that America has its “share of missteps, errors, contradictions, and wrongs,” and while that is true, your statement about being governed with “consent” is highly inaccurate. Not a single slave ever gave consent for their condition and women did not agree to being prohibited from voting for 144 years. Those are facts.

I’m glad your first report was your last because your findings prove a dramatic need for truthtellers and historians to put America’s errors and wrongs into proper context. Why should you get to write your “truth” without giving voice to those who endured the deep pain of their fight for equality? You point out that one of the tenants of our founders was to have “limited government,” but that government has evolved and has now paid you to provide your version of its history. Why is that? Has the Federal Government hired you to tell us citizens how we should think?

You talk about the “more problematic” movements that “seek to reject the fundamental truths of the Declaration of Independence and seek to destroy our Constitutional order.” Which movements are these? Why didn’t you name them? Are they the same boogiemen seen by McCarthy, John Birch and the KKK, or are they the immigrants seeking asylum in this free land only to be arrested at the border and have their children taken from them? Maybe you can’t point a finger right now because you’re far too busy trying to figure out who deserves those “eternal truths” and the “priceless inheritance” you mention.

You hide behind the smoke screen of a learned scholar while denouncing higher education itself as a bastion of communism, socialism and American haters. You cast the first stone yet also claim that anyone who calls our founders hypocrites is doing “enormous damage” and having a “devasting effect on our civic unity and social fabric.” Can you even imagine a young Black man in America pointing out the words “…all men are created equal…” and then asking why his ancestors were enslaved and treated like animals? Would you say his question was damaging our social fabric? How would you answer him? If your document is the answer, then you have profoundly failed every African American.

You write that “the institution of slavery has been more the rule than the exception throughout human history,” but you started that sentence using the words “the unfortunate fact…” Does the fact that it happened pervasively somehow make the reality less than immoral? Wrapping the word “fact” around tragic historical events doesn’t make them right, it just makes them indisputably horrible.

Senator Tom Cotton and President Donald Trump were behind your whitewashing of our history and much of what you have written is simply wrong. George Washington paid hunters to track and return some of his escaped slaves. Sure, Thomas Jefferson condemned the notion of slavery but ask Sally Hemmings how much she was paid to bear his offspring. The founding fathers were intelligent but flawed human beings. More to the point, they were HYPOCRITES. Now don’t get all ruffled here. To this very day there are still many hypocrites in Washington, and that is unlikely to change in our government.

Great Britain banned slave trade in 1807 and outlawed the practice of “owning” people long before the United States did the same. Check your calendar. President Abraham Lincoln issued an executive order named The Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, long after Europe and Great Britain ended slavery. Since you are selling us on the need to understand facts, perhaps you should get yours straight.

Your explanations of the various dogmas and principals of tyrants and totalitarian governments reminds me of what J. Edgar Hoover tried to do to Martin Luther King, Jr. If one finds fault with America, then accuse them of being a communist, or worse, a Democrat. Your use of the term “Identity Politics” does not mask your clear “partisan claims or utopian agendas.” Caught you!

You advanced a lofty claim that everywhere “American troops went, they embodied in their own ranks and brought with them the principals of the Declaration, liberating peoples and restoring freedom.” What are you talking about? Did you forget about Vietnam? How about those “weapons of mass destruction” and other fabricated foes in whose name we gladly spit all over the Declaration of Independence? Have you noticed there’s not much liberation happening in Iraq?

I love America, and the strong feelings I hold for my home will not allow me to sit silent and watch your biased, politically motivated piece of misinformation being marched down Main Street masquerading as a parade of truth. Get this straight. A person who points out brutal truths can still be a patriot and a law-abiding citizen. America is getting better, but your commissioned report isn’t worth the price of the ink that printed it.

Thanks for your time.

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25Jan

WHAT TO DO WITH TRUMP

25 Jan 2021 Dwight Douglas

Conundrum: Divide or Convict

Why can’t Donald Trump just go away? Over the past four years the man has trained many of us to be to be vindictive and angry, and I admit membership in that group. I have always disliked people who are more interested in assigning blame than pursuing solutions. Trump constantly created a problem, then immediately looked for a fall guy to tag with the crime. Attorney General Jeff Sessions put kids in cages at the southern US border, and Trump blamed Obama when that tragedy was discovered.

Things got out of hand when Donald Trump urged his rabid fans to march to the Capital and take back their country with strength. He was quick to say it was wrong, but his pronouncement of innocence was written by lawyers and quickly angered “Q” of QAnon, who called him a failure. House of Representatives’ Kevin McCarthy asserted there was plenty of guilt to go around, which was a non-blame-blame that injudicious people use to deflect.

Rules are needed as the Senate moves forward with another impeachment trial of Donald J. Trump. Senators must affirm that they will perform their duties honestly and with due diligence. After hearing the charges, the Senate usually deliberates in private. The Constitution requires a two-thirds supermajority in an impeachment trial, and in this case 67 Senators would be needed to convict. However, the decision of whether Trump should be convicted or acquitted is only the first step.

Upon conviction in the Senate, the impeached is removed from office and may, by a separate vote, be barred from holding any future federal office. This vote requires a simple majority, or 51 Senators. If the Senate were deadlocked in a 50-50 tie, Vice President Kamala Harris would cast the tie-breaking vote and vanquish the evil prince of darkness to his political death.

Some claim that a president cannot be convicted of impeachment once they leave office, but I have a thought that hasn’t been discussed by the Congress or media. This country has laws that prohibit a person from causing insurrection. It wouldn’t be too much of a leap to charge Trump in local courts for what he inspired and commanded in the Capitol Hill riot.

The legal language of 18 U.S. Code § 2383 – Rebellion or insurrection is clear, “Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.” The word “incites” quite accurately describes Trump’s actions and, you know what, a year in prison might help him get into shape.

Another idea is calling to order a Grand Jury in D.C. to present the case, and if a charge results then arrest him. Trump no longer holds office, and he is not protected by presidential immunity. Sure, it would enrage millions of people, but no man is above the law and it’s time we start to honor that American legal declaration.

The CNN website is reporting that the Arizona Republican Party voted to publicly punish Arizona Republican Governor Doug Ducey, former Republican Senator Jeff Flake and the wife of the late John McCain, Cindy McCain, who opposed Trump’s efforts to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory. The state’s GOP also went after controversial party chairwoman Kelli Ward. It’s worth noting that Arizona turned, as they say, blue in the 2020 Presidential Election and now both State Senators are Democrats.

When Republicans in the US Congress assert that another Impeachment trial will further divide the country, perhaps they should first worry about how their own party has been divided. Trump caused that split as well as the deaths that took place January 6, 2021 on Capitol Hill. Some of these Republicans care more about being elected than the lives of American citizens.

South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham gets under my skin the most. One moment he says, “Enough is enough,” and then hours later he’s on the golf course with Trump and defending him once again. You see, it’s all a game to them, like golf where one can use a “do over” or, as they call it, a “mulligan.” Think of Tiger Woods coming back from his moral transgressions and mishaps to regain ultimate redemption, winning and more money.

The Republican Party took a giant gamble on Trump and they lost. Graham and others like him are still trying to protect Trump. They will double-down on this loser and eventually pay the price. I’ll say it once again — Mitch McConnell is right. The devil must be expelled from the GOP.

For that to happen, Donald Trump must be banned from running for any federal office for life, and to achieve that, the Senate must convict Trump in his impeachment trial. You cannot ban if you do not take a stand. Should those spineless Senatorial bastards acquit him, it will be like walking out of the hospital refusing the chemo, giving the cancer more time to destroy them.

You might say that it’s easy for me to sit here and spout my political wisdom, but once again we are about to remake the same mistakes that screwed us before. When the pandemic hit, no one looked at the historical warnings embedded in the 1918-1919 Spanish flu. Trump kept referring to it as 1917.

When Teddy Roosevelt came back from his vacation in Africa, he wanted to be president again. When he lost the Republican nomination in 1912 to the incumbent and former friend, President William Taft, he stormed out of the convention hall and jumped up on the back of a flatbed truck and screamed to the reporters, “I feel as strong as a bull moose!” Does such bragging sound familiar? Roosevelt proceeded to hijack and rename the Progressive Party, the “Bull Moose Party.” By creating a third party, Teddy sabotaged the Republican Party and Democrat Woodrow Wilson won the White House. It’s possible that Trump will do something similar.

Donald John Trump has already divided and destroyed. If he’s not barred from holding office and the Republicans do not nominate him in 2024, his ego will drive him to form his own “Bullhead Party,” which would guarantee the Democrats keeping power. So many politicians never learn from history; they simply repeat it. The Arizona Republican party just proved this. Attack the righteous for they tell the truth. Nice.

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