I’m in my 70’s and had the great privilege to spend the last 20+ years of my working life as a sixth grade teacher in a “low socio-economic” Middle School where, at the time of my retirement, the percentage of students participating in the “Free and reduced” lunch (and breakfast) program exceeded 90%. It was a “tough” school in which to teach and it was filled with a staff of amazing public servants – from the teachers to the custodians – people who loved and cared for the students who came through the doors and, of course, it was full of some amazing students. As my career moved forward the diversity of our school increased. After I retired I was called back to “help” for a few more years until, at one point, I realized I was too old to relate appropriately with 12 – 13 year old students. However, I look back with thankfulness to virtually every day I was able to spend in the very classrooms I was a student back in 1959.

I mention this because my hope is many of my students are participating in the protests of the MURDER of George Floyd as most of them have graduated from high school by this point in time. I wasn’t the most sophisticated teacher – I had spent 7 years in a sawmill prior to becoming a teacher with the help of the federal government initiating the “timber workers re-location act” in regard to the “Spotted Owl” issue which closed down the mill for which I was working – but one thing I always emphasized to my students was the purpose of their education was to help them become “productive, responsible adults.” I never shared my personal opinions or beliefs regarding politics to my students, but I always emphasized to them the importance of them voting. That America is worth fighting for despite all her shortcomings and my hope was they would take their responsibility to vote seriously.

I’ve often wondered, since retiring, how many of my former students are “Dreamers” because many were/are first generation immigrants. My final days in the classroom included the day individual 1 was “elected.” (With, of course, 3 MILLION fewer votes than his opponent and the help of the Russians and James Comey) I was a substitute at that point in my career and had notified the administration it was “time” for me to call it “good.” I will never forget spending two of the final days of my career simply allowing the students to talk among themselves about what was happening. These were 7th graders who were not “good” students but who were extremely “street smart” – most of them Hispanic. The students were quizzing each other with questions like, “Are you legal?” The very day individual 1 “won” the election allowed these students to begin my education of the reality we were all to be facing in the next 4 years.

Clearly, I’ve read a lot of books since then and feel I now “get it,” but back then, right from the start, these 7th graders “got it.” These are kids who were rejecting school because of their collective experience in their previous 6 years and my “old school” ways wasn’t as effective as I would have liked – but, in teaching, it really does take a “village” and it’s critical for teachers and administrators to be on the same page which wasn’t clear to me at the time was the reality. School wasn’t working for these students and, to this day, I feel “school” had given up on them, but I still have hopes they “heard” some of what I was telling them – because, they were smart – as I said, “street smart” – and, I can picture them marching in these protests and if they remember anything from me I hope they are going to remember to VOTE!

These students knew individual 1 was an immoral, racist, xenophobic, and dishonest so-called president from day one. I was caught off guard because I was so focused on teaching them “pre-algebra” and frustrated by their unwillingness to “learn” when the reality they were really smart and they were the reason the changes which need to come from these protests are so incredibly important. These students were/have been living in “generational poverty” which I studied and tried to address – but, when I look back, I was just unable to really fully understand what was going on with them. These students were the children of fathers and mothers who get stopped by police at the whim of the officer. Often times thrown in jail at the whim of the officer. I realize MOST police officers are wonderfully awesome public servants, but the bad ones are like the “rotten apple” in the barrel – it affects the “whole bunch.”

My hope for the future of this nation is that our young people will fight for the “ideals” we all know are NOT being met. Those of us who weren’t as knowledgeable about individual 1 back in 2016 – we knew it was going to be bad, we just had no idea how bad it would be – have no excuses now. At this point it’s obvious “people of color” have been facing the brunt of virtually every crisis in this nation – income inequality, Covid-19, police racism, environmental crises, the economic crisis, etc. – and, hopefully, it will be all these people in the streets who become the leaders we need to turn the direction of the “ship of state.” That will begin the day individual 1 has officially been defeated at the polls. And, the turnout this November MUST be massive to offset the voter suppression tactics you can count on coming from the “White House” and his sycophants.

One thing I came to realize as I was understanding my time in the classroom was coming to an end was the use of technology – both what I wasn’t doing and what the students were doing. As the use of iPads increased and the use of pencils decreased I knew “it was time.” However, I tried to emphasize to my students the importance of checking multiple sources when “researching” and to, hopefully, avoid opinions created by someone else. I still believe in READING! This is why outlets like “Facebook” and “Twitter” (among others, many of which I know nothing about – I know next to nothing about Facebook and Twitter because I don’t participate), to me, are so dangerous. I consider, for example, Mark Zuckerberg as a contender for what Keith Olberman used to call, “The worst person in the world.”

Zuckerberg created “Facebook” – as I said, I don’t use it so I just know what I’ve picked up peripherally – but that all encourages me to NOT use it – which is a breeding ground for misinformation – or, in the words of individual 1 – “fake news.” Of course, this is the real “fake news” which was the result of the Russians’ cyberwarfare attacks on Western Democracies, including, obviously, the U.S.A. and the tactics of the Russians have been “adopted” by who knows how many others. Well, one entity we KNOW has “adopted” the Russian’s tactics is the republican party and the campaign of individual 1. They’re spending MILLIONS (obviously, why Zuckerberg encourages it) to spew political LIES to a targeted group of Americans which was sophisticatedly put together by Cambridge Analytica – at the urging of Steven Bannon and others affiliated with individual 1 – (Read; “Mindf*ck Cambridge Analytica and the plot to Break America”) – Cambridge Analytica is “gone” but the data they “mined” is still in the hands of individual 1’s campaign and they’re surely using it to continue their propaganda campaign. (I’ve always believed the Russians and Cambridge Analytica were working together)

So, to me, Zuckerberg is a danger to our republic. But, then there’s “Twitter.” Another “social media” platform which is being masterfully manipulated by people who, like our IMPEACHED so-called president have no “scruples.” I’ve written lately about reading “Rising out of Hatred” by Eli Saslow – what to me was a great read and considerably increased my knowledge of the white nationalist movement in this country. As I’ve said in previous posts, I knew it was there I just didn’t know to what extent. Well, it appears “Twitter” is another place where right wing thugs are using their lack of moral clarity to foment misinformation, conspiracy theories, and outright violence. To me, these “social media” platforms are a menace to our society and, obviously, there are many more than just “Facebook” and “Twitter.”

I bring up “Twitter” because I’ve now read reports about white nationalist groups creating fake “Twitter” accounts so that they can “pretend” to be members of “Antifa” in order to place the blame of the violence they were committing in the recent protests away from themselves. And, with our IMPEACHED so-called president suggesting “Antifa” should be listed as a terrorist organization – well, why not place the blame there. Obviously, between individual 1 and William Barr you have two ready and willing recipients of any accusations toward – what appears to me to be almost no group at all – “Antifa.” From what I’ve read, “Antifa” is a “loose” group of left wing individuals who oppose the right wing fascist movement in America – which would include the administration of individual 1. I guess it should be obvious why individual 1 is making outlandish claims they are a “terrorist organization.”

My hope is the WHITE people who brought claw hammers, clubs, baseball bats, incendiary devices and other “stuff” not necessary for peaceful protesting to the protests around the country – and, then instigated violence, destruction of property, and arson have been arrested and will be identified as to whether they’re from “Antifa” or one of the many white nationalist groups who were, online, calling members to the protest with words like “we should be locked and loaded.” Regardless of which side of the political “spectrum” the instigators fall on, they were simply opportunists who are part of the problem which was exposed by the MURDER/LYNCHING of George Floyd. And, I have to add here, EVERY person I saw who was caught on video smashing a window or breaking down a door was WHITE. They were instigating the looting. Where they came from, that remains to be seen – I hope it comes out in the “wash.”

I knew, back in 2016 (as my students were almost in a state of shock) that the next four years were not going to be “good.” I just didn’t realize how BAD it was going to be. I’ve written about the DAMAGE being caused by individual 1 and his sycophants, I just had no idea how BAD it was going to become. It took me about a year to start viewing him as a mafia boss and virtually every day, it seems, he compounds all of his corruption. He’s attempting to destroy our traditional institutions and, when all is said and done, I believe we will all thank our young Americans for being the ones to say ENOUGH already! We’ll be thanking those Americans who live in the African American dominated communities for saying “NO MORE!” There absolutely MUST by systemic change in America and, hopefully, the “seeds” were “planted” this past week. I believe George Floyd will “live” as a martyr leading the “change we can believe in.” At least I hope that is the case – as opposed to simply moving on to the next crisis created by “you know who.”

Joe Biden must now make a critical decision because, well, he’s older than me. He MUST pick a “woman of color” to be his Vice Presidential “running mate,” in my (sometimes less than) humble opinion. Personally, I really admire Stacy Abrams who I consider a brilliant young leader who hails from Georgia. I also really like Kamala Harris of California and several others. There is a likelihood whoever he chooses will finally break the “glass ceiling” which Hillary Clinton would have broken – save for the Russians and James Comey – and we need someone strong because this white nationalist movement I’ve been writing about “aint goin nowhere.” They “hang around” like a bad cough which just won’t go away.

If I could say anything to the young people marching in the streets it would be first to VOTE! (That should be obvious from my previous remarks) Then I would add that VOTING the republicans out of office is simply “step one.” Once they’re gone, that’s when the hard work starts – and, those who are then in control of our nation’s capital MUST understand what “we the people” expect and we MUST continue to push for the changes which will create a nation where there truly is “Equal Justice for all.” No one’s asking for “privilege.” In fact, in my mind, (and, I hope I’m correct) it’s just the opposite. What “we the people” are asking for is a nation where one group is NOT privileged at the expense of others. Do we (white people of which I’m one) owe “reparations” to those in the African American community? Well, to me, that makes sense. How that actually “looks” – I don’t know. I can say this, it really is time for “we the people” to be listening to and supporting each other! And, there are many brilliant Black leaders in our country who MUST be part of Joe Biden’s administration. As I’m writing this I’m thinking Native Americans? Latinx Americans? Just sayin………….

The issues in America are complicated and, on top of all that, there are multiple crises to deal with – crises which affect as all with no discrimination in any way – and, I’m certainly not someone who understands where the solutions lie – other than where we MUST start. And, that place, as you could probably guess, begins with sending individual 1, William Barr, and hopefully the likes of Moscow Mitch, Lindsey Graham (I wanted to say Leningrad Lindsey), and a long list of republican Senators to the dark pages of the History books. I’ve said this many times here; individual 1 will end up next to Benedict Arnold in our History books. I have to thank my former students – students who I feel I failed to understand at the time – for helping me understand the seriousness of the threat individual 1 is to the foundation of our republic!

Final Thought: I’ve said this repeatedly in various forms, if you only watched what is happening on Wall Street you’d have NO idea of all the crises “we the people” are dealing with. A global pandemic continues to intensify, there’s likely more than 20% unemployment, MILLIONS of Americans in the streets, Hurricanes and wildfires on the horizon, and an incompetent pseudo fascist in the “White House” and, yet, every day the “DOW” continues to rise. Does that mean the economy is in good shape? I think this disconnect is going to be one of the headlines before long. Congress can’t come up with money for “Main Street” but, Wall Street? Jerome Powell has emphasized there are plenty more “tools in the toolshed” to keep the market propped up. Well, I guess the reality is he’s propping up the businesses which are in major stress, and investors are speculating he’ll continue to do so – no matter how depressing (pun intended) things get! (This morning it was reported there was an increase in jobs which brought the unemployment rate to [still] over 13%. More on that another day)

Do you think they (republicans and ???) will prop up Medicare? Medicaid??? Social Security??? Food stamps??? Do you think they’ll find the money for the Postal Service, an American treasure??? Will they agree people should be able to vote from home because of the pandemic – to protect their health??? Do you think they’ll support the State and local governments who’ve been fighting the pandemic and losing massive amounts of revenue??? Do you think there’s money to INVEST in our infrastructure which is falling WAY behind what is necessary and what is happening in other places around the world??? I could go on, but with republicans – and those who have purchased them (and, any democrats who may be “guilty”) – it’s been about Wall Street and not Main Street since the days of Ronald Reagan (at least, according to my memory ;o) Most notably, after what we’ve experienced in the previous week and a half, do you think they’ll find the money to address the needs of the communities in America which have been marginalized for – well, forever??? VOTE!!!

And, when you start wondering how bad do these Wall Street millionaires want to protect their “turf?” Well, I haven’ heard any of them publicly supporting the protesters. When I log into “Yahoo Finance” to check out what is happening with the market and read the comment sections following articles I’ve read a significant group of people have, what comes across to me as, abhorrent views. It appears they would be part of the group of Americans who would, sadly, support the use of American troops being called to “dominate” our streets. I can’t even imagine that happening in this country which just compounds my concern regarding the DAMAGE being caused by our IMPEACHED so-called president. As I’ve said, those who support individual 1 aren’t simply going away. The division in America is real and I’m thankful for the voting booth. The “changes” “we the people” will be pushing for once the Senate has turned “blue” will benefit even these Wall Street mavens over the long term. However, I believe the “markets” have been artificially propped up and there’s a lot of “pain” on the horizon. Our economy is in “tatters” not to mention the pandemic is on the rise. Hold on……………….

There’s so much to talk about these days. I still haven’t recovered from my disgust watching individual 1 last night walking across the street from the “White House” for his “photo op” holding a Bible as if to – well, I can only speculate on his motive – what I’m sure of, it had nothing to do with what is written in that book he was holding up. Shortly before he did this offensive action he did something worse. There was a PEACEFUL group of people demonstrating their frustration with police brutality against African Americans – in this instance – specifically the MURDER/LYNCHING of George Floyd and they were “dispersed” by police on horseback firing tear gas into the group and shooting “flash bangs” (i guess that’s another word for fireworks) to push the crowd out of the area for our IMPEACHED so-called president’s ill-advised attempt to make himself look like he cares about the church he was standing in front – or, actually, who knows what he was thinking.

In his press briefing just prior to his Bible photo op he suggested he was declaring war on the American people who are in the streets protesting the MURDER of Mr. Floyd and, it appears to me, their understanding individual 1 has NO empathy for what they’re protesting. Individual 1 expressed his wish that governors and mayors around the country would call out the National Guard to “dominate” their streets. And, if they don’t do as he “orders” he’ll call in our military to “solve the problem.” What the hell does he mean by that? He had a military leader in his combat fatigues walking to the photo op along with (surprise surprise) William Barr – who I nominated for “The worst person in the world” in my previous post. As I said yesterday, the entire shenanigan was OBSCENE! Instead of walking across the street with him, his “advisers” SHOULD have been telling him to “shut up!”

So, today I got up, and as I usually do (I’m an old “creature of habit”), I checked out Yahoo finance where I keep track of what is happening with Wall Street. I don’t invest in stocks but, for some reason, I follow what is going on there – and, in today’s world, it’s coming across to me as almost as obscene as what individual 1 chooses to do on a daily basis. I’m beginning to think what we’re all seeing is how individual 1 has intimidated virtually every person involved in the running of our government – including Jerome Powell, the “head of the fed.” (I’m really not a poet) I mean, every day Wall Street is moving upward as the “news” would suggest things are almost beyond “dire.” I think, in the end, “we the people” will realize what a phony economic reality we’re all dealing with. The disconnect between Wall Street and Main Street is, to me, almost as obscene as individual 1 holding up that Bible apparently as a “dog whistle” to his base.

Oh yes, what have we heard from the Senate republicans who had the opportunity to remove individual 1 in the IMPEACHMENT trial – well, as usual, we’ve heard NOTHING. These are the same republicans I’ve listened to over the years suggesting they believe in “free markets.” Of course, it didn’t take me reading more than a book or two to realize there is no such thing as “free markets.” The markets are free to those who can create regulations which work in their interests but, in my lifetime, they’ve NEVER been unregulated – and, I might add, I believe they SHOULD be regulated, that should be obvious to anyone paying attention these days. Clearly republicans have been at the front of the line with their hands out as the government is handing out TRILLIONS due to the Covid-19 pandemic – which is now in the background as cases of infections are increasing.

Sadly, my guess is that individual 1 is happy the protests have taken the focus off of the pandemic which, as I said, is not only continuing to rage, it is increasing in intensity – which would be expected from the people who gathered in large groups over Memorial Day weekend and now all the HUGE groups of protesters across the country. The next couple of weeks should be very interesting, to say the least. Something I never expected happened today, by the way, which was George Will, of all people, writing an Op-Ed in the Washington Post which agreed with the crux of what I’ve been writing about for the past many years. He said, “It’s time for individual 1 and his republican sycophants (meaning republican senators) to be voted out of office. Of course, Will is a conservative who was, from my perspective, a mentor to republicans.

Republicans in Congress are showing themselves to be as gutless as the IMPEACHED so-called president they continue to support. Some are more disgusting than others, to me, but the bottom line is I really hope “we the people” stand up and cleanse the party of as many as we can. And, as I’ve said, voting them out is not good enough – it’s just the beginning of what needs to happen and they need to be voted out simply because they continue to OBSTRUCT virtually any progressive legislation aimed at “The least of these” (which individual 1 would understand if he’d ever done anything more than hold that Bible up for the picture – a photo which very well could be the defining moment in his reign for reasons OPPOSITE than what he intended – actually, there was a photo of his walk to the church which included all his sycophants – that may end up being the real defining photograph)

There are so many issues which need to be addressed in this nation which have been stymied over the past few years, but the reality is until individual 1 and his republican sycophants are removed from office NOTHING is likely to happen. At this moment in time, I believe, realistically, getting the HEROES Act passed is imperative and you can count on all those republicans who have said NOTHING about what individual 1 did yesterday (Monday June 1, a day which will stand in infamy) being the problem. The bottom line in America is, over the past 40+ years our nation has created a “haves” and “have nots” society – and, I can guarantee you, those in the “haves” category who are the donors to the republicans will not give up their privilege without a fight. And, of course, even should Elizabeth Warren succeed in her idea of a “wealth tax” – the top “1%” will still be the top “1%.”

The need for funding to our “State and Local governments” is more imperative than ever after all these protests. The fact republicans are even stalling their obligation to consider the HEROES Act is enough to cause “we the people” to vote them out of office. If our police officers, fire fighters, hospital personnel, etc. aren’t worth supporting at this point in time we are at a sad point in our history. Well, as I was typing those words, I realized, regardless, we’re at a sad place in our history. However, we can’t allow these “essential workers” to be furloughed because of the inaction of the Senate. We can’t allow republicans to destroy the Post Offices around the country. And, we MUST protect our right to vote in what is likely to be a still raging pandemic come November.

I’ll end this by saying the solution to America’s problems is to listen to her young people – the people who are filling our streets with their passionate protests to the “status quo” – which is not only killing more people of color – but the list of “issues” (grievances) is a long one and won’t be solved by old people like me. That is the positive I’m seeing out of these protests. I keep hearing leaders shout out the key word – VOTE! I’ve been lamenting that the key to having a government which works toward our ideals requires the participation of our Young people. As I looked at all the crowds marching in the streets, all I could think of was register to VOTE! That’s where the “change” starts! I’m optimistic by nature, I remain hopeful.

I believe it’s my Christian faith which is the foundation of that optimism. I’m always questioning God because of my lack of ability to understand so many things. But, ultimately, I believe we’ll understand why individual 1 became president and my hope is that the “backlash” to his pseudo dictatorship will be a return to leaders who actually understand what’s in that book he was holding up for his photo shoot – and, I’m not talking about the Evangelicals who’ve made the “deal with the devil” as they’ve supported his fascist behavior for the past 3+ years. I’m talking about those who know the Beatitudes, who understand our obligation “to the least of these,” etc. “We the people” are facing multiple crises which are going to require a sense of togetherness and a lot of hard work to overcome, but I believe it’s an opportunity to turn America closer to those ideals liberals have been pushing for since the 19th Century. And, as we’re seeing during all these protests one of the key parts of any solution will be the ingraining of “Black Lives Matter” into our public psyche. Stay tuned……………

Final Thought: Individual 1 was “elected” thanks to the work of Vladimir Putin whose Russian surreptitious cyber warriors were busy from the early parts of the campaign to the deciding “victory” – to levels we’ll never know the true effect and, since then, we’ve seen an IMPEACHED so-called president “cuddling” up to Putin in almost unbelievable ways (ie Helsinki) and many have openly wondered what the Russians “have on him.” Additionally, he’s complemented the Philippines’ Duterte for murdering journalists and his own citizens, he’s cozied up to Erdogan of Turkey and MBS of Saudi Arabia – circumventing Congress to send MBS weapons reminding me of the Iran/Contra scandal, And, maybe worst of all, he’s having a “love affair” with Kim Jong un of North Korea while Kim is making him look even more the FOOL than what is obvious.

All of this is despicable and I would remind anyone who still believes they are a “republican” to picture in their mind what their reaction would be had I been just talking about President Obama. Our IMPEACHED so-called president spent the Viet Nam years fighting for deferments to prevent him from serving his country including LYING about “bone spurs” and he spent the last few days, as Americans all across the country are protesting ANOTHER Black American LYNCHED by the police cowering in one of the “White House” bunkers well under the surface of the ground – afraid of what, I do not know. And then, apparently in another futile attempt to make himself look “tough” he threatens to “sick” America’s military might on, well, brace yourself, America! Which, of course, is legally questionable – but that, of course, matters not to him.

He has spent the year + since democrats took over control of the House of Representatives refusing to follow the laws, refusing to produce subpoenaed documents, refusing to allow employees to answer subpoenas intended to elicit testimony in search of truth in varying aspects of our government – in the constitutionally guaranteed role of Congress – all while republicans have stood silent. Shamefully, silent! And, then when protesters, after a series of African Americans are brutally MURDERED simply for being Black, erupt violently to police aggression our IMPEACHED so-called president wants to “dominate” the protesters via America’s military. Sad!

To top it all off by standing in front of the “church of the presidents” holding a Bible he has know idea what is written in it for a photo op after BLASTING peaceful protesters with tear gas and rubber bullets and “flash bangs” to clear the area for the photo is, well, I want to say “as low as you can go,” but I KNOW he’ll find a way to even go lower than that! To all you adults who support this thug if you’re wondering why your children are walking away from Christianity, well, your answer was standing in front of that church holding that Bible as if – well, again, all I can think of is that it was the crudest, most offensive, form of “dog whistle.” Shame on him and on anyone who’s falling for his shtick!

It’s late, I’m tired, so my apologies for all the phoo pahs!

Minnesota: This morning I saw a clip of “The worst person in the world” (in the words of Keith Olberman), as William Barr was suggesting the violence caused in the protests to the MURDER of George Floyd resulted from a group (my friend who is an individual 1 supporter is constantly referring to) labeled “Antifa” (anti Fascists). At the same time the leaders of Minnesota were suggesting those who were coming into the state and instigating the violence were “white nationalists.” Of course, Barr was acting as the head sycophant for individual 1 who was “tweeting” threats to bring in the military – proving our IMPEACHED so-called president is impaired. I don’t believe our “military” is intended to be used against our own people, in fact I believe our constitution prevents it (Isn’t that why we have the “National Guard?”).

I did a bit of searching on the internet as I wondered who might be moving into Minneapolis to instigate the rioting, looting, and arson attacks on the very community which is suffering from the issues leading to the MURDER in broad daylight – the cop was staring into the phone of the young girl video taping him as he was MURDERING Mr. Floyd with what appeared to be no emotion, he had his hand in his pocket while his knee was suffocating Mr. Floyd via his neck – I was trying to figure out who might be joining the protests with the idea of causing trouble. Obviously, African Americans are (understandably) very ANGRY and they’ve had “enough!” Which makes the instigators, whoever they are, even more obscene, in my view – like leeches simply looking for an opportunity to “suck the blood” out of a community.

The reality is there are a lot of ANGRY members of the African American communities around the country because the MURDER of Mr. Floyd is not a one off. We’ve been listening to African Americans as long as I can remember (I was born in the 1940’s) complaining of being harassed by police simply because they are Black Americans. (“listening” to the ones who haven’t been MURDERED) Obviously, racism is real in this country – I’ve been writing about this for years (essentially, since I started putting my thoughts in this blog – or whatever it is). I must admit to being uninformed to the degree of the white nationalist movement in this country. I remember individual 1 leading the so-called “birther” movement after “we the people” voted a person of color into the “White House.” But I was naive enough to think the election of a President who is a direct descendant of a Kenyan meant things were getting better. Of course, that didn’t change the beliefs of any of the white nationalists – just intensified their views.

Recently, I finished reading “Rising out of Hatred” by Eli Saslow which is the story of Derek Black’s “journey” from being the heir apparent of the white nationalist movement to realizing the damage his HATE was doing to untold numbers of people. It’s a great book, by the way – extremely well written and, to me, inspirational. A diverse group of students, one in particular, included Black in various social gatherings despite their disdain for his core beliefs. They were able to see, outside of the beliefs he was raised with, he was/is a brilliant scholar, kind person, and someone who didn’t really understand the ramifications of his belief system. His father operates (still does) the website “Stormfront” along with his “mentor” David Duke. Both Black’s father and Duke have been, at times, the “Grand Wizard” of the KKK.

My point here is, after reading this book I started a more involved “content” in my web experience and I’m discovering how involved the white nationalist movement actually is. When I was still teaching I received (regularly) the newsletter of the Southern Poverty Law Center ( the “SPLC” – I kept up a yearly subscription to help support them while I was still teaching), a group which the people at Stormfront despise – because, they are busy identifying hate groups around America. After Obama’s election I remember them exposing the increase in “cells” of white nationalists all across the nation and it was alarming. I just didn’t take the time to investigate – shame on me! However, I knew (somewhat) about these cells from, of all people, Chuck Norris who was the first I listened to suggesting “we need to take back our country” in regard to Obama’s election.

So, along comes individual 1 leading the “birther movement” and deciding to run for president – with most “establishment” republicans seeing him as some kind of “kook” in the words of Lindsey Graham. I don’t believe many understood where his support was coming from and, I believe, that misunderstanding continues to this day. (Although, there’s obviously a group of republicans, Graham at the front of the list, who are interested in keeping their jobs over any principles they may want to project – to me, Graham is the most pathetic of all the republicans who’ve willingly become sycophants) Of course, individual 1 is far from the first RACIST to be elected to the “White House” and to suggest he “converted” his “tea party” republican “faithful” is absurd on its face. If you witnessed the “tea party” reaction to President Obama’s election you know it was founded on racism and the republican party welcomed the “tea party” caucus with open arms.

What I’m getting at here is that individual 1 had a very strong base of various factions of the white nationalist movement “loyally on board” right from the start of his campaign and the republicans who now have a bad case of “lockjaw” in regard to the continued scandalous behavior of our IMPEACHED so-called president have pretty much made their “deal with the devil.” It appears to me, as an aside, that Mitt Romney is the ONLY republican who will emerge from individual 1’s reign with any sense of honor. So, how does all this relate to Minnesota’s riots and William Barr suggesting the “instigators” are “Antifa” (with, of course, NO evidence)? Sadly, the DAMAGE I’m always writing about coming from individual 1’s administration seems to have no bounds. From what I’ve read and what I’ve heard from people with inside connections to the FBI this is just “more of the same” coming from Barr and individual 1 – scandalous behavior.

Of course, just as I am “uneducated” to a (pretty high) degree on the white nationalist/supremacist movement so am I on the group identified as “Antifa.” As I said in a previous post I, personally, am “Anti Fascist” – my father was part of the Army in the 1940’s as America fought to stop Fascists from over-running Europe, Asia, and presumably North and South America. The first I heard of “Antifa” was when they were identified as the “counter protesters” to the neo-Nazi’s who marched on Charlottesville carrying Tiki Torches, wearing swastikas, carrying Nazi and/or Confederate flags while chanting “Jews will not replace us.” It was at that rally, of course, when a neo-Nazi drove his car into a group of counter-protesters “Antifa?” killing a young woman and injuring over 20 others. Of course, individual 1 was obligated to defend the neo-Nazi’s because, well, they’re a much larger part of his “base” than most of us realize.

The question, to me, becomes why all of a sudden is William Barr or individual 1 threatening to list “Antifa” as a terrorist organization? Well, the obvious answer, to me, is they apparently show up to protest at individual 1’s rallies. Another interesting “fact” I found as I was reading about “Antifa” was The “Web Brigades” – a Russian “Troll Farm” has been lobbying for “Antifa” to be listed as a terrorist organization. Is this coincidental? Here’s the “deal” for me – I hope the people who matriculated to the various protests arising from the LYNCHING of George Floyd and then instigated the violence, looting and arson are identified and prosecuted, no matter their affiliation – just as I agree all four of the police officers involved in Floyd’s MURDER need to face accountability. What I saw on the video was horrific – what African Americans are trying to get across to “we the people” is this has been going on for, well, FOREVER! Cameras are a recent phenomenon.

I’m not pre-supposing anything about who the “instigators” were – I’m just writing about what I was able to find or what I observed. From the “observed” point of view, time after time, I saw young white men with HAMMERS walking the streets of Minneapolis (and, other cities) smashing windows and throwing “Molotov cocktails” into businesses and into one of the police precincts. It’s hard for me to envision they were there because of their grief toward Mr. Floyd’s MURDER. I hope as many of them as possible will be apprehended and prosecuted for the damage they’ve caused to the various communities around the country. Individual 1 is using this unrest to go after “Antifa” which, from what I can tell, isn’t anything more than a bunch of left wing radicals who are organized via Facebook and other social media “tools.” This, as opposed to the white nationalists who appear to be a much larger segment of the population and much more organized.

I had never logged into “Stormfront.com” until I read “Rising out of Hatred” and it’s a large, well organized, website/platform. If you want to check it out click HERE. Now I’ve logged in twice, but I’ve yet to “peruse” the site and likely never will. But, it is a significant place for what they call themselves as the “white minority” and, I believe, they are connected to a significant number of the “cells” referred to by the SPLC and Chuck Norris as mentioned above. While I was reading about Mr. Black I didn’t get the sense they were promoting any kind of violent attack on government – in fact, almost the opposite – call me naive, but I sensed they feel individual 1 is their “ticket” into “mainstream” American politics. (Despite knowing both Black and Duke were part of the KKK’s leadership) However, subsequently, I’ve been reading about other white nationalist/far right wing groups like “Patriot Prayer,” “The Proud Boys,” and various groups tagging themselves with versions of the moniker “Boogaloo” who openly are trying to instigate a racial “civil war.”

Additionally, as the protest of Mr. Floyd’s murder began to materialize I managed to find several different websites where members of these right wing groups were saying the protests were a “call to action.” Leaders were suggesting they be “locked and loaded” as their members dispersed to different protests around the country. To me, that would suggest it’s more likely these white nationalist cells who’ve been looking for opportunities to create chaos and instigate racial violence were the primary culprits in what took place in Minneapolis, Louisville, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, and many more places around the country. The fact I was unable to find a “call to action” from anyone associated with “Antifa” doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. My point is, I hope whoever the instigators were would be identified and prosecuted.

One person I listened to who has direct connection inside the FBI suggested their intelligence was indicating the “boogaloo bois” were on the move with the intention of instigating the rioting which ultimately took place. (May very will be continuing) The suggestion was “cell phone tracing” – which has been used in the Covid-19 pandemic – may very well help the authorities to identify who was matriculating where. I’m guessing if that is actually true and the troublemakers are identified by their phones that will generate even more anti-government sentiment. Although, I’m sure, sophisticated thugs know how to shield themselves from being followed digitally. Personally, that’s “above my pay grade.” I have to add, I’ve witnessed numerous people who came to the protests with hammers and they are the ones breaking the windows, usually after dark. EVERY one of them, that I have seen via the video cameras of the news organizations, has been white. Hopefully, many have been arrested and “we the people” will be able to understand where the perpetrators have come from.

I don’t believe individual 1 has any more of an idea who was instigating the violence than I do, but he’s using this tragedy to further another item on his “bucket list” and that is to label “Antifa” a terrorist organization. What’s interesting about that, to me, is I’m not sure it’s even an organization – anything more than another “Facebook group.” From what I can tell, there’s no designated leader, no manifesto – or whatever you would call a set of principles – and, it appears, there are a significant variance in the degrees of beliefs between the different people who identify with the movement. I guess what I’m saying, it seems to be more a “movement” than an organization. Whatever – another deflection strategy coming from the “White House.”

Above I referred to William Barr as “The worst person in the world.” If you remember when Keith Olberman was on MSNBC he had a segment of that title on his show every night – which I always found quite interesting (I miss Olberman) – and, I almost feel Barr is more dangerous than individual 1 because he’s more “flying under the radar.” His actual title is “Attorney General” – but his role is of chief sycophant to our IMPEACHED so-called president. He, in fact, prevented the FIRST impeachment which SHOULD have taken place when he cut off Mueller’s report “at the knees” with his disingenuous four page “summary” where he declared individual 1 “not guilty” of OBSTRUCTION of Justice – which CLEARLY was NOT the “gist” of the report. In fact, quite the opposite. Mueller WANTED Congress to investigate and act on whether or not they considered the OBSTRUCTION impeachable behavior. (Which, it certainly would have been in the eyes of republicans had a democratic president committed such vile behavior against our rule of law – we’re seeing the results of that example in the streets of our cities right now)

Reports are that Barr is continuing to placate individual 1 via instigating “investigations” into his political opponents – just as you would expect in some third world nation ruled by a “tin pot dictator.” He’s the lead sycophant in a long line of republicans who, for some strange reason, continue to STAIN their own reputations in their feeble attempts to avoid getting one of individual 1’s NASTY tweets. At this point, from the standpoint of individual 1’s obsession with somehow “winning” the November election, I don’t think there’s much he can do other than unforeseen CHEATING – which, I have to say, would NOT surprise me AND Barr will certainly be helping in that regard – but, it seems, virtually everything he/they do is the opposite of what they should do – if their goal is to gain voter support. And, it’s as if Barr is now individual 1’s “puppet.” They are destroying our nation – their actions are pathetic and the results of their actions are depressing – and that’s aside from all the rioting going on right now.

As I said above, labeling “Antifa” a terrorist organization is simply another act of deflection by individual 1. I’ll end this on the stray thought which just went through my head. Sadly, after individual 1 is voted out of office, I do not expect ONE republican (with the possible exception of Mitt Romney) to attempt to work with democrats – ie Joe Biden and whoever he chooses as a running mate – to solve all these significant problems. It’s just not in their “DNA” – especially if Moscow Mitch manages to somehow win re-election – shame on Kentucky should that happen. This is why it is of paramount importance to vote out republicans “across the board.” While this is a sad time in America my prayer is, as we look back “down the road,” we look upon it as a turning point which has revived what Abraham Lincoln called our “better angels.”

Final Thought: Earlier I suggested everything individual 1 does is the OPPOSITE of what he should do if he had any idea of what it means to be the president of the United States – even if you’re the IMPEACHED president of the United States. Today he decided to suggest he’s going to do some kind of military takeover of our country. Is this a precursor to November? Is this why he doesn’t want people voting by mail. I have to say I was offended twice by his actions today (what else is new?); First, he ordered the PEACEFUL protesters removed from the streets around the “White House” by police officers riding horses and shooting canisters of tear gas into the crowd of protesters who were doing NOTHING wrong and were not violating the curfew which had been implemented in Washington DC.

Apparently, he did this so he could do the second – and maybe most, to me – offensive he did – which was to walk across the street from the “White House” to hold a photo op at a church where he was holding up a Bible. Now, as I’ve said here many times, I’m a (liberal, I guess) Christian and seeing individual 1 holding up a Bible in a photo op is almost as ugly as it gets for me. There’s no question in my mind his “connection” to Christianity is that Evangelical Christians seem to support him no matter what. He’s apparently trying to hold together his so-called “base” with an action which, to me, was obscene. As I’ve said, I have found NO evidence that he’s someone who EVER goes to church. Apparently, the church was vandalized in the protests – but, the reality is he is incapable of finding an HONEST way to express anything.

I haven’t been watching the protests day and night, but I did hear that individual 1, along with his bone spurs, spent the last couple days in the “White House” bunker. I don’t find this man to have a “lick” of courage – he’s an incredible bloviator who would like “we the people” to think he’s “tough” – when he comes across to me as a complete coward. Not only in times like this but in virtually everything he does. He doesn’t even have the guts to fire people to their faces – he leaves it to others or to his “twitter” finger. This man is showing himself to be more pathetic by the day and he has no clue how to deal with what “we the people” are facing in the LAST few months of his administration. Whether it be Covid-19, Climate Change – ie Hurricanes and wild fires which are likely to be more intense, the economic depression he’s leading us into, or all this unrest in our cities. He’s in over his head and he’ll NEVER admit this. He has no idea what to do and “we the people” can’t trust republicans to work to help democrats attempt to solve these problems – so, it’s up to us – meaning “we the people” to vote them all out in November.

And, that’s just the beginning. If democrats think winning in November is their challenge, they shouldn’t be running for office. “We the people” need to DEMAND that there will be no “business as usual” – and the rebuilding of our nation MUST start from the “bottom up” – meaning, this idea shareholders are more important than workers must change – universal health insurance is a MUST – I’ve got a long list of issues which I believe are imperative and you can find them in the archive – but, the protesters are absolutely correct – until we’ve corrected the issues they’re dealing with we haven’t solved anything. The challenges are immense and the solution requires action by “we the people” and leaders capable of listening.

I keep thinking of a photo I saw the other day where the cop had his knee on George Floyd’s neck and, in another part of the photo a picture of Colin Kaepernick taking a knee prior to a football game in 2016. When I listened to individual 1 refer to the football players who were taking a knee as “sons of bitches” and then realized the owners of the football teams were, essentially, with him – well that’s when I lost interest in NFL football. Kaepernick has been black balled and we now understand everyone would be better off had EVERYONE listened to him and the other players supporting his protest. Kaepernick gave up his career due to his belief in the critical importance of his “message” – to me, that’s courage and integrity. When individual 1 called him a “son of a bitch” it was just one more in a long line of his cowardly actions!

Today I spent a few minutes watching individual 1 demeaning our electoral process in regard to CHEATING relating to November’s election as he was making his case against voting by mail. I’m going to hurt my neck one of these days as I’m shaking my head while listening to this DEPLORABLE person. He’s back to his suggestion – made much earlier this go round compared to 2016 – the election is going to be “rigged.” Apparently, if he’s unable to “rig” the election – keep in mind, that’s how he got IMPEACHED – trying to “rig” the election – apparently then, well, it’s bad. Of course, voting by mail is NOT a problem and there’s NO evidence of fraud, but as he looks at the polls I believe he’s ginning up all the “very fine people” who support him in case they need to hit the streets in November.

I can guarantee you he’s NOT going to be a “good LOSER.” The ultimate bad thought in his mind is HIM being the LOSER in the election. It’s already going to be a “rigged” election from his point of view – we’re going to get tired of listening to this – I’ll call it “pre-BLAMING” – I don’t think that’s a word, but I’m doing the best I can under the circumstances. It’s five months until the election but we’re already hearing the “rigged” accusation! Yikes! And, this will continue no matter how MANY crises “we the people” are facing. Right now, the pandemic seems to be “flying under the radar” despite the FACT the “numbers” are going up (thanks to all the get togethers over Memorial Day weekend) because of ANOTHER African American being MURDERED by a white police officer. I’m sure individual 1 will again say, “I take no responsibility.”

So, let’s take a closer look at the issues “we the people” are facing right now, as I’m writing this. Of course, the novel coronavirus is on everyone’s mind (closing in on 110,000 Americans dead “officially” and likely many more – from the disease caused by coronavirus – Covid-19) and the news about the pandemic was suffocating the airwaves until George Floyd was MURDERED by Minneapolis police – while being videotaped from multiple angles. The virus had further exposed the disparity between the “haves” and “have nots” in America – especially those in the “Black and Brown” communities when Mr. Floyd was MURDERED for all to see.

Of course, now the “news” is focused on the reactions of the “Black” communities around the country and those who support them – and, by the way, from what I could tell there are many white Americans in the protests – which makes me feel just a bit better on the one hand and uneasy on the other. Of course, individual 1 had to chime in, as usual speaking out of both sides of his mouth – first giving his “condolences” to the Floyd family – and, of course, he couldn’t help himself as he added to his “tweet” something like “when the looting starts the shooting starts.” I guess that will make some people feel better although those are the same words once used by George Wallace. I woke up last night thinking the attack on the various businesses very well could be coming from people outside of Minneapolis. Could it be the white nationalists who are focused on starting a racial “civil war?” We’ll see……………..

When I hear all the stories about the racist behavior of the Minneapolis police department over the years I can see why there is so much anger. I’ve never had a family member MURDERED by police. I’ve never felt I was the target of police because I was out walking on the street or driving my car down the road. What happened in this instance was CRIMINAL behavior, just as what happened to Breonna Taylor was CRIMINAL, just as what happened to Ahmaud Arbery was CRIMINAL – three MORE cases of innocent BLACK Americans MURDERED at the hands of police or faux police (racists) – a list of tragedies which just keeps going on and on and on………………….

So, from the stand point of individual 1, I suppose, all the attention on the MURDER of Mr. Floyd takes the focus off of his ineptitude in regard to the Covid-19 pandemic while he’s seemingly “betting” his re-election on re-opening the economy “come what may.” Well, of course, that “flies in the face” of the recommendation coming from MOST scientists who are cautioning “we the people” that we’re not through the “first wave” so worrying about the “second wave” is premature. To me, it would make a lot of sense for our federal government leading a coordinated response to this pandemic but, obviously, that “aint happenin” so we should be bracing ourselves for what is on the horizon. I’m guessing any chance for the baseball season to resume may have gone out the window with all these gatherings over Memorial Day weekend which could serve as massive “super spreaders.” As I’ve said, the next two weeks will determine if that’s true.

If you look at the Kinsa “Health weather map” and consider their accuracy in predicting outbreaks of “flu like” illnesses, it doesn’t look good for Florida or Arizona – two of the places MLB, I believe, have been thinking would work to open the season and, based on my previous “reporting” (OK, my guessing) two of the places where republican governors have been LYING about Covid-19 and how it’s affecting their states. I believe, for example, Ron DeSantis has “allegedly” ordered people to LIE about the cause of death in numerous cases in Florida – to make himself look better for his ineptitude – similar to our IMPEACHED so-called president.

Well, now I believe DeSantis and individual 1 are going to be having something else “disaster” wise to deal with. Reports are that this year’s hurricane season is going to be “more active” than normal. Which could be more horrible than normal under these circumstances. I hope this isn’t true, but, just in case, I do hope preparations are being made, just in case. The other issue which I heard about the other day, which was no surprise to me, sadly, was the danger of the “wild fire season” this year. The drought (Climate Change anyone?) continues in the West and, essentially, there could be three disasters going on at once in America. I have to say I’m not one to feel comfort knowing it’s individual 1 at the helm as this all is on the horizon.

I’m convinced the ONLY thing on the horizon for him, as I’ve said numerous times, is trying to find a way to suppress enough votes to allow himself to “win” in November. I pray for our country on a regular basis and I must admit (no surprise to anyone who’s been here before) my main prayer is that “we the people” end this nightmare which is the individual 1 administration in November. I’m not sure how much incompetence Americans need to see all at once, but this summer could put incompetence by an American (so-called) president in record territory. Of course, the challenge for Joe Biden goes way beyond pointing out the obvious DAMAGE which is being inflicted on America by our IMPEACHED so-called president and his sycophants – he MUST put forth a plan.

It is up to Biden to choose a Vice Presidential running mate who will inspire Americans to vote in large numbers in this upcoming election. It will be up to Biden to recognize he’s an OLD “codger” (like me) and we’re actually in the 21st Century and he MUST be making proposals which will effectively deal with ALL these crises – proposals much more “progressive” than he’s previously suggested. Just a reminder of what lies ahead; Covid-19, Climate Change, income inequality (which includes the issues of health and issues of police killing African Americans and the issues of generational poverty among others), and the issue of how to rebuild “Main Street” as it appears “we the people” are headed into an economic depression. I had NO confidence in individual 1’s ability to deal with ONE crisis, let alone four, all happening at the same time. And, you thought Bush/Cheney left Obama/Biden a mess?

I read, yesterday, how Jerome Powell (and the Fed) have now “pumped” $7.1 TRILLION into Wall Street to help stabilize it in the face of what is likely to be unemployment numbers closing in on 25% – the worst since the Great Depression. I’m not sure how many people actually have confidence in individual 1 and Moscow Mitch to know what to do to create a recovery from this disaster but I do believe the reality they can’t find the money to fund our “first responders” but can come up with over $7 TRILLION for Wall Street in a matter of days – and then call additional funding for “Main Street” “Dead on Arrival” – pretty much “says it all.” I believe more and more Americans are going to see the incredible hypocrisy in that.

I’ve been listening to republicans complaining about the generous benefits which have been included in the unemployment benefits for people who very well may not get their jobs back. People like Lindsey Graham see putting a few extra dollars into the pockets of “the least of these” as if it might encourage some of them to stop seeking work. I’m having trouble putting the frustration of my gut into words right now. Of course, if you’ve been watching the news the past few days it’s not focused on the pandemic or the HEROES Act both which are so important at this point in time, but the focus is on the reaction to the MURDER of George Floyd.

The protests have spread across the country into virtually every major city. And, as I suggested above, I feel many of the people creating the damage to property and ginning up the violence are “outsiders” who are using these protests to spur on what they hope will be some kind of “civil war.” I listened to the mayor of St. Paul Minnesota this morning and they arrested around 20 protesters last night and NONE (later revised to say some were from out of the area) of them were from Minneapolis/St. Paul – they were ALL from out of state. My guess is not all of them were there to “protest” the MURDER of Mr. Floyd. Time will tell – I listened to the Attorney General of Minnesota this morning and they are attempting to identify the people who were starting the fires, breaking the windows, and encouraging the looting. Apparently, using cell phone “data mining” they can identify people coming from out of state into the protests. Stay tuned……………….

Final Thought: Individual 1 will be doing everything he can to use this crisis in Minnesota and around the country to twist it into some kind of campaign slogan. I don’t think there is anything which can happen in America right now that will cause him to take his eye off of November’s election. He was unable to figure out an organized federal response to Covid-19 which was his best bet to look “presidential” but was unable to “rise to the occasion” and ceded responsibility to the 50 governors, city mayors, etc. It will be interesting to see how he responds to racial unrest all across the country when, in reality, he’s been ginning racial division up since the day he announced his candidacy back in 2015. (In fact, the public knowledge of his history of racism goes back to the 1980’s) I’ll say it once more; As the polls grow bleaker and bleaker for our IMPEACHED so-called president he’ll be claiming the election is “rigged” almost daily – and, this is before the election has actually happened.

I don’t believe most Americans understand individual 1 is attempting to destroy the Postal System and trying to prevent Americans from being able to vote from home during a time when voting in person could put their health at danger. Reports are that 70 people who showed up to vote in Wisconsin’s primary election (there was a right wing judge on the ballot – who LOST) a month or two ago contracted the Covid-19 disease. It was entirely unnecessary and I sincerely hope none of the 70 ended up dying from voting. I do have to say, those people were inspirational to me – watching them stand in line for hours, part of the time during a rain shower, determined to cast their ballots despite attempts by the republican legislature and right wing Supreme Court to discourage them.

Stay tuned…….. I’m going to write more about who may have been the outsiders coming in to Minnesota to instigate violence – whether it was “Antifa” or “white nationalists” it is imperative “we the people” don’t get confused about the real problem. And, that’s why I suggested Joe Biden MUST address the systemic problems we face – which are serious and numerous – and not simply because we need to get rid of individual 1 and what he represents – which is true. I do have to add; yesterday when I took to the “web” to find out who was instigating the violence I found NUMEROUS instances of people who seemed to be in a group identified with the moniker “Boogaloo” in varying degrees – these groups seem to be committed to instigating a “race war” in America. They were white nationalist organizations and they were calling on their “bois” to head to Minneapolis with the purpose of instigating trouble. There were several white nationalist/supremacist groups calling their members to “action.” And, they were encouraging their members to show up armed.

The ONLY reference I found to “Antifa” came from individual 1 and websites affiliated with individual 1 including, surprise, white nationalist type groups. I’ll keep looking. All I found regarding “Antifa,” so far, was they show up protesting at individual 1’s rallies and counter protesting at white nationalist rallies like the one which took place in Charlottesville. I will try to educate myself – although I must admit I’m NO fan of fascism – not sure if that makes me an “anti Fascist.” We certainly know which side individual 1 falls on.

In all this, “We the people” MUST not lose our focus that goal number one, if we want any progress in dealing with the issues which have caused the people in the area where George Floyd lived to hit the streets, is to get rid of individual 1 – vote him into the history books. We MUST vote a bunch of his republican sycophants in the Senate into the history books with him. Moscow Mitch has been blocking progress which people like me favor for longer than since the day President Obama took the oath of office. Obviously, racism is the original “sin” of America and we will likely never totally expunge it from our midst, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be working to that end – and, having a racist as our IMPEACHED so-called president is DEFINITELY not the solution!

OK, I have to say this: I looked at the images of all the protests around the country and, obviously, people are not concerned about the coronavirus as they head to a protest. Selfishly, I really want the virus to subside – at least for the summer – and, based on what I saw and what I’ve heard from distinguished scientists, I’m concerned for what we might see in the next two to four weeks as far as a potential spike in cases once all these protests subside. Yikes!