Refusal to Accept Grand Jury Decision

            It’s been a week or so since the grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri, decided not to indict the Officer Darren Wilson who killed Michael Brown.

            I mentioned in a previous post that I am not agreeing with either side because I was not there as a witness not was I privy to the evidence, or lack of evidence, given to the grand jury. It may be possible that there was too much contradictory evidence and testimony for the grand jury to believe that an indictment was possible. This is the way the court system works.

            Yet the fallout from the decision is continuing and it is getting worse instead of better.

            I had said that Brown’s mother wanting a country where all black people can live without the color being an issue. Sounds like someone who wanted calm. But his step-father may now be arrested and charged with incitement to riot.

            Then again, there is the hands’ up gesture saying “Don’t fire”. I believe this is a symbol indicating that the people are absolutely positive that the officer was wrong and Brown was trying to surrender. These people refuse to accept the grand jury’s decision. This gesture has been used by the public, by five members of the St. Louis Rams, and now, unbelievably, by members of Congress on the floor!!
 

            In my opinion, this is a gesture that thumbs its nose at the judicial system. The people are saying they know better than the grand jury. How many of these people actually saw the incident? Probably only a couple. Everyone else got their information from second, third, or fourth hand sources. So how can they know better? I find it disrespectful of the judicial system and the members of Congress should know better. I think this also borders on racism.

            It may be that the gesture is a sign that people are tired of police violence and believe that the criminal system is broken. But this is a case of a grand jury sifting through what they are given and coming to a conclusion based on what they are given. Is police violence getting out of hand? probably. But that is a discussion for another post.

            If you will remember the case of O. J. Simpson, the white populace did not riot or perform some kind of body language when he was acquitted. The judicial process continued and Simpson was eventually found guilty.

            Like it or not, these expressions are wrong. It is serving only to divide this country and it intensifies racial split in society. If there is to be another trial, and I strongly believe there will be one, let judicial process advance. Hopefully, at that time, the evidence will be more conclusive and definitive.

Politically Disrespected

            As everyone can tell, President Obama is having an extremely difficult time trying to get anything done. This has been going on since he first took office. Mitch McConnell has refused to deal with the President, and John Boehner has refused to approve anything that the President wants.

Here are three examples. First, when jobs were at a premium and no one was hiring, the President wanted a jobs program to fix and improve the country’s infrastructure. This could have helped to correct two birds with one stone. Boehner and McConnell refused outright saying that that they did not want to spend any money. Who got hurt the most? The people.

Second, the Affordable Care Act, which intended to give millions access to health care. The bill was legally passed as there was a Democratic controlled Congress. The Republicans gave every excuse and horror story they could, even trying to repeal it over 50 times and sending it to the Supreme Court who upheld it (for now). Many Republican governors refuse to allow their constituents access to health insurance under the law. Now they want to sue the President.

Third, Congress refused for years to take up the issue of immigration. It got to the point where the President took the issue into his own hands and decided to invoke his right of executive action which has been done by every President for over 50 years and set a law. (Whether the bill is right, wrong or both may or may not be discussed in a future post.) The anger from so many Republicans was so great that they want to sue to President instead of working with him to fashion a comprehensive bill.

In these three examples, it is shown just how much the Republicans disrespect Obama. They call him an Emperor because he is making laws without consulting Congress. Let’s take a quick look at the facts. This makes about 175 executive actions issues by Obama. Yet Bush 43 issued 275 executive actions. So, it is okay for Bush but not for Obama. And Bush was the President who had documents changed so he could validate he desire to go to war in Iraq, a war in which not only did this country not belong, and which destabilized the Middle East and allowed ISIS amongst others to form. To this the Republicans did not object. But I’m digressing.

Here is a question to ask, have there been other presidents who have so badly disrespected? Of course there were. There have been a several but let me mention three.

First there was John Quincy Adams, the sixth President. Here’s a little background. The presidential election at the time was different. There was only one political party in 1826 and after the votes were counted, no candidate had a clear majority.  The four men still standing, were included Adams, Andrew Jackson, and Henry Clay. The vote went to the House of Representatives. Clay suddenly put his support behind Adams, and Adams won on the first ballot. Then Adams made Clay Secretary of State. The Jackson Democrats accused Adams of making a corrupt choice. Thanks to this and Adams’ disposition, he could not get anything done during his term in office. 

Second was Abraham Lincoln. To make it short, when Lincoln was elected to office, the Southern states started to secede and the Civil War shortly began.

Third was Bill Clinton. During the Monica Lewinsky affair, which should have been kept personal and handled with within the family, the Republicans wanted to remove him from office and eventually tried to impeach him, which he was not was voted not out of office.

For lack of a better word, the ‘war’ between the Republicans and the Democrats started under President Reagan, when he continued to deride the Democrats for getting in the way of his policies. It was heightened under Bill Clinton with greater intensity (see above). The war has continued to grow and stands in the way of anything getting done. This country could have been out of the recession much faster if only every one decided to work together.

In my opinion, and I am not alone, the opposition and intensity of the disrespect shown to Obama is so great that it borders on racism. It started right after he took office by the birthers who demanded he show his birth certificate, then calling for the long form. A ridiculous demand as he was born in Hawaii which was a state when he was born. The South hates him, probably as a lingering effect from the Civil War. There were many other demands and may be so intense because he is the first black president.

I’m not saying I agree with everything that President Obama has accomplished, but he has persisted despite the harsh opposition from Congress. The entire situation makes me sick.

 

Ebola Paranoia

            Let me say right at the outset that, yes, Ebola is an extremely dangerous disease and is very contagious.

            Many of the world’s greatest pandemics originated in Africa, including the Black Death and AIDS. Ebola can be added to that list.  Naturally there is a great concern. The paranoia comes from the simple fact that people refuse to get the important information as to how the disease spreads.

            The politicians at every level who are supposed to lead the country, and the media which is supposed to responsibly inform the public, refuse to do their homework. They all give inaccurate information, demand a 21-day incubation period, and everyone gets afraid. This amounts to nothing more than fear mongering. Naturally since people would rather take this information from where it comes, and don’t do their own research. Therefore, you see irrational decisions being made and violence from fear.

            The people who best know about how this disease spreads are the health care workers. They know the disease is not contagious for up to 21 days. It is only when a high temperature occurs along with the release of bodily fluids, either through regurgitating or defecating, that it becomes contagious.

            Craig Spencer came back from West Africa and closely monitored his health. When the symptoms emerged, he went right to the hospital. The bowling alley where he stopped need not have been closed. Kaci Hickox refused to be quarantined for the same reason; she knew what to look for. And the judge agreed with her. So she went biking and walking. To date, Spencer is recovering nicely and Hickox has yet to show any symptoms.

            Calm and rationality are what are desperately needed in this situation. We are beyond the Middle Ages when today’s knowledge was not available. But Washington and the leaders around the world and the media prevent that from happening.

Who’s at Fault for a Stagnant Government?

            A common complaint is that nothing gets done. Congress doesn’t act, and doesn’t want to work with the President.

            Congress’s approval rating down to 8%, the President’s rating down to 40%. Both continue to fall. Who is really to blame for this situation?

            It has to be no one else but the voters themselves!

            Think of it. Republicans continue to make ridiculous laws, want to cut social security, are against a woman’s right to choose, issue of immigration etc. The Democrats don’t seem to want to fight the Republicans to get things done. This is at every level of government. The only way to affect change is to change the politicians. BUT voters still keep them in office, even those who break the law.

            Why? Various reasons.

Many people vote down party lines. The other candidate is an unknown. TV, radio and print ads are the same every year, accusing each other of something heinous. This is nothing but mudslinging. Some are even racist. There is little or no information as to what they would do and the voters do no research about them. There are no term limits so politicians are not afraid of being voted out of office.

Basically, people fear change. And because they either fear change or don’t care, they become apathetic. Add up all those people who don’t vote, you realize that those vote could actually affect the outcome of the election.

If a better functioning government is desired, people must embrace change, and vote out those who do nothing. The worst possible thing to do is not vote.