THE TAX BILL IS INSANITY

THE TAX BILL INSANITY

I oppose the current tax bill being pushed in Congress.

Yes, you will feed a tiny tax cut to the masses with the hope no one will notice that it is temporary and just a pittance compared to what the wealthy will receive.  You are planning that people are so stupid that a tiny cut will satisfy.

This is a "SICK" piece of legislation that plays into the tribalism spreading over the country.  

This bill will make the trend to an AUTOCRATIC REGIME much easier. The RICH will get richer and the POOR will get poorer---the divide and polarization will grow worse and allow the top 1% to rule the country.

We all know what you are doing.  You are running up the debt so you will have an excuse to destroy Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

The Republican Party is rotten to the core and you may well destroy yourselves with this terrible piece of legislation---good riddance.



   

NIKKI HALEY FOR PRESIDENT

NIKKI HALEY FOR PRESIDENT

I have been observing Donald  J. Trump for many years and these are some of my conclusions:

1. Donald is a very bright dysfunctional 13 year-old living in a 71 year-old adult body.

2. He suffers from a condition called  Narcissistic Disorder.  This is defined as "excessive admiration of oneself".

3.  Donald Trump is the classic bully.  He lacks the ability to show empathy toward other people or events. His mind simply will not allow him to express genuine concern for others.  He does not know how to do it.  He likes a fight, as all bullies do because this attracts attention and feeds his need to be the center of everything.

Donald has survived with this disorder by living in a bubble of money and lawyers.  His behavior in response to his condition was to become a con-man who uses charm, money and intimidation to succeed. His business practices included hiring people to work for him, accusing them of some wrong doing, refusing to pay them and threatening to destroy them if they sue for their money.  This is how he has gained some of his wealth. It is called STEALING.

Donald loves attention even if it is negative.  As a bully he will say terrible things about others just to keep his followers or opponents talking and writing about him. It is how he maintains his power.

As a public figure Donald attracts people who love a train wreck or enjoy watching car crashes; people who want simple answers to complex problems; who want a god-like leader who says "ONLY I can fix it".  They want to believe him, because they have no hope; they are afraid of the "OTHERS" out there; they want to be wealthy like him; or they simply want a better life.

The tragedy is that Donald is not capable of fulfilling any of the promises he has made.  He and his family apparently believed that if he were President he could get all his ideas immediately put into effect just by the  sheer power of his personality.  That works in a dictatorship, but not in our democratic form of government. He seems to believe he can use his con-man powers of charm, bullying  and intimidation to gets things done. It is not working.

This is a tragedy of monumental proportions for our country and the world. We have a President who does not know what he is doing. The slogans Donald used during the campaign had to be put in the form of policy and legislation.  He appears not to want to work on policy or legislation and has discovered that Congress alone will not do his bidding.  Thus he uses continuous attacka-tweets going after the other branches of government, the media and people who disagree with him. He does not seem to understand how self defeating this approach is. 

I have spoken to Trump's supporters who say "just give him a chance".  His behavior is becoming more erratic and scary by the day,  He is creating "chaos" and either deliberately or unwittingly, he is playing right into the hands of the Russians and Putin. He is NOT the savior his supporters had hoped for and he is not going to change. He loves being in power, but he does not know how to use it.

The Trump presidency is already a failure and the Republicans know it; but most are quietly hoping  for some kind of miraculous rebirth. I believe Donald will not be impeached, but he will leave the White House one way or another before his term is up.

Mike Pence is not equipped to make a good president, so my vote to replace a failed Trump presidency is to elevate UN Ambassador Nikki  Haley to the position---she can be our first woman President.

IT IS EASY TO ATTACK THE "OTHER"

Recent letters have highlighted the divisions in our country.

It is easy to attack minorities when you are in the majority and let's face it we are a nation composed of 100's of minorities all vulnerable to attacks by a larger white mostly Christian majority. No other nation on the planet has the large number of  minorities that we have in the United States.  Most nations in the world  are more homogeneous than we are.

Except for Native Americans, North America looked empty to our ancestors and many oppressed peoples from all over the world flooded to this land. So now as a result, in the twenty-first century we have become an unplanned experiment in the ongoing survival of the human species. 

Most of us who are white do not know what it feels like to be a minority because we have never had the experience. Have you ever been in a room where you are the ONLY person WHO IS NOT  Jewish, or Black, or Hispanic, or Muslim, or Chinese, or Gay, or the opposite sex?  If you have never had this experience, then you have no idea what minorities face in our society. Millions of Americans are the "OTHER" and they feel it everyday and in every way in the current polarized political climate gripping our nation.

My observation is that many of us live in a bubble, surrounded by people who are the same color, the same ethnic group, go to the same church and often work in the same occupation.  We are insulated and isolated from the real world that exists beyond the edges of our bubble.  If you do not have any real human contact with the "OTHER" it is easy to demonize or criticize them.

The only way we will survive as a nation will be our willingness to get to know our minority citizens as human beings who have the same needs, desires and hopes as we do, so we then can move forward together.









   

 

DONALD WILL RESIGN RATHER THAN TESTIFY

Donald Trump has demonstrated time after time that he is a lier. He does not seem to the know the difference between the truth and a lie.

Recently Ken Starr of White Water fame answered YES when asked if he thought Donald Trump would be forced to testify in the ongoing Russian Investigation.  The thought of having to testify about the events surrounding his presidential campaign has to terrify Donald. How will he testify as to the truth when he constantly lies about everything  that goes on?  Can he even remember what happened let alone what was true and what was not? Since  he often makes up things when faced with events he must worry about perjury.

I firmly believe Donald will resign and go back to New York rather than  testify in an open  hearing to any of the Committees or the Mueller Investigation.  His lawyers will most assuredly recommend that he not testify. If he does agree it will only be to answer questions presented to him ahead of time when his lawyers can write up his responses.

This may be the only way can get this incompetent, con artist out of the White HOUSE.

DONALD IS A BULLY

Donald J. Trump is a Bully, has been a Bully since he was a child and will continue to be a Bully until the day he dies. His helter-skelter mind won't allow him to change. No threat to him will change his behavior---impeachment, shaming him, taking away his money, silencing his phone,  sending him back to New York, physical punishment---NOTHING WILL WORK TO CHANGE HIM. Our ONLY  HOPE---A HEART TO HEART WITH  his mentor VLADIMIR.  Since his behavior is hurting the Russian "Brand" maybe Vlad can convince Donald to act more like a human being toward the other 7+ billion of us humans on the planet. Donald seems  to worship Mr Putin and he may be our last/best hope to stop this empty shell of a human being from destroying our modern civilization.

ROTTEN TO THE CORE

I have always thought I could find some good in just about everybody.  I do believe all of us are basically rotten, but most people can at least control their rottenness to some extent  and show compassion for others.

I believe Donald J, Trump is the first person I have encountered that I can say without question is rotten to the core.  His personality disorder apparently prevents him from showing any empathy or concern for others, so he can make terrible, hurtful comments about other people and have no regrets.  His inability to apologize for mistakes or ask for forgiveness are sad reminders of a man trapped in a mind devoid of true emotions of love, empathy, concern for others, etc.  He can not care for others because his mind will not let him. He sees only himself and how he is treated and does not have the mental capacity to put himself in someone else's shoes emotionally.

Donald's handicap does not allow him to understand how other people can show love and concern for those who are hurting or are being unjustly treated. His reaction is to  label concern or love as a sign of weakness.  He became a bully because of his handicap and continues to act as a bully today because he has no capacity to understand or feel the pain of the person being bullied.

Donald is a cold, empty shell of a human being and should be removed from the presidency as soon as possible.

WHO IS TO BLAME?

Both political parties are to blame for Trump's ascendancy to power.

The Republicans field just did not know how to respond to  Trump in the primary.  They all looked like a bunch of weak kneed incompetents  and he made them look like fools. They Just did not know to react to a man who lied all the time and called them names and ridiculed them.  They could have pulled the plug on him at the convention, but they did not have the guts to do it. Result---we get an amoral candidate who becomes President.

The Democrats blew their chance with lack of a plan to deal with those in the Rust Belt and rural  areas of the country.  I personally saw the strategy when I asked a staffer about rural areas during the campaign. The campaign according to him was focused on new voters in the intercity (minorities) and was not going to spend money on other areas. Apparently this was done nationwide and was instrumental in Hillary's loss.

DONALD MUST GO

Sometimes you have to get really sick before you get better.
That is what we as a nation are currently going through. Any one who has the illusion that they (the KKK, Neo-Nazis, the white nationalists) are the problem needs to look in the  mirror. The continued polarization of the the country along racial and cultural lines has been on going for hundreds of years.  We are all part of the problem and thus can be part of the solution.

The monumental changes over the last 50 years have been too much for many Americans. Think about it. From  "Jim Crow" to a Black President. From Gays in the Closet to same sex marriage. From Coal to Solar. From wall phones to cell phones. From stick shift to driverless cars. From a farm raised President to a billionaire President. For most of us, this progressive movement is exciting; but for others, it scares them to death. Along comes Trump and he will solve all their problems and take care of them, as only he can.  For some he must appear almost "god-like" in his attraction.  When you watch Trump's rallies,  think of them as religious revivals and his rantings as the "gospel according to Trump".  When does he start extolling them to violence? That is when the real problems begin and our country may be destroyed in the process.

We as humans have a tendency to blame others for what ever causes us difficulty. "The other" is a common refrain throughout history when searching for the seeds of conflict, unrest, wars, etc. Our current "seed thrower" is  President Donald J. Trump and he is doing a bang-up job of finding "the others" to blame for his failures and is successfully convincing his core supporters to agree with him. People who are fearful are always vulnerable to manipulation by demi-gods and conmen. Thus Trump's cult-like following. They are the proverbially lemmings jumping off the cliff. This is not new. Mob rule is often depicted in movies and stories; and always follows the same pattern of fear followed by violence against the supposed threat. The Salem witch trials are a classic historic example. 

Mr Trump is a con-artist pretending to be President.  He has survived his whole life by lying to people and convincing them of his sincerity. If they resist, he threatens them with all kinds of dire consequences and he usually has come out on top, because of his wealth and power. 

Donald J. Trump must be removed from the Presidency as soon as possible   He is a threat to our country's future and to the well being of the entire planet.

IT IS TIME

IT IS TIME

Chaos reigns in the White House.  Donald TWEETS insane  threats about war with North Korea and attacks Republicans for lack of action in Congress.  But the incident that put me over the top was his thanking Putin for kicking 755 diplomats out of Russia. 

It is my belief that President Donald  J. Trump suffers from ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) and he is now showing the beginning signs of Alzheimers Disease  (His Father died of the disease.). He is increasingly impulsive, erratic, and jumps from one topic or issue to another with little or no connection to reality. This man has his finger on the Nuclear button and we all need to fear what he might do next.

Over the first 8 months of his rule he has demonstrated the following:

1.  He does not know how a democratic government works.

2.  He shows no interest in policy or the details needed to run the country.

3.  All he wants is  a "WIN", no matter the cost to others.

4.  He is a con artist who cares only about himself and does not seem to know how to  keep the promises he has made.

5. He is obsessed with the investigation into his connections to the Russians and is scared to death of what may come to light.

6. He has a love affair with Vladimir Putin and does everything he can to please him.

Donald is bordering on being insane. His delusional tweets and rants are the vocal expressions of a brain that is NOT normal.  He does not think or feel like most of us. He does not understand or empathize with people who are hurting, either physically or mentally. He believes in lashing out and attacking an opponent's weaknesses to make himself look good or superior. He is  a cold, unfeeling man who  could destroy others and have no regrets.  He once said "I could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and they would still follow me", when referring to his supporters. Could he push a button and kill millions of people and not think twice about it?  

IT IS TIME. 

Donald has to be removed from the Presidency now, before he destroys the world as we know it. He has no real understanding of what awesome power he has at his fingertips. 

I do NOT believe the Republicans  in Congress will impeach him. They are cowards and fear they will be "primaried" by some right-wing nut who likes Trump. So they will cower in a corner, cover their heads and hope that the hell Donald creates will not hurt them.

The 25th Amendment to the Constitution  allows for The Cabinet and/or Congress to decide if he is unfit either physically or mentally to serve as President.  He can be removed by a major vote  of either body.  I do NOT believe these  people have the "guts" to stand up to Trump, so this will never happen.

The citizens of the United States must rise up and demand that Trump step down as President. Why would he do it? Only one reason---family ties. If Donald agrees to resign, gives up his TWITTER ACCOUNT and the Trump family vacates the White House,  then all  prosecutions of Trump Family members involved in the Russian Investigation would stop.

IT IS UP TO US, SO LET'S GET TO WORK.

KING DONALD THE LAST AND SUPERFLY

KING DONALD THE LAST AND SUPER-FLY

There once was a kingdom ruled by King Donald The Last. He ruled by tantrum and tweet; and being blind and deaf he depended on his trusty sidekick Super-fly Jared to buzz around acting as his eyes and ears to the world. His Queen Melania, banished to the Golden Dungeon in the city of Always Awake, watched as the King and his daughter Princess Ivanka ruled from the Dusk House in the city of NO. 

Upon his acendancy to the throne, King Donald was faced with an unhappy peasantry.  He had promised wonderful things when he became king and they were slow in coming.  The peasants wanted their piece of the pie and the king wanted to keep the pie, so a tug of war ensued that created a big mess.

Meanwhile the sinister forces of the sly, evil Vlad Putt and his buddy Sneaky Stevie were doing their best to "stir the  pot" of oil and water to see how long it would take for it to boil over and explode.

The world watches with rapt anticipation as the battles go on with a new twist with each Tweet or Tantrum.  The peasants are heating up the tar and plucking their chickens as they gird themselves for the war that is sure to come. They are loading their pitchforks,  just waiting for a new Joan of Arc to come forward and  say,  "it is time to turn the city of NO into the city of YES.”

DONALD, THE GLACIERS ARE MELTING

DONALD, THE GLACIERS ARE MELTING

Donald, there are more than 50,000 glaciers in Alaska and they are all melting. At some point in the not too distant future the only way people will be able to visit  your Mar-a-Lago estate will be with scuba gear and a snorkel.

UNDER THE BUS

UNDER THE BUS

The health care bill that died in the House  last week would have bumped an estimated 24 million people off their health insurance plans.  They would be back using emergency rooms or die early.
That was OK with President Trump because all he cared about was A BIG WIN no matter the cost to the most vulnerable citizens of our country.  In the end he demonstrated what many of us suspected  all along---that he cared not a wit about the people who supported him;  he only  cared about himself and his image.

He was willing to throw the poor, the sick, the poorly educated, the underemployed  and all his adoring followers UNDER THE BUS to get HIS health care bill passed in the House of Representatives. What will it take for his CULT-LIKE FOLLOWERS  to realize that this man has used them to get to the White House and has no intention or ability to  deliver on the simplistic promises he made during his campaign?

RELIGION DOES NOT REALLY EXIST, IT'S POLITICS ALL THE TIME

 I will soon be 79 years of age and I have spent a lot of time trying to determine the value of religions. When I was a teenager I remember quizzing the minister of my Protestant Christian  church about  the relationship between the Bible's Genesis account and the process of evolution.  His explanation was muddled at best.  As a scientist and an educator I long ago accepted as fact the evolution of life on Planet Earth.  People in the United States who reject modern science are doing themselves and their families a disservice by holding on to a past that no longer exists.

I have concluded that there is no true religion that humans should or can follow.  Throughout history religions have been invented by humans (mostly men) to answer questions people had about the changing seasons, the life force found in plants and animals, the various phenomena in the heavens such as the sun, moon, stars, eclipses, etc. and most importantly the meaning of life and death.  Today, we have no need for a religion to answer these questions and concerns, science is providing the way forward.

My observation is that religions were invented by humans to provide answers for the unknown and to provide a power base for leaders to control their followers.  It is Politics All The Time and it has been so in the past.  Today the major religions are controlled by MEN who manipulate people and events to maintain their power. There are so many religions on the planet because humans are so fickle, so argumentative, so different, so opinionated that they simply have a real hard time agreeing on anything. Thus fighting over religion has been a blood sport for thousands of years with humans killing each other by the millions.

Does this mean "GOD IS DEAD"?  Humans invented "gods" to explain the unknown.  There seems to have been a constant feeling  among humans that there exists a power beyond their understanding. However when trying to describe such an entity we use terms such as "listen to my prayer" (assumes ears), "look down upon us sinners" (assumes eyes), "walk with me" (assumes legs).
"forgive us" (assumes empathy), smile down upon us (assumes a face), etc.  In essence we are describing a human image that people insist does not show their "God".

In my opinion, the way to have a truly religious experience is for a person to make a direct connection with something and be moved by the experience such as a beautiful flower, a stunning painting, a colorful sunset, a child's smile, a butterfly, a campfire, or a perceived spiritual presence.  Religious experiences are personal and different for everyone.

Modern religions such as Christianity,  Judaism and Islam use building for followers to gather for worship activities. I believe the buildings, shrines and other symbols such as the cross, Buddha, etc. have become political symbols of separation.  This is how a group establishes their power within a community.  Catholic cathedrals were build to dominate the landscape and still do in many cities in Europe and the US.  I remember a conversation I had as a teenager in my Sunday School class. The question was ----Could a person worship outside a church?  The teacher did not think so. Modern religions are by nature conservative; and are stuck in the current political system that, in my opinion, is slowly decaying.  None of the major religions are really moving humans toward  a progressive future.

It may be that in order for us to move to a better place, a safer place, a more tolerant place, a happier place we must abandon the rigidity of modern religions. For older humans who have grown up in their religious traditions it will be very difficult for them to disavow what they have believed their entire adult lives.  

However the young, who are always more idealistic are showing the way. They are motivated by the threats to their future  of worldwide climate change, of terrorism, of nuclear war, and they see the adults in charge scamming the system for themselves not really caring about their future. If religious institutions are unable to work to solve problems, accept compromise, make necessary changes and give our youth a path to a better life, future generations will abandon the religions of their parents in search of something better.

PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE IS COMING

PRESIDENT MIKE  PENCE IS COMING

Chaos reigns in the United States  and Steve Bannon could not be happier. Historically people have demonstrated that they prefer stability over chaos. even if it means tolerating leadership that is authoritarian or even dictatorial. Mr Bannon, the chief advisor to President Trump has done a "mind-meld" with the president; and they appear to be working from the same "playbook".

Donald J. Trump lives in the "Me, Myself and I" world where only he knows the "truth" and only he can "fix it". I am not sure if he considers himself to be God or simply Emperor Trump. In my opinion Donald's erratic behavior is due to a attention deficit disorder that he suffers from.  He is mentally handicapped and is easily manipulated by those close to him.
Steve Bannon is a brilliant tactician and he is using the fears expressed by Donald and his supporters to move the country toward a more " nationalistic society". Bannon seems to think that he can manipulate the president to continue creating chaos and fear to the point where the federal government will move toward a more authoritarian rule.  Unfortunately our president does not appear to understand our constitutional democracy and might actually welcome complete control.


The president is becoming a sideshow to some people.  Even some who support him, are treating him like a joke. If you are handicapped, the last thing you want, is to be ridiculed for your shortcomings.  This has to hurt and may be behind his constant need to lash out and refusal to apologize for mistakes he makes.  When his colleagues say "Donald will be Donald"in response to a Tweet or comment, it is not a complement.

The President's continued use of Twitter to attack people, events or even other countries is negative, diminishes the stature of the presidency and limits his success.  He should  stop using Twitter, but seems blissfully ignorant to  the chaos he creates with his behavior and no one seems to have the courage to really confront him for fear they will hear those famous words "YOU ARE FIRED".

I do not believe Donald J. Trump will complete his first term.
He is 70 years old and we know nothing about his health. Donald is a very bright person, but he is definitely handicapped in his social and educational skills which is limiting his success as president. His father died of Alzheimers disease, so memory loss has to be a concern for him going forward.  He is already showing the stress of the office and he has been  president for only a few weeks.  I believe deteriorating mental and physical  health will be the most likely causes for Donald to not finish his term.

The other causes for an early exit for Trump are all related to Russia and his finances.  His lack of transparency and honesty about these issues sets him up for all kinds of potential charges.

So if Donald J. Trump leaves the presidency, we get President Mike Pence. Mr Pence is an Evangelical Christian and he is probably more polarizing than Mr Trump; but he appears to be sane and he has governing experience.  His political views are a concern for me, but I have come to the conclusion that I would prefer to have a President who is sane and speaks to God, rather than a person who thinks he is God. 
  

  

    

WILL HE GO OR WILL HE STAY?

WILL HE GO OR WILL HE STAY?

Chaos reins in the White House and across the country---Donald and Steve could not be happier. Throughout history people have demonstrated that they prefer stability over chaos even if it means installing a leadership that is authoritarian  or dictatorial. Steve Bannon, the chief advisor to the President has done a "mind-meld" with Mr Trump; and they appear to be working from the same "playbook".

Donald Trump lives in the "Me, Myself and I" world where only he knows the "truth" and only he can "fix it". I am not sure if he considers himself to be God or simply Emperor Trump. In my opinion Donald is mentally handicapped, suffers from ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVE DISORDER (ADHD) and is easily manipulated by others. Steve Bannon is a brilliant tactician and he is trying to use the fears expressed  by Donald to move the country toward a "white nationalist society". Bannon thinks that if he can manipulate Trump to continue creating chaos and fear mongering to the point that violence breaks out or there are terrorist incidents, he could move the government toward a more authoritarian rule.  Unfortunately our president does not appear to understand our constitutional democracy and might actually welcome complete control.

I keep hoping, like all of you, that President Trump will do the right thing and move the country forward toward a better future. However his thin skin and bullying behavior (part of his ADHD condition) continue to destroy the effects of the positive things he is doing.


Donald's aggressive behavior has worked for him all his life.  When he does not get his way, he throws a temper tantrum creating a scene and chaos that people around him try desperately to calm down. He probably learned that this tactic worked with his parents when he was growing up and certainly is working in the White House.  Press secretary Sean Spicer and advisor Kellyanne Conway often look like scared rabbits expecting to be torn apart by an attacking hawk. 

Donald J. Trump can not be an effective President until he  agrees to full transparency concerning his relations with Putin and Russia, his tax returns and his business empire. 

Also Donald is becoming a sideshow to some people.  Even some who support him, are treating him like a joke. If you are handicapped, the last thing you want, is to be a joke or be ridiculed for your shortcomings.  This has to hurt and may be behind his constant urge to lash out.  When his colleagues say "Donald will be Donald"  in response to a Tweet or comment, it is not a complement.

The President continues his habit of using Twitter. This form of communication may have worked for him in the past, but as president his use of it has been a disaster. He is using this medium to insult, attack, degrade people and events that he doesn't like, to a point that after something happens, people dread what he will say next. It is negative, diminishes the stature of the presidency and limits his success.  He should  stop using Twitter, but seems blissfully ignorant to  the chaos he creates with his behavior and no one seems to have the courage to really confront him for fear they will hear those famous words "YOU ARE FIRED".

I do not believe Donald J. Trump will complete his first term.
He is 70 years old and his doctor failed to tell the truth about Donald's health.  Donald is a very bright person but is definitely handicapped in his social and educational skills.
Also his father died of Alzheimers disease, so memory loss has to be a concern for him going forward.  He is already showing the stress of the office and he has been  president for only a few weeks.  I believe deteriorating mental and physical  health will be the most likely causes for Donald to not finish his term.

The other causes for an early exit for Trump are all related to Russia and his finances.  His lack of transparency and honesty about these issues sets him up for all kinds of potential charges.

So if Donald J. Trump leaves the presidency,  we get President Mike Pence. Mr Pence is an Evangelical Christian and he is probably more polarizing than Mr Trump; but he appears to be sane and he has governing experience.  His politics and religious views are a concern for me, but I have come to the conclusion that I would prefer to have a President who is sane and speaks to God, rather than a person who thinks he is God. 
  

  

    

MY CHRISTIAN JOURNEY

Jesus would be hard pressed to recognize the movement he started more than 2000 years ago. The problem with all religions is that human nature gets tangled up in its activities and implementation.
The inspiration that spawns the spiritual or even the concrete events that draw people to a religion or a religious figure is often blurred by the behaviors of followers and leaders  trying to explain or interpret what has happened.

I grew up in the Christian religion as a member of the Presbyterian Church.  I felt comfortable with this Protestant denomination's approach to Christianity and was  inspired as a teenager to consider a career as a clergyman.  When I read my Bible, I felt Jesus was speaking to me  and I thought his teachings really spoke to the problems people face; and I wanted to go out into the world and spread  "the good news".  I loved his simple, uncomplicated approach in dealing with his fellow man.  When I went off to college  at age 18, I was optimistic about the world and its future.  I wanted to be a scientist and "save the world".

In college I attended the Presbyterian church in town, but it was not until my Junior year that I started to think seriously about a religious vocation.  Midway through that year I moved from a dorm room to Koinonia.  Koinonia was a religious boarding house for young men who were interested in furthering their knowledge of religion.  The house was established by the Protestant churches in the area and was staffed by non resident Presbyterian minister who lead the regular religious discussions.
My roommates included a Mexican, an African-American, a fellow from India and included about a dozen or so students at any one time.  We had  a lady who cooked lunch and dinner, but we had to cook breakfast which we did on a rotating basis.  It was a great experience for me.

My learning curve. One day I opened the refrigerator and found bottles of beer and I was horrified.
When I brought it up, no one saw any problem with having alcohol in the house. I had grown up in a house where my mother was a member of Women's Temperance Union (WTU) and believed that just smelling the cork would make you drunk.

It was about this time I decided to visit seminaries.  I first visited Princeton Theological Seminary for a day tour, but my most memorable visit was to New York City and Union Theological Seminary in Manhattan. I stayed the weekend and was able to hook  up with other students, one of whom lived in New York.  We visited the Empire Sate Building, ate pizza at an Italian place and got to hear a speech by theologian Paul Tillich. We also visited the churches in  East Harlem Protestant Parrish. This was an outreach ministry to the poorest section of the city, spearheaded by students and faculty of the seminary.  It was a really neat experience.

Later I applied to three seminaries but was only accepted at Pittsburgh Theological.. I knew  being a minister would not be easy, but an early experience  cemented  my view  that the politics  of a church could be a problem.  I got a first hand glimpse of the issue when I traveled to a church meeting with 3 ministers.  During the trip these guys started telling jokes and stories. That was not unusual, but these stories were raunchy, filled with "filthy"language  and definitely not did not reflect what I had come to expect from members of the clergy.  I was shocked. Later, I spoke to one of the ministers and he said that time together was the only time they could be "normal".  While doing church work, ministers and their families are under strong pressure to conform, so getting away is often a welcome change.  By the time I graduated from Penn State I had decided I did not want to deal with church politics, so I no longer felt "the call".  Since I had been accepted, I borrowed money from an aunt and decided to go to seminary for the experience; I am glad I did.





    

OUR PRESIDENT SUFFERS FROM ADHD

OUR PRESIDENT SUFFERS FROM ADHD

I believe President  Donald J. Trump suffers form ATTENTION DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER, better known as ADHD. This condition is often diagnosed in young children who are having trouble learning in school; and has often been treated with drugs such as Ritalin. I taught science in the  public schools for more than 30 years; and I worked with students who were afflicted with ADHD.

If you doubt my observations, I suggest you GOOGLE  ADHD and look at the list of characteristics of children and adults, mostly men, who suffer with this very traumatic problem; and then look at the way Trump has behaved over the last several years. I believe Donald has suffered with this his whole life and has survived because of his family and his wealth. There is no cure and people do not "grow out of it". Some adults with this condition compensate for their limitations and can complete a successful life. However if they live in poor communities that lack support services, they often succumb to a life of antisocial or criminal behavior.  If Donald were black or poor, he would most likely be in prison right now.

The following are my observations of President Donald J. Trump over the past several years that I believe support my contention that the President suffers from ADHD:

1. He lacks empathy for those he hurts, attacks or criticizes and never apologizes or says he is sorry for anything. 

2. He can't handle criticism or dissent and bullies those who disagree with him.  

3. He cares more about himself than anyone else. When he does actually attempt to show affection toward others, it does not appear to be genuine.

4. He acts impulsively forward women, makes degrading comments about them and seems to grade them on a sexual attractiveness scale. 

5. He is very vulnerable to being manipulated by people who recognize his weaknesses–––Putin and Bannon are both doing this beautifully. His dismissal of Putin's murderous rule and of CIA evidence on Russian hacking of Democratic documents are evidence of the Russian's  power over him. 

6. He throws temper tantrums and uses threat and fear to get his way. It may work in a corporation, but not so well in our constitutional democracy. 

7. He seems to have no real sense of what is right and wrong, so he lies, exaggerates and dismisses facts without any thought of the consequences. He seems  unable to separate fact from fiction, so we get "alternative  facts" as a result..

8. He is unable to laugh at himself or his outlandish behavior. 

9. He can not handle being ignored. He craves constant attention and must be the center of everything. He loves the crowds of people at his rallies who cheer him on and feed his need for adoration.

10. When he delivers speeches or gives interviews "off the cuff" he often speaks in a helter-skelter fashion with no organized logic to his thoughts or ideas. He does not seem to have the ability to convey logical thoughts verbally, so he uses short sentences and slogans like "It will be fantastic"; or "Everyone will love it". Even when he gives a speech from a teleprompter he seems "wooden" and out of his element.

11. He does not appear to study or research problems before acting on them with an "executive order" or a 
"tweet". The recent ban on travel from 7 Muslim countries is a good example of how his lack of planning and foresight leads to a disaster.

  
12. He perseverates. This is a common condition of people with learning disorders. Meaning he keeps bringing up the same "slight", disagreement, idea or concern time after time for no apparent rational reason. Whatever it is, this item just sits and "stews" in his brain and he has to keep bringing it up, much to everyone's annoyance. The crowd size at his inauguration and the fact that Clinton won the popular vote and he didn't,  are good examples.


He may look like an adult and he obviously can act like one in business or social settings; but he is NOT a normal adult and therein lies America's crisis in leadership.

Some have suggested his position on any given issue depends on whom he has spoken to last.  Steve Bannon, his chief advisor in the White House, has recognized this situation for some time and is using his influence to twist Donald into the kind of "white nationalist " leader that he (Bannon) thinks the country needs.  

Many of Trump's supporters applaud what he is doing  and want him to do more to "shake things up". These people are not comfortable with a progressive democracy where blacks, gays and other minorities have the same civil rights that they enjoy.  They are very uncomfortable with the court rulings on social issues that run contrary to their religious beliefs; and some of them seem to like the idea of a "christian nation" vs our current government that is basically secular.  Trump has been making promises that give these folk reasons  to believe that he agrees with them.

Our President needs a minder with him at all times.  So far Jared Kershner and Kellyanne Conway who have signed on as advisors at the White House, seem to be doing a very poor job. In the early days of  of the administration, Mr. Bannon seems to be in charge and that is not good for the health of America. Donald needs someone who has the country's interests in mind, watching and listening to his every move. He needs help so he can make intelligent decisions. If he goes off on his own without supervision the whole planet may be in peril.

NOTE,
I hope you take what I say seriously---all of our lives are in the hands of a man who suffers from Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and he has the power to destroy us all.

Understanding who he is will help us learn how  to deal with him and his actions as President of the United States.


 

DONALD'S WALL IN BIG BEND

hi folks,

In 1979 We spent 11 days in Big Bend National Park.  We visited the area along the Rio Grand River several times.  The following two photos taken from the US side show canyons the river traverses  We crossed the river in a flat bottomed boat paddled by a local, who charged us a couple dollars and our kids rode donkeys up to the village.  It was a neat experience.The third photo is the cafe where we had some local food and cokes (we did not drink the water).

This is where Donald wants to build his WALL. This tiny village of 200 or so residents is about 160 miles from the nearest town. To say this place is isolated is not an exaggeration.  On the US side it takes 2 hours by dirt road to get here.  A WALL here would cost an enormous amount of money and is totally unnecessary. The only people crossing the border here are tourists and few locals.

RIO GRANDE RIVER, SANTA ELENA CANYON, BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, TEXAS  

RIO GRANDE, BOCQUILLAS  CANYON,  BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK

CAFE, BOQUILLAS del CARMEN,  MEXICO, 

BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, MOSTLY DESERT

The following link takes you to CNN and an in depth article about the Wall In Texas.

Building Trump's wall: For Texans, it's complicated
http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/23/politics/border-series-texas/index.html

WHAT DID THE ELECTION SURVEY TELL US?

WHAT DID THE ELECTION SURVEY TELL US?

After the general election I did a survey of citizens to find out how they felt about the results. I surveyed 76 individuals. The population was 60% male and 40% female, 77% had some college education with 4 of them having earned PhDs; about half were retired; only a few were unemployed. The participants ranged in age from 14 to 94 and included voters and non voters.

It was a politically diverse group with 51% liberal/Progressive/Democrat, 37% Conservative/Republican and the rest registering as Independents, Libertarians or Greens. 

When asked about being religious, 85% indicated that they were. They included Quakers. Unitarians and those who considered themselves as Spiritual.

Of those with some college education, 64% voted for Clinton,
30% voted for Trump, there were 3 votes for Stein (The Green candidate) and one vote for Johnson (The Libertarian candidate). Of those who had a high school education or less, 63% supported Trump. with 37% choosing Clinton. 

In the survey, those who voted for Clinton 54% were male 46% were female. Of those who supported Trump 71% were male and 29% were female. Among women supporters Clinton won 73% of the vote with Trump getting 27%.
This shows that Trump received more of the female vote than expected.

MY OBSERVATIONS---

The comments from those of you who completed the survey tell me that Hillary Clinton lost the election because she was not the right candidate to go up against the juggernaut of Donald Trump. She used traditional tactics to oppose an individual who used the media and "school yard" behavior to his advantage. Her campaign ignored advice to visit the areas of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin that went for Trump.  Someone noted that if they had done a survey like this during the campaign and responded to it, it  might have altered the outcome of the election. We will never know.

The most popular candidate in this survey was Bernie Sanders.  He won the most votes in the primary and even some Republicans indicated they might have voted for him in the General Election, if he had been a choice.

Neither Clinton nor Trump had a lot of enthusiastic support in the survey.  Many who voted for Clinton qualified their decision to vote for her. "A vote against Trump, not for Clinton". Didn't want Trump". "No time for Trump".  "Not an idiot" Others did cite "experience", more competent", "is intelligent" "cares about kids", "values women's rights" as reasons to support her.

Most participants who supported Trump actually were voting against the establishment and the status quo.  They did not really vote for his policies or programs, they voted "for change", to "shake things up", against a "liberal agenda"and "Clinton's policies".  I had the feeling that some of the people who supported Trump were already having second thoughts about their decision after the election.

I believe religion played a bigger role in the results of the election than some have postulated. In the survey 92% of Trump voters indicated they considered themselves to be religious.  That dropped to 61% of Clinton's supporters who indicated that they were religious. I grew up in a rural area of central Pennsylvania and the vast majority of the folks who live there are conservative Christians and Republican.  Trump won these areas by huge margins. In one small municipality close to where I grew up, he won by a 10 to 1 margin. This is evidence for an on going trend.  The Republicans have become  the "religious party" and the Democrats are increasingly the "secular party".  This will need to be factored into all future elections if candidates plan to be successful.

The comments participants produced in the survey speak for themselves and I do not plan to do any analysis of them.  NOTE:  The main report which includes comments on the various questions was sent out before the holidays.

This has been an interesting experience for me and has given me something to do in cold weather.

Thanks to all who participated.  I would appreciate any comments, questions, suggestions you might have.

Thanks,

Dick Brown   

    

DONALD IS THIRTEEN

DONALD IS THIRTEEN

I believe Donald Trump is an impulsive thirteen year old with a learning disability/personality disorder living in a 70 year old man's body.   I taught 13 year old students in public schools for more than 30 years, and believe me, I know one when I see one. I had students in my classroom who are just like Donald.

Evidence for my hypothesis---
1.  Lacks empathy for those he hurts, attacks or criticizes.
2.  Never apologizes or says he is sorry for anything.
3.  Very short attention span, gets bored easily---Ignoring "DAILY BRIEFING".
4.  Bullies those who disagree with him.
5.  Can't handle criticism---has to get "even".
6.  Has no real core values of what is right and wrong.
7.  Lies, exaggerates, dismisses facts without any thought of the consequences.
8.  Acts impulsively to perceived slights or attacks---"Such a nasty woman"
9.  Makes degrading comments toward women.
10. Has acted impulsively toward women---touching or kissing without permission. (Sexual assault)
11. Needs constant attention, must be the center of attention, needs adulation of crowds such as at his shows (rallies). Can't handle being ignored.  His TWEETS he is using to "stir the pot"are the most obvious need he has for adoration.
12. Very vulnerable to be manipulated by people who recognize his weaknesses---Putin has done this beautifully. His dismissal of  CIA evidence on Russian hacking of  Democratic documents is a very disturbing development.
13.  Not capable of learning a lot of information in a short time---"one page memos".
14.  Does not study or research  problems before reacting to them with an "order" or a "Tweet".
15,  Demonstrates no ability to formulate problem solving policies.
16.  Cares more about himself than the wide variety of people who  make up our nation.
17.  Unable to laugh at himself or his outlandish behavior.
18.  Speaks in a helter-skelter fashion with no organized logic to his thoughts or ideas that he is trying to convey to listeners.
19.  Talks using short sentences that are more slogans than real thought.
20.  Uses threat and fear to try get his way, which works in a corporation where he is the CEO, but does not work in  OUR CONSTITUTIONAL  DEMOCRACY.  

Some have suggested his position on any given issue depends on whom he has spoken to last.

He may look like an adult and he obviously can act like an adult in business or social settings;  but he is NOT a normal adult and therein lies America's crisis in leadership.

We have just  elevated a very rich dysfunctional child to be the leader of the free world.

Donald needs  a minder with him at all times after he takes the oath of office. I was happy that Jared Kershner and Kellyanne Conway have signed on as advisors at the White House, because Donald needs someone watching and listening to his every move.  He needs help in making intelligent decisions and if he goes off on his own without supervision the whole planet may be in peril.

NOTE,
I HOPE YOU TAKE WHAT I SAY SERIOUSLY---ALL OUR LIVES ARE IN THE HANDS OF AN ADULT WHO IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT A LEARNING DISABLED  CHILD ACTS LIKE AFTER HE GROWS UP.

UNDERSTANDING HIM WILL HELP ALL OF US LEARN HOW TO DEAL WITH HIM AND THE VARIOUS THINGS HE DOES.