Hovel Havel Hevel

 Hovel Havel Hevel

Sandal Candal Pandal

Cash Dash Yash

Formal Normal Iormal

English has many words

if it's not enough 

you make your own

people only understand a handful anyways

Real Seal Qeal

Fail Sail Dail

Cardboard Yardboard Nardboard

Zoo Poo Loo

I think that the last one was all good

Oh boo, too many rhymes

There may be a coup

To straighten who?  Yoo!

Insufferable Nonsense is my middle name

The Crisis That Should Not Be A Crisis

 

By all objective measures, President Biden, and by default, the American people, is having a very successful Presidency. The lowest unemployment rate in over fifty years, a record number of jobs added, steady GDP growth, a significant number of judgeships filled, and we're finally moving the needle on the climate crisis. No, he has not had an LBJ or FDR level of passed legislation, but what he has gotten has been remarkable considering the thin margins he has had in Congress.

However, I am not like a Trumpeteer, blindly following the cult leader to whatever cliff he wants to take them over. President Biden is not infallible. I am capable of calling him out when he does something I can't support.

I vehemently disagree with him in his attempts to negotiate a debt ceiling deal with the Republicans. He is setting a dangerous precedent that we will deeply regret. Nothing should be given in exchange for passing a debt ceiling increase. Nothing. Not ever. By any President of any party.

Congress passes bills and budgets that commit the US to pay for those programs. THEY HAVE ALREADY SPENT THE MONEY. This just moves up the debt ceiling to cover what Congress has already agreed to.

To paraphrase one of our greatest Congresspeople, Katie Porter: you have a credit card with an unlimited credit line. But you decide, for yourself, that you will cap how much you accumulate to pay back to $1,000. But, things come up, including food and medical bills, and you blow past that artificial ceiling and now owe $1,500. So, even though this is money you've already spent, you tell the credit card company, "No, that's past my personal spending limit, so I'm only paying back $1,000 of what I've already spent."  How do you think the credit card company is going to react?  

I'm not even sure why we have to pass debt ceiling increases. What good does it do to authorize money you've already passed to spend? It does nothing to control the debt. You've already spent it. Now the only thing left open is, do we jeopardize the full faith and credit of the United States, or do we become the world's biggest deadbeat Dad?

The result of not passing the debt ceiling would be catastrophic destruction of the world economy on a level we've never seen before. It is the equivalent of launching a full-scale nuclear war - the world is permanently scarred, and there is no way of going back to the way the world was before.

With such deadly consequences, why are we even allowed for it to come to a vote? Shouldn't this just happen because the budget and bills have already been passed and spent?

Yes, the debt ceiling should be abolished. No one should ever be able to take the US government hostage (as Congressperson Matt Gaetz has plainly stated, that is what the Republicans are doing).

The 14th Amendment to the US Constitution clearly states the public debt of the US must not be questioned -

The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.

So, what the hay? Why are we going through this when the debt ceiling must be raised, BY CONSTITUTIONAL EDICT?

During the most recent lame-duck session, just before the lunatics took over the House Asylum, many Democrats pushed for a bill eliminating the debt ceiling. But enough conservative/corporate Democrats stood in the way, blocking passage. That is one of the reasons I consider myself an Independent Progressive rather than a Democrat. Too many Joe Manchin types standing in the way.

I know the dangers of default. If Biden does not appear to negotiate with them, he might be blamed for any default (In my opinion, by low-information voters and morons - sorry, not sorry).

But the Republicans are not arguing in good faith. Instead, most are drawing all the blood they can, moving the goalposts constantly, and then planning on agreeing to the debt ceiling at the last millisecond.

But that's just most Republicans. It's not all Republicans. There are some, a significant block that would rather see the US economy go up in flames, convinced that Biden will be held responsible.

So, I ask my faithful handful of loyal readers, WILL IT? Will you blame Biden if the debt ceiling is not adjusted and the world economy collapses?

Given his collegial Senatorial past, I understand why Biden thinks he can negotiate this. But nothing good will come out of it. Nothing. Whatever concessions the Republicans get out of this, they will want more the next time.  

Republicans, by their own admission, are hostage-takers. And hostage-takers are domestic terrorists.

And you can never give in to terrorists.

Unwelcome to Florida

 Once upon a time, Florida was known as the tourist state, the travel destination du jour for millions of Americans and millions more from around the world.

Those days are gone.

The NAACP has issued a travel advisory to Florida due to the state government's open hostility to teaching black history and eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Other groups who have issued travel advisories include the League of United Latin American Citizens (immigration issues) and the LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida  (Don't Say Gay, among other measures).

I caution any friend who wants to move to Florida. I am scared for them and the environment they would live in.

Let's not mince words. Under DeSantis, Florida is a fascist state. His laws are designed to persecute people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, the undocumented (including harassing anyone who might even look like they could be undocumented, and those who dare to teach/preach/blog/communicate anything besides the official DeSantis line.  I wouldn't be surprised if THIS blog was flagged. The only thing that might save me is my traffic and presence is so pitiful it might escape their notice.

Should I advise people who live in Florida but are decent, and caring, to leave? It's a tough call. If there is some chance that people can retake the state, they should stay. But how do you tell somebody subject to villainous persecution that they should stay? I can't in good conscience do that.

But many are not going to be able to leave. Because of work or roots or other reasons, it is not easy to up and leave. We need to defend those people and keep speaking out.

Should we boycott Florida? For the most part, yes. But we need to be selective when we do go there. Definitely go to Disney World if you have it planned - yes, it's got all the flaws of a mega-corporation, but it has also stood up to the bullying of DeSantis.

We sometimes go to Jacksonville. We visit the bookstore Chamblin Bookmine, which is supportive and stands four-square against book bans. 

I think that is what we need. To only visit places and businesses that stand in support of the LGBTQ+ community, people of color, of those of us who are against book bans and restrictions on education.

Anyone who can help me come up with a list of those businesses that are supportive, especially places to eat, please let me know. I will repost everything I can find.

If we go to Florida, let's go to the places that need our support.

But Georgia is no sanctuary state. No, they have not enacted legislation on a level of Florida hate, but that day will come if we're not careful.

IT IS ALREADY HAPPENING where I live in Pierce and adjoining counties. Several large churches have banded together and have chosen to be unchristian in their hateful and bigoted pursuit of eliminating marginalized communities from services at our public libraries. They want to eliminate any symbol of support. They want to remove any books, clubs, mention or acknowledgment, kindness, hope, or love. The bottom line - they don't want them to exist.

It's a fight we'll probably lose due to the weakness of city and county commissioners, bending to the will of the slavering mob.

The foulness of Florida is spreading like a contagious disease.

I pray that this vile disease burns itself out and that the vaccine of truth and love proves stronger than bigotry and hate.  

There is much evil in America, but there is also much good.

Stay strong. Speak up. Pray we see it through.

Cheers of an Ugly Mob

 

I do not wish to create a maze.

I don't want to be blocked by haze.

I want to see where I am going,

I must observe what they're showing.

I stand where a great nation once stood

Before it was draped in a white hood.

Progress only comes in fitting starts

Only to be dragged back and torn a parts.

The ugly mob cheers lie after lie

Even after she tries to challenge, try after try.

Hope itself begins to fade

Inside the bubble that CNN made.

Letter to The Blackshear Times

This is a letter that I sent to The Blackshear Times.  My understanding it is in this week's paper, but I haven't seen the paper to fully verify that.

The version they have may be edited from this, which is their right.

 Editor, The Times

 

I love our public library. The staff is excellent, the community programs offered are great, and serve people with a wide variety of interests, including special displays for Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and Sexual Abuse Awareness Month. In addition, they can help you access books not only at the library but from other libraries. They have DVDs, audiobooks, and even an E-reader app.

The library is a public space. It is open and inclusive of everyone. Every. Single. Person. It is one place where wealth doesn’t matter – everyone is served equally. It respects and serves the diversity of religions of this area, including the many denominations of Christianity. It is open to all people, of all races and creeds, and, yes, of different sexual orientations.

One thing you are not free to do is try to exclude and discriminate. You may have as a tenant of your faith that leads you to condemn LGBTQ+ people. That’s discouraging, but it is your right to attend church and dwell in other private spaces where that belief is held. You cannot take that belief into a public space and exclude and make any group unwelcome for any reason.

To demonize a group simply because of who they are physically attracted to is wrong. To accuse that the mere mention of physical attraction is improper is also wrong. Physical attraction in and of itself is not sexualizing, as many who would like to exclude the LGBTQ+ would say.

If a woman is physically attracted to a man, does that mean she is sexualizing? She has the right to find books that feature heterosexual romance. To what degree that romance is physicalized may depend on the book’s age category, which librarians help regulate. Girls may want to read about princesses being rescued by princes, and adult women may want to read, uh, more assertive material. Those attracted to the same sex should also be able to find age-appropriate material. To be gay is no more sexualizing than to be straight. To see a picture of two Dads with their children is no more sexualizing than to see a man and a woman with their children.

A better example of sexualizing may be when very young girls are put in skimpy costumes and adult makeup to compete in beauty pageants or dance recitals.

Every parent has a right to be concerned about sexual predators. Statistically, they need to look closer to home, sometimes family members, but most often friends of the family, people in a position to gain access and trust. Coaches, youth pastors, preachers, and teachers are often in roles that predators use to acquire the “In” they need.

Does this mean you should avoid youth pastors, coaches, etc.? No. Many are safe and positive mentors. To blanketly condemn a whole group for the actions of a few is wrong. You must use caution. But you must not condemn entire groups. That leads only to bigotry and hate.

Some groups in our community are vilified, mistreated, marginalized, and excluded. That should not be true at our public library.

I don’t think displaying something for Pride Month is asking too much. I don’t believe the inclusion of a rainbow flag or rainbow symbolism is asking too much. It is never too much to extend the hand of kindness, inclusion, and love.

Everyone counts in the rainbow of diversity that is our open public Library—every single person.

A local organization that is fighting against censorship, book bans, and discrimination is the Okefenokee Library Alliance. They can be found on social media, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you stand for public libraries that are open and accessible to all, please check it out and consider joining.

Everyone has an equal right to the library’s resources. But no one has the right to base their participation on excluding other people – the people themselves, their books, their clubs, or their displays. Because the Library is for everyone.

Every. Single. Person.

 

Tom Strait

The Graduate!

Well, he did it!

Benjamin Strait is now a college graduate! Four years at Georgia College & State University!

He graduated Cum Laude, which meant he had a grade point average of 3.60 or higher! Only three students in Computer Science graduated Cum Laude or better, and he was one of them!

It wasn't all peaches and cream. Like other students, he went through the pandemic, when many classes were online and many student activities were curtailed. Nevertheless, he developed many friendships in college and online through his Dungeons and Dragons group.  He visited with one of his friends, Eddie, in Sweden for about a month. So Benjamin is now more well-traveled than his parents. He made other friends while in Sweden, and I know he'll want to go back.

Not every Professor was charming or helpful, but Benjamin learned to adjust to different personalities and do his best.

He was an active participant in Georgia College Episcopal Campus Ministry.  It helped provide camaraderie and spiritual guidance.

Benjamin will start his internship with Warner Robins Air Force Base this summer. After that, it could develop into a full-time job.

Yes, Warner Robins seems far away, but it is a distance we've grown used to. It doesn't seem quite so bad as my oldest son is in California, and my middle son is in New York.

Of course, there's nothing to say for sure that Benjamin will settle in Warner Robins. Mom and Dad will just have to handle it when that day comes.

Congratulations, Benjamin! We love you so very much!