What Happens Next?

The end of this election is 2 days away, and what have we learned and what happens next, are two questions we may ask ourselves given the turmoil and controversy we’ve had to endure during the past year.

Let’s start with what we’ve learned.  We’ve learned that our system is flawed in ways we didn’t even realize, or weren’t willing to acknowledge until it was shown to us on Facebook, through Wikileaks, and undercover videos taken by Project Veritas.  We’ve learned that upper level government controls justice in ways we couldn’t imagine.  We’ve learned that the people who we rely on to provide us with news and not just spin is ineffective in doing their job and is for sale.  We’ve learned that hackers and whistleblowers are the only ones that we can trust to give us “fair and accurate” reporting of what goes on internally.  We’ve also learned that for the most part both of our political parties are practically one and the same, and that which we call “the establishment” is not only established it’s entrenched.

To prove this, we take a look at this year’s election.  The Democratic Party was hijacked by Bernie Sanders, who is a socialist, and the Republican Party was hijacked by Donald J. Trump, who is Nationalist/Populist.  The effects were astounding, and caused a shaking of the system.  Immediately things were done both by the Washington establishment, and the media which is backed by the establishment to stop each of these men from moving forward.  President Obama, and his wife went on the campaign trail almost more than Hillary Clinton and Time Kaine, in order to appeal to the black voters by throwing in the race card, and ultimately appeal to women voters by throwing in the sexism card.  Two cards that carry a lot of weight and are used indiscriminately during elections.  This was after they had managed to oust Bernie Sanders through underhanded means. 

This election was an all-out war of lies, sex and videotapes.  When Mr. Trump wasn’t saying some outlandish things himself, he was busy warding off accusations of almost everything from colluding with foreign governments to raping a 13 year-old girl.  Social media ran amok with mud-slinging.  It was a bar brawl of the lowest kind.  There were riots in the streets, people sent to interfere with the campaigning process.  And we heard all kinds of accusations ending in “ism” from both sides.

On Tuesday, November 8, 2016, a new President will have been elected, yet neither the Democratic Party nor the Republican Party will ever be the same.  If Hillary Clinton wins it will be under a veil of suspicion and investigation, as well as the very real possibility of a criminal indictment which would lead to impeachment, and the great possibility of a Constitutional crisis.  Even if she is not indicted, the dirt around her and her team will remain, which she may not be able to continue to sweep under the rug and laugh off.  The Bernie supporters who already feel betrayed will undoubtedly question Bernie Sanders’ judgment when he asked them to back Hillary Clinton.  Her supporters will feel that they were let down as well.

Republican party supporters will be angry with the Republican Party for not backing Trump, the same way they had backed all the prior candidates, and allowing this to happen.  What is the probability that they will trust those who are in power that they voted into office?  I’d say slim.

If Donald J. Trump wins on Tuesday, the Republican Party will still be fractured because they failed to support the candidate, and sold out to Hillary Clinton. Clearly any vote or support that wasn’t for Trump would only help her and the lack of proper outward support only means that there is no support.  The Democratic party will still be fractured because of all the shenanigans.  The investigation of Hillary Clinton will continue to a possible indictment, and anyone close to her that wants to continue to be in politics will jump ship as some already have.

If Trump does anything that is positive and noteworthy while in office, he will gain support, and probably stay another four years because he will have proved himself capable.  At that point, he could run under the “Gumby Party” and still be elected into office because four years is not long enough for the people to forget this catastrophe of an election.  If nothing improves under a Trump Presidency, then that is when scary things will happen.  With distrust in our two main parties and negative feelings about anything having to do with the establishment who participated in the 2016 fiasco, the public will turn to anything that is different.  Bernie garnered a lot of support, but he will be too old, and nobody on the circuit would seem like a good choice.   This would be the time where a true socialist could be voted in.  We all know that our universities are places of indoctrination for the liberal agenda, and the millennials will be a large voting block come next election. 

Every four years we hear that “this election is a defining moment for our country because it could be the end of life as we know it”.  Well, I think it’s here.  This election is the precursor to the one we’ve all been warned about.  The one that will be a true gamechanger.  If you thought this one was crazy, hold on to your hats next time around we are headed for the hairpin turn.  

THE HYPOCRISY V. THE REAL ISSUES

THE TRUMP SEX TAPE

The hypocrisy and insanity during this election is ridiculous.  Let’s get involved in politics, but let’s us not lose perspective of reality.

Reality #1:

Politicians and those running to represent us in government are not saints.  They are flawed people just like you and me who are running for their own personal purposes.  The idea is to see if your views or needs align with what they are promising.  You aren't even guaranteed that it will be accomplished.

Reality #2

In our open society couples get married and cheat, both heterosexual, and homosexual, people have one night stands and all kinds of sex. Drugs and crime are glorified. Traitors are seen as heroes, and treating women like sex objects is glorified, sometimes by the women themselves.  This is all evident online, on Netflix, in books, in music videos, in the news and on social media.

Where we stand.

With the amount of issues that this country has to deal with that will undoubtedly affect us all on a personal level, it is amazing to me to see how focused we are on every sexual comment that Trump makes or has made in the past 40 years of his public life which are now surfacing. Whether he called someone fat, flat-chested, ugly or whatever, we are all guilty of the same behavior. We all criticize other people for whatever reasons, yet we expect others not to do this.  I would be a bit weary of someone who had never said anything mean, nasty or rude to anyone else.  We all say things, it is human nature.

We expect Trump to be magical.  We expect more of him than we do of Hillary, but the truth is that there have been several U.S. Presidents to have affairs while in the White House.  However, most of these men were able to accomplish their jobs as President in some capacity.  Everyone claims that Bill Clinton was a good President, yet he had his sexual escapades during his Presidency.

For those who aren’t aware, Warren Harding had a couple of affairs, and possibly fathered a child outside of his marriage.  Franklin D. Roosevelt had an affair with his wife’s secretary. Lyndon B. Johnson had an affair with a married woman who was the wife of one of his financial backers. Dwight Eisenhower had an affair. James Buchanan was in a gay relationship when it wasn’t acceptable.  John F. Kennedy and Gerald Ford both had affairs. Thomas Jefferson had a relationship with his slave, and fathered her children. George H.W. Bush was rumored to have had an affair with one of his assistants, and obviously the aforementioned Bill Clinton.

Now, do we think that these men were all so incredibly attractive that they did not have to use their power or position or anything else to seduce these women?  Let’s be real. If they were broke, or working at McDonald’s or Target they couldn’t have gotten away with what they did.  So we’ve had several scoundrels in the White House both Democrats and Republicans.  Does that mean that they can’t be an effective leader?

While we are here debating Trump’s morality and/or his lack of social filter, the reality remains that if he would have walked on the political stage without these issues, the liberal media, and the Washington establishment would have still not approved of him because he is an outsider.

Government is complicated but it’s not rocket science.  A desire to effectuate change can go a long way.  While we sit here arguing, and throwing memes around for and against the contenders, what we should be concentrating on are the issues.  Rome is burning and we need to start trying to put out the fires in a focused manner, not feed into the media hype on either side about their personal lives.  There are issues that will destroy this country from within if not taken seriously quickly.

Our Constitution is in danger on many levels.  That is the foundation of our government. It was the first stone.  If we keep dissecting it, it will crumble, and so will we.

Some of the things we really need to be focused on during this election are:

   Domestic terrorism:  We have had too many domestic terror attacks by radicalized US citizens.  While we do have freedoms afforded to us we also have to realize that if the police is looking for someone who is tall and blond, they are going to have to pull over, detain, and/or question everyone who is tall and blond. There is no point in questioning red-heads or dark haired people.  This is profiling.  You fit a profile, you have to be questioned.  Profiling is used in many ways. There is behavioral profiling, DNA profiling, and racial profiling just to name a few.  It is our responsibility to cooperate and be vigil, not crazy, just vigil because our lives, and the lives of our neighbors depends on it.  The politicians are all surrounded by Secret Service agents, they and their families are relatively safer than the average citizen.  We have more at stake than they do.

Education: Our education system is rampant with wasteful spending, and common core is detrimental.  The United States continues to score low in comparison with other countries on education, yet we spend more per child than most countries. Our children are not receiving the quality education that they deserve. This is an issue that affects us now, and will affect future generations because children are our future resources. 

Healthcare:  Obamacare has been a disaster and the only people who benefit from it are those who have low incomes or are at the poverty level. Middle class Americans have been the ones most adversely affected by this mandatory imposition.  This plan has to be repealed or repaired but it cannot continue this way.  A single payer plan is not a bad idea, Medicare is a single payer plan, and it works fairly well.   

Job creation: Like my father used to say “we cannot all be doctors, and lawyers, we need all kinds of people so that things work”. Right now, things are not working.  Our manufacturing, and telephone service jobs are going overseas.  Jobs that would benefit millions of Americans.  What is being done by Washington? Nothing.  They just sit idly by because their jobs are guaranteed, and so is their retirement pension and healthcare. They are making their money from their donors, from and some from foreign countries.  They are so far removed from the situation that it is not on the top of their agenda.  They are probably counting on food stamps, unemployment and Medicaid to take care of the citizens if things get really bad.

Military force & Issues: For us to have a respected government in the world we need to be prepared for anything.  A state of the art military is important.  We also need to make sure that those people who we send to do our bidding are given the proper medical care and assistance when they return since they gave up what they had of a life to serve. There are many benefits to joining the military, but those who do serve in war should be treated with dignity and provided with whatever services they need to be able to rejoin mainstream America. No matter how long it takes.  A pat on the back, a medal and a couple of interviews doesn’t cut it.

Cleaning up inner cities:  This is one of the biggest problems that affects most of our major cities and many other areas. While it is impossible to be rid of people who commit crimes because they are actually necessary to a degree, we can try to clean up those areas that are being severely affected by drugs and violence.  Everyone knows that many of those areas are run by gangs or thugs not even the police dare to enter.  This is a situation that needs to be resolved.  This goes back to the lack of proper education in these neighborhoods.  It also goes back to the lack of gainful employment available to people who don’t have an education. These issues all feed off each other to create a huge problem in our inner cities. 

Police, crime, punishment and systemic racism:  Do we still have issues with certain aspects of racism? Yes.  It is evident in our prison system, and it is evident in our inner city schools.  Cleaning up the inner cities, education, job creation and crime all go hand in hand.  When you don’t have a proper education, no job availability, and live in a neighborhood overrun with drugs, it is very difficult to do anything but engage in criminal behavior.  Black men are sent to jail more often than white men, usually because they lack the means to hire a good lawyer to represent them, so they take a plea or fall into the lap of a public defender who is overwhelmed with work, and has no time or funds to prepare a solid defense.  This is why there is an imbalance.  Justice is only as good as the money that you have to spend on it.  It’s not because they are black, it’s because they are broke. A prime example is OJ Simpson.  We also know through research and statistics that nations that have high levels of prison populations also have high levels of homicide. 

ILLEGAL Immigration.

Despite our desire to help others, we must be a law abiding nation.  When it comes to immigration, laws are not being upheld.  We do need secure borders, not only for illegal immigration reasons, but also for drugs that are coming in through the border.  This is a fact, not conjecture.  People in other countries are waiting for years to enter this country legally and going through the process. Is it fair to them to have to wait, when we just let people slip through, and then provide them with social services once they have a child here, or offer amnesty? What message does that continue to send to people in other countries?  This is clearly an issue that needs to be resolved once and for all. 

    One of the most detrimental things we have in this country which has been brought to light during this election is the media and their flagrant disregard for the truth.  Given the state of general ignorance as to any particular subject in this country it is easy for the media to control the masses.  One meme, which is the attention span of the average person, can accomplish major things. One edited clip can change many people’s perspective on anything.  No research needs to be done.  This is what the politicians count on.   This goes back to education as well. We have been taught, trained or brainwashed to no longer think for ourselves.  Why spend time doing research when we have either one side of the media or the other to listen to that can fill us in?  Unfortunately, journalism is dying.  It is rare, and you won’t find it on CNN or Fox.     

    

    Historically, very few civilizations have lasted for a very long time.  It is only a matter of time before ours changes drastically.  It may be through a civil war if this divisiveness continues, or it may be through the move towards globalization, but it will change.  Our job as citizens of this country is to inform ourselves of the issues that we are facing, and watch out for each other, because we fully know that Washington rarely has our back.  

US: The People of the United States

Trump has gone around giving some great speeches this week.  Both sides of the media were all over them dissecting each, and every word, and hidden intentions that may or may not be present.  If any of the commentators were that good at predicting intentions from words, then what the hell are they doing being political commentators?  They are better suited to be tracking down serial killers, and criminals.  They could probably even predict crimes by dissecting the words said by people.  It seems funny, but the most interesting few words of Trump’s speech have not even been addressed or mentioned anywhere. For those who did not hear the speech, this is the part that is most real, and accurate:

“The establishment media doesn’t cover what really matters in this country, or what’s really going on in people’s lives. They will take words of mine out of context and spend a week obsessing over every single syllable, and then pretend to discover some hidden meaning in what I said.

Just imagine for a second if the media spent this energy holding the politicians accountable who got innocent Americans like Kate Steinle killed – she was gunned down by an illegal immigrant who had been deported five times.

Just imagine if the media spent this much time investigating the poverty and joblessness in our inner cities.

Just think about how much different things would be if the media in this country sent their cameras to our border, or to our closing factories, or to our failing schools. Or if the media focused on what dark secrets must be hidden in the 33,000 emails Hillary Clinton deleted.

Instead, every story is told from the perspective of the insiders. It’s the narrative of the people who rigged the system, never the voice of the people it’s been rigged against.

So many people suffering in silence. No cameras, no coverage, no outrage from a media class that seems to get outraged over just about everything else.” (www.thehill.com)

      No truer words have ever been said by anyone running for public office.  As much as we hold our politicians accountable, we must hold the media accountable for their lack of real journalism.  The media in this country has turned into cheerleading teams for either side, further diverting attention away from where it really needs to be, which is on us, the people of this country, the citizens who pay taxes, the true purchasing power of this country.

      If low and median income families stopped watching CNN, FOX, MSNBC and all of the others, then what would happen to them?  No advertisers for products, and services purchased by the lower, and middle classes.  They would have to close up shop because if you look really close, high end designers do not advertise on these shows.  So it is actually in their own best interest to provide the public with what they want. 

      It is interesting and sickening to see how ISIS members gets glorified in the media, for free every time they commit some atrocity.  Even their family members get to be interviewed.  It is also sickening how much press killers, rapists, and other sociopaths get by the media, instantly giving them the glory that they probably wanted.  All this while children and families in inner cities get killed at the hands of gang members, and criminals sometimes in their own homes.  The amount of money that is being poured into education, and never getting to where it needs to be causing our country to have one of the worst educational systems anywhere.  Where is that in the news every night?  Pharmaceutical companies pour millions of dollars into ads promoting their drugs, so they can turn around, and have the citizens of this country pay for it, through their exorbitant costs.  This also results in higher health insurance costs.

All of these things should be our concern. Politicians need US to get elected.  The media needs US to watch so they can sell ads and make profits.  Who are the losers here?  We are.

If we are honest to ourselves and take a step back away from what we have been brainwashed to believe, we will realize that this is indeed what has been happening systematically.  We are told what to think, why we should think it, and why our thinking is wrong or right depending on who is the storyteller you are watching. We are told what medications to ask our own doctors for, and why even though they may kill us, and many do, why we should keep taking it.  Why aren’t these companies being hunted down by our “journalists” and asked why their medications are so expensive here, yet cheap in all other countries?  Why are the ones who can make decisions to improve our schools not hunted down, and interviewed by “journalists” and asked why they are not doing their job?  Why aren’t those responsible for the decision making in order to ensure the safety of our inner cities not put on the spot? Is it too much to ask that the neighborhood you live in is safe from crime so that your child can make it to his 40th birthday without getting shot or ending up in our judicial system?

The cure to our brainwashing  is obviously more community involvement in that which should matter to us.  More enforcement of our power as citizens, and more speaking out, now that we all have the means to do it freely and publicly on Facebook, and other social media on issues that need to be addressed.  In the very least we should all get on Twitter and whatever Facebook page of our politicians and community leaders have, and question them until we get a response and the change that we want.  Let's also find the pages for all media outlets and tell them what we want to see in the news, and what we are tired of seeing. Speeches can be great and very motivating, but the proof is in the pudding.  

#nomorebrainwashing #citizens4reality #calltoactionforUS

THE CHOICE: TRUMP OR HILLARY?

I hardly ever have a hard time making a decision.  When confronted with a problem my inner problem solver takes over, and as I’m listening to the problem I am processing every viable solution.  This year I have a difficult task to figure out.  I have the duty, and privilege, as an American, to vote in this year’s election.  In previous years I have not had a difficult time voting because there was always someone running that I felt could possibly be representative of what I believed, and wanted for our country.

This year the task is a strangely difficult one.  It has come to the point that I have accused myself in my own mind of being a flip flopper.  I’ve gone back and forth in my mind endlessly. Although I was originally a Republican I have been an independent for many years, mainly because I didn’t want to be put into a box, and labeled something that I, at times, was not fully comfortable with.  

 

I’m sure, or actually, I know, that many people out there are having the same difficult time.  This must be what people in “fake democracies” feel like.   The decision for them is “Who do we want to screw us over, and lie to us for the next few years?”.   During this election, I’ve tried to keep an open mind, I’ve gone back to old interviews on YouTube, I’ve listened to NPR, Hannity, CNN.  I’ve read Breitbart, Huffington, BBC, and others.  I’ve dug deep into the archives of the web looking for articles written many years ago just to refresh my memory about the two candidates that we have to choose from, and the only certain conclusion I have come to is that I will not, and cannot vote for Hillary.  To me, she represents all that is wrong with government. She is the personification of cover ups, deceit, disregard, and a shady career politician.   What I can’t understand is why are there so many people that can’t see through the veil, at least sufficiently to say “okay, she sucks, but that’s all we have”.  I’ll take that over those that look to her as if the savior of humanity.  As if she was going to take control of Washington and make all the promises, and hopeful expectations of her constituents come true in one shake of a wand.  What she hasn’t done in almost 30 years.  Her’s is the candidacy of HOPE.  She hopes you will forget the things she’s done.  She hopes that you won’t listen to any opposing views.  She hope that you don’t hold anything you may hear against her. She hopes that you won’t realize who she really is.  She hopes she can still convince you that she is working for you, and not for herself.  She hopes she can pull off this one last scam.  That is the hope she offers. 

Just because I’m not voting for Hillary, doesn’t mean I’m thrilled about voting for Trump.  I would vote for the Libertarians who I tend to identify more with, but that would surely guarantee a vote for Hillary, and Johnson doesn’t thrill me either. 

So I delved deeper into my Trump investigation.  Being a sarcastic person myself, I can identify on a miniscule level with some of Trumps remarks, because some are true, and obvious.  I did check out many things, and I also saw all his debates and town hall meetings, as well as Hillary’s. 

  

In Trump’s prior interviews from back in the 80’s he was eloquent, well spoken, and came across as an educated man.  I realize that in the beginning he had to be outrageous because even negative publicity is better than no publicity, especially if it’s free, ask Dr. Carson who could have used more of it.  But when he achieved the nomination leaving 16 opponents in the dust, I thought, well okay where is the Trump I had seen on Oprah?  Where is the educated, well- spoken man who said he loved this country?   I would have thought it was time to let him out. 

In observing what the media says, I find many things ludicrous.  The most entertaining is “He’s crazy he’ll push the button”.  For those who are not voting for Trump only for this reason.  Trump is not a dictator.  There is a Vice President among other members of government who would have to be equally as crazy as him to follow through on the “button” idea.  Additionally, we do have the 25^th Amendment.  Look it up, it is there.  It kind of protects the country if your leader goes off his rocker.

For those who say he is a racist, I did my own searching, in case my own memory failed me because being a Hispanic, I would be apprehensive about voting for someone who disliked people of my heritage.   I couldn’t recall any instance where it was written somewhere that Trump was a racist, but just to be safe, I searched.  Usually when a person has been a public figure, for as long as he has, comments will be made, something, somewhere will be written about it, especially racism which is such a hot topic.  I cannot say I found anything noteworthy other than his recent comments. I remember seeing Trump on Oprah, and other shows, including his own, and he never rubbed me as a racist, but apparently now at 69, he is, according to mainstream liberal media, and maybe even some Republicans that are shaking in their boots, and still bitter about the massive loss.

The media indicates that Trump is using fear to obtain followers.  I don’t see any fear mongering.  He states truths.  We need to enforce immigration laws, very true.  Even the most well intentioned illegal immigrant will do something so slight such as driving without a valid driver’s license or insurance.  This is an illegal act.  Some will use social security numbers that don’t belong to them just so they can work to provide for their families.  It would be great if the social security number didn’t already belong to someone else.  Unfortunately for these hard working people with no papers or permits to work in this country, this is called identity theft.  So even if all illegal immigrants aren’t murderers, rapists or drug dealers, they do commit other illegal acts that could affect one of our legal members of society.   There are endless comments about how illegal immigrants do jobs that no one wants.  While that may be true when it comes to farming, all illegal immigrants are not employed on a farm. So what damage can this do?  Since they are willing to work for less just to have an income, then that takes away jobs from those who are in this country legally, leaves them unemployed because they couldn’t possibly live on the wage that the employer is paying the illegal. 

Obviously I don’t feel that deporting 11 million people is the answer, but we do need to crack down on the problem, and first ensure that our borders are better protected than what they are now.  There is no point in having hundreds of border patrols, if they are instructed to let the people go through, even the drug dealers, who will come, and go as they please.  You might as well send the guards home, and not spend the money.  It is not a lie that we are housing thousands of illegal immigrants in our Federal facilities.  This is taxpayer money going to mainly private facilities that are making a pretty penny just to keep them there anywhere from 6 months to 2 years at a time until they get processed.  Some use the system as a frequent flyer program.  Come in, work or whatever, send money home, get caught doing whatever, stay for a while for free, and get a free bus pass home.  Turn around a couple months later jump the fence, and do it all over again.  It is no lie, do the research.  They are arrested as re-entries after deportation.

When Trump says that we need to stop Muslims from coming into the country, that is what the media prints, they don’t print the rest of what he says, that this is until we know who the hell is here, and why.  What is wrong with this position?  Would I have an open house party in my home and not wonder or want to know, who is coming and going, and what parts of my house they are visiting?  I think not.  What country permits this?   Try walking into anywhere, and just going wherever you feel like going.  You will be stopped and asked what you are doing there and who or what you are looking for.  In many places you even have to produce ID.  So why should our country be any different than some businesses or government facilities?  We need a head count before more people are given visas, and entry.  Unfortunately, due to the slow wheels of anything governmental in our country it takes FOREVER to process things.    This is the problem we need to fix, not just bash our own American citizens who want safety, and call them racists.  Feeling safe where you live is not a sin, it is a basic need.  That is not fear mongering, it’s a demand for a basic right.  We have to come to the realization that Radical Islamic Terrorists are Muslim. They are not Christian, they are not Buddhist or Jews or anything other than Muslim.  Do I think all Muslims are evil, no, I do not.  There is good and evil in all religions, even atheism. 

The problem is that our country is not really that efficient at processing things in an adequate manner.  I hope we all can remember that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.  That was our “intel”.  How accurate was that?  Okay, so are we going to trust that none of the people that are coming over are terrorists or have ill intentions whether they are men, women or children.  We can’t be ignorant.  Our lives depend on it our safety depends on it.  What happened in Orlando, and California were planned ahead of time.  These people did not wake up one day and say “hey let’s go kill people”.  What do we have to lose by doing this?  It is a temporary hold.  I would put the hold on all visas if you really want to make it fair.  We have to keep in mind that this is a country, our country, the place where we live, and breathe.  We can’t sell out in the name of political correctness. 

When it comes to things Trump says about others, I agree that there is often not a need to be mean or nasty to someone, but by the same token I do find that those who have been subjected to his comments were not sitting at home on their sofas.   In the case of the Khans I think if they decided that they were going to enter the spotlight of politics and be political, they had to be well aware, especially being in the legal field like Mr. Khan is, that you are walking into the lion’s den.  Things will be said, it’s a no holds barred situation.   The same applies to the reporter with a disability.  Yes, he has a disability.  Yes, it was not necessary for Trump to mock him, but again, the reporter is in a position where he is attempting to get the story that he wants to tell, and clearly it was not a pro-Trump story.  He is aware that the political arena is dirty, and mean to anyone and everyone, so he took his chance and got bitten.  It may sound bad, but it’s the truth of the situation.  Trump did not walk into the reporter’s house or job, and poke fun at him, the reporter walked onto his turf and exposed himself to whatever may come.  This kind of holds true for anyone else who he has bashed. 

It may sound like I’m defending Trump, and his behavior.  I’m not.  I am presenting what we have been shown over, and over, and over again in every single format (like a brainwashing) of the transgressions with a more objective view. 

My next topic of inspection was his family.   He may be whatever people want to say he is but he raised four well educated children who seem to be family oriented and goal driven.  I can’t comment on the fifth child because he is still a child.  What I have seen is a family that supports one other, and they support their father, who apparently has been there with them their whole life in one way or another.  During the times the cameras panned the audience you could see his children interacting with each other like regular siblings.   Then there is his wife, who is a beautiful woman, and whether she has a college education or not, she presents herself with a certain degree of class.  Being an immigrant herself, with a deep accent, she stands by his side but not overtaking the stage like some of the other wives of previous Presidential hopefuls.  She went out there like a trooper despite attacks on her person about her nude pictures, and her immigration status, etc.  Apparently she is able to take the attacks in a composed manner.  I do find it amusing that the liberals want everyone to forget about Hillary, and her husband’s past transgressions but they bring up Melania’s nude pictures.

So how does a person who is such an incredible jerk still manage to have what appears to be a nice family that work together, and who love him, and support him?  That I think is noteworthy.

 

The next criticism in the media is of his business practices.  I don’t know about you, but if you are going to be in business you need to have full knowledge of what your avenues are for any given problem that you may face.  His bankruptcies are a big issue.  I wonder what those who criticize would you have done?  Stayed there and waited for what to happen?  Bad business decisions are made every day by everyone, so do you cut your losses or stay the course crashing and burning?  Why do we fault someone who did what was legally available to him at the time?   He’s ruthless in business.  I would be ruthless too.  You can’t have a thriving business by giving away the farm.  Money is money and business is tough.  Would we prefer that he be a really bad businessman? Would that make him more appealing as a Presidential candidate?

One of my favorite comments is that he has no experience, he’s never held office.  Well this is the only true statement.  Upon observing how apt Hillary has been during her tenure in government, as well as some of the other Presidents we’ve had, I don’t know what would be better.  In my opinion the United States of America is a corporation.  A very large one, it has budgets, it has accounts payables, accounts receivables, loans, interest and donations.  Why not have someone who understands finance?  Let’s take a look back, and see what our “experienced” leaders have gotten us so far.  You can lie to yourself and say that the budget is not bad that our national debt is fine.  Or you can look at it and look around and realize that change needs to occur or people in their 50’s will have a harder time when they retire. 

While I believe that political correctness is ruining our country, Trump is the other end of that spectrum.  Would I prefer a candidate that was less outspoken, in this regard.  Yes.  Someone who appears more grounded would be a better option, but we have to understand that he is not alone.  Again, this is not a dictatorship.  While I think he has said some crazy stuff of the cuff remarks, much of it has been taken out of context and over exaggerated by the liberal media just for ratings and to go against him.

So I wait patiently for the debates, and the next couple of months to pass because you never know what can pop up out of nowhere, but in my mind I would rather have someone that offers something different, than the same of what we’ve had or worse.   I’m also hoping that Trump puts his tongue back into its cage for the time being and becomes an experienced teleprompter reader like a regular politician.

The future is unknown, but the only thing we know for sure is that the Republican party will never be the same.   I also know, that this would have been a golden opportunity for the Libertarians, to make a real move, and gain some footing, but I think they needed a more charismatic choice as a candidate.  Maybe someone as outrageous as Trump in the beginning just to get the word out, and get the free advertising.  

If Trump doesn’t win, at least we can say that he got everyone interested and passionate about this country again.  We had been through many years of apathy and lack of interest.  Its good to see that everyone has finally has woken up.

WHERE DO WILD ANIMALS BELONG?

When will humanity learn?  Recently there was a tragedy involving a small child who fell into the gorilla pit at a zoo in Ohio.  Unfortunately, they had to kill the gorilla because they could not predict his behavior and were unsure if it would kill the child or severely injure it.

Some people were outraged that the gorilla was killed.  Some were angered by those outraged that the gorilla was killed.  I’m outraged by many things that make up this incident. I am outraged by the fact that we have zoos.  It is objectionable that we feel the need to take animals out of their natural habitats, and put them in confined quarters with man made amenities just so we can gawk at them close up, and the city can make a profit.  

I am outraged that the zoo in question had railing that was sufficiently spacey enough for a child to crawl under, instead of having a plexiglass or solid wall structure.  I am outraged that the parents of this child were so inattentive that because of their failure to tend to their child properly an innocent animal whose ultimate intentions we did not know was killed.  This is not the first time this type of situation happens. 

We also have situations in which animals attack their caregivers sometimes killing them.  I find that these situations are avoidable if we allow these animals to remain where they belong.   Obviously these are majestic creatures that are not running around the streets like cats and dogs that we can take home and make them our pets.  Some are endangered species.   This is what makes them so attractive, mysterious, interesting to us.

While I also find animals interesting and beautiful, I do think that if you really want to see them, you should go to them.  Go down to Africa and ride around in a jeep a watch elephants roam freely.  Don’t take them out of their homes and put them into artificial surroundings just for our viewing pleasure.  If you want the kids to know about animals of the wild, then contract Disney to recreate all these animals and have a zoo where the imitation animals can live in their imitation home for our viewing pleasure.  We can all watch the documentaries on Discovery Channel about them in  their natural surroundings. 

In my opinion, this situation has to change.  It is inhumane to continue to have all of these animals, living under these conditions, and situations such as these that continue to happen going on. 

EDUCATION OR LACK THEREOF

It never ceases to amaze me how our educational system has deteriorated and continues its downward spiral.    Children are graduating from high school unable to write a paragraph using proper language, spelling, and punctuation.  Then they go to college, and have to take remedial classes so that they can then take a college level English class.  This, after 13-14 years of education, if you count Pre-Kinder.

For many years it appears that our primary goal in education has been to make sure that testing companies make a lot of money.  Statewide standardized testing has replaced teaching in our schools.  Students are made to memorize information that will be on the test in order for them to obtain a positive result, which in turn gives the school a better grade overall, and facilitates funding.  These tests are limited to English and math.

This, to me, is ridiculous, and not conducive to any proper learning.  During these testing phases all other learning is virtually suspended in order to concentrate on the subject matter of the test.  Additionally, this adds an unnecessary burden on both the students, who want to pass the test so that they are not held back, and the teachers, who are being counted on by the administration to produce results which would allow them to receive more funding for their school.

Somewhere along the line we stopped caring about what and how our children are being taught and have allowed the government to take over.  Given the current track record they are not doing a good job.

The implementation of common core is another situation that adds to the demise of knowledge.  Common core emphasizes lack of originality.  It doesn’t leave room for an educator to educate.  It is the McDonaldization of education, and the smoldering of free thought and creativity.

If you look for the definition of education it is “the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university” and “an enlightening experience”.  Our educational system is neither instructive, enlightening nor giving.  It is mechanical, repetitive and designed to diminish the interest of the student.

Common core supporters think that having our kids take tests every so often automatically make them smarter, and we will be able to catch up to other nations of the world in terms of education.  Given the fact that we are a superpower and fall below most Asian countries, Russia, and Canada, that is not going to happen unless we begin to educate our children not just have them memorize things periodically for tests.

Actual learning includes the practical application of what is learned, and being able to conceptualize what you know to be able to apply it in different ways.  Presently only about 2% of students in America can do this. 

While I’m not against testing, I think that it is important for the testing to be part of the learning process not used as a periodic marker of effectiveness.  Presently we are losing most of our better educators due to the shift to common core, and their lack of being able to actually educate.  In Asian countries educators are selected based on their skill levels, and are trained and provided with opportunities for advancement in their careers.  They are encouraged to create and use their own teaching styles for better results in the classroom.  Standardized type tests are given weekly of the material learned, not once every other year, forcing information to be crammed into the students’ minds.

Definitely changes need to be made from the first year of school all the way through high school if we are to have any hope for our children’s educational futures.  

THE IRONIES OF LIFE

IRONY:  a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result.

There are many ironies in life.  There are laws, rules and regulations that are absurd.  They defy logic.  Many of these can become even a legal problem.  These are some of the ones I can think of.

1.    Head shops are permitted to sell paraphernalia in states where marijuana is illegal.  If you get arrested for possession, and have a pipe or bong, you will also be charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.

2.    Places that sell and install stereo systems are permitted to sell and install systems that will rattle your neighbor’s windows when you pass by, however, they violate local ordinances regarding noise pollution and disturbing the peace. 

3.   Automakers are permitted to make vehicles that can travel 150 m.p.h., or more, but the speed limits in the U.S. are half that.  If caught traveling even 35 miles over the speed limit you can be given an Arrest Form instead of a traffic citation which would require a court appearance, and it is a misdemeanor.

4.    Stores that sell auto accessories legally sell headlight covers and tag covers that are illegal to put on your car, because they impede visibility.

5.  You buy a house, and decide to fix it up and maybe upgrade it.  Once you finish your upgrades your property taxes go up.

6.  Motorcycle drivers are permitted to drive without the minimum insurance coverage required to drive a car, and yet they are more at risk for injury in an accident.

7.   Your credit card company offers you a great deal of 15% off your purchases if you use your card, but if you don’t pay it all off the first month you may end up paying 25% or more for every month that you have a balance.

8.   We spend 13 years teaching children in school English and Math skills, yet when they graduate and take a placement tests in colleges, they have to take remedial classes.

9.    You have a retirement account that you invest in, and can’t touch that money while in the meantime the bank can play with it, but yet when you need it you have to pay a penalty.

10. You pay high prices to see concerts or live sporting events, yet you end up seeing it on the jumbo screen because everyone’s head is in the way or you are too far.

SOME ISSUES OF OUR JUSTICE AND CORRECTIONS SYSTEM

Having worked in the legal system for most of my life, I have had opportunity to see firsthand how our justice system works both at the processing level, and after conviction.  When compared to the judicial system in other countries, ours leaves much to be desired.  There are many issues that plague our system, despite the amount of money that is spent yearly on it. The following are some of the more prevalent ones that can be easily remedied.

Presently, too many people are convicted or negotiate pleas which leaves them with a criminal record for crimes that are minor and/or non-violent.  Once there is conviction, sealing or expunging the record becomes impossible so they are stuck with this record forever.  This becomes a problem because it hinders the ability of these people to find adequate employment, or obtain financial aid if they want to improve their life and go back to school.  It also limits where they can live, since background checks are commonplace to move into communities. 

When you are arrested and charged, your attorney will more often than not, encourage you to take a plea because the outcome is certain, and you don’t have any guarantees with a jury.  It may be recommended in some instances when you don’t have enough money to pay for a trial, which can be costly.  Other times the evidence against you is so great that there is no reasonable doubt, and a conviction would be certain.

When being sentenced you are prone to receive a longer sentence if you have prior convictions. In some states you can be sentenced to life after 3 felony convictions. Presently there are about 28 states that have the 3 strikes law or habitual offender laws.   Some states implement these laws to make sure that repeat offenders are off the streets.  However, this method can be extreme, especially for crimes that are not serious and/or non-violent.   

Once incarcerated you will be sent to a prison, either state or federal, depending on your crime.  In our present prison system there are a growing number of private facilities.  There are about 1.5 million prisoners in the United States.  Private facilities house about 6% of the current state inmate population, and about 16% of federal prisoners. This does not include the inmates held in jails.  It has been noted that some of these private facilities also have occupancy requirements, which encourages more convictions.

The conditions in many of these facilities are substandard.  Inmates are not given proper diets, medical care, or proper clothing in winter, and rainy months.  Sometimes there is overcrowding and inmates are made to sleep on the floor until there is room.  Most of these facilities are understaffed in order to increase the profit margin since they are privately owned by corporations.  This creates an unsafe environment for the inmates as well as the corrections officers.   Many of these facilities implement “lock downs” for long periods of time for any reason. During these “lock downs” inmates are not permitted to go outside.  Sometimes “lock downs” make it easier for the guards to manage the inmates since they are understaffed.

In these facilities there are a large number of inmates with mental illness.  In a National Institute of Corrections report in 2006, it was estimated that there were over 700,000 mentally ill people incarcerated in state prisons, almost 80,000 in federal facilities and about 480,000 in jails locally. That was 10 years ago, so those numbers are probably a lot higher now.

Some people are of the opinion that if a person commits a criminal act, it is an evil act against humanity, and there should be no empathy.  That these people should be locked away to rot somewhere and forgotten.  However, not everyone in prison is a violent offender.   Being incarcerated in itself is the loss of the freedoms we all take for granted.  Abuse, lack of medical care, and not providing proper nutrition are not part of that deal. 

In order for our prison system to work in a more efficient manner I think changes have to be implemented   at the sentencing level.  Alternative programs for non-violent offenders would achieve a better result than traditional incarceration.  Allowing non-violent offenders with not many convictions to seal their records after completing their sentences would also allow them become gainfully employed or obtain financial aid to go to school.  Prisons should revert to being state owned, with no profit margin to watch over.  Mental health assessments should be performed on each inmate, prior to being sent to any facility in order to determine the capacity of that future inmate to cohabitate with other inmates.  A larger focus needs to be made, especially for the non-violent offender, and it should be focused on rehabilitating the inmate for future reintegration into society not just punishing him. This requires re-education, and assistance, not abuse, and neglect.  We already spend more money than any other country to house all of these individuals, many for over a decade, why not take the time to make the system one that would decrease the rate of recidivism.

WHAT IS CAUSING THE DECLINE OF THE WORK ETHIC

I have observed in the recent years that there is a general “laissez faire” attitude about work, and the performance of duties in the workplace. 

I thought it was only a phenomenon that happened where I worked, but it appears to be a rampant issue across all types of businesses.  It may be a South Florida thing, so if you read this and it is happening in your neck of the woods reach out, and tell me. 

The typical workday for an office is 9 am to 5 pm.  People usually come in and it takes about an hour before everyone settles down to work because there is chit chat, breakfast ordering or preparation, then obviously eating, which many do at their desks, but this isn’t even the problem.

The problem arises when it’s time to do actual work.  People seem to have this mentality of “this is not what I was told I was going to do when I was hired”, or “these are not part of my job duties”.  This non-teamwork mentality is counterproductive, yet it runs rampant in today’s businesses.  It is a general lack of motivation to do a bit more.  It is what I call the “rule of the least effort”.  Which is something like, if I can get paid to put forth minimal effort, and no one complains.  I still get whatever bonuses and benefits everyone else gets, then why should I ever go that extra mile?  Why should I stay 15 minutes more?  Why should I notice something that needs to be done, and do it?  Let someone else take care of it, and if it doesn’t get done, then too bad.

I’ve met so many people with this attitude that it is disturbing.  I hear friends that own businesses, are in management or in HR, and they all complain about the same issue.  So I’ve tried to figure out why this is happening.  Some of the ideas I came up with are the following:

a.    Social media and technology.  Technology keeps us connected to the point where it is an addiction.  People are constantly on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and anything else they can get on.  It is incredible.  When I go home, and go on Facebook I look at my feed, and people that I know are employed full time are constantly posting one thing or another.  I can understand taking your lunch break, and doing that, but all day long? There is a time stamp on everything and they literally post hourly.  When does any work get done?  Some companies have blocked access to social media or even the internet from their computers, but everyone has a cell phone.

b.   The second problem is a factor that has become more prevalent in these weird economic times we are experiencing.   Work is a means to an end. There is no thought of being anywhere too long.  Jobs are as disposable, and temporary as relationships and car leases. Today you are an administrative assistant, tomorrow you are selling real estate, or taking care of babies at home.  There is zero job stability or the expectation of it.

c.    Another issue is that employers are not giving raises, bonuses have declined, and we’ve even lost some Federal holiday days off.    Many employers do not pay for benefits at 100% such as health insurance, few offer retirement plans or pensions.  The decline of what is seen as the appreciation of the employee has had catastrophic effects on the quality of work product being put out, and any additional effort.  Many employers have reduced their staff or workers, and expect the ones left to pick up the slack at the same pay.

It is somewhat similar as to what communist countries such as Cuba experienced with their workers.  In Cuba, for example most people get paid similar salaries.  The salary was enough to survive.  You were not permitted to buy 50 underwear if you wanted to because everything was rationed.  So the Cuban worker lost interest in excelling in their field of work because there was no point or benefit to it. 

Whichever way you look at it, just with these three things you have a bad recipe.