It’s time to Break It Down!

I wrote this post a year ago. It was prescient then; editing and re-posting it today is timely.

Last November, I wrote…”For some, it has already been a long and laborious ride, while others argue, those who resist, in whatever form, protest too much. I don’t know on which side of the deep and wide chasm you may fall, but I offer an admonition. It’s an ill wind that never changes; I’m beginning to sense change may very well be in the air. I’m not suggesting it will be quick, fast, or in a hurry; just that it will come.

A month ago, yesterday, Shepard Smith, a fixture at Fox News for more than two decades, since its 1996 inception, walked away. He did not utter a public reason for leaving, and he noted the Fox brass asked him to stay. But he didn’t. From afar, it appeared quite possible that he just couldn’t. He was in the unenviable position of speaking truth to power. Everyday! There are instances in which that may be tolerable, and certainly survivable. But when the power one is speaking to is the perceived most powerful man on the planet, and as a result of exercising said power, he frequently renders scathing tweets/rants at individuals who dare disagree with him, it is conceivable that one’s desire, and even one’s capacity to simply accept it and soldier on dissipates. Just maybe Shep had enough, and said in effect, no mas.

This past weekend on Fox News Sunday, in an interview with Louisiana Congressman, and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, Chris Wallace held the Representative’s feet to the fire. Congressman Scalise, a stout defender of Mr. Trump, valiantly stuck to his Party’s talking points. Wallace, however, was undaunted, and fact checked him on numerous occasions. It was precisely the kind of exchange and/or command of fact patterns that Trump, and his phalanx of conservative supporters hated when executed by Shepard Smith. And indeed, Trump fired off a tweet aimed at Wallace, that expressed his deep level of displeasure; a volley augmented by a font of anger from his Twitter peeps, and other supporters, surrogates, and sycophants. An example of Trump’s Twitter screed follows:

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
@SteveScalise blew the nasty & obnoxious Chris Wallace (will never be his father, Mike!) away on Chris’s lowest rated (unless I’m on) morning show. This kind of dumb and unfair interview would never have happened in the @FoxNews past. Great job Steve!
61.4K
2:30 PM – Nov 17, 2019

One of Mr. Wallace’s fellow Fox News colleagues, Neil Cavuto, came to his defense, taking on Mr. Trump for his thin-skinned intolerance. Cavuto parsed both Scalise’s non-factual assertions, as well as Trump’s off-based claims. Suffice it to say, many Fox News viewers don’t frequent the network to hear journalists challenge or disagree with Trump, or with those who speak on his behalf.

But that’s really my point. Even at Fox News, more and more views are emerging that reflect the undeniable aroma of truth, unsullied by orange-tinted lenses. It’s not an avalanche of new-found converts, to be sure, but it is evidence that eventually, truth crushed to the ground will rise again. And if it can rise at longstanding Trump-leaning organizations such as Fox News, indeed, there is hope that it just might penetrate the consciousness of enough independents to make a difference come Tuesday, November 3, 2020.”

Lookie, lookie; it did. Fast forward twelve months, and my faith is vindicated. Even now, as a recalcitrant Donald Trump has dug in his heels and let loose a series of hissy fits, he is being pulled, by the irresistibly unrelenting ghost of the next inauguration into a future in which he has been evicted from the Peoples’ House, located on Black Lives Matter Plaza, Northwest.

He has had his lawyers file upward of a dozen lawsuits across the country, all but one or two of which have been rejected, dismissed, or withdrawn. In fact, several lawyers have exited, due to the lack of merit of some of the cases. It appears at this point, as counting in most states wind down, Trump will lose in Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, all except Nevada, which he flipped from Trump, by between 12K and 150K votes.

Mr. Trump has also been firing staffers, replacing them with Trump-friendly yes-men, and, of course, threatening to fire others. He’s making moves that complete his personal policy wish list, but of even greater concern, he has stopped the transition (to President-elect Biden), which is designed to prepare the new administration to seamlessly assume its duties. Simultaneously, he has threatened to fire anyone caught looking for another job.

Finally, and perhaps most ominously, last night, Trump fired (by tweet, of course) Chris Krebs, Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency of the Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Krebs, last week, publicly said, “There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised.” Obviously, this incensed Trump. He, in turn, tweeted (last night), “The recent statement by Chris Krebs on the security of the 2020 Election was highly inaccurate, in that there were massive improprieties and fraud. Therefore, effective immediately, Chris Krebs has been terminated as Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.” Twitter flagged the tweet as disputed.

Is this really #MAGA? Not even a little bit. So yes, I still believe, despite all Mr. Trump’s protestations, “Slowly, Surely, Inexorably: It Will Happen Redux ’20!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking on the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on the bottom right hand corner of my homepage at: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your email address in the designated space, and click on “Sign Me Up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

Slowly, Surely, Inexorably: It Will Happen

Slowly, Surely, Inexorably: It Will Happen

Slowly, Surely, Inexorably: It Will Happen Redux ’20

It’s time to Break It Down!

Eleven years ago, I wrote a post in recognition of Veteran’s Day, and the service personnel we as a nation honor on that day. In 2009, and again in 2015 when I reprised this post, Veterans Day fell on Wednesday. In 2018, the day fell on Sunday. In 2019, Monday. This year, the day again falls on Wednesday.  Today is Veterans Day. I’ve decided once more, to edit/re-post the Veteran’s Day Edition of “Break It Down!”

That call, in and of itself flies in the face of the current news cycle. We’ve just gone through a consequential quadrennial (Presidential) election that resulted in the two candidates each amassing more votes than any other candidates in U.S. History. For just the 11^th time in 58 elections, a challenger defeated an incumbent President. The Democratic challenger won the popular vote by more than 4M votes, and, though it took four days, independent news outlets, including Fox News and the Associated Press called the race Saturday afternoon. The margin is the largest since Roosevelt defeated Hoover by 7M votes in 1932. Nevertheless, the incumbent refused to concede, and on a number of occasions, expressed certainty that he will still win.

He has also declined to permit members of his administration to assist in any way with the transition. Moreover, he threatened to fire anyone known to be seeking other employment. Given those dynamics, while the election and the incumbent’s legal gymnastics may be the current pre-eminent story, followed closely by a still surging coronavirus (100,000 cases per day in the U.S. for the past week, over 60K hospitalizations yesterday, and more 239K Americans dead from it); neither will be decided today. Hence, I will take a moment to honor Veterans Day and the men and women whose dedication, valor and personal treasure make the day one of merit for distinction.

I hope you enjoy your day, and that you take an opportunity to reach out and thank a Veteran. Moreover, for my part, to all of you who are Veterans, “Thank you for your service.”

Many of you may know, or at least faintly recall that I frequently alter the blog format to integrate holiday traditions into the discussion. Often holidays are expanded by days away from work, long weekends, travel, and a host of leisure activities. In those cases, I prefer to scale back in recognition that aside from road map directions, GPS instructions, and the like, very little reading will be taking place.

As most Americans know, last year marked the 102-year Anniversary of the Armistice that ended World War I, AKA “The Great War,” and/or, “The War That Ended All Wars.” At first, it was known as Armistice Day. It later became known as Veterans Day. But what do we really know about this day that has been set aside to honor real American heroes and sheroes?

Well, first, Veterans Day is not Memorial Day, and vice-versa. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Day is intended largely to honor Living veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to our national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served – not only those who died – have sacrificed and done their duty. Memorial Day honors those veterans who died in the service of their country, particularly those killed in combat, or as a result of wounds sustained in battle.

We also know that Veterans Day is a different kind of federal holiday. With the exception of Sundays, it falls on its actual date. In 1968, Congress approved the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. This law, which took effect in 1971, amended the observance of certain federal holidays so that Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day would be observed on Mondays instead of fixed dates.

Congress passed the Act to increase the number of three-day holiday weekend for federal employees. After a loud and persistent outcry from Veterans and Veterans’ groups, who argued the historical significance of November 11th was compromised by the change, Veterans Day observance was returned to November 11th in 1978.

So how did this affinity for November 11th come about? As with many historical facts, it evolved. Veterans Day began as Armistice Day. The significance of Armistice Day is that it was the day of the signing of the Armistice that terminated World War I (WW I). In effect, WW I ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. That was when the Germans signed the document, ending hostilities that had begun in 1914. President Woodrow Wilson subsequently proclaimed the first Armistice Day, November 11, 1919. 

WW I was deemed The Great War, and was thought by many, at the time, to be “The War That Ended All Wars.” It was, as the numeric designation suggests, the First World War. Of course, more wars would ensue. There was World War II (WW II), later the Korean Conflict, and then Vietnam.

In 1953, a storeowner in Emporia, Kansas, Al King, launched an idea to honor all Veterans, not just those who served in WW I. The idea took root, sailed through Congress, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into law May 26, 1954. Congress amended the Act November 8, 1954, changing Armistice to Veterans, and thus it has been ever since.

So now, especially remember…”The Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month!” To augment a popular bumper sticker, “If you can read this, thank a teacher”…and a veteran.

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the link below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

The Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month…Redux!

The Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month Redux ’19

The Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month Redux ’20

It’s time to Break It Down!

Yesterday, I shared a passing thought on my Facebook feed. “Voter suppression and intimidation are not new tactics. They were simply dusted off, refreshed and applied to our Election 2020 narrative.” As I write this, The Polls have closed, and state-by-state results are being revealed. In the backdrop of yesterday’s election, CNN’s Brandon Tensley wrote a piece in yesterday’s online edition exploring “The anxieties looming over Black Americans on Election Day (2020).”

In an America in which the President refuses to say Black Lives Matters, or to concede that systemic racism is a thing, viewed in concert with a steady parade of Black men and women being killed by law enforcement officers, and seldom charged, and even less frequently convicted, Tensley’s article is in a word, timely.

Moreover, it overlaps with the election, irrespective of the outcome, because Blacks are far and away the most reliable voting bloc of one of the two major parties…the Democrats. Tensley wrote:

“Overwhelmingly, Black voters, the backbone of the Democratic Party, are on the receiving end of Republican chicanery: voter ID laws, shuttered polling stations, purged voter rolls, the disenfranchisement of incarcerated people, voter intimidation.”

America’s first federal (Presidential) election occurred in 1788, when citizen voters elected George Washington. African Americans were not able to freely participate in the electoral process until 1968, the first Presidential election after the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Their reward was the election of Richard Nixon. That translates into making this just the 13^th time Blacks have voted in an American Presidential Election in 232 years, or in 58 elections. In other words, for the first 45 elections, Blacks were off the participation board.

So, transport us back to the present, and we have one major political party and presidential candidate reducing the number of available voting sites, initiating lawsuits to disenfranchise voters, purging voter rolls, and disavowing systemic racism. This is juxtaposed with a party and a candidate for president who embraces BLM, chose a woman of color as his running mate, and who has committed to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court. There’s much more to a Presidential Election than the candidates’ positions on race matters. But this is a time in history when our country is in the midst of a reckoning on race, police brutality, social justice, a crippling pandemic, and a month’s long economic convulsion.

The election will end. If not today, soon. Unfortunately, the economic, political, and yes, racial dysfunction that roils us, will not pass so easily. Regardless of the ultimate winner, the chasm that is the racial divide will not be bridged simply as a result of either of the two candidates prevailing. That will require, at a minimum, coming to grips with the fact that we have a problem. It may be tempting to pretend that all’s well. That can only last, best case scenario, until the next George Floyd or Breonna Taylor. In short, America…and Americans must face the unshrinking reality that systemic racism is a thing, and without a unified commitment to confront it head on, the problem cannot be resolved. “Altogether Now; Black is the New Black.”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the link below:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/03/politics/black-voters-election-day-anxieties/index.html

Altogether Now; Black Is The New Black

I could provide a deep and thoughtful rationale, complete with myriad reasons for this commendation. I won’t. If you are a sentient being, I believe you already know why. That doesn’t mean you will act accordingly, of course. The choice is yours. It’s time for We The People to decide.

By the time I post again, all polling places will have closed, except, perhaps those in Hawaii. This is, for all practical purposes, my final word on the subject in this space, before remaining votes are cast. Do you. “This One Is Short And To The Point: Vote Biden-Harris!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the link below:

This One Is Short And To The Point: Vote Biden-Harris

It’s time to Break It Down!

On Monday, Donald Trump called CNN “dumb bastards” for focusing news coverage on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump made the remarks during a campaign rally in Prescott, Arizona. His supporters cheered when he said that the public was tiring of the pandemic, while insulting the news network and claiming it is attempting to dissuade voters from participating in the election.

Let that sink in. With 15 days left in the campaign, that’s what the guy who has disparaged mail in voting, ridiculed his opponent, belittled the debate commission, said the election rigged unless he won, and refused to commit to a peaceful transition, were he to lose, had to say about a national news outlet, while claiming it was discouraging voters. And his supporters cheered. I’m not sure which is more alarming; the full frontal deception of the candidate, or the raucous response of his loyalists.

That’s all I got. “Dumb B@$+@&%$: So, It Has Come to This!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the link below:

https://www.newsweek.com/trump-says-cnn-only-covers-covid-calls-them-dumb-bastards-1540421

Dumb B@$+@&%$: So, It Has Come To This!

It’s time to Break It Down!

As Baseball winds its way toward the 2020 World Series, perhaps the phrase, no runs, no hits, no errors, is one that best describes the outcome of the Trump/Barr unmasking investigation…A.K.A. Obamagate. Mr. Trump and his loyalists have breathlessly gone on for months on end about the pending collapse of Obama’s house of cards. This, at last, was to be the be-all-end-all of this particular Trump crusade. He has had a few. This one, like its predecessors appears to have ended with a whimper, rather than with a bang. To absolutely no rational thinking person’s surprise, I might add. Here’s the deal, summarized:

Per the Washington Post (10/13/20)

“The federal prosecutor appointed by Attorney General William P. Barr to review whether Obama-era officials improperly requested the identities of individuals whose names were redacted in intelligence documents has completed his work without finding any substantive wrongdoing, according to people familiar with the matter.”

“The revelation that U.S. Attorney John Bash, who left the department last week, had concluded his review without criminal charges or any public report will rankle President Trump at a moment when he is particularly upset at the Justice Department. The department has so far declined to release the results of Bash’s work, though people familiar with his findings say they would likely disappoint conservatives who have tried to paint the “unmasking” of names — a common practice in government to help understand classified documents — as a political conspiracy.”

“The end of Bash’s case is similar to that of a review conducted by John Huber, the U.S. attorney in Utah, who was asked in November 2017 by Sessions to look into concerns raised by Trump and his allies in Congress that the FBI had not fully pursued cases of possible corruption at the Clinton Foundation and during Clinton’s time as secretary of state. The Post reported in January that the inquiry had effectively ended with no tangible results. In the months that followed, Trump bemoaned the state of the inquiry on Twitter, asserting that Huber “did absolutely NOTHING.””

That’s all folks. Obamagate: Nada, Nil, Nothing, Not Even a Report!

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the link below:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/barr-unmasking-review-no-charges/2020/10/13/0f63fd2e-0d67-11eb-8074-0e943a91bf08_story.html

https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/13/politics/william-barr-unmasking-investigation/index.html

https://www.forbes.com/sites/sethcohen/2020/05/14/the-real-scandal-of-obamagate-unmasking-the-leadership-of-distraction/#72314b5b28bd

Obamagate: Nada, Nil, Nothing, Not Even A Report

It’s time to Break It Down!

For starters, you should.

Donald Trump continues to compare the coronavirus to the seasonal flu. He tweeted just yesterday that coronavirus is “far less lethal” than the flu in most populations, and added, that sometimes more than 100,000 people die from the flu. Here’s the tweet:

“Flu season is coming up! Many people every year, sometimes over 100,000, and despite the Vaccine, die from the Flu. Are we going to close down our Country? No, we have learned to live with it, just like we are learning to live with Covid, in most populations far less lethal!!!”

Here’s the inside straight. Both of these assertions are patently false. The peak number of American deaths from the flu in one season is 61,000. Just to be clear, the coronavirus’ death rate in the U.S. is also far higher than that of the flu. Wait, before I move on, allow me to emphasize, not just higher; far higher.

However, the most crucial difference between the flu and the coronavirus is that the virus is far deadlier. The death rate for the flu is about 0.1%. In the U.S; the death rate for coronavirus was 1.8%, as of Monday. Coronavirus is also much more contagious. Research indicates a person with the flu infects an average of about 1.28 other people. Without mitigation efforts, however, such as stay-at-home orders, a person with novel coronavirus infects an average of about 2 to 3 other people.

The incubation period for the flu is relatively short. People usually start to feel sick one to four days after infection, with  symptoms often showing up within two days. Consequently, people infected by the flu will know they are sick fairly soon, and are more likely to stay at home, avoiding contact with others.

Conversely, the incubation period with coronavirus is roughly three to fourteen days, and “symptoms generally appear within four or five days after exposure, based on data reported by Harvard Medical School.

We have learned that an individual with COVID-19 may be contagious 48 to 72 hours before starting to experience symptoms. According to Harvard research, “people may actually be most likely to spread the virus to others during the 48 hours before they begin experiencing symptoms.

Why does all, or any of, thiatmatter? 

In the wee hours of last Friday morning, Mr. Trump tweeted that he and Mrs. Trump had tested positive for COVID-19, and they were beginning their quarantine. That led to a drama filled three-day period with countless questions about Trump’s last negative test, his first positive test, how often he is actually tested, a Sunday ride to greet his adoring loyalists, and an unmasked salute upon his “triumphant” return to the White House. Most of those questions, and a host of others remain unanswered.

As we edge closer toward that pivotal day, November 3^rd, when America will next cast its official vote to determine who will lead the country for the next four years, the issues of the day, and of the future will be parsed. One of the issues near the top of the list is how we as a nation are navigating the persistently rough seas of the COVID-19 pandemic. I encourage you to work diligently to inform yourself on this and other issues of importance to you. After getting informed, use the information to exercise your franchise, and vote for candidates of your choice, up and down the ballot. If you live in North Carolina and have yet to register, you have until this Friday, October 9^th, to do so. Early voting begins Thursday of next week, October 15^th, and lasts until Saturday, October 31^st. Absentee and mail-in voting options are also available to North Carolina voters.

The countdown is underway. Voting commences in 27 days. There will be cries of fake news…and there will be fake news. Know the difference. “The Wrong Side of the Ledger: But Who’s Counting?”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the link below:

https://www.azfamily.com/more-people-have-died-from-covid-19-than-in-the-past-5-flu-seasons-combined/article_cc8eb3c0-3565-5ae8-b8da-81d9a6539b9b.html

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/past-seasons.html

https://www.vote.org/early-voting-calendar/

The Wrong Side of the Ledger: But Who’s Counting?

It’s time to Break It Down!

Last night, Donald Trump and Joe Biden kicked off the next segment of this Election year, Debate Season. I will stipulate from the outset, what students and fans of the process will consider anathema. I didn’t watch. Clearly, saying that foreshadows this as a short post.

For those of you who did, I invite your feedback. You can find my posts, including this one, at WordPress, FaceBook, Linkedin, and at my Twitter account. Feel free to tell me what I missed…and if you like, why I should have watched. I look forward to hearing from you.

In addition to my Wall, I frequently post my work on numerous FB sites, many of which dissuade political posts. And I get that. There are myriad sites that encourage political discourse, and typically, when I’m discussing political topics, I post on them. Today, I want to cite my position. Clear-eyed and resolutely, I have not one scintilla of doubt about for whom I will be voting. Here’s a newsflash. I also seriously doubt there is a substantive number of eligible voters whom, at this late date, are undecided.

Frequently over the last four years, I’ve noted the chasm between left and right leaning political interests in this country is deep and wide. If anything, if possible, it is deepening, and getting wider. Yes, there are independents. But frankly, in my opinion, given our individual and collective experiences of the last four years, most rational observers have seen enough to decide for whom they are going to vote. They may wish they had different choices, but of the two available…they know.

Having said all that, if you know me, you undoubtedly know where I will land. I will be sharing that before Election Day. At the moment, there are three additional scheduled debates, two between Trump and Biden, and one between Pence and Harris. I’m not committing to watching any of them, or even mentioning them again. But I did want to reference it today to make it clear that my not writing about it, or even watching it, was intentional. The one enduring message that I wish to underscore today is that if you are an American, this country belongs to you. If you are interested in embracing the framer’s initial design, you will engage in perfecting the Union. With 34 days left until Election Day, the best way to personally participate in perfecting our Union is to exercise your franchise and VOTE, whether early, or by mail, or by dropping off your Absentee Ballot, or of course, by going to your precinct and voting on November 3^rd. “Debating Our Future: Round One!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the link below:

Debating Our Future: Round One

It’s time to Break It Down!

Yesterday was National Voter Registration Day in the United States. It is observed each year on the fourth Tuesday in September, and this year coincided with the advent of autumn. There are 40 days left until the 2020 General Election, and unregistered voters have only a few days left to register in order to qualify to vote on November 3^rd. The occasion is a nonpartisan endeavor intended to emphasize bringing attention to our democracy, exercising our franchise, and of course, engaging in executing our civic duty.

In 2016, 100 million people didn’t vote. I remember entertaining conversations with many people four years ago who opted out. They all had reasons. Some contended their vote would not count, others argued the candidates were same/it did not matter which one would win, still others didn’t go to the polls because of one of many voter suppression tactics, and last, for the purpose of this post, far too many individuals succumbed to apathy. In reflecting on the aforementioned rationales, I am reminded of an old witticism, repackaged to apply to voting:

Upon learning of a new acquaintance’s voting status, Mr. Smith inquired, “Mr. Jones, why did you not vote? Was it due to ignorance, or because of apathy?”

After giving the query his full consideration, Mr. Jones replied, “Mr. Smith, I don’t know, and I don’t care.”

The reality is voting is central to making our government work effectively. I once had the honor and privilege to oversee a local election. It was a huge responsibility, and an incredibly important event in our community. There are always lots of moving parts, bracing tension, and a whirlwind of frenzy surrounding elections; even more so during the quadrennial that features the Presidential Election. This year the ante has been upped by a President who has cast aspersions on the process, and fomented an assault on the USPS in a year when, due to a global pandemic, voting by mail will be the desired, and for many, necessary option for more Americans than in any previous election in our history.

Let me be clear. This post is not about the President, or the Postmaster; nor is it about Democrats or Republicans. It is about you doing your part to ensure that our government, on all levels, works the way it is supposed to, and reflects the will of “We The People.” To that end, I urge you to do your duty. “Register & Vote: The Foundation of Our Democracy!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

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For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/it-s-national-voter-registration-day-do-it-or-risk-this-parody-stuck-in-your-head-all-day/ar-BB19jhjQ

Register & Vote: The Foundation of Our Democracy

Labor Day and 9/11 do not always fall within the same calendar week. I would normally re-share a vintage post this week, commemorating the fallen heroes lost during that tragic episode in our country’s history. Even though the date occurred Friday of last week, I want to share a passage from that post, denoting the scope of what our nation lost in that act of terror. 

Even after nearly two decade, with nineteen years’ worth of context building, and the accompanying development of perspective, the numbers behind Nine-Eleven are chilling.  Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives, and thousands of others were injured, and many more sustained post-event trauma.  Examples of the carnage include:

2,977 Victims killed (not including the 19 hijackers)

2,606 Killed at the World Trade Center Towers

125 Killed at the Pentagon

40 Killed in Shanksville, PA

87 Killed on American Flight 11/NYC World Trade Center North Tower

60 Killed on United Flight 175/NYC World Trade Center South Tower

59 Killed on American Flight 77/Arlington – The Pentagon

40 Killed United Flight 93/Shanksville, PA

19 Hijackers

246 Passengers Killed on the four planes

19 Hijackers Killed (on the four planes)

2,996 Killed on Nine-Eleven

411 Emergency workers killed at the World Trade Centers

341 FDNY fire fighters killed

2 Paramedics killed

23 NYPD officers killed

37 Port Authority Police Department officers killed

8 EMT’s killed

658 Employees of Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P. (Investment Bank) killed; most of any employer

1,631 Bodies positively identified from World Trade Center Towers

1,122 Bodies (41%) remain unidentified

Bone fragments were still being found in 2005 by workers preparing to demolish the damaged Deutsche Bank Building

72 Additional remains found in 2010by a team of anthropologists and archeologists

To paraphrase FDR, September 11, 2001, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked. Condolences to the families of those who lost their lives due to those horrific events. May their memories be a blessing.

Back to this week, the latest tome taking on the credibility, or lack thereof, of Donald Trump was released yesterday. Rage, by Bob Woodward, of Watergate, Woodward and Bernstein fame, hit the shelves yesterday. There have been a number of books, claiming to reveal all manner of insider details about Trump and his administration. If methods are any indicator, Rage should be a giant step ahead of any other book, to date. Woodward conducted 19 interviews with Trump, 18 before the book went to press, 7 initiated by calls from Mr. Trump, and at least one Oval Office appearance. According to Woodward, the interviews totaled 9 hours and 41 minutes.

I’m not going to link the book. It’s sure to be a best seller without my help. It has been teased for about 10 days now, with Woodward doing a host of TV appearances, including, 60 -Minutes, and CNN. Two years ago, Woodward never spoke to Trump when he wrote Fear: Trump in the White House. That detail purportedly irritated Trump, regarding the previous book. He appears to have gone out of his way to make sure it didn’t happen again.

Whether John Kelly not being around to act as gatekeeper this time around was the key difference, or not, in terms of whether Woodward got to speak to Trump, at all, Mr. Trump seemed determined to ensure that he weighed in numerous times, and by presidential standards, sometimes at length, this go-around. A number of elements have been teased. In lieu of the preceding preamble referencing 9/11 and the lives lost, the central issue for most observers seems to have been Mr. Trump choosing to downplay the COVID-19 pandemic with the American people. In early February, he told Woodward (as verified by the tapes/no fake news here) that the virus was much more deadly than the flu, while weeks, if not months later, he was still telling the American public it was under control and would soon go away. Even now, he eschews masks, and glibly notes, “it will go away, someday.”   

As with most things pertaining to Trump, the line of demarcation between his loyalists and advocates, and those who are inherently skeptical of his words, actions, deeds, and motives, is clear, bright, wide, and chasmic deep. His peeps, when last seen, were adamantly insisting that The Atlantic piece by Jeffrey Goldberg, asserting that Trump called American soldiers who died in battle were ‘Losers and Suckers,’ was a hit piece, full of fake news, because it contained anonymous sources. Do you ever notice how Trump frequently refers to “many people say,” and “they said,” and the like? Those are anonymous sources, that Trump acolytes find totally acceptable. But I digress. Bereft of their favorite patsy, a source they can disparage, because in this case Trump, himself, is the source, the best excuse I’ve heard his dearly beloved come up with is, “if he had told the truth, the left would have accused him of trying to instill panic.”

To those of us who deign to hold him accountable, it’s a simple matter. He misled (lied to) the American people. Repeatedly. There are other details of note, but as noted, I’m not marketing the book. Just noting that it’s out there. The title itself comes with its own backstory. Apparently, Mr. Trump is aware that he has a special effect on people. Woodward noted that he said he creates rage. I actually appreciate that he has that level of self-awareness, and that he was able to admit it. I never doubted he knew, because, I think it’s intentional. His admission was the prize in the Cracker Jack box. The rage, in my opinion is two-fold. For his base, it’s empowering; a sense of agency. For the rest of us, it’s a compelling distraction. The sort of thing designed to induce one to take their mind off the prize. We are called to do better. It’s imperative to stay focused, and not fall prey to Rage: #MAGA Deception!

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:

Nine-Eleven: A Seventeen-Year Retrospective

Sixteen Years Later: Reflecting on Nine-Eleven

Calling All Patriots; Nine-Eleven Ten Years Later

http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2011/09/calling-all-patriots-nine-eleven-ten.html

Nine-Eleven: Eighteen Years Later

Rage: #MAGA Deflection