Wednesday, June 24, 2020

CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE...

Controlling the Narrative.

An updated reposting from my November 2016 post

The moral outrage of prejudice is like staring so intently at our assumptions that we cannot examine our beliefs.
We close our eyes, our minds and our hearts to accepting truthful perspective.

Lessons from one of History's most significant Riots of "Moral Outrage."

Original date of the Kristallnacht, "Night of Broken Glass 
(against perceived Jewish abuse after the assassination of Ernst vom Rath)
Date: November 9-10, 1938  
Location: across all of Germany, Austria, and occupied Europe.




A quote from the Kristallnacht  Holocaust Encyclopedia, found at: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/kristallnacht.

"A Turning Point


The events of Kristallnacht represented one of the most important turning points in National Socialist antisemitic policy. Historians have noted that after the pogrom, anti-Jewish policy was concentrated more and more concretely into the hands of the SS. Moreover, the passivity with which most German civilians responded to the violence signaled to the Nazi regime that the German public was prepared for more radical measures. "   (emphasis added)

Among them the refusal of insurance companies to pay for reparations from the riots and the purging of the Reichstag of those holding politically incorrect views. 


See Monument below.


No it's not a stone bicycle rack.

While in Germany years earlier, when we visited to reunite with my birth family. We also visited the Reichstag building in Berlin, (comparable to our Senate). In front of the building is a very small, very unusual monument. It was created to recognize the 96 members of the German congress who spoke out against the Nazi narrative. The Reichstag is where they unsuccessfully challenged the edicts followed by the newly formed, "Ministry of Information." Through the, Ministry, the Nazi narrative was advanced throughout the German culture and into the German public school system. It was celebrated by many, especially those in Hitler's Youth Corp. Large portions of this Nazi narrative were also incorporated into many of Germany's churches due to it's seeming popularity and to avoid future discrimination. 

Each slate slab in the monument represents one politician, with his name, his political party, and the date and location of his death. Most died while imprisoned in concentration camps.

This monument is small in size and easy to disregard, like the effect of their voices, even as it occupies a place of honor in front of the Reichstag building.

The video below presents an eyewitness account from the perspective of a ten year old girl who experienced the narrative of the day. She lived in Austria and describes her
 excitement with the promises of a central planned Socialist State and the powerful cultural changes that came during the annexation of Austria.


Kitty Werthmann

---------------------------------------------


A CRISIS IN MY HOME TOWN
ON AN ANNIVERSARY OF EVIL


A similar event, in the style of the Kristrallnacht  uprising occurred in our 2016 (Post Election Riots of Moral Outrage) 
Date: November 9,10,11,12, 2016 
Location: Portland, Oregon and across the USA. 

Earlier that November I had visited Israel with my son and his fiance'. Here I am at Israel's Holocaust Museum, #YadVashem Memorial.




At YadVashem I was graphically reintroduced to #Kristallnacht, or the, "Night of Broken Glass," and all that came with it. My experience motivated my original post in November of 2016.

Three days after returning home from my Israel trip a youth led movement eventually became much like a "(k)ristallnacht." It was taking place at the city where I worked. At first it took the form of a regular protest as it started with youthful protesters marching, which...




 quickly turned too.

A narrative of violent intimidation which continued for days. 

So what makes these events similar?

It was on Kristallnacht in 1938 that Germany's youth rose up and acted out the #politicallycorrect teachings championed in their schools.

It was on Kristallnacht in 1938 that the German Youth Corp forcefully implemented the Progressive ideals of their time by moving beyond acts of subtle discrimination to acts of violent intimidation. 




The link below is to a well detailed article on European and American #Progressive social philosophy during the preware period including how these views even extended into California State Supreme Court decisions and were later used as a defense in the Nuremberg Trials by Nazi war criminals.

The Horrifying American Roots of Nazi Eugenics

 by Edwin Black
Edwin Black is the author of "IBM and the Holocaust" and "War Against the Weak: Eugenics and America's Campaign to Create a Master Race,"  from which the following article is drawn.

Click Link below (not picture) to see article. 


These progressive values were also foundational in the implementation of many of America's social and health care policies. Policies that many in our black community find discriminatory and offensive. 


Read more at: 

Black Pastors Ask Smithsonian to Remove Bust of Planned Parenthood Founder

By Penny Starr | August 7, 2015 | 4:14pm EDT
 
Click Link below,(not picture) to see article.

It was on Kristallnacht in 1938 that the press and political leadership of Germany accelerated the seeming explosion of "spontaneous, retaliatory" violence and destruction into the streets of occupied Europe. 

Earlier they had endorsed acts of discrimination. But now widespread physical violence and destruction were seen as heroic acts of the people's will. This allowed them to move forward to eventually seize all Jewish property. It created the sanction for indiscriminate public executions and progressed their cause toward eventual mass genocide. 



While visiting Israel, our Israeli guide reported that He had grandparents who survived the Holocaust and became the sole representative of their two families. Both were widowed as a result of the genocide. They met and married on a kibbutz after fleeing to Israel. He and his family continue to live on a kibbutz.

Like the progressive leader in Germany in 1938, our presiding President, in 2016, President Obama, took a position of passive understanding and acceptance of the riots in hopes to avoid escalation. The State Governor of Oregon went even farther to offer condolences. 



TWO YEARS EARLIER.... With Malheur, this same Governor, Kate Brown was not so amicable to protesters who challenged her values. It was on Wed, Jan 21st, 2016 that Governor Kate Brown demanded an end to the protest at Malheur Wildlife Refuge, ending the nonviolent phase stating... “This SPECTACLE of LAWLESSNESS must end! ... I WILL NOT STOP INSISTING that Federal Officials ENFORCE THE LAW!”


Within three days a key spokesperson from the group would be dead. See story in the (link) below.
News | An Occupation In Eastern Oregon

Gov. Brown Appeals To Obama For Resolution To Malheur Occupation

Read more from this article including copies of the letters sent to Lynch and Commey at link above.


Click Link below to see complete playlist of related stories in the sequence of events as occurred at the Malheur Protest.
A Comparison of Protests
 and Governmental Responses

This reaction of government leadership to pardon and condone overt acts of violence and anarchist destruction, while harshly punishing more subtle expressions of resistance, protest and negotiation is appalling. In looking at the two groups, What patterns do you see that cause you concern? 

Personally...

Although these men, expressing their grievances at the refuge posed a potential threat by openly brandishing firearms. Their pattern of action was consistently non threatening. This can be clearly seen in the sequence of videos in the playlist created from varied sources.  

The only casualty was one of failed police protocol much like the death of Mr Floyd. 

The Malheur Protesters presented themselves as strong, but refused to threaten or act destructively in a way that would cause intimidation or fear. 

(irresponsible destructive acts did occur in the privacy of the wildlife refuge however and consequences were levied against perpetrators in the form of fines after the protest ended.)

The State and Federal Government response however failed. It failed by escalating this case, even as happened with George Floyd. But here the prejudice of administrative power is shown in an unprovoked homicidal confrontation with Federal and State Police ordered by the Governor that ended the life of Mr. Finicum. 




This reaction of government leadership to pardon and condone overt acts of violence and destruction in the anarchist riots, while harshly punishing more subtle expressions of power is appalling.

Our Constitution guarantees our right to both bear arms in a nonthreatening manner and redress our government with our grievance through petition and protests. This group did both as well as actively lessening their intimidation by conducting their protests away from population centers.   

In 2016, I wrote that, "We need to exercise caution or we may find ourselves continuing down the road laid by Germany’s Brown Shirts." (Are we already too late?) The petri dish where destructive groups like anarchists, Nazis, the Taliban, and the KKK  gain their power is in the fear that mob action creates. 

The augar that feeds them is the division and lack of civil discipline, #WeThePeople," exhibit.

Street protest is our LAST, not first mode of communication because of the volatility and confusion it creates by manipulating the generalities of it's message. It becomes necessary only when other means fail, but the disruption creates confusion and wastes valuable resources by placing huge expense on local communities. 

The Post-Election actions of November 9 -11,


And these most recent...


 Post George Floyd death/ Black Lives Matter, (Riots of Moral Outrage)  once again in the (k)ristrallnacht (style)
Date: May 25- to date June 23, 2020  
Location: Portland, Oregon and across the GLOBE.


These are acts of social destruction. They are the opposite of productive civil disobedience because their message has been hijacked.



You don't add fuel to a hijacked plane. 

You dump the fuel.


The protesters are being played as pawns by the Anarchists and the very Media that promotes and profits off the negative and divisive aspects of the the chaos they create. How?...  By fostering a media market where truly informative content doesn't sell.

It continuously rewards hyperbole and outrage with the spotlight of their attention. We have relinquished the reigns of journalistic research and discipline to the profiteers and gossips. 


We have failed to create a thirst for wisdom and perspective among, "We The People."

For those with a genuine desire to improve America, we would accomplish far more by volunteering in our communities, writing our representatives and working to benefit those living in our homes. 


Home is where values are traditionally taught through modeling and precept.

Following is an excellent article on who holds power over shaping the lives of our children. It was written in response to the complaint of President Trump being a compromised moral example to their children.


Titled:  Don’t give Trump so much credit, America



With the rejection of the traditional Judaeo-Christian family and it's values, the modern nuclear family is being reshaped along media induced progressive guidelines in much the same way as happened in Pre-War Germany.


In 2016:  I wrote that, 
"In time we will find out if we are going to have a similar outcome."  (to the changes experience in Pre-War Germany)

I only hope that here in 2020 it is not too late. 


Or like so many others we may soon find that the anarchist in charge no longer favor protests.


Youth uprisings after anarchist control. It really didn't seem that bad at the start. It's really not that bad, No not really


Thursday, June 11, 2020

Informational Ecosystems and Fake News

Destroying Our Informational Ecosystem


What makes Fake News Fake?

1. Overwhelming repetition of select info that displaces higher priority information for the gain of special interests groups to distract the public from being truly informed in a timely manner.

2. Exaggerated or minimized content through omission or skewed emphasis to mislead the public and advance the agenda of a special interest.


3. The manipulated polarizing of opposing points of view to opposing consensuses as accelerations in social media sharing and reaction are used to push social division and reduce the communication of collaborative compromise.



The use of social media peaked during the 2016 election and for the first time its true destructive power was realized as external operatives used it to divide Americans against each other. The details of this ongoing form of intrusive manipulation were examined and reported on by the journalists of  PBS' Frontline. 

These broadcasts are listed below. 
They are VERY INFORMATIVE. 

"The Facebook Dilemma" parts 1and 2
and can be viewed by clicking the windows.

See Part 1 The Facebook Dilemma

See Part 2 The Facebook Dilemma
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuA4qxPbpQE

They describe RUSSIAN SPONSORED INVOLVEMENT in our election and Russian social media influence across the globe. These actions have led to frequent social disruptions and even murder as clandestine news sources controlled through Russian influence foment biased reactions and division.

(Some very clear examples are presented on Part 2 at minute 8:50-10:55 and 13:10-14:20 AND ESPECIALLY 20:30-26:20 where Russian sponsored operatives CREATED multiple OPPOSITION GROUPS on facebook and other platforms here in the US and organized OPPOSING PROTEST EVENTS in our cities, some of which were very destructive and violent.

You can also see how our Senate wrongly addressed Russian involvement with the pre-election Trump team on the CSPAN recording of Senate hearings from June 3. 2020.

Former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein testifies on Crossfire Hurricane Investigation


In The Facebook Dilemma, investigators discovered thousands of instances where Russian operatives created division and discord among the American people by promoting very polarized and inflammatory websites and creating facebook-groups along with inflammatory posts for group followers to share. Their goal, to divide and paralyze America and destroy America's influence by crippling her system of Government.


Consider what you share. 

It seems that many of the fake sites don't even try to hide it anymore. Before you share, check who sent it and who their friends are. Check the site it came from. And most of all, check the intent. 


Are you really so driven that you 
are willing to be used by known 
enemies intent on destroying
 our nation?


Today, with the sudden eruption of these (well organized?) protests and riots, it seems apparent that something similar is happening. But this time, is it the Russians? Or are other actors involved? I guess only time will tell. But it is very obvious to anyone on line that the volume of divisive social media is accelerating and that much of it fits one of the FAKE categories. 

So how does on line media compare with Broadcast News? 
Is the News presented through our broadcast media also FAKE?

Consider how these questions apply?
1. Is it balanced, presenting the interests of multiple sides in the topics or conflict it covers?

2. Is it adequate in depth to clearly present a clear picture complete with opposing perspectives?

3. Is it distributed in a way that informs audiences with accurate and timely information, or is it marketed to provide little actual information and keep you emotionally hooked to maximize the gains of special interests or commercial sponsors?

Consider the emotionally charged coverage of the Covid 19 Pandemic, and the death of  George Floyd in the hands of easily distracted, poorly trained police officers and the intensely motivating coverage of Black Lives Matter response. 

May 29, 2020, Portland Oregon





Unlike historical events, organized and directed by known leaders,  who has organized these events? Have these organizers acknowledged that ignoring the "Stay At Home Order" and calling the Black Community to march would expose them and their families to the destruction of the pandemic.

It is no secret that our black population ranks near the top in vulnerability! Second only to our elderly. 

In actuality; could this march of seeming solidarity be an act of kindness, or a kiss of death? Have theses marches initiate real action to find real solutions or are they an offering of guilt and ease like the donations of Small-Pox contaminated blankets to American Indian populations during the Small-Pox pandemic?

Time will certainly tell, but my questions is. Will THE NEWS? 
  
My son and daughter in law have maintained distancing from both sets of parents through the pandemic to protect us and her parent.

Doesn't our black community deserve as much? Why don't these organizers, and who are they.

Recently a spokesperson from Portland's OHSU describing the protests stated that she was not concerned over the possibility of  exposure because the protesters were wearing masks. Really? Look at the pictures. This type of statement is typical of the FAKE News we are so often faced with.  

To solve real social problems we have to look beyond our prejudices and consider real solutions. Soothing our racial consciences through overt gestures of solidarity, and knee-jerk reactions against police in general are not real solutions. If we have a problem with our police then we have to examine our methods of policing.  

Beyond all of the social disturbance, I would like see reporting on the general public's response to these disruptions. Before the riots and protests end and we move on to other things, I would like to hear police leadership express their concerns and hopes for change. 

I want to hear how they feel about having their experienced leadership replaced through political gesture and how they believe these action will affect all of our futures.

I want to hear about the history of changes that our police have already experienced and hear officers share their best strategies for effective community policing. I want them to tell me what real police professionalism looks like, how bad cops should be dealt with and how to avoid them when hiring.

Before the protests end, perhaps the news teams should ride along and present their stories and the challenges they face as well as the  victims of violence and the business owners who have suffered loss.

In my opinion, the one sided narrative presented during the vast majority of our news coverage puts much of it in the FAKE CATEGORY, especially when it is panders to special interest sponsors and select groups.

I would certainly watch more on the TV special coverage if stories were presented in greater depth. 

But what I see plays only to my morbid curiosity. I do not want to watch for hours waiting to see another person be assaulted or a shop owner's building be destroyed. This form of coverage does not address my sense of reason.

Today, many express a narrative of anger toward our political system, saying it does nothing but put our country up for sale to the rich as the highest bidders buy government influence. 

But I see a far more powerful form of influence manipulation. The manipulation of our public through these many forms of FAKE media. It seems that we have been trained like circus animals to welcome it. 

As to bribes and contribution misconduct in Congress, they can be corrected through legal action. But how do we correct a social addiction to media sensationalism and pandering?  



Whether you agree with my thoughts or not; 

Please DO TAKE THE TIME TO VIEW 
the PBS FRONTLINE links. 
They are repeated below.

"The Facebook Dilemma" part 1 
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T48KFiHwexM

"The Facebook Dilemma" part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuA4qxPbpQE

They are VERY INFORMATIVE and describe much of what we are seeing around us. Especially Part 2 at minute 8:50-10:55 and 13:10-14:20 AND ESPECIALLY 20:30-26:20 

Whether we are being influenced by the Russians or it is coming from other sources, it appears to be having the same effect in dividing our population into parties of shame and blame. 

To prosper, we have to find genuine way to work together for the good of our communities and country. This is not an easy thing. It does not occur through gesture alone as my recent Go-Fund-Me page created to help my Afro-American neighbor revealed.

Although racism was not been mentioned in the list of problems he has reported to me, lack of acceptance and the subsequent complaints from neighbors were.

This neighbor is the only black person in our neighborhood. He  recently experienced an eviction after the complete destruction of his property. After a long battle with the Vancouver building department and courts he was forced to allow his property to be abated. That is to have everything removed from the property.

For some time, his peculiarities were unacceptable to some of his neighbors and complaint driven code violations procedures were finalized by a kitchen fire that resulted in his property being condemned and eventually bulldozed. 

During the abatement process however, the actions of the City employees and the Police Officer present clearly demonstrated the themes of human respect and self restraint, as can be seen in the video below.  



CREATING HOMELESSNESS (part 1) A NOT SO BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FltqCvgBWM


CREATING HOMELESSNESS (part 2) 
Destruction and Hopes for Collaboration
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktv9PNC6GGM

But the crowds of seemingly sympathetic respondents on Facebook did almost nothing to actually help my friend and the fund created to assist him rebuild did not grow. 

Over a period of two moths the a GO-Fund-ME page only received one pledge other than the original contribution that I made. Was this lack of support due to racism? Or was it a lack of acceptance for other reasons? 

Reguardless, When it comes to real action, gestures of sympathy online or even huge marches sponsored by (?) just don't cut it.

At this time of intense emotionalism and false assumptions of  social progress we need to stop ourselves and take a deep breathe. 

We need to open our eyes fully and engage our brains and relearn how to actually value each other. 

We all differ in many ways. But that does not mean that any of us deserve punishment or discrimination. We need to look at the cost of our biases and move beyond them. 

This is especially true for our African American neighbors who may be suffering greatly. And it is also true for our police officers who are also suffering. 


Saturday, June 6, 2020

Changing Culture and PC Religion

The Death Of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Pushed Me To Join a Politically Active Temple.


Consider this writer and her point of view, her sense of dedication, and sense of allegiance to the causes of her peers. This rendering has been edited slightly. The original can be seen by clicking the link located at the end of this post. One should NOT ASSUME that, "The Temple," referred to through out the article is a Jewish Temple.

Members of my Temple do not believe in the supernatural or superstition. In the same way that some Unitarians and some Jews do not believe in God, members in my Temple are not worshipers, most are atheists. They are not affiliated in any way with the Church. Instead, my Temple stands as a symbol of resistance and rebellion against injustices. 

Just like other faiths, my Temple has a code that their members believe in deeply and use to guide their lives. These Seven Fundamental Tenets include that “one should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason,” that “the struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions,” and that “one’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.” 

When Justice Ginsburg’s death suddenly made combating the threats to reproductive rights and a government free from religious interference more urgent, I knew it was time to join them and support their conceptual and legal battles. 

Even before Ginsburg’s death, the Supreme Court was unwilling to provide adequate protection for a woman’s right to choose and to control her body. The court was unwilling to keep church and state separate. Now, without her voice of reason on the court ― let alone her vote ― Roe v. Wade is in imminent danger of being overturned not based on legal arguments or scientific reasoning, but because of religious objections to what is a safe and necessary procedure for the women who seek it out after discussion with their physician. Ginsburg’s replacement is all but certain to be vehemently anti-choice, with one of the top contenders belonging to a sect that actually used the term “handmaid” to refer to some women until the popularity of the TV series “The Handmaid’s Tale” gave the term negative connotations. 

Reading through the Seven Tenets, I was struck by how closely they aligned with the unwritten code I had used to try to guide my own life for several years. I realized, happily, that these were my people and had been for several years without my even knowing it. 

In the hours after Justice Ginsburg’s death, I sat wondering what the future would hold for my daughters. Their ability to live in a country where the religious beliefs of others would not play a role in their right to assert autonomy over their own bodies was suddenly, starkly, in danger. Traditional means of keeping abortion safe and legal seemed woefully inadequate to protect the rights that women in the generation before me had fought so hard to secure. 

Almost immediately I found strength in the my Temple’s efforts to turn religious arguments on their head by pushing for religious liberty for their members on an equal basis with believers in the dominant Christian faiths. And this is not just a theoretical push. The temple has launched campaigns and filed lawsuits to compel the government to do this in matters ranging from exemptions from legal mandates to cover birth control to the ability to display religious symbols in government buildings or allow religious clubs in public schools. By pointing out instances where the government has favored Christian rhetoric ― and filing legal challenges to stop it ― members from my Temple have transformed belief into action and has demonstrated what freedom fighting truly looks like. 

Our Temple members hope to appear before the Supreme Court in a case challenging a Missouri abortion law that requires those seeking to terminate their pregnancy to first receive materials asserting that their abortion would end the life of a separate, unique person. The temple argues that these materials violate the deeply held religious beliefs of one of our Temple members regarding bodily autonomy and scientifically reasonable personal choice. The argument that our Temple is using is the same one the Supreme Court effectively endorsed in the Hobby Lobby birth control case, for which Justice Ginsburg wrote the dissent ― that no one should have to follow a law that violates their deeply held religious beliefs. If a Christian should not have to do so based on their religion, members from my Temple should not have to either. This is what equality under the law means on a fundamental level and my Temple stands as a symbol of resistance and rebellion against tyranny. 

This is the organization I want to have standing up for my rights and for my daughters’. While I support more mainstream groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Church and State, my research has shown that the my Temple is truly in line with my beliefs about protecting our First Amendment rights and fighting laws that promote or are based on religious doctrine and that it is willing to use radical, creative and yet legally sound strategies to make its case. 

I was able to become a mother when I wanted on my own terms. Throughout my pregnancy, I had access to scientifically accurate information and the ability to make informed choices with my doctor. While I never had an abortion, I want the same opportunities to choose for my own daughters. I am far from certain these rights will exist 10 years from now when they may be deciding when, how or even whether to start their own families. 

We need creative, resolute thinkers who are willing to stand up for what they believe in and take concrete action to do so, and the members of my Temple are those kind of people. I am proud to now count myself among their ranks. 

There is a real chance that the Supreme Court will be lost for a generation or more to justices appointed for their religious beliefs rather than a deep understanding of the Constitution or a desire for justice to be carried out on an impartial basis. Because of this, I believe that the strength of those in my Temple ― and its members’ dedication to fighting for true freedom ― represents our best, last defense against anti-choice lawmakers who are seeking to assert power over women’s bodies and take away our right to choose. 

Everyone who cares about women having autonomy over their bodies should care about efforts to use religion to chip away at this right. We need to think outside the box to challenge what is coming and what is already here. The members of my Temple are already doing that, and by becoming a member, I believe I have joined a community of people who will stop at nothing to safeguard my family’s rights ― and all of our rights ― when they are at their most vulnerable. 

Jamie Smith is an attorney and mother who cares about civil rights. She can be reached at jamiesmithwrites@gmail.com. 


Now consider your own point of view, your own sense of dedication, and sense of allegiance to the causes and strategies that you share with your peers and consider the original content in the article below.
see original un-revised article at 

the photo source, and a very informative article on RGB's history and social activism through judicial action (not related to religion). 

As a Point of Contrast

Now consider a broadly traditionally Christian view on most of theses same topics as summarized in this very short video below.


"The Image of God"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-rzM5EojJY

I end with and nature video I created




Time to Lapse 
 




Saturday, April 25, 2020

Red Scarfs, Helmets and Rowing in Circles

To move forward...
We need to stop rowing in circles.

I Timothy 2:1-3 A Call to Prayer 

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

It is unfortunate that Trump's reassurance strategies in handling the Covid-19 response started so badly.

Today we know that he was working with very inaccurate information. But at that time many accused him of ignoring the alarms to manufacture his own message. They say he shirked his true responsibilities to create campaign opportunities. They discounted and condemned his attempts to alleviate fears and provide reassurance and presented him as a blundering fool repeatedly accentuating his guffaws and misstatements.

There is a problem solving term, called brainstorming, that encourages open unfiltered thinking to foster creativity that is often used in business. Perhaps use of this tactic is good a part of what has created this leader that we so often criticize.

But his frequency makes it easy to agree with those who indignantly judge criticize and dismiss his efforts. It is easy just to conclude that he is a very selfish, self centered person. Doesn't his vociferousness and outspoken personality prove this? Don't his action and words continually invite criticism. What about his support base. How can they tolerate this un-biblical behavior? Doesn't the Bible say...

Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. Ecclesiastes 5:2

Wouldn't he be wise to say less? 


But consider? How would you do in his situation? Are there reasons for his steps to be off at times? Could his abilities be intermittently compromised by distraction? And if so, how?

Again, how would you do in his circumstance? Is there a safe place where he can talk freely in the presence of peers and opponents? Can he freely, "Brainstorm," without public ridicule?  Can he radically explore options, opinions and outcomes. If you view the mask disinfectant video clip you will see him looking to his peers as though waiting for a response that didn't come. As is so common, in 
these days of, "maintain the narrative," reporting, there is a portions of the story that the press has ignored. 

For a person with such a tough exterior, Trump seems to be genuinely hurt by these attacks. Especially when they betray his privacy, whether through gossip or intentional leaking. His pattern of firing and replacing his team seems to show a deep sense of mistrust, apprehension of eminent betrayal.

More than any of his predecessors Trump's statements are either defensive of his goals, which appear to guide his perceptions, or accusatory of his opponents, who freely harass, demean or accuse him. But not only him, it extends to all he personally cares about, even those who merely associate with him.

More than any of his predecessors Trump has been very self protective when wrong, and very self congratulatory when successful. What do you think created a person so uniquely defensive?

I don't know if you have ever experienced rejection. But seeing the results of the accumulative mass rejection and attacks that we have heaped on this man and his family for the last three and a half years, I am surprised he is doing as well as he is.

Recently I started a new job in a hospital system that emphasized formality over function, after only four months of being singled out and ridiculed, I GOT OUT through early retirement. It was a very difficult time for me. And yet, I was only experiencing hardship at my place of employment. No one harassed my friends or family.

Frankly! I am grateful for Trump's persistence and resilience, even as I was Obama's. I am saddened by his faux pas and the frequent fumbling delays he displays before his BETTER or BEST RESPONSE comes forth. (which is usually quite good). In general, his ability to adjust and self correct has been extraordinary. (Especially considering his novice status.)

There are certain to be volumes and volumes and volumes of Trump misspeaking as he continues to learn on the job in the caustic hostile environment he chose to live in.

So then should Trump get a pass? Should we compassionately accept his flaws and leave him unaccountable for his words and actions?

NO! He is our elected official and has important responsibilities that only he can accomplish. 
But he also deserves the respect that the weight of his job warrants. 

The problem realities of this current epidemic did not originate with Trump. His decisions did not create our culture of shallow, short sighted, metrics driven healthcare. But he is blamed as though he did.

Since the moment of Trump's election opposition leadership has called on their "majority," to disrupt and obstruct our governmental processes. There were even riots and a shooting in the streets of Portland. Years have past since the election and yet this ferocity hasn't let up. 
If you believe in mob rule by a simple majority then the obstruct, resist narrative may sound good to you. But this is not how we should act in a crisis. 

I am grateful to have came from a time where acts of reciprocal cooperation to achieve mutual benefit were considered normal. Not obstructionism, hatred and punishment.



I was in Nursing School during the last pandemic, but political correctness didn't allow it to be called a pandemic, (still doesn't). Anyone that expressed fear or concern was called a homophobe and accused of bigotry. At that time, like today, the cumbersome legalities of State's Rights and the immense array of Food and Drug Administration restrictions hindered quick and comprehensive medical solutions.

With AIDS, the consistent narrative in the press, was shaped by staged activists events where powerful Republicans were accused of passively 
accepting AIDS, to use as a tool to punish the gay community. The following documentary portrays the sentiments of the time very well. 




United in Anger: A History of ACT UP 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrAzU79PBVM 


But it was Republican President George Bush Jr. that comprehensively addressed the problem on a global scale along with the help of Churches across the globe to bring the crisis stage of the AIDS pandemic under a degree of control.


Bono & Amy; President Bush, 
World Aids Day, Today Show Interview 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6yomxZL_nY 

And not surprisingly, our current Republican President is continuing the legacy by pushing for the acceptance and funding for what could be the most effective HIV deterrent to date.



Trump wants to eliminate HIV epidemic 
| Here's how Feb 6, 2019 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DHJ2AtiSbo 

Currently Trump is also pushing for quick action in this Covid 19 crisis. He is pushing in the same way that the ACT UP activists did. He has gone rogue compared to past politicians in his effort to mobilize our national response and facilitate testing but in real time, progress seems slow. Perhaps there will be a great ending to a very bad start. I certainly hope so.





Coronavirus: 10 Public Safety Regulations 
Set Aside in the Name of Public Safety

And while considering... We should put our vulnerabilities into perspective. What if the availability of antiviral meds went the route of (PPE), personal protective equipment like gloves, gowns, and filtering face masks due to short sighted, public health officials and hospital administrators? What if outsourced providers refused or were unable to deliver? Is the AIDS pandemic gone? How does it compare to the Coronavirus?

Is the HIV global pandemic shrinking? Has the "social distancing model," described as Safe Sex been adhered to?  Has our new morality reduced promiscuity and transmission in the general population? Are HIV infections on the decline? 

Sadly, the answer is no to all of the above.

The site below reports that there are currently 40,000,000 people (source https://ourworldindata.org/hiv-aids) in the world positive for HIV. Could geopolitical instability cause the retro viral supply chains to fail. Would this population be forced to experience a crisis like this current pandemic? Considering these possibilities, Trump's plan to stop HIV infection is a tremendous goal!

It will be some time before our current global count for Covid-19, of 2,826,573 Cases, and 196,966 Deaths as of April 24th approaches the 40 million number of HIV infections. (source https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/). Through it's course Covid-19 cases will certainly mushroom with extreme estimates expecting to up 160,000,000 global fatalities. As more data becomes available however, these estimates are being drastically reduced. 

In perspective, I think Trump is on track in many ways. I think he will follow in the steps of his predecessor G.W. in finding very effective and creative solutions even if they are only temporary, and I pray for God's grace to guide him and his family daily just as I did for President Obama.

If you want to criticize and blame, blame our hospital system leaders and the educational institutions that created them. Together they have failed us in preparing for this inevitable event.



 The Coronavirus and Public Policy


Through my 25 years I wrote letter after letter as an employee to my hospital's administrators. Years ago I consistently got cordial and sometimes amazingly effective responses. But in the last years of my career I got no response at all and eventually was singled out for sustained and humiliating corrective action for looking beyond the daily priorities and questioning the routine. This is exactly what needs to happen if we are going to be prepared for these type of, beyond the routine, pandemics.

Never the less, better than blaming, continue to do what you know is right and continue to encourage those around you to do the same! 

As Americans we need to stop the destructive blaming and obstruction and get back to the business of DOING what is MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL because there is no getting off this boat for any of us.

And finally. We should seek medical advice from medical sources and political advice from politicians.

The physicians below discuss how unreasonable it is to quarantine  healthy individuals for extended periods of time and present the benefits of ending sheltering in place as soon as testing becomes more wide spread.

See full interview with Doctors Dan Erickson and Artin Massihi co-owners of Accelerated Urgent Care in Bakersfield CA.


 You will have to wait through the10 second advertisement and it will start automatically

Click link below (not photo) 
to see full interview

California Dr. Erickson April 22nd 

COVID-19 Briefing 

23 ABC News | KERO News



Rebuttal from CA State Authorities

Why aiming for herd immunity to deal with the coronavirus is still a bad idea | DW News

Until the benefits of broader mass testing are available...

Each of us can USE OUR POWER to extend a greater degree of temporary protection to the MEDICALLY COMPROMISED. Through SHELTER IN PLACE and the practices of SYSTEMATIC HYGEINE and SOCIAL DISTANCING. 

Through our thoughtful and considerate actions YOU and I CAN help to PROTECT the medically compromised. 

Perhaps we should even create an Identification Marker like a RED SCARF to allow the healthy to know who to protect through more effective FOCUSED SOCIAL DISTANCING in the future.




A Success Story from the Past 

Several years ago when I was volunteering as Camp Nurse for our church youth group, I had a very challenging experience. It was during the NOROVIRUS outbreak, an outbreak that was so contagious that it completely shut down the mental health unit at my hospital, all of the staff and all of the patients became violently ill. The unit was shut down for weeks of deep cleaning.

A few weeks later we left for our Kidz Kamp offered to grade school aged children with high school and Jr high school aged counselors and helpers. On our departure from the church we had 120 people on two buses going to the camp facility at the beach.

When we arrived, before leaving the buses, I asked the riders if any of them had been around anyone who was sick in the last week. Three girls responded and one said she was feeling, "kinda icky", but also said," I get car sick a lot." Fortunately these three all sat together on the bus and all were assigned to the same cabin at the camp. I talked with their counselors and asked them to keep an eye on the girls and let me know if any thing got worse.

Within an hour one of the counselors was at my door with a girl who had just thrown-up on her mattress. Immediately, I went to the cabin and had all of the Kidz go to wash their hands before closing and locking the door. I asked them to sit together and talk as I went to the local supermarket to get a spray bottle, some Chlorox, 3 pair of kitchen rubber gloves and 3 pair of cheap, small garden gloves.




I mixed a spray bottle of 10% bleach water and had everyone in that cabin hold their hands out to have them sprayed and we sang a washing song. Then I had them go back into the restroom and wash the bleach water off their hands.

I taught the counselors how to clean up the mess wearing the kitchen gloves with bleach water. I taught them how to clean the whole area, "at least twice as big as the mess." and then to do the spray and rewash their hands when done.

I had the sick girl wear the garden gloves with the instruction to always take them off to touch her mouth or face in any way and when she ate or went to the bathroom. After taking them off she was to wash with the spray and then soapy water before putting them back on. I also told her counselors to do the spray, wash, song ritual every time after they touched one of the three girls.

Even though they followed the rules, through the week each of these girls got sick, and eventually their parents came to take them home. Their two counselors and one of the male counselors that helped them also got sick and went home. One counselor became so ill that, I had to take her to the emergency room after she fainted while vomiting. Her mother took her home. The last, the male, rode home with me in my car clutching and retching into a plastic bag as we drove. So of the 120 on the bus, 6 became ill, and only 3 were infected at camp.

I and the others were most fortunate, as at an earlier camp everyone that attended became violently ill!


The key to success?
clear and simple...




I believe that the garden gloves made it much easier for the sick children to remember to follow the rules of systematic hygiene. 

The gloves also made it much easier for those who were not sick to know who they should be more careful with for appropriate social distancing

We could do the same with a red scarf 
or even better

Air Filtering Pressure helmets! 
to protect our vulnerable neighbors 
from exposure.


I believe the gesture of stopping to evaluate risk and safety through  this mitigation process has been a great thing. 

As a teaching tool, it has forced us to see the risks we impose on those around us. We are now in a good position to continue as we eventually modify our strategies to provide even more effective protection to our at risk groups. 

In addition to wearing masks and washing our hands we could provide this at risk populations with a marker to signify to others that they are isolating and desire more personal space (perhaps 20 feet outdoors). (red scarf or similar marker could be used)

We could also provide pressure filtration helmets for their use to protect them when they are required to be in closer contact like public areas. The electronic health record could be used to identify high risk individuals and trained health care workers could provide teach-back education of the specific best practices to avoid exposure to infection. 

In time the rest of us will eventually return to business as usual, even as our most vulnerable may be forced to wait anxiously for a safe and effective vaccine to be created.  

The costs of providing the (PAPR), Powered air purifying respirator helmet, above would be hundreds of times less costly than our current shutdown and a fraction of the cost of treating the Covid-19 illness in the ICU for just one day. Currently the average hospital stay is 6-days at a cost of $73,000 according to CNBC.

These helmets could be returned after the pandemic and refurbished for future use by hospital staff or the public preparing us for the next pandemic which is sure to come.