Constitution Day 2021
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Corona Virus, Democracy, and Accountability
First, please take a look at the good advice from the CDC. Second, consider also how you might be able to help the people around you. Nextdoor.com and other social media apps can put you in touch with your neighbors, to find out who you can help, or find out who can help you. The …
No, They Are Not All Corrupt
It is really important for any patriots, regardless of affiliation, to never ever excuse misconduct on the false assertion that “they all do it.” They don’t, and we should be working together to keep the number of swamp creatures in Washington as low as we can.
Martin Luther King Jr.
In a democracy, people need to trust that they will be treated fairly. They need to know they can vote like anyone else, that they will be treated just as well as anyone else, regardless of how they vote, and that elected officials will feel as accountable to them as anyone else. This need to …
SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR
Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States of America. Here at CFFAD, we are grateful today, as every day, for “the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…” (W. Churchill). We are thankful for not living in a state of chaos where only …
WORKING TOGETHER FOR CHANGE
Change is easier when our elected representatives are working together to get something done. The good news in this context is that there is far more common ground for them to build on than you will hear from the media. You can remind them of that.
Impossible to Be Civil?
Hillary Clinton said this week “You cannot be civil with a political party that wants to destroy what you stand for.” A day later, Eric Holder said that when Republicans “go low, we kick them.” Before that, back in 2016, Donald Trump complained that there were no longer consequences to protesting because “nobody wants to …
Lost in the Outrage
Much of the press coverage about the Supreme Court confirmation process, mainstream and otherwise, has been about the alleged low quality of tactics undertaken by each political party as they maneuver to confirm or obstruct the confirmation of the nominee. Forgotten in all the outrage is the fact that none of this maneuvering would be …
Constitution Day
Monday, September 17, is Constitution Day. It’s a good excuse to think about a few things. First of all, what’s the big deal about having a constitution? For the founders of the nation, the constitution was a way to create a new kind of government that outlawed the limitless power to dictate people’s lives that …
Unintended Consequences
Policy driven by loyalty, passion, and frustration can lead to unintended consequences.
The 2nd Amendment & Changing Times
Things have changed between the time of the founding fathers and now. On the one hand, the USA now has an extremely well-armed military force, while most state and local governments have well-armed police forces, and all of those forces are under the control of elected civilian leaders. On the other hand, the USA has a far higher rate of gun deaths and mass shootings than most citizens are willing to accept. Whether and how things should be re-balanced are open questions suitable for respectful debate.
Regular Elections, Regular Census
The US Constitution requires a census every 10 years. The census is mandatory because it affects the numbers of seats each state occupies in the U.S. House of Representatives. It also affects the distribution of electoral college votes because the number of electors each state gets equals the total number of its U.S. senators and …
Spite
Would you shoot your chief of police because he arrested your best friend? Or would you malign his reputation in a very public way? If you did, could you count on him to help you later? Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.
Happy Holidays
The religious tolerance and freedom that our founding fathers gave birth to is something to celebrate – and something each of us can uphold personally.
THANKSGIVING DAY 2017
On Thanksgiving Day, let’s give thanks for all the people who make up our American democracy.
Let’s Unite In Spite of Russia
Now that we know Russian leaders have been trying to divide us, let’s fight back. Let’s find ways to unite.
Hate-Bait: Anthem Kneeling Controversy
Hate-bait is meant to divide us. It appeals to our emotion and prejudices. It over-rides practical thinking as well as our nobler aspirations. Hate-Bait distracts us from the fundamental importance of the civil liberties our ancestors built into the constitution over time, including the right to speak and debate freely about uncomfortable things. Our ancestors …
Are We So Divided?
Are Americans really so divided? Whenever people come together, it’s certainty that they will eventually clash over something. But the truth is that Americans are not really so divided as we are told. There are plenty of reasons to expect Americans can work together to solve their problems.
Free Speech – How To Make it Worthwhile
Free speech is vital to democracy but most of us dread actually doing it. Here are some tips to make it worth your time.
Contradictions, Ironies, and Choices
If you are an American, regardless of who you voted for, this presidential election was different. We either have a potential savior or the devil himself. Passions have been inflamed on both sides. People want to be heard, understood and respected. I’ve been trying to do some of that listening. I hope you will too. I will continue listening, but I also want to share some early observations that could be worth thinking about.
