Tell it Like it Is

 I don't know if my immigrant grandparents ever became citizens, but I'm pretty sure that they were not in the country illegally.  Immigration laws have changed over the years, and I'm not sure exactly what they were when my grandparents came over, but I'm pretty sure they were in compliance.  My mother told me that, at the time, each immigrant had to have a sponsor who was responsible for helping them find a job and a place to live.  She also told me that there was no government assistance available to immigrants.  Come to think of it, I don't think there was a whole lot of government assistance available to anybody in those times, except maybe the railroad tycoons.  Ah, those were the good old days.  

I have never made it a practice to tell people either what they wanted to hear or what I wanted them to hear, unless I believed it to be true myself.  I have known lots of people who did that however, and they were not all politicians.  If I caught them in a lie and asked them why they said it, they would say something like, "I didn't want you to think......."  I have often wondered if they even made a distinction between truth and falsehood in their own minds.  I am reminded of the first time I looked up the definition of "propaganda" and learned that it is information, whether true or not, which is published for the purpose of persuading people to either support or oppose a cause.  I have come to believe over the years that much of what we hear or read, even from friends and family, is nothing but propaganda.  The intent is to get us to do or not do something, whether it's true or not is irrelevant.  (Present company excepted of course.)   

arguing

 Trump's lawyers aren't trying to pass a new constitutional amendment, they are trying to figure out a weaselly new interpretation of it, something about one or both parents have to be American citizens.  Which almost surely will not come to pass.  But if it does, if you read my last post you will know that chances are that you might be joining me at whatever passes as Ellis Island these days for the next boat to the old country.  I am assuming that you don't have any kind of evidence that your ancestors who came here later became citizens.

That elitist thing is you are just making a circular definition.  What is an elitist?  A person who tells us what they want us to hear. What is a person who tells us what they want us to hear?  An elitist.

And really don't we all tell people what we want them to hear?  If we have good information don't we want to spread it around, the way your doctor wants you to know that it is a good thing to get a vaccine?

Anyway the term elitist, a person who has gone to school and studied hard, has come acropper in the current political climate where what Trump sez trumps any learned opinion.

But it's good to see the blog coming back to life.  When we first started it was mostly about politics and I think we should go back to doing that.  I was arguing Vietnam with a buddy over beers a few nights ago.  And it got pretty strong, but not heated, certainly no insults or calling of names.  

At some point my buddy kind of apologized for arguing but I was all like no problem.  I love arguing so long as it doesn't descend into personal crap.  I think you do too.

Couple of Comments

Although the "comments" section would be a more appropriate venue, I'm posting this here because nobody reads the "comments" section.

I agree with Trump that children born to parents that are in the country illegally should not become citizens, but it would require a constitutional amendment to make that happen.  He can't do it by executive order, neither can Congress do it by regular legislation.  

Some time ago, we discussed the meaning of the term "populist".  It has since occurred to me that the opposite of a populist could be called an "elitist".  A populist tells us what we want to hear, while an elitist tells us what they want us to hear.  Neither one of them has any regard for objective truth.  Their remarks are solely intended to motivate us to either do or not do something.  

Is you is or is you isn't a citizen?

Fourteenth Amendment  Section 1

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. 

 I am a citizen of the USA, became one when I was born of my parents who became citizens when they were born of my grandparents, who became citizens when they were born of my great grandparents, who became citizens when, well I don't know.  

They came over on the boat, you know, from the Old Country, maybe they strode into that flag adorned courtroom, took some kind of test, and then an oath, or maybe they didn't.  I have no idea.

But wait a minute, it doesn't matter whether they did or not because I was born right here in Chicago USA.  Doesn't matter if my great grandparents were citizens, or my grandparents, or my parents.

But wait a minute, what if Trump gets his way and being born here is not enough?  Sure it's a long shot and it employs convoluted crazy arguments, but you know he has appointed a lot of judges who are clearly committed to him, and he holds the supreme court in his pocket.  You never know.

So maybe they will decide that being born in the USA doesn't make you a citizen in which case if there is no proof that my great grandparents took the oath then my grandparents were not citizens, and neither were my parents, and thus neither am I and likely I shall have to make that trek to whatever passes as Ellis Island these days.  And you may be joining me. 

The pardons

 Well we knew they were coming despite those slow-witted or just plain liars apologists who would come on the TV.  Oh that's just Trump being Trump, just a joking affable fellow who likes to tease the libs, all in good fun, tut tut.  

These are people who beat up cops on their way to hang Mike Pence.

And all that rubbing of hands, the uplift of chins and holding of noses by my people alarmed by Biden pardoning his family.  Oh this is unseemly, is this going by the Marquess of Queensbury rules, dare we risk public opinion, oh my goodness.

And meanwhile Trump is kicking us and the country in the balls all over the ring. 

Day One, I am prepared.

 I know it is only one day.  Only one day to dishonor an honest and honorable man so we can spend it watching the emperor prance about in his new clothes and listen to him whine and wheedle and and threaten and brag and lie and shit on the eagle.  Only one day you say.

I have a friend, a retired doctor, who lives down in Salem Illinois, and has had the  temerity to run for the office of coroner as a democrat and to lose of course to some half baked preacher guy who would not know a scapula from an alpaca.  Not only did he lose, he got a few threats. He is inactivating his facebook account.  

But I am snug in the heart of true blue Chicago and I am not looking for a job and will stand proudly on my balcony glaring at the ICE men who will cometh and haul away folks who were willing to take shit jobs to share the American dream like our forefathers and foremothers.

I have to go now to fill some empty Old Style cans with boiling oil and soak some perfectly good hot dogs in ketchup to stockpile on my balcony, my rampart, for the incoming enemy.

If you have been on the internet for awhile you will be familiar with the phenomenon of buxom young women commenting on how they would like to, ahem, get to know you better, but it turns out that what they really want to do is involve you in some crackpot crypto scheme.  They used to be Nigerians I think, but the new crop is likely to be the royal family peddling $Trump's and $Melenia's.

A model for a new letter to the editor but needs some work because it is too long and too complicated and I just know the grammar police are NOT going to like those apostrophes.

But I have time, a full four years if that long awaited heart attack does not take place.  And if it does, I'm perfectly willing to give him the full unbroken 30 days.  Because it is about the presidency, mortality, and the people.

Half baked

Oh, and look at this from the Jan 16 Chicago Sun-Times.

Be careful, Uncle Ken.  Our current reality isn't conducive to certain expressions of opinion, not with all the A.I. bots scouring the interwebs.  The latest I've read is that the flags will be flown at full staff for the inauguration and then go back to half staff for the remainder of the mourning period.

-----

These are such strange times; I don't know what to think of all those billionaires lining up at Mar-A-Lago to kiss the Orange Keister unless there's a secret plot to lull the dummies into a false sense of security, and then, and then, I don't know.  The crystal ball has been cloudy lately.

But has there ever been a more frightening inauguration portrait?

 

half mast 2

 Just saw Trump at, Arlington I think, laying a wreath or something.  Corporal Bone Spurs, who is interrupting the homage to Carter who did serve and did so well for the Navy, who called McCain, who spent all that time in a Vietnamese prison, a loser.  Who called fallen service men suckers and losers.

I'm not big on waving flags and twenty one gun salutes, but the lowering of the flag is a simple solemn ceremony that shows respect without the beating of drums and blaring of bugles.  

But Trump can't bear to see that half mast on his Special Day honoring a man who truly was honorable and served his country.

Oh, and look at this from the Jan 16 Chicago Sun-Times.

half mast

 There are plenty worse things that Trump has done and will do and who needs yet another rant about him?  But.

But this thing about him whining about the flag flying at half mast on his Big Day of Triumph (and his minions, Abbot of Texas and Mike Johnson of the House, actually raising it for him) is an unspeakable act of slinging shit on our traditions.  

I am not big on pomp and drums and marching and all that symbolic folderol.  But.

But we have been lowering our flags since George Washington died.  Some of our presidents have been good and some not so good but they have all had the flag lowered when they died but it is the office that we are honoring.  We are the United States and the presidency is the hallmark of our democracy.  It is who we are.  

And death, it comes for us all and since we have been humans we have been giving the deceased a little measure of solemnity, a little honor, before we resume our messy lives.

Seems like a small thing to ask for.  But not anymore apparently.