The Secret Ballot - REALLY?!

Today reports of loyalty of Jews to the United States was questioned by the President and really the question was about loyalty to That Man... That BOSS... This issue of loyalty arose early in his life and his presidency and was likened to the loyalty oaths of Crime Bosses... Go figure?

Today we have surveys before and after people vote ... asking them who they will vote for and who they have voted for so when the official results come in it is possible to understand something about the voters and the candidates and the issues. In fact the official results are all that are necessary and all that we had for the early years of our democracy and now the additional information seems to be coincident with lower and lower voter turnout. Hmmm???

HOWEVER, to my point - the official results are what matter MOST and the voting we do is a SECRET BALLOT. In this day of privacy issues the secret ballot is important for us to preserve and we should all vote officially while especially not responding to exit polls. Once we have decided and voted ... so be it!

To me it is a no-brainer as to who I will vote for... ANYONE except Donald Trump. The reasons against him in my mind are many and while I have seen some people shrug off this or that because they agree with some narrow, specific issue - if we ignore morality and honesty and truth and justice... then really we are ignoring The American Way. Yes -- that sounds like Superman's motto and he is fictional and not real AND YET ... he was good and meant to be good and tried to be good and that was, is, and may again be: The American Way.

Back to The Secret Ballot --- no one is required to reveal who they voted for and why. We all are entitled to our privacy and personal thoughts. I simply hope - people will be thoughtful and look at the bigger picture then small, special, narrow interests. We CAN BE CONQUERED if we are DIVIDED.

I have thoughts to share in future about The Middle and about BRAVERY... and I think it is time to bravely find and strengthen and hold The Middle.

Death and the death penalty.

THIS IS CURRENTLY, AS OF 8/20/19 -- IN DRAFT ... COMMENTS WELCOME... MY ESSENTIAL THINKING/POSITION IS BELOW AND AT THE LINK NOTED..

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Writing and thinking and discussing the issue of Capital Punishment - i.e. The Death Penalty ... is very difficult to do, I find. I have my opinion/position and some very important people in my life do now agree with me. I would like the people in my life to honor my wish that no person be executed for my death... and one response was one I could not agree to... and that was: will you seek the death penalty for me if I am killed? An impasse. One bottom line thought I have is... In the event someone dear to me is killed and in that event if I feel the perpetrator should be executed... I hope SOCIETY will intervene and not kill but imprison for life! That is my wish....

In any case, today I write as a followup to an opinion piece in The New York times (click here) and there you will find usual reasons asserted against capital punishment. Below are some additional thoughts and emotions.

I wonder what moves/guides us when making important decisions or coming to important opinions? When will we celebrate happily after our decisions and actions?  What opinions bring us joy?

I celebrate births. I do not celebrate deaths. I will sing and dance and pray for goodness when a child comes into our world but when someone dies I mourn the loss of a force of life from our world. Joy is part of life and living and death does not add to my joy.

I am moved and guided by facts, experience, ideas, prayer, literature, poetry, music.... Generally, stuff from others. This stuff needs to be considered and my be objective and certainly subject to analysis which could be uncomfortable. Passions, opinions, other personal subjective thoughts move me, too,  and they are often not subjected to objective analysis as they are assumed as they came from my family and culture so they feel warmly comfortable and familiar and may be assumed to be right, based on their source.

Thus we have various ways to understand issues and at some point we decide on some side. I wonder when do we consider changing decisions made once upon a time when those decisions no longer are best? How do we even know they are not the best?

What do we do when facing choices where there is a conflict of truths based on facts versus truths based on feelings? When facts and feelings are in harmony - no problem. When does that happen? I am not talking about "alternative facts" but the disconnect from what we seem to deeply feel and know versus what we don't easily know or feel but which may be a difficult and better truth!

Often the subjective and objective are in conflict and the degree of the disconnect is sadly significant in many areas of life and death. The exception is at the time of death when a person is either still alive or is stone cold dead. No disconnect and no possibility of a correction barring the miracle of resurrection. 

I believe miracles have happened, happen, and will happen. Some miracles are rare such as resurrection and some, such as childbirth, though scientifically true, are seen and felt every day. In fact childbirth is a prime example of the smallest of disconnects between feelings and facts. Subjectively we are amazed and scientifically we understand. Truly wonderful.

For me it is best when my beliefs and science are in harmony. When such harmony is not present I then must choose and when the choice is between life and death I am taught and I believe it is the choice of Life that must be made. The Bible teaches: 

" Deuteronomy 30:19

.......I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him......"

I rather bless and be blessed then curse or be cursed. 

When blessed by miracles or facts I celebrate. Childbirth is a time for celebration. What, however, does a celebration of death look like? I really don't know how to happily celebrate the death of anyone - a good person or an evil person. Clearly there has been some curse... a killing! When there is a death - premeditated or accidental - where is the blessing to celebrate? Maybe in some cultures people eat, drink, and are merry as part of their death rituals but I think (hope?) the celebration is about life and the living and not death. Generally death is a matter of griefs and wonderings about what could have, should have... been AND about how important is life and living it fully. 

I guess there are people and times where there is an apparent celebration over the execution of a killer of a loved one. I wonder how the people really feel?  I clearly do not want to suffer the loss that motivates such a celebration and I love celebrations and wish I could join in all the wonderful celebrations of people everywhere but death of a PROBABLE killer is not something I can or should ever celebrate. What if after the celebration it is determined the "killer" was innocent? There are no take-backs when someone is dead.

Racism???

Read a news report about Ibram X. Kendi who won the National Book Award a few years ago for Stamped from the beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America 

He has a new book about how to be anti-racist coming out Tuesday.

The report was in the NY Times and several things caught my attention. One - he taught at the University of Florida and so was a Gator... as is/was Deanne. Second he asserts that no one or thing is a non-racist instead all are either racists or anti-racist. I plan to get a copy of his books and read them and consider such ideas COMING FROM the perspective of things and people being on a CONTINUUM ... In other words -- view ideas and people on a line with one end being ANTI-RACIST and the other end being NON-RACIST.... 

HOWEVER - now that I write it down and as I seek some middle ground of peace and love I wonder ??? What is the appropriate continuum. I DO BELIEVE a continuum is a good model if the points on that continuum include all possibilities as best possible in a one-dimensional plane.

NOW HERE ARE SOME THOUGHTS... ON THE FLY:
SO - for people, ideas, times, etc... the continuum might be: Multi-racial pluralism on one end and Mono-racial purity on the other end. In the middle would be acceptance and tolerance of both extremes with protective rules, laws, customs, etc to ensure peace and equality.

I do need to read more!

Let me say something personal.... Once upon a time I did not think African-American women were pretty, etc... I saw them, the few I saw, as different and not beautiful as I understood beauty. Then I worked in an office with many African-Americans and noticed many different looks AND I got ot know people on a personal level. I saw beauty of various types. I opened to news appreciations. I am better for that awareness I gained in the mid-70's!

Simple little things..

More as time goes on...

The points/issues below are mostly simple, I think, and ESSENTIAL. The Health Care issue may be more complicated but really?? I did see an advertisement against Medicare for All because of costs but really - those numbers can be adjusted so as to get to them with point #5 below - a properly progressive tax so the rich help... Yes - HELP... or pay their fair share ... or whatever you want to call it!

TODAY - 8/5/19
After Shootings in Texas and Ohio
1. background checks for all new sales and transfers of guns, weapons, etc...
2. Easy/quick voting registration and rights for all citizens
3. Raise minimum wage for all to 15 dollars an hour
4. Health care for all -- one way or another!
5. An appropriate Progressive Income Tax system.

TOMORROW?
Send comments - if/as you have them