So What’s Wrong With…

Tax dollars are being spent on very lovely hotels in New York City and elsewhere around the country to house people who have crossed the United States border illegally, not waiting their turn or following routine protocol to obtain a pathway to citizenship.  I know someone who married a young woman from another country and they are patiently awaiting for her paperwork to be completed for them to come to the US properly.  They were married a year ago, so immigration is an issue I know a thing or two about, not to mention that my father immigrated here legally, waiting years to be reunited with his father in Flint, Michigan.  Many of these people who have not waited their turn are being fed while they live in these hotels across the country, given cell phones, credit card and now they are given, with California Assembly Bill 1840, access to and cannot be disqualified for, because they are illegal, a first time homeowner loan with no interest and they only have to pay back the original loan amount plus 20% of any home value appreciate if the home is sold. The loan covers 20% of the purchase price up to $150,000 to cover a down payment and closing costs. What a nice perk that would be for young American citizens who are first time home buyers. WOW! I wonder what the price tag on this endeavor is and it would be interesting to know what this is costing each American tax payer.  “Alexa! Get On it?”  There are schools that are becoming overcrowded as they accept the children who have come here illegally.  This means resources in terms of teachers, support staff and supplies being taken away from American  children whose parents pay taxes.  In Chicago last year, it was reported that a medical clinic local residents utilized in their neighborhood where many residents who were unable to get to a hospital or doctors office, was closed to accommodate housing for illegals.  Elderly and low income families counted on this clinic for basic health care accessibility.  How is this fair to American citizens who work or have worked and are now retired?  Although it is not highly publicized illegals are bing flown across the country to numerous communities.  The border is now not just a border issue, it is an issue that physically affects Americans through crowding conditions in schools, less hotel availability in major cities across the country where, as mentioned above the illegals are being housed.  Crimes committed by illegals have greatly risen with many bad characters crossing the border.  Many of these criminals are repeat offenders who have been let go from crimes committed on US soil or they have been released from prisons around the world and they have come to the US to continue their evil behaviors. How is this fair to American citizens?

     Many college campuses have turned into indoctrination mills.  No longer on the campuses where this brainwashing occurs, are students taught accurate history of civilization, and the ability to critically think and make decisions for themselves.  Parents now need to do even more research before sending their young adult children off to further their education, not just looking at the program and dorms carefully for their student,  but looking at if their child will be safe, treated with respect, regardless of their background, political views or ethnic heritage and will they be taught to think for themselves. Also, parents must ask if their education will prepare them for the working world or get them into an advanced professional school.  Is this fair to American parents?

     Students in public schools in many communities around the country are being taught sexual information, better left up to parents, students are recommended for transitioning to a different gender without parental knowledge and are being exposed to literature and materials that is non-age appropriate and possibly just not appropriate at all.  Children are  not being allowed to be children as long as they can, to focus on the basics of reading, writing, arithmetic, manners and technology skills, which will help in their success as productive adults in the future.  As a former classroom teacher myself, it’s a mystery to me as to how there is time in a school day or calendar year to  add one more subject for the average teacher to fit in.  American children deserve an education that will prepare them for a successful adult life.  Is this fair for American Citizens?

     Groceries and basic living expense have risen to levels that make it difficult for most American families to get from week to week.  Inflation has gone up at a rate higher than the norm. Why you may ask?  Drilling for oil in America has been reduced. The government has decided to move toward electric vehicles and taken other measures to ‘save the planet.’  Of course it’s important to consider how our behavior and carbon footprint affects our earth and future generations.  Car companies have been forced to make cars more energy efficient, power companies and companies that make home appliances have made providing citizens with more efficient energy and products for homeowners.  Americans recycle and when educated, do their part. The wheels to be more efficient across the board were put in place decades ago and each year companies have made more and more progress in this area. However, common sense it appears is not being used in looking at this issue.  To make appliances more efficient, yet doing do so makes the appliances have a shorter life time, which means more outdated appliances sent to a dump or landfill.  I have talked to a heating and cooling tech who told me that his calls to repair furnaces and air conditioning units that can’t hold up means that he is constantly busy, this costs the consumer more money in parts and repairs than what they used to pay, meaning spending more and problems for the consumer. So, making the push for the electrical power and vehicles could be a good plan, but one has to look at the big picture. Also, our infrastructure is not ready to completely be turned over.  The transportation department over this administration has produced only seven new charging stations. To commit to complete electric power could mean more blackouts and power outages and a system could become over loaded.  To force Americans to purchase electrical cars when they may opt for a preference for gas fueled cars, gives citizens less freedom to choose. A better plan might be to a slowly make changes to accommodate such alterations.   To cut oil production means loss of jobs and….HIGHER COSTS ACROSS AN ECONOMY. So much of the market place hinges on oil/gas costs. How do products get from point A to Point B?  How is produce grown and how are crops managed?  Tractors and farm equipment,  supplies a farmer needs, all have to be transported to him or a supplier. The gas to transport those items, if not being bring produced nearby or easily, will increase the cost to the farmer to plant and maintain the crops prior to harvest in terms of watering, etc. Increases in the gas prices, cost of transporting harvested produce has increased prices because of increased cost for gas.  This all is passed onto the grocery store chain that purchases these items.  The cost then gets passed on to consumers who shop at the grocery store.  Anyone who has a business that supplies food, such as a restaurant, banquet facility, etc, will need to increase their expenses as well.  This is just an example of the food industry.  Apply this same example across other portions of the marketplace.  If people are making the same amount of money as they did three or four years ago, without a cost of living  raise, they have to make cuts in their budget.  If they did get a cost of living raise, they can buy or save nothing additional.  I saw someone bragging on Facebook that their 401 K didn’t  go down.  My question to them is, “Can you purchase what you could 3 or 4 years ago with that same amount of money?”  So much of the economy is based on fuel prices because goods need to get to the marketplace.  If oil is flowing which cannot only benefit our citizens, but be sold around the world which would benefit the U.S., bringing revenue in, it helps customers around the world who are held hostage to dictators, bad characters who have little competition for their oil which is necessary for daily needs. When families struggle to meet basic needs like groceries and gas, they are stressed.  Is this fair for American citizens?

     Security at home and around the world is at risk.  Not only does this ‘circle back’ to the border in some instances, with gangs from South American countries terrorizing an apartment building in Colorado, as well as others and an increase in drugs coming across our border.  Children are being trafficked into this country to work in sweat shops.  Motivational speaker, Tony Robbins recently produced a movie which tells the true story, following youth caught up in this tragedy.  Cashless bail, letting criminal back on the streets, not prosecuting thefts for under $1,000 in California, are all incentives for criminals to continue committing crimes. Around the world, they see the chaos and what one is able to get by with and it does two things (at least).  It incentivizes bad characters to come to the U.S. where it’s easy to get by with committing crimes and two, it sends the message that there is poor leadership in the U.S., and we are not respected and seen as a strong power around the world protecting good from evil. This in turn not only puts American citizens at risk on the homeland, but those traveling outside of the U.S. and our service people and military personnel around the world.  There was a clip earlier this week of two U.S. Marines being attacked in a sea side town in western Turkey, with one of the Marines having a bag put over his head by the group of thugs.  The Marines showed restraint from fighting back.  Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter was arrested in Russia and put on trial.  Fortunately, he was released, along with a few others, but often, this is not the case.   Look at the atrocities of last October 7 in Israel.  Israeli and Americans citizens were taken hostage and killed.  Just last week, Hamas killed six of the original hostages, one an American, twenty-three year old Hirsh Goldberg-Polin.  When the U.S. looks week to the rest of the world, safety and security are at risk for many. Is this fair to American citizens?

     Speaking of Israel and the horrific attack nearly a year ago, Where  is full support from the US for Israel and the Jewish people, including Jewish American citizens?  When Jewish Americans are persecuted on college campuses and in their own country, how is that acceptable?  Whether it is in the name of free speech, or politicians wanting to straddle the fence to gain votes and power, it’s wrong.  Israel is an ally of the US in the Middle East.  When college professors encourage discourse rather than accurately educating students on the topic of world history, they should most definitely loose their jobs.  Students who infringe on another student’s right to an education and safety, should loose their opportunity to attend an educational institution.  No American should be made to feel uncomfortable in their own country going about their daily life or obtaining an education.  Is this fair to American citizens?

     What happens when a free press is no longer the purveyor of fact based information but rather a mill of slanted stories, including missing details and at times, untruths?  American citizens no longer get the ‘straight scoop’.  Americans can handle the truth and at one time counted on it from a free press.  They are being robbed of useful and accurate information to make their own choices when it comes to voting for who will lead our country, state and local communities. Where are the journalists who wanted to break the story or investigate suspicious activity, checking their own political views at the door?  Many years ago, a reporter at CBS, one of those credible reporters who did his job accurately, started to notice the bias in American journalism.  It bothered him so much that he wrote a book called, Bias.  I was in a book group at the time and this was my selection one month.  When you select the book, you usually lead the discussion the month your book is read.  I did my research and thoroughly presented on this book.  Bernard Goldberg saw the bias in most networks. I clearly remember a chapter where he covered the very respectable, Peter Jennings from ABC News narrating a congressional event and he would narrate as the congressman were coming in to the chamber and it was “Senator Ted Kennedy from Massachusetts” however, when it was a conservative, he introduced them to the audience giving a negative tie/ bit of information about them. Bernard ended up leaving CBS, as he was fed up with the way the news was being told. He became a frequent contributor on conservative networks and often lectured and spoke of this experiences. He no longer refers to himself as a liberal, but rather a conservative.  The press has done a huge disservice to the American people by hiding negative news for one political candidate and publishing falsities of another.  it is very apparent who they want in charge and who they support.  The media should strive to be fair and balanced fact checkers and tellers of the truth rather than a mouth pieces for a political party.  Is it that these journalists are unable to look at issues objectively and merely tell the news or do they deliberately try to tell the story in an obtuse manner? The audience should not be aware of a journalist’s political interests.  Both sides have bad characters, the media’s job is to report the news.  The American people should be able to have all of the information about a cause, issue or candidate and make their own decisions when they go to vote.  Americans are smart. Unfortunately,  some are easily deceived.  Americans don’t deserved to be misled or misinformed.

          In the end, so much of the conflict and division through out history boils down to power and control. Control of people, money and power.  Those in power who want to stay in power, in many cases, will do anything they want to, to remain in power.  Current conflicts and events are no different than past historical events and human nature is human nature. When the United States came to be and the founders drafted our Declaration of Independence from the British Crown and eventually when we won the Revolutionary War and went on to draft the Constitution of the United States, so much forethought into it.  Those who drafted it tinkered with it before was done. The knew they were drafting something  special that had not existed in the history of the world.  It gave citizens of the United States God given rights.  It gave America something more unique than anything offered any place on earth.  Citizens were given the right to LIFE, LIBERTY and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.  Did they make errors along the way?  ABSOLUTELY! Slavery, women’s rights, YEP.  They missed the mark on those two, BIG TIME.  It’s hard to imagine at this time in our lives, what this looked like, when all men and women didn’t have the same freedoms and opportunities and understand how it was allowed.  This would never fly today.  This is an issue worth fight for and it happened.  It’s very easy to look at behaviors, laws and mores of the past and subscribe our views.  However, slavery was not unique to the colonies and early America.  Slavery has been present throughout history.  It’s wrong anytime, anywhere.  Period.  We know that, we were taught that but when you read history, many civilization were built on and succeeded because of slavery.  Again, wrong anyway you look at it. And here’s what’s hard to understand, if it is so wrong, why did many societies participate in it?  A year ago, we traveled to Greece, Turkey and Israel. We saw the work of ancient slaves.  They built those ruins that are still existing today.  We all have read in the Bible about the slaves of Biblical times.  I asked a tour guide why it was tolerated.  His very academic response came from his years as a college professor and he conducted small tours through the ruins of Greece.  He said, for many of the slaves, it was a good thing.  Work needed to get done, many looked at it as, slaves were fed and given accommodations.  He explained that there was a hierarchy of slavery, some had more freedoms than others. Again, it came down to power and as the saying goes,  “He who has the gold has all the power.”  Wrong on all accounts for any human to feel that they are a slave in any sense of the word.  I inquired to the same guide, “Do people today in this region, look back and is it an issue, as in, is there a sense of blame or shame for this behavior?  Is there a sect of the population that wants compensation for this inequality?”  The guide smiled, didn’t laugh, but paused as he, what appeared to me, carefully thought how he wanted to answer this without offending me.  “Mrs. Burau, respectful to both you and those wronged in our past, we’ve moved on and who would pay?”  Interesting.  They have moved on. Maybe they realize that the people of today are not responsible for the sins of the past.

    
Back to power and those in power wanting to stay in power.  The power gives those in power privileges, position and protection  for themselves, their families and those around them.  They don’t play by the same rules.  We can see examples of this today with the adult children of people in power getting special treatment both from the justice system and a pass from the press, even to the point of cover-up prior to the last election, bordering criminal and not only that but going after anyone trying to bring light to this behavior. The quest for power can cause  people to lie and make-up falsehoods.  A prime example of this behavior was visible over the last couple of weeks with the commemoration on third anniversary of  the thirteen soldiers at Abbey Gate who lost their lives, which in itself is just a tragedy and misfortune of it’s own and a discussion for another time. The surviving families wished to honor their fallen cherished family members.  They invited the current administration and former President Trump.  The current administration declined the invitation to attend.  Whether they had prior engagements,  is not known, possibly they did.  The current President was on in Delaware and the Vice-President, it has been reported was at her residence in Washington DC a few miles away, but they were invited by the families. President Trump spoke, the families invited the former President to visit the graves WITH them and THEY asked for photos with him.  During the town hall meeting this week in Pennsylvania, he told of the events of that day and how it was the families who invited him to be in photos and that it was an occasion to not only honor but remember the good they did In their lives. This is stark contrast to the letter sent out by the Vice-President’s office criticizing the events former President Trump participated in, (read the accusations written about) even misreporting the details of the event.  When the families heard the press inaccurately report what happened that day, they took to social media by posting their own descriptions in videos to let them the public know that former President was following their lead in how they wanted to honor and remember their fallen family members.  Anyone grieving the loss of a family member, should be given the freedom and space to remember and honor those they love how they wish to, without judgment or criticism from anyone.  It appeared from both the families’ recounts and the former President’s description, that, that’s what occurred. For a political candidate, currently in power to tell inaccurate detail to the public and a press to not fact check and report wrong information is negligent and interferes with giving people truthful information about a former President and current candidate for the office.  Is this fair to the citizens of America?

     Americans are smart, hardworking and industrious people!  It used to be that both Democrats and Republicans had more in common than not.  In my memory, both wanted to make America great, and probably would have told you that. Bernard Goldberg, mentioned earlier, describes himself as a liberal from the times of President John F. Kennedy, however he feel that now, at age 79, sees those same qualities as more in line with conservative ideas-not rightwing conservative, just conservative. So, what’s wrong with Making America Great Again?  I’m for the candidate who is going to make the most and best of America for as many Americans as possible.  Not for the illegals, the Europeans who don’t pay their fair share for our protection of them.  American citizens who pay taxes deserve to have THEIR protection and best interest looked after by their government.  WE fund them from hard earned dollars and we deserve for that money to be spent wisely, not squandered away for the interest of others, to gain votes to keep themselves in power.  So again, I ask, what’s wrong with making America great again?