The Rule of Law, Checks and Balances, Accountability, Equal Justice Under the Law???

Honestly I don't like to promote anyone spending time in prison. It doesn't do much good and has very rarely met it's stated goal of rehabilitation. We all know that and accept it. It has a sordid history, including the belief by early Quakers that by throwing a man in a cell with a bible everything would work out. Eventually many more cells were needed and the bibles were eliminated. We built a system of 'justice' based on skin color and privilege.

Paul Manafort's sentencing to 47 months in Federal Prison raises questions we all knew were looming as the Mueller investigation played itself out over the airwaves and in the press. Do we have a system of justice that can handle the reality of political corruption and foreign influence at the highest levels of government? How flawed is our system of government and will it survive? Yes, those and many more serious questions need to be asked and answered.

There are those who like to point out the importance of the Rule of Law and how it is the glue, the foundation of our government. However every day we see examples of this Rule of Law not working and not being enforced by and for the privileged class. Laws and regulations are ignored and their violations flaunted. That is the reality that we all see.

When it happens, we are told that there are checks and balances. In government that's why we have an executive, legislative and judicial branch. How are those checks and balances working out? How successful can it be when the executive corrupts the legislative and judicial branches? Could the founders have imagined the level of corruption that has evolved in our government over the years? It may have been little by little at first but eventually has been  in large gulps? As it all plays out, no matter what the outcome, the gullible are told that the system is working.

Accountability is touted as the ultimate solution to all of this. Eventually, either through the courts or elections, people will be held accountable. I am less and less sure of that. Part of Donald Trump's and his party's legacy will be the complete dismantling of the concept of accountability. If you watch closely, you can see it and feel it in action. The Grand Old Party justifies the corruption. The Democrats are not without blame. They talk a good game but are slow to act.

But it gets worse. We have to stop promoting the false value of equal justice under the law. It just isn't true and hasn't't been for many, many years, probably since the inception of the United States government. Remember, this country was formed by slave owners. Remember, women were not included as voting members of society. Remember, our prisons are filled with poor people and people of color. Equal justice under the law may in fact be an ideal value that our country is striving for but we are certainly not there yet and in fact may be going down a road that is taking us further and further from the goal. We can't look each other in the eye and say there is equal justice under the law.

Paul Manafort's sentence is a reality check of sorts. It reminds us that white collar crime is more acceptable than regular old street crime. It reminds us that white privilege certainly does exist and that old white men judged by other old white men will do fairly well in the scheme of things. It reminds us that the system is far from working equally. It reminds us that the 1% are very good at protecting themselves with their money and their power.

So what do we do? Good question and I certainly don't have any complete answers. I do think we need to show our outrage. I think Judges like Judge Ellis do need to be held accountable. Perhaps a vote for his impeachment by the House of Representatives would begin to send a message. There is also a more radical approach tied to our stated value of equal justice under the law. Let's reduce the sentences of everyone in Federal Prisons to 47 months, empty lots of cells and save billions of dollars. It's no crazier than what we're seeing play out before our eyes every day.

54 Years Since Selma's Bloody Sunday

Today marks 54 years since Bloody Sunday in Selma, Al. John Lewis and 40 other Congressional Representatives and their guests are commemorating and reenacting the march over the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Lewis does this every year to try to bring folks together around the issues of racial and social justice as well as the concept of nonviolent resistance. There are visits to various civil rights museum, famous churches and historical sites, talks and songs about the importance of those times and the efforts of so many people. 

As I follow along on on social media it looks like the Congressional group is not as politically diverse this year which is too bad. There seem to be less Republican participants but that could just be me looking at the group. It is also extremely sad that while they were visiting and discussing sites and inclusive history yesterday, Donald Trump was making his remarks to CPAC about immigrants and so many other issues. 

There is much work for Congress to do, to try to move the country forward and it's not just laws that need to be passed. Hate is being celebrated on too many fronts and people are feeling threatened and scared. More and more, people are questioning civility and nonviolence. Confrontation is being promoted and becoming more acceptable. We need reminders that these are really not the solutions that are needed right now. Hate and confrontational reactions to hate just lead to a never ending cycle of hate. Sticking together, standing strong and working toward peace and justice are really what's needed in today's environment. Take your lessons from the history of nonviolent direct action as we all move forward.

Organizing a Disorganized Life

Well my project at organization started with good intentions as a New Year's Resolution. You know, the kind we all make realizing that it may not last but knowing that something needs to be done. This one of mine started as a hope, a wish, and a dream I guess. I was tired of looking at the room I call my office and seeing piles of papers, books and notes all over the place. I mean all over the place - the desk top, the little wooden chest, the top of the bookcase, the printer stand and so on. I was tired of trying to find things in those piles and breaking out into a cold sweat when I couldn't find a critical item. So certainly my intentions were good and needed. What I didn't realize was how interrelated everything in my life seems to be. I found that papers are related to other projects and other projects are related to other things not just the papers themselves. Organizing is related to things, places, people and my life. But I didn't realize much of this before I started putting the piles of paper into new piles, folders, drawers, and boxes or compartments.

My organizing efforts have taken over a good part of my life recently. It's part of why I haven't been writing much. The piles of paper led me to more papers sitting in unorganized but full file drawers. Finding that mess led to a need for researching filing methods which led to the need for specific supplies which led to a new pile of material to be shredded. Although I've been somewhat successful on the file front (categorized and color coded), the beginning project has led to more and bigger aspects relative to organizing my life and my space.

Generally, all of this is good. It clears space and makes room and it's helpful to me in terms of finding things (I think). I'm also hoping that it will help my family and partner when the inevitable happens and I'm no longer around to help find all of these critical and some non critical things.

There are some lessons I've discovered in the realm of one thing leading to another. First, there are drawers and cabinets that most likely exist in everyone's home that have just become places to put things, commonly referred to as "junk drawers". Most of the time these are just other places that need organizing. I found more papers in some of these drawers but also many more types of disorganized things. So the drawers and cabinets became new priorities. Tools, bulbs, can openers, rubber bands, etc. all screamed out for a better home, and many of the places they went needed some level of organization.

This also led to some more and different discoveries. There were pictures, videos and cd's. Some in a drawer, others in boxes and a mixed up pile in an old suitcase that came from my father's house after he passed away. This led to a new project - digitizing and organizing pictures on my computer. This was in addition to the pictures already on the computer. So, a new project and more time. But it continues and it seems to be worth it even if it is hard. Ah yes, some of these projects turn out to be ongoing.

Some place along the way my writer friend Jack, suggested that I should think about publishing a book based on some of my writing. This intrigued me but led to all sorts of research into self publishing methods. In that process I found a great software product that authors and writers use to organize their work. Just what I need, another organizing project. But in the end, this project has been useful too. It has helped me Identify the quantity of my writing as well as the need to get it in some sort of order. It has also helped me put it into a format where it can be filed and stored and that in itself is a huge accomplishment.

So my organizing continues. I've decided I probably need a new shredder since mine keeps overheating. I've put critical papers in a fire proof and lockable file box. I've created a work space in the office area and when things come in the mail that need filing I've got a pretty good idea where they go. I'm not totally sure I can find everything I need but perhaps with time I can create some organized piles on my clean work space. We'll see.