Doing Justice and Granting Mercy

A President's pardon power is allowed under the US Constitution for two very specific reasons. First to do justice and second to grant mercy. The framers recognized that justice is sometimes strained, sometimes not given and sometimes misguided. They also recognized that there are times when mercy is called for even if guilt has been established. These are lofty and valuable thoughts and beliefs. There is a recognition that sometimes systems breakdown and don't work and also that there are times when mercy can and should be given.

Of course these were mere men, centuries ago. They were striving for an ideal and there were religious connotations associated with much of their work. Their's was an experiment that they fiercely debated and took a chance on. I doubt that they had any idea of how long things would last or how complicated the world and their country would become. Just like us, they weren't prepared for the likes of Donald Trump.

We have witnessed again why the choice of leaders is so important. Business leaders, church leaders, political leaders, community leaders - all are of critical importance. Clearly there have been tons of errors in the past in choosing leaders but it never hurts to try to understand what happened and why. Ethics and values are sometimes breached. Poor decision making takes a toll and leaders are removed and changed. Yes choosing leaders is no light task.

Justice is no light task either. There are hundreds of thousands of people right now suffering from injustice. Lives are being wasted in prison cells for minor infractions or due to poor and unfair representation. And there are more examples than prison. People being evicted from homes or businesses. People being discriminated against. People dying due to health system inequalities. No, justice is no light task.

All of this brings me back to Donald Trump's Presidential Pardon spree which is far from over. Doing justice and granting mercy would imply that the person doing these things is capable of understanding them. I don't believe Donald Trump has this capability. What we're seeing is get out of jail free cards for friends, loyalists, political cronies, grifters, war criminals and most likely family members. Justice and mercy are missing in the equation and in the meantime true justice and real mercy for people who deserve it is ignored. 

What's Happened To Us?

America has always been presented as the best, the brightest, the most generous, the most democratic country in the world. Americans have presented themselves and their country in this way as they've traveled or as they sat home living their lives among their families and friends and in a wide variety of communities - large cities, rural communities, small villages and hamlets.

But then Donald Trump came along and impacted not just America but the entire world. Sadly, he represents something much bigger and longstanding - selfishness, hatred, bigotry, bullying, power and superiority are all part of it. His greatest and most relentless harm though is in his repetition of lies that feed on people's mistrust and sometimes hatred for their own government. Honestly, most people have this mistrust of government or management built into their DNA. Like anything else, some of it is deserved and healthy. It's a mixed bag when it comes to anti government promoters. There have been great and important anarchists over the centuries as well as dangerous and crazy ones. Conspiracy theorists haven't helped. But those who have wanted to exploit this mistrust have had a field day.

Certainly none of us like to be pushed around by government, told what to do or what to believe. We like to think we have that independent streak that built America in the first place. On the other hand, a concern for the common good and for people in trouble pulls at us from another direction. Some say it's religious beliefs, others say it's just a basic quality of humanity. There are values at work here - basic values of dignity, fairness, equality, compassion, empathy and more.

But here we are in 2020 and something has gone seriously wrong after four years of constant spewing of alternate realities. We let one man feed our anger and frustration, our fear of each other. We've stood by and watched over 300,000 of our fellow citizens die. Somewhere we became numb to the magnitude of that number. But it gets worse. We've allowed some to feed on the fear and hate of brothers and sisters of color. It has been a long time coming. Institutions meant to protect us all - police and courts have discriminated and hurt and, in too many cases, killed people in our name. Over the past few months we have watched executions ramp up as a Presidential term ends. We have seen even somewhat progressive states and governors continue to house large numbers of prisoners in close quarters during a pandemic and not even think about where these souls will fall on a priority list for vaccinations.

In many cases the pandemic has brought out the best and the worst in people. There are certainly heroes in public health, clinics and hospitals but then look at the anti maskers and party goers who seem to enjoy putting others at risk as they celebrate their independence. There are other selfish people like corporate leaders taking money meant for small businesses, churches and synagogues fighting legal battles to act irresponsibly with the lives they are purporting to serve. Businesses refusing to follow restrictions. Politicians celebrating their independence from facts and science.

Yes, we all need to look at each other and talk to each other about what we've become during the past four years. Why have we failed each other so badly? Why did we become so callous about the deaths of so many people? Why didn't we all rise up sooner and louder and more effectively? Most importantly, we have to ask will we let it happen again? 

Roger Allen LaPorte 1943-1965

Every year at this time, I find myself pondering and remembering Roger LaPorte, a young man and colleague at the Catholic Worker in NYC. It has been fifty five years since the death of Roger by self immolation in opposition to the war in Vietnam and the violence of all wars.  Others have speculated about Roger and his action, sometimes speaking for organizations. I just speak for myself as someone who knew Roger at the time.

Roger worked with me and others at the Worker, cooking meals, feeding the hungry and providing clothing and shelter to men and women on the Bowery, the skid row of the city at the time. Roger had become a part of the small community of mostly young people associated with the Catholic Worker, workers and the peacemakers. His interaction with Dorothy Day was casual like many who volunteered.

His death did create controversy within the Catholic Worker and among its followers. Dorothy Day was impacted by these events, thinking and writing about her duty as the leader of a movement opposed to war and her responsibility for young people demonstrating and going to jail. Thomas Merton took positions from afar. People began speaking for the Worker who had very little knowledge of Roger or his thoughts. Dan Berrigan knew the small community impacted by Roger's death and stepped in to comfort and console. As with so much more, it was a point in time. People evolve in thoughts and knowledge. It's part of our humanity.

Before his action, Roger was raising questions about the inadequacy of people's response to the war and the foolishness, perhaps selfishness, of some of the protests that were taking place. He questioned the draft card burning demonstration that had taken place just a few days before. He knew he opposed the war in Vietnam and had participated in demonstrations against it but was any of it enough? On the morning of Nov. 9th, 1965, Roger walked downtown, poured gasoline on himself and lit a match on the sidewalk in front of the United Nations. He died a slow and painful death the next day. 

Roger's life was clearly important as was his final act. War is real and painful for many. Peacemaking is also real and at times painful. Here are some pieces I've written in the past about Roger, his life and death. I hope he will always be remembered:

Previous Roger LaPorte Postings

Fifty Five Years Ago At Union Square

On Nov. 6, 2020, it will be fifty five years since five men stood together on a platform at Union Square in NYC and burned their draft cards celebrating free speech, opposing the draft and the war in Vietnam. They were joined on the platform by two giants of the peace and social justice movements, Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement and A.J. Muste, clergyman and political activist. The action took place in front of 1500 supporters as well as a large group of counter protesters. It was organized by a coalition of antiwar groups at the time. The lead was taken by the Committee for NonViolent Action. Other organizations involved included the War Resisters League, the Catholic Peace Fellowship and the Catholic Worker.

The five men were Tom Cornell of the Catholic Peace Fellowship, Marc Edelman a young draft resister, Roy Lisker, a writer and activist, David McReynolds of the War Resisters League and myself, Jim Wilson, a resister and Catholic Worker. As it happens I was the only participant who was actually classified as 1-A and eligible for the draft. 

In the first attempt at burning our cards, someone in the crowd shot a fire extinguisher at the flames associated with our burning cards. Due to earlier shouts by counter protesters that we should burn ourselves instead of our cards, we and others thought it may have been gasoline being sprayed and we all stepped back briefly. Regrouping, we relit the pieces of paper that symbolized thousands of young men being called upon to fight a war that many questioned.

There were three aspects to the draft card burning at Union Square. One was to protest the war in Vietnam that was becoming increasingly unpopular. It should be remembered that this was very early in protests against that war. The second was to protest the draft itself and the selective service system that was choosing who would fight in that and other wars, predominantly the poor and men of color. The third aspect was to speak up for the First Amendment and protect the right to free speech and protest. Earlier in the year, Congress had passed a law that specifically made it illegal to destroy a draft card. The penalty was five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine. This legislation was a direct result of more and more people speaking out against the war and public demonstrations that included draft card burning. The legislation was meant to stop the protests and intimidate protestors. A month earlier, in October of '65, David Miller became the first person to publicly challenge the new law and he was quickly arrested and charged. 

On Nov. 6th, the five men mentioned above publicly burned their cards in solidarity and in support of Miller. Three, Cornell, Edelman and Lisker received sentences of six months in prison after a lengthy court battle. One, David McReynolds, wasn't charged due to his age. I plead guilty to the charge and received 2 years probation but I was quickly inducted as a direct result of the card burning. I refused induction and served two years of a three year sentence in Federal Prison.

Today there are many who don't know what draft cards were or what they symbolized. There are those who have no memory of the Selective Service System of that time, the lottery that many feared or the draft itself. Ultimately the draft ended, in no small part because of demonstrations and sacrifices made by many during this period of unrest and protest. Relative to the five protesters that day, Tom Cornell and I are the only participants of the demonstration who are still alive.

Three days after this event at Union Square, a young man and fellow Catholic Worker by the name of Roger LaPorte immolated himself on the sidewalk in front of the United Nations to protest this and every war. He died the following day.

Dorothy Day was one of many women who supported resisters and who worked against the war. Young men, women and families on both sides of the issue were impacted by the war in many different ways and there are still stories to be told. 

Some places to see or learn more:

The Boys Who Said No - website

City of Belief - a novel

Draft Card Burning Video

Dorothy Day's Union Square Speech - Nov. 6, 1965

Below is the text of the speech given by Dorothy Day at Union Square on Nov. 6 in 1965 when five men stood on the platform and in defiance of newly drafted legislation, burned their draft cards. This action along with David Miller's Draft Card Burning in October of 1965, planted the seed for other actions of property destruction vs the killing of children, women and men then and into the future. Miss Day's embrace of the young as leaders in the nonviolent social justice and antiwar movement along with her solidarity with the participants of this action was an important step on her part. She participated that day along with A.J. Muste, clergyman, pacifist and political activist. I was one of the men on the platform and I'll be posting other reflections on the actions that took place on that day fifty five years ago.

DOROTHY DAY, “UNION SQUARE SPEECH” (6 NOVEMBER 1965)

When Jesus walked this earth; True God and True man, and was talking to the multitudes, a woman in the crowd cried out, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breast that bore you and the breast that nourished you.” And he answered her, “Yes, but rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.”

And the word of God is the new commandment he gave us–to love our enemies, to overcome evil with good, to love others as he loved us–that is, to lay down our lives for our brothers throughout the world, not to take the lives of men, women, and children, young and old, by bombs and napalm and all the other instruments of war.

Instead he spoke of the instruments of peace, to be practiced by all nations–to feed the hungry of the world,–not to destroy their crops, not to spend billions on defense, which means instruments of destruction. He commanded us to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, to save lives, not to destroy them, these precious lives for whom he willingly sacrificed his own.

I speak today as one who is old, and who must uphold and endorse the courage of the young who themselves are willing to give up their freedom. I speak as one who is old, and whose whole lifetime has seen the cruelty and hysteria of war in this last half century. But who has also seen, praise God, the emerging nations of Africa and Asia, and Latin America, achieving in many instances their own freedom through non-violent struggles, side by side with violence. Our own country has through tens of thousand of the Negroe [sic] people, shown an example to the world of what a non-violent struggle can achieve. This very struggle, begun by students, by the young, by the seemingly helpless, have led the way in vision, in courage, even in a martyrdom, which has been shared by the little children, in the struggle for full freedom and for human dignity which means the right to health, education, and work which is a full development of man’s god-given talents.

We have seen the works of man’s genius and vision in the world today, in the conquering of space, in his struggle with plague and famine, and in each and every demonstration such as this one–there is evidence of his struggle against war.

I wish to place myself beside A. J. Muste speaking, if I am permitted, to show my solidarity of purpose with these young men, and to point out that we too are breaking the law, committing civil disobedience, in advocating and trying to encourage all those who are conscripted, to inform their conscience, to heed the still small voice, and to refuse to participate in the immorality of war. It is the most potent way to end war.

We too, by law, myself and all who signed the statement of conscience, should be arrested and we would esteem it an honour to share prison penalties with these others. I would like to conclude these few words with a prayer in the words of St. Francis, saint of poverty and peace, “O Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, Where there is hatred, let me sow love.”

When All Is Said And Done

There are many reasons not to vote for for Donald Trump but let's be honest, some of them or perhaps others could also apply to Joe Biden. There are policy differences and liberal, progressive, moderate and conservative goals that millions of Americans can discuss, argue and fight about. There are people on both sides that when you look at them your blood may begin to boil and real hatred starts to rise from the tips of your toes to the top of your head. That's the political reality that all of us are sharing right now.

Here though are some of what I believe are the disruptive, hateful and in a few cases, criminal policies of Donald Trump and his administration that in my mind just can't be tolerated. My own belief is that they violate basic principles and values of the country I live in. It begins with a personal policy that dehumanizes and makes fun of marginalized people. Personally I find this beyond reprehensible. But that's really just the beginning. Our country has moved to a policy of locking up people crossing our boarder. Poor people, women, children and families have been separated and put in cages and detention for seeking asylum. In the most immoral and unethical situations, children have been separated from their parents. In 500 plus cases, our government has been unable to find the parents of the children who have been separated. This isn't about immigration policy. This is about separating families and it will have negative consequences for everyone for many years to come. Remember, this policy was implemented to deter and punish people seeking asylum.

Using language and social media platforms that encourage violence and disruption against those who disagree with you is never helpful. Misleading people and telling outright lies isn't something anyone should strive for. Bullying tactics shouldn't be celebrated. None of this is normal behavior.

Worst of all though are the deaths of close to 230,000 people in the United States due to the Covid-19 virus. Many say that a large portion of these deaths could and should have been prevented. Some would say there has been criminality in these deaths through negligence and intent. Families and healthcare workers have suffered through this process. All of us have had our lives upended with no end in sight.

But here's the bottom line. When all is said and done, whether we agree or disagree on Donald Trump's policies, can any of us honestly say that four more years of living like this is something we should look forward to? When all is said and done, couldn't we all use a break from an environment of arguing and worrying on a daily basis? If we can't agree on policy, let's just agree on the mental health of our country. That to me might be the simplest reason to vote Donald Trump out of office.

Doing Time 1966-1968

It was fifty five years ago, in November of 1965. I, along with four other men, burned our draft cards at Union Square in New York City. This was very early on in protests against the Vietnam war. Of the five, I was the only one who was classified as 1-A and therefore subject to the draft. At the time I was 21 and affiliated with the Catholic Worker movement in NYC. David Miller, a friend at the Catholic Worker, had burned his card a month earlier. These actions were in response to Congress passing a bill that specifically prohibited draft card burning due to the rising number of protests of this kind against the war. The new law carried a sentence of up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. I received a two year suspended sentence and two years probation for that action. I was however ordered to report for induction into the armed forces shortly thereafter. 

In December of 1966 and as a direct result of the draft card burning, I was indicted for refusal to report for induction. The Judge in that case was less compassionate and I was sentenced to three years in federal prison. After spending several months at the Federal Detention Center on West St. in NYC, I discovered that I was being held to face additional charges of violating the terms of my probation in the first case. The prosecutor attempted to add the two years of the first sentence onto the three years of the second. Attorney Bill Kunstler came to my assistance and the Judge in the first case refused to comply with the additional time.

As noted, I spent an unusually long time at the West St. Detention Center but eventually I was transported by bus in shackles on hands, waist and legs to the Federal Penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pa. I spent a fair amount of time at Lewisburg and spent some of it in solitary confinement for minor disciplinary infractions. The same had occurred at West St. Eventually I was sent to Allenwood Prison Camp, a short distance from Lewisburg. Allenwood is sometimes referred to as a 'country club' for white collar prisoners. My experience was different than that and honestly those types of statements are usually made by people who know little about the actual place or incarceration of any form. 

I don't talk about my prison experience very much for a lot of different reasons. One, is that any incarceration brings back bad and yes sometimes terrible memories. It doesn't matter if the incarceration is in a minimum or maximum security prison, a county jail, a mental health facility or an institution of any type where your personal freedom is controlled or taken away by other people who have power and authority over you. Second, I never really felt comfortable with the aspect of promoting my antiwar actions as something out of the ordinary or special. It always seemed to me that my actions should stand on their own. There were others in the peace movement at the time who really tended to promote themselves, sometimes more than their cause. I was always more comfortable with just doing what I sensed was important and the right thing to do at the time. My actions were based more on religious beliefs at the time rather than as a political statement.

My oldest son was born while I was in prison. As a matter of fact, he was born when I was about 4 months into my sentence. That in itself caused a great deal of pain at the time and into the future. When I was sentenced to three years my wife and I had been married for about six months. My marriage ended about 12 years after my release. My ex-wife gave me all of the letters I had sent to her while I was incarcerated. I appreciate the fact that she kept them and gave them to me. Having said that, they have sat in a box for over fifty years. They've survived moves, rearranging and one dog attack, in reality a puppy fighting boredom, where a few of them may have been destroyed.

Recently I decided I had to do something with them. The choices were to organize, destroy or leave them as they were. Organization would be necessary in part due to the puppy encounter where dates and envelopes got all mixed up. Each of the letters was in a prison issued envelope with all of my identification according to protocol - name, prison number and relationship of the recipient - hand written on the inside of the flap. Everything from prison went to the guards unsealed and available for reading before they were sent to the post office. Yes, all communications were censored and still are in most prison settings. 

So a few weeks ago I began the process of opening each letter, shaking out the dust, organizing it according to date and reading the content. Overall it's been a good experience. I've learned that I didn't write very well as a 22 year old under some substantial pressure. I was not a literary giant of any sort and my letters would not offer much in comparison to others, much more famous, who have been incarcerated for their political beliefs. Certainly nothing like Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his Letters and Writings from Prison. My writing and thoughts were immature and unclear in many instances. The pressures of separation from a six month marriage, being an expectant father, the reality of prison and frankly just doing time, come through pretty clearly in my correspondence. In addition, it's hard to read one side of a conversation over a two year period with letters from the second party missing. Also difficult to see the gaps that occurred due to prison authorities holding letters back, etc.

On the positive side there were many good memories and reminders of relationships and friendships that occurred on both the outside and inside of prison. The relationship with my wife at the time being the most important. I was also reminded of how close I was to Dan Berrigan at the time and the many visits he made to every facility where I was housed. He would also drop off a check or cash to my wife from various speaking engagements that he had. I was reminded of the many Liturgies that he performed for a small group of Catholic Workers before and after his exile to Latin America, some at the Catholic Worker and some in our apartments. His brother Phil also visited me a number of times, first as a free man and after awhile as a federal prisoner for his own actions against the war. 

The letters also brought back memories and information about visits from Bill Kunstler and his wife Lottie, as both an attorney and a close friend. There were also many reminders of friends from the Catholic Worker who stuck by me and my wife through the entire time. There were also reminders of my family their support and the struggles my mother and father had with my actions. I also found a message I had sent to be read at my son's baptism which I wouldn't be able to attend. Very nice to have that document for him along with the baptismal certificate he already has signed by Dan Berrigan.

But prison is prison and there were some bad times, mostly having to do with control, authoritarianism, deprivation of respect and decency. There were times spent in solitary confinement at both West St. and Lewisburg. There were mind games and physical hardships brought on by some guards. There was the harassment of visitors and finding ways to make things difficult for them. There was the censorship of incoming mail, disallowance of packages, books and certain correspondence. These things probably seemed more important at the time and more difficult to deal with. The real issues though were the experiences with other prisoners. There were other prisoners of conscience but I spent much of my time with people accused and convicted of violent crimes and those involved in the use or sale of drugs. Men of color were a large portion of people I interacted with. But life in prison doesn't discriminate. Everyone deals with spurts of easy time and hard time. People hurt over their absence from friends and family. Personal relationships on the inside have continuous ups and downs.

The other thing I remembered while reading some of these letters was the disconnect with the outside world and how ever so slowly, a prisoner or at least this prisoner, became dependent on the controlled environment of prison. As an example, I remember on my release going back to NYC and being overwhelmed by the noise, personal interactions and potential for violence without intervention. I also remember not being able to use a dial phone or being able to deal with an operator because I had been away from those experiences for a long time. Others I'm sure have had different, better or worse experiences but these are some of the ones I felt and it's important to realize how people spending 10, 15 or 30 years of their lives in prison have to cope.

I spent 23 months out of my three year sentence in prison. Many things happened during those months: My son was born. I traveled to three different Federal prisons and saw the suffering that existed in each. I met Jimmy Hoffa, union boss and Morton Sobel from the Rosenberg spy case. I met a lot of other not so famous men and learned their stories and their personal challenges both in and out of prison. I was denied parole twice. When I finally did receive parole I only had two months to go before my mandatory release. I spent a number of sleepless nights before deciding to accept my parole. My choice was leaving within a few days with parole restrictions, or leaving two months later with the same restrictions under mandatory release. Not really much of a choice but it kept me awake at night. All of this by the way was a part of the planned mind games and punishment meted out by the federal government. I decided on parole. I wasn't rehabilitated.

My family and I eventually ended up living in upstate NY and after some bouncing around in the workforce I got involved working with people with disabilities, helping to close some state institutions along the way. I continued working in that field for forty years. The draft ended. It ended in part because of the actions brought against it by the young people affected by it. The war also ended eventually. It was replaced by other wars, run by other politicians, always with very few qualms about sending young men and women to fight. Drones became the new weapon of choice and civilians are still killed in the name of something or someone. The country still tries to heal from that war. Personally I've met, worked with and befriended men who fought in Vietnam and they've befriended me. But the healing from the different experiences we went through have been difficult for parties on both sides.

So these are the memories brought back by that box of disorganized letters. At least they're organized now. As I said, I've enjoyed the memories even those that are a bit unpleasant. It has helped me remember some people and their kindness. It has helped me remember some of the folks I shared time with in prison. It has also helped me document that part of my life. 

Mitch McConnell's Shameful Behavior

It is absolutely amazing that Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, can find a way to fast track the appointment of a Supreme Court Justice but can't find the time or wherewithal to pass a much needed Covid-19 relief package. That's right, he and it would seem most of the GOP Senators, are fine with rushing the Supreme Court appointment while some 20 million people are unemployed, countless small businesses are waiting for much needed help and millions of people worry about mortgages and rent. 

How is it possible that a man and his party are so tone deaf to the needs of fellow citizens? Power and control of the courts seem to be the answer. Obviously there are people in this country who have wanted and worked for this control of the courts for a very long time. Who knew that it would be at the expense of fellow citizens to this extent.

Rushing this appointment will have many long term percussions. The Senate and the Court will suffer long term consequences. The Senate has always been a place where processes and debates have been slowed to make sure some bipartisan solutions can be reached. The Court has been viewed as a place where the law vs politics has been the preference. But now as millions of Americans are suffering economic difficulties and millions of others stay home in fear of their health and lives, we see the worst of political gamesmanship.

Mitch McConnell is a multimillionaire who seems to care little about everyday folks. He has accumulated power and wields it over a nation. I doubt that he recognizes how much anger his actions and inactions have generated toward him and his party. We shall see if he pays the price. 

This Is Not A Drill

Yes, we are in serious trouble and no, this is not a drill. 

In case you haven't been paying attention we have a leader who is an authoritarian, antidemocratic and a demagogue. His belief is that if he doesn't win the upcoming election, it is rigged. His latest moves are to threaten that he will ignore the tradition of a peaceful transfer of power if he doesn't win reelection on Nov. 3. No matter what you think about voting, elections, candidates or process, the peaceful transfer of power is what separates democracies from dictatorships. 

The President of the United States says his power and authority are "total". They are not. He has made it clear that he will do anything to keep this fictional power and authority. He touts how well he has managed a health crises that has killed over 200,000 Americans.  In the middle of a highly contagious pandemic he invites his own supporters into arenas where no masks or social distancing are required. Yes, he is putting people's lives in danger by not following guidelines from his own administration. Recently he has threatened to override a decision by the Food and Drug Administration relative to the release of a vaccine for Covid-19 building more distrust in national health policy. He has ordered and used force against his own people. He praises violence against journalists. He has called for "able-bodied" pole watchers. He will create and use enemy lists to punish citizens and opponents. He will pack the courts to make sure he remains in power and that his policies will continue for years. He will not act in the best interests of his country. He has confused people about mail in ballots and instilled fear in people about the institution of voting.

What do we do? Certainly people need to vote. People need to think about how and where they vote. This year more than ever, every voter needs to find out and understand what the local rules are relative to mail in voting as well as in person voting. We need to talk to each other and support each other as voters, families, friends and neighbors because this Presidency and election have put people at odds. The tension, fatigue and exhaustion is being felt by everyone. We're facing things like western forest fires, hurricanes, a pandemic, unemployment and educational struggles. People are stressed and looking for some type of answers and relief.

When fascist leaders appear on the world stage they are sometimes ignored. At other times they are challenged both internally and externally. People will put up with a lot it seems, but at a certain point, people of conscience begin to speak up and act. Conscience is an interesting thing. We all have it. We all struggle with it at some point in our lives. Sometimes we are able to ignore it or tamp it down. There are other times when it screams out at us and demands action. War, violence, injustice, dishonesty, hurtful actions to minorities and damage to the common good are the types of things that make a conscience stand up and act. For many people the criteria for conscientious witness has been met.

There may be more difficult things that people need to be prepared to do. Massive civil disobedience may be required. People like to talk supportively about peaceful protests but let's be clear, civil disobedience and mass arrests may be a necessary response to the actions of a dictator. If it comes to that, these protests will not be pretty. Noncooperation as a response to authoritarianism has a long and valued history in resistance movements around the world as well as in this country. Study up.

Understand The Outrage

The fact is, there are people who don't understand the outrage people are feeling from the latest justice failure in Louisville, Kentucky. All of us, yes all of us, should step back for a moment and understand the reality of why people are outraged.

Breonna Taylor was a young Black woman who's life was erased by the Kentucky Attorney General and the Grand Jury that looked at the incident leading to her death. She isn't the first Black woman or the only Black person whose life has been erased by various Police Departments, States, and Grand Jurys. Think about that. Her life was literally erased from the incident that occurred in her apartment so many months ago. Her name didn't seem to appear anywhere in the indictment that was issued by the Grand Jury. People dwelling in other apartments at the time of the incident were named, but Breonna Taylor, shot as a bystander was not mentioned. 

That in itself is a major part of the outrage. The pain that Breonna's family must feel is incomprehensible to me. A young woman, an EMT and first responder in her community, shot six times and killed in an incident where the actual facts of the warrant and process continue to be under investigation. Yet her name, her person and her being are erased from the entire affair. 

So yes, we can condemn violence and condemn looting but in the end that will make little difference if we don't begin to understand the injustice of a judicial and investigative process that erases people from receiving any justice. This is why we have to say her name - Breonna Taylor - over and over, until more people associated with administering what is supposed to be equal justice begin to understand. The justice system has to change. There has to be transparency when police officers are involved in the death of citizens. Until we have those kind of changes, there will continue to be righteous outrage and anger and people will continue to say her name - Breonna Taylor......Breonna Taylor shot and killed as a bystander with no justice.

He Knew That It Was Deadly & Airborne.......

We are witnessing crimes against our own citizens. Call it what you will - negligent homicide, crimes against humanity, stupidity - the fact is that most likely 100,000 people in the United States have died unnecessarily. They were doctors, nurses, first responders, people of color, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. They were people of means as well as middle-class, the poor and homeless. They all died of Covid 19 during a time when the President of the United States knew that this virus was deadly and airborne, a virus that all of us could be breathing and passing on to one another. What a tragedy, and what a waste of human life this has all been and sadly it continues.

It has to be said. Donald Trump is a fascist and an authoritarian. Do not be fooled. He is not pro life. He has caused these deaths through inaction and for his own selfish purposes - his re-election and the protection of his power. He has continued to downplay this virus right up to the present moment. He mocks the use of masks. He has controlled messaging from scientists.

It's asked many times what people would have done during Hitler's time, when atrocities were being committed on a daily basis against Jews and others? People have always been quick to point fingers against those who stood in silence or worse yet, those who supported those actions. Well our time has come. We can stand by, lower our heads and ignore the facts. We can cheer him on as many have, or we can stand up to this horrific administration and its leader. We can speak out. We can stand up to his power. We can help remove him from office.

As with anyone in power like this, there are many around him who bare responsibility. They knew from both intelligence reports as well as from medical information and projections exactly what was going on and what was happening. They were there from the beginning of this crises and remain today. They should be ashamed and should also be held accountable.

His excuse is that he wanted to avoid panic. This is just not believable from a man who tries to instill hatred and panic on an almost daily basis as he talks about caravans, the second amendment, dangers in the streets and in the suburbs, law and order, and racism. He has separated families and put children in cages. He has incited hatred in his followers. The only panic he was concerned about was in the stock market and the economy.

Justice demands that Donald Trump is removed from office and that he and his administration are held accountable for causing so much death and hardship for tens of thousands of Americans. These injustices can't be allowed to stand.

Immigration Is Our Heritage

Every family in America who is not a Native American came from somewhere other than this country. We came from someone who crossed borders. My story isn't that different from so many others but all of our stories are important. They're important to tell and retell for family and broader audiences because they speak of experiences and courage. They also help us understand how we're all connected through shared values of looking out for future generations and how our ancestors struggled to make things better for their daughters, sons and grandchildren.

My story begins with a little girl playing near a lake in Ireland. She would play dress up by covering her hands and arms up to her elbows with mud from the lake, showing the other children her fancy made up formal gloves like the well to do women would wear. She was the daughter of a hardworking woman and a father who was a baker by trade. The family had dreams of going off to America as other Irish families had. Bridget grew into her teens and one day went off with her younger brother and sister to begin that trip. The three young people waved to their mother and father who they would never see again and began a walk of twenty some miles to the coastal port of Sligo. They boarded a ship and began their journey to that land of hopes and dreams.

Bridget became Beatrice, changing her name hoping that work would be easier to find with a more Anglicized name. She worked scrubbing floors and cleaning offices. She became a housekeeper at a fancy hunting and fishing club and found her future husband, a guide at the club. The guide's name was Bob and his family had come from Scotland and Ireland but many years before. Some had fought in the Civil War. The two eventually married and moved to New Jersey. Beatrice cleaned rooms at Seton Hall for young seminarians and Bob worked as a mail room clerk and janitor at a large company.

Others of my ancestors came from Germany and moved quickly into German neighborhoods in the Williamsport area of Pennsylvania. Hard working butchers and grocery clerks, who again made those long trips across the Atlantic ocean not really knowing what to expect or how they would find work. Their approach was to find communities of other immigrants and relatives and to stick together, working to provide services to each other. As their families grew so did their experiences and talents. They became tradesmen - carpenters, plumbers. They worked with their hands and backs as bakers, gardeners, and janitors.

I grew up learning from these immigrants. I learned about their love for their homeland as well as their love for America and what it provided to them even though there were struggles for basic needs and jobs at different points. They all went through some level of discrimination and non acceptance by other, more established citizens. Immigration is our heritage and every once in awhile we need to look back and honor it and those who paved the way for us.

And now, today, I'm sure there are little girls and boys playing near a lake or next to a river, thinking about and dreaming about a better life. Maybe putting mud on their arms and prancing around like the fancy people that they've heard about wearing evening gloves or suits and dresses. They may not speak English but they speak an understood language of just wanting and trying to do and be better. Let's embrace and welcome them.

Remembering Hiroshima

On August 6, 1945, I was a one year old playing at home in a small New Jersey town. Thousands of miles away, a US bomber, the Enola Gay dropped the world's first atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima in Japan. In an instant tens of thousands of lives were lost, men, women and children. Other thousands were either maimed and scarred for life. Most of these Japanese citizens were civilians who had nothing to do with the war that had raged across Europe and the east. Survivors crawled through smoldering rubble and saw terrible sights of the living dead with burning flesh and missing body parts. Families were separated and lost.

The order had been given by President Harry Truman - Tru Man, an odd name as others have pointed out from a biblical sense. The scientists who had built the monstrous bomb knew immediately that they were now representatives of death and questioned what they had unleashed. But it was too late to question now. The harm had been done and others would want to replicate the weapon and the destruction.

There are still survivors from that terrible day 75 years ago and many work tirelessly to end the continued threat of nuclear war. There are others, people committed to peace and to the end of war. They to work tirelessly, marching, demonstrating, educating, praying and petitioning for an end to nuclear weapon building. Some mark this day with fasting and meditating, trying to make sense of how people continue to find horrific ways to destroy each other. In a few days we will also see remembrances of the second city destroyed by an atomic bomb in Japan, Nagasaki. Thousands more, men, women and children killed and maimed.

These are times for good people to commit to peace and an end to nuclear weapons. We all need to find our own way to make the message heard loud and clear. No to war. No to mass destruction. Refuse to accept it and refuse to participate.

Return to Schools Decision Is Heartbreaking

Watching and listening to all of the discussions taking place about children returning to school in the middle of a health pandemic is truly heartbreaking. Parents, kids, teachers, administrators and communities are all struggling with the decisions they have to make. Sadly there is no national leadership or direction to this critically important issue other than Donald Trump saying "schools have to open". Of course everyone is in agreement on schools needing to reopen but the critical issues are when and how to do it safely for all of us. I really fear that we are heading for chaos and danger for everyone if things continue to go as they seem to be going right now - every district trying to plan on their own, with little assistance from the state and federal governments.

There really doesn't seem to be recognition that without the correct planning and protocols in place, community spread will be the result of these reopenings. Why is it that we all seem to be in the mindset that school has to take place from September through June. It's a nonsensical, made up calendar that can and should be changed based on the threats that school districts and children face. People have talked about lengthened or shortened academic years forever. Lots of things should be possible relative to annual calendars but there is nothing that says schools have to open in September. 

The worst thing is that everything we are all facing was predictable - the confusion, the anger, the threat itself, the economics, the spread. Yes, everything we're facing was predictable over the past 3 or 4 months. All of that time could have been spent on a national response or it could have been spent on a true shutdown to get the Covid 19 virus under control. But instead, we've argued among ourselves about mask wearing, parties, bars reopening, if children are immune, etc., etc. Yes, we've wasted time, critical time and now a false calendar deadline puts pressure on all of us. 

The answer still exists - take the necessary time to get this virus under control as other countries have done. Yes, it's going to take us longer now but that's because we didn't do it right the first time. We all just have to bite the bullet and realize that a national shutdown based on positivity data is a necessary response at this point and that will take national leadership. If the President won't do this on his own, then elected officials in a nonpartisan way along with public health officials throughout the country have to stand up to him and make it happen.

Look no further than your children and grandchildren to see that it has to be done. Yes it's heartbreaking. Every decision being made or worse, not made, is heartbreaking. But all of us could certainly stand down for two or three weeks, stay home and wear masks.

"Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation" John R. Lewis

Everyone should read the last words published by John Lewis. You can read them here. They are powerful words for all of us but especially for the young people involved in the Black Lives Matter movement. John Lewis is speaking clearly to a younger generation, offering them a hand  to rise up onto his shoulders. He understood the need and passion for change better than most. He understood the costs and the pain. That's why he offered his support and wisdom. He's warning us that it won't be easy. It never has been. But he's offering leadership and support that is so lacking from others.

Don't be afraid to speak up and speak out. Don't be afraid of the consequences. Depend on each other. Build bridges within movements, not walls. When you see injustice, don't let it stand, do something about it.

Let's all remember what a radical he was. He wasn't always loved. He certainly wasn't loved when he sat down in the well of the House of Representatives and led other Congresspeople in a sit in there. Also always remember that he was radical in his nonviolent resistance throughout his life. He knew and understood nonviolence. He understood its political power and its ability to force his antagonists to face their own hatred and anger. 

We owe John Lewis a great deal but he already knew that and he accepted what we gave back to him humbly. The real challenge now though is to read those words he wrote and not just today but many times as battles ahead are faced. Finally, let's celebrate the leader that he was with the wisdom to reach out to the young people who are in the streets today and tomorrow. 

Prophets and Saints Among Us - John R. Lewis

I first met John Lewis in 1965. He wasn't famous. He wasn't a big shot of any kind. I had gone down to Selma, Al. just days after the nation watched on TV as a mob of deputies beat and pushed back 600 peaceful marchers. Over the next few weeks I was in Selma, either in Brown Chapel or outside on the street trying to march from the area where police had effectively penned us all in. I was 21, a college student and pretty naive. John Lewis was 25, already a leader and very smart. 

There was a lot going on in that time and place. Much of it I've only learned about years later by reading books and talking to others who participated. While I stood facing a rope that sheriff deputies had put up to fence us in and singing protest songs with local youngsters, John Lewis, Hosea Williams, Andrew Young and James Bevel among others were fine tuning and organizing behind the scenes. Martin Luther King,  Jr. and Ralph Abernathy were away from Selma negotiating with a federal judge about the march to Montgomery. The others were left behind to keep things moving and organized. There were tensions between younger generation protesters represented by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Council (SNCC) and the leadership of the Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC). There were philosophical minefields and some things had to be threaded through the eye of a needle to keep everyone focused on the same mission. This tends to happen in political movements of any type but resolution here was critical.

The nights were cold and rainy. I remember John Lewis huddled with others around a fire in a 55 gallon drum. Some people were mad and arguing about outsiders taking over their protest, their movement. Lewis would go back and forth between the fire and the Chapel and relay messages and feelings from the younger folks to the older (over 30) leaders of SCLC. That's how I remember it anyway, even though I wasn't any part of the conversations. I just knew there was tension and some of us were just supposed to keep the police focused and distracted by our presence at the rope and barricades. 

So that was my first encounter with John Lewis. We probably drank coffee from the same pot and may have shared a sandwich from the boxes that were made by people in the neighborhood. I do know we shared the warmth of that fire in the drum on a few cold nights.

I met John again in 2003. By that time most everybody knew who the Congressman from Georgia was, including me and I was in awe. I had been invited by my then Congressman Amo Houghton to go along with him on the annual Faith & Politics Institute's Congressional Pilgrimage to Alabama. At that time the Institute was Co-Chaired by Lewis and Houghton, a bit of an odd couple but they had grown to be very close, an attribute John Lewis was famous for. When Amo introduced me to John it was as "this is the fellow I told you about who was with you in Selma." John Lewis' reaction was immediate. He took my hand, pulled me toward him and we embraced while he patted me on the shoulder. "Good to see you. We'll talk along the way" he said and we did. We caught up as they say.

That trip included plane flights, bus trips, hotel stops and meals as well as stops at major civil rights historical sites. John did what he did best. He shared the stories of his past and about those sites, the good times and the bad times, the victories and the dreams not yet met. Along the way, I told John about my history after my experience in Selma. How I had gone to the Catholic Worker in NYC, met and worked with Dorothy Day, opposed the war in Vietnam, refused induction and went to federal prison. He knew of Dorothy, the Worker, her work for nonviolence and peace. He told me he was proud of the action I took against the war and thanked me for it.

His passing is hard. He was like a beacon. I'm glad he got to see that Black Lives Matter painted on the street in Washington D.C.  To look down on it and to stand on the letters. He made that and so much more happen. John Lewis was someone you could believe in. Justice and peace and reconciliation were the things he stood for but that didn't mean he couldn't get angry or raise hell when he had to. The world is a better place because of John Lewis. He knew how to laugh and sing and dance after the hard work was done. He was just one of the prophets and saints among us and we were lucky to have him. Rest in Power John Lewis.

The Culture of Policing and What We Can and Must Change

There has been much talk since the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis, Minnesota, about changing policing in America. Change is necessary and long overdue as we continue to see more examples of inappropriate use of force on a daily basis. But while we change it, we need to understand this culture that all of us have helped to create.

Policing is really about power, authority, domination and control. It's also about who's in control. We know it, we just don't talk about it very clearly or often enough. The power and control spills over into other jobs and institutions like prisons, mental health facilities, group homes, homeless shelters, schools and health care facilities. Anywhere that one group of people is deemed in control and more powerful than another group. In this process, the kept become less human than their keepers and all of the rules change. We are no longer all equal under the law. Not all of the keepers are bad people but they have to fight every day to continue to see the humanity of people placed under their control. They face peer pressure as well as supervisory and administrative pressure to meet their mission of control and order and economic bottom lines.

Unless we understand that this is what we do to each other and what we expect others to do for us, we will never be able to change all of the systems that need to be changed. The intimidation of a prison guard, being able to control when you eat, if you shower, or what you read, is not that much different than a bad policeman, teacher, clerk in an office and so on. Power over others seems to be addictive and it can spread within institutional thinking. Policies, training and protections have to be in place to control it. Treating people with dignity and respect is a basic value that should drive any organization. It becomes much, much worse when we add racism to the equation. Yes, when people in power are mostly white, when the people they represent are mostly white, should we be surprised at how racism creeps into this system of power and control. People of color are treated differently with every interaction and we should all know it by now.

We add to the problem when we model our police after the military or worse a militia. It starts with uniforms, insignias, badges and titles like Chief, Lieutenant and Sargent. It moves forward more clearly with weapons, guns and military grade equipment. Crowd control demands more oppressive items like shields, three foot batons, tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray. The weaponry and guns of the police have increased in a similar way as the nuclear arms race. As guns and the use of guns have increased in the US, police agencies have felt the need to keep up to try to stay on equal footing with criminals. Law enforcement, municipalities and legislators just can't seem to connect the dots between more guns equaling more guns. Yes, we've continued to militarize the police. All of these things have seemed appropriate at one time or another, unless of course your head was clubbed or your son or daughter was gassed while protesting.

The black experience with law enforcement is brutal and immoral. The fact that we as a society have allowed and condoned people to be shot while running from an officer with no weapon or to be beaten and choked for crimes where a white person would be reasoned with and ultimately given a mere warning for similar instances should help us understand. But does it? Or, are we all so much a part of the problem, that we haven't seen our own responsibility for inappropriate policing? 

People are beginning to understand that there are some really basic changes that need to happen. Things like licensing and professionalizing people we call policeman. Looking seriously at who is being hired for policing positions. Ongoing training in deescalation and calming techniques. Real oversight of complaints and tracking of inappropriate citizen encounters or the use of force. Reallocation of policing dollars to community programs that will help to reduce or change interactions with the police. Demilitarization of police agencies including a review of who should actually be carrying weapons. Make unions and their members in law enforcement accountable for their representation and defense of bad and dangerous behavior. End the use of chokeholds. Require intervention when police see other police violating policies or civil rights. Reimagine law enforcement itself, its language, its dress, its purpose.

Black lives certainly do matter. People who are black should not be treated any differently than anyone else in terms of any police intervention. Equal justice under the law. Enough is enough. Help bring about change now. Protest, meet with local officials, write letters, donate to organizations fighting for change and hold elected officials accountable.

Jack Cook, Catholic Worker, Author

Today we lost a treasure. Jack Cook, Catholic Worker, mentor to many, friend and colleague to others passed away at home in Endwell, NY on June 5, 2020. Jack was many things to many people. Father, husband, brother, teacher, writer, poet, author, laborer, soup maker, anarchist, story teller, troublemaker, personalist, hobbit, drinking buddy, felon and ex-con for resisting the draft, a hero. He could be one of the kindest persons in the world and a royal pain in the butt, sometimes at the exact same moment. That was Jack. Some called him a curmudgeon and he loved the role.

Jack and I met at the Catholic Worker, sometime in 1965. We argued about politics and strategies. We bemoaned the state of the movement and leaders who were more interested in promoting themselves rather than promoting the end of the war and some sort of lasting peace. Jack’s writing caught the eye of Dorothy Day and she loved his pieces and looked to him for advice on organizing and editing the Catholic Worker monthly paper. Jack was sent by Dorothy to Delano California where Cesar Chavez was organizing strikes by farmworkers along with a national grape boycott. Jack’s job was to document what was happening but he couldn’t resist getting actively involved in the strikes and demonstrations. This was just one stop along Jack’s roads less travelled.

I went off to prison while Jack stayed involved at the Worker, making soup and organizing the clothing room and writing, writing, writing. He had writing projects incubating in his head, seeds planted by experiences, feelings and beliefs that he would test on people in great flurries of speech and language, in pubs or on the street sitting on a park bench, curved pipe always full and hanging from his lips. I’ve watched that pipe fall, be caught or burn a hole in his pocket more than a few times. 

One day, I saw my old friend arrive in the federal lock up where I was hoping for, praying for my own release. We walked together, went to the little chapel together and kept up with the news together. The day came when I was released and left Jack. He continued to get into good trouble, advocating and looking out for other prisoners and always writing about it. He led a little uprising while in prison (no small thing really) and ended up doing time in isolation more than once. His time being incarcerated affected him as it does everyone who experiences it and he did what Jack always did. He wrote about it.

Jack eventually returned to the Catholic Worker. I had moved to upstate NY and was living in Spencer, NY, a small town south of Ithaca. One day I got a call from Jack, he had some family difficulties and was getting away from the city. We talked and talked and next thing you know Jack and I concluded he should come and spend some time living with me and my young family. From there Jack got one of the jobs he enjoyed the most in his life I think. He started working at a small sawmill turning logs into planks with a team of workers he befriended for life. Jack eventually ended up in Ithaca, teaching and writing and his life went on and included meeting his wife and partner Ellen. 

He and I have remained friends through these many years. We’ve supported each other, complained about ourselves and everyone else to each other and encouraged each other on various projects and detours that we’ve both taken.

I’ve taken to writing a few things here and there myself through a blog called The Gadfly. Jack would always encourage me. He’d teach me about the muse who comes and goes and sometimes teases and frustrates every writer, musician, poet. He was certainly a critic and sometimes a very harsh one. On the other hand a compliment from Jack about your writing was like getting a gold star in kindergarten and he gave me a few. I’ll always appreciate that. 

But now Jack is gone. His was a strong voice at the Catholic Worker that needed to be heard. Sometimes it was welcomed and other times it was rebuffed. His words and writings though will live on. His book on prison “Rags of Time” and his writings about times and people at the Worker, “Bowery Blues” are still out there waiting to be read and shared on bookshelves and in studies where leather chairs, fireplaces dwell and pipe smoke hangs in the air. 

Here, here Jack. Presente!

The Night We Became The States of America

It was June 1, 2020 a little before 7pm. A large group of peaceful protesters were cleared from the streets surrounding the White House in Washington, DC. They were pushed quickly and violently from the area by Military Police, the Federal Park Police and the US Secret Service. Loud smoke bombs, rubber bullets, shields, tear gas and mounted horses were used in the attack on Americans in their own land at their own Capitol. It was eerily familiar to people who had marched in places like Selma to see these sights.

At the same time Donald Trump spoke from a podium in the Rose Garden. There he read a statement filled with words that will go down in history, reminding people that they had elected a pretty crazy person who didn't understand the Constitution that he took an oath to uphold. His statement was both sad and shocking. He referred to himself as the law and order President and yet mentioned nothing of George Floyd's illegal death in Minneapolis . He said he was defending peaceful protesters as he was having them removed from the streets around the White House. He threatened to send Federal troops and the military into individual States. He spoke of domination, similar to the ways some police across the country dominate citizens.

After that, this man who had been mocked about his being taken to a bunker in the White House, walked over to St. John's Church as if he wanted to show off his bravery and manhood. He took the Secretary of Defense, the Attorney General and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who was dressed in fatigues, with him. It was for a photo op with a Bible at a place of worship. It ended up being an expression of impotence and incompetence. A faked attempt at messaging.

Having said that, it was also a visual announcement to our country that we had formerly become, under Donald Trump, the States of America. We are no longer united in any way. The reality show President has taken us to this place. Yes, he has taken us to the worst reality show Presidency that anyone could ever imagine. No, sadly we are divided. We have soldiers and police following orders that in their hearts, they may know are questionable. There are Cabinet members and White House staff and Senators and Congresspeople who don't know what to do next. Governors have been threatened to follow Trump's orders or be damned.

All of this should sadden the entire country and the world. It seems the United States is gone. Its remnants are a mess. Donald Trump created his carnage and his swamp. Institutions have been torn down. Competent people have been removed from critical jobs and functions. All of this has happened in the middle of a pandemic that has killed over 100,000 Americans.

So here we are the States of America, looking for answers, struggling for solutions and we all watched it happen formally on June 1, 2020. I fear it is not over.

Outside Agitation vs Dismantling Institutional Racism

I preface this article by letting people know that I detest violence. I've fought against it most of my life. Having said that, I have also seen the establishment, almost always, blame the consequences of public demonstrations on outside agitators and anarchists. Fairly seldom has any blame been placed on segregationists, homophobes, or sexists or white nationalists. Usually, the accusers also have very little knowledge about the political philosophy of anarchism or personalism but what they know is that throwing out the term anarchism can produce visceral reactions. That is a topic though for another article.

The recent events in Minneapolis have caused lots of feelings, actions and reactions. Government officials responding to property destruction are moving in a direction of militarism, strong physical containment, and purportedly some questionable citizen electronic surveillance. There has always been a tendency to blame others when a crisis shows up. Blaming victims of injustice is an easy but incorrect response.

The fact is that it's much easier to ratchet up and blame outside agitators than it is to analyze, discuss and bring about the systemic changes that end racism in society, government culture & operations, policing, or criminal justice. Throughout history there have always been righteous outsiders & agitators. The list could go on and on. They showed up in Seneca Falls, Selma, and Stonewall. Some of that list includes names like Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcom X, Gandhi, Dorothy Day, Cesar Chavez.

The first step right now is to understand the pent up anger and frustration with systems that never change. People have been here before. Communities of color and poor people understand the past better than most of us. The list of deaths, arrests, beatings and unfair treatment are long and old. Demonstrations and marches have taken place before and nothing changes. America is a tinder box. We have a President who tweets hatred and lies to the masses. We have white men and women showing up at state capitols with military grade weapons and no consequences. We have a criminal justice system hidden from society unless you have to contend with it yourself. We have prison populations made up of the poor and people of color. There are police and police agencies who treat the black community differently and many times brutally. Government officials and community leaders would be better off discussing and solving these issues, short term and long term.

There always have been provocateurs and probably always will be. They include the left, the right, undercover police, undercover intelligence agencies, militia members, etc. This fight though is about justice. It includes policing, housing, jobs, economic fairness. None of this is about one city at a time. This is about our entire country and we need to recognize it quickly. 

So let's not have issues of who's marching, who's protesting and which group needs to be surveilled take over the conversation, the activities, or the hard work of systemic change. We need to keep our eyes on the prize and fight for true justice for all, in the street, in the council room and in the board room.

Racism in America Is Very White

Racism in America is real and blatant and until white America recognizes it and does something about it, it will continue, mostly unchecked. George Floyd's arrest and murder is just the latest high profile example of this unbridled racism and of racist actions by public police authorities.

We have to accept that racism in America is baked into the daily routines and actions by those in authority and that this is being done in our names as white Americans. We've seen it enough. The examples are all over the place and they continue every day. But it all comes from someplace. Belief in superiority, inferiority, threats to or against women as property, manhood.

Think about what we've seen in the past few weeks. A young, black jogger,  tracked, followed, challenged, harassed and shot in a white neighborhood. Then a white woman in Central Park being asked to leash her dog in an area where leashing is required. The person making the request was a black man, following every social norm imaginable. The woman's response was to threaten him, using her whiteness and his blackness in a call to 911, and she does just that, believing it would bring the weight of authoritarianism down on this man. A black man threatening a white woman, the basis for so much historical racism. All of this followed by George Floyd being stopped, arrested and killed by a police knee on his neck while he pleaded for a breath.

Mr. Floyd's death is criminal and the racism that led to it is criminal. My eyes and brain are in fact the judge and jury because our justice system continues to fail black Americans. Please be honest with yourselves. If you had passed a $20 counterfeit bill in your hometown or even if you were traveling out of town, would multiple police cars show up? Would you be dragged and put against a wall while you protested? Would you end up on the ground with a knee on your neck and a police officer taunting you, threatening you to get up or resist more? You know the answer as well as I do. No, this is racism in America today and it doesn't happen to you or me.

The fact that these officers, who caused Mr. Floyd's death, have not been arrested is another example of the racism and police authority that continues to threaten our country and our people. The lack of police accountability is blamed on union contracts, poorly written policies and procedures or the need for never ending investigations. What is wrong with municipal leaders, police chiefs and district attorneys along with rank and file police officers? Are they blind or are they just fulfilling a long accepted practice of making excuses for authoritarian racism? And yes, people had to force justice's hand in every other case through videos and/or eyewitness accounts.

Until white Americans speak out and do something about these practices and incidences of racism that take place every day in our names, all of this will continue. We have a responsibility to force the change that needs to happen. You know it's there. You know it's happening. Speak up whenever and wherever you can.

Reimagine and Rebuild

Re-opening the economy is the topic on everyone's mind it seems. Some want to force the issue through protests that include bringing guns to state capitols. Nazi and Confederate flags show up interspersed with American flags and MAGA hats making one wonder if any of these scholarly folks have any real concept of the meaning or history of these symbols? That's where we are in this country, as thousands of people die each day from this virus.

We've also heard from Andrew Cuomo, Governor of NYS, talking in some different terms. He's asking people to think about something a bit more complex than just re-opening and thinking they can go back to things as they were. He's pointing out that we need to view things more critically relative to our current plight and give thought to reimagining and rebuilding before we reopen. He's getting a lot of heat and a lot of pushback for what he's saying. Some of it is fair and some isn't. The reality is though that change is always hard.

I've had my own issues with Gov. Cuomo over the years. He has authoritarian tendencies. He can be aloof and speak down to people. He can also be extremely rigid in his approach to issues and his response to critics. He tends to be a 'my way or the highway' type of guy. His jokes can be pretty lame too. So I understand the negative reaction he sometimes gets. On this point however, I think he's right. If this pandemic has shown us anything, it's that we weren't ready for a crisis of this magnitude. It has also shown us that same old, same old won't work.

The strongest pushback he's gotten is on the concept of reimagining education in NYS and probably the entire country. Is traditional classroom style learning the best or only way to learn? Can we continue to afford the infrastructure of buildings, equipment and more? Similar questions are also being asked throughout various business sectors i.e. tourism, entertainment, food service, manufacturing, retail and health care. This is because we have the potential of something like this happening again.

But reimagining education and thinking about all the change that would be necessary is scary for many and as we know, change is generally very difficult. This is especially the case when we're looking at a model that has existed for centuries. The reality is though that pre-K, K-12 and College learning really should be looked at in terms of why things should continue as they are currently structured.

Obviously there are some huge challenges with bringing this type of change about. This, however, is the time to start the process. One of the biggest challenges is the lack of internet access to every home in NYS. Governor Cuomo and other politicians would have us believe that feat has been accomplished but it hasn't really happened the way it needs to. There are still many homes without high speed, uninterrupted internet access. That would have to change almost immediately which would be a good thing. It's unacceptable that so many homes and businesses are without this necessary service today. Parents and children still sit in parking lots or go to Public Libraries just to get access for homework assignments. It's no way to treat citizens and it needs to be corrected asap.

There's lots of discussion about how different and how difficult online teaching and learning is for everyone involved. The thing we should remember is that we were forced into our current situation. There was little time to train or even figure out how learning and teaching would take place. But teachers, parents and students have forged ahead and innovation is out there taking place every day. We need to learn from that and encourage new thinking and practices.

Post secondary education is a real challenge. Much of our approach to College is cultural. Choices need to be made about the importance of the campus life experience vs education. There are many people - students, parents and educators who will argue endlessly about the critical importance of the 'experience'. Yes it's nice, it's fun, it's a part of growing up, etc. but is it all that necessary for a good education. These are radical ideas for some people, but it seems they need to be discussed now at a time when we see the chaos that pandemics can bring.

So reimagining things can be helpful. We just need the courage to do it and encourage it, to throw resources at it and to create discussions that help people see things as they could be. We need to rebuild, so let's reimagine and do it better and smarter.

Urge to Re-open vs Safety

Here in my little corner of Upstate New York, people are certainly trying to figure out how to go back to some kind of normal in their lives. As I've mentioned before, I am a highly compromised and vulnerable person at 76 years of age and diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis and Emphysema. I've been self isolated from the beginning of this Covid-19 crisis except for two instances of going out to get necessary blood tests.

Yesterday I ventured out for the first time for a car ride with my wife and was really surprised to see all of the activity around town and at Mennonite greenhouses that dot the area. People are clearly feeling antsy and are trying to move Spring along just a little faster and my sense is that most are trying to do it safely. We didn't stop anywhere on this ride but just wanted to get out and take in some sites around the area.

Governor Cuomo has indicated that our regional area of the Finger Lakes is able to reopen cautiously as of May 15. People seem to be moving forward even faster than that. It seems that once you release the brake or as he says open the valve, all hell is ready to break loose and honestly it will be very hard to close things down again unless the consequences are truly dire. So it seems that concentrating on safety is the best all of us can do and yes, that safety includes factoring in the people who are out there not following safety procedures.

Of course all of this would be easier if the Center for Disease Control would issue clear guidance on best practices for various types of businesses and entities. Everyone would be served by this - businesses, government, educational and health facilities, churches and the public at large. That really shouldn't be too much to ask of the federal government or of our state or counties.

In the absence of CDC guidelines on re-opening, it seems to me, that most of the precautions we all need to take are common sense:

• We should continue to wash our hands and use hand sanitizer often and between stops at stores or other places we visit.
• We should really measure some of our stops based on density - you know, how many people are at a particular location.
• We should understand that part of the density issue an be measured by noise factors. If there's loud shouting, cheering, people talking over one another, we're probably in too dense an area. 
• We should continue the social distancing guidelines and wear masks or face covers.
• We should listen to public health officials. They know the issues and follow science and data. Basically, we can trust them to have our best interest at heart.

That's it. We are in this together and we have to depend on each other. I'm not interested in admonishing or giving the non believers a hard time. I just want to see us get through this. So as you go about your business, be safe and stay safe and treat each other with respect.

The Criminality of COVID-19 and History

Today we marked a milestone here in the U.S. The total number of Covid-19 cases surpassed one million people and we are close to reaching 60,000 deaths due to this virus. That number of deaths surpasses the number of deaths we had in the Vietnam War. Think about it. Sixty thousand individual lives. Each with a story behind them. Each with families left behind. It's a staggering number and something we need to reflect on.

History has a funny way of unraveling the past. It does it by looking at things that happened, how they happened, who was responsible and how populations responded to particular stages of events taking place. The coronavirus or Covid-19 and our country's response to it will be written about and analyzed from top to bottom. I believe it will be written and lectured about as well as measured against other major human tragedies like World Wars, the Holocaust, various genocides and the rise and fall of Empires. It is monumental in terms of its significance. It will also, I believe, be held up as an example of some of the greatest criminal negligence on the part of government officials.

In the retelling of the Covid-19 disaster, no stone will be left unturned. Intelligence briefings, meeting memos and transcripts will be part of the record. Whistleblowers will come forth eventually and stories will be told in journals, in books by reporters and by participants at various levels. There will be hearings, legal proceedings, elections and more. Worse yet, there will be more deaths to be counted and avenged. It is not a very lovely picture for anyone currently in office or working in a responsible government agency. That also goes for private firms, medical agencies and even journalists and news organizations. Accountability spreads itself out over time and covers every aspect of historical events.

In real time, more things are being discovered about who knew what and when. It is pretty clear that the President's daily intelligence briefings included information on the Coronavirus and were ignored. Personally, I believe there will be criminal inquiries over all of this and like the Nuremberg Trials, many people will be questioned about their actions, inactions, responses and activities. Questions will be asked of Democrats as well as Republicans. Citizens will be challenged to think about their own actions or inactions. When and how did people speak their conscience seeing daily death reports? What did we do about an incompetent administration and the lack of a strategic plan to save lives? How long did we all allow discussions to go on and on about tests vs. testing supplies as people continued to die?

It may take awhile for everyone to figure out the difference between incompetency or mismanagement and criminal activity but it will become more clear with time. I want to be able to show that I said and did something about it. Join me.

Everyone Loves Frontline Workers, But........

My professional and personal experience when I talk about front line workers, has to do with people who provide direct support to people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. We call them Direct Support Professionals because they provide direct support and they are professionals in the way they do it. These are the people who work everyday, helping people living in various community settings to dress, to bathe, to toilet, to prepare and eat meals and to live as independently as possible. Much of my career was spent as an administrator of programs like this, although early on I had my own experience providing direct support in these and other settings. The Covid-19 crises, lock down and isolation orders have been especially difficult for people working and living in these settings.

There has been a lot said about front line workers over the past few weeks and we've all been forced to really think about who these people are - doctors, nurses, janitors, bus drivers, sanitation workers, grocery store stockers, clerks and so many more. Few though think about the people I mentioned above. With the impact of this virus they've continued their work, their mission of supporting people with disabilities and their independence wherever possible. Everyone loves these workers right now, families, administrators, legislators and governors. They are the saints and heroes who come in to work now every day and night as essential workers. Interestingly they were essential before this virus appeared. They're essential everyday. We can all agree on that.

Essential but.....yes there's always a but. The but here is that we don't pay them a decent wage, at least not in most cases. Most of these people work for under $15 per hour. Most are women. Most have families to support. Administrators say they don't get adequate funding to pay a decent wage. Funders including legislators, governors and taxpayers may say they love these folks in one breath but quickly point out that money just goes so far and decisions have to be made based on priorities. Hogwash, baloney, and a double crapola. If we learn anything from what we're all going through with this pandemic, it's that we have to recognize the value of all of the heroes that have been identified. We have to come up with long term solutions to pay these front line workers decent salaries or living wages. We have to stop ignoring their value. There is and will continue to be pressure on every level of government relative to funding and this current crises will make the economics worse, but all of us can help set priorities. Let's not forget the people we said were so great when Covid-19 struck. Banging pots is a nice gesture but a real paycheck is so much better.