I went to my local post office yesterday, 10/11/2022, to mail a letter via certified mail.  My wife had been experiencing problems since April this year with getting in touch with someone that she really needed to speak to.  Finally, I suggested that since she was unable to reach this person by phone, I would contact her by mail since what she needed to talk to her about impacted on both of us.  My wife agreed that this would be worth trying so…

When I arrived at the post office that afternoon, as usual, the line was long.  There was only one post office employee working the counter – I will not label this situation as another “as usual” thing but I will call it common, so I settled in for the wait.  Shortly after I got into the long line, a young man got into line behind me.  He struck me as a cordial, polite and well-mannered young man so I did what we older folks consider to be the polite thing to do; I greeted him with what I will refer to as the obligatory hello.  I was right, in his own cordial, polite and well-mannered fashion he responded in kind.  Hello sir, he said.

Before I knew it, I found myself involved in an interesting conversation with him.  This young man told me his name and said that he was the coach at a school in the area.  As we continued to talk, I surmised that his coaching job was either a parttime activity to earn extra income or it was a completely voluntary thing that he enjoyed doing while giving something back to his community, which he seemed to care a lot about.  I further theorized that this school was a small and not well-known one.  I found out that I was correct in my assumptions when he told me its name and where it was located.  As our conversation continued, I found out that he was in his mid-thirties, was concerned about the ongoing gentrification of Black communities and cared a lot about helping young Black men who were struggling for various reasons, to stay on the right path and continue to move forward.

All the while that I was talking to this young man thoughts about another young man that I was intrigued by and had struck up a conversation with kept coming to mind.  I met this particular young man in the barbershop back in 2014 when I was getting a haircut.  I can’t recall his name but I remember that he too was affiliated with education, was concerned about the gentrification of Black communities and wanted to help young Black children and other children of color to stay on the right track and become assets to their communities.  This young man was a teacher at a school in a largely Black community.  Further, he too spoke with excitement in his voice about what these young Black children and other children of color could achieve if only given the opportunity and the right people to genuinely care about and mentor them.

The next thing that I knew, I was at the front of the line and would be next to be called to the counter.  The lady that was at the counter ahead of me, like me – she was also a senior citizen, must have overheard our conversation during the entire time that we were waiting in line because when the postal clerk that was assisting her at the counter went to the back area to check on something for her, she came and spoke in a whispered voice to the young man that I was talking to.  I could not hear what she said to him before she went back to the counter but from the expression on his face, he seemed to be touched by her words.

When the clerk returned, finished helping her and called “next”, I quickly told this young man that I had enjoyed our conversation and said goodbye.  I proceeded to the counter, paid to have my letter sent via certified mail, left the post office and headed for home.  Although I am not able to remember the young man’s name that I chatted with in the barbershop back in 2014, I recall exactly who the young man in the post office is.  However, since I didn’t get his permission to use his name in this article and I am not sure how he would feel about having his name publicized, I will simply refer to him as Coach ZR.  So, good luck in your efforts to help support and guide the young men that you are working with, Coach ZR.  I hope that in the long run they will be better off because you cared about them and provided them with more than just lip service.  Even if just one of them ends up better off, you will have accomplished a great and honorable task because every single person is, and as they should be, a precious life that is worth saving.

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

Trump’s America is slowly but steadily making “progress on regression” – a.k.a. Make America Great Again (MAGA).  Trump supporters are working hard and tirelessly to take America back to the “good ole days” as defined by the former The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and his followers.  In my opinion, Mr. Trump’s followers can easily be subdivided into two distinct categories; heartfelt followers and sycophants.   Here, I will identify “heartfelt followers” as those Americans who honestly believe that the 2020 election was stolen from Mr. Trump.  I will identify “sycophants” as those Americans who are his toadies and who willing carry his water.  They are the ones who help him to keep his current followers convinced that he is still the legitimate president and convert prospective new followers.  These sycophants are comprised mostly of federal, state and local elected officials.

It is pretty easy to identify the first category of Mr. Trump’s followers but it is much harder to identify the second category; “sycophants.”  These sycophants know without a doubt that Mr. Trump’s “Big Lie” that the 2020 election was stolen from him is nothing more than a hoax but they go along with it because they are seeking to gain an advantage.  It is harder to identify them because they do not want to be readily identifiable to the American people overall because this would have a negative impact on the advantage they are seeking to gain.  Instead, when it is convenient, they want to be readily identifiable as Trump followers and/or sycophants only to the Republican base.  Then, when it not convenient to be identified as such, they want to be opaque and, perhaps, be identified simply as a Trump follower because they agree with his policies but not the man.  And still in other cases – when they think that the red meat Republican base is not watching, deny being a Trump follower at all.

Many of the Trump followers – in particular the sycophants, are sitting elected officials who are just desperate to keep their jobs and hold on to power.  They hate what Mr. Trump is doing and what he represents but they choose to sacrifice their principles and ignore their oath of office in these desperate attempts to remain in office.  They forget that the reason that we the people placed our trust in them and put them there in the first place was because we believed that they would put America first and protect her and the American people against all enemies, foreign and domestic.  It appears more so with each passing day that we were wrong.  Although President Joe Biden has been in office for almost 21 months now there are still those- including Virginia Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who believe that he is not America’s legitimate president.  They believe that Donald J. Trump is.

It is not hard to understand why many Americans are frustrated and fearful about where America is headed.  We watched Mr. Trump thumb his nose at the law during the four years while he was in office and now, we have watched him do the same thing again during the almost 21 months that he has been out of office.  Every day we continue to hear about how no one is above the law; yet, Mr. Trump remains to be held to account.  It is likely that by now all Americans know that the wheels of justice turn slowly for rich folks that the system is trying to hold accountable for something that they have allegedly done.  But the only time that this occurs for people of color and other poor folks without power and money is when you are trying to get innocent folks who were falsely imprisoned out of jail.  The regular lamentations about how terrible the things are that Mr. Trump has done and how Republicans should grow a backbone and step up and condemn him for them have long ago grown stale; especially when he continues to flaunt his wrongdoing on the world stage still without consequences.

As Americans, we deserve better.  We deserve to have our system of justice work the same for all Americans.  And yes, this includes Mr. Trump even if he is the former The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America.  But Americans are not strangers to a system of justice that does not work the same for all Americans.  The system has never worked the same for the rich and powerful and the poor and powerless.  As obviously wrong as it is, preference has always been given to the rich and powerful.  But the system has never been known to willingly completely fail.  With the situation with Mr. Trump, it is on a fast track to complete failure if he is not held to account and is allowed to continue his outrageous antics while continuing to thumb his nose at the law.

I mentioned earlier in this article that Trump has followers and that those followers can be subdivided into two distinct categories, “heartfelt followers” and “sycophants”.  I further said that the sycophants were comprised mostly of federal, state and local elected officials.  What I did not mention was that there are others in this category who are nominated and confirmed to the highest judicial level in our country, the Supreme Court, by some of those federal level elected officials.  These justices are tasked with making the final decisions on cases that have been argued in the lower-level federal district courts and appellate courts, yet remain unresolved.  The Supreme Court is the virtual glue that holds together the actual “rule of law” in America.  It is the fundamental foundation for the rule of law without which rule of law would be unable to stand.  That is why the great majority of the public must believe that the Supreme Court is an apolitical institution and that its decisions are fair, just and based strictly on the law.

Unfortunately, that is not the case right now.  Polls indicate that trust in the Supreme Court has fallen by at least 22 points over the past two years and is at its lowest ever approval rating.  The preponderance of Americans believe that the Supreme Court is definitely political and many believe that it is little more than an extension of the Republican Party.  The Court has earned this reputation through its rulings lately by overturning longstanding precedence, with the crown jewel being Roe vs. Wade, simply due to the appointment of new justices to the Court that gave the rightwing a supermajority.  The Supreme Court just begun its new session in October this year and plans to hear at least three very key cases – Merrill v. Milligan, Sackett v. EPA and Moore v. Harper – that can have a major impact on the Voting Rights Act, clean water standards and whether or not the “independent state legislature” theory will be established as the law of the land, respectively.  Based on its resent decisions, it is hard to determine what the Court will do.  It seems to be impervious to public opinion and determined to implement the rightwing Republican agenda.

Time is fleeting, America.  Our elected officials must act if we intend to keep our republic and democracy.  And right now, the Democratic Party and those Republicans who want to keep our republic and our democracy don’t appear to be acting with the urgency which this situation demands.  Mr. Trump must be held to account!  This does not mean that he absolutely must be found guilty.  But if the evidence determines that he is guilty then he must be held to account via a legitimate and fair trial.  Further, if the evidence determines that he is guilty and he is not held accountable then this will only embolden him and he will do even worse things.  There will be no limit to how far Mr. Trump will go except for the limit that he places on himself…good luck with that!

We must put pressure on our elected officials and keep it there to represent us, the voters who put them in office, and not themselves.  If they don’t do what we elected them to do then we must exercise our power through our collective vote – this November and in future elections, and remove them from office.  No matter how bleak the situation may appear to be right now, know that we can do this!  So always remember, whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

The case “The former Donald J. Trump of the United States of America vs. The United States of America” is imminent… and so far, he is winning.  Yes, I’m aware that there is something that seems a little bit odd about this statement.  So, to state it more clearly, Mr. Donald J. Trump vs. The United States of America has not even started yet but he is already winning.  What do I mean?   Here is a mock exchange, founded on events that actually occurred, between Mr. Trump and the United States of America.  Based on this exchange, you decide.

The United States of America:  Based on tradition and norms Mr. The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, you must make your tax information available to the public.

Mr. Trump:  In essence Flips the bird, aka f**k you.  The “aka” is a one-time clarification, in the very unlikely event that there is anyone in this world who does not know what this means.   So, if this expression should happen to occur again in this article you will know what it means without further clarification.

The United States of America:  Mr. The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, based on traditions and norms, you must avoid even the appearance of nepotism in your administration.

Mr. Trump: Flips the bird.

The United States of America:  Mr. The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, it is against the law for you to try to force Ukraine or any other country to help you win reelection by forcing them to provide dirt against your opponent.

Mr. Trump:  Flips the bird.

The United States of America:  Mr. The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, it is against the law for you to try to remain in power after you have lost the election by pressuring states to somehow find non-existing votes that you need to overturn election results, pressuring your Vice President to refuse to do his duty in certifying the votes or to take part in or refuse to do your duty to quell an insurrection that occurs in order to keep you in power or to try to remain in power by any other means that is not in accordance with the law.

Mr. Trump:  Flips the bird.

The United States of America:  Mr. The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, it is against the law for you to take records, especially classified documents that require special storage (SCIF), that belong to the American people to your private home at Mar-a-Lago.  Further, it is against the law for you to refuse to return them to the government when they request them.

Mr. Trump:  Flips the bird… and then says “they’re mine!”

Obviously, the above list of Donald J. Trump infractions is not exhaustive; but what do you think; have you reached a decision?  Do you think that Mr. Trump is already winning?  Do you think that there should be a trial?  Well – although Mr. Trump has lied to the US Archives and the courts about the documents he had at Mar-a-Lago and is fundamentally via implication still agitating his supporters to commit violence by publicly stating that they “would not stand for it” and saying that “[the US government] would have big trouble” should he be indicted, US Attorney General Merrick Garland still has not reached a decision as to whether or not the Department of Justice should indict Mr. Trump.  Whether or not Mr. Trump was involved – whether overtly, covertly, tacitly or not at all – in the previously mentioned examples of lawlessness must be decided via a trial.  Therefore – based on all of the evidence that is collected, if warranted, Mr. Trump must be indicted and there must be a trial.

There is no doubt that it is a tough decision that Attorney General Garland is faced with even though there is overwhelming evidence right now to support an indictment.  But because there are dire consequences associated with a decision to indict, AG Garland is proceeding with extreme caution.  That is understandable.  However, there are also just as dire consequences, if not more so, that are associated with not holding Mr. Trump to account.

All of us have seen what happens when Mr. Trump is not held to account.  Witness what happened when congress twice had the chance to hold him accountable but each time – with the strong support of Mr. Trump by senate Republicans under the leadership and guidance of Senator Mitch McConnell – refused to do so for political reasons.  This only emboldened Mr. Trump to move on to other unlawful things that have proven to be even worse.

If the Department of Justice follows suit and once again refuses to hold Mr. Trump to account, he will do even worse things and we could actually lose our republic.  The American democracy could quickly become the American autocracy… headed by non-other than Donald J. Trump.  This one man, thus far, has already demonstrated that he has the ability and mental fortitude to manipulate an entire powerful government despite resistance by the majority that opposes him and hold it hostage.  We must not allow Mr. Trump and his allies to manipulate us, the American people, into being caught like a deer in headlights; we must not be frozen by fear!  Make a decision AG Garland.

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

With all of the negative things fueled by politics that are raining down upon America and the world, it was nice to get some good news.  For Americans, gas prices are down, job numbers are better than predicted and President Biden signed the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act into law.  He also is poised to sign a bill into law that was passed strictly along partisan lines; The Inflation Reduction Act, which is really good news.  It is good news for me because I am a Democrat.  And I have no doubt that it is good news for almost everyone else who identifies as a Democrat.  I must admit though, it is not good news for everyone.

It was obviously bad news for all of the Washington senators because all of them voted against it.  Since it hasn’t passed in the House yet, I don’t know for sure how the Republicans in the House feel about it.  It is very likely though that they feel the same way that the Republican senators do because, lately, all of these Washington Republicans march in lockstep: The vote on the Inflation Reduction Act was a 50-50 tie in the senate and Vice President Kamala Harris had to break the tie with her vote.

Although all of the Washington Republican senators voted against this Act, I am of the opinion that there are a lot of Republicans out there who like it and – whether openly or privately, are glad that it got through the senate.  But the point of this article is not to point out definitively who is happy about what has transpired so far with The Inflation Reduction Act and who is p****d (a six-letter word for the three-letter word “angrily sad”) about it; instead, it is to point out that there is finally some good news and share with you how that good news affected me.

I imagine that all of you have your own experiences as to how it has affected you.  However, I have the good fortune of being able to share with you through this article exactly how it affected me.  It caused me to reflect on another president and how I felt about him and the then First Lady.  A president that our current president, President Joe Biden, passed through the political fires with as Vice President; my president and a man who filled all Black people with overwhelming pride.  President Barack Obama.  As I reflected on President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama back then, all of that overwhelming pride that I had compelled me to write a poem in tribute to him and something that I thought that I would never see in my lifetime; an African-American President of the United States of America.

Then came the disappointment.  After I completed that poem of which I was so proud I wanted to somehow get it to him and the First Lady so that they could feel through the words of that poem how exceedingly proud of them that I was.  I knew too that I was not the only Black person who felt this way because I had seen and heard innumerable other Black people on television express exactly what I was feeling.  I was disappointed because as hard as I tried, I was never able to get my poem to them.  But after all of this time, I am going to share it with you so that you can have the opportunity to perhaps experience what I felt when I saw all of those people on television – filled with pride, expressing exactly what I was feeing then.  I hope that you enjoy the poem.  It is entitled History In Black And White.  It follows:

DO NOT COPY OR REPRODUCE WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR

History in Black and White

Who is this Barack Obama who keeps appearing on my TV                        Spouting words of change and hope in this beautiful land of the free?

It really would be a change if he wins despite the dissent                             You see, Barack Obama is running for President!

Now this may not sound much like change if your knowledge of history is slack                                                                                                                         But the fact of the matter in point, is this man Obama is Black!

He is truly African-American, as pure as African-American can be         So don’t be afraid to put a shout out that he can speak for you and for me

His father is a citizen of Africa and a true native in his own right             But his mother is a citizen of the USA, not only that but the woman is White!

So put a shout out to the White people too, this man’s knowledge is vast and not slim                                                                                                                    Not only can he represent us, but he can also represent them

His knowledge is not based on guessing, like guessing done by you and by me                                                                                                                                   Nor like the guessing done in John McCain’s camp though they’re truly trying to see

They are trying to see common interest, and common ground for those Black and White                                                                                                       But when John is matched against Obama, his candle cannot hold a light

He has not an African father; though his parents love him they are White                                                                                                                                            So he can’t truly know their concerns and ours though he tries with all of his might

There’s no doubt that McCain is a patriot and wants our country to grow despite drama                                                                                                             But the best way for him to assure that this happens is for him to vote for Obama

We have not even talked about Michelle, who is as sharp as a First Lady can be                                                                                                                                And although Mr. Obama is not yet elected, she is talked about worldwide on TV

They attack the comments she’s made, to shame Barack for the world to see                                                                                                                              They say a First Lady should be background stuff and not wise and outspoken like she

This woman is as sharp as a whip, must she pretend to be dumb and not wise                                                                                                                                       But for the President and the people of the USA she can be astute with nimble compromise

But now let’s get back to Obama who will be our next President            He will break that glass ceiling and enter that room that’s reserved for the establishment

He will surely be good for our country as we explore this new frontier                                                                                                                                           We will shed all labels but American people and conquer all doubt and all fear

Now pay attention Latinos and Native Americans and all others with the franchise true-blue                                                                                                      This poem is from a Black perspective and that’s why there was no shout out to you

But Mr. Obama needs your support also to lead our country and let her noble flag wave                                                                                                              Then he can assure we remain on task, the land of the free and the home of the brave

©Eulus Dennis 2008

This article was updated on September 21, 2022  to include a link to an article in Salon by Julia Conley dated September 21, 2022 entitled “Closer than most people realize”: Alarm over plot to “drastically change the Constitution.”  This article reinforces the importance for all Americans, Democrats, Republicans and Independents to always remain watchful in guarding our American republic and our democracy.  Click remain watchful to read it or type the title of the article into your browser.

On August 4, 2022, the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, spoke at the Conservative Political Action Committee conference in Dallas, Texas.  But before going there he met with his good friend, Donald J. Trump at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.  Then, upon taking the stage at the CPAC conference, according to an article in the Associated Press by Paul J. Weber, Prime Minister Orban said to the crowd, “You have two years to get ready…  Victory will never be found by taking the path of least resistance.  We must take back the institutions in Washington and Brussels.  We must find friends and allies in one another.”

These words sound eerily similar to some of the words that the former Donald J. Trump of the United States of America used during his speech just before the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol by his supporters, don’t they?  And although Zsuzsa Hegedus who has known Prime Minister Orban for 20 years and was a member of his inner circle, resigned after the Prime Minister’s earlier remarks against becoming a “mixed race” – calling the speech a “pure Nazi text”, CPAC did not uninvite him to speak at its conference.  Instead, when he spoke at the conference, attendees enthusiastically cheered him on throughout his speech.

By now, everyone who is not on board with “The Big Lie” and refuse to support the man who conjured it up – Mr. Donald J. Trump, should know that Mr. Trump and his supporters do not care one bit about what the American people think.  He and his supporters have become more emboldened with the passing of time, each new lawless thing that they are allowed to get away with and America’s failure to hold to account any of those who were top-tier politicians, cabinet members or rich and powerful citizens during Mr. Trump’s administration.  The people – supported by Mr. Trump, that the Republican party has running for office in 2022 and many who expect to run in 2024 are all election deniers who still refuse to acknowledge that President Joe Biden is the legitimate President of the United States.

It is far past time for those reasonable congresspersons who are still members of the Republican party, the media and reasonable Americans overall to stop referring to members of the Republican party with made-up names to appease them.  Names like “good Republicans and bad Republicans”, “team normal Republicans and team crazy Republicans” or any other politician Pig Latin names:  Names that politicians have coined and passed on to regular people to use in order to mitigate the impact on sitting politicians by helping them to avoid conflict with their constituents/voters so that they will not be in jeopardy of losing their vote.

Mitch McConnell, Chuck Grassley, Mitt Romney, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and all the rest of the so-called “good Republicans” know what’s going on as regards Mr. Trump.  Yet, even though our democracy is at stake and we are at disquieting risk of losing it, they are still playing politics.  Any politician who takes their oath to the Constitution and their job as an elected official seriously needs to distance themselves from this new Republican party and speak up for our country!

Those who have embraced Mr. Trump and this new Republican party which he heads certainly do not have a problem with speaking up and making their allegiance known.  Too many “good Republicans”, one would be too many when the American democracy is at stake, are straddling the fence and waiting to see what happens before they decide which side of the fence they want to be on.  That’s not putting country before personal political ambition and Party!  That’s not leadership!  That’s not representing those who put them into office with the expectation that they would do the right thing even if they knew that it might cost them their job!  That’s not even making the tough decisions based on the facts that they have while factoring in Party loyalty!  That’s pure politics fueled by greed and lust for power!

Republicans are playing the long game and Democrats must play that same “long game.”  We must post sentries on the wall of democracy to stop this current attack on democracy itself by this new Republican Party.  Then, those sentries must keep all of the American people abreast of what this new Republican Party is planning now, as it relates to destroying democracy, and give us advanced warning of any plans that it may seek to implement in order to turn a democratic America into an Authoritarian country headed by the former The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America.

All ordinary Americans, let alone politicians, already know now that the “long game” works because we have all witnessed a Constitutional right that was in place for nearly 50 years be taken away from the American people.  And although it took 50 years for this to happen, Americans need to assure that something like this does not happen again – even in 50 years – haphazardly; just because some Supreme Court Justices are replaced and the balance of power of the Court is changed.  We must assure that if legitimate change is petitioned going forward and it is ultimately determined that it does need to occur, that such potential change will have been thoroughly researched, carefully considered and determined to be founded in and based on the law before it is implemented; not based on kneejerk political loyalty or any other such thing.

In order to effectively play the “long game” and effectively deal with what looks like will be the “new” Republican Party (Donald J. Trump’s current Republican Party) that is hellbent on transforming America into an Authoritarian country, Democrats must be aware of and absolutely motivated by what the “old” Republican Party (The Republican Party that existed pre-Donald J. Trump) did with their “Red Map” plan – which was, by the way, quite successful.  We must also be aware that the “new” Republican Party is continuing to support and move forward with this already ongoing effort to convene a meeting to change the Constitution.  This effort to convene a meeting to change the Constitution has been going on ever since the beginning of the “Red Map” plan.  All of this, for the greatest part, has happened and is continuing to happen outside of the sight of the public.

All Americans who value democracy and our Republic – whether we are Democrats, Republicans or Independents must be aware of these Republicans’ past and current efforts and be prepared to play the “long game” to stop them.  Particularly those previously mentioned Democratic sentries on the wall of democracy must be knowledgeable of “Red Map” and this effort to convene a meeting to change the Constitution.  They must keep all elected Democrats aware of this impending threat and especially congressional Democrats in Washington.  And then, Washington Democrats must assure that Democrats throughout the country and all of the American people are aware and kept abreast of it.  Heads down eyes up, Democrats, as we continue to move forward in safeguarding the American democracy!

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

“I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now!”  Young people have good reason to be concerned about America’s aging politicians and to question whether their mental acumen is what it used to be.  But we older folks, politicians or not, have good reason as well to be concerned about the political acumen of our young people, especially those who desire to become our future elected officials.  Why?  Because far too many of them have a microwave-mentality approach to life and all of its problems; and this includes politics and governance.

It appears that they want no part of the nitty-gritty down and dirty hard work of governance, they just want things to be right as they see life.  Nuances be damned; to young people, nuances seem to be nothing more than unnecessary huge speed bumps: “I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now!”  “Why should we bother to vote”, they say.  With the way that things are going – even if we do vote, it’s probably not going to count anyway; and if it does count, it’s not going to make any difference.”

Most of the time most voting-age young people don’t even bother to vote.  Sure, when issues come to the fore that have a negative impact on “I want it all”, they tend to swing into action.  And when they do, many times, it is already too late for their “I want it all” derived initiative to have a preventative effect on the thing that they are objecting to.  It might determine how that thing is ultimately handled after it has been implemented or if it will be rescinded, but it will not have an opportunity to prevent it from occurring.  Yes, they are doing their civic duty but to me, this seems like a parttime approach to doing it.

Civic responsibility – which includes voting, is a fulltime thing; it should not be addressed on a parttime basis!  And if young people are going to complain about how poorly things are going for them politically then attribute that to the supposed fact that it is because these older politicians are not in tune with America’s young people who are America’s future, then they should do their civic duty fulltime.  They should keep abreast of what is going on in the world of governance and be proactive, not reactive, in addressing problems through their vote.

Any young voters who bitterly complain – as many are doing now, without doing these things are being, at best, unfair.  This kind of conduct brings to mind Senator Tom Cotton’s recent harsh criticism of the January 6 Committee.  During a public interview he criticized the Committee for its actions and how it is conducting its business and then in the same breath said that he had not watched any of the hearings!  If Senator Cotton’s criticism of this Committee sounds ludicrous to you under these circumstances, young people; it is because it is!

So, in light of that, how do you feel about someone who criticizes our “geriatric” political leaders and how they conduct America’s business when they themselves have not done their part to help provide these leaders with the tools that they need: tools that are vital to them to stop the Party that is trying to “Make America Great Again” by moving her backwards to the “good ole days?  The “good ole days” when women and Black people did not have the right to vote.  The “good ole days” when Black people could not attend the same schools that White people attended.  The “good ole days” when there was no Roe vs. Wade and no talk about abortions and abortion rights.  The “good ole days” when Black people could not marry White people.  The “good ole days” for who?!  From where I stand, it does not appear that young people are on board with the “good ole days.”

Did this get your hackles up, young people?  If it did, that’s good!  It’s good because I have not said all of this to denigrate young people or put young people down in any way.  On the contrary, I said it because I have no doubt that many of the so-called “geriatric” political leaders – by the way, whose shoulders you stand on, are thinking these things but are reluctant to say them because they are afraid that it might cost them your vote.  And even it they did summon the courage to say these things to you, because they are politicians, they would likely say them with such a political sugarcoating that it would amount to nothing more than the arcane language of politicians’ Pig Latin.  That way they could get their frustration with you off of their chests by giving you a piece of their mind without the fear of losing your vote.  Brilliant, right?!  The only problem is that politicians are the only people who truly understand this language and even those other people who only understand it in general, are few-and-far-between; and they are usually people who closely follow political issues.  But on the other hand, maybe that is exactly as it is meant to be; one just has to view it from a politician’s perspective.

The fact of the matter is that the world of governance desperately needs to be infused with young, fresh minds.  A large percentage of our elected officials, in general and in leadership positions, are older people.  Older politicians who need to willingly pass the torch on to young people.  But they can’t pass it to just any young people, they must pass it to prepared young people who are committed to fulfilling their civic responsibility on a fulltime basis: young people who are willing to get involved in the nitty-gritty, down and dirty hard work of governance.  If these so-called “geriatric” politicians do otherwise, it will be dereliction of duty.

So come on, young people; “don’t get mad: vote”.  These were the words of President Barack Obama.  And it is with those words that I implore all voting-age young people to rise and meet the challenge to defeat anyone who is trying to take America backwards to the “good ole days”, especially elected officials who are close in proximity to the levers of power and collectively have the ability to make the back to the “good ole days” happen: “good ole days” for who!  “Don’t get mad: Vote”!  With one of the two major political parties in America – specifically speaking, the Republican Party, pushing hard to destroy American democracy, your participation in America’s democratic process is essential.

So always remember, young person; whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all… unless you don’t use it!  Will you meet the challenge?

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

I have been closely following the January 6 Committee hearings and, as a result have become very intrigued by Republican Representative Liz Cheney.  Yes, I said “Republican” Representative Liz Cheney.  I am impressed by her pit bull mentality as regards the truth and sincerity about protecting the Constitution and serving “all” of the American people… not just Republicans.  And she is doing this even after she has already lost her once “third-in-the-line-of-power position in the Republican caucus and stands a serious chance of losing her seat as the Representative from Wyoming.  I mean, come on, this lady is a Republican who strongly supports Republican policies and voted with the former Occupier of the Oval Office – The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, 93% of the time!  But the fact of the matter is, the Honorable Liz Cheney got me to thinking.

One might think that I am rubbing it on a little thick by having made it a point to refer to her at the end of the above paragraph as the Honorable rather than simply Representative Liz Cheney; especially since everyone knows that I am a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat… just like she is a dyed-in-the-wool Republican.  And that is exactly why she got me to thinking.  The fact that I am a staunch Democrat does not automatically make me a terrible person and her being a staunch Republican does not automatically make her a terrible person.  Terrible Might not be exactly the word that I am looking for but I’m sure you get the gist of what I am trying to say; at least all of you Democrats do.  Anyway, Representative Cheney inspired in me a renewed determination to do more research on those who think radically – again, maybe not exactly the right word – differently from what I do before I form an opinion of them.

Now before you get me wrong, I still don’t like Representative Cheney’s politics (I never liked her dad’s politics either and still don’t) but I do like the fact that she believes in truth rather than “alternative facts” and lives in the real world instead of some kind of an alternate world bubble like far too many of her Republican colleagues do right now.  This makes her a reasonable person that can be reasonably negotiated with even though her position on issues might be all but unalterable to that of those she is negotiating with.  This makes her a person whose strong disagreements on the issues with those she is negotiating with maddening at times and can drive them to the brink of insanity.  But with an honest and honorable person like her it is always reasonable to assume that common ground can be found and compromise can be achieved.

As I was writing this article I thought; Liz Cheney would totally hate it if she knew that a hardnosed Democrat like me wrote and published an article that reflected her in a good light.  But then, as I reflected on this thought while considering how she has handled herself in light of her membership on the January 6 Committee and the mess that she currently finds herself in with her own Party, I changed my mind.  Instead, I thought, Representative Liz Cheney knows exactly who she is and so an article like this would not bother her.  She would still be and still conduct herself like Liz Cheney.  As hard as it is for me to admit it, she must have developed that forthright, honest, deliberate and hardnosed character that is so Liz Cheney from her upbringing.  It must have a lot to do with her mom and dad.  I’m not sure which parent to attribute the preponderance of the forthright, honest and deliberate aspect to but I’m pretty sure about who contributed most of the hardnosed part; her dad…  I still don’t like his politics!

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

It is far past time that Democrats face up and step up to who Senator Joe Manchin really is.  He is Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s Trojan Horse: hence, he is the Republican Party’s Trojan Horse.  Senator McConnell knows it, all of the Republican senators know it, all of the House Republicans know it and Senator Joe Manchin knows it.  Senator Manchin’s feelings won’t be irreparably hurt if Democrats call him out for the Trojan Horse that he is; and if they are, so what?!  Senator Manchin knows who he is and he isn’t at all bothered by what he is doing to President Biden and Democrats for Senator McConnell and how it is impacting on their agenda.

It is bad enough that Senator Manchin is doing what he is doing but it is made worse because he is couching it in a supposed concern for the American people and what we are struggling with as a result of high inflation.  His couching tactic is made even worse because Democrats naïvely continue to believe that he is negotiating in good faith when he is actually working to run out the clock.  One would think that after what happened with Representative Pramila Jayapal when the House was negotiating with Senator Manchin that Democrats would be wise to his method of operation (MO) by now but they are not.  If I am wrong and they are aware of how he operates, they really have an odd way of showing it!

Sure, Democrats have an obligation to continue to try to work with Senator Manchin but they do not have to continue to treat him with kid gloves and try to convince him that everything is hunky-dory.  As previously stated, he knows who he is.  Based on what transpired in his negotiations with Representative Jayapal, he is not a man of his word and, as such, is untrustworthy.  If Democrats want to attribute this to the notion that it is just because he is a politician and this is what politicians do or any other reason that they want to conjure up, so be it.  But please, Democrats, stop with the fake comity and just get real!  If you can reach some kind of reasonable agreement with him – which will likely only be reached by offering something that appeals to his personal political ambition, then you should go for it.  If what you offer fits in with that politically ambitious agenda then he will accept it regardless of whether or not it is couched in comity.  So, Democrats, know that you can express all of the disdain for him that you might have; If the offer is right, he will take it.

Some Democrats out there might think that I am being overly critical of Senator Manchin simply because he is not blindly going along with President Biden’s Build Back Better (BBB) agenda and is voting his conscience in order to help his West Virginia constituents and the rest of America to better deal with the high inflation rate.  Those Democrats may think that I am just a hardnosed far-left Democrat who needs to pump his brakes and accept the honest efforts of a centrist Democrat who, despite the current political situation where our country is completely divided and polarized, is desperately trying to help pull America back together again.  After all, one benefactor has recently said great things about him.  According to an article in RollingStone, this benefactor said “Joe is the most important guy in D.C.  Maybe the most important guy in America today.  I call him every week and say ‘Joe, you’re doing great.  Stay tough, buddy.’  He’s phenomenal.”  And, [he is] “keeping our elected officials somewhere in the middle” and not “pushing us to the extremes…where it’s uncomfortable.”  And some of Senator Manchin’s donors see him – with just as much enthusiasm, as ‘someone who could switch parties and beat Biden in 2024.’

Since America is currently divided and polarized politically, maybe it is not so bad that some of Senator Manchin’s donors view him as someone who could switch parties and beat President Biden in 2024, right?  The problem is that this comment – made by Mr. Nelson Peltz, and these views were expressed at a $5,000-per-plate fundraiser for Senator Manchin held by Trump donor Nelson Peltz.  Mr. Peltz has also held fundraisers for Donald J. Trump, the former Occupier of the Oval Office.  Further, Senator Manchin has been the beneficiary of other Republican fundraisers such as the one he attended in Texas in July 2021 which was organized by oil and gas industry executives and hosted by GOP donors.  Senator Manchin is the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee whose decisions can have a great impact on the Democrats’ infrastructure and climate agenda.

With friends like Senator Manchin, who needs enemies?  He has been so completely consumed by his ego, political ambition and all of the attention that he has been receiving that he cannot see that he is setting in stone a legacy of shame.  He seems unable to comprehend that he is denying science by cavalierly ignoring the warnings of global professionals who say that the window to address the climate change problem is fast closing.  He does not seem to understand that he is not only relegating himself to a terrible legacy that will haunt the annals of history in infamy in perpetuity, but he is likely subjecting all Americans and the world to a horrible future!  And he is doing all of this as a Mitch McConnell minion!  Senator Manchin should know by now how the Republican Party operates; he should know that as soon as he is no longer of use to them that without fanfare and in the infamous Donald Trump fashion, they will ‘hardly know the guy’ and will throw him under the bus.  Ever since the rise of The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, that is how the Republican Party handles things.  You don’t believe me?  Ask Representative Liz Cheney!

No matter how low the bottom might be for any politician, their word is important currency in the political world.  Senator Manchin’s comeuppance will likely come sooner than later because his word is no longer worth anything to congressional Democrats.  He proved this to be true while negotiating with Representative Jayapal and now he has proven it with Senate Majority Leader Schumer: President Biden no longer trust him or can place any confidence in his word.  So, what’s left for Senator Manchin?  Well, the Republicans will have to run a few tests to see if he is still a valuable toady; and if he is not, the Republicans will stick together like they are so capable of doing – give them credit, they are really good at that whether it is for good or for evil – go out and procure a big bus and…

Maybe Senator Manchin will run for office again, maybe he won’t.  Some of the folks at the above-mentioned Republican fundraiser that was held on his behalf said that he could switch parties and run against, and perhaps defeat, President Biden in 2024; maybe he will do that, maybe he won’t.  Whatever Senator Manchin decides to do, it is probably too late for him to salvage his legacy.  He might be able to dress it up a little bit and make it more palatable to anyone, including himself, that might be interested in or concerned about it.  But “salvage”?  Nah.  But since the Republican bus is fast approaching right now, that is likely demanding his full attention anyway.  If it is not, it certainly should be!

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

Guns and butter have always been a part of America’s economics and the economics of all nations throughout the world.  I don’t know how many other nations use this term or even if they are familiar with it but I do know that it is used here in America.  Many in the younger generations are probably familiar with it even if due in great part to the fact that it was used in a well-known movie entitled Baby Boy. For those of you who are not familiar with the term, guns and butter is a model that demonstrates in a nation’s budget the relationship between the amount of money that it invests in defense and the amount that it invests in civilian goods.

In simple terms, the guns piece of this model represents the amount of a nation’s budget that it dedicates to protecting itself and the butter piece represents the amount that it dedicates to civilian goods including things such as the overall caring for its citizenry.  Accordingly, it is easy to see that guns and butter are very closely related.  Either guns or butter, or both, can be effectively used by a nation to impose its will upon the people; whether those people be people of their own nation or people of other nations.

The term “guns and butter” is used in general in this article to, hopefully, capture and hold the attention of those in the aforementioned younger generations that are reading it and specifically because of America’s position as the designated leader in determining what to do about President Putin’s attempt to takeover Ukraine by brute force.  This term makes it easier for me to make the following comparison while holding the attention of the younger generations, explain it in simple terms and still make my point.  Further, it is used because of the hypocritical position that America and far too many Americans find ourselves in as it relates to defending democracy.  Now that you have endured my somewhat lengthy preamble, allow me to make my point.

Right now – via Putin’s war, Russia is trying to impose its will upon the people of Ukraine.  While the world looks on, Russia is trying to beat Ukraine into submission through the use of the “guns” provided via its guns and butter budget and through trying to render ineffective or destroy the guns and butter that Ukraine has in place.  But the world is not only looking at Putin’s war – although it is obviously at the fore and that is where the world’s attention is primarily focused right now, it is also looking at America, the leader of the free world.  It is contemplating and processing those things that we are doing to protect and enhance our own democracy as we attempt to foster this concept in other nations around the world; as we, along with NATO and other nations provide as much help as possible to Ukraine without escalating Putin’s war into World War III.

What President Putin is doing is despicable even if he isn’t purposely targeting civilian areas – which include women, children, hospitals, water supplies and food storage areas – and Russian soldiers are not raping Ukrainian women and executing innocent civilians as is currently being reported!  His vitriol toward the Ukrainian people, lack of mercy for them, lack of respect for the rules of war and his incessant lies to the Russian people only compounds the despicableness of his war.  And he is doing all of this in an effort to stop the spread of democracy!  America is rightfully doing everything that it can to assist Ukraine in defending itself against a foreign bully who wants to take the Ukrainian peoples’ land and deprive its citizens of their freedom and rights.

But America has a problem that she must deal with before she can be viewed by all Americans and other people throughout the world as a country with righteous indignation at what Putin is doing to the Ukrainian people: It’s a hypocrite problem.  Fortunately, we can deal with and work to correct this problem while at the same time helping the Ukrainian people.  President Putin deserves to be viewed as the pariah that he is and to be isolated from the rest of the world.  The only drawback is that this is hurting the entire Russian population and they don’t deserve this.

As regards America’s hypocrite problem, in the event that you have not been keeping abreast of the political news lately, the Republican Party has twisted itself into an extremely complex political pretzel trying, by hook-or-crook, to assure that it positions Republicans in the strongest position possible to retake the House and Senate in the 2022 midterm election and still project the image that they are concerned about and protecting democracy.  They are faced with a big problem in pulling this off.  First, the majority of Republicans in the Senate and House still view Donald Trump as their leader and still support him as such.  Secondly, virtually all of the Republicans in the Senate and House are supporting the curtailment of the voting rights of all Americans based solely on Mr. Trump’s “Big Lie” that the election was stolen from him because the election system is rife with fraud!  There is no proof of this and even Bill Barr, Mr. Trump’s Attorney General when Mr. Trump was in office, said there was no election fraud.  Despite this, many Republican-controlled states across the country have passed hundreds of laws curtailing voting rights and there are more that are pending passage.

To make matters worse, as regards Putin’s war in Ukraine, many of the Republicans in the Senate and House are railing against President Biden and saying that he is not providing Ukraine with enough support!  The clencher?  They voted against the package that would provide Ukraine with this support!  In light of this situation and Republicans supporting the curtailment of voting rights, how much more of a hypocrite could these lawmakers be?!  And because they are our elected officials and, right or wrong, speak for the American people, it makes America – and therefore the American people, appear to be a bunch of hypocrites!  There is no doubt that the majority of Americans view a large percentage of our elected officials as hypocrites and it is very likely that the world views them as such as well; and since they are our elected officials and speak for America…  Finally, to make matters even worse, the most popular host on Fox News, which has always appeared to be an intricate part of the Republican Party – Tucker Carlson, is being used by Russian media as a poster child to justify Putin’s war.

Again, we can ultimately solve our hypocrite problem here in America while at the same time helping Ukraine and the Ukrainian people: We just need to have the resolve to do it.  It might not be an appropriate analogy to compare what Donald Trump, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and the Republican Party are doing to Americans to what Putin is doing in Ukraine because what they are doing is not nearly as brutal.  But both the Putin war and what these Republicans are doing is an attack on democracy!  Both are despicable!  And the Republicans’ attack on democracy is not made less despicable because they are using butter rather than guns; it might be made more palatable but it is made no less despicable!  Americans must remember this when we go to the polls in the 2022 midterm elections and beyond.

The Republican Party’s focus is on people of color right now as they fight to curtail voting rights and even now, they are hurting people other than just people of color; in the eyes of the Republican Party, these other people are simply collateral damage.  But let there be no doubt, after they finish with the people of color, they will be coming for you; people who are not White, rich and powerful.  Don’t get too comfortable if you are White; you must meet the entire criteria.  Let what is happening in America and Ukraine be a wakeup call for all of us.  Let this motivate all of us to scrutinize politicians more closely, “watch what they do and not what they say” and judge them accordingly.  And finally, let that close scrutiny and observation cause us to always remember that whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis, Author – Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line