There’s a new police chief in town and his name is Paul “Smiley” Pazen.  He was selected by Mayor Michael Hancock and was sworn in on July 9, 2018.  The new police chief certainly has his work cut out for him especially when it comes to the ‘Use of Force’ policy. As of June 29, 2018, the new ‘Use of Force’ policy had not yet been completed and implemented.  Despite that notable complication, in an interview with Westword, Chief Pazen said that all new police officers and other officers, no matter how long they had been on the police force, would be thoroughly trained in this new policy.  Chief Pazen has been on the Denver police force for almost  24 years.

The new ‘Use of Force’ policy was thoroughly vetted by Denver business leaders and community members prior to June 29 and its current consideration for implementation as soon as possible.  During that vetting, many community members felt that the policy contained too many vague and ambiguous statements regarding exactly what would instigate and allow for the ‘use of force’ by police officers and many felt that these statements remained in the policy as of June29th.  Whether those statements will be modified in any way or deleted prior to implementation is not yet known.

This is the first time that I have addressed local politics for quite some because I, like many others who follow politics closely, have been totally engrossed in national politics as the result of the election of Mr. Trump.  His antics since he was elected have regularly sucked all of the air out of the federal and local political arena and left room only for himself.  Whenever the media slows on covering him he ups the ante of his endless lies and foolishness.  He relishes and ravels in the coverage that he receives from the press whether it is positive or negative.  I stated in a couple of my previous post to this blog that I would work hard not to fall into the same rut as the mainstream media as regards Mr. Trump.  Yet, the fact that for such a long time I have failed to keep abreast of local politics and post articles on them to this site shows that my level of success when it comes to meeting that goal has been, at best, minimal.

However, if you have visited this site regularly and been reading the articles posted on it, you should have gotten the message that all Americans need to get informed and fulfill their duty to vote in all elections that they are eligible to vote in whether they are local, state or federal level.  Hopefully by now you are aware that our very Republic is at risk as a result of Mr. Trump’s unorthodox style of leadership.  Hopefully you are aware that he and/or his campaign are suspected of colluding with Russia in meddling in the 2016 election in which the American intelligence community has stated unequivocally that Russia interfered in the election to hurt Secretary Clinton and to help Mr. Trump.  Hopefully you are aware that Mr. Trump is trashing our intelligence community, taking Russia’s side and promulgating its perspective on world order and cozying up to president Vladimir Putin and choosing to believe him over America’s intelligence community.

What makes things even more frightening is that our spineless Republican-led congress is not only avoiding using its powers of checks and balances against Mr. Trump to prevent him from abusing his power, they are aiding and abetting him in his efforts.  This is something that impacts on all levels of government and on all Americans.  In the event that you do not already know it, during a speech regarding law enforcement, Mr. Trump – with a group of police officers lined up behind him – even encouraged police officers to rough up people that they arrest.  This is totally unacceptable.

Chief Pazen’s predecessor, Chief Robert White, worked hard with business leaders and community members to create and implement the Use of Force policy before he retired.  It did not happen.  Chief Pazen will now be responsible to shepherd this policy the rest of the way through to implementation.  Even with the successful implementation of a new Use of Force policy, we all should know that the real power of this policy will not come from the words on the paper that it is written on but from the honesty, integrity and statesmanship of the politicians we elect who will be entrusted to enforce it.

The bottom line is that if Mr. Trump is not held to account for what he is doing then the implementation of fair and just ‘use of force’ policies, no matter the city, will be moot.  This, of course, includes our beautiful Mile High City of Denver.  You can do your part to make sure that the politicians that we elect in Denver and Colorado will meet the honesty, integrity and statesmanship qualities that we demand and that Mr. Trump will be held to account for his incompetent and chaotic leadership by becoming and staying informed on politics at all levels.

No one is, nor should they be, above the law; not even the leader of the free world.  You can assure that this is the way that it will be by becoming and staying informed and always voting.  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

Mr. Trump – one man.  Cliché – power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  Shattered Icons – U.S. Speaker of the House, U.S. Senate Majority Leader, U.S. congress, U.S. congressional statesmen, U.S. prestigious (plum assignment) committees, Supreme Court Justice, and Supreme Court.  Mr. Trump is just one man.  And never in my wildest dreams did I see one man – especially this one man – in America becoming president and taking America hostage while all of our elected so called powerful statesmen not only would allow it but would assist him in doing it!  The U.S. congress, its leaders and all of the prestigious committees that are supposed to provide checks and balances that prevent the president from abusing his power have failed miserably; they are completely shattered.  This is truly a wakeup call for all American citizens who love democracy and want to see America remain a democratic country!

One man is taking over America.  Whether or not it is with the help of a foreign adversary remains to be determined.  Either way, this should not happen at all let alone because Americans who are eligible to vote, for whatever reason, fail to fulfill their civic duty to vote.  Voter turnout in many other countries around the world is much higher than that in America, which was 56.9% in the 2016 elections.  We have taken our right to vote far too lightly for far too long and long ago became lackadaisical about our freedom in this great country.  If we continue in this vein and fail to challenge those who would take this freedom – and the rights that go along with it – away from us, we will lose them.  And by the time that we realize what is happening to us and decide to fight, it will be too late.

It is no secret that Mr. Trump is stacking the federal courts, including appellate courts, with judges that, based on his behavior and track record since he has been in office, will be loyal to him and support whatever decisions he might make.  He has already placed one of his nominees (Neil Gorsuch) on the supreme court (a selection that was in essence stolen from President Barack Obama by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell) and now, with the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy, he will have the opportunity to place a second nominee on the Supreme Court.

This ought not be; especially since Mr. Trump is still under investigation in connection with Russia’s meddling in the U.S. 2016 elections.  And especially in light of the fact that if he is indicted the matter certainly would end up being adjudicated by the supreme court.  And especially since he has made statements like ‘I’m the president, I can’t have any conflicts of interest’ and ‘I can pardon myself.’  What will become of our great country if we as citizens do not do everything that we can, without violence, to force our elected officials to effectively address these blatantly un-American acts, in which far too many of them are willing participants?  And if they will not address them, then we need to vote them out of office and replace them with officials who will uphold their oath to the Constitution!

Mr. Trump becomes more bold each time that he acts irrationally, congress winks at it and the American people ignore it.  I believe that the vast majority of those American people who ignore it do not do so because they don’t care but because they believe that they have elected officials who should and will address these problems before they become a real threat to the American people and our national security.  They are putting entirely too much trust in our elected officials, especially in light of how these officials have been conducting themselves since Mr. Trump was elected president.

All Americans should do whatever they can to bring attention to what is currently happening in our country.  And they should encourage all other Americans to get informed, get involved and always participate in our precious democracy and do their part to help keep America great.  Americans do not need a major platform in order to do this.  No contribution to this effort is too small.  We do not need Mr. Trump to ‘make America great again’ because we, as a country, have never stopped being great!  We do not need to march backwards to the drumbeat of racism, misogyny, Islamophobia and hate to Trump’s America!  We must not take Mr. Trump’s bait to engage in any form of divisiveness!  We must resist the invitation to become a divided America!  Instead, we should work together as Americans – as we always have in the past, and resolve these problems and our differences.

House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are extremely powerful men.  To be more incisive and accurate in my description of them, they are extremely powerful politicians, emphasis on politicians, and they are playing political games while Mr. Trump leads America down the primrose path.  But America does not have to put up with this because Americans can find politicians who will be loyal to the Constitution and their oath to it and who will put this ahead of their loyalty to party and personal ambition.  What is required is that we become informed and remain informed when it comes to politics and then vote for politicians based on their records rather than on their political election cycle rhetoric.

Be sure to keep this in mind as we approach the 2018 and 2020 elections.  And 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

I watched a speech that Mr. Trump made recently.  Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker Paul Ryan were sitting behind him during his speech and it brought to my mind peas in a pod. In this particular case, it brought to my mind rotten peas in a pod.  In order to prevent peas from rotting the soil condition must be almost perfect.  Even if the conditions are perfect there are still many different sorts of insects that at times attack the plants and fungi will take a shot at them as well.

Now, there are far more Republicans than Vice President Pence and Speaker Ryan that come to mind as proverbial peas in a pod and who could easily be included in the picture taken of Mr. Trump during the aforementioned speech.  Republican leadership and the entire Washington Republican party are rife with elected officials that have sold their souls for the sake of personal gain and/or party.  Among the other prominent members of the Republican leadership, aside from Speaker Ryan, that come to mind are Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senator Chuck Grassley, Representative Trey Gowdy, and Representative Devin Nunes.  Every Republican seems to fear Mr. Trump and, as a result, have decided to bow down to him instead of carrying out their sworn duty to the Constitution and their obligation to the American people.

This whole scenario that has developed since Mr. Trump took office seems surreal and evokes the feelings of a horrible nightmare that, I’m sure, most Americans hold out hope that they will awaken from.  In the meantime, because of his enablers – the Republican party that now controls all three branches of federal government, Mr. Trump has become even more emboldened than before and is openly defying all of the norms and principles that all Americans hold dear.  He has no regard for the law that the ‘Rule of Law’ Republican party has so loudly touted for years.  He is doing whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and to whomever he wants to do it to without any fear of reprisal from this spineless current congress.  He has no regard for the high office that he holds and he completely and regularly disrespects it.

Although Mr. Trump is only one man against the American people and the many men and women in congress, though he might be stupid and uninformed, he is not crazy.  He has been around long enough to sense that he has these so called powerful congressmen with their backs against the wall, he can smell their fear, and he can see that they are running scared.  He is an apex predator so this is simply instinct for him; this situation is simply an unadulterated display of his street creds (“credentials”, for those who might need the word defined) coming through.  He has met them on their turf and beat them at their own game…and in their house!  There is little doubt that those on the street do not recognize his game.  Why shouldn’t they?  He is playing their game only at the highest level.

America is falling apart bit-by-bit and although congress knows this because they hold a front row seat as witnesses to what is happening, they continue to allow it to occur without taking any action to mitigate or, better yet, prevent it.  There is no doubt that things are tough but, as American people and American voters we must persist.  There is also no doubt that Mr. Trump is a formidable foe who is tough beyond what might be beyond many people’s wildest dreams.  But they must realize that this is because he is a narcissist who believes that the universe revolves around him and that all he knows to do is to persevere as long as it will keep him at the center of that universe.  And that no matter what happens to everyone else, no matter how bad that might be, as long as it does not happen to him everything will be alright.

Evoking a comparison of peas and what it takes to successfully grow them to our elected officials; at the beginning of this article, I talked about peas in a pod and the things, like insects and fungi, that can cause them to rot even when the soil and conditions are perfect.  The bottom line is that unless care is continuously taken to control the insects and to prevent the development of conditions that foster the germination and growth of fungi, insects will develop and prosper and fungi will also appear and do its part to stunt the growth of the peas if not totally destroy them by way of rot.  As much as it hurts to say this about an American who holds the Oval Office, Mr. Trump appears to be the ultimate fungus.  And he is rotting all of the peas!

I hope that I am wrong but if this is the case, as Americans and American voters, it is incumbent upon us to do everything that we can to assure that the soil remains perfect for the growth of peas.  And if insects and fungi have already begun to infect the crop, then we must do everything that we can to get rid of both.  We can wash the insects off of the leaves and we can work to assure that the soil is free of fungi.  As this relates to the situation with Mr. Trump and his enablers (our spineless congress) we can fulfill one of our chief responsibilities, which is to vote and, in effect, wash the leaves and decontaminate the soil.   So let’s do that by getting informed and voting.

Then, from that point forward, 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!  Be sure that you vote in 2018 and 2020.  And if you do not already do so, begin to vote in all of the elections in which you are eligible to vote.  And if you can’t vote in all of them, be sure to vote in as many of them as possible.

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

Dirty police officers around the country are continuing to kill Black men and the police departments are continuing to do nothing about it.  Their fellow police officers, along with the politicians who are responsible for and supposed to be overseeing these police departments, are afraid to address the problem.  These police officers are afraid to address it because they are afraid that one day they will call for backup and no one will show up until it is too late.  Politicians are afraid to address it because it is a political hot potato and they believe that if they do address it, they might not be reelected.  Statesmanship no longer has any meaning to them; it is just a word and everything else that matters revolves around keeping their job.

In light of the recent shootings and killings of unarmed Black men, this makes the national message that Mr. Trump sent out to police, that if they rough up those whom they arrest a little bit that it is okay, even more disturbing.  In essence he said to police officers, don’t worry about it because they deserve it.  At least with the clean police officers it is easier for us to empathize with them when they fail to address the problem because their lives might be on the line and they want to assure to the greatest extent possible that they return home to their wives and children at the end of each shift.  Still, this is the profession that they have chosen and to serve in it honorably is a part of their job.  As regards the politicians who are supposed to be responsible for protecting us as a country and leading us with honor but have instead chosen to protect their jobs at all cost, there is not even a semblance of an excuse for them; they have neither dignity nor honor left.  They have unfortunately sought out the nearest heap of reprobates and willingly cast themselves upon it.

It is obvious that Mr. Trump’s vision for how America should move forward (backwards?) and what she should become does not align with that of most Americans.  Most Americans – whether they are white, black, brown, yellow or any other color among the melting pot of colors that exist in our country – believe in fairness and equal justice for all.  And although oftentimes we disagree on exactly how evenhanded and fair that America is to all peoples, whether or not there is a problem in that arena and how – if there is a problem – that problem should be addressed, most Americans are caring people.  If we could only somehow rid ourselves of all of the chaos and crap that is swirling around us, take a step back  and look at the beautiful and breathtaking heritage of each culture and embrace that heritage, we could recognize  and accept the beauty involved in each heritage; then that way, we would likely fight a lot less often.  And when we did fight, it would be like fighting with those in our personal families; there would be rules.  What would be wrong with that?  After all, we are family; we are the American family!

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

The late, great President John F. Kennedy once said; “The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent persuasive, and unrealistic.  Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”  As Mr. Trump continues to move forward relentlessly through all of the adversity and rightful pounding that he is taking and convince far too many people that he and his campaign were in no way involved with Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election, I could not prevent myself from reflecting on the poem ‘Invictus’ by William Ernest Henley; it follows:

“Out of the night that covers me, black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be for my unconquerable soul,

In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud.  Under the bludgeonings of chance my head is bloody but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears looms but the horror of the shade, and yet the menace of the years finds, and will find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.”

Invoking this poem is not meant in any way, directly or implicitly, to state that I believe that the way that Mr. Trump is comporting himself as the leader of America is honorable or warranted and that he is being treated unfairly by the press and the public.  As a matter of fact, I find his behavior deplorable.  That notwithstanding, over time, famous and infamous people and honorable and dishonorable people have quoted this poem or have quoted portions of it.  Among those people were; Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, President Barrack Obama and even American domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh.

However, what it is meant to state is that Mr. Trump is an extremely tough and determined man who is extremely dangerous and just happens to be the most powerful man in the world!  And since the way that he is conducting himself has obviously gained traction with our Republican led congress and they are blindly supporting him, it is extremely important that all of the American people take notice of what is happening, remain vigilant – and in November, take action to replace Mr. Trump and those elected officials who are supporting him.

Of course, Mr. Trump and his supporters have the right to express their feelings about how they believe America should be run and fight for those beliefs.  But it has been shown via polls many times already that they are in the minority; that their way of thinking is not who Americans are.  To be able to effectively address this problem is only one among many of the reasons why all Americans, especially those who are of voting-age, must get informed, stay informed about politics and vote.  We must be made to realize that all elections, from local level to federal level, are important.  You should determine right now that whether or not you agree with  and support Mr. Trump, you are going to get informed, stay informed and always fulfill your civic responsibility.

America has always been great, is great now, and will continue to be great as long as all of us do our part to assure that those whom we elect to be our leaders will be true statesmen and will uphold their oath to the Constitution and carry out their sworn duty to protect America against all enemies foreign and domestic.  That is not what they are doing now.  Instead, it is as if they have sworn an oath to Mr. Trump and the Republican party rather than to the Constitution.  And we can rest assured that If we refuse to do our part by failing to perform our civic duty, we will inevitably end up in Trump’s America or a mirror image of it just under a different name.

So whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent, always remember, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!  Help keep America great; be sure that you get informed, stay informed, and vote from this point forward!

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

Mitch McConnell and Trey Gowdy want to ride like white knights into the mess that America now finds itself in and pretend to lead the charge to assure that our democracy will survive the threat from all enemies whether they be foreign or domestic.  Many Americans who do not already know it might be interested in knowing that Majority Leader McConnell and Representative Gowdy played no small part in leading us into the aforementioned mess that we are now in.  So I will mention it for all to read (hear); BOTH OF THESE MEN PLAYED THEIR PART WELL IN LEADING US INTO THIS QUAGMIRE WHEN PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS IN OFFICE.

Leader McConnell played his part by, among many other actions or lack thereof, refusing to hold a vote on President Obama’s nominee to become a Supreme Court Justice long enough for Mr. Donald Trump to become the occupant of the White House, nominate Neil Gorsuch and place him on the bench of the highest court in America.  Representative Gowdy did his part by relentlessly hounding Secretary Hillary Clinton regarding Benghazi and her emails while she was Secretary of State and beyond.

Time-and-time again he never came up with anything but, in the now infamous words of Senate Majority Leader McConnell that he addressed to the senate in his successful effort to prevent Senator Elizabeth Warren from completing her reading of a letter – which was already in the congressional records – from Ms. Coretta Scott King; yet he persisted (I took the liberty to replace the word ‘she’ with ‘he’).  In the event that that you are not familiar with this letter, it was written by Ms. King to oppose then U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama Jeff Sessions’ possible appointment to a federal judgeship.  Senator Warren was reading it to augment her position opposing Mr. Sessions’ potential confirmation to become U.S. Attorney General and to encourage other senators to join her.  Leader McConnell shut her down…  Look where that got us.

Anyway, now that this mess is hitting the fan after a little more than a year of Mr. Trump’s leadership and is splattering all over Republicans in Washington and around the country, Leader McConnell and Representative Gowdy don’t like the way that they and their Republican colleagues smell.  They can no longer stand the stench so they want to swing (or at least pretend to swing) into action again.  They want to be perceived as the grownups in the room who are the badly needed catalyst to break down the endless partisan resistance, which Mitch McConnell helped to lead, and instigate the will of their fellow Republicans to do the right thing, somehow forge partisanship, and restore America’s image domestically and abroad so that the healing process can begin.

Sound like a load of political crap?  It’s hard not to believe that it isn’t exactly that.  After all, the 2018 and 2020 elections are barreling towards us and Leader McConnell surly wants to retain his seat as Majority Leader.  As for Representative Gowdy, even if he keeps his word and does not run for congress again, I get the strong feeling that he would not turn down a seat on the bench as an Appellate Court judge… if someone forced him into it, of course.  However, the question is, can a man with his now sullied reputation be trusted to be fair and adhere to enforcement of the law in a non-partisan way?  Regardless of the answer to this rhetorical question, certainly he and Leader McConnell knew before the mess hit the fan that mess has a repulsive aroma.  Why did they wait so long before riding (pretending to ride?) in?  Go figure.  But this could likely, and rightly, cause many Americans to have a low regard for each man and the horse that he rode in on; likely you get my drift.

As we Americans continue to struggle to get our political bearings I cannot help but continue to reflect daily on how divided we have become and question how much damage Mr. Trump is doing to America through his unorthodox leadership style.  Will we be able to completely recover from this damage and if so, how long will it take?  I still disagree with the Republicans on a lot of things but there was a time when I easily honestly believed that our Democratic and Republican statesmen could have reasonable discourse on the issues and always arrive at a reasonable, even if not amicable, agreement.  I still honestly believe that our elected leaders can do that but that ‘easily’ adjective preceding ‘honestly’ is no longer there and the ‘statesmen’ noun has also long ago departed.  It has now become hard for me to believe that these politicians are capable of even having reasonable discourse let alone be capable of arriving at a reasonable agreement.  It seems to be becoming harder and harder every day for me to maintain any kind of faith in these so-called leaders and their ability to lead because they play endless politics.

As I was writing this blog I reflected upon how tired and sometimes confused I feel in dealing with what is happening in the world of politics and during that time, my mind wandered to and contemplated an article by Ezra Klein that I read in Vox.com.  The Article was dated 2/9/18 and entitled “Donald Trump, Fox News, and the logic of alternative facts.”  I highly recommend that you read this article.

Whether or not you decide to read Mr. Klein’s article, following is an excerpt from it that seems to perfectly describe what I was feeling and it helped me to understand why I might be feeling that way:

…What [Kellyanne] Conway and others understand is that if you’re just trying to activate your tribe, you don’t have to win the argument, you just need to have an argument; you need to give your side something to say, something to believe.  Something like the Nunes memo or the various out-of-context texts aren’t part of a search for truth – they’re an ammo drop, or, to go back to the way [Molly] Ball put it, “a semi-plausible (if not entirely coherent) counternarrative.”

Charlie Sykes, a conservative talk radio host turned Trump critic, put it well.  “The essence of propaganda is not necessarily to convince you of a certain set of facts.  It is to overwhelm your critical sensibilities.  It’s to make you doubt the existence of a knowable truth.  The conservative media is a giant fog machine designed to confuse and disorient people.”

There is no doubt that the Nunes memo and the various texts have thickened the fog.  If you were watching mainstream media outlets, you mostly saw the memo debunked, dismissed.  If you were watching Fox News, you saw Tucker Carlson saying, “For the first time in generations Americans have reason to believe that our intelligence and law enforcement agencies gravely misuse the powers we have given them.”  If you were watching Trump’s Twitter feed, you saw an all-caps alert of BOMBSHELL, alongside declarations of total victory:…

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave…”  What kind of a web are we weaving under the leadership of Mr. Trump and his administration and this Republican Congress?!  All of the lies and obfuscation, hubris and self-aggrandizement, and ‘alternative facts; where does it all end?!  Four years of Mr. Trump under these kind of circumstances would be enough to drive anyone batty.  And eight years?  I don’t think that there would be a sane person left in America; well, maybe the Trumpists would survive.  But surly they would also do something that Mr. Trump viewed as wrong somewhere along the way to displease him and he would turn on them too.  Then finally, the only sane person that would be left would be Mr. Trump himself.  American voters had better get busy and they had better do it soon!

So whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent always remember, 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

This is America!  And although I disagree with almost everything that the Koch brothers stand for, I still firmly believe that they have the right to pursue their agenda.  They have the right to work to protect their business interests although it appears to be strongly opposed to most middle class Americans’ interests!  For some reason unknown to me and something that I cannot put my finger on, my gut tells me that they are not like Mr. Donald Trump.  Something tells me that they are not – among many other things, racist and white supremacists like Mr. Donald Trump is but they are decent Americans with a different point of view from my own as a middle class American.  My gut tells me that they simply want to protect their business interests and are, instead, primarily money grubbing capitalist (in this particular instance, this is meant neither to be perceived as a pejorative nor a compliment – a way in which it is not impossible that they might take it coming from someone whom they would likely label a staunch liberal – aimed at the Koch brothers) who simply believe that they can never have enough money.

I do not know whether or not it might also be because they believe that they must play by the same rules that all of the other money grubbing capitalists play by if they are to effectively compete (only God knows how many times that, right or wrong, I have loathe the Democrats for not playing by the same rules as their Republican colleagues in order to accomplish Democratic goals since Republicans seem to give no thought to screwing Democrats) or if it is because they are the lead dogs among those who are simply money hungry and a part of the infamous American greed.  Perhaps which reason it is does not matter to them but I believe that it deeply matters to the American people.  I know that it matters to me!  It matters because of who I really believe that we are as Americans!  It matters because of how I believe most patriotic Americans feel!

The Koch brothers obviously have a strong team in place throughout the country that is working to push their agenda forward and that team is obviously very successful.  But what they do not have on their team is ‘someone‘ who represents the opposition.  They do not have anyone on that team who is telling them how the other side feels, why they feel the way that they do and that what they and their team are doing is bull**** (whether they agree with that person or not, which they likely wouldn’t).  My gut tells me that the Koch brothers do not want to destroy the federal government and democracy as we now know it as does Mr. Trump and his minions in the Republican-led congress.  They do not appear to want to destroy the free press and our intelligence agencies and establish an authoritarian government as does Mr. Trump.

The Koch brothers do not need to include this aforementioned ‘someone‘ in their strategy sessions but they still need them on their team because they truly need to know and understand how the other side feels.  My gut tells me that they want to understand the other side’s perspective even though they are very likely not to agree with their rationale.  Notwithstanding, that input could still be a meaningful part of their overall rationale.   If I were that ‘someone‘ I would grit my teeth, put up with all of their bull****, and tell them exactly how the other side feels.  I would tell them that they could compromise, win the other side over to – at least- some part of their cause – and use it to their advantage to gain the advantage over their competing money grubbers and use that leverage to better the system.  And I would tell them that they could do all of this without hurting their cause.  It would be a win, win for them!

Foreign leaders are talking about how America is losing stature around the world and how China, Russia and other countries are filling that void.  I cannot say for sure which side of the ledger that the Koch brothers would come down on when it comes to Mr. Trump and Russia but I believe that it would be on the side of patriotism and, therefore, America.  That means that they would not side with Mr. Trump.  Russia has been and still is – for whatever reason, quite successful at using Mr. Trump as their puppet and manipulating him to their advantage.  Unfortunately, congress is continuing to enable Mr. Trump in order to further their own personal political ambitions, protect the Republican party, and further the Republican political agenda instead of putting America first and exercising their sworn responsibility to protect the constitution.

These congressmen, unfortunately, include elected officials like John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski.  These were senators who were recently touted as statesmen for standing up to their party in favor of supporting the will of the American people.  What a shame that they so quickly changed their tune under pressure from Senate Majority Leader Mitch (Whack-A-Mole) McConnell and voted for a tax bill loaded with partisan amendments unfavorable to Democrats and blue states and which also included an amendment that was specifically structured to destabilize Obamacare even though the majority of Americans had just rejected an attempt by Republicans to repeal Obamacare!

Congressional Republicans have been so completely blinded by their personal political ambitions and desire to protect Mr. Trump and the Republican party and its agenda that they have totally forgotten about the American people.  They have forgotten about who put them in office and why they were put there and instead have chosen to bow down to big money.  They have chosen their big money donors over the rest of the American people and their will.  Only the American people can correct this problem and we should do exactly that.  We should do it immediately!  We must show the billionaires and millionaires that they alone do not run this country but that the American people overall do.  They must be made to realize that billionaires and millionaires have a right to their vote but that their vote counts no more than that of the very poorest American.  All decent, patriotic Americans know that this is how it should be.

Let’s begin right now to put people into office who feel this way; people who will be decent and patriotic Americans who will put country first.  Obviously, those Republicans who are there now do not feel this way.  But I cannot over emphasize the fact that we, the American people can fix this.  We must stop selling ourselves short.  We must realize that we have been doing this for a long time now and are continuing to do it because people with money, rich and powerful people, have convinced us that in order to count – in order to be worth anything – we must have money!  That is not the case.

Instead, this is a myth that has been perpetuated over the years and for so long that far too many middle class and poor Americans have accepted it.  We must accept, realize and always emphasize that everyone’s vote is equal.  A rich person’s vote does not count any more than does that of the poorest person in America!  And that is what actually makes America great!  Do not let Mr. Trump mislead you, his vote carries no more weight than does yours!  Our vote is the quintessential equalizer no matter who we are or how rich or poor we are!  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!  Be sure that you use yours.  Do not stand by idly and be ripped off by Mr. Trump and the rich and powerful!  Always vote!

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

Mr. Trump says that he wants to give middle class Americans a ‘big, beautiful’ tax cut benefit for Christmas.  Yay!  He has been touting this gift for a while now and is confident that he can either dupe or pressure congressional Republicans into passing his tax bill immediately and putting it on his desk so that he can sign it.  However, there is one minor problem – a small hurdle that he and his Republican minions in congress expect to easily clear along party lines, and that problem is that neither he nor the majority of the congressional Republicans really know what is in the bill.  And those that do have no real idea of the impact that it will have on the economy.  They just know that they have to pass something that at least resembles major legislation before the end of Mr. Trump’s first complete year in office or face  disaster.

It does not matter that if this bill passes – based on the apparent thinking of many congressional Republicans, that the law itself could become a disaster for America; what matters to them is that Republicans while in control of the House, Senate, and the White House, will be able to avoid being confronted with the fact that they did not pass a single piece of major legislation during Mr. Trump’s first year in office.  Just as important, this will increase their chances of being able to avoid the ire of their deep-pocket donors and hopefully prevent them from closing their wallets to the Republican party.

So wait, let me think…  Okay, HELLO, where do those of us who are supposed to be the recipients of this ‘big, beautiful’ tax cut gift come in?!  I’m starting to think that this whole ‘big, beautiful’ tax cut gift for the middle class is a farce!  Why do the ‘big beautiful’ tax cuts for the middle class sunset and those for the corporations continue in perpetuity?!  And why is it that almost half of the benefits of this ‘big, beautiful tax cut gift go to Americans who are in the top 1 percent?!  Wait, something doesn’t smell right here.  Actually, it’s starting to stink.  Aha!  Now I see clearly.  This ‘big, beautiful’ tax cut gift is really for big corporations and the wealthy.  And in the long run, the middle class will end up paying for this ‘big, beautiful’ tax cut gift to those corporations and the wealthy.  Give me a break!

Let me tell you what I’m getting for Christmas from my AARP MedicareComplete folks.  They recently sent me a letter that said that the dental coverage I had in 2017 is no longer offered under my 2018 plan.  They said that there is a new optional dental coverage called the ‘Dental Platinum Rider’ instead.  They further said that it would cost $39 per month versus the $13 per month that I am currently paying and that I can either switch to this new plan by letting them know by December 31, 2017; or, they said, if they don’t hear from me by December 31, 2017, my plan will not include dental coverage starting January 1, 2018.  Finally, they said that I will receive a new member ID card in the mail that doesn’t include dental coverage and that I can destroy the card that I recently received from them.  Whoa!  It’s the gift that keeps on giving…one day at a time less of my current cheaper coverage; and like the situation in the ‘big, beautiful tax cut for the middle class in Mr. Trump’s tax bill, even it sunsets on December 31, 2017 and I will have to either pay the higher rate (a 300% increase) or go without dental insurance.

What does this have to do with Mr. Trump’s ‘big, beautiful’ tax cut gift?  While I cannot guarantee you that it is directly related to Mr. Trump’s ‘big beautiful’ tax cut gift to the middle class, I do know that he has been working hard to destabilize Obamacare, that the elimination of the Obamacare individual mandate is a part of his ‘big beautiful’ tax cut package, that this ‘big, beautiful’ tax cut gift – if it is passed – will greatly increase the deficit (somewhere between 1.4 and 2 trillion dollars), and that   – ultimately – this increase will likely be addressed by taking the money from Medicare and Medicaid.  Whether directly or indirectly, this has an impact on the rates charged by insurance companies affiliated in any way with Medicare or Medicaid.  I will leave it to you to decide whether this ‘big, beautiful’ tax cut gift directly or indirectly impacts on my situation or has no impact at all.  I know what I think!

In light of the bizarre way that Mr. Trump is conducting himself and the meteoric pace at which America is losing political capital at home and abroad, why should anyone not question where the loyalty of congressional Republicans lies?  Further, why should Americans continue to have any degree of confidence in the current Republican controlled congress or believe any word that comes out of Mr. Trump’s mouth?  This is a question worth asking.  I hope that all Americans, whether or not they agree with me, will get engaged and take a real close look at what is happening in and to America.  Then, I hope that you will remain engaged and help to assure and secure the future of America by fulfilling your responsibility as citizens and exercising your right to vote.  And always remember, 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

I do not know if you like watching nature shows that show a lot of National Geographic type stuff but I know that I do.  In the event that you do like watching that kind of stuff then you have likely seen the show that I am about to use as an example.  It goes as follows: There were these three male cheetahs that were following this female cheetah that was in heat.  They had been following her for days and when she would stop to rest they would keep their distance from her and, from time-to-time, they would fight with one another.  I suppose that it was to determine which one would be the alpha male that would eventually breed with her.

Whether or not this was the reason, one time when she stopped and they began fighting they did not notice that they were being watched by a pride of lions.  In the event that you are not aware of it, lions and cheetahs are natural enemies.  Anyway, these cheetahs – although they had strayed into lion territory, were so busy fighting with one another that they did not notice that some of the lions had decided to attack them and were openly approaching them.  To make a Long story short, the lions attacked these cheetahs.  While they attacked them, other lions in the pride simply watched what was happening without showing much interest.  As it relates to the example that I just gave you, it does not really matter whether one, all, or none of the cheetahs were either injured or killed.  What matters is that they were trespassing on territory on which they were keenly aware that they should not be trespassing and the lions let them know that in no uncertain terms.

If we were to juxtapose this example onto what is currently happening with Mr. Trump and his administration, Mr. Trump would be represented by the female cheetah, and his administration and his Republican congress enablers would be represented by the three male cheetahs that were eager to mate with her.  The American Constitution would be represented by the land that these cheetahs were trespassing on and those Americans who were active in protecting it would be represented by the lions that attacked these cheetahs for knowingly trespassing on their territory while exhibiting a clear and present intent to do harm.  And finally, the lions in the pride that were simply watching the attack occur would represent those Americans who were likely also concerned about the cheetahs unrightfully infringing on their territory but were not interested enough, at least at the time, to join in on the attack  because they were sure that the attacking lions would easily overpower these intruders; therefore, the outcome was already determined.

I openly acknowledge that this scenario slightly modifies a lion prides’ actual behavior but this modification  will help you to better get the gist of the point that I want to make.  And that point is that not just a few Americans should be concerned about how Mr. Trump and his administration are purposely obfuscating when it comes to the Constitution, that they are ignoring American norms, and that the Republican controlled congress is allowing them to do this unchallenged; but all Americans should be concerned!  Not only should they be concerned because countries that used to look to America for leadership are now laughing at us but they should be concerned because it appears that America is now modeling itself after countries that are led by despots and oligarchs.  How any American could witness this type of behavior by someone who occupies the Oval Office and a congress that is supposed to be representing its constituents and not be prompted to fight against it is mindboggling.  What has happened to us and what will become of us if we do not immediately come back to our senses and immediately begin to fight back?!

What kind of snake oil has Mr. Trump duped congress and the American people into drinking or what kind of voodoo powder has he released into the American drinking water system that would cause us to react in the way that far too many Americans are reacting?!  Thank goodness that the immune system of some of us has detected this virus and been able to fight against it!  Those members of Mr. Trump’s administration, the majority of those who work for him, and congress, seem to somehow have transformed themselves from human beings into some sort of machines that are simply a part of his system to the point where they have no comprehension as regards human needs or human suffering.  Even those people who have been highly respected and held in high esteem before being touched by Mr. Trump, after being touched by him, lose any dignity that they ever thought that they had; kind of like Speaker Paul Ryan.

Congress seems to have forgotten America as they pursue their own political aspirations and protect their party but that should demand that America does not forget them or Mr. Trump and his administration.  America must rise up in defense of our Constitution, regardless of party, and demand that all Americans and those within America’s borders respect it and abide by it.  We must not allow Mr. Trump or anyone else to purposely sow seeds of confusion where something that we hold so scared is concerned!  The way that we can assure that that demand is heard and respected is by way of the ballot box.

Mr. Trump has proven that he is an extremely strong, powerful, and dangerous man.  He has steadfastly ignored the Emoluments Clause and various long observed American norms that all other American presidents in modern history have held in high esteem and honored.  In referring to China’s advantage in the balance of trade with America, he said that China is ‘raping America’.  If he were to take an introspective view and make an assessment concerning the actions that he has taken since he has been in office, I wonder how he would describe what he is doing to America.  Mr. Trump has also proven that, for whatever reason, he has the ability to grate on, if not completely wear down, the will of many of the American people.  You must determine that you will not be one of those whose will he can wear down because he is counting on the fact (assumed fact/alternative fact?) that he can.  You must be and remain determined that you will not be a victim!  If you truly agree with what he is doing and the direction in which he is leading America then fine; but do not be a victim!

It is far past time for all American voters to step up and demand that those people that we elect to represent us actually represent us and do what they were elected to do.  It is especially important that we do that now to assure that the Constitution will not be ignored and that, as Americans, everyone knows that we will not sit by idly while our democracy is being threatened and is in danger of being weakened or destroyed.  Again, the best way to do this is through our vote.  So whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent always remember; 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

On August 24, 2016 I wrote an article entitled “Republicans Team With Koch, Donors Trust And Other Rich Conservative Supporters In Their Quest To Amend The Constitution” and posted it to this site.  The article talked about how the Koch brothers and a number of organizations and people that they are associated with were quietly working to convene a convention of the 50 states in an effort to change the U.S. Constitution.  It also encouraged Americans to become and remain aware of this effort and to resist it.  Further, it stated that because they were extremely stealthy in their effort to achieve this goal that many Americans are not aware of it and those who are aware of it continue to ignore it because they believe that it is an all but impossible task.  As a result of this complacency, I reminded readers of the success of the Republicans Red Map program and the part that it likely played in the ultimate election of Mr. Trump.

I want to continue to remind all Americans who are concerned about the things that Mr. Trump and congressional Republicans are doing, how they are governing and the direction in which they are leading our country that they must remain vigilant and relentlessly fight back against this kind of leadership and governance.  The Koch brothers might not be Trump supporters but they are supporters of the current congressional Republicans and their agenda.  And they are still quietly pushing their own agenda.  I have already mentioned how stealthy they are and cited an example of what they have been able to accomplish by way of that stealth; well, they are just as deadly politically as they are stealthy.  Those aforementioned concerned Americans must realize this and prevent them from dealing a lethal blow to voting rights and to middle class America.

If the Koch brothers and those organizations and people that they are affiliated with should ever be successful in their efforts to convene a convention of the 50 states and convince them to change the U.S. Constitution then, obviously, it will also affect local governance and communities in those states.  On Tuesday November 7 – this past election day, states proved the power that they can wield and the kind of impact that they can have on politics from the local level all the way up to the highest federal level.  States such as Virginia, Maine, New Jersey, New York, the entire west coast states and many others showed exactly the kind of power that the American voter can wield when their vote is combined and wielded with those votes of like-minded thinkers.  Those states showed that even though our elected officials might kowtow to billionaires, millionaires, and other powerful people who feel that they should run America and it should not be run by the collective will of the American people, that does not have to be the case.  The American people do not have to bow down to the rich and powerful when it comes to choosing a path forward for America!

Having said that, I will take this opportunity to address a problem that we are faced with in Colorado.  A major issue that we are faced with and struggling to address in Denver is the use of force by police.  Various Denver community members, community churches and other organizations are currently working with the police department in an effort to help them draft a “use of force” policy that will work for police officers and citizens.  Media reports reflect the fact that many other states around the country are faced with this same problem.  My point is that if the Koch brothers are successful in bringing the 50 states together and convincing them to change the U.S. Constitution, this is likely only to exacerbate the problem.

Why?  Because the U. S. Department of Justice’s current ability to have leverage in their effort to work with states to assure a uniform system that incorporates “equal justice for all” throughout all states would likely be severely curtailed; at least, until any proposed changes to the revised Constitution could be implemented and established.  The United States does not need to revise its Constitution, we need to have elected officials who are willing to engage in reasonable discourse and not be intimidated by billionaires and millionaires.  And keep in mind, the Koch brothers concern is not about middle class Americans’ issues and the issues of poor people without a voice; their concern is about their own agenda and what can be done in every state where they have businesses that will have a positive impact on those businesses’ bottom line.  And let there be no doubt that they would put money and other resources into influencing these states and others with regard to what these constitutional changes would entail.  Because, for whatever reason, it seems that far too many rich people feel that they can never obtain enough money!

Republicans in Washington have long trumpeted “states rights” (including its dog whistle meaning) and the Koch brothers have long strongly supported these Republicans.  According to realkochfacts.com the Koch brothers contributed substantial amounts of money to organizations that worked in support of voter suppression.  Voter suppression in states and at the federal level might help to bolster the bottom line of big business but it is something that can only be good in further decimating the middle class and that is something that is not good for America overall.  The fact of the matter is that there is a haunting thread that runs throughout the fabric of America that has always been there; that thread is “Big Money”.

And whether it is in our overall political system, election system, justice system, business system or anywhere else it is like a bad case of cancer.  It is bad and has the potential to be lethal In all cases but just like some types of cancer have more of a potential to cause death than do others, “Big Money” in our election system is like the worse type of cancer.  It has the greatest potential to kill America.  Voting is an intricate part of the American way of life and is key among the things that make America the great country that it is!  You might say that without the right to vote, you are not – or at least you don’t feel like – you are an American.  That is one among the many reasons why it is so devastating to have the word “felon” next to your name.  Felons are stripped of their right to vote.  And in consideration of this kind of consequence alone, one would think that to try to prevent any legitimate American voter from voting would be unfathomable!  …But, obviously, it is not.

America, we must find a way to get “Big Money” out of our election process because, ultimately, it affects far more than the bottom lines of big business.  It, in essence, affects who we really are as Americans.  If we can somehow find a way to get “Big Money” out of our election process, we will be able to work more effectively to solve our problems.  Problems like healthcare, tax reform, infrastructure, gun laws, equal pay for equal work, housing, equal justice under the law and a host of other problems.  Why will things change?  Because, since statesmanship seems to have all but vanished under the relentless pressure of money and power, elected officials will finally feel the direct pressure from voters and, therefore, the need to be accountable to their country and all of their constituents.  They would no longer be relegated to the constant temptation  to morph into invertebrates and ignore the rest of their constituents during election cycles due to the demand on them by their deep pocket donors for fealty; and then, in between these election cycles, struggle to again grow -at least –  a pseudo  spine and return to some semblance of normalcy knowing that this process will only be an endless vicious cycle.

The catch is that the only way that we will ever bring about this change is through our vote.  This change likely will not occur immediately but it will occur if we will value and use our right to vote.  But for some reason that I have not yet been able to fully comprehend, far too many of us take our right to vote for granted!  We treat the franchise like a trivial thing!  We need to end that way of thinking right now and fulfill our responsibility to vote!

Obviously, we have responsibilities as American citizens and among those responsibilities is our responsibility to vote.  We will never be happy as a whole with every outcome that our collective vote produces.  But we can agree to disagree, remain civil toward one another and always willingly engage in any and all discourse that will continue to pull us together as Americans rather than divide us: because we are stronger together!  So whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent; always remember, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!  “Stay Focused” and let’s get to work!

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