'Splain It To Me, Please

 I recently retired (yea!) from my last career as a sales associate in the hardware department of Smith and Edwards Co. in West Jordan. Let me say from the start, I have a lot of respect and love for this company, and for my fellow employees at the store. Nothing I am going to share with you now is meant in any manner to cast disrespect upon that company.

The hardware department sold flags of various types, including all branches of the military as well as American Flags, along with flagpoles, mounting brackets, etc. We did not sell Confederate Battle flags, flags of foreign nations, or political flags/banners.

My fellow associates and I noticed a somewhat disturbing pattern in our sale of American Flags. As you are aware, it has become very common for individuals to fly American Flags (and some others)  mounted to staffs on the back of pickup trucks. Two or three times a week, we would have customers ask for American Flags, of which we had two brands. One was made in America, one in China. The Chinese variant was less expensive that the "Made in the USA" flag. Sad to say, most of the younger customers in their MAGA hats would take the Chinese flag because of the cost difference. Older customers tended to prefer American Flags "Made in the USA," those wearing veteran's caps would gladly share their stories of being in the service and under fire for America's flag. Yes, some of the older customers were wearing MAGA hats, but they were buying American made flags.

So, I guess I don't get it. MAGA-Make America Great Again- by purchasing Chinese made American flags. America First-unless it is cheaper to purchase an imported item.  

Talk is cheap, and slogans are plentiful. Putting your money where your mouth is, well, that is a different story. 

Thoughts, anyone? 

Thanks for reading; your comments are encouraged and welcome. Just click the word "comment" in the white box below. 

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

If You Want To Fly It, Respect It

 A few days ago, I went to a local hardware store to pick up some project material. As I was leaving the store, I was glancing around the parking lot, as is my custom; I check to see what vehicles are moving in which direction, etc. Basic situational awareness before I put my car in gear. 

My attention was drawn to a diesel pickup idling at the vape shop next door. It had an American flag on a staff mounted to the back bumper; the flag was drifting in the slight breeze. In Utah, an American flag on a truck is not unusual at all; what caught my eye and disgusted me beyond belief was the condition of the flag. This emblem of our country, which you and I were taught to respect and honor, was torn, dirty, and covered in diesel exhaust. I was tempted to take a picture with my cell phone, but before I could, the driver of the truck exited the vape shop-yes, he had a MAGA hat on. I didn't think it was a good idea to get into a confrontation, so there is no picture. 

The United States National Flag Code, which became law in 1942, lays out the rules for the proper display of the American Flag; here are two rules from that Code: 

The Flag should not be on display outdoors in bad weather.

Clean and damage-free flags should always be used. Dirty, ripped, wrinkled or frayed flags should not be used. Also, when flags are damaged, they should be destroyed in a dignified manner. 

I realize, given the political strife and division current in our country today, that many people feel the need to express their patriotism, loyalty, and virtue by displaying the American Flag.

I wish the driver of that truck would show his respect for the American Flag as prominently as he shows his loyalty to the former president.   

Thank you for reading; as always, your comments are welcome and encouraged. Just click the word "comment" in the white box below below.

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

Source: https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/story/Article/1892936/dos-and-donts-for-displaying-old-glory/ retrieved on October 19, 2024

My Nominee for The Most Stupid In State Award

When it is time to hand out the "Most Stupid In State" awards, I am nominating Morgan Republican Rep. Kera Birkeland. Her incredibly transphobic bill, improperly titled “Sex-Based Designations for Privacy, Anti-bullying and Women's Opportunities" has unleased a world of problems for the State Auditor, Republican John Dougall, and his office. You see, the bill changes the legal definitions of “female” and “male” to categorize Utahns by the reproductive organs of their birth, and restricts which bathrooms and locker rooms trans people can use in any government-owned buildings. (Schools, county recreation centers, swimming pools, etc.) When a violation is sent to the State Auditor's office, they must investigate then notify that entity that a violation has occurred. If the violation isn’t resolved, the auditor must refer the issue to the Utah Attorney General’s office, which can then impose fines up to $10,000 “per violation per day.” In the 72 hour period that followed the release of the reporting website, over 4,000 complaints were filed; the number of complaints  two weeks later exceeded 10,000. According to Dougall, none of the complaints were legitimate. The person committing the crime is not punished, unless they commit lewd or voyeuristic acts.  

So there you have it. Ms. Birkland created a bill, which requires a huge unplanned expense for the State Auditor's office, to satisfy the MAGA Utah Rabid Right's unhealthy fixation on bathroom usage. How many thousands of taxpayer dollars will be wasted on this bill will probably not ever be released to the public. 

It does create a distraction for the public, however, taking attention away from some of Utah's real problems: our bad air, underfunded education system, a much needed expansion of Medicaid, fentanyl addiction, homelessness, affordable housing, water supplies, infrastructure, the list goes on and on. 

Ms. Birkland could have focused her energy and the State's money on these problems, but no. Instead she is focused on which bathroom people use.

As always, thank you for reading; your comments are important, regardless of whether you agree or not! 

R.M. "Bob" Hartman 

Real Americans

 I have been absent for several weeks, some of you know why; for those who don't, here it is. My wife of 46 years had a lung transplant on July 24, 2023. The month leading up to the transplant was filled day in and day out, with doctor appointment, lab runs, etc.,etc., ad nauseum. We received the call on July 22nd that they had a "clean" donor (matched all the criteria and had no issues of concern), so we rushed to University of Utah hospital and 2 days later, bingo! a new lung is in and working. Kathleen has been in the hospital since then, and in ICU for now 30 days. There are some issues with chyle leakage (from the lymphatic system) that have created a stumbling block, but the doctors are throwing all modern medicine has to offer and then some more, to solve the problem. It is my belief they are doing everything and then some more to get Kathleen well enough to come home, without the need of O2 tanks, concentrators, and compressors for her to live. If you want to know more, go here: https://helphopelive.org/campaign/22301/ for almost daily updates, you can subscribe to the page and you will get an email when I post an update. Oh, yes, you can also post the page to your social media and make donations to help with the bills and medicines not covered by the insurance company. 

But back to the reason for today's post. Given that I have had many hours in hospital rooms while she slept, or in waiting rooms while she underwent surgery or follow up "procedures", I spent time looking at the American political issues facing us today. I have some observations, which I am glad to share with you. 

The 2020 election  is over, The President of the United States of America is Joe Biden,  the election was not stolen. Get over it. 

The Biden administration is not going to issue sudden, mandatory emergency masking requirements this fall. And the so-called Senator from Utah, you know, the low life impersonating a human being, Mike "short sale, short thought process" Lee should be ashamed of himself for promoting this garbage on his X account. In fact, he should just be ashamed of himself period.  

Now to the one statement I heard over and over in my research: Real Americans. Wow, who are they, what do they think, and who gets to decide who is a Real American and who isn't (you know, the bad guys). 

I know about 500 people in my short list, so I thought hard about each and every one of them. To a person, they are all American citizens, by birth or naturalization. 

Some of them drive great big oversized diesel guzzling pickup trucks (oh, wait, that's me!), one drives a Chevrolet Bolt (total electric) and there are some Tesla's in there. And Toyota's, Fords, Hondas, Hyundai's, you get the picture. 

My list includes a school bus driver, a retired teacher, an Army vet that survived Chosin Reservoir in Korea, and countless Viet-war vets. It includes cashiers at the grocery store, unions workers at UPS, freight truck drivers, fast-food employees, even an insurance agent (family joke there), bankers, farmers, cattlemen, and salespeople of one type or another. 

Given that America has, thankfully, welcomed peoples from many other countries over the years, I cannot begin to count the number of different nationalities (backgrounds) that I know. 

Some fly American flags on their pickups, wear MAGA hats, and vote Republican. Some are liberal Obama/Biden loving tree-hugging environmentalists concerned about global warming. 

I have, as you probably do, friends that are straight, gay, bi, questioning, on and on. 

In other words, my short list is a lot like yours. All of us know someone that thinks different than we do, that has a diverse world-view and a disparate political opinion. 

Yet, here's my bottom line. We are all "Real Americans." Each and every one of us has a claim to that title, and it cannot be taken away from us. 

So let's stop dividing America and Unite her. We are, after all,

The United States Of America.

The United States Of America

Thank you for reading, as always, pass this page on to your friends and anyone who likes an individual thought. 

R. M. "Bob" Hartman

Comments are always welcome, see the white box below. 

 

I Am

 I am a citizen of The United States of America, and I am proud to say that; I am proud of this country-our country, yours and mine. It was, and continues to be, literally an experiment in self-government that had never been tried before; it has been a very successful experiment, and our form of a constitutional representative democracy or some moderate variant thereof, has been successfully duplicated many times since 1776. 

The direction of this great and wonderful country, over the long arc of time, has been and continues to be toward, in the words of Jefferson, "a more perfect union."  We have never been perfect, nor do you or I know we ever will be; and the events of the past 10 years remind us of the work that remains yet unfinished. 

Huge swaths of our country lack access to quality health care, education, and employment. An explosive and violent drug epidemic is killing children and adults without prejudice. We incarcerate at a rate far above the norm for a first-world economy, yet corruption and treason run unfettered through our governmental offices. At its inception, social media was advertised as a way to build community; isolation, hate, fear,  bigotry and racism have become its suburbs. 

Yet I retain an unashamed optimism about our future, short and long term. Ours is not a static social construct, rather it expands and contracts as necessity requires. We have the ability, given to us by the foresight of the founders of this great nation, to change the direction and tenor of our country, of our political landscape. It is within our ability to control our government, to control our social discourse, to tone down the racism, bigotry and hate. All that is required to improve what is right, and correct what is wrong, is for you and I to say "no more." We can amplify our voices by voting for the candidate, not the party, by helping with voter registration, by standing up for democracy. Each of us can and should demonstrate with action and word, that bigotry, racism, and hatred are not acceptable virtues of a civilized society. 

Do not misunderstand me, I am not advocating physical violence, riots, or insurrection! I am advocating citizenship, an active participation in the affairs of our society. The most important action you can take is to VOTE. if you want to make more of an obvious impact, speak out, speak up; let your congressman know how you feel, put letters in the local paper, etc. Don't waste time arguing with the uninformed. 

Why do I remain optimistic about America? Because I truly believe in America, and in Americans. I believe the vast majority of us are good, kind, and generous. I believe we all want a good, prosperous future, and I believe we want all Americans to have the same opportunity as we ourselves have. 

I invite you to share in my optimism, and also to leave comments and opinions about this article.

Thanks for reading! 

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

One of Those Days

 Amidst a country struggling with religious, political, and moral strife, it is difficult to find a subject that exalts and promotes some of  the normal, everyday events; something that takes us away from our screens, our often sour and bitter rants and disagreements. 

Today is one of those days. The idea began in the Spokane Central Methodist Episcopal Church in the early 1900's, when Sonora Smart Dodd listened to a sermon on the values of Mother's Day. Sonora was the oldest of 6 children, her mother had died during the birth of her sixth child when Sonora was 16 years old. Like any person would, she assisted her father, a civil war veteran, in the raising of her five brothers; and she was in awe of the wonderful job her father had done raising the family. She approached the Spokane Ministerial Alliance about having a day dedicated to fathers, and on June 19, 1910, Spokane WA celebrated the first Father's Day. President Lyndon Johnson signed a Presidential Proclamation in 1966 declaring the third Sunday in June Father's Day, and President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance on the third Sunday in June as Father's Day in 1972.   

As I said, today is one of those days. I thank God for our son, who is quietly exhibiting all of the characteristics of a good, no, make that great, father. His three children are shown the love, care, and strength of good parenting each and every day. Mike and his wife are raising their children in an atmosphere of education, love, and happiness. He takes the time to explain the whys and hows of the world to them, while showing by example the manner in which good people live in harmony with others. When difficulties arise, as they do in all families, rather than sit around moaning and blaming some "other" or some outside force, he responds with great mental acuity and finds solutions to the problems. He is not afraid to admit when he is wrong, even to his children, and he is willing to do what it takes to set everything aright. He, and his wife, expect and assist their children to achieve goals, to be well-educated and compassionate. He encourages his children to explore their talents, and has not missed any extracurricular activities as the children progress through school. 

As you might surmise from the preceding paragraph, I am very proud of our son. Please join me in "raising a glass" to good Fathers everywhere! 

Thank you for reading; please share this page with anyone in your circle who might enjoy it. Please leave any comments or thoughts in the space below. 

Happy Father's Day! 

R. M. "Bob" Hartman

On the Virtue of Knowledge and Trust

When I need my vehicle repaired, I am in the habit of taking it to Performance Place, an automotive mechanical repair company located in South Jordan, UT. Having mechanics that are ASE certified, with a shop that has been in the business of mechanical repairs to vehicles for 35+ years, is very important to me. I have a great deal of TRUST in their knowledge of automobile mechanical repair. 

Our family physician for 28 years, whom we TRUST with our health care, is well skilled in the arts and science of medicine. He has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Utah, and Doctorate from the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. 

And I could go on. The point, however, is this: When I want a service, or a decision, or advice, I go to people whom I TRUST in their field of expertise. I certainly wouldn't go to Performance Place for my broken leg, nor would I ask our family physician to replace the injectors on my diesel. The automotive mechanic, and the physician, builds his/her clientele based on education, experience, and recommendations from satisfied customers. 

When Utah legislators write bills like HB374, the "Sensitive Materials In Schools" act, they adopt materials from ALEC and several conservative groups within Utah, such as Utah Parents United. The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) consists of conservative state legislators and private sector representatives that draft and share model legislation for distribution to state governments, including Utah. Utah Parents United is a conservative group that works to drive legislation based on it's self-defined religious, sexual, and political "values." 

Neither of these group even pretends to have members who are certified, college-educated, degreed education specialists. None of the members of the Utah Administrative Rules Committee hold degrees in education. State Representatives Brammer and Strong accompanied by State Senators Anderegg and Bramble deemed it their right, privilege and duty to publicly abuse the Davis School District and its superintendent, Dan Linford for supposedly  'embarrassing the State on national and international levels' for removing the Holy Bible, King James version, from elementary and junior high schools following a parent challenge based on HB374. Here are some of the comments made in the 90 minute abuse of the district and its superintendent. 

You should be ashamed- from Rep Brammer.

This is offensive-Sen. Bramble.

Accepting the religion of atheism and hedonism-Rep Mark Strong.

Challenging the Bible's place in the district libraries is reprehensible-Sen Jake Anderegg.

In actuality (the world most of us live in), the "shame" and "offense" belong to the legislators for even proposing and passing the bill, and on Governor Cox for signing the bill. Putting the Bible to the same test as all other materials that are proposed to be banned is not accepting the religion of atheism, and I am unaware of any religion of hedonism. Perhaps Rep Strong could assist us with that religion? If you are going to ban or restrict access to  books because of sex, violence, genocide and racism, then the challenge to the Bible is well founded. 

Utah is being embarrassed on the national and international levels again, not because of the banning itself, but because a small ignorant, intolerant but vocal group wants their version of  morality, virtue, and religion imposed upon all who live in the State, and our state legislature is all to willing to comply.  

I leave you with this thought from the late 1700s. 

"Nothing is more dangerous than ignorance and intolerance armed with power" -Voltaire 

Thanks for reading, please share this with your friends and leave your comments below! 

R.M. "Bob" Hartman