The New Colossus
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Emma Lazarus, 1883
This sonnet, which most schoolchildren in the United States of American are aware of, was written as part of an arts and literary works auction raising funds for the building of the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty. In 1886, when the auction opened, this was the only entry read to the audience. However, it was not until 1903 when a bronze plaque bearing the poem was affixed to a wall on the inner wall of the pedestal.
Sadly, however, the lamp is now extinguished; the golden door and bronze plaque are tarnished, and the words difficult to read.
In this, the “Greatest Country on Earth”, a tragedy unfolded this December that should have shocked and repulsed every citizen of America. In less than 72 hours, this event passed through the news cycle and remains an unacceptable and yet forgotten blemish on our fair land.
A 38 year old mother of two, distraught and without hope, committed murder/suicide, and took herself, daughter and son out of this earthly existence. They were living on $500 a month child support and her meager earnings as a maker of decorative pillows. Her attempts to receive food stamps and welfare had been denied, and she had been reduced to begging food from restaurants in the area as they approached closing hour. Rachelle walked to these restaurants. Previously, she had sold her truck for $400 to buy food for the family. The children showered outside (there being no running water inside) of the ramshackle camp trailer where they lived, for which she was paying $400 per month rent.
On December 5, 2011, Rachelle Grimmer, her 12 year old daughter Ramie and 10 year old son Timothy walked to the Food Stamp Office, where she asked her case be assigned to a new caseworker. They were taken to a small office, where she took about 2 dozen people hostage. A supervisor in the office convinced Rachelle to release all the hostages. At 11:42 P.M, Rachelle fatally shot her two children, and then took her own life.
This happened in the year 2011, in The United States of America, and this is WRONG. How have we become so calloused, so rigid, that America cannot offer aid and assistance to children and adults in severe cases of need? What has happened to our sense of decency and compassion, of caring for those unable to care for themselves? In our rush to dethrone the “welfare queens” and remove the “leeches on society”, can we not look past them and see the children?
I fear our great country has lost its moral compass.
Ask yourself, “Is this what America means to me?” Inquire of your local, state, and Federal Government, “Is this the best you can do?” In the New Year as we approach the election cycle, with its sound-bites and press releases, question the candidates “What are you going to do about poverty? How can you make America better for all Americans, not just the rich and favored few who give large campaign donations?”
This blog contains some of my personal, political, moral, and social views of our society today. All of the posts here are copyrighted, and may not be used, copied, etc. without the permission of the author. Comments are welcome! All comments must be in a family-acceptable verbiage. Feel free to share this blog with anyone that might be interested in reading and/or discussing the material I present. Thanks for visiting. R.M. "Bob" Hartman
Friday, December 30, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Christmas Day 2011
Its Christmas morning. December 25, 2011. Disclaimer- I am a Christian, and I say Merry Christmas! It does not mean disrespect to my non-Christian friends. It is simply what I believe.
Today, I am very grateful for the gifts I have received; not those under the tree this chilly sunlight Utah morning, but those that came from long ago.
I am thankful for my parents, Harry and Sylvia Hartman, who gave me my existence. They made choices, and I am here today because of choices they made. From my father and mother, I learned the example of hard work, and the result of honest labor. I also learned how to raise children, for which I am ever thankful. Let us remember that every person needs the freedom to make choices, and let us strive to allow that freedom of choice.
My grandmother, Mildred Hunter, who worked so diligently to teach me manners, reading, and math. “No, Robert, a gentleman always opens the door for a woman. He never goes first.”
“There is an interesting article in Readers Digest on (subject). Why don’t you read it, then we will discuss it.” Her living room table contained Time, Newsweek, Readers Digest, U.S. News and World Reports, Arizona, and Family Circle. Talk about diversity!. Numerous games of dominoes and cards; “You have to keep score, my arthritis is hurting me.” Then, after the games were done, she picked up her crotchet needles..you get the picture. Grandmother-never Grandma or (Heaven forbid) Mildred-adults are not addressed by their first name- spent countless hours educating me. But then, what would you expect from someone who taught school in a 1-room schoolhouse in Emporia, Kansas? Rest in Peace, Grandmother; you earned it. May we as a country remember and reward those who educate our children. They are the first line of defense in the “War on Poverty.” Indeed, educators are the first defense in the war on War.
My best friend, Billy, who taught me that friendship knows not the boundaries of fame or family fortune. Hours of bike rides, marbles, Scouting, rockets, and dreams. Hot rods, Air Force planes, and cold beer. He was always there for me, at times when my life seemed to be overwhelmed with grief and sorrow. Great loss, great gains; sadly, he died of cancer at too young a point in his life. Why can America conduct wars against people who never hurt us, and yet deny funding for cancer research?
The good Reverend Morale, who strived to create some peace and understanding in a young man torn by the war in Vietnam. A retired man who had been a cleric in the Korean war, he drove 50 miles each way to be in the pulpit on Sunday mornings in Beulah. He was truly a “Man of God”; he could, and did, speak well about the trials of mankind, and of the peace of God. I never heard him speak in anger, or in mistrust; he reached out to help his congregation, and the community at large. Even after he retired from this work, I could talk to him, seek his counsel, and feel better for it. And, perhaps not surprisingly, he could tap a keg of beer (and showed Mom and I how to do it). From the dogs of war, come men of peace. May the youth of today be coached by people like this gentle man.
Mickey and Elaine Neelan, and John Scott; all taught me how to work in a kitchen, how to not only cook but how to create food. In doing this, they also taught me many other lessons. Mickey and Elaine helped my sister and I through some ugly times; gave us good work, good pay, a safe haven, and most importantly, good examples. Wonderful examples of good people, good employers, who knew the job we were doing at the time was not what we would grow up to do, rather, they demanded we keep up with our education; that we understood a waitress or a dishwasher was not a life-long employment. “Scotty”, John Scott, taught me to prepare not just food, but an experience of eating, the total environment of taste and refinement. Every time I prepare a dinner or event, I am giving thanks for these wonderful examples in my life; an example I try to emulate to those surrounding me.
I am very thankful for my sister, who overcame her childhood to become an amazing teacher, parent, and friend. While she does not willingly talk about the ugliness and the poverty we knew and faced, she is an example of what a person can do when they set their mind to it. If ever a book is written about the Great American Dream, certainly several chapters should be written about her; her drive, her determination, and her ability to hold my hand in the dark hours.
On this bright, sunny day, I give thanks for my very existence and for the many people in my life, and there will always be a special place in my heart and life for the people I have mentioned here. Today, and every day that follows, when you have a special person who has uplifted and promoted you, be sure to thank and acknowledge them.
Merry Christmas! May God Bless and keep you! To my friends who read this, I thank you for allowing me to be in your lives. May this day be all, and more, than you desire. May the days that come be even greater than we expect!
Today, I am very grateful for the gifts I have received; not those under the tree this chilly sunlight Utah morning, but those that came from long ago.
I am thankful for my parents, Harry and Sylvia Hartman, who gave me my existence. They made choices, and I am here today because of choices they made. From my father and mother, I learned the example of hard work, and the result of honest labor. I also learned how to raise children, for which I am ever thankful. Let us remember that every person needs the freedom to make choices, and let us strive to allow that freedom of choice.
My grandmother, Mildred Hunter, who worked so diligently to teach me manners, reading, and math. “No, Robert, a gentleman always opens the door for a woman. He never goes first.”
“There is an interesting article in Readers Digest on (subject). Why don’t you read it, then we will discuss it.” Her living room table contained Time, Newsweek, Readers Digest, U.S. News and World Reports, Arizona, and Family Circle. Talk about diversity!. Numerous games of dominoes and cards; “You have to keep score, my arthritis is hurting me.” Then, after the games were done, she picked up her crotchet needles..you get the picture. Grandmother-never Grandma or (Heaven forbid) Mildred-adults are not addressed by their first name- spent countless hours educating me. But then, what would you expect from someone who taught school in a 1-room schoolhouse in Emporia, Kansas? Rest in Peace, Grandmother; you earned it. May we as a country remember and reward those who educate our children. They are the first line of defense in the “War on Poverty.” Indeed, educators are the first defense in the war on War.
My best friend, Billy, who taught me that friendship knows not the boundaries of fame or family fortune. Hours of bike rides, marbles, Scouting, rockets, and dreams. Hot rods, Air Force planes, and cold beer. He was always there for me, at times when my life seemed to be overwhelmed with grief and sorrow. Great loss, great gains; sadly, he died of cancer at too young a point in his life. Why can America conduct wars against people who never hurt us, and yet deny funding for cancer research?
The good Reverend Morale, who strived to create some peace and understanding in a young man torn by the war in Vietnam. A retired man who had been a cleric in the Korean war, he drove 50 miles each way to be in the pulpit on Sunday mornings in Beulah. He was truly a “Man of God”; he could, and did, speak well about the trials of mankind, and of the peace of God. I never heard him speak in anger, or in mistrust; he reached out to help his congregation, and the community at large. Even after he retired from this work, I could talk to him, seek his counsel, and feel better for it. And, perhaps not surprisingly, he could tap a keg of beer (and showed Mom and I how to do it). From the dogs of war, come men of peace. May the youth of today be coached by people like this gentle man.
Mickey and Elaine Neelan, and John Scott; all taught me how to work in a kitchen, how to not only cook but how to create food. In doing this, they also taught me many other lessons. Mickey and Elaine helped my sister and I through some ugly times; gave us good work, good pay, a safe haven, and most importantly, good examples. Wonderful examples of good people, good employers, who knew the job we were doing at the time was not what we would grow up to do, rather, they demanded we keep up with our education; that we understood a waitress or a dishwasher was not a life-long employment. “Scotty”, John Scott, taught me to prepare not just food, but an experience of eating, the total environment of taste and refinement. Every time I prepare a dinner or event, I am giving thanks for these wonderful examples in my life; an example I try to emulate to those surrounding me.
I am very thankful for my sister, who overcame her childhood to become an amazing teacher, parent, and friend. While she does not willingly talk about the ugliness and the poverty we knew and faced, she is an example of what a person can do when they set their mind to it. If ever a book is written about the Great American Dream, certainly several chapters should be written about her; her drive, her determination, and her ability to hold my hand in the dark hours.
On this bright, sunny day, I give thanks for my very existence and for the many people in my life, and there will always be a special place in my heart and life for the people I have mentioned here. Today, and every day that follows, when you have a special person who has uplifted and promoted you, be sure to thank and acknowledge them.
Merry Christmas! May God Bless and keep you! To my friends who read this, I thank you for allowing me to be in your lives. May this day be all, and more, than you desire. May the days that come be even greater than we expect!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
$1.03 per year
$1.03 per year-Would you help a National Guardsman deployed to (out of state) active duty for that amount? Utah Senate Majority “Leader” Scott Jenkins (R) will not. Instead, he states that we have done enough for our National Guard Troops, According to the “leader” of the Senate majority party, we do more than enough for our Guardsmen, after all, we provide them uniforms, allow the families to shop at the PX (basically allowing them not to pay state sales tax) and we even give them some aid for education. Heck, Senator, we even provide them with all the hot lead and IED’s they want!
State Senator Luz Robles (D) introduced SB116 (and SB116S01), which would extend our current state Military Exemptions for active duty military to include Utah National Guard members. This would enable a Utah State Consitional amendment to be placed before the voters, allowing the citizens of Utah to decide if homeowners should give this minuscule amount to exempt members of the Guard from property taxes while they are on active duty for 200 or more consecutive days. The cost to the homeowners would be $1.03 for a residence of approximately $200,000 valuation. $1.03 per year-less than a fast-food hamburger- to give some aid to our men and women in harms way? And the Republican Senate Leader says no? This slap in the face to our National Guard troops, from a Senator who has the right to State-funded health insurance –for life if he is an elected official for 10 years? This- from a Senator who wants to exempt private country clubs from state sales tax? (SB96, passed, sponsor-Senator Scott Jenkins)
$1.03 per year. Senator that is less than the sales tax on the user fees for a country club.
This is NOT “leadership.”
I’ll proudly give this amount for our National Guard Troops! And I call on Senator Jenkins to do the same. (But-he already has said he won’t)
Here is Senator Jenkins’ speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BlZbsJ5ycc&feature=youtu.be
As always, your comments are appreciated.
State Senator Luz Robles (D) introduced SB116 (and SB116S01), which would extend our current state Military Exemptions for active duty military to include Utah National Guard members. This would enable a Utah State Consitional amendment to be placed before the voters, allowing the citizens of Utah to decide if homeowners should give this minuscule amount to exempt members of the Guard from property taxes while they are on active duty for 200 or more consecutive days. The cost to the homeowners would be $1.03 for a residence of approximately $200,000 valuation. $1.03 per year-less than a fast-food hamburger- to give some aid to our men and women in harms way? And the Republican Senate Leader says no? This slap in the face to our National Guard troops, from a Senator who has the right to State-funded health insurance –for life if he is an elected official for 10 years? This- from a Senator who wants to exempt private country clubs from state sales tax? (SB96, passed, sponsor-Senator Scott Jenkins)
$1.03 per year. Senator that is less than the sales tax on the user fees for a country club.
This is NOT “leadership.”
I’ll proudly give this amount for our National Guard Troops! And I call on Senator Jenkins to do the same. (But-he already has said he won’t)
Here is Senator Jenkins’ speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BlZbsJ5ycc&feature=youtu.be
As always, your comments are appreciated.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Rick Perry
Texas Governor (and Republican Presidential hopeful) Rick Perry has a television commercial currently running in which he proclaims his Christian beliefs. More exactly, he proclaims his homophobic fears of gays; and decries the lack of public prayer in schools.
The good Governor and I share a “growing up” background. Both of us were raised in small towns, both were involved in Methodist churches in our youth. Here is where we split, if you will.
The Christ I learned about was one of compassion, love, forgiveness, kindness. My Jesus believed all people to be created with an ability to look past the outer shell and find the person within, a person who had battled his own devils and triumphed; a person who believed in good in all people. The Jesus I grew up with did not mock those of different persuasions; he opened his cloak to all, and said, come unto me.
I live, by choice, in a state where I am not of the dominate faith. I understand well the ease to dictate prayers, symbols and attitudes when you are in a position of domination. I also understand that this country was founded on a reliance on a Supreme Being; and it is our choice in this country what we call this Supreme Being, and how we choose to worship. I do not believe that the government has the right, privilege, or duty to dictate prayer or worship of any deity, be it in school, business, or government entity.
This discussion is one Governor Perry will not have with me, or with you. Governor Perry is casting down a gauntlet, in effect; saying you either hate someone for their love and beliefs, and side with him; or you are not a Christian; and with that statement, he puts those whose lives are outside his realm of comprehension into a place of sin.
America! My country, has been and will continue to be, a melting pot of the best and the brightest. It is a country, free and wild, founded on multitudes of freedoms. A country where you can walk down the street, openly, without regard or concern as to which section of town you are in; where your religion or your ancestry matters not. America is, at her best, a place where individuals can succeed beyond their wildest dreams; create, innovate, and profit from their dreams; building a better future for themselves and their families, however those families are structured. America, our country, was founded with the belief in representation from all sectors and beliefs, a place where good overcomes evil, and the basic interests of all are well served.
Governor Perry is certainly entitled to his opinions, and I do not take his right to voice those opinions away from him. It is my opinion, however, that a person with so narrow a view on life does not deserve the nomination of the Republican Party, or accession into the high office he craves.
The good Governor and I share a “growing up” background. Both of us were raised in small towns, both were involved in Methodist churches in our youth. Here is where we split, if you will.
The Christ I learned about was one of compassion, love, forgiveness, kindness. My Jesus believed all people to be created with an ability to look past the outer shell and find the person within, a person who had battled his own devils and triumphed; a person who believed in good in all people. The Jesus I grew up with did not mock those of different persuasions; he opened his cloak to all, and said, come unto me.
I live, by choice, in a state where I am not of the dominate faith. I understand well the ease to dictate prayers, symbols and attitudes when you are in a position of domination. I also understand that this country was founded on a reliance on a Supreme Being; and it is our choice in this country what we call this Supreme Being, and how we choose to worship. I do not believe that the government has the right, privilege, or duty to dictate prayer or worship of any deity, be it in school, business, or government entity.
This discussion is one Governor Perry will not have with me, or with you. Governor Perry is casting down a gauntlet, in effect; saying you either hate someone for their love and beliefs, and side with him; or you are not a Christian; and with that statement, he puts those whose lives are outside his realm of comprehension into a place of sin.
America! My country, has been and will continue to be, a melting pot of the best and the brightest. It is a country, free and wild, founded on multitudes of freedoms. A country where you can walk down the street, openly, without regard or concern as to which section of town you are in; where your religion or your ancestry matters not. America is, at her best, a place where individuals can succeed beyond their wildest dreams; create, innovate, and profit from their dreams; building a better future for themselves and their families, however those families are structured. America, our country, was founded with the belief in representation from all sectors and beliefs, a place where good overcomes evil, and the basic interests of all are well served.
Governor Perry is certainly entitled to his opinions, and I do not take his right to voice those opinions away from him. It is my opinion, however, that a person with so narrow a view on life does not deserve the nomination of the Republican Party, or accession into the high office he craves.
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