A Macro Kind of Guy

 I've always been a big-picture type of person, you know, the type that looks at a subject like education as being more than just teachers and students in a school. 

To me, being pro something means you are in favor of it, whole-heartedly.  For example, being pro-education means you want the best education for the greatest number of people possible, so they can succeed and contribute to society in the greatest conceivable way. 

Which is why I think of pro-life in a variety of delineations. For example, a truly pro-life senator would work to rein in exorbitantly high drug prices so all Americans could enjoy the life-improving effects they provide. As a side note, this would also improve his standing with the voters. 

A for-real pro life congressman would stand up and say, "Enough is Enough," and work to enact and enforce gun control measures, because being pro-life means not getting shot up in a shopping mall. The lives he saves with this effort could vote for him in gratitude. 

The House and Senate, working together on a pro-life stance, would increase Head Start and SNAP benefits, programs designed to give less fortunate children a better shot at succeeding in life. When those children grow up, they can talk about the positive life-changing effect those programs had on them as youth. 

The direct correlation between education and a better life is well-proven. How great would it be if the pro-life Senators and Congressmen came together and improved the funding for all levels of education, even so far as providing free community colleges? It sounds like a win-win to me, the building and construction trades are begging for trained employees, and those jobs provide good pay and benefits. It would indeed improve life and provide a way out of poverty for so many people! 

And yes, pro-life does mean providing world class pre-natal and maternity benefits to women, regardless of martial status. It also means providing them a path to adoption or safe, unfettered access to abortion if desired; no government intervention is required, because the woman's life and future are also an integral part of "life." 

I'm looking forward to your comments and opinions! Thanks for reading.

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

   

 

824,000. Who's next?

 I consider myself to be a patriot; although I am not one of those flying a tattered flag from the back of my pick up truck. Fortunate indeed are those individuals who were born in the United States, or have become American citizens, for we have rights and freedoms that are indeed the object of admiration and even jealousy from those throughout the world whom are not so fortunate. While America does have it's problems, and they are many, we also have the ability to solve those problems when we cooperate on solutions instead of aggravation. 

Nothing positive is gained when we grab our flags and scream at each other in the name of freedom; following false prophets down rabbit holes only ends one way: you are tired, dirty and worse off than before.  Our country is gripped by a political, moral, and social malaise, magnificently complicated by the strident voices of a very vocal but ignorant few who willingly replace facts with fiction; reality with alternative universes, social responsibility with political desires.

There have been numerous times in our history when the needs of the nation overrode the desires of the individual; you might consider the sacrifices endured by Americans during the Second World War as an example. You may have wanted to exercise your freedom by driving across the country to visit Aunt Mabel, but the needs of our war machine for gasoline, steel, and rubber denied you this "freedom." 

More than 824,000 citizens of the United States of America have died from Covid-19 in less than 2 years. That is more than the number of Americans killed in all international wars since our country gained it's freedom in 1776. It is a greater number than were killed by the Spanish Flu in 1918-1919. 

824,000 patriotic, voting, loving Americans. Grandparents, uncles, aunts, moms and dads, sisters and brothers. Fellow students, co-workers, the family in the next pew at church. The friend that always had a joke, the one that fixed your car. Your child. Your spouse. They are all dead.

Yet, you stand there and tell me you are a patriot, and you have rights and freedoms; that the evil government can't mandate a vaccine because "freedumb" and all that. You tell me it is against your children's constitutional rights to have to wear a mask in school. I cannot fathom how you have managed to twist saving lives into a rant on Democrat vs. Republican, right-wing vs. left-wing, but I have to hand it to you, you did it. I have been told to my (masked) face, real patriots don't wear masks. Seriously!  

Yes, in America, we have rights and freedoms; as I wrote earlier, they are the envy of the world. Those rights and freedoms, great and magnificent as they are, come with duties. Those duties are not to be neglected for limelight; rather they are to be undertaken whatsoever the cost.  

Our duty now is as clear as Grandmother's crystal glasses. Roll up our sleeves, and get vaccinated. If you have been vaccinated, get the booster. If you won't do it for yourself, do it for your family, for your grandparents, your neighbor, the family in the corner house down the street. 

The President of the United States must speak nicely, but I am not held to such a position, so here it is:

Just roll up your damn sleeve and get the shot. You can bitch and moan about it all the next week for all I care. Man up, Cowboy up, whatever you want to say, just do it. Cut the C**p and do it! The life you save may be your own.

Thanks for reading; your comments are always welcome. 

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

Read Any Good Books Lately?

 I owe an apology to my long-time readers for not creating this article earlier; it has been brewing (fermenting?) for some time. I will not apologize, however, if I upset your particular apple cart with this subject. 

Education, theoretically universally available to all American children, has long been valued as an integral part of the American Ideals; Thomas Jefferson (yes, that Founding Father) thought so highly of education he used his own money as a seed for the University of Virginia. The United States of America was the first country in the world to promote free education through 12th grade. Policies and discussions, sometimes of a very violent nature, have lead to the change and improvement of our system of education over the last 245 years. No one, of any rational thinking mind, can doubt the value of  compulsory K-12 education, or the benefits it has bestowed upon our democracy in general. 

The processes of education allow us to expand our minds, to open our thoughts to ideas outside the current local experience our childhood provides. Teachers, purveyors of wisdom and practice, have for generations waved away cobwebs of myth and illusion; instilling in students far and wide the need of, and appreciation for thought, study, and the practical application of knowledge. From the study of geometry and physics, we put a man on the moon; from literature and history, we learned of the great achievements and colossal failures of past generations. Without literature, history becomes statistics; as valuable as statistics are, they do not create passion in the hearts and minds of men.

It is consequently appalling to me when the desire of some citizens to ban "certain" books from libraries and reading lists becomes commonplace. I will be the first to agree that some subjects of common discourse today are uncomfortable for many; that is the first argument I think of for NOT banning books such as "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." The vernacular, settings, and themes of books such as these are not of today, it is critical to remember these were the words and scenes of Samuel Clemens' time. A study of this historical literature provides ample opportunity to open discussion among students and parents regarding the realities of life in America at certain points in its past; as well as valuable discussion on our country's future potential. 

In the Canyon School District in Utah, nine books are currently "under review"  and have been removed from the libraries in the high schools until the review is complete; none are part of the required reading curriculum. The nine are: "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison; "Gender Queer" by Maia Kobabe; "Beyond Magenta" by Susan Kuklin; "l8r,g8r" by Lauren Myracle; "Lawn Boy" by Jonathan Evison: "Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov; "Monday's Not Coming" by Tiffany Jackson; "The Opposite of Innocent" by Sonya Sones; and "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Perez. (I admit, I have not read all of these books.)  It's not hard to understand why the subject matter of these books makes some people uneasy; sex, race, sexual and racial orientation are not comfortable subjects for most adults. The availability of these books to high-school age students should be of unquestioned value: at worst, the books may encourage conversation between the parents and the teenagers; at best, the books may help students understand themselves, and others, better. I'm going to go out on a limb here, and slap down a common argument: reading a book about homosexual relationships will not make a person change their sexual identification.    

Banning books does not change the historical or social value of a book or a philosophy; rather it displays the ignorance and fear of the banner. It is human nature to fear the unknown; to want to reach back into our comfort zone. Rather than fear these books, and the ideas they contain, perhaps a better use of our time would be to read them and reach into ourselves, to lift up our fear, hold it to daylight, and let the light of reality and reason displace fear. 

Or, if you failed to learn from history, you could go to a meeting of like-minded people, light your torches and march to the library; when you get there, break down the door and burn the offending books on the street. 

Let me know how that works out for you. 

Thank you for reading, as always, your thoughts and comments are welcome. 

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

   

A Response to Anonymous

My last post, Your Child's Life, elicitated this response: 

"They (Trump) rushed to produce it. They (Trump) circumvented safety procedures. They (CDC) have not done long term human trials. They (Trump) gave the producers immunity from liability. They (Media) politicized any possible therapeutics. Prior to the 2020 election many Democrats had doubt about the safety of the vaccine too. You buy into the propaganda like sheep. Enjoy being a test subject." 

Dear Mr/Ms Anonymous, thank you for your comment. It allowed me a chance to explore answers for the statements you made. 

Yes, there was a rush to produce the vaccine. Americans were (and still are) dying in record numbers. So "They" (our government) agreed to purchase 100 million doses each of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines at a total cost of $2.45 Million, with the option of 500 million more doses of each. This pre-development agreement gave Moderna and Pfizer the ability to invest in the development and production of the vaccine without having to worry about "how marketable will it be?" (Pfizer and Moderna were not paid until the vaccine was delivered.) 

They (the drug companies) were able to build this vaccine on models that had been successfully used for other coronaviruses, such as SARS and MERS. The technology is not new, what the manufacturers had to figure out was the right mix of mRNA instructions for our immune systems to defeat the virus. In essence, the manufacturers had a 10-year head start on developing this vaccine.  Regarding long-term trials: the vaccine is new, but the delivery system is not. Other vaccines using the same model have not had any severe long-term reactions. 

I've not been able to see where any safety procedures were circumvented, perhaps you can share that information with me? 

The PREP Act you refer to regarding immunity from liability was signed into law in 2005, by President George W. Bush. It is a limited-term immunity; for the Moderna, Pfizer, and J&J vaccines, that immunity expires in 2024.

 The only politicizing about the various therapeutics I have seen or read came from politicians. To the best of my knowledge, the Big 4 Media (ABC, CBS, CNN, MBC) reported on what the politicians or scientists said, but did not take sides on the issue. (I don't watch Fox, so I cannot say what they have or have not done.) 

Anonymous, I think everyone had some concerns about the safety of the vaccine at some point; as more scientific information becomes available, doubts disappear. At least, mine did. 

I don't buy into propaganda; I research, read, challenge, and think. I believe these vaccines are safe, effective, and necessary now. 

Thanks for reading! As always, your thoughts and comments are welcome and appreciated. 

R.M. "Bob" Hartman  

Your Child's Life

 Twenty-five years ago, the chemo that "cured" our son's leukemia took his life. I remember all too well the anguish, pain, and anger I felt then; the emotions I experienced I would never condemn another to suffer. Suffice it to say that I felt I had failed him; as his parent, I was supposed to keep him safe, to prevent bad things from happening to him. In our society, at this time and place, parents are not supposed to bury their children. But, we did.

Which makes it all the more confusing to me; during this deadly pandemic, when science has proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that masks help slow the spread of this killer virus, why parents are "up in arms" when masks in schools are discussed. Why would you not want to protect your children?

Speaking of protection, we have vaccines available for all people 12 years of age or more. So, what is keeping people from getting a pin pick that will save your life, and the lives of those around you? Why would you not have your child vaccinated?

Friends have told me they are afraid of the possibility of a side effect from the vaccine. Let's put this in perspective, shall we? You have a 1 in 200,000 chance of a negative reaction to the vaccines. A 1 in 500 chance of dying from Covid, if you are not vaccinated. You have a 1 in 107 chance of dying in an automobile accident. Yet, you still drive, right? I thought so. To be perfectly honest about it, all of the excuses for not getting vaccinated fall apart under similar scrutiny.

There was not, and still is not, a vaccine to prevent cancer. No mask would have prevented my son's death.

You, however, have a choice. You can have you child wear a mask, and you can have your child vaccinated. You can wear a mask and be vaccinated yourself.

Isn't you child's life worth it?

Thanks for reading, as always your thought and comments are welcome.

RM "Bob" Hartman

Racism and America

 I'm going to talk about racism. I'm doing it from my perspective, a combination of realism and idealism.

The United States of America-America for short- is, and always has been, an ideal. The shining city on the hill we all want to live in. The place where everything is right, perfect, and as it ought to be.

In the early years of our country only white males could vote. Native Americans were slaughtered and survivors forced into settlement on lands deemed of no value by various American administrations. After the transcontinental railroad was completed, the country shunned, deported, and devalued the Chinese labor that built so much of that great American achievement. When we talk about the great industries that became the face of America-steel, transportation, mining, architecture, agriculture- we mention the white males who were captains of those industries, but we fail to have the conversation about the Irish, Greek, German and Mexican immigrants that did the hard, manual, often deadly work of building those industries. Indeed, we often forget to remember that immigration has been a major source of labor, ideas, and innovation in our country. We also conveniently forget the discrimination that was practiced against immigrants of most nationalities at one time or another. As a student in elementary school, I learned that America won WWII, but I didn't learn about 120,000 Japanese-Americans being torn from their homes and placed in internment camps during that same war until after I graduated high school.

America has a long, unhappy history of racism, as shown in the above examples, but our country's major failings regarding racism involve Black Americans. Theoretically freed from slavery by the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, and the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution in 1865, Blacks in America were openly discriminated against in housing, jobs, voting, education and public venues; this discrimination was made illegal by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, both signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson. Human nature does not change with the stroke of a pen, however, and we still have racially based discrimination-blatant, open, and illegal-in America's streets, and on our news feed each day.

This is the reality we are faced with today in the United States of America. I wrote at the beginning of this article that I am also an idealist, so here goes.

Yes, America is not perfect, and our past is marked with many examples of racism, none of which make us proud. But we have learned from each of these challenges, and we have risen, battered perhaps, bruised certainly, but we have risen better than before each time. We live today in an age of right now news and information; the click you just heard was a cell phone taking your picture, or your video. Therefore, we are faced with a national reckoning, an inability to pretend it doesn't happen here.

Can you imagine Benjamin Franklin's face if he saw how rapidly we can spread news today?

It is in our long-term national best interest that we do not whitewash the events of the past, that we do not ignore the parts of our history that are ugly. As a species, we learn from our collective past, and we can use the unsavory parts of our history to guide us to different ways of thinking, of approaching various problems that face us now, and others that will come to us in the future. Our history is checkered with good and bad, and it would be childish to pretend America was innocent, that we never made mistakes. When my grandchildren learn about the Revolutionary war, I also want them to learn about the Trail of Tears and the Selma to Montgomery marches; I want them to understand America has come a long way in the movement toward equality, but that we still have a long way to go.

Critical to the long-term national best interest of our country is our own attitude. We must resist stereotyping, be it political, sexual, or racial; and we must overcome our own attitudes that lend themselves to racism and discrimination. I frequently ask myself, is this how I want to be remembered?

America is, in my opinion, that shining city on the hill. That place where everything can be good, nay, great, if we will only let it be. We are building that city, one ideal at a time; certainly it is hard work, but it will be worth it!

Thanks for reading; your thoughts, comments, and opinions are welcome, as always.

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

Musings from Camp, Part 2

Ok, enough on Covid. Let's talk politics. Yeah, I know, it's one of the three no-no's of polite conversation. But it is one of the areas now in the news on an elevated scale. I'm referring to the 2020 Presidential election. Yeah, that one, where Joe Biden was elected President in the most closed monitored election of our lifetimes. Judges, appointed by presidents of both parties, have dismissed more than sixty lawsuits claiming irregularities or fraud, for lack of evidence. No person or entity has provided proof of election fraud on any scale; and no amount of denial will change the facts. Federal, state and local governments are wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on recounts, recounts of recounts, and useless frivolous lawsuits. Taxpayer money-that's your tax dollars at work. So, once again, here are the facts. Not the MSM facts, or the RWM facts, just everybody's facts. Joe Biden was elected President of the United States of America on November 3, 2020. He did not steal the election, he won it. No amount of whining, crying, lying, or misstatement of facts will change the result of the election. Those who claim otherwise are doing significant damage to the integrity of our most sacred principle, the absolute power of free, honest, open elections. For those in elected positions, denying the integrity of the 2020 election is a very sharp double edged sword; if they deny the result of the Presidential election, what is to prevent their own election from being denied? A very slippery slope indeed.

So, again the facts: Joe Biden is president of The United States of America. What are you afraid of?

Thank you for reading, as always, your thoughts, comments, and opinions are welcome! 

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

Musings from Camp, Part 1

As this summer continues to heat up socially, politically, and environmentally, I find myself wondering: Why are so many Americans afraid of the truth?

Let's talk first about the Covid pandemic. Six hundred thousand Americans have died from Covid. 600,000. That figure is more than the total American Military lives lost in the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam combined. We have vaccines that work, we know masking and social distancing work. All of the above are FACTS. Cold, hard, dead facts. Yes, our local and state governments issued mask mandates. Masks work. So while the masks were uncomfortable, wearing them slowed the spread of this killer disease, which, when coupled with a vaccine, lowered the risk of being infected by Covid, and greatly reduced the severity of the disease, and reduced the number of people dying from it. Again, people, these are facts.

So how in the name of all that is holy, did this become a political issue? Can someone please explain to me why and how not dying from Covid has anything at all to do with the occupant of the White House? Can you explain, logically, how not spending your last days hooked to a ventilator is taking away your freedom? Can you tell me, truthfully, if your family will be proud of you for dying to prove your political point?

I think I will wait a long time for those answers. While I wait, would you please get vaccinated?

The cold, hard truth is: Vaccines work, masks work, social distancing works. What are you afraid of?

Thanks for reading, your comments are welcome, as always. 

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

Transparency

 Transparency is not a passive word, rather it is a term of action. Looking, from my perspective as a tax paying citizen, at the more egregious examples of police misconduct and racial bias, I am aware of the cost to taxpayers; not only the loss of faith in our public safety officers, but at the financial damage to budgets when legal settlements are reached. It is therefore critical for uniformed officers to be equipped with, and consistently use, body cameras at each and every interaction with the public. The citizens involved, their legal counsel and the press, should be guaranteed unfettered access to the footage upon request, and without delay. If this requires federal law, and federal enforcement, so be it. If a public safety organization will not be transparent willingly, then yes, the federal government should help them make the needed changes.

This is the first, and most crucial, step to transparency. I understand there will be reluctance on the part of some communities to make the necessary expenditures for equipment and training; those costs are minimal compared to the expense of million dollar plus settlements. So, you can kiss that shadow argument goodbye. Next up is the old fallacy that the public doesn't understand policing and law enforcement. No, the public understands that everything public safety officers do should be clean and above-board. Asking the public to believe that police always do right is akin to belief in the tooth fairy. Demanding they accept it is a step towards fascism. If you are afraid of what the footage will show, then don't do it.

Contiguous to the use of body cameras is the modification, or dismissal, of qualified immunity. No one, not even police agencies or individual policemen, are or should be above the law. If an act is illegal for the average citizen, it should be illegal for a policeman, and the penalties for violating the law must be equal. Don't misunderstand or misquote me: the use of deadly force, when required, is part and parcel of police work, but it should always be a last effort, not a first response.

The work of a free democracy requires the people, through their elected representatives, to make laws for the common good. The task of the public safety officers is the equally enforcement of those laws. Transparency in that enforcement is a major factor in the checks and balances required for good government.

So, what can we do to bring about transparency? We can let our elected officials, local and federal, know we support police reform that includes transparency and accountability.

Thank you for reading, as always your comments and opinions are welcome!

RM "Bob" Hartman

Litmus Test

 I remember, as I am sure you do, the litmus test for Supreme Court Justices, how they would vote on abortion; the test then turned to gun control, then gay rights. The republicans decried these tests, at least when democrats would bring them up.

Now the dour faced Republican party has a litmus test of it's own, one that could destroy the party; indeed, it's even now fracturing and splintering as the more vocal members of the party apply it to legally elected members of Congress.

I'm referring, of course, to the Big Lie. It now is apparent to any thinking person that you must swear allegiance to former President Trump's continued falsehood of election fraud, and agree with him that the election was stolen, and that President Joe Biden is not,in fact, the legally elected President of The United States of America, if you want to remain in Congress, or as governor of your state.

How the leaders of a party traditionally based on conservative values-the rule of law, strong military capabilities, unbreakable ties with our allies-can, in a space of 4 years, redefine the party into a cult based upon one man staggers the imagination.

America had never been, even in it's infancy, a cult worshiping one leader. We are a country founded upon the rule of law, and a strong believe the the core value of democracy; that right of the people to decide their leader in free, honest, and open elections.

The great challenges that faced our country during the pandemic forced our state and local officials to explore and expand opportunities for voters to cast their legal ballot, and I truly believe those leaders performed a Herculean task successfully; more Americans cast their ballot than in any preceding election.

Those American voters, and you are most likely one of them, elected Congressmen, Senators, and Governors of both parties to office; indeed, both houses of Congress are more equally balanced than at any time in recent history. And yes, those American voters elected Joe Biden President of The United States of America at the same time.

For the first time in decades, both parties have an equal opportunity to present their policies and values to the public. Both parties have the ability now to entice voters to support them, based upon what their parties can do for America.

Instead of giving Americans ideas and policies that could benefit all of us, the Republicans have chosen to present a party of cult worship.

I don't think this can end well for the party of Lincoln.

Thank you for reading, your thoughts and comments are always welcome!

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

They Are Coming For Your Guns

 Given I live in Utah, which is a pretty Red state and now has concealed carry without a permit, conversations often drift to: "The Democrats are coming for your guns." It used to be "Obama is coming for your guns." The drumbeat was increasingly loud during the last two years of the Trump administration; so loud it created a shortage of guns and ammunition.

Being of a curious nature, I wanted to know how and when. The consensus appeared to revolve around a national gun registry then a strike force to simultaneously appear at each residence to forcibly remove all weapons.

At this point, I struggled to maintain a neutral face.

Well, for starters, there is (sadly) no national gun registry. But the next part is really where I get the giggles. How in the name of all that is holy are you going to have a strike force the size required assemble with no outside notice, and who would it consist of? The U.S. Armed forces certainly would not be involved; they are forbidden action against American citizens. Even if you managed to assemble such a force in total secrecy, the first busting down of a door would have the internet ablaze and your removal plan just fell apart.

Conspiracy: Noun, a collection of ravens.

Thanks for reading! Your comments are always welcome and appreciated.

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

All Men Are Created Equal

 This is not the 1950's Jim Crow era; it is 2021. Why do we continue to tolerate police officers mistreating our fellow Americans who happen to be not white? We have all the over-use of force by officers; we have listened to the cries of mothers who lost a son or daughter, or children who lost a father.

Yet, any attempt at police reform, or changing the law on qualified immunity, runs into a big roadblock; it is labeled "Republicans in Congress."

What is it about treating all Americans with respect and equal courtesy, regardless of color, that seems to be so difficult for some policemen, and for some members of Congress?

See, there is this "Declaration of Independence" paper that was signed so many years ago, by so many of our Founding Fathers. It states ". . . all men are created equal. . .". There are no provisions, subsections, or amendments to that statement. None whatsoever.

All men are created equal.

The corollary is also quite simple: All men are entitled to equal treatment under the law.

It really is that simple. It should not be difficult for law enforcement agencies throughout the country to take this simple statement and make it a part and parcel of training, of how it's business is conducted, and how the officers work. If an officer, regardless of rank or position, has a problem understanding this principle, he or she should be released from duty; and not be allowed to join with another law enforcement agency.

Lacking any action from Congress, in 2020 the State of Colorado passed SB217, which limits qualified immunity in respect to law enforcement officers. The law specifically states that qualified immunity is not a defense and limits the applicability of the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act. As Congress is unwilling to act, forty-nine other states and the District of Columbia should follow Colorado's example, without delay.

If you feel strongly about this issue, please let your state and federal representatives know it. They won't do anything unless we, the voters, put pressure on them.

As always, thank you for reading. Thoughts and comments are appreciated.

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

A Golden Opportunity

 The Republicans in Congress are really missing a golden opportunity, perhaps it is the glare reflecting off the golden palace of the Mar-i-largo resort and pay to play Trump casino.

Let's be honest. Joe Biden and the democrats have delivered the economic stimulus package, and are making great strides on the Coronavirus campaign. The economy is showing signs of recovery, and millions of Americans are being vaccinated daily. I admit, there is still a long way to go, but both these fronts are looking positive. Now, President Biden is talking infrastructure changes and benefits. What's a scared Republican left with?

Gun Control. It's the other hot button issue, and the Republicans could make it happen right now. They could reinstate the assault weapon ban, and go full steam ahead on closing the gun show loopholes. If the Republicans in Congress really want to steal President Biden's thunder, they could revoke the law banning a national gun registry. Yes, that would make the NRA angry, but the National Rifle Association is busy trying to keep itself relevant and out of court right now. They don't have money to pay off the lawyers, let alone make any significant campaign contributions.

Plus, gun control is what the voters want right now. They are tired of the constant stream of gun violence on the news, yes, it's even on Fox News these days.

If the Republicans did this, the Democrats would have to go along (it is one of their favorite subjects); that would make it bipartisan and then think of the talking points they would have for the midterm elections.

But don't worry about this happening. Mitch McConnell and company don't have enough testosterone combined to do it. 

Thanks for reading! 

As always, comments are appreciated. 

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

Problems and Solutions

 

So, there is a “Situation” or a “Problem” at the southern border,

which it is depends on who you are listening to.

Record high numbers of unaccompanied minors are crossing the 

border. Most of these children are not from Mexico; they are from 

Guatemala, Honduras, or other Central American countries. The 

distance from Mexico's southern border to the US border is 

approximately 1,125 miles. 

The Republicans are blaming the high number of unaccompanied 

minors now crossing the border on President Biden’s so-called 

rollback of the Trump administration’s immigration policies. They 

are calling on the President to send the children back to Mexico and 

let Mexico deal with them. 

President Biden has stated, and I concur, that it would be immoral 

and un-American to refuse the children, and send them back over to 

border into Mexico, where they could fall victim to human 

trafficking, or worse. So, they are being kept in Border Patrol 

facilities that were not designed for children, nor were they designed 

for such high levels of occupation. 

The Republican Party likes to portray itself as "Christian" and 

claims the high moral ground on such subjects as abortion. Frankly, I

find their stance on the unaccompanied minor issue on our southern 

border to be highly unChristian and totally lacking in morals of any 

recognizable form. 

If you are a parent or grandparent, can you imagine the stress and 

anguish of having to send your children, without adult supervision, 

to walk to another country because there is no way to support them 

at home, or because the fear of violence is so great you fear more for 

their lives if they stay with you? How desperate would you have to 

be to tell your child to walk 1,125 miles, unaccompanied, hoping 

they would make it to and be welcome in the United States? 

There is nothing moral, ethical, or Christian about turning these 

minors away. So instead of blaming President Biden for the 

"problem", why don't you moral Christian Republicans work on a 

solution? Maybe hire some construction companies to go down to 

the border, let's build some dormitories, schools and admin offices 

and work on getting these CHLDREN taken care of? (Construction 

work-good American jobs, I'm told.)

Jesus said, "Let us love one another," and "Do unto others as you 

would have them do unto you."

Think about it. Then tell your Congressman what you think.

Thank you for reading, as always, your comments are welcome and 

appreciated. 

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

Alternative Facts

 It is hard for me to understand what KellyAnne Conway best described at "alternative facts." It would appear some Americans believe in a parallel universe, one created by a mythical QAnon that presides over certain ragtag elements of society bound together by adherence to a cult of misguided hero/savior worship of former President Trump. 

Seeking confirmation of their beliefs, as all people naturally do, they find via the internet like-minded delusional anonymous individuals and groups that share a conviction of disenfranchised voters and a stolen election. 

I came face-to-face with this yesterday during a chance conversation with a casual acquaintance; the gentleman inquired if I had a good supply of fuel stored up, as the gas companies had ceased production of motor fuels ahead of the military coup scheduled for March 6th.

I remember listening to the Junior Senator from Missouri, Josh Hawley, claim on January 6th that certifying the Electoral Collage voted making Joe Biden (81,268,924 votes) President meant 74 million Trump voters would be disenfranchised. 

Wow! I mean, really? 

First and foremost, our military swears allegiance to our Constitution, and our country, not the person elected President. The probability that a coup against our elected government would come from, or be supported by, the military is somewhat south of Zero. None of the fuel producers have halted production, by the way. 

Second, no one who voted, including the 74,216,154 Trump voters, is disenfranchised. The fact that their votes were cast and counted makes this claim not only untrue, but delusional.

I do not know the educational background of my acquaintance, and therefore will not comment on such. 

Josh Hawley, however, is a public record. He is a graduate of Stanford, and of Yale Law. I cannot therefore dismiss his lie as a lack of knowledge of American Democracy. 

When a person of Senator Hawley's background, education, and position of influence in the community tells or repeats outright lies and half-truths, he gives false support to the insurrectionists who would destroy America. 

In a larger view, the comments made by anyone in position of importance do have effects. Words matter, and those who speak them from glorified perches should consider carefully the words they use. Politician, pundit, preacher, reporter or columnist, all can calm or incite the public by the words they speak or write.  

It is certainly incumbent upon us, the American public, to vet the source of our information. Definitely, all media have some inherent bias, and sorting the real news from the trash is left to us. 

Finally, let me say this. Joe Biden was elected President of the United States of America by a wide margin of votes cast. This election can boast the largest voter turnout ever in a presidential election. No one stole the election; and all the legal challenges to the result of the people's choice have been reviewed and denied by the courts. 

Really, people, the election is over. The impeachment is over. Now, let's work on living our best possible lives in the Greatest County on Earth. 

Thank you for reading. Your comments and opinions are always welcome. 

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

Children's Health Insurance Program in Utah

Let’s talk about children, everybody has some or knows someone who does. A recent study exposed this nasty fact; there are 82,000 children in Utah who do not have health insurance. So, Utah’s legislature, the source of so much useless knowledge, has decided it is the parent’s fault because they don’t know about CHIP, the Childhood Health Insurance Program.

Currently, there is a bill in the Utah State Legislature to study this lack of knowledge “problem” and increase the distribution of information about the CHIP program, which provides insurance to those children whose family income does not exceed certain levels. This bill would allow the state to spend $173,000 per year, for a period of 5 years, to study the problem and provide outreach about the programs.

Here’s why I think our legislature is missing the mark-again.

The maximum gross income for a family of 4 to qualify for CHIP is $4,367 per month. If we assume that both parents work at minimum wage jobs, their gross income is $2600; and childcare takes $930 for two children. In all probability, one parent is going to stay home with the children to avoid the childcare cost. At this level, CHIP works for them.

Let’s bump the income level up a bit. Let’s put dad at $15.00 per hour, and mom at $11.00. Their gross income is $4506 per month. Childcare for 2 children still takes $930. Now, they don’t qualify for CHIP.  And, at this income level the family does not qualify for SNAP or federal student lunch programs. The average cost of health insurance in Utah for this family is $1614. If you add the cost of daycare to the insurance, the family is spending $2543 per month, leaving only $2000 per month for housing, food, and transportation.

No, Representative Welton, the problem is not that people don’t know about the programs; the problem is the extremely low-income cut-off for qualification in Utah. A “family values” state indeed.

You don’t need a focus group, legislative study group, or $173,000 per year for 5 years. All you need is common sense, a commodity that in short supply in our state legislators.

Thank you for reading, your comments are always welcome.

R.M. “Bob” Hartman

A Rant

 

Ok, I need to rant. And no, it is not about politics. My rant is about everyday people who seem to forget history, or perhaps never studied it to begin with.

Beginning in the mid-1800’s, Polio was responsible for sickness and death in the world population. Here in America, as many as 15,000 people were infected each year; although most did not die, the lingering effects of paralysis permanently damaged lives and affected common well-being. It was not uncommon for families to be quarantined as a whole because of a case of polio; nor was it uncommon in the 1940’s for entire U. S. towns to be quarantined to prevent the spread of the virus. Travel was restricted between “infected” communities and the rest of the nation. Children were frequently kept from playing outdoors because they might encounter someone carrying the virus. (Does any of this sound familiar?)

Two vaccines were found to be effective, one in 1955 and one in 1963; the United States (and a large portion of the rest of the world) began a vaccination program targeting school age children, and later included pre-school children. Some of you may remember the sugar cubes, often administered in schools.

Net effect: in the 1970’s, less than 10 cases of polio were reported in the United States. Polio is now considered eradicated world-wide, except for Afghanistan and Pakistan, which are still at epidemic levels.

So, what is my rant?

People who refuse to take this current pandemic serious. People who refuse to follow the best science and medical advice. People who still insist that this pandemic is not real, or that people are not dying of Covid-19. People who refuse to wear masks, who refuse to observe social distance, and who insist on gathering in large groups, particularly unmasked. Leaders who refuse to acknowledge just how serious this is.

In the space of one year, we have lost more Americans to Covid-19 than were killed in combat in the 4 years of WWII.

Is that serious enough for you?

Do not tell me that this was all dreamed up so President Trump would not be re-elected. And please do not tell me again that wearing a mask or washing your hands interferes with your “God-Given Rights as An American Citizen.”  To be totally honest, I do not think for one minute that the release of the vaccines was held up to embarrass then-President Trump.

Frankly, I do not wear a mask to show support for one political party or another. I wear a mask to protect myself, my family, and yes, you.

I get it.

We are all tired of this COVID-19 stuff. We are all tired of wearing masks, etc., of our favorite restaurants not being open. Tired of not being able to spend time with friends and family like we want. Tired of our children and grandchildren being schooled online, of not having play time with their friends. Tired of being unable to have our social interactions, our clubs and groups, our churches.

But think about this for a minute. We are almost to a point of getting this virus under control. The vaccines for Polio took decades to develop, and 30 years to reach herd immunity; but the Covid-19 vaccines have been developed in the space of a year. Current predictions have the United States at herd immunity in a year.

Let us buck up, America. Stand up and do the right thing. Wear the mask, wash your hands, and do not get too close. Get the shots when they are available.  

If you believe your ancestors are watching you from afar, make them proud. Let us show them that America can do this, together. As Americans, we have stood together in times of national crises before and come out the better for it. It is time to come together and do it again.

Thank you for reading, and as always, your comments are welcome.

R. M. “Bob” Hartman

Of Flags and Patriots

I have noticed, over the past several years, an increase in the number of people displaying an American Flag, be it on their vehicle, house, or even clothing. Certainly, this is not a bad thing at all; we do live in the greatest country on earth, and there is nothing wrong with being proud of one’s country.

When I watched the insurrection on January 6^th, I noted several American Flags. This caused me to thing about the flag, and its meaning and position in events such as this.

The act of waving a flag does not make you a patriot, nor does it make your cause just. When you commit a crime, waving a flag does not make it any less of a crime, nor does it protect you from responsibility for your actions. When you physically assault someone with a pole, having a flag attached to it does not make it legal.

If you are displaying the flag as a symbol of your loyalty “. . . to the Republic for which it stands . . .”, then you should also be mindful of the duty of America’s citizens to be obedient to her Laws and Regulations.

We, as citizens of the United States of America, enjoy certain freedoms which are the envy of the world. We have freedom of the press, and we have the right of peaceful assembly. The right of peaceful assembly does not, by any stretch of the imagination, include the right to violently storm the Capitol whilst shouting “Hang Mike Pence,” regardless of the oration you just heard.

It is exceedingly difficult, nay, impossible for me to understand the word “patriot” being commandeered by people who want to invalidate the very action which defines our democracy-voting.

Using force to attempt to alter the outcome of a free and fair election is not patriotism. Rather, I see it as a sign of cowardice, a desperate act undertaken by individuals who will not accept this single, basic concept-the majority of Americans who voted did not want President Trump to have a second term.    

Calling yourself a patriot and carrying an American Flag while participating in armed insurrection does not change the facts: you are not a patriot saving America, you are a criminal and should be treated as such.

 

Thank you for reading; your comments are appreciated.

 

R. M. “Bob” Hartman

A Very Strange New Year

The events of the first 13 days of 2021 have been, to say the least, difficult. It is incredible to me that one man, however talented, could rile so many people to a state of open rebellion against the United States of America, and then deny he was responsible for the outrageous attacks on the very bastion of our democratic republic. Where was Donald Trump when his various schools taught civics, the rule of law, and personal responsibility? 

I believe this quote is credited to Tip O’Neill, Speaker of the House from 1977 to 1987. “Everyone is entitled to his own opinions, but not to his own facts.” Even if I am incorrect, and it was not Speaker O’Neill, it is a quote well suited to this time in history. President Trump lost his bid for re-election. A more elegant and graceful gentleman, and there have been many presidents who were, would have simply and graciously accepted the vote of the American People, and prepared for his successor to take on the mantle of President of The United States of America.

 President Trump, however, has taken on the role of a spoiled, querulous child and maintained that he won the election, going to far as to file sixty-odd lawsuits challenging the validity of the election. None of those suits stood the test of court scrutiny. He has stirred rumors, cast dispersions on the character of other elected officials, and called upon his supporters to attempt an overthrow of our legal election of a new president. In doing so, he was aided and abetted by members of both the House and Senate, who insisted on challenging the results in states other than their own, even after they had been forced to shelter during an attack upon, incursion into, and riot in our nation’s Capital building.

It is troublesome to see and hear so many people fall under the spell of a megalomaniac; who take as gospel his words, even when the words are devoid of facts; to see our country reach such depths of distrust and division that it will take years to recover our sense of balance and our position in the world.    

As I watched the events unfold on January 6^th, I remarked to my wife, “My God, we have become a banana republic.”  The irony of American politicians, who in the past have called out elections and transfers of power in other countries was not lost on me.

Democracy is not self-sustaining; it requires hard work and constant attention. Our founding fathers recognized this fact; it is the preamble to the Constitution of the United States. I leave you with this quote:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty, to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

 

Thanks for reading; your comments, as always, are welcome.

R. M. “Bob” Hartman