A Letter to Burgess Owens, My(?) Representative in Congress

 October 24, 2025

Honorable Representative Owens,

My communication with you today is relative to the shutdown of Congress and therefore the inability of the United States Government to pay its bills.

I believe it is past time for you, the other elected Representatives from Utah, and the Republican Party in general to sit down with your Democratic colleagues and negotiate an end to the shutdown.

Yes, this means that you will need to fund the ACA subsidies. For a person with moral or ethical standards, providing/continuing insurance to families in need should be as automatic as eating. If there are indeed aberrations with how the program is distributed, that is to say, if there are non-qualified individuals receiving benefits, then root those individuals out. To deny insurance to the vast majority of recipients who use the system fairly because of the allegedly illegal actions of a slight few, is despicable behavior. It is the action of a tyrannical government, not the action of a democracy.

Allow me to say this in closing: I have voted in every election since 1976. I work on campaigns of candidates whom I judge to be good for the community. When considering my ballot choice, I vote not for the party, but for the person. I judge elected officials not on what they say, but on their actions.

I live and vote in your district, and I am not shy about expressing my content, or discontent, with any elected official.

Respectfully,

Robert M Hartman

As of  10/31/2025, I have not received a reply. I will post it when, and if, I do. 

As always, thank you for reading, please leave your comments below. 

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

America, Where are You Now?

 America, where are you now?

Don't you care about your sons and daughters?

America, we need you now,

We can't fight alone against the monster.

                                        Steppenwolf, Monster,  1969

Ironic, isn't it that a protest song from the 60's has so much resonance in 2025? Don't you think it is pathetic that we are mimicking Germany in the 1930s? We have armed and masked quasi-militias with unidentified members roaming the streets of our large cities, suburbs,  and small towns, arresting without warrants whomever they please, taking them off the streets in unmarked vehicles with no known destination. No court dates are set, no hearings are scheduled. Deportations are conducted without any legal process being adhered to.

 Children are being detained, taken away in the middle of the night, hands zip-tied, separated from their parents. The "worst of the worst" criminals? What do these actions say about us as a society? Are we now afraid of children? They watch in horror as their parents are arrested and taken away from them in front of, and in, the schools.  

Yes, some of our cities have become battlegrounds, but the battle is not "Antifa" (there is a subject for long conversation) taking over the cities, it is the battle for the right to exist, the right to live freely, the right of peaceful protest without fear of imminent, unwarranted arrest, as spoken of in The Constitution of the United States of America and the Bills of Rights. You remember, those "Founding Documents" we supposedly learned about in schools. Is this the America you grew up in? Is this what you want for America? 

No amount of flag-waving, no military parade, no ballroom, no "imminent danger" can excuse this childish behavior.  Were this behavior not so tragic, so serious in its consequences, I would call it out as bullies in a playground. It has now gone far beyond that. Where are the adults in the room? Where are our finest legal minds?

Generations of political leaders in our country have worked, with some success, to feed and house the poor and working class families when  incomes did not meet expenses. Now, affordable housing, even affordable rent, is beyond the reach of many Americans. Grocery prices continue to climb but wages are not keeping up, regardless of the rhetoric from Washington. Older Americans struggle to afford the basics-food, housing, insurance. Young families are desperate to find safe communities in which to raise their families, to have the great American Dream. Jobs are vanishing, unemployed/underemployed Americans are finding it harder and harder to afford housing, day care and medical care. Is this your version of the Great American Dream? 

Health care is under attack, not from immigrants unfairly using it, but from our government. You know, the government of the people, for the people, and by the people. The Republicans in our Congress have stripped away subsidies that allow Americans to afford health care, and have caused a shutdown of the Government by refusing to even have honest discussions about this critical issue. Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the office of the President, yet they fault the democrats for the shutdown. Is this how Republicans govern? 

What can we do? What can you do? Write/email/call your Representatives and Senators, tell them you are not happy with them, not happy about the healthcare issues, not happy about SNAP going away, not happy with illegal detention and deportation,  not happy with the shutdown. 

Then, most importantly, VOTE whenever you have the opportunity. Votes do matter in elections! And yes, your vote does count, particularly in the elections for Representatives and Senators. (For the record: undocumented individuals do not vote.) 

Make voting a civic duty.  I was speaking Monday night with a Ukrainian (now a United States Citizen) who moved his family here just before the outbreak of the war. He was totally bewildered that a third of the American citizens failed to vote in the last election. In Ukraine, it is considered a citizen's responsibility and an honor to vote.

It is OUR country, America! Stand up for the America you believe in, the America that takes care of it's citizens, the America that was, and hopefully will become again, the beacon on the hill, the great light of Democracy!

As always, your comments are most welcome. 

Thanks for reading!

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

Free Speech?

 “I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

This quote is attributed to Patrick Henry (one of the “Founding Fathers”) during the discussions relevant to the (now) first amendment during the 1st Session of Congress (1789-1791); the quote is also attributed to Voltaire, a French Enlightenment philosopher and writer. It is entirely possible that Henry heard about Voltaire’s quote and decided to recycle it. But who said it first is not relevant to today’s discussion!

We have heard in the news, both Fox and mainstream, of the deportation of green-card holder Mahmoud Khalil for, according to our federal government, being anti-semitic and a supporter of Hamas. His own words however, do not support that conclusion. In an interview with CNN reporter Chelsea Bailey on March 12, 2025, Khalil stated: “There is no place, of course, for anti-Semitism. What we are witnessing is anti-Palestinian sentiment that is taking different forms, and anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism [are] some of those forms.”

The group Khalil is a member of, Columbia University Apartheid Divest, was asking that Columbia University stop investing its $14.8 billion endowment in companies supporting Israel’s government, close the University outpost in Tel Aviv, and end collaboration with Israeli universities. (For those of you with long memories, you might recall similar actions taken by universities including Columbia relative to South Africa’s Apartheid government until its collapse in 1993-1994.)

Khalil has not been accused of breaking any laws. He has not had a day in court. Yet the government of the United States of America, more precisely the Trump administration, has taken him into detention, and deported him, for speaking his mind, for protesting, for caring. You and I may not agree with Khalil, or with his stance about Israel and the war it is conducting in Gaza, but I ask you: Should a person be deported for speaking their mind? In a country that prides itself on the first amendment; in a country were there have always been people whose ideas did not mesh with the administration at the time; in a country where we are allowed to have, and voice, our own opinions, should this have happened?

Khalil did not vandalize any buildings; he did not storm police barricades; he did not break into government buildings; he did not participate in a hunt to hang anyone. The people who did those things on Jan 6th have been pardoned, but a person speaking out, exercising the 1st amendment rights, is deported?

There is a lot wrong with this picture, I believe.

I’d like to know what you think about this issue. Please feel free to leave comments in the space below.

R.M.. “Bob” Hartman 

"Just the Fact's, Ma'am"

 There are facts, and there are opinions. Just because you don’t like the facts, does not make them any less of reality; it just means you are uncomfortable with the facts. Conversely, just because you, or a group you align with, has an opinion that runs counter to facts, it is still only that: an opinion. The late Daniel Patrick Moynihan, U.S. Senator, is given credit for this well-written statement “ Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.”

Here’s a fact for you: An unruly mob attempted to overthrow the legally elected government of the United States of America on January 6th, 2021. By definition, this was an act of insurrection. In fact, it fit’s Merriam-Webster’s definition to the letter: an act or instance of revolting against civil authority or an established government. No matter who says it, no matter how high an authority figure they may be, it is not a love-fest when rioters are shouting “Hang Mike Pence” and other such hate. Pardoning those people who committed insurrection against our legally elected government is, in my opinion, unjustified. It makes a lie out of our system of all equal under the law. But this act of pardon is a subject for another article.

Another fact: In the general election held in 2024, convicted felon and former President Donald J. Trump won a second term as President with 49.8% of the popular vote, with the balance being divided up among the other candidates for President. That percentage-49.8%-is not a mandate, not a landslide, it is a plurality. Merriam-Webster again: (3) the greatest number of votes when not a majority.

Got time for one more fact? Russia invaded Ukraine.

Last one for today: Appeasement does not work. See the Munich Agreement, September 1938-when Great Britain, France, Italy and Germany agreed to let A. Hitler “annex” the Sudetenland, a part of Czechoslovakia.

The facts I mentioned above are FACTS, not alternative facts (?) but reality, writ large. I find it amazing, and quite frustrating, when people insist on proving to me the money spent on them for education failed to produce a quality product.

The next three years and 11 months will test the limits of the great experiment known as American Democracy. Our resolve, our determination to live in a free country, where there are checks and balances between the three branches of Government-as outlined in our Constitution-will be put out there for all the world to see. In a time when ultra-nationalist groups are pushing to punish “others”, when Fascists see a glimpse of potential power, when conflicts between democratic and dictatorial types of governments are approaching boiling points, will America stand as a supporter of Democracy?

Will you?

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

R.M. “Bob” Hartman

'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

Four Cretins from Utah

Four bigoted, small-minded, self-righteous, fearful, hate-filled so-called people who sadly have been elected to "legislate" in the State of Utah have used power they think they have to violate the 1st amendment to the U.S. Constitution while demonstrating their adherence to a supposed religious doctrine that is antithetical to the teachings of Jesus Christ, that we "love one another."

Here's the background on this shameful behavior. Utah Transit Authority-UTA to those of us who know and love it-sells advertising on the buses and on TRAX. This being 2023 and all, the ads generally consist of vehicle "wraps" that decorate the entire vehicle, front, both sides, and rear. I'm sure you have seen them if you notice the transit vehicles at all. R & R Advertising and Lamar Advertising donated space on one vehicle, a bus, to display PRIDE advertising, consisting of PRIDE colors and three picture/word sections: Work with PRIDE, Ride with PRIDE, and Move with PRIDE. The bus so wrapped has been in service for over a year in the Salt Lake Valley; UTA tweeted that it would be showcased in the Utah PRIDE Parade on Sunday, June 4th.

The four Utah cretins: Utah House Majority Leader Mike Schultz (R-Hooper), Utah House Representatives Candice Pierucci (R-Herriman), Rep. Kay J. Christofferson (R-Lehi), and Rep.Colin Jack (R-St. George) sent emails, using their Utah State emails, to UTA politely demanding the bus be pulled from service and more importantly, pulled from the PRIDE parade.

"Honestly, this is the last thing I want to deal with right now" Schultz said in the text. "IT seriously would be better if you made the change on your own. Let me know what you guys come up with."

It seriously would be better if the House Majority Speaker reviewed the 1st amendment to the U.S. Constitution before he made such a fool of himself. That amendment says, and I seriously quote here, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

So, using their governmental office title and email address while demanding a bus be pulled because they didn't like the advertising to me sounds like a violation of the 1st amendment to the U.S. Constitution. (For anyone who doesn't know where to find the 1st amendment, it is the one that precedes the 2nd amendment, you know, the gun rights etc.)

I am sure these 4 mouth-breathing lowlife bottom feeders are more than happy they interfered with the PRIDE parade and showed the Utah LGBTQ+ community who is really in charge in Utah. 

One can only hope the citizens of Hooper, Herriman, Lehi, and St. George will replace these 4 in the next election cycle.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you will grace this page with your comments and opinions. 

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

Utah Makes International Headlines-Again!

 Well, Utah, our holier than God himself arrogance has done it again. I mean, it is very important to show the nation, and in this case the world, just how righteous and right-wing pandering a state can be when it really, really tries hard! This effort was so massive that even "average, right thinking" citizens got involved! How much more grass roots and hypocrisy-laden can it be! We are so much better at it than anybody else. No other state comes close to us in right-wingerery, I think we even outdid Florida, and that is saying a lot.

I am referring, of course, to the Davis county school board book banning controversy. A "lot of good, God-fearing, Bible loving" people are up in arms because someone wants the Holy Bible King James Version banned from schools due to the amount of racial discrimination, violence, child abuse, sex, adultery, homosexuality, etc, it contains. One could say the Bible is the worlds greatest porn book ever written, if one believes it is the greatest book ever written.

The crux of this issue is historical, and the old adage "those who fail to learn from history are bound to repeat it" is on open display. I say it is historical for this reason; every attempt to ban books that are offensive to the group or person currently in favor, ends up banning books that are favored by many, if equal application of the ban is applied.

In short, one persons great historical novel is sinful in another's eyes. While a vocal minority voices disapproval of books containing content they think might be harmful, their same litmus test also provides ample grounds for the banning of books they themselves approve of.

Would it not be better to allow individual parents or guardians to review or discuss the books their children read with the children, rather than sit as judge and jury on what books are available to all children? When an individual adult, or group of adults, sets themselves up as "The Committee For Public Safety" relative to the books available in school libraries, the virtual beheadings have begun. Libraries, free and open libraries, exist to allow dispersal of thought and ideas, yes, even the thoughts and ideas of those we disagree with. As a youth, I read Marx, Lenin, and Hitler; they assisted me in developing a firm belief in democracy and basic free market economies. Reading those books, which my parents would not approve of, allowed me to grasp, examine, and discard ideas I found to be unproductive. Reading stories of children who came from homes that were not 1950's "Leave it to Beaver" perfect encouraged me to think I could also do well, even if my upbringing was not whitewashed perfection.

In fine, the Utah right-wing person or people that want books banned because the ideas make them uncomfortable, the same ones that are now furious about the Holy Bible King James version being banned are reaping the seeds they have sown.

I can only hope there are some adults in the room.

Thanks for reading, please pass my article along and as always, your comments are welcome and encouraged.

R. M. "Bob" Hartman

Before you flame me: I do hold the Holy Bible in high degree. I also do not believe any books need to be banned.

An Unusual Post

 My wonderful readers,

I do not talk much about my personal life on these pages, namely because you might get bored! But there are times, and this is one, where I am going to make an exception and "open up," as they say. 

I have been married to Kathleen, my wonderful wife, for 46 years this December. To say she has the patience of Job would be an understatement, but she and I have worked hard through our marriage to always be there for one another, and to make marriage work; as you know, marriages do not just consist of wine and roses! We have, together, raised three children (one of which we lost to cancer when he was 16), and been there for our children's children-Meghan has two, and Mike has three; I can often be heard saying that grandchildren are the reward for having children. 

Five years ago, however, we were handed our greatest challenge yet: Kathleen was diagnosed with connective tissue disease related interstitial lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis in the context of lupus, and systemic sclerosis with anti-synthetase syndrome. In English, that means her lungs are failing, and the medications that are available will not stop the decline. Her only alternative at this point is a lung transplant, which is a very expensive operation, both in a personal sense (she will need 24/7 attention after she comes home for the hospital) and in a financial sense; the cost of the operation will exceed $1 million. Yes, we have insurance, and it is good insurance, but as you know, insurance does not cover all expenses. We have therefore created a fundraiser page for Kathleen's transplant, the link is https://helphopelive.org/campaign/22301. 

I would consider it a great personal favor if you would follow the link, contribute if you feel so motivated, and please share the page on your Facebook, Instagram, and other social media outlets. 

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

R. M. "Bob" Hartman

Is It Worth It?

 Well, Utah, your state Legislature has done it again. Lead by Republican State Senator Dan McCay (a political leftover from Gary Herbert), we have again won at oneupmanship. Yep, we have something no one else in the United States of America has had since 2021, a brand spanking new State Flag! It's so great it is already part of a lawsuit. Not only do we have a new official state flag, we still are keeping our old "historical" flag, plus 2 other variants. The historical flag must be flown higher than the new flag, if both are displayed. Additionally, the historical flag must be displayed at all state agencies on official holidays, and every day above the Utah State Capitol.    

Now, I want you to know, in case you missed it on the news, that this new flag came with great deliberation and all pressing urgency. A study by KUTV 2 News found the legislature spent 3 hours debating the new flag in the 2023 legislative session. It has been a long time getting to the new flag, however; this process started in 2020.

Not on the news that night, but happening just the same, 289,000 residents of Utah didn't know where their next meal was coming from. 

The study mentioned above found the cost of the legislation creating the new state flag was $483,305.85 paid to local PR consulting firms. 

Think about that pile of Utah taxpayer money for a minute or two. Let the number settle in your head. Four Hundred eighty-three thousand, three hundred five dollars and eighty-five cents. Senator McCay, when asked about the attention payed to this issue when Utah has so many pressing issues, replied thusly: "It's always difficult when you look at a branding exercise, or anything else, and you're trying to figure out, is it worth it. In the long term, you have to know that it is. In the short term, there is going to be some pain to change." 

Think about 289,000 Utahans without food.  According to the Utah Food Bank, $483,305.85 would have purchased 2,174,876 meals for hungry Utah residents. 

I ask you, Senator McCay, is it worth it? 

Thank you for reading, please let me know your thoughts by commenting below. 

R.M. "Bob" Hartman 

The Covenant School Mass Shooting Event

 The Covenant School, in Nashville Tennessee, now takes it place in a long line of sorrow. The United States of America witnessed its 129th mass shooting on Monday, March 27, 2023, with three adults and three children gunned down, and then the shooter killed by Nashville police. (A mass shooting is defined by the FBI as an incident in which four or more individuals are murdered by firearms involving one or more shooters.)

Where is the public outrage?

Covenant School, a private K-6 institution, instructs about 200 students. Now three students are dead. The shooter, who apparently planned the attack with some degree of accuracy, was armed with an assault-style rifle, an assault-style pistol, and a handgun, according to police on the scene.

Why does this keep occurring?

A friend of the shooter has told police she received a text about 1 hour before the event, in which the shooter explained she was going to die by suicide today, and it would be in the news. The friend called Nashville police to report the incident. It has not been made public yet how the police responded to that information.

The President and other government officials have, as usual offered "thoughts and prayers."

Three 9-year old children and three middle-aged adults are dead. Shot by a person who may have had some mental instability, armed with assault-style weapons and "a massive amount" of ammunition.

Jim Jordan wants to investigate Hunter Biden's laptop.

There are no simple one and done solutions to the gun violence issue in the United States of America. It is inconceivable to me in a country with the ability to divide the atom, put a man on the moon, and lead the world's democratic nations, we cannot even begin to have a logical, solution-oriented discussion on this subject.

In stark contrast to the Uvalde shooting last May, the police were on the scene and killed the shooter within 14 minutes of the first active shooter phone call. Truly, a remarkably fast and effective response; they deserve congratulations for a job well done, in a very difficult situation.

What is so difficult to understand? The American public is tired of mass shooting events.

The typical, reliable, non-effective non-responses will be forthcoming. Thoughts and prayers will come from every politician's lips, and empty promises of action. Some will proclaim it is a mental health issue, others will proclaim it a gun control issue, and nothing-absolutely nothing-will be done. Congress, in a fashion we are well schooled in, will not upset its donors or vocal minorities.

It's of paramount importance to defend America against woke ideologies.

As I said earlier, there is no one and done on this issue. There are definite, concrete steps forward that will begin to reduce the mass shootings in this country; they sadly will require two items Congress currently doesn't have.

Leadership and testicles.

It "only" took 15 ballots and 4 days to elect Kevin McCarthy Speaker of the House. According to Speaker McCarthy, this shows that republicans know how to govern. WHAT?

You all know I have opinions, some of which you might not agree with, but I encourage and look forward to that polite dissent. So here is my laundry list of items for Congress to enact.

The Second Amendment states, and I quote; "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

Nothing I propose here is designed to interfere with the Second Amendment, nor do I propose to interfere with that document.

All of these should be introduced as single line bills, that is, the only issue on the bill is (this one). In this manner, a Congressman's constituents will be able to judge where he or she sits on each issue.

Just prior to the voting on each bill, the Congressman or woman will state for the record the total amount of money he or his campaigns have accepted from any gun lobby, weapons manufacturer, sporting groups, or any pro-gun organization, for the entire time he/she has been in politics.

The first item on Congress' to-do list is to mandate health insurance companies to provide, at the same rate as physical health, mental health checkups and treatment.

The next item would be to enact national red flag laws; this would alleviate a person not eligible to own a gun in one state from purchasing one in another state.

Next, institute universal background checks, including gun shows and individual sales, to refuse the sale of firearms to those not qualified to possess them.

Congress shall mandate all weapons manufactured after the enactment of this bill shall have biometric trigger locks installed at the time of manufacture.

Trigger locks shall be required on all pre-owned firearms sold by any person or firm.

Repeal the "Firearm Owner's Protection Act" of 1986; then institute a mandated national registry of firearms sold by any source from this date forward.

Liability insurance shall be mandated for all firearms owned.

Renew the assault weapons ban, and place a ban on high-capacity magazines.

Well, there you have it, my partial solutions to the gun violence issue in this country. I am not supportive of confiscation of firearms (except under lawful mandate of the court); nor am I anti-gun-ownership. I enjoy target shooting, have enjoyed hunting, and see not reason for others not to enjoy the same. I am also realistic enough to understand the probability of any of the above happening is slim to none. But, what the heck, I thought I'd put it out there anyway.

Thanks for reading, I am looking forward to your responses. To leave a comment, just click the word "comment" in the space below.

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

Woke

 It does not require a Master's degree in American History, nor demand an extraordinary amount of time, to learn about slavery in the United States of America from 1619 until 1863; that is to say, there were slaveowners in America during those years, and the treatment of the slaves was certainly less than honorable. It is a period of time that does not shine brightly upon the American consciousness; the redeeming value of this painful episode of American history is our national repudiation of slavery, albeit at an horrific cost.

The imagined superiority of one race of human beings over another has proven time and again to be costly in lives, productivity and morality. Countless numbers of wars have been fought and lost, legislation born of ignorance has been enacted and eventually overturned, all to "prove" racial superiority; these efforts and countless others have failed because there is no superior race. In this bigotry and discrimination, America is not a virgin, and while she is trying to become better, she still has much work to do. Discrimination, subtle and overt, has been and still is a part and parcel of American life. Great strides have been made in reducing discrimination, but there is still much work to be done, both by individuals and governments. I say individuals as each person must come to grips with his/her own position on discrimination, and work to positively change themselves and society from the inside; I say government as we require just laws to correct unjust behavior and immoral circumstances.

Whitewashing history, as former President Donald Trump and Gov Ron DeSantis of Florida, both Republicans, (and other loud, obnoxious, ignorant politicians) seems want to do, does not erase history, nor does it change reality or facts. Declaring your love of freedom, democracy, the Constitution, and the American way of life while demonizing a subset of the population because you won't learn about them does not make you a better person, it shows you to be a bigot and a hypocrite. Calling someone "woke" simply means they are aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issue; and by lowering yourself to kindergarten name-calling behavior, you are admitting you are not as aware as you should be and have no desire to change.

When citizens of The United States of America support, defend, and embolden politicians of this ilk, they are denying the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag they memorized in school, and in my opinion should be ashamed of themselves.

Thank you for reading, your thoughts and opinions are always welcome; just click the word "Comments" in the white box below.

R. M. "Bob" Hartman

Utah's State Crustacean, the Brine Shrimp

Well, it had to happen eventually. After all, what State could operate without the proper actions taken?

Our 2023 legislature has done the right thing at last. A massive problem has been identified, discussed and now corrected, hopefully in time to ward off approaching danger.  

Utah finally has its very own state crustacean. I mean, how did we make it through all this time since statehood without the Brine Shrimp as our state crustacean, really? How many really important things has Utah missed out on by not having a state crustacean in the last 127 years?  It is comforting to know our elected legislators have come to our rescue and taken care of this very important piece of business. You know we can trust them with anything now, because they have taken the time and energy to alleviate this deficiency in our standings among the other 49 states.

So, our gallant legislators are off to solve another of Utah's problems, with the same can-do attitude and attention to detail deployed on the State Crustacean issue. I'm so glad they are looking out for our best interests. These guys (and gals, ok) can do no wrong! I have visions of state representative Judy Weeks Rohner (R-West Valley City) and state senator John D Johnson (R-Ogden) suited up in armor, riding their war horses into the heat of the west desert looking to slay any problem foolhardy enough to enter Utah's dominion. 

When you go knighting around, as our legislature does, looking for injustices and issues needing solving, why the problems just leap up at you like a rattlesnake! 

The very first problem our legislators stumbled upon that needed a solution is the sales tax on food. (Ok, we really had to get the high school transgender thing taken care of first, but stay with the story here, please). After all, Senator Johnson has a PhD in Economics; he used his great expensive education, training and skills to conclude that the sales tax on food was a regressive tax that really hurt lower income people. So he and Representative Rohner put forth a bill to eliminate the state sales tax on food! Now, this would be a pretty popular move on the Utah Legislators part, as everybody buys food at one point or another. This issue could stand on its on merits and everybody that buys food would applaud the courageous actions by our legislators. It's a win-win-win! 

Never ones to let a good deal go unpunished, the Utah Legislators looked around for another problem to slay and lo and behold, right in front of them, right in our state constitution in fact, there it was: the Holy Grail for the Utah Legislature. The very brave and talented state senator, Daniel McCay (R-Salt Lake County) proposed a Senate Joint Resolution that would allow the legislators to breath a great sigh of relief.  

You see, by the Constitution of the great State of Utah, all of the monies collected as income tax revenue have to be spent on K-12 and higher education, and children and individuals with a disability. Our legislators have been bothered by this little detail for many, many years; and although many efforts to change this part of the state  constitution have been put forward, none have succeeded yet.    

Now they had found just to weapon to make those holdout voters agree with the enlightened legislators and take that pesky rule off the books. If they tied the elimination of the sales tax on food to a constitutional amendment that would remove the lock on income taxes going to schools, think of the great things they could accomplish with all that money! And who wouldn't want to eliminate the sales tax on food? Why, can you even imagine how that sounds-"I want to pay sales tax on food so our students can continue to be educated with state tax funds." That's not a campaign slogan I want to paint on my horse and buggy. 

So, this win will be a biggie for the legislature. By tying the elimination of the food sales tax to doing away with that pesky line in the state constitution that controls the use of state income taxes, they will have managed to further reduce the money they send to public schools, and make themselves look like nice people for doing away with the food sales tax. Now they will have more money to use as offsets for tax cuts to rich donors, and pet projects like a gondola. 

If we the voters vote against the constitutional amendment, we will continue to have a regressive tax on food that targets the lower income population. If we vote yes on the amendment, we will have given the legislature permission to starve public education. Either way, it will feel like we are on the wrong end of a jousting lance.

We, the taxpayers, get the shaft no matter what. Why do we keep insisting on electing Republicans? 

Thanks for reading; as always, your comments are welcome and appreciated. Just click on the word "comments" in the white box below. 

R. M. "Bob" Hartman

 

Mike Lee & Social Security

This will, in all probability, be my shortest post on record. Mike Lee, a.k.a. "shortsell Lee" Utah's "Senior Senator" (by virtue of the sad fact he is still in office) vowed in 2010, when he was running for the U.S. Senate 

"to phase out Social Security, pull it up by it's roots, and get rid of it." 

Why, in the name of all that is fair and just, honest and unselfish, virtuous and moral, did the citizens of Utah elect him? 

And why is he still in office? 

I know, being a Republican in Utah is a great advantage, but really, people.

Thanks for reading, your comments are always welcome and appreciated. Just click the word "comments" in the white box below. 

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

Education, and Some Thoughts Thereon

Before I begin this article: I am not an educator, nor are my spouse or our children. I do have nuclear family that works, and has worked, in many aspects of education, for which I am grateful. 

Education, more specifically public education, is in the news almost daily. Loud voices shouting to be heard in a public square trying to be the dominate role in spending public money and educating the vast majority of America's youth. I've some thoughts I'd like to share with you; I hope this provokes thought on your part, and discussion between you, your families, neighbors, school boards, and politicians. And please, don't leave your children out of the discussion! 

A free, public education is an idea that was new and untried when this country was founded. The balance of the civilized world saw no need for the masses to know any more than was necessary for their daily lives and employments or servitudes. It took a long time, and a great deal of protesting, fighting, court action, governmental decrees and just plain old fashioned hard work for our educational system to reach the point it is at today. Now, don't stop reading at this point. Take a deep breath and continue with me. In no small part, America's experiment with an educated populace has lead to some of the greatest changes in education worldwide; it is now the norm for children to go to public schools in most developed, and many developing,  countries. (We could pause here to pat ourselves on the back for leading the world in this regard, but, we have other items on the agenda.)

It has become a revolting national pastime to fault public schools, and the teachers therein, for all of societies evils and ills; to accuse them with charges of malfeasance and dereliction of duty, improper education, grooming, etc., ad nauseam. Politicians, pundits,  TV personalities, podcasters, and commentators who should in fact have a better grip on reality jump on these perceived iniquities to rack up click points, ratings, and cash, spreading these and other perverse embellished fabrications to forward their own political, financial or social agendas.

Regarding the above, I can hear my Grandmother (who was, by the way, a teacher herself) saying "They are lying to you, Robert. Just lying to you."

It is abhorrent, to any rational mind, for school board meetings to be destroyed by a dullard with a microphone proclaiming without evidence or fact that K-12 educators are teaching Critical Race Theory. The idea, spread by nefarious individuals with an axe to grind and no wood that need splitting, that the educators of our youth are grooming them to some perceived homosexual agenda is disgusting beyond words. (I wrote about litter boxes in classrooms in a previous article.) Demanding that certain books be removed from classrooms on the basis of a sentence, paragraph, or character taken out of context displays not a high moral stance or great intellectual prowess; instead ignorance, fear of new or strange ideas, and lack of cognitive reasoning skills are showcased for the world to see. Clamoring for history, both world and American, to be taught as it was in 1950, is to ignore reality and places our youth at a great disadvantage relative to interaction with the peoples of other countries in our shared world. To declare that The United States of America is and always has been perfect in every detail, and that education should develop around that thought, is to deny the very first sentence in the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States:". . . in Order to form a more perfect Union. . . ".

At times, the people screaming the loudest at school board meetings about these perceived faults do not even have students in the schools controlled by that particular school board. They are simply following some item of interest from social media. (In Utah, our legislature just tried banning children under the age of 13 from using social media. Perhaps we should ban the parents from the same.) The inability of the protestors to show proof of the nonsensical claims they make evidently does not embarrass them in the least; it seems to be a badge of honor to say, "just do the research and you will find I'm right." Reality finds in most cases they are not right. It doesn't appear they have an agenda to correct the imagined faults (other than to fire teachers and school board members), they are just interested in causing confusion and disruption. Some, however, do have an agenda; they want education, and in fact the country, turned back to what they grew up with in the 1950's or early 60's. 

Our country, and the world around us, is changing at lightning speed. The internet, cell phones, satellite technology, even the pandemic cause structural and interpersonal changes unprecedented in our history. The factual changes in the demographics of our country, the increase of business and employment opportunities around the world, and the immediacy of today's news reporting, has laid open what is to some an unthinkable and unbearable reality; we are a more diverse nation than previously understood, and we are not a perfect nation by any standard of civilization. Education, more exactly public education is one tool we have as a country to help us keep up with the changes, innovations and discoveries rapidly affecting our lives. Rather than destroy the educational system that is addressing and teaching about these innovations, changes, discoveries and actualities, rather than strip educators of the tools and resources they need to prepare our youth to enter college, adulthood, employment and the challenges they will face in the near future, we need to enhance our children's educational opportunities, and support our public schools, the teachers, staff, and administrators therein, and push back against those who would, out of fear and ignorance, deprive our youth of the same opportunities we had growing up and being educated in public schools. Our parents, and the leaders of this country in the past, tried to provide us with the best education possible at the time. It is our responsibility to do the same for the youth of today; it is our duty to give all of our youth every opportunity possible to enjoy the Great American Dream.  

And before I leave you, dear reader, here are some FACTs for you to digest. Regardless of all the talk about how our schools are failing, how our children are not getting the same education we ourselves received, the facts tell a different story. 

The average SAT scores for high school students in 1972 were: Math, 509; Critical reading, 530. The average SAT scores for 2021 (the last year available) were: Math, 528; Critical reading, 533. The lowest average score for Math was 492, in 1981; for Critical reading 494 in 2016. The highest average scores for both were in 2021. 

I do have a response I use when someone tells me about the CRT education, the Great White Replacement Theory, the grooming of our children, etc. I simply and quietly ask for the source material they are sharing.  

Thank you for reading, I do appreciate your taking the time to hear me out, particularly on this divisive and challenging subject. I also appreciate any comments you would like to leave, just click on the word "comments" in the white box below. 

R. M. "Bob" Hartman

Edit: The SAT scores shown above are national averages, I have added the word average where appropriate. Thank  you PJA 02/05/2023 RMH