Fully Present Post 50

I’ve come to believe that who wins the 2020 elections for the senate majority and the presidency will depend on which party is most successful at tapping into human emotions as opposed to winning rational arguments.

If our elections were about legitimately rational arguments such as ensuring the rule of law, protecting the environment, solid economic policies, smart foreign policy, and expanding constitutional equal protection under the law, then in 2020 there would be no contest. But it’s not about these important issues. It’s about our emotional state as individuals and groups trying to live in an increasingly connected world. For many people, fear has become the driving force behind their political choices while for others a sense of frustration with the current state of affairs is central. Both sides are angry. But which side will be angry enough to actually go to the polls in November next year? I’ve been watching people these past few weeks to see if I can pinpoint the emotions that will make the biggest difference for Republicans and Democrats and everyone in between. And what I’ve seen has convinced me of a way forward for Democrats.

Two days ago, I heard a white male trucker from Pennsylvania whose business is really suffering as a result of Trump’s tariffs say that he is 100% certain that he will vote for Trump again in 2020. He claimed to believe that Trump was “fighting for him” despite the tariffs. I scratched my head as I struggled to understand what rational business person could look at the policies and actions of this president and think that. Then it occurred to me that this trucker, and many farmers who are also suffering great losses, might be more fearful of immigrants, other countries, people of color, gay rights and a woman’s right to choose than their own financial well being.

I realized that if someone is able to convince you that “others” pose a real threat to your survival, then you become willing to suffer in the short-term to get rid of that threat. Trump has been able to use false narratives, wild exaggerations, and skewed statistics (lies) to activate people’s pre-existing fears and prejudices, making those emotions seem based in rational thought when they aren’t. The constant barrage of deception makes their emotions stronger and more difficult to overcome. When listening to Trump supporters, it is evident that they believe that only Trump can protect them against the very threats that they don’t seem to realized that Trump himself has conjured up. The fear is very real. Never mind that it is based on lies and exaggerations.

Sadly, Fox News and other conservative media outlets are complicit in pushing these false narratives while Republican lawmakers are too afraid to correct them. History will record this group of Republican leaders, especially Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, as cowards and hypocrites who failed to do their jobs to protect and depend the Constitution against all enemies, both foreign and domestic. These pernicious lies are doing damage to our democracy and to the welfare of the people in our nation. It is an informed electorate that the framers believed would protect our democracy. But what if the information is false? And sadly, true conservatives know their constituents are being fed lies on a daily basis but they are too afraid to speak up because Trump has captured the unwitting masses in the party by mastering the art of illusion.

On the other hand, the democrats are feeling frustration. It is difficult to expose the daily deluge of the lies, misdeeds, and attacks on human rights and the environment by Trump, especially when half the media and lawmakers are silent about them. Even when exposed, Democrats are frustrated by the inaction among Republican lawmakers who refuse to hold this administration accountable. In 2018, some argue that the House of Representatives was retaken because of issues like health care. I know I voted and campaigned more out of my frustration over this lawless administration that I wanted to hold accountable.

But is frustration as strong an emotion as fear? Can it be sustained? I don’t know. Both fear and frustration can lead to anger and anger can lead to action. But frustration can also lead to hopelessness if the actions taken prove ineffective. After this whole Mueller Investigation, we are left with more false narratives that contradict the actual statements by Mueller himself to characterize his own report. Right now we are in the position of determining whether having elected a Democratic House can and will hold this president accountable even when the Republican Senate will not. Any other president would have already been impeached. But emotions have clouded rational thought and it might be wise to censor, rather than impeach as we move toward 2020.

In my opinion, for 2020 Democrats need to ignite the fear of losing our democracy, losing the rule of law, losing a woman’s reproductive choice, and the threat of losing our planet. At the same time they must stir up another powerful emotion: love. We love our country and we love our children. We want our children to have a planet that is inhabitable. We want a country that is ruled by democracy and the rule of law. We all desire fairness. The narrative of the Democrats can be more powerful if it focuses on our common humanity.

There are plenty of examples. Start with the fact that we are all immigrants. And isn’t it understandable since we all love our children and want a better life for them that any one of us would cross a border if it meant saving the lives of our children? Isn’t having clean water to drink and fresh air to breath a priority? Aren’t we for freedom and opportunity for every American? Don’t we value patriotism, truth, freedom, fairness, and the rule of law? Do we want selfishness, cheating, and lying to become acceptable behaviors? Or do we want to restore mutual respect and decency to our nation? These should be everyday talking points for Democrats if we want to win the senate and the presidency in 2020.

It’s all about emotion. I contend that frustration isn’t enough, but fear of losing so much coupled with love of country and its foundational values might just form a winning combination in 2020.

I recently heard that suicide in the U.S. was highest among middle-age white males. The 2017 statistics indicated that nearly 70% of all U.S. suicides were carried out by white men. Over half of the suicides involved the use of a gun. Although white men have occupied the most privileged position in our society, they are facing a growing demand by women and people of color for increased access to the opportunities once only afforded only to them as white males. The return to a zero-sum game promoted by Trump wherein they continue to be the winners and women and people of color remain at the bottom is dangerous for all of us.

I can only wonder what goes through the mind of a white male who loses his job, fails to get a promotion, or is denied admission to his dream school? What does he think when he sees a woman or minority succeed where he has not? In a country where he has been taught to believe that he will ascend to the top because of his ambition, hard work, and intelligence, he likely was never asked to notice how the obstacles to his success had once been removed. He never saw how competition by equally gifted women and minorities for admission to the best schools or for the best jobs had been squelched for years by “Need not apply” signs explicitly or implicitly erected for women and minorities. Competition for societal prizes is new for them. And they don’t like it! Who would?

The under-educated whites likely view immigrants and globalization as a threat to their livelihood. The social climbers see women, Jews, and people of color as competition for social promotion. Perhaps having the Obamas in the White House for eight years was too much for many of them. White male success is no longer a given and if they do not succeed they are looking for someone to blame. But many know that they cannot with integrity blame other human beings who also have the right to pursue their dreams and aspirations. Their own sense of fairness will not allow for that. So, finding themselves lacking or without the where-with-all to compete and win, are they dealing with their failure in this lethal way?

But other white males are taking a different path. The rise in white supremacy is no joke and the narrative that they are feeding themselves and others is meant to provide them with a way to overcome their feelings of failure and to roll back competition because they have a “right” to the best jobs and to be at the top. Make America great again is code for relegating minorities and women to the lower classes. When young white males are chanting, “Jews will not replace us”, what are they saying? Who benefits when abortion rights are rolled back and women are saddled with children? What happens to a woman’s education and job prospects with an unplanned pregnancy? Who benefits when communities of color are over-policed and prison sentences for black and brown people are systematically longer than that of whites? Who benefits from a broken or severely limited immigration system?

On the surface, some might think that white males benefit from the oppression of others. But in truth, everyone loses. The economic cost, the lost of productivity, as well as the loss of human talent in order to sustain a growing prison system, provide public welfare to raise children born to poor women, and limits on immigration hurt everyone.

Change toward meritocracy is necessary and good for everyone except those who find the change a challenge. Older white men are killing themselves while younger white men are picking fights that they know are morally wrong. A few white males are becoming terrorists, shooting up schools, malls, houses of worship. What is evident, is that our society better come up with a narrative that brings people together in a win-win scenario. Martin Luther King, Jr. said it best, “We either learn to live together as brothers, or we’ll perish together as fools.”

I was surprised that this year’s graduating class at my University only heard commencement addresses given by their fellow students. There was no celebrity, no politician, no successful alum to give advice to the graduating class. Instead, the onlookers got to hear the compelling stories of the resilience it took to finally make it to graduation. That was great to hear and confirming of the relief and celebration that everyone felt, but it didn’t point to the massive future that lies ahead. I felt like we missed an opportunity this year to share a final bit of wisdom with our students leaving the college bubble for the real world.

In truth, I’ve listened to commencement speeches for the inspiration and wisdom they provide not only to the graduates, but also to me and to the many others in attendance. The varied life experiences of past speakers have inspired and broadened my thinking. I’ve always learned from what they have to say. In the absence of a speaker this year, I got to thinking about what I would say to this particular class of graduates.

First, I would say that it is important to start saving money with that every first job, no matter how high or low the pay they negotiated. And ladies, you must negotiate! A wise person never spends everything he or she makes. Start saving for a house, for emergencies, and for retirement immediately. Don’t let that $25 or more even reach your bank account. Make your lunch or forgo a Starbucks coffee once a week, and you’ve got your savings started. The power of compound interest is always greater than you imagine.

Second, I would say that it is important to keep on learning. Technology changes, knowledge keeps growing, and those who will be successful will be lifelong learners who are capable of changing with the times and nimble enough to continuously add to their skill set. Be intellectually curious and cutting edge. Keeping your brain busy will keep you sharp for a lifetime. Exercise both your mind and body. Physical exercise helps improve your emotional and intellectual well being.

Third, I would say that it is imperative to pay attention to the actual news, not just the spin or opinion of pundits. Vote in every election for local, state, and national government. The attention given to civic responsibility will determine the policies for the environment, the economy, social issues and can make the difference between war and peace. Politicians have to be pushed in the right direction by an informed public or we’ll end up with ridiculous laws and rampant government corruption.

And finally, I would say to invest the greatest amount of your time and energy in the people you love and the vocation you love. The gift you give to the world will be greatest if you put your gifts, talents, resources and this expensive education to work investing in the people and the career you are most passionate about. The fruits of that labor will become your ultimate contribution to the world and will become your legacy.

There is so much more to say, like the importance of guarding your reputation, living with integrity, and maintaining good credit, but time is always limited. So, those four points would likely make up the essence of any commencement speech I would give to graduating students. If these words of wisdom are worthy, I hope they will be heard by graduates at my University and those across the nation.

I’m a mother by choice and by good fortune. It’s a blessing to get pregnant on a timetable that is acceptable to you and under circumstances of your own choosing. It’s also a blessing to sustain a desired pregnancy through to the birth of a healthy child. I recognize that I am one of the blessed women. And because of this fortune, in my twenties, I rarely empathized with the pro-choice movement. In fact, I had once considered myself to be pro-life, but that changed as I became aware of the plight of other women. Now the choice of many women is in peril.

I was appalled to learn about the new heartbeat law, HB 481, that just passed in the state of Georgia that bans abortion as soon as a heartbeat can be detected, around six weeks into pregnancy (except for cases of rape and incest). I didn’t even know I was pregnant at six weeks and I’m certain many women don’t. I saw news reports and read three separate articles on the new law because it sounded so unbelievable. I feel like I am witnessing a true life version of “The Handmaid’s Tale” wherein a bunch of powerful religious white men take over the reproductive rights of women as though they are nothing more than baby-making machines. Only in this real life scenario, society is not in danger of extinction from infertility. These are Republican religious zealots seeking to impose their will to dominate women using forced motherhood.

The new law criminalizes abortion to the point that women can be sentenced to life in prison or even the death penalty. Doctors who perform abortions can be sentenced to 99 years in prison. What’s more, women who travel to other states to get an abortion can be prosecuted. If this wasn’t bad enough, the law gives the unborn full personhood rights. The ramifications of that alone were not well thought out. Women who miscarry can be scrutinized to see if they contributed to the miscarriage. And if found guilty, they can be prosecuted for murder.

My mind is blown. Not only is this very bad public policy, but the law ignores all manner of privacy and personal decision making among women. How will the state know if I am pregnant? How will the state know whether or not I traveled to another state to visit my grandmother and got an abortion while there? How will the state determine that my miscarriage was nature taking its course or an accidental fall down the steps? They can even question whether or not I was truly raped. Beyond these absurdities, it is important to look at whose life prospects are really being determined by these mostly white male Republican legislators.

I did a little research into who is having an abortion and how many we are talking about nationwide. I got the statistics from a pro-life website . Of the approximately one million abortions carried out each year, 85% are unmarried women, 75% are low income, and 60% are in their twenties. These are women who are looking at their situation and deciding that the timing isn’t right for them to become mothers. And by the way, 55.4% are black and Hispanic women. Surprisingly, 60% are already mothers who are deciding not to have another child at that time. According to NBC reporting, about 1/3 of American women have had an abortion. The great majority of abortions are carried out early in pregnancy. To pro-lifers, like those in Georgia that doesn’t make any difference. But to me it does.

Anyone who has heard me talk about this topic knows that I believe life begins with breath. Just as God formed Adam out of the dust of the earth, it wasn’t until He breathed the breath of life into him that Adam became a living soul. I see the womb as a forming place. I believe when the fetus takes breath outside the womb, then there is a living soul. I don’t like late term abortions except in very rare medical circumstances. Given the chance, fetuses as early as 24 -26 weeks gestation can survive outside the womb, so give that baby a chance because life is precious. But so is the life of the mother.

Does pro-life mean ending the life of a desperate woman who doesn’t hold your religious belief about when life begins and so chooses for herself and her family to end a pregnancy? Does pro-life mean removing mothers from their growing children by throwing them in prison because they can’t afford to feed and nurture another child? Does forcing desperate women to go underground like they did before legalized abortion sound like a good idea? The Republican legislature in Georgia and the other states who are passing these ridiculous anti-abortion laws need to think seriously about what they are doing. Forcing young, poor women into motherhood or prison does nothing positive for anyone. And about 1/3 of these would be black women. And beyond all this, who is going to provide for the health, education, nurturing, and general welfare of all the accidental children that will be born? The Republicans seem to be rolling back social safety nets, not broadening them to actually enable these women to choose motherhood. Or better yet, how about expanding access to free and affordable contraception in the first place?

I love being a mother, but I wonder how much I would love motherhood had it been forced upon me at a time and under circumstances that were much less than ideal for me and my child.

My blood pressure is a concern. I’m on blood pressure medication and I hope that helps to relieve my burgeoning anger over the blatant attacks on our democracy these past few weeks since the Mueller Report was released and Attorney General Barr put his thump on the scale. I sent emails every day this past week to lawmakers who were involved in shaping what happens next. By Thursday, I began calling for impeachment of both Barr and Trump. Then the jobs report came out. This week highlights a turning point for some Americans who must now choose between their conscience and their pocketbook.

I admit to being one of the Americans who is doing well in this economy. My undergraduate degree was in business and my early career choice was finance. I started saving and investing early on and never stopped. Even with a change of career to education, which pays considerably less, I still manage to save and invest. My husband and I are among the few lucky people who never faced budget-busting medical bills or a natural disaster that destroyed everything. We were never victims of a Bernie Madoff type Ponzi scheme. We were able to work the financial crisis to our advantage because we had stable-good paying jobs, great credit, and adequate savings. The Trump tax break allows us to contribute more to our savings accounts. But for people like us, I realize that we have the luxury of favoring our conscience over our pocketbook. We don’t worry about money the way many Americans do.

Amid the collective Trump administration giving the middle finger to Congressional oversight while also suing to remove Obamacare, the jobs report came out. Unemployment is at its lowest point since 1969 at 3.6%. However, wages are still too low. I heard that the current minimum wage would need to be around $18 an hour to keep in step with inflation over the years. In other words, the buying power of minimum wage pay has eroded over decades. It is daily news that many people are not sharing in the spoils of this “booming” economy. But I wonder if a promise from Trump that they will eventually experience it be enough for him to win again? In 2016 he promised to bring back the good of days of high paying coal and manufacturing jobs. He promised to punish the countries that stole our manufacturing industries with tariffs. Tariffs raise prices on consumers and coal destroys the environment along with the health of its workers, but all some people heard was the promise of high paying jobs.

In 2020, the democrats will need to offer solid economic ideas that boost wages, protects the environment, and provides affordable healthcare and educational opportunities for the middle class while also promising to restore the dignity and morality of the presidency. At the same time, they can’t punish the wealthy for being wealthy. That, too, is an attack on the American dream itself and on Americas longstanding love of capitalism. This is a tall order.

In my opinion, I think any of the 22 democratic candidates can restore the dignity and morality of the presidency. For me, this is just as important as the economic concerns. The question is, whose economic ideas are sellable to the American public and the Congress? Who can put forth responsible capitalism as the way to go? I’m thinking along the lines of someone less radical than Bernie and Elizabeth and more in line with Joe Biden, Beto O’Rourke, Kamala Harris, and Amy Klobuchar. I don’t know enough about the others to have an opinion yet. I just know that whomever the democrats put forward must satisfy both the conscience and the pocketbook of the American electorate. I fear having to choose between the two because our democracy and our environment might just lose.

I admit to being undecided about which of the twenty one democratic presidential candidates to back. As of today, I haven’t contributed one dime to any one of them. I’ve been watching the coverage of their town halls and interviews, but I’m still undecided. I have a few ideas about how I will make a decision though.

First, I won’t support an elderly candidate unless that person is paired with a competent younger running mate who can take over should the older president’s health fail. Of course, I’m referring to Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden. They would need a younger running mate. And in 2020, I would prefer that running mate to be a female. On policy issues, I’m more in line with Joe Biden than Bernie Sanders on many issues. So, I’m actually a little to the right of Bernie Sanders.

Second, I appreciate intelligence. I am impressed by major Pete Buttigieg. He is a Harvard grad, a Rhodes Scholar, a former Naval Intelligence officer, and he speaks eight languages proficiently. He is the opposite of the current president in intelligence, articulation, and good character. The fact that he is gay will matter to Christians in middle America who won’t be able to overlook that when every day they give this lying, adulterous, draft-dodging, thief of a President a pass in the face of what they should understand to be good moral character. At only 37, Buttigieg brings great energy to the table. I’ve liked how he talks about his reasons for running and how he defends his faith against those who would judge him. I haven’t heard enough about his policies though. He’s a wait and see for me.

Quite the opposite of Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren is clear about where she stands on a host of issues and she is ready for a fight. I like her energy. She is passionate, articulate, and bold. She is a tough lady and would make an interesting president. I just don’t know if some of her more radical ideas will be accepted or just lead to greater gridlock. Sure the rich need to pay more. But I don’t necessarily agree with tuition free public colleges. I agree that student loan debt is too high, but I think the government should provide greater financial aid in the form of greatly increased Pell Grants for the poor and middle class to afford to go to college. Rather than simply forgive student loan debt like she suggests, I would like it forgiven in exchange for public service. I’d like to see her embrace government funded merit based grants for STEM areas as well. I’m for regulating the big tech companies like Facebook, but not for her plan to break them up as they are working together to create greater technological advances in competition with China.

Kamala Harris is one of my sorority sisters, a proud Alpha Kappa Alpha woman, so I support her. I’m in the process of reading her book, “The Truths We Hold” and I find her to be likeable, thoughtful, and honest. She, too, is smart and passionate and I love watching her in senate hearings. She’s a stand out. However, I’m having a tough time figuring out where she stands on a few key issues like health care and reparations. She needs to be more concrete on a few key issues. I have been thinking that she and Biden would be a Dream Team with her as Vice President and then as President in 2024.

There is Beto O’Rourke. I love his energy, but I’m not entirely sure of what he stands for on a number of issues. I know he seeks a different policy on ICE immigration enforcement, meaning fewer deportations of undocumented immigrants and no more family separations. He has endorsed a more moderate healthcare plan that I like called Medicare for America https://slate.com/business/2019/03/beto-orourke-health-plan-medicare-for-all-america.html

There isn’t a candidate among the 21 that I’m against. All recognize climate change as a threat. All of them care about a woman’s right to choose. All of them recognize that we have a huge problem with wealth inequality and want to do something about it. All recognize that we need to do something about gun regulations. And every one of them has a better moral character than our current president and want to restore dignity to the White House. I find that I am leaning in the direction of the more moderate candidates with ideas that are both sellable and doable.

For now, all I can do is watch and listen and learn. I’m paying close attention and as soon as I decide who to back, I will back that person with my voice and my pocketbook.

Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate need to know that enough Americans actually care about the rule of law and holding a sitting president accountable for corrupt conduct. The news narrative has been that Americans don’t care about the Mueller Report or the President’s lying and dirty dealings. I do and so should every American.

Most of the reporters seemed to interview white folks in middle America as if they are the only ones who matter. One man said that he thought that the president was a “despicable human being” but that things were okay because the president was doing so much good for the country. A woman said she was more likely to vote for him in 2020 than she was in 2016 because he is a good businessman and all his wrongdoing was just what businessmen do. These are the people that Congress is listening to? These are the voices of Americans that the media gives a megaphone to? I have an entirely different take and I want my voice to be heard too. I care about good policies (which he doesn’t have) but I also care about ethical lawful conduct coming out of our White House. We deserve and can have both.

Despite Attorney General William Barr’s summaries and press conferences to try to shield the president ahead of the release of the Mueller Report , the Report itself makes clear that Donald Trump and his administration did some pretty suspicious things during the election and beyond and then tried to cover up their wrong doings. Apparently, Mueller was never going to indict the president, he was going to leave accountability actions to Congress. And so now, Congress must act on our behalf, as is their Constitutional duty. They can censure or they can impeach. But it’s become obvious that they need to be encouraged to act. It comes down to what we want.

I don’t want a president who fools around with foreign governments to get elected. I don’t want a president who actively tries to obstruct justice. I don’t want a president who lies to the American people on a daily basis. I don’t want a president who appoints corrupt, incompetent and self-dealing people to cabinet positions. I don’t want a bully in the White House. I don’t want a president who vilifies immigrants and cruelly separates children from their parents. I don’t a president who is ignorant of science and doesn’t care about the environment. I don’t want a president who won’t show his tax returns. We have a person in the White House who would rather hide his dealings and endure the speculation of wrong doing that to actually let the American people see the truth.

To me, all this hiding only means that the reality that would be revealed in his tax returns is far worse than the speculation about what is in them. The same was likely true about all those meetings with the Russians. Everyone lying about the meetings during the election and then no note takers in his Russian meetings afterward. But too many people are willing to ignore all this corruption. I’m not.

I spent time on Friday writing to my congresswoman and senators as well as the speaker of the house (Nancy Pelosi) and the senate majority leader(Mitch McConnell) to let them know that I want them to fully exercise their Constitutional duty of oversight with regard to this president and the Mueller Report, his taxes, and the other areas of wrongdoing. They must investigate on behalf of our nation, even if many in our nation are only focused on “kitchen table” topics. Congress has to walk and chew gum at the same time. They must hold Trump accountable since middle America won’t. It is therefore up to the rest of us to push Congress and especially the Senate to do the right thing and hold this president accountable. Our very democracy and the rule of law are at stake.

Do we really need to lock people up for everything?  According to multiple sources, in the “Land of the Free”, we have the highest prison population rate in the entire world, accounting for about 25% of incarcerated individuals worldwide while only comprising 5% of the world’s population.  It makes me wonder what country actress Lori Loughlin thought she was living in when she mistook the threat of prison time for her role in the college admission scandal as only a bluff.  I only wish it were a bluff.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m all for the rule of law and holding everyone equitably accountable when they break the law.  What Loughlin assumed was that she wouldn’t be held accountable because she is both rich and famous.  That too, has been how America has operated for a very long time.  The rich can hire high priced lawyers to defend them while the poor take plea deals for crimes they may not have even committed because they have no money to mount a good defense under the threat of an even longer prison sentence.  Last year I served on a jury where the defendant, a poor Latino male with mental health issues, had already served nine years hard time for possession of marijuana-time that wouldn’t even warrant arrest today. Of course this is the nature of our broken and inequitable criminal justice system.  The poor, black and brown people, and the mentally ill make up the majority of our prison population.  Many shouldn’t even be there. The poor, particularly black and brown people, are more frequently targeted by police, prosecuted, and then given longer sentences for similar crimes committed by wealthier Americans.

On top of this, our society has made the mistake of allowing capitalism to infiltrate our prison system. When there is a profit to be made in incarcerating people, the whole society loses. Not only is the system is unfair to the people locked up and to their families, but it is unfair to the tax payers. We could and should find alternative methods that improve society while also holding people accountable.

Lori Loughlin shouldn’t go to prison.  She also shouldn’t just be given probation. She should instead be made to pay monetary retribution to society and social retribution in the form of community service.  These people who steal from the common good, should pay what they stole three-fold, first to the people who were directly harmed and second to society in general.  In Loughlin’s case, I would like to see her pay 1.5 million dollars in endowed scholarships for low income students to attend the elite college (U.S.C.) where her undeserving daughter was enrolled because of her $500,000 payoff.  Second, I would like to see her do community service where she helps to improve the lives of others through her own labor.

In my estimation, the only people who belong in prison are those who have committed violent crimes against other human beings and animals.  This includes those politicians in Flint, Michigan who allowed whole communities to be poisoned by lead in the water.  Prison should be reserved for rapists, murderers, and violent offenders.  Everyone else who breaks the law should be forced to provide restitution to their victims and to society in general.  If you are caught stealing a car, you should be required to pay the owner back as well as pay a fine to the community plus doing community service.

Our current system punishes us all.  We spend an estimated $80 billion in taxpayer dollars to keep people locked up, feeding them three square meals a day, and providing them with medical attention.  Those dollars would be better spent on giving would be offenders actual jobs, improving education, childcare, health care, mental health care, and infrastructure.  Our current criminal justice system is a misappropriation of tax payer dollars.

It is high time that we demand that our lawmakers reform our system of justice so that it is not only more just, but also more cost effective with our tax dollars. I want Lori Loughlin to pay for her misdeeds. I don’t want the rest of us to pay for her to go to prison while lining the pockets of the private prison industry.

As a society, I think we’re headed in the right direction toward respect for the female body as more than a playground for men. As a female who has been the victim of unwanted sexual contact on three separate occasions and one horrific stocking incident, I fully support the Me Too Movement and the Time’s Up Movement. Our culture is past due for a change, but with the Biden non-sexual touching issue being raised this week, I wonder if we are about to lose valuable human contact.

My first reaction to the young woman recounting her experience with Joe Biden’s hands on her shoulders, smelling her hair, and kissing her on the back of her head, was that he was a grandfatherly guy trying to show his support, encouragement and affection. We’ve been watching the touchy-feely affectionate Joe Biden for years. It is one of the things I have appreciated about him. We need more caring people like him in the world. That said, perhaps he takes it a bit too far at times and doesn’t recognize that some people don’t want to be touched that way, particularly by mere associates. This is the reality that we must all recognize to be the case. Biden must be more sensitive to this reality and watch for cues that signal a reception to his affection or an aversion to it. I believe we tend to give these signals to one another. Biden just needs to pay attention to them.

With all the women coming forward to talk about how uncomfortable they felt about Biden’s non-sexual touching, I’m afraid our society is about to lose the kind of physical contact that helps connect us to one another. We need to acknowledge how sometimes a hug and a pat on the back are welcomed. Physical touching of this sort actually boosts our immune systems, improves our emotional well being, and builds human bonds. This is healthy for our society and confusing it with real sexual assault is a mistake. Lets keep touching. Many people touch as a means of greeting through hand shakes, hugs, and kisses. Granted, some people don’t like any of it, but we can respect these people’s “hands off” approach by paying attention.

I would say that people have an aura about them. Some are warm and approachable and exude a welcoming of affection. Just this past week, a former student of mine and now colleague, saw me while on a walk across campus. As I approached her, she opened her arms wide, signaling an oncoming embrace. We hugged. In a separate incident, I met a campus visitor at a meeting in our office on Monday and invited her to a luncheon that Thursday. When I arrived, she was already present and she greeted me with a warm embrace. A male international student whom I hardly knew hugged me after a meeting where I helped him resolve an issue important to him.

Each time, the hug seemed natural, warm, and welcome. I hadn’t initiated any of these hugs, but I was definitely receptive to them. I’m glad that these three people were able to rightly discern my vibe, otherwise they might find themselves being talked about on the six o’clock news. Joe Biden doesn’t need to stop being affectionate, he just needs to read the signals better. Granted he has a tougher job by being surrounded by so many people and trying to make quick connections, but he has to do it.

In reality, I guess this is true of all of us, because while we need the touch of other human beings we must also respect other people’s space. However, in the world we live in today, now is not the time to throw the baby out with the bathwater. If you see me, bring on the hugs and kisses. I open to “respectful” human touching.

I wonder when it became okay for people to thumb their noses at common decency.  This week, I’ve found myself repeatedly feeling sick to my stomach every time I heard Trump speak about the Mueller investigation and how he has been totally exonerated and how those who accused him of wrong doing are deserving of punishment.  It makes me want to scream. 

I said last week that I didn’t need the results of the Mueller Investigation to inform my opinion as to whether or not Trump is guilty of wrong doing.  He clearly is.  Mueller didn’t exonerate him as he so loudly claims.  Mueller didn’t proclaim him innocent of all wrongdoing.  In fact, on the issue of obstruction of justice, Mueller didn’t pass any judgement, except to say that the President is “not” exonerated.  On the issue of conspiracy, I’m actually relieved that the Trump campaign’s underhanded conduct with the Russians didn’t rise to that level.  However, the campaign clearly knew that it was wrong to take so many secret meetings with the Russians during the campaign.  Otherwise, why did they keep lying about them?   

 I’ve grown weary of Trump’s impertinent and crass behavior.  I find it difficult to believe that any decent human being is okay with his constant lying, exaggerations, and ignorant claims.  He stands before crowds of people and spews the nastiest, most meanspirited, divisive things and the crowd cheers.  Who are these people?  Who were their mothers? Who were their teachers?  What wrong has this society done to them that they cheer on someone whose ideas and demeanor are so insolent?  We have a President with so little respect for the American people that he will steal away their healthcare with nothing to replace it.  He shamelessly separated children from their parents as a deterrent to families fleeing violence and abject poverty.  He allows industry to pollute our air and water and enacts deregulations that may eventually destroy our planet.  He ignores the science behind climate change as floods, draughts, and fires ravage our country and the world. He breaks every rule learned in Sunday School about how to treat others.  He even picks fights with dead war heroes. And still, these sad depraved souls will cheer him on at a rally. Is feeding xenophobia, packing are courts, and giving tax breaks to the wealthy really worth it?

There has to be a counter narrative.  Justin Timberlake wanted to bring sexy back.  Meghan Trainor wanted to bring boodie back.  I wish some artist would write a song about bringing decorum back.  We need a song about bringing the truth back.  We need a song about bringing science back.   But most of all, we need to get our nation back from the impertinent person occupying the highest office in the world.