Hugs...

It is an idle day dream, but I hope our hugs carry enough love, enough fortitude, enough strength and endurance to change the world. I suspect though, it will be up to us. Sent February 1, 2017

Credibility...

Credibility is one of those things over which we have total control. Well, I suppose that is not entirely true. Hillary's credibility went down in flames as people were told about crates of fake ballots filled in for her that were found before the election. It turns out the story was one of the fake news stories, "alternative or altered facts", that turned voters away from voting at all. Using a photo of Barak Obama's inauguration to show "huge" numbers of people showing up on a sunny day was an "alternative fact" to Donald Trump's low turnout on a rainy January 20, 2017. A creepy fact is ordering the identical inaugural cake as Obama's and from someone other than the original designer. These are facts that will follow Donald Trump through his presidency. Unless, of course, his denials become the new "alternative facts" that people believe. Sent January 31, 2017

The Wall...

Even if this was a good idea, Mexico will not pay for this wall. Sure, you can raise the tariffs by 20% and Mexico will pay it. But, if I understand how tariffs work, Mexican growers and manufacturers will raise the price of those goods and the sellers in the U.S. will pay it. The actual mathematics continue on down the line until I go to my local market and discover that the price on the butternut squash for tonight's soup has gone up 20%. So, Mr. President, who will pay for this wall? Sent January 31, 2017

National Parks...

We may be the most fortunate country in the world. We have national parks, state parks, county parks, city parks, national and state forests, and public beaches, all being maintained and protected for us and for the generations to come. In the 60's, I remember visiting the Glory Hole in Colorado. It is a mining hole so large that the massive trucks working in the bottom of the pit looked like our children's miniature toys. The area around the hole is piled with debris from the mining, but surrounding the mining area are magnificent views of the Rocky Mountains. Check out the Henderson Mine Glory Hole Take a close look at the mine and the surrounding vista. An exploited Earth is not what we want to leave for our children and our children's children. We have a beautiful home and it has taken hard work to create our natural spaces for everyone. It will take equally hard work to protect them from those that would exploit our legacy for their own benefit. We have to decide today what we want our world to look like. Tomorrow will be too late. Sent on January 30, 2017

Feminism...

A young man, who thought it would be fun to date an older woman, told me how refreshing it was to hang out with a woman who was not a raging feminist. Yes, my jaw fell open. I think I started with, "Are you joking?" I told him that men had been in charge for the last 200+ years and I thought women should be given the next 200 years to see if we could do a better job. His mouth fell open and I believe he took a step backwards. I had to chuckle. "Oh," I said, is that too long? How about just 100 years?" He was still speechless. "Still too long? How about 25 years, could you live with that?" He gulped, gathered himself together, and said, "I could live with 25 years." What is so @#$% hard about seeing women as equals? Sent on January 30, 2017

Sanctuary....

As I remember it, one of the southern states passed legislation outlawing the hiring of illegal aliens in the state. As the date approached, the tension grew. After dark on the eve of enactment of the law, all the illegal laborers left the state under cover of darkness. The state probably heaved a sigh of relief... until they discovered there was no one to harvest the crops. One farm owner described hiring legal, white laborers to work in the fields. They did not show up on the second day. They didn't want to do that kind of work and I am sure they were offered higher wages than had been paid to the illegals. Sent January 28, 2017

Healthcare...

Not many years ago a granddaughter was born with a heart defect. Because it was not detected before leaving the hospital, she nearly died. Her parents had good health coverage that made it possible for her be kept alive until she could have the life saving surgery she needed. They were lucky. They had good health coverage and only had to pay $7000 of the $150,000 bill to keep their infant girl alive and did not loose their home. For too long, health care in the United States has been a luxury for those who can afford it. The question is, why does the "greatest" country in the world not have universal health coverage? The answer is, profits. Until the Affordable Care Act, more than 30% of health care dollars spent in the United States went to administration, billing, and profits. The ACA, when enacted, included the 80/20 provision. This requirement applies a penalty to the insurer if less than 80% of health premiums are spent on health care. While I have issues with the ACA not being a true, single payer system, I now understand why insurers and the Republican Party have lobbied so strongly against it. The 80% requirement eats into profits that were going into pockets. Universal health care would not cost more than what we now have. The dollars currently spent on billing and profits would cover everyone in the U.S. with no additional dollars. People would not loose their homes because of health care costs and people would not have to choose their health care over providing for their families. Sent January 28, 2017