The Good News

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for what is right, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are those who have persecuted for the sake of righteousness; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil because of faith in Christ. I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘you are good for nothing’ is guilty, and whoever says ‘you fool’ is guilty as hell. Therefore, if you are presenting your offering at church, or wherever, and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, go and, first, be reconciled with that person; then go and present your offering. Make friends with quickly with your opponent at law, while you are with him or her on the way, so that your opponent will not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown in prison. You have heard that it was said: “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. Do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. You have heard it said, “love your neighbor and hate your enemy,” but I say to you love your enemies and pray for those who give you a bad time. Most important of all: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. King of Soul

Democracy and the Republic

Our nation is a hybrid, and has been from the beginning. This is why we have always had, as we still do, Democrats and Republicans. Our United States of America was conceived in 1781, At that time, our leaders convened in Philadelphia to write a Constitution. From that time onward, even until now, we have been double-minded nation. The concepts upon which our Constitution was founded originated about 2700 years ago in ancient Greece. On that Mediterranean peninsula, a civilizing population elected their leaders by voting. They called it Democracy. But also during those ancient times, a philosopher named Plato wrote a document describing a way of governance called the Republic. Much has been written, over two millennia of time, about these foundational principles. But democracy and the republican idea had gotten buried in the ashes of history as Europe was governed and managed for two thousand years by kings and priests. That’s what today is called authoritarianism. Maybe we have outgrown that; maybe we have not. We’ll know soon enough how all plays out. Leap now to the 17th-century, in a period of time called the Enlightenment, and we find a recovery of those two ancient concepts of governance: Democracy and the Republic. When America was being settled and “civilized” by Europeans, 1500-1800 AD, these resurrected ideas were brought forth as a basis of constructing a government that would leave monarchy in the dust of American history, and replace it with a government of We the People.

In 1791, when our patriots and founders began writing our Constitution, our leaders—you’ve heard their names—Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, John Adams, John Hancock, George Washington et al— were struggling between these two ancient foundational concepts, Democratic and Republic. Surely you have noticed that, today, and (as I write this) tomorrow, we are still divided, peacefully, between Democrats and Republicans.

Democrats generally want all the people to be involved in all levels and phases of government. Republicans seem to prefer appointing leadership to people who are well-endowed and have a lot of assets to work with. Democrats seem to prefer keeping governance at the humblest levels of society, so that those who are rich and famous don’t take control of everything. Tomorrow, November 5, 2024—or more likely the day after that—we shall see who wins the latest round of Democrats v. Republicans. And I might as well disclose. . . I am a registered Republican who has already voted for a bunch of Democrats. Whatever happens, I say. . . God bless America, land that I love!

CapitolWord Address

Four years and several episodes ago our People brought forth, within this nation, a new administration, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men and women are created equal. Now we are gathering in a new civil election, testing whether this nation, so conceived in Constitutional Law, can still endure. We are met on a great media field. We are approaching a new election, in which we hope to re-dedicate ourselves to the principles upon which this nation was founded: life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, under the covering of a Constitution that assures all of us equal rights and privileges in the brotherhood and sisterhood of humanity. We stand now, election-ready, to re-affirm that every duly-registered voter in this nation is assured the right to vote and the assurance that their vote will be correctly counted, and to have those voter-affirmed state-majorities correctly tabulated and reflected in their legislative assemblies, with Electoral Votes to be determined by those state legislatures and properly delivered to Congress for tabulation, as our Constituion requires.  Reflecting now upon this history, we remember that four years ago. . .

 American defenders of our Capitol and our Constitution died in defence of our Constitution, our sacred liberty, and the heritage of our American life, individually and collectively. And so, now, we re-assemble to collect our votes and to tabulate them honestly, without deceit and without prejudice, with malice toward none and goodwill for all. Now, for those who, four years ago during the violent assault of our Capitol, had given their last full measure of devotion to our Justice. . . And for those generations of Americans yet to come, we gather to vote and to be assured that our votes and their future votes will be properly and legally tabulated, according to the good will and integrity of duly-appointed local officials.  These principles and hopes we resolve, so that liberty and justice for all shall not perish from the earth. And yet, and yet, in the ill wind that now blows . . . as foxes conspire to spoil the vines of our Liberty, we renew our resolve to work toward electoral integrity and Justice . . . even as dark clouds of obstruction and deceit congregate on the horizon.  And so we ponder the words of Shakespeare's Romeo (interpreted here for our present context , and published in this dramatic moment of impending contention): ". . . for mind misgives some consequence, yet hanging in chads, shall bitterly begin with this election's rebels" Whatever happens, let us re-dedicate ourselves to the preservation of Liberty and Justice for all. Go out and vote, and pay attention to what happens in the wake of our 2024 election. Glass half-Full

Rhymes in Times

I don’t know but I been told we been here since days of old. I’ve heard tales of a long-ago roamer whose Aegean sagas were told by Homer. Verses of Israel came through Solomon. History leaves tracks as stories seem to follow men. Animated fables were told by Aesop forerunners of twentieth century bebop. Early sports reporting came through Pindar like stadium snacks now served by the vendor. Roman rhymes came through Virgil; Euro heroes leaped o’er every hurtle. Beowulf came along with tale of Grendl which now you can read about on any Kindle. If you think I’m stretching lines to make a rhyme It’s because my rhymes are only worth a dime As Arlo had sung he don’t want a pickle He just wanna ride on his motor-cicle. My rhymes here detected the Daily Caller. for which I wouldn’t give a greenback dollar But as usual I regress So to my silly rhymes I will address Cuz Joyce said God could make a tree but poems were writ by fools like me. Now this here rhyme rant started when my overloaded brain farted I’m not making this up I’m going to make sure this poetic cup fills up; y’all listen up! I was trying to find an historical rhyme about our situation now and the one back in time When the Senate Committee to investigate heard testimony about the break-in at Watergate. T’was a crime commissioned by tricky Dick Nixon When he enlisted some burglars for political fixin’ But the Senate committee investigated the crime; Then that dirty tricks crew did their time Now we see a similar crime that got investigated When the January sixth rebels were interrogated. They’d been trying to steal the election with a trump-instigated insurrection. But later, when the dust had settled Our US House put pedal to metal to convene, by House committee in session and administer investigative detection. So the special House Jan6 interviews reminded me of that old Watergate news and Senator Sam with his Carolina drawl. Please, ye Americans remember the history, y’all! But this it time ’t’was conducted by Rep Benny as they conducted enquiries, so many. Now our 2024 election’s next Tuesday I hope the American. people remember past days when a President learned the hard way that crime don’t pay Then those Watergate crimes were discovered Now like those tricky Dick treasons that got uncovered We have a new strain of lawbreaking discovered. With such a critical election only six days away we must condemn that insurrectionist fray

I urge you to vote against that January sixth mob cuz to maintain our Republic is the People’s job Don’t let him back in—chief insurrectionst trump but choose Harris and Kick donnie out on his rump!

The Second Beasting

this poem written with appreciation for W B Yeats’ earlier poem, the Second Coming: Streaming and scheming in the widening web The viewer cannot trust the site People drift apart; the real world is not told Mere vanity is used for show The magamania is loosed, in every here and there the counterfeit of propriety is launched Insurrectionists lack all legitimacy, while citizens are puzzled in gaming irrelevance. Now foul destruction falls upon the world; it’s Vlad’s constant invasion’s by design. This second time around, a Crimean re-run now resounds While distant memory of Sudetenland confounds Troubling our sight, somewhere in the Euro lands a shape with swastika’d sleeve and moustach’d beast in salute as rudely crude as third reich brood is thrust on newly-armored legions, while all below it reel shadows of indignant Euro birds. The darkness descends again, and now we fear that nine decades of stony slumber,

now are vexed to nightmare by a KGB rumbler And what beast, its undead claws now released, slouches toward Ukraine to rip it torn from Euro peace? Glass half-Full

Listen, Americans, and I shall tell ya of the hero who stopped a maga rebellion On the sixth of January, 2021: He swung a. gavel, not a gun. Many a citizen, still alive still remembers that deep dive into treasonous mad rebellion by a herd of magamaniac hellions. But there was one brave man who stopped the show, While rioters shouted go, go go! VP Mike said NO NO NO. That's not the way it's done. No, not by the power of the gun Nor by the force of insurrection. We will not go in that direction! The Joker had drummed up their maga ire; it burned hot like confederate fire: a zombie contrivance of the old rebel yell a twisted revival for slavery's hell! As the war drums pounded in Congressional halls Traitors sent out their insurrection calls. Gallows for VP Pence were erected outside while the joker stoked madness in the maddening tide as if Mike's honor depended on the joker's plot while insurrectionists drummed up a fury so hot! But when Security led our Congress to safe places those traitorous gamblers lost all their aces. So they danced around for awhile liked they owned the place but really they were drumming up a great disgrace. But Mike Pence knew as the American people did too 't'was the witch of Endor, a maga staffer say'in' the trump shall be prez hereafter! But Mike Pence knew as the American people did too that their votes, being counted would show the insurrectionists routed, far, far away to the hovels of maga-land where their rocky rebellion would sink in the sand. And so, while Mike was escorted to a safe place far below the riot, away from the maga rats' race, His aides sought counsel in desperate prayer as Mike's family huddled in the hovel downstairs, Advisors Marc and Greg sought wisdom in Scriptures as, floors above, insurrectionists ripped their riptures slashing here and destroying there having for our Congress not a care holding no respect for Constitution, nor reverence for our lawful institutions. But after many hours of terror and destruction Our Metro and Capitol Police ended that obstruction. In the wee hours of Jan7 morning after the riotous Jan6 storming, Congress re-convened to count Electoral votes, thus restoring our American electoral hopes. They counted the Electoral votes; thus defeating the insurrectionist dopes. On the 7th of January, 1921 Mike swung his gavel, not a gun. Many a citizen, still alive still remembers that deep dive into treasonous mad rebellion by a herd of magamaniac hellions. But Mike saved the day by upending the fray swinging his gavel in Lawful duty while magas clung to their trumpian booty. But for their booty I wouldn't give you a dime 'cuz our Constitution prevails, time after time. And I told them that! said Amos to Andy as they sat. Listen, Americans, and you shall hear how Mike Pence saved our Republic, so dear! Go to Dome, directly to the dome. Do not pass go; do not collect dollars Go complain to your Daily Callers! We like calling America home, while magas wail and insurrectionists roam.  Go on! skeedaddle! We don't want your magamania battle! Glass half-Full

Insurrection Indictment

Read this selection from Article 2 of our US Constitution: "The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates (from the State Legislatures), and the votes shall be counted. The person having greatest Number of Votes shall be the President." This is the Constitutional Law that donald trump broke when he gathered a crowd of people to obstruct our Vice President's performance of duty to count votes from the State Legislators. That was in January of 2021. The administration of Justice in our country takes place in Courts of Law. In the Insurrection case now being prosecuted in Federal Court, Prosecutor Jack Smith was required by the US Supreme Court to clarify what crimes were committed by donald trump in his capacity as a candidate, thus separating his actions as a candidate from his actions performed as chief executive of the US. It's a legal technicality. Prosecutor Jack Smith's document identifying trump's offenses is a "superceding indictment." It is 2000 pages long, as every detail of trump's acts and every detail of the laws broken, is laid out for Judge Chutkan, and the jury, to see. As former federal prosecuter Glenn Kirschner has explained https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgBkBYVcx3k on his Justice Matters podcast: "Most pages are almost completely redacted (names and other information not appropriate for general public). The printed pages reveal transcripts from the grand jury investigation, notes from FBI interviews conducted during years-long investigation, such as donald trump's "find votes" phone call to Georgia Secretary of State, photos of some fake "elector certificates" that were falsely presented as legitimate by the trump conspirators, and Vice President Mike Pence's letter to Congress explaining why he chose to do his Constitutional duty as President of the Senate, instead of playing along with trump's criminal conspiracy. Why am I writing this to you? As a citizen of our United States of America, one of the millions of We the People, I consider it my duty to remind my fellow-citizens of these important issues surrounding the election of 2020, but perhaps more importantly, the election of 2024. Lastly, looking back into our history: At the start of our separation from Britain in 1775. . .As one revolutionary American citizen had signaled, near Boston, to another citizen who stood in the tower of the Old North Church. . . "one if by land, two if by sea." So do i signal to you, now, this reminder of what is happening in our Federal Court that should prove trump's role as chief insurrectionist of the assault on our Congress and our Capitol on January 6, 2021. . . and render him therefore not eligible to be voted, again, the Chief exective. Here's my signal from this old 2024 church person, who stands within the watchtower of dutiful citizens' observation: We must not appoint the chief insurrectionist as Chief Executive!

Glass half-Full