Esoteric Meandering Shouting Into the Void

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

The current Republican House hearing are doing a great deal of finger pointing without any fact checking to corroborate their assertions. That is of no surprise to House Democrats who continue to let Republicans step on their own dicks.

Some of the “facts” that the cons reference are counter to the narrative that they are trying to promote. Margorie T Green has referred to increased fentanyl deaths using family and lost acquaintances as refence placing the blame on the Biden boarder policy although these recorded deaths happened in 2019 and 2020. Curious how the current policy caused deaths prior to its implementation.

The republicans want the current Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, removed because of the increased amount of seized fentanyl at the border. They also continue to place the blame on undocumented persons coming across the border as the prime movers of illegal narcotics.

 Here are facts according to the CATO Institute:

• Fentanyl smuggling is ultimately funded by U.S. consumers who pay for illicit opioids: nearly 99 percent of whom are U.S. citizens.
• In 2021, U.S. citizens were 86.3 percent of convicted fentanyl drug traffickers—ten times greater than convictions of illegal immigrants for the same offense.
• Over 90 percent of fentanyl seizures occur at legal crossing points or interior vehicle checkpoints, not on illegal migration routes, so U.S. citizens (who are subject to less scrutiny) when crossing legally are the best smugglers.
• The location of smuggling makes sense because hard drugs at ports of entry are about 97 percent less likely to be stopped than are people crossing illegally between them.
• Just 0.02 percent of the people arrested by Border Patrol for crossing illegally possessed any fentanyl whatsoever.
• The government exacerbated the problem by banning most legal cross border traffic in 2020 and 2021, accelerating a switch to fentanyl (the easiest‐​to‐​conceal drug).
• During the travel restrictions, fentanyl seizures at ports quadrupled from fiscal year 2019 to 2021. Fentanyl went from a third of combined heroin and fentanyl seizures to over 90 percent.
• Annual deaths from fentanyl nearly doubled from 2019 to 2021 after the government banned most travel (and asylum).

We need to start addressing the problem at is source and stop pointing fingers to make some political point. The House under Nancy Pelosi did not spend its time endless placing blame. I know there are some out there that will cry that under Pelosi dear Donald was impeached twice and there was a House committee to investigate 1/6 “How is that not finger pointing?” I would argue that because those were based in fact and evidence to corroborate their validity was presented. Everything that the current house is attempting to justify has been roundly slapped down by quoting their own record back to them.

I go back to the point that Republican persist on the flatform that Government does not work and based on their current performance they are actively proving their point. The point that when Republicans are handed the wheel they will do their very best to run the car into the ditch and then blame someone/anyone else for the problem.

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

Big word I know but it’s a word that seems to adequately describe today’s republican party. I am sure I am not the only one to wonder about the inconsistence positions that “the right” take. Let’s go ahead to list them.

• Free Speech
  • Republican Governors
    • Banning books.
    • Bans on teaching subjects that they dislike.
    • Bans on right to peaceably assemble.
• Pro-Life (republican anti-abortion stance,
  • Pro Capital Punishment (Death Penalty)
  • Pro-Gun
    • No gun regulations only “thoughts and prayers”.
  • Pro-War
    • Always I favor of expanding Military Funding
  • Against Expanded Health Care
  • Fighting to keep pharmaceutical prices high.
    • Against the $35 monthly cap on insulin

The list could go on and on and it is mind boggling that some how hardly anyone points out the hypocrisy. The other point in my bewilderment is that they cry fowl over nearly every measure put forward to fix an issue but they never seem to propose a solution and if when they do it is a non-fix or actually exasperates the problem.

How is it that a large segment of our population keeps putting these disruptors in positions of power? I know over years of partisan shenanigans the republicans have redrawn maps that insure that even with a majority they can still stay in power. The state of Wisconsin in a prime example the state tend to vote 50/50 on most things but somehow the Republicans hold a super majority in state government. That super majority even stripped the Governor, who is a democrat, of nearly all his elected authority so that they could push threw their agenda. The state even has a majority supreme court that continues to strip rights away from its citizens. Thankfully that may be changing because the public gets to vote on judges and they have a election coming up that could change the complexion of the court to represent the people in a more just and positive direction.

I know I am rambling, but my bewilderment in the juxtaposition of touted republican talking points and their actual actions that are in opposition to those “beliefs” have been a constant nightmare for the sane public and I hope I am not the only one who thinks that way.

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

Much to Vladimir Putin’s displeasure his, what he thought would be a 7-day, invasion of Ukraine has now passed 12 months. He underestimated his prey, yes, I am calling Ukraine his intended prey. That is a mistake the despots often make presuming that they have the upper hand. After one year Putin has not broken Ukraine’s resolve only strengthened it as well as the unification of the western alliances to stand up to his oppression.

Still the propaganda is out there that Russia is the hero in this scenario, that Putin is only trying to rescue Russian Ukrainians from oppression and the tyranny of Ukrainian President Zelensky. Putin has bought into his own hype that the Ukrainian people feel that they need rescued, well at least that is what he is feeding his citizens that he has effectively cut off from any outside media.

It is well known to the western alliance that since taking power in 2000 that Putin’s aim has been to bring back the glory of the former Soviet states and through fear and intimidation many of the Russian satellite countries have fallen in line. Ukraine had had a Russian puppet as a President, Viktor Yanukovych 2005-2010, that Putin desperately wanted back in the seat of power. When Zelenskiy defeated Poroshenko, who was decidedly more pro Ukraine than Yanukovych, Putin must have thought that the newly elected Actor/Comedian would be a push over. Most certainly the invasion plans were in place with the presumption that Trump would remain in the White House and U.S. assistance would not be provided. Sad to say that President Biden has a considerably different opinion that Donald did and is a far better Politician and Diplomat that 45 could ever hope to have been. With Biden’s leadership NATO as galvanized behind Zelensky without actually entering the war itself.

At this one year mark in is apparent that the U.S. and European countries have to be more involved in defending Ukraine, hopefully not with boots on the ground because we don’t want a Third world war. Biden has already promised tanks and missile systems to Ukraine, my hope is that our Navy can keep ports open for Ukraine without shots being fired.

I support democracy and Ukraine and sincerely hope that this conflict doesn’t last another year.

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

Admittedly we have gone overboard with celebrating pretty much everything in this country , National Donut Day, National Hot Dog Day, you name it you can probably find it on a calendar. Now a Neo-Nazi group is attempting to have a National Day of Hate and actually disturbing flyers and leaflet propaganda promoting it. It was supposed to be last Saturday February 25^th and of course an anti-Semitic group would want this egregiously offensive day to be a Saturday. Why you may ask… well in the Jewish faith Saturday is Sabbat a weekly 25-hour observance, from just before sundown each Friday through the completion of nightfall on Saturday, Shabbat is more than just a day off from labor. It is a day of physical and spiritual delights that is meant to illuminate certain key concepts in the traditional Jewish perception of the world. So of course this hate group wants to defame a day holy to Judaism with hate and ugliness.

I totally agree with the 1^st Amendment, “The First Amendment provides that Congress make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting its free exercise. It protects freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” These hate groups only spout that they have the right to free speech and can say whatever they please. I disagree with that, it has been established that you can’t yell “FIRE” in a crowded theater and what these groups are doing is equivalent. Stoking hatred and rage toward a particular community only increases the amount of violent actions taken against said community and for no viable reason.

These same instigators of hate are the very first to cry that Black Lives Matter marches were unlawful and have actually had police forcefully break up peaceful marches and protest. Now when they are calling for a National Day of Hate all the groups they are targeting are told to avoid gathering in groups or not to go out into public. Why are the people that are being threatened the ones that should be inconvenienced, why aren’t those calling for hatred labeled as the offenders not just as citizens exercising their 1^st Amendment rights. BLM hasn’t been afforded that honor, BLM has been called a violent mob even when they are peacefully walking down the street holding hand and unarmed.

This unjust treatment harkens back to the Vietnam protest and the freedom riders of MLK’s day, I thought we had grown up has a society but obviously I was sadly mistaken. ☹        

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

Black History Month was signed into law in 1986 but that wasn’t the first time it had been proposed. It was Carter G. Woodson, the “father of Black history,” who first set out in 1926 to designate a time to promote and educate people about Black history and culture, according to W. Marvin Dulaney. Black educators and Black United Students at Kent State University first proposed Black History Month in February 1969. The first celebration of Black History Month took place at Kent State a year later, from January 2 to February 28, 1970.

It’s a sad state of our national prejudice that although the idea was presented in 1926 and the first time it was celebrated on a local scale was 1970 but it took another 16 years for Black History Month to be adopted into federal law. Now in the state of Florida their Governor Ron DeSantis  wants to ban the practice and has effectively removed any black studies classes from K-12 schools and is actively trying to remove the curriculum from college campuses. The lily white  (Italian decent) DeSantis criticizes the teaching of Black History, labeled by the right as CRT, as just making white children feel bad about themselves.

God forbid little Jaylin knew the real history of how others were treated in the past. The first black children to be integrated into public schools in the 1960’s had to be escorted by federal police and were still threatened by white adults. It would be terrible if children today knew that their grandparent were violently racist.

There are members of our federal government that vehemently oppose the removal of confederate statues from town square decrying that we want to remove history. Most play ignorant to the fact that those monuments were not erected until the 1950’s specifically to assert white power to the black communities they were erected in. Even Robert E. Lee argued against creating Confederate war monuments on battlefields, which would “keep open the sores of war.” Our favorite dirt ball MTG said that if she were black, which she is not, she would be proud to see these statues and reminisce how far black people have come. To me that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.

I lived in Germany and they do not fly the Nazi banner or have statues for Adolf Hitler to remind them of how far they have come since WWII, but we still have places the fly the flag of the confederacy that waged war against it own and lost. My question is why we allow it.

Collin Kaepernick kneeled to bring attention to bring attention to unjust police practice against minorities and he was summarily chastised and drummed out of the NFL. MTG called for a National Divorce on the floor of the House of Representatives and “crickets”, an elected member of our federal government is calling for it dissolution and that doesn’t hold our attention for more than one new cycle.

Our nations history has had in moment of glory but also its ugly beginnings. No one can claim that we started out with all men created equal, it didn’t work that way. The slave states had the 3/5 clause added into the constitution because they wanted the representation of population in the government. The only people that could vote in the beginning were white land owners and that was it. That all seems equal right. When Lincoln freed the slaves the black population still didn’t have any rights, maybe it would have been different if he hadn’t been assassinated but we will never know.

Black history is part of our national history and should not be painted over just because its truth offends some. The best line I have been told is if you are offended by History good, we are supposed to learn for history, not be entertained by it.

Lyle Northey (Silent/Boomer)

Everything is a competition it seems, be it in a classroom, a workplace, on the road, even in bed you will encounter an attitude that A is better than B. Our politics is all about competition that is the sum of everything that they do. It means doing whatever is necessary to make the point that one party is better than the other and we do not care how much damage we do to the country as long as we prove that our party is in charge.

  Our recent incident with balloons from China and how all this money was spent to shoot down a harmless balloon. It was reported that the last administration allowed 3 of these harmless balloons to overfly the country and we did nothing about it, now the Chinese leader has it in his head that the air space over America is free to occupy as he sees fit. This creates a dilemma as this President signaled that we are not allowing foreign objects or vehicles to be in our skies. That is not the attitude of the former person that held the office that seems to have nothing but vacant space between his ears and does not mind having all kinds of things floating in it.

  Competition or one upmanship seems to be the game for sending bus loads of people from the border to DC. How do I get my name in front of everyone and make others seem inadequate? Can I take a gun into a school and kill more children than the last idiot did? Am I able to cause more destruction at this rally than anyone else, how fast can I drive, how much can I drink, or smoke or eat before the effort causes me to become sick and die? 

   Wouldn’t it be nice if the competition was to see how many were kept from going hungry or getting people off the streets and into adequate quarters, have enough warm clothing and be able to see a doctor if needed all the things that say we are civilized and we take care of our own.

   So now the city of Seattle has enacted a law to do away with castes which I was unaware of as a problem. Should have known that we just can not get away from the idea that if you have anything that gives you the idea that you are better than someone else that thing is played like the winning card in a game. For all that have been born of the human species we came equipped with mostly equal parts that all work the same way and are kept alive because we consume food for energy and that blood flows in our veins. The blood can be shared one to another with some consideration for type as for some reason we do have different types of blood, another reason for believing in superiority.

   It is generally easy to tell who has the wealth and who does not. Sometimes it is easy to tell who has been able to excel in one field or another but it is impossible to look at someone and tell their blood type. Diversity makes life interesting and if we were all alike in every way it would be like living on an island of goons or being the members of an ant colony.

   Take the interesting part a little farther and you find that all these various people have something different to offer in the mix and again adds more interest to the mix. Books, plays and movies have been written about people’s differences and the results of crossing the line between those differences. The results have been as awful as walling a daughter up and letting her die to the widely celebrated marriage of Diana and Charles or Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier. 

   We all are aware that in breeding will bring problems to a family line whether it be outright idiocy or hemophilia it is not good. History has shown that some families have somehow convinced the rest of the people around them that they were somehow superior and they ruled over others. It did not stop them from going to war to kill other family members, it did not stop them from deciding whose son would marry whose daughter like it or not and the ruling of most of the European continent did not stop WWI.

  In all the strife and contests and disagreements and general bickering over who is better than someone else the real difference is something not viewable from surface experience. The reason is that blood types do not leave a visible difference and that is the only thing that makes us truly different. If you need blood you have no idea where it came from except that someone generous enough to take the time and effort to donate did it out of the generosity of their heart and that saved your life. If you had that transfusion check and see if you are different in any way, crave a strange food, like different music, anything at all, more than likely not so what are the differences?

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

A government’s basic functions are providing leadership, maintaining order, providing public services, providing national security, providing economic security, and providing economic assistance.

This is what I was taught in Political Science but in our current political environment those functions differ based on party in our 2 party system. I genuinely believe that the Democratic Party accepts all these responsibilities and does its best to govern in a manner that is equitable to all citizens. Of course that point could be contested based on one point of view and our nations tumultuous history. I have Republican friends and have asked then pointedly, what the function of Government is, and how their party proposed to govern. Most of them walk way telling me to stop asking “Stupid” questions. I honestly do not believe it is a stupid question.

The current republican party continues scream to the masses that government doesn’t work… then follows that up with, “Elect me and I will prove it.” Lobbyist Grover Norquist is a well-known proponent of the strategy and has famously said, “My goal is to cut government in half in twenty-five years, to get it down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub.”  That statement is humorous because historically when they are in control taxes on the rich go down, but the size of the debt and government grow. Many tell me that the only functions of government are to levy taxes and provide for the defense of the nation. To wit I understand that as impose taxes on the working and working poor to support an armed forces that only the lower and middle class will serve in order to defend the spoils of the wealthy. Maybe I am being heavy handed in my interpretation of their intention.

Historically republicans want less regulations on corporations The rules for business, they contend, should be left to the market. The free market will always do what is best. That is complete BS, business and untethered capitalism will always do what is best for profit not the public.

Let’s look at current messy situation in Palestine OH. An Obama regulation stating trains carrying hazardous material should have their braking systems upgraded from the 19^th century technology they had in order to protect the public. When the regulation was put in place the railway lobbyist threw so many provisos in the law based on number of cars carrying dangerous material and a cost benefit stipulation. The rail owners need not improve the braking systems if the cost exceed or equaled the benefit of doing so… i.e., if the cost of litigation was less than the upgrade cost then it was a net gain so no need for the improvements to be done. Trump totally rescinded this law, not that many rail owners had done the upgrades to begin with. Prime example of letting the market control itself.

On the same subject the republicans and Fox (Faux) news are crying that neither Biden or his Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has visited Palistine in the wake of the train derailment. They are also not mentioning that Biden did contact the Governor of Ohio immediately to offer assistance or that during 45’s administration there were more than 1500 derailments, some resulting in loss of life, and that neither Donald or his Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chow ever visited. In fact, this derailment is the first one Donald made an effort to visit, but as a 2024 candidate not the President.  

Today’s elected republican’s are the party of grievance and seem to have zero inclination to govern unless it is to control what teachers can say in the classroom, women’s bodies, and revising history to support their personal version of events. Nikki Haley’s comments typify the party when asked about the Civil War,  “I think you have one side of the Civil War that was fighting for tradition, and I think you have another side of the Civil War that was fighting for change.” Gee that’s a nice way to say slavery was a tradition.

The way most Republican Governors treat their states is that they want to Rule not to Govern, trust me there is a difference. That is exactly what Donald wanted to do, Rule, only he could fix it, was his stance in the 2016 campaign. He was very disappointed that he wasn’t able to do that, and we all say the blow back.

A Democratically elected Government is elected to Govern not to Rule, we all need to remember that.

Govern

verb

1. 1.

conduct the policy, actions, and affairs of (a state, organization, or people).

“he was incapable of governing the country”

Rule

verb

1. 1.

exercise ultimate power or authority over (an area and its people).

“the region today is ruled by elected politicians”

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

Patriotism is the feeling of love, devotion, and sense of attachment to one’s country. This attachment can be a combination of many different feelings, language relating to one’s own homeland, including ethnic, cultural, political or historical aspects.

Jingoism, an attitude of belligerent nationalism, or a blind adherence to the rightness or virtue of one’s own nation, society, or group, simply because it is one’s own.

Fanaticism is a state of excessive, unreasonable, uncritical, and often irrational zeal about or interest in a particular subject. It often is attributed to highly and intensely religious zealots, but it also can refer to intense interest in a matter, such as consumer or sports fanaticism.

Here are 3 words in our lexicon, 1 that has been hi-jacked, 1 that isn’t used often, and 1 that doesn’t get refenced in our current political environment but should be.

Patriotism has been hi-jacked by the Right as well as the Stars and Stripes, they claim to be the only group that has the right to them. I have even been told that if I am not a republican I have no right to fly the flag. That is outrageous, I personally served in the Armed Forces as did my Father, many of the same individuals that tell me I have no standing as a “Real American” did not do the same. Many of those fly flags upside down, which in a time of war indicates distress, or flag that are torn and damaged.

In my opinion the current Republican party should be referred to as Jingoistic not Patriotic and there devotion to the orange faced menace is definitely Fanaticism. We cannot let a radical group co-opt the language or symbols that have defined our nation.

This is the Flag Code: I assume most the fly the banner have never read this.

The Flag Code Title 4, United States Code,

Chapter 1 As Adopted by the National Flag Conference, Washington, D.C., June 14-15, 1923, and Revised and Endorsed by the Second National Flag Conference, Washington, D.C., May 15, 1924. Revised and adopted at P.L. 623, 77th Congress, Second Session, June 22, 1942; as Amended by P.L. 829, 77th Congress, Second Session, December 22, 1942; P.L. 107 83rd Congress, 1st Session, July 9, 1953; P.L. 396, 83rd Congress, Second Session, June 14, 1954; P.L. 363, 90th Congress, Second Session, June 28, 1968; P.L. 344, 94th Congress, Second Session, July 7, 1976; P.L. 322, 103rd Congress, Second Session, September 13, 1994; P.L. 225, 105th Congress, Second Session, August 12, 1998; and P.L. 80, 106th Congress, First Session, October 25, 1999.

§ 4. Pledge of Allegiance to the flag; manner of delivery The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, ”I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”, should be rendered by standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. When not in uniform men should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should remain silent, face the flag, and render the military salute.

 § 5. Display and use of flag by civilians; codification of rules and customs; definition The following codification of existing rules and customs pertaining to the display and use of the flag of the United States of America is established for the use of such civilians or civilian groups or organizations as may not be required to conform with regulations promulgated by one or more executive departments of the Government of the United States. The flag of the United States for the purpose of this chapter shall be defined according to sections 1 and 2 of this title and Executive Order 10834 issued pursuant thereto.

 § 6. Time and occasions for display

 (a) It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.    

 (b) The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.

(c) The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is inclement, except when an all weather flag is displayed.

(d) The flag should be displayed on all days, especially on New Year’s Day, January 1; Inauguration Day, January 20; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, the third Monday in January; Lincoln’s Birthday, February 12; Washington’s Birthday, third Monday in February; Easter Sunday (variable); Mother’s Day, second Sunday in May; Armed Forces Day, third Saturday in May; Memorial Day (half-staff until noon), the last Monday in May; Flag Day, June 14; Independence Day, July 4; Labor Day, first Monday in September; Constitution Day, September 17; Columbus Day, second Monday in October; Navy Day, October 27; Veterans Day, November 11; Thanksgiving Day, fourth Thursday in November; Christmas Day, December 25; and such other days as may be proclaimed by the President of the United States; the birthdays of States (date of admission); and on State holidays.

 (e) The flag should be displayed daily on or near the main administration building of every public institution.

(f) The flag should be displayed in or near every polling place on election days.

(g) The flag should be displayed during school days in or near every schoolhouse.

 § 7. Position and manner of display The flag, when carried in a procession with another flag or flags, should be either on the marching right; that is, the flag’s own right, or, if there is a line of other flags, in front of the center of that line.

(a) The flag should not be displayed on a float in a parade except from a staff, or as provided in subsection (i) of this section.

(b) The flag should not be draped over the hood, top, sides, or back of a vehicle or of a railroad train or a boat. When the flag is displayed on a motorcar, the staff shall be fixed firmly to the chassis or clamped to the right fender.

 (c) No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America, except during church services conducted by naval chaplains at sea, when the church pennant may be flown above the flag during church services for the personnel of the Navy. No person shall display the flag of the United Nations or any other national or international flag equal, above, or in a position of superior prominence or honor to, or in place of, the flag of the United States at any place within the United States or any Territory or possession thereof: Provided, That nothing in this section shall make unlawful the continuance of the practice heretofore followed of displaying the flag of the United Nations in a position of superior prominence or honor, and other national flags in positions of equal prominence or honor, with that of the flag of the United States at the headquarters of the United Nations.

(d) The flag of the United States of America, when it is displayed with another flag against a wall from crossed staffs, should be on the right, the flag’s own right, and its staff should be in front of the staff of the other flag.

(e) The flag of the United States of America should be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of States or localities or pennants of societies are grouped and displayed from staffs.

(f) When flags of States, cities, or localities, or pennants of societies are flown on the same halyard with the flag of the United States, the latter should always be at the peak. When the flags are flown from adjacent staffs, the flag of the United States should be hoisted first and lowered last. No such flag or pennant may be placed above the flag of the United States or to the United States flag’s right.

(g) When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they are to be flown from separate staffs of the same height. The flags should be of approximately equal size. International usage forbids the display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time of peace.

(h) When the flag of the United States is displayed from a staff projecting horizontally or at an angle from the window sill, balcony, or front of a building, the union of the flag should be placed at the peak of the staff unless the flag is at half-staff. When the flag is suspended over a sidewalk from a rope extending from a house to a pole at the edge of the sidewalk, the flag should be hoisted out, union first, from the building.

(i) When displayed either horizontally or vertically against a wall, the union should be uppermost and to the flag’s own right, that is, to the observer’s left. When displayed in a window, the flag should be displayed in the same way, with the union or blue field to the left of the observer in the street.

(j) When the flag is displayed over the middle of the street, it should be suspended vertically with the union to the north in an east and west street or to the east in a north and south street.

(k) When used on a speaker’s platform, the flag, if displayed flat, should be displayed above and behind the speaker. When displayed from a staff in a church or public auditorium, the flag of the United States of America should hold the position of superior prominence, in advance of the audience, and in the position of honor at the clergyman’s or speaker’s right as he faces the audience. Any other flag so displayed should be placed on the left of the clergyman or speaker or to the right of the audience.

(l) The flag should form a distinctive feature of the ceremony of unveiling a statue or monument, but it should never be used as the covering for the statue or monument.

(m)The flag, when flown at half-staff, should be first hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day. · On Memorial Day the flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon only, then raised to the top of the staff. · By order of the President, the flag shall be flown at half-staff upon the death of principal figures of the United States Government and the Governor of a State, territory, or possession, as a mark of respect to their memory. · In the event of the death of other officials or foreign dignitaries, the flag is to be displayed at half-staff according to Presidential instructions or orders, or in accordance with recognized customs or practices not inconsistent with law. · In the event of the death of a present or former official of the government of any State, territory, or possession of the United States, or the death of a member of the Armed Forces from any State, territory, or possession who dies while serving on active duty the Governor of that State, territory, or possession may proclaim that the National flag shall be flown at half-staff, and the same authority is provided to the Mayor of the District of Columbia with respect to present or former officials of the District of Columbia and members of the Armed Forces from the District of Columbia. · When the Governor of a State, territory, or possession, or the Mayor of the District of Columbia, issues a proclamation under the preceding sentence that the National flag be flown at half-staff in that State, territory, or possession or in the District of Columbia because of the death of a member of the armed forces, the National flag flown at any Federal installation or facility in the area covered by that proclamation shall be flown at half-staff consistent with that proclamation. · The flag shall be flown at half-staff 30 days from the death of the President or a former President; 10 days from the day of death of the Vice President, the Chief Justice or a retired Chief Justice of the United States, or the Speaker of the House of Representatives; from the day of death until interment of an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, a Secretary of an executive or military department, a former Vice President, or the Governor of a State, territory, or possession; and on the day of death and the following day for a Member of Congress. · The flag shall be flown at half-staff on Peace Officers Memorial Day, unless that day is also Armed Forces Day. As used in this subsection: 1) the term ”half-staff” means the position of the flag when it is one-half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff; 2) the term ”executive or military department” means any agency listed under sections 101 and 102 of title 5, United States Code; and 3) the term ”Member of Congress” means a Senator, a Representative, a Delegate, or the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico. (n) When the flag is used to cover a casket, it should be so placed that the union is at the head and over the left shoulder. The flag should not be lowered into the grave or allowed to touch the ground. (o) When the flag is suspended across a corridor or lobby in a building with only one main entrance, it should be suspended vertically with the union of the flag to the observer’s left upon entering. If the building has more than one main entrance, the flag should be suspended vertically near the center of the corridor or lobby with the union to the north, when entrances are to the east and west or to the east when entrances are to the north and south. If there are entrances in more than two directions, the union should be to the east.

§ 8. Respect for flag No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.

(a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.

(b) The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.

(c) The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.

(d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker’s desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.

(e) The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.

(f) The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.

(g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.

(h) The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.

(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.

(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.

(k) The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning. § 9. Conduct during hoisting, lowering or passing of flag During the ceremony of hoisting or lowering the flag or when the flag is passing in a parade or in review, all present except those in uniform should face the flag and stand at attention with the right hand over the heart. Those present in uniform should render the military salute. When not in uniform, men should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Aliens should stand at attention. The salute to the flag in a moving column should be rendered at the moment the flag passes.

§ 10. Modification of rules and customs by President Any rule or custom pertaining to the display of the flag of the United States of America, set forth herein, may be altered, modified, or repealed, or additional rules with respect thereto may be prescribed, by the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, whenever he deems it to be appropriate or desirable; and any such alteration or additional rule shall be set forth in a proclamation.

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

This may be a multipart examination of humanities rise and fall, I want to be very up front that this is my opinion, just my slightly, or depending on your view, obscenely twisted observations.

There are times when I am not 100% sure that all the advancements MAN has made are all for the best. In reality if you look at earth as a living object our rise and advancements have only resulted in destruction of the environment  in which we live. Point in fact for every monumental construction a dismantling of natural resources occurred. The Great Pyramids are one of the 7 wonders but no one thinks about where all the stone came from to construct them. For a great as those structures are the is a whole in the planet that is for greater than the pyramids themselves.

To this point in our evolution even the revolution of power has been at the expense of natural resources, yes as a (thinking) species we became aware that there were other ways for harnessing power without consuming a resource. Great minds imagined that with the correct gearing wind energy could be exploited to pump water or grind wheat and for centuries it was. Sadly this wasn’t fast enough for the impatient man so utilizing the same action the wind had provided more consistent means of production were invented. These advances made life easier for man, but this was where consumption of resources began. First came the revelation that burning wood created heat, great for cooking and not freezing to death but also that water when boiled created steam that could turn a turbine just like the wind or running water had done.  Hurray for MAN.

Again, this method wasn’t efficient enough for the advancement of civilization, although for millennia it was. Eventually wood was supplemented with oils, early on derived from plants but eventually from petroleum pulled from the earth. The first big energy transition was from wood and charcoal to coal, beginning in the iron industry in the early 1700s. By 1900, coal was the primary industrial fuel, taking over to make up half the world’s fuel use. Thus began our contribution to pollution, and we have only increased the industrialization burring more carbon and pumping it into the atmosphere.

When the first humans burned wood and saw smoke that had no realization that the biproduct of their heat did anything other than warm them. In retrospect it wasn’t harming them, unless it got out of control, because the scale that small groups exploited the resource had minimal impact on the environment in which they lived. That changed as nomadic tribes became larger more stationary settlements, I believe that in the beginning they were very aware that their resources were limited. As time advanced and settlements became cities that recognition, by the masses, because less because of the illusion of abundance. It’s absolutely reasonable to presume that the elders knew that there was a limit to some resources but some, they assumed, where nearly unlimited.

Its now the 21^st century and we have industrialized nearly every land mass on the planet, our numbers have nearly exceeded that of the resources required to sustain us. (That isn’t completely true because there is enough food to feed every mouth but some nations discard more than they consume, but that’s another rant.) Finally we have acknowledged, well most of us, that burning of carbon is creating more issues and count result in our downfall. Climate change has happened in the past but our continual pumping of carbon into the atmosphere is contributing to that change. Many on the side that believes we are responsible for this say we are killing the planet but I don’t believe that. Earth, the Gaia hypothesis says that Earth is a living system, was around before us and will be here after we are gone, we are a virus that is killing itself. I said at the beginning of this rant, “if you look at the earth as a living object”, well I truly believe it is and we are just a blip in her existence, we should preserve and resect her presence and just maybe she will continue to let us continue our existence.      

Dwain Northey (Gen X)

We live in an information era of outrage and both-sidesism (I know it not word). What do I mean by both-sidesism, it’s a trap the mainstream media has fallen into so that they don’t get labeled as liberal. Stephan Colber said, “The truth has a liberal bias.” I believe that is true, but the media has a way of comparing truth to fiction and claiming that they are equal.

Let’s look at the documents issue…

Donald left the White House with boxes of classified documents , not unintentionally but by design. When the National Archives asked for them back (repeatedly) he claimed he didn’t have any. Not believing him because the National Archives was well aware of what was missing and after over a year of asking politely a lawful search warrant was issued and a lawful search of the Mara Largo property resulted in hundreds of highly sensitive documents being recovered.

Donald screamed that his beautiful property was RAIDED, not that a lawful warrant was issued. Then he claimed that the FBI planted the documents, when that didn’t work, he said they were his property and tried to negotiate with the Archives for their return.

Fox (so called news) went right along with the outrage and amplified it.

Some months later President Bidens offices at the Biden Center were being cleared when his lawyer discovered a few documents marked SECRET, the immediately contacted the Archives and they were returned. President Biden without question or coercion had the FBI search his subsequent properties where a limited number of documents were found. There was in no way a dispute over the papers and they were returned to the Archives.

The news covered these events as equal in fact Fox covered the Biden documents as more egregious because they were from his time as VP and he had no right to be in possession of these documents. The fact that Donald had troves of docs was inconsequential because the dear  leader had declassified them with a wave of is stubby finger.

Both the same right?

Now when VP Pence was found to have documents as well, Fox had very little to say in fact to was a non-issue.

Now the outrage MTG want a national divorce because its just not fare the way the Republicans are being treated. She and the Republicans lost their minds over President Bidens trip to Ukraine crying that we will not send our boys to fight in a war to defend a non UN nation. I guess they are unaware or willfully ignorant that we do not have any boots on the ground in Ukraine. The GOP and FOX continue to spout Putin’s propaganda like it is the gospel and when they are challenged they are either mute or change the subject to an issue that essentially no value, i.e. the M&M debate.

Let’s go back to the Walter Cronkite days when news had no bias, it was just news.