Elections – Hamp's Corner of America

Why Should we care about our country?

Why should you care what happens in this country? The death of George Floyd, with countless others throughout the seventies, up through today. The election of a president who lacks the moral leadership of an average American. A consistent thirty to thirty-five percent following that can see no, I repeat, no flaws by this president as a representative of our country. A need to change the culture of police forces around this country from sometimes acting as an occupational force rather than to protect, serve all citizens. A partisan divide that is threatening to tear apart this country. Again, one might ask, why should we care what happens in our country? Because neglecting to pay attention to what is going on from our local political electors to the white house is how we got to our current situation.

Once there was a question, do our young folks care…? well, do you hear, see them now on your daily news outlet. With the absence of governmental leadership apparent during this COVID19 pandemic, we long for signs of any consistent leaders to step up, show themselves. Meanwhile, we, as individuals, should do our part for our country. The long or short answer to why we should care is because it is your country. This is our house. Depending upon your ethnicity, some may say it does not belong to you, or you don’t belong in it. Other ethnicities try to take claim of the United States even though their forefathers arrived after others were already here.

During the civil rights era, marchers often heard the anti-demonstrators shout, “go back to Africa; we don’t want you here.” There is so much wrong with that phrase; I don’t have time to go through the thought process. Let me say, the blood, sweat, tears, and bones of my ancestors buried in grounds of America.

However, you see some young, middle-aged, or older folks doing things that make light of the coronavirus warning. It’s as though they have some magic shield that prevents them from contacting COVID19. For the young, the thought may be that nothing could harm me at this age. For others, it’s just stupidity of the subject.

So, they go on about their daily business, some not knowing if they already have the virus spreading it around like a “get sick” card. Others believing, they never get sick, so it doesn’t apply to them. It’s like that old Mad Comic Book character, Alfred E Neuman…” What me worry?”

The demonstrations against the shelter-in-place Governor orders in Michigan some weeks ago looked sick to me. They show up with rifles, pistols, a couple of confederate flags, signs that let you know they support Trump. What a joke. Those who are paying attention know this virus has no specific targets. Everybody encountering it is vulnerable. Asthmatics suffer more than others, but everybody can catch COVID19.

Or we could look at it another way. Yes, this is my country. I was born here; I have put down my roots. And the utmost, in my opinion, my ancestors grew up, raised generations of children, helped build this country from the wilderness, desert. No one has more claim to this country than my people or me.

My fellow countrymen, generations that followed, let’s be honest with ourselves. We’ve seen developments, incidents, whatever you want to call them that we thought we would never see in our lifetime. Some thought our Baby Boomer generation went too far. Others felt we hit the right notes, pushed the correct agenda for societal change. We wonder why it didn’t last.

Music guided our thought process. Some of the most important, thoughtful, meaningful songs were written in the sixties, seventies decade. A talented artist from all genres of music was in bands or solo artists that added to the diaspora of the day. Groups marched to effect change by certain songs. They formed opinions, calculated life strategies that contributed to real changes in our society. Again, why didn’t the forced changes last?

The hippy generation brought about the loved one and all attitude. Everybody was a valuable person. They felt that all had something to contribute to society. We all thought we counted for something. We became proud of our country as change for the better was seen, felt, practiced in our daily lives. By now, you may be asking the same question, why didn’t the attitude changes last up through today?

We saw the election of an African American President. President Obama had more patience with the right-wing Republican Party than he should have, then again, that’s just my opinion. We hoped in vain that we had turned a racial corner in this country. Only to be shocked back to reality before Mr. Obama served a day. Mitch McConnel, with the aid of other Republicans, felt that it was his job to see that President Obama didn’t have a second term. That did not work, so they did everything else under the sun to block his powers. Republican Lawmakers in charge of both houses of Congress controlled the agenda. Laws expired, were never addressed, politics became a partisan rule.

That is why the sixties implemented laws did not last up through today. The rise of the Tea Party, hidden racism, a lot of nervous people who saw their majority slide into a minority. That produced a changing attitude, once again pushed by the Republican Party.

In the past, we saw wars, conflicts that began because some guy somewhere believes he is the chosen one. So, his fellow countrymen should be indebted to him. Now we see the same type of politician in our county of the United States of America. He thinks we should do what he says, do not fret the big decisions. He is all-knowing about all subjects. He alone will address issues. Yet we see different problems left unsolved, mismanaged, or not managed (COVID19) at all.

The political parties drifted into partisan groups because the Americas stood by, did nothing. We watched as Washington DC politicians on the right seem to care less about all Americans, only catering to a very few.

The attitude now is ‘I’ve got or is going to get mine no matter who I have to step on to get it.’ The bottom line, this is not the America we once knew. Just because a third of the people follow this president, it does not make his policies right for all Americans. Sometimes people are not sure what is best for them if they do not have all the facts.

According to a political science Stony Brook professor Helmut Norpoth, who has correctly predicted five out of six elections since 1996, Trump will win in November. He told Mediaite on Tuesday., “The Primary Model gives Trump a 91 percent chance of winning in November.” Let that resonate in your brain for a moment. Can this country stand another four years of Trump or his Republican Party?

The answer to stopping this weird merry go round is to vote during this presential election. As citizens, we are responsible for the direction taken by our country. Too many have died for the rights we currently have for us to check out or say to hell with America. Please vote for the restoration of our country’s core values. Let us take hold of our future, vote for representatives, folks running for the Senate, and a president that has Americans’ best interest at heart. Once installed in their job, you will see the beauty of being free and an American.

Peace & Blessing, stay healthy, vigilant for our American rights. Make it a day in which Jesus Christ would be proud of you,

Codis Hampton II

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Don’t Drink the GOP’s Brand of Government Kool-Aid

Every time there is a natural disaster who do we call for help? What about if some terrorist drop a bomb in New York City, other US land, or US presence via ship or whatever anywhere in the world? What happens if you need to regulate an industry from taking advantage of the common man and woman in the US Street? The point is that we look to our United States Government to solve those problems.

No one calls up Donald Trump, The Koch Brothers, Russ Limbaugh, or California’s Silicon Valley tech billionaires. In those instances, the only entity that can take on, address or solve those issues. And that is the United States Government. By the way, that is the same organization that wrote the rules of commerce those billionaires used to become wealthy.

As we enter this political election sphere leading up to the nomination and eventual election of a new president and members of Congress, we are confronted with the same concoction. I call it The GOP’s brand of Government Kool-Aid. You will probably recognize parts of the formula. The indigents are as follows,

Start with the base flavoring, one small package of ultra-conservative Sugar Substitute.

Add two tablespoons each of Super PAC Cash, Various Right-Wing Media, Erroneous Polls, Right-Wing Christians, Tea Party Rhetoric and Fox News. Make sure they are all lemon-lime flavored to give it that tangy taste.

Slice up a Secession Orange, only found in states like Texas, etc. to give it that States Rights wholesome flavoring.

Pour in two gallons of plain water, top it off with a few ice cubes to make it a cool drink and serve at Media parties, election campaign offices, and to attendees at all political gatherings.

There should be a warning on the packaging of this concoction, but there isn’t. The warning would state; Beware of drinking this type Kool-Aid as it will destroy your compassion toward your neighbor, fellow US & world citizens and lead you to vote against your best interest.

Whatever speech uttered by one of their candidates always includes the two mantras of the Republican Party political platform, Govt. should not be in any private business affairs and States Rights overrule the US Govt. Rights. It’s a concoction they serve that works well all the time. A word of caution, avoid mixing any socialist ingredients otherwise you will ruin the batch.

I am saying this because in a little over fourteen months we are going to select another President, Vice President, members of the House of Representative, and Senators. Who we choose will have a definite impact on our country’s priorities. Will it be more governmental involvement where it should have oversight or no government involvement at all except to protect corporate interest? Will our president be a man or woman of the people or a corporate puppet? It’s just that simple.

Here is one very, very important note that you must remember. Whichever party is the majority in the House of Representatives and Senate runs that congressional body. That means they will run the agenda that their members vote on or bring up for a vote.

And the final piece of this important political process reviews to remember. The next president will have his pick of who will be the head of government agencies, i.e. The IRS, Social Security Department, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), etc. Those agencies act as the watchdog to protect you, the average citizen in the street. The question, which candidate do you think will serve your needs, or which one will serve corporate needs? Those are the issues in the next election.

And let’s not forget, in the case of a vacancy the president will make a recommendation as to who will sit on the Supreme Court. A reminder should be the 5-4 split on most decisions now favors the Republican Party. A show of hands…or think about it, who do you think the Republican Party represent? Don’t say what you heard on Fox News, CNN, or MSNBC. Who do you really think the Republican Party represent, given the actions they have taken in the House of Representatives over the last few years? How about the present Senate? Do you think they care about Black Lives Matter, Climate Control, Minimum Wage, Women’s or Equal Rights, or the Voting Rights Act? Look at what they have done, not what you hear on the news or your buddy tells you. How many of their sons and daughters have served in the military or fought in a war? They’ve had one theme going on over the last six years, Damn President Obama, the Antichrist and repeal Obama Care. Of which they have spent a lot of money telling you it’s a stupid law. They have no plan to replace it. And immigration, should I go on? Now do you see why I am asking you not to drink their brand of Government Kool-Aid?

For added measure, I am going to solicit help in articulating the following,

**RESPONSIBILITIES OF CITIZENSHIP

Citizens of the United States, it is clear, have a great many rights that give them freedoms all peoples hold dear: the freedom to think what they like; to voice those opinions, individually to their elected representatives or collectively in small or large assemblies; to worship as they choose or not to worship at all; to be safe from unreasonable searches of their persons, their homes, or their private papers. However, the theory of democratic government holds that along with these rights come responsibilities: to obey the laws; to pay legally imposed taxes; to serve on juries when called to do so; to be informed about issues and candidates; and to exercise the right to vote that has been won for so many through the toil and tears of their predecessors.

The responsibility that can make the most lasting difference, however, is getting involved in the political process. “Proponents of participatory democracy argue that increased citizen participation in community and workplace decision-making is important if people are to recognize their roles and responsibilities as citizens within the larger community,” says Craig Rimmerman, professor of political science, in his book The New Citizenship: Unconventional Politics, Activism, and Service. “Community meetings, for example, afford citizens knowledge regarding other citizens’ needs. In a true participatory setting, citizens do not merely act as autonomous individuals pursuing their own interests, but instead, through a process of decision, debate, and compromise, they ultimately link their concerns with the needs of the community.”

Tom Harkin, U.S. Senator from Iowa, says that the kind of activists who fueled the earlier civil rights, anti-Vietnam War, and environmental movements are now focusing their energies “closer to home, organizing their neighbors to fight for such issues as better housing, fair taxation, lower utility rates, and the cleanup of toxic wastes…. Cutting across racial and class and geographical boundaries, these actions have shown millions of people that their common interests far outweigh their differences. [For all of them], the message of citizen action is the same: ‘Don’t get mad, don’t get frustrated, don’t give up. Organize and fight back.”

**VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES

Some concerned American voters have chosen to stay involved by being in touch with their elected officials, in particular, the president and their senators and representatives. They have written letters, sent telegrams, made telephone calls, and gone in person to the official’s office, whether in Washington or in the home state or district. During the past few years, however, a new medium of communication has burst upon the scene and given voters extraordinary power — the power to learn what is going on in their world, to comment on those events, and to work to change the things they don’t like. This medium is the Internet, the World Wide Web, the Information Superhighway. Whatever it is called, it is changing politics in America, rapidly and irrevocably.

** Source: U.S. Department of State, entitled ‘Government of the People: The Role of the Citizen.’

So the next time, you are having a debate with your family, neighbor, or friends, realize who is responsible for the individuals that represent us in Washington today. Indirectly, we are the Government. They represent us, so it is up to us to determine if this is the type of Government we want.

I am not advocating overthrowing the US Government. In fact just the opposite; I am saying more of us need to get involved with Government. Voting, Community organizing with the help of the Internet, demonstrating, letter writing, and phone calls to our personal and other US districts representatives always lead to action by the same. No matter what you might hear from uninformed or self-promoting political analyst, these tactics do work. It is the number of people that are advocating a particular idea that implement change for the better and all involved.

For the record, I’m not a fan of people storming the stage of an event, interrupting the speaker and shouting “What are you doing about our people getting shot by the various policemen around the country.” Yes, they should be confronted wherever feasible but not at a major speaking engagement. All you are doing is giving the other side ammunition to say…”I told you those people are crazy and violent.” Let’s be smart and efficient about our protest. And yes target Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. We need to hear more than a thirty second TV ad. And by all means, once they are elected, hold them accountable for their promises. We should press for fair-minded actions, not political party-speak that favors who donated to their campaign. The Constitution begins by stating “We the People, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, Insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, etc. etc.” You think they were trying to tell us something, give us a hint on how we as a society should behave?

Peace, make it a day in which Jesus Christ would be proud of you,

Codis Hampton II

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