White House – Hamp's Corner of America

Incompetency in Government?

Over the last five months, I’ve watched in horror as my country’s Democracy has been attacked, twisted and so wrongfully interpreted. Terminology such as Fake News and Alternative Facts have caused us to laugh at their nerve for a short minute. Then we realize that none of the stuff is funny. During this time our nation’s White House spokesperson has issued hour by hour updates of half-truths, untruths, and verbiage meant to change the subject. So much so…I believe each and every White House spokesperson has lost their credibility with the American Public. All while our allies and nations around the world probably think they are looking at some reality TV show.

Most congressional Republicans, House, and Senate, credibility with other than their hardcore constituency has suffered heavy body blows during this time. They are trying to sell a health care plan that one may find in a Cracker Jack box and just as effective. Their visits to their town halls have given them an up to date clue as to their future prospects as a congressional representative.

This Russia thing, well at least now we have a special council that will investigate this entire sordid affair. Was there collusion with any or President Trump’s campaign personnel or not? What did the president know and when did he know it?

And where is the president in all of this you ask? Initially, he seemed as though he only wanted to please his base (34 to 39% of voters) depending upon the news cycle. You know the person that says “I voted for Trump so he could shake things up in Washington.” Can’t you see Muhamad Ali screaming “I shook up the world, I shook up the world.” All that’s needed for that phrase is to add, ‘for all the wrong reasons.’ Now even the Donald has contributed his patented Fake News and Alternative Facts to the media that at times he acts like he’s delusional. One day, he says one thing, and the next day or maybe even later on that day, he says another. I have never seen the presidency in such turmoil, and that would include Richard Nixon during Watergate. This is more than simply; I need to cover my behind from this presidency.

I believed during the campaign that the Donald had no clue as to what it took to run Pennsylvania Avenue, and serve the United States people. And I do mean the people, any of us, Republicans, Independents or Democrats. During the last five months, he has still surprised me as to how much he is outclassed in his position.

He is a man trying to run the United States Government like a small or large private business. He, like his fellow party members, want Government to get out of their way and let them do whatever they want to do. They don’t want to talk to the government unless their house and property’s flooding. Then they want to know how come it takes FEMA so long to bail them out of a place they were warned not to live because of of…wait for it…flooding. He comes from that world where the attitude is, I got mine, you don’t, and there are no free lunches in our public cafeteria. You say you’re suffering from Poverty, Racism, Minimum Wage, No Health Care, Unemployed or worst, unemployable? Tough cookie, pull yourself up by your bootstraps and get off my doorstep. I have nothing, including self-help programs for you. “Damn beggars ought to get a job” is their last word on the matter as they slam the door on your face.

Most people who are not living in the Land of Oz could have predicted startup problems by noticing who he picked to head various governmental departments. First of all, he surrounded and continues to do so, with people who had no experience of being a Government employee. Or any idea as how to run the federal departments they are assigned to direct. Some wouldn’t know the difference between a government requisition and a weekly time card. Most probably think reading the FAR (Federal Acquisition Manual) is like going through the yellow pages. And who thinks that you can pick which government regulation you want to cancel while keeping only the one’s business people like? As the youngsters use to say, “You better ask somebody…” How do you think those hard working lower-paid government workers are feeling about now? Secondly, he hasn’t filled a lot of the open slots. The result has been chaotic, to say the least.

Since at the moment, the Donald has another three years and eight months left to act as President. What can we do to save our country from being pillaged and halt the attempt to turn it into a cash cow for the rich? Become involved in any way shape of fashion. We all have a say in the direction this country takes in spite of those who think that we don’t. You don’t have to wait until the 2018 elections. Notify your elected officials today of your concerns. Join those who care and act, bypass those who like to talk and vent while sipping on their favorite drink.

Peace, yet stay 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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In a continuing effort to publicize my book, Gracie Hall-Hampton, the Arkansas Years 1917-1953, I will join LitFires Publishing exhibit at this year’s ALA (American Library Association in June) Annual Conference & Exhibition in Chicago. Go to http://exhibitors.ala.org/ for the full details. Meanwhile look for my fifth book to be published in August. Thanks and see you in Chicago.

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This Country Has Elected A Trump Type Before

The candidates are rounding the half mile heading for the finish line. Who will win? The race is still up in the air. On the one hand, we had a clear favorite as much as a week ago. That is until the Republican-leaning FBI Director broke protocol and injected himself into the race. You all know what happened there as well as the differing opinions as to why he did it. It’s all crystal clear as for why he chose to in my mind. I will leave you to your opinions.

But, I want to bring up another election from another time. It is the 2000 election I am referring to when Republican George W. Bush received 271 Electoral votes to Democrat Al Gore, Jr’s 266. Let’s just say we let our country and Al Gore down during a very important election. No need to bring up the recount issues in Florida and the ultimate party line Supreme Court decision that gave G Dubya the presidency.

Instead, I want to remind everyone of the aftermath of that historic election and Supreme Court decision. The US became involved in an ‘all war all the time’ in some remote region of the world. Terrorists attacked us. We bonded as a nation only to find our country in a senseless war by G Dubya and the Chaney administration. They had some people cowering in their homes listening for various levels (see picture) Homeland Security Warnings. Maybe we should use these kinds of warnings when we have candidates who are unqualified to hold any political office much less president of the United States. But then I’m getting ahead of myself.

By the time President Obama took office the surplus left by outgoing President Bill Clinton was now a large deficit. The best way I can point out how it was at the time? You have to google the media political cartoons that were printing which framed the new president’s task. All warned in some form or fashion the need to fix the Economy, Iraq War, and Global Warning, War on Terror, Bin Laden still alive, Energy, Afghanistan, Russia, and Inflation. And let’s not forget the Mortgage Housing crises which threaten to lower the United States credit level around the world. Some in the Republican Party were yelling let the US default on its debts.

Over the last eight years, President Obama has slowly pulled ourselves and the country from the brink of failed financial policies. Policies I might add that the current Republican Candidate wants to recreate and adapt. Jesus Christ…please protect this country from itself. It was a job in which he’s had to work around Republican obstructionist.

And now, history seems to be repeating itself by providing Americans with a choice between a well-known faulty individual. A woman who’ve been investigated almost as much as President Obama. Are we poised to elect the next George W Bush like president again?

The difference I see is that G Dubya is not so outward impulsive, innately vengeful, or deviously calculating or tied so closely to improving his personal fortune as the Donald. I think G Dubya cared for this country and there lies the big difference in my mind. The Donald cares for the Donald and only the Donald. He has proven that time and time again during this campaign. There are scores of Americans who have bought into this farce of a man. The question on everybody else’s mind is why?

Let’s get past his legitimization of right wing extremist, i.e. Klu Klux Klan, Alt-Right and every Tom, Dick, and Harriet on the fringe of a white revolution in this country. We will group them in the…oh, I don’t know, let’s call them Deplorable. Why don’t we also skip the anti-Hillary Rodham Clinton voters along with the hate any and everything Clinton group? Who’s left? Not that many people in my mind.

Because in reality, the only people that are left are those who genuinely think Mrs. Clinton will make a horrible president. My question to those folks is will she screw up America’s standing in the world, undermine our democracy, feed her personal coffers while not giving a hoot about this country as much as the Donald? I don’t think so.

Now you know where I am going with this article. You think G Dubya screwed up our country. This country, in fact, the world will not be the same during a Donald Trump’s presidency. The Republicans don’t care as long as they get ideologues on the Supreme Court. As long as they get re-elected, they think the Donald will be manageable in the White House. Based upon what, I have no idea.

All those people who will vote for him think they are going to be better off. Once again, better off than whom? Of course, the real extremists think they are going to have a free hand to push their agenda against people of color. I got news for you. That is not going to work. People are not going back in some hole to hide from people of authority. People of Color are not going back to the 1950’s. We still deal with racists on a daily basis. You think we have forgotten the struggles of the Civil Rights era.

The Donald has not proposed a program that will improve any industry or governmental entity in the United States. Why? Because he doesn’t have a plan or program that will ‘Make America Great Again.’ How is he going to bring jobs to this economy? His entire policy is Washington DC, and Hillary is crooked, elect me to fix it. Based on what we’ve seen from him during this campaign, he is not qualified to be in charge of my life or America lives in general. Based on what we know about his business practices; qualifications for our president? I don’t think so. Is he morally and spiritually qualified to be the United States of America’s president? No, would be the summary answer.

We have already seen eight years of what would be a mild administration compared to a Trump presidency. All one has to do is remember or google the highlights of the G Dubya and Chaney administration. Remember, our world allies are watching to see how this plays out. So is Russia.

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

Codis Hampton II

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“In my latest book, Remember Moz, Gracie & John Hampton’s First-Born, I wanted to tell the world about a unique individual. Not because he happened to be my father but to explain who he was, where he came from, and how he evolved into the man he became up until his death. In doing so, I wrote of his ancestor’s roots back to and through the Civil War. The inclusion of his birth and upbringing in the heart of Arkansas, or Jim Crow country, add southern reluctance to learn why our country involved itself in a bloodthirsty four-year exercise in the first place? Then you begin to understand why our parents behaved the way that they did. See if I captured the essence of this paragraph.” Get the book via the Authors Page at http://outskirtspress.com/webPage/isbn/9781478766056

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Will You Cast Your Vote For Our Country?

One Trump supporter said that his candidate won the first thirty-six minutes of Monday night’s debate. He touted his slamming of Mrs. Clinton on the trade pacts that are so unpopular with a majority of US blue collar workers. Personally, I thought it was the first twenty minutes or so and she responded in a manner to believe she was telling the truth. But then let’s give the Donald that first thirty-six minutes. We are feeling so good about this debate that we can spot him a hit or two from the start.

After the first twenty-five to thirty minutes (my calculated time), the Trump surrogate admitted that his man ran out of gas. The Donald simply was not coherent with most of his responses the remaining sixty minutes. He was rude, showed facial expression that resembled a man in a bar after several drinks trying to be audible in a serious conversation. He lied about things he supposedly said on the campaign trail. He tried to hym, he-haw and bluster his way through some questions and issues. All this while the candidate sorely needed a presidential posture. The result, he displayed his lack of knowledge in foreign policy, nuclear armament, the economy, and how to bring about jobs. Also, his plans for fixing this country’s ills are unrealistic and a smoke screen to make the Donald and his businesses money. One last point, he showed the American and World Wide audience he is not qualified to be the President of the United States.

He blamed everything that happened the last thirty years on Hillary Clinton and politicians who don’t know how to run a government. Personally, I think if the Civil War had come up she would have been blamed for that. The real problem is that a lot of Americans want a change in the status quo. The Donald represents that change for them. One Ohio lady was asked by a reporter if after hearing the debate if anything changed her mind. Her response was “I’m voting for the conservative ticket and the jackass at the head of the ticket.”

If I had been that reporter my next question to her would have been, do you think your vote is in the best interest of this county? That is the million dollar question in this election to everyone. Not the fact that you dislike both candidates for whatever reason. Since the next president will probably be responsible for placing three Supreme Court justices in office. Will you support the cash flow policies given to the top one percent of wealthy people by the Republican House and Senate at the expense of the middle class and poor? Will the same Republican Congress be rewarded for their obstructionist behavior the last eight years? Especially in light of the fact they voiced their intention to and did oppose any policy or spending bills push by President Obama. One could say they allowed the country to go to pot while trying to wait for a Republican President. And their nomination is Donald Trump. I’m asking all that is reading this article and the entire country, do you think by casting your vote for whoever you are backing is for the good of this country? Yes…will you cast your vote for the United States of America?

I’m sorry. Oh? All you “I like Trump,” “I hate Hillary,” “I never did like Obama,” and “I hate all politicians so let’s shake up Washington and kick them all out,” folks had not thought about what is best for our country?

I see some people who can’t stand Hillary or Bill Clinton for one thing or another. Most people don’t go back and see the proposal of certain ideas in the first place. OK, Bill couldn’t keep it in his pants, but he left a surplus that G Dubya (George Bush) squandered during his first term. By the way, a different court decision in the State of Florida and Bush would never have won the presidency. Democrat Al Gore would have been president. That doesn’t mean he would have been a good one, you just never know.

Can you believe all the Trump supporters? I don’t know what to believe, but I do remember the 2012 presidential election. A lot of the polls had Romney winning or at least tied. Afterwards, pundits, political strategist were shocked as Obama cleaned their clock. Romney and his wife did not want to appear in public for a long while. They thought they were going to move to the White House. I bet they had already had their mail forwarded or some little move in advance like that. Republicans were stunned beyond belief.

So the questions now become, why the Donald is so close in the polls when it is clear he is not qualified to be president. Not qualified people, no not suspect, or will have to be surrounded with good people to make it work. This man is not fit to hold the office of Chief Dog Catcher in rural Mississippi. He is the kind of man that will say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, push the wrong button, ensure that he makes money on his decision and swear he knows nothing about it. The man is a pathological liar. Who in their right mind thinks this man can make an adequate Commander-in-Chief? Hands please, yeah, that’s what I thought. Pre-debate, why was this man tied or within striking distance of Hillary Clinton?

Peace, 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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Real Talk for July 4, 2015

(Here is a conversation I can imagine having with the President of the United States and First Lady Michelle Obama. They just seem to be real people compared to some of the stiffs we have had in the White House. This picture just confirms what I suspect that they are just warm and friendly people -CHII)

What do I mean by real people or real talk? I am referring to people who are genuine and are opposite of phony. They are people with whom you can have a conversation void of pretense.

Most people, especially politicians, try to show their social side, especially during an election cycle. You’ve seen their publicity film on the national news, eating a hamburger, slice of pizza or hotdog with the common folk at the neighborhood eatery. After winning the election, they retreat back into that congressional twilight zone. They only reappear when they are putting out spin stories for the press to feed to the public. You watch their lips moving, hear them speaking, absorb the words coming from their mouth and wonder if they think you and the American Public are really that stupid. You really can’t take that stuff personally because you know their words are aimed at a certain voting segment in this country. Please keep that in mind as we listen to the run up to the 2016 national election.

Yet, every now and then I see something that inspires me. Something that let me knows there are still politicians out there that show real emotion at the drop of a hat. This picture of Barack and Michelle is one such instance. This picture is so real; it makes me want to meet them and have a face to face conversation.

Don’t they look and act like people you can walk up to and say…”Hey, Barack…let me holler at you a minute. Oh yeah, Michelle, wow, I am so glad to meet you two in person. Please… this is my wife, Sandy Candy. Oh, let me stop, her name is really Sandra. Can we all sit-down and have a cup of coffee, a glass or wine or something? Since I don’t drink coffee, I will take a diet Pepsi if you got one…or lemonade whichever is convenient. Oh Wow! This White House is really amazing. The historic significance of it all is just…well, there are no words.”

“I am so glad to see you two in person. Do you play whiz or spades? I mean I don’t want to seem impetuous but what’s happening Barack? How you been? You hanging in there huh? Yeah, I know what you mean. We all are just a couple of paychecks away from poverty. I heard you just won a couple of rounds at the Supreme Court, Obama Care or the Affordable Care Act as it’s really called. And that Same Sex Marriage ruling, man…Republicans keep thinking you are dead and buried and you keep rising like the Lazarus Man.” (A big round of laughter from everybody, especially the president) Right, but…, President Obama starts to say. “Yeah I know, oh I’m sorry I interrupted, you lost one with that EPA thing but hey. It is a conservative court. What’s that baby? I am not going to ask her if she has extensions. Besides I think that is her natural hair. Oh, Michelle, you say it is your natural hair. See I told you, Sandra.”

“Speaking of hair, man…I remember when you didn’t have a gray hair on your head. It comes with the job, you say. I heard that…”

Anyway, I bet both of you are thinking about what you are going to do in January of 2017. From all I’ve heard, Michelle, you can hardly wait. No…I am not rude baby, I’m just telling like it is. These are our new friends. They are real people. They respect and respond to an honest conversation. What’s that…oh, thanks Barack for having my back. I mean that…for this conversation and all the things you have done for all Americans.

“What’s that baby, wow, you are right. Barack, Michelle I am so sorry, I have just dominated this conversation. After all, we just met you as we were touring this magnificent White House. I am sure you are busy. Come on baby, let’s move on and let them get on with their schedule. So… nice to have met you two, here is my business card. Next time either of you is in San Francisco, call me. We’re just across the Bay Bridge in Pittsburg. Stop on by and we can have lunch and another real conversation. We will probably throw something on the grill. Hey, don’t worry about it, we’re originally from Milwaukee so we know what you ‘all Chicago folks like. We are out…call me you hear.”

I’ve just given you a taste of my wild imagination, but the point should not be lost. Barack and Michelle Obama are not your normal run or the mill people or politicians. Besides the fact that are really nice people. Historians are going to point out the president’s blunders, and missteps compared to his accomplishments. They are going to write about how those accomplishments were gained despite the opposition. In my view, there has never been a president (except Abraham Lincoln) that had to deal with so much opposition, some of which came from his own party. Remember the conservative senate democrats that opposed Affordable Health Care just before its initial passage in the Senate? Think about the money spent to avoid this man reelection in 2008. Every day in the past since that election up through today, no matter what he does, it was not the right thing to do according to Fox News analyst and all Republicans. He is the only American president where I have ever seen placards (Tea Party Rallies, etc.) with him pictured as Adolf Hitler, mustache and all in full Nazi uniform. Yet you never heard a peep about it from the national media.

One day our history books are going to show that President Barack Obama was one of the most accomplished presidents this country has ever seen. Historians are already comparing his record with Frankly D Roosevelt. Just for a quick reference, FDR brought this country back from the Great Depression and through World War II.

It brings to mind a favorite cartoon of mine from the Cagle Post and Cartoons. It depicted George Bush, with cowboy hat and on horseback. He rode off into the sunset. His horse had reared up in a Lone Ranger-Hi-Ho Silver styled salute with him smiling and waving his hat while saying goodbye. The picture went on to depict little trails of horse manure left behind with each name designated pile. Words like Bail-out, Deficit, Economic Crisis, Iraq War, Housing Crash, Unemployment, were written on each pile. And in the background you see this figure of newly elected President Obama with a broom and pulling a garbage can as he scoops up each pile. It is an obvious reference to cleaning up the crap G Dubya left behind. The caption read something like “They always leave a mess for us to clean up.”

I thought it was priceless along with the enormity of issues that needed to be addressed in 2009 and beyond. We can look back at that on this July 4^th, of 2015 weekend and say, a job well done Mr. President. People can always said, he didn’t do enough for black people, or he didn’t do this or that. You know, the old Monday morning quarterbacking routine. The one thing no one can deny is that he has and continues to make real progress in how we as people and politicians address problems. All in all, he has made a difference where John McCain and Mitt Romney would not have had they been elected. As a country, we are better off with President Obama in office. Historians will bear that out in the history books. So on this holiday let’s give credit where credit is long overdue. And above all, let’s not forget our United States of America troops and their families’ sacrifices from the War of Independence, the Civil War through the undeclared skirmishes’ of today. They are the reason we can sit and enjoy whatever degree of freedom you think you have in this county.

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

Codis Hampton II

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