2022 SO FAR - IN AMERICA

 Dear George,

When you were president the budding republic of 13 original colonies [that became states] would be considered far more manageable by a 21st Century comparison. Then at the writing of the Declaration of Independence you only had an estimated 2.5 million [opinionated] people to govern.

If you've been 'watching' over us and puzzled by our rather messy 'progress' since 1776--you know there are 50 states [somewhat united] and five territories [Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa & Northern Marina Islands] with a revised 2021 estimate of 331+ million [opinionated] people to govern. [I use revised numbers due to a steady southern border invasion of 7,400+ people daily after the calendar flipped over to 2022.] Moving on...

Since June marked the halfway point and 18 months of a new administration with our 46th President and 117th Congress--what have these people been doing about some of the major headlines? 

Well, the President revoked 65 of Trumps Executive Orders then signed 77 of his own Executive Orders and Congress has passed 85 of the 9,633 bills introduced--of which 42 made it to the President's desk for signature... And since this is a mid-term election year--IF--you hear an incumbent politician brag about the bills they introduced or voted for, don't be too impressed. Because--as you can tell by the math 93% of each typical 15-page bill never makes it off the House floor. 

And of equal note most proposed legislation does not make the news either unless IT IS news like...

INFRASTRUCTURE: Virtually all of our aging and vulnerable infrastructure that was 'new' post WWII and Woodstock--is still aging and vulnerable. 

In my January 20, 2021 Blog titled "Infrastructure In America" I highlighted AIRPORTS--MASS TRANSIT--U.S. SEA PORTS--WATER--BRIDGES -and- INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY directly tied to: Federal Defense, Unemployment Insurance Benefits, Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration, Medicare, State Department & Transportation Department.

What I selected 18 months ago [as Biden took office] was only the tip of a very tall pyramid of a seriously neglected 50 years of general maintenance. And - Fellow-Travelers 18 months ago every item then was beyond critical.  

Bush and Chaney wasted time and spent our money chasing weapons-of-mass-destruction. But, Obama attempted to address this [federal & state governmental] negligence with a 2015 Executive Order. However, key Democrats and 'progressive' groups objected to "permitting provisions as a possible erosion of environmental protections". Trump tried again several times, first when he had both the House and the Senate in May 2018. But his 1.5 trillion infrastructure investment plan faced major objection by his own Republican Senate as too costly. They should have done their homework then because five years ago more than that was needed, and the money would have gone farther. In April 2019, Trump and Democrats agreed on a $2 trillion plan, but for some reason the Dems objected to a local, state, federal and free enterprise cost sharing structure. There was a $1 trillion pared down version that surfaced in February 2020, revised back up to $2 trillion in April--then everything shutdown due to Covid. 

Okay. Short-sighted-self-serving-bureaucrats aside--where is the $1.2 trillion bipartisan November 5, 2021 Infrastructure Bill now? 

Funding was slow. [No surprise there because securing loans took longer.] By April, 2022 - of the $110 billion actually released only $52.5 billion went to federal highways and $20.5 billion for public transit leaving $73 billion, still unspent [supposedly] for some high-speed broadband infrastructure. An additional $27 billion for bridges, airports, drought resilience and rural highways is to be released over the next five years. Really? Everything I identified and more is still aging and frankly a national security threat - like our water supply and our electrical grid. But there seems to be no end of funds to subsidize wind, solar, EVs and various war/military actions - why is that? And, has some of the attention/funding toward updating our infrastructure list been hijacked by the new Computer Chip Bill? Gosh, didn't that happen in a blink.... 

Dear George, please come back or at least send sober reason from the Cloud......Anyway...  

INFLATION: Our 2022 inflation of 9.1% is tied to a convoluted fraud exploiting fear of an entirely human-compromised environment. Remember warning the deterioration of our ozone layer was due to the use of aerosol sprays? Well that trendy-villain has since been replaced by claims of lawless and immoral fossil fuels.  

For a resource that quite frankly launched the American economy and revolutionized so much international industry everywhere on Earth [after he left federal politics] Al Gore began to systematically target any fossil fuel as singularly responsible for harming Earth's entire environment. The focused campaign for which he was a nationally and internationally recognizable spokesperson was initially labelled Global Warming, but more recently in the last few years, it's now Climate Change. 

Environmental concern began from a sincere base then became deceptive, so stay with me...

Just as industry abuses of factory workers spawned the creation of unions--early government/military and industry abuses of our environment created environmentalists...Specifically Sierra Club founded, 1892 and Greenpeace formed in 1969. 

Initially and for several decades' unions played a valuable role in improving working conditions and wages, but by the 1980s unions had evolved into more of a hindrance than a help. Unions ceased focusing on their 'members' in favor of flexing major influence to justify their continued relevance then pervasive corruption caused trust to decline.

The Sierra Club's original focus was the national parks and preservation of unspoiled natural resources. Greenpeace got its foothold initially in 1971 when founders managed to organize 7,000 protestors to block the Peace Arch Border Crossing between British Columbia and Washington. The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission planned a test of its Cannikin underground nuclear weapon in a tectonically unstable island off Alaska called Amchitka. [Obviously, no one at the department of Atomic Energy consulted with anyone at the U.S. Geologic Survey or Army Corp of Engineers--because the possibility of triggering multiple earthquakes causing a tsunami didn't occur to any of the excited nuclear physicists.]

Success, typically, breeds more success and it can also breed a sense of not just justified power, but too often it can breed as sense of entitled authority. And so, from a justified halt of an unnecessary and dangerous experiment grew 50 years of blocking, new nuclear power plants, new hydroelectric dams and water reservoirs, routine sabotage and protests of oil drilling, mining, fertilizer farming, anything genetically modified - regardless of benefit.

As union leaders expanded their influence and became bullies - so has the environmental lobby. I explained in even more detail several major contradictions with policies and subsidies that assert 'saving' our environment in my October 13, 2021 Blog "Green And Clean In America" then a follow up Blog June 2, 2022 "Fossil Fuels In America". 

N.A.T.O. MEMBERSHIP: And the point is? And the point of the U.N. is?

Human history is packed with the exploits of tyrants masquerading as leaders. I truly thought Putin was wiser, but regardless of his 19th century thinking in the 21st century - our species truly needs to move beyond this primitive [war] mentality or regardless of technology, true progress via peace isn't possible. 

While Russian tanks spent literally months lining up along the Ukraine border - Putin was 'testing' just how far he could go 'this-time' as he had been successful capturing Crimea with really no Global consequences. NATO and the UN failed that test. So, what if Ukraine wasn't [still isn't] a NATO Member it was a sovereign nation of progressive hardworking people intent on continuing an evolution to full democracy. [Isn't this the form of government we sought to push on Iraq and Afghanistan?] 

NATO with the UN could have resolved to put out the 'fire' Putin started before it spread. Instead, Putin's bold invasion and NATO's reluctance along with an inept U.N. sends exactly that message to China and Iran and North Korea and others which has a high possibility to escalate even greater military actions.  Now what?

GUN SAFETY: Oh, George, there's that pesky 2nd Amendment again. But when you and the rest of our founders entrenched "the right to bear arms" into our Constitution - citizens and the military only used single shot muskets. So, 300 years later those [now] entrusted with the responsibility to lead do need to amend some of this Amendment because the intention and the original meaning of the-right-to-bear-arms is being abused...     

RIGHTS TO CONTRACEPTION: Who invited any of our 'elected' public servants into the nation's bedrooms? Nowhere in our Constitution anywhere does any governing body have the authority to dictate reproduction...

And speaking of the U.S. Constitution the original concept of the new Republic was of a single party that consisted of both liberal and conservative ideas and policies structured to benefit the majority of citizens. Further, the intent was for the central government in the District of Colombia to play a minor administrative role with major governing settled at the feet of each state legislature. What has evolved since WWII is more and more and more federal oversight and infringement - everywhere. 

IMMIGRATION: The unregulated, steady flow of people we-know-not-who may finally get attention since the governors of Arizona and Texas began to bus the thousands of illegal immigrants from their states to DC. After struggling to cope with the financial and resource drain with no help from federal legislators or current cabinet members, finding these thousands of people on their doorstep changes the picture substantially. 

Besides the primary crime of innocent migrants dealing with human smugglers the secondary crime of these same folks vacuuming shelter and food and other resources from our homeless citizens is an extension of our broken immigration...   

Because this is a Mid-Term Election year - we can get the attention of people who want to keep their elected jobs - so make sure they 'do' their jobs...Call and or email and call again and email again...

Sherrie Todd-Beshore is an award-winning novelist and former journalist...

Patchwork Publishing, LLC 

 

FOSSIL FUELS IN AMERICA

Dear George,

When you were President Mr. Washington, what caused inflation in the colonies? For heat there was wood, coal, peat and/or colonizing other warmer countries.  For light there were candles, that too often set things on fire or oil lamps that weren't much safer. For clothing there was wool, cotton, linen and silk. For transportation there was horses. But, in Colonial America, no oil...

The discovery of oil in 1859 changed everything. Though the invention of nylon was another 76 years away with Spandex and Lycra an additional 24 years beyond that. When nylon surfaced in 1935 the fashion world took swift notice. 

Leap two decades into another century and by 2022 thousands of clothing items from formal evening wear to workout togs contain some or mainly Spandex. I'm not sure the Olympics or even any sport is possible today without clothing made from Spandex! 

My convoluted point here, is, that none of these inventions [or the 500,000 others] were possible without the discovery of oil--of which [most critics 'still' drive vehicles with combustion engines] none have seen objections even though plastic-based products increased by 8.7% each year--every year--since 1934...

None, that is, except those plastic straws. When the entire population of Baby Boomers were in high school [never mind 'when' that was] we only used paper straws. But by the end of the 60s plastic had replaced paper as cleaner and more durable. In the scheme of things why the organization "Lonely Whale" targeted the humble, tiny drinking straw as an environmental pariah when every day in America we use 60,000 plastic water bottles--is a puzzle...Why didn't they malign plastic water bottle manufacturing? Why indeed...

Since mock environmental activists like [child-star] Greta Thurnberg are quick to accuse the older generation of planet mismanagement I'd like to point out that the vast majority of Baby Boomer offspring began life and graduated to potty training in 'cloth' diapers. 

The [Jan 2018-Jan 2019] estimate for the number of disposable diapers just in the United States for one year was between 28 and 34 Billion! For America alone this meant about 250,000 trees were used as well as over 3.4 billion gallons of oil. For that amount of fossil fuel we could have powered over 5,222,000 cars in that same 12 months. [Do I see a show of hands from the gallery of environmental activist switching immediately [back] to cloth???]

But hey - I'm just getting started so strap in with your tray tables up...

Let's continue with WIND!...Building 'one' wind turbine requires 900 tons of steel, 2,500 tons of concrete and--drum roll please-- 45 TONS of  [NONRECYCLABLE]  PLASTIC. [And ohhh the math on this one is a stunner.] To make one ounce of plastic requires 4 gallons of crude oil. Because there are 42 gallons in one barrel, it takes one barrel of oil to make about 10.5 ounces of plastic. [Stay with me now.] One U.S. Ton equals 32,000 ounces, but 45 Tons breaks down to 1,440,000 ounces of plastic--therefore in one moderately sized [250 foot] wind turbine, in the production of plastic alone requires over 13,700 barrels of oil! Okay John Kerry what 'shade' of 'green' might that be...

When I was contracted by Oil Week Magazine in 2010 to write a feature on wind-power, my research did 'not' make several advertiser/investors happy - at all. They weren't happy because even with huge government subsidies wind-power wasn't ever going to be cost effective nor was it ever going to supplement our energy needs/electrical grid--unless--there were much smaller turbines beside every chimney on every roof.  AND-- none of the utility companies would allow that. Infact--they have steadily acquired vast acres of land for wind farms and solar-farms and no longer encourage individual solar panels on residential or commercial roof tops.

And speaking of SOLAR...Making one 320 watt solar panel requires 16.4 barrels of oil. [One barrel of oil refined for vehicle gasoline use equals 19 gallons.]. However, not all solar panels are created equal which means the best [golden] efficiency standard of all available photon rays emitted by the sun and absorbed, is 24%.

Then too - if you're curious about the toxins and landfill issues created by wind turbines and solar panels - I was down this [similar] road with my October 13/2021 blog GREEN AND CLEAN IN AMERICA. 

We absolutely need to be responsible caretakers of this planet we all share--but not at the fraudulent expense of creating pseudo solutions with consequences that are more trendy than remedy. One prime example has been the push for gas powered vehicles to be more fuel efficient...Great cause, but in order to make our trucks, vans and cars more fuel efficient they had to be lighter. But, in order to be lighter many parts and the outer shell designs had to be made from plastic instead of metal. Today 50% of our cars are plastic including safer/softer dashboards and durable airbags. [More plastic, as you realize now means more fossil fuels.]

From oil industry byproducts 21st Century consumers [here and everywhere] have toys, car seats, small and large appliances, computers and cell phones, IPads and electronic Notebooks. There's synthetic rubber for tires, doors, window profiles, flooring, insulation. From paraffin wax there's shoe polish, cosmetics and safe covers for wires that conduct electricity. Farming uses fertilizers synthesized from fossil fuels like nitrogen and potassium - as well as pesticides. Detergents, made by heating fats and oils react with alkali and glycerin in soap making. Besides Tupperware and Glad food containers there's shipping and packing materials - and - furniture...And...

To even suggest purging America of fossil fuels [by 2030] is somewhere between ignorant and irresponsible.  [Just visualize the few items I listed above as gone by 2030.]  A good deal of the 'supply-chain' begins with the 131 operating refineries. Eliminating them eliminates most of the U.S. manufacturing sector. Just the medical field alone requires ultrasound systems, defibrillators, exhalation and inhalation valves and tubes, CT systems, X-ray machines, dozens of types of surgical and general band aids, protective masks, gloves, gowns...Just the numerous types of sanitized packaging alone is critical to medicine. 

This brings me to the latest 'green' trend - which is the mega-push for electric vehicles. Hybrids like the Prius make more sense, but costly EVs  would not bother me so much IF the same environmental-mentality that seeks to eliminate all fossil fuels by 2030 wasn't the same short-term thinking that halted development of new reservoirs and hydroelectric damns. Granted hastily planned damns indiscriminately set to block the natural flow of rivers disrupted fish and certain animal species, but those same fish and wildlife found homes in and around the damn created lakes. 

Presently U.S. electricity by [aging] sources are:

*1,793 Natural Gas-powered plants, generating 34% of our electricity;

*400 Coal-powered plants, generating 30% of our electricity;

*61 Nuclear-powered plants, generating 20% of our electricity;

*1,444 Hydro-powered plants, generating 7% of our electricity;

*999 Wind-powered plants, generating 6% of our electricity;

*1,721 Solar-powered plants, generating 1% of our electricity;

*1,076 Oil-powered plants, generating 1/2% of our electricity.

Question: with wind and solar only providing 7% of our present needs then 'how' in the next eight years or even 18 years will wind and solar leap to supply the remaining 93% without producing thousands 'more' turbines and panels - that require more fossil fuel to produce? 

An environmental tug-of-war between special-interest-groups [Green-New-Deal] who perceive the rest of us [Main-Street] as living with a callus disregard for the planet's environment - shouldn't be an all-or-nothing attack. What happened to major recycling? The recycling rate in the U.S. stalled at 34.6% in 2014. Since then greater federal subsidies went to far more expensive programs like solar, wind and EVs, while scaling back on the smaller residential and community based collection projects for paper, plastic, metal and glass has caused increased dumping in our oceans and landfills. 

**Inflation and supply-chain issues can be resolved by increasing oil production and the refining of our cleaner gasoline and clean natural gas. And a more "thoughtful-transition" will improve our ability to reduce threats to ocean life and land, but understand the climate IS changing because Earth's climate has been changing for 4.3 billion years...Just saying...  

Sherrie Todd-Beshore is an award-winning novelist and former journalist...

Patchwork Publishing, LLC  

 

    

DIVIDE IN AMERICA

 Dear Geroge,

When you became President Mr. Washington, in the 'blossoming-stages' there was a widening gap between settlers loyal to the king versus those who felt the tight control of governing from the crown was out of balance. So, from our beginning dualling-division was part of colonial America's rebellious foundation--correct! 

And, three centuries later that same governing style is still functioning well with dueling conflicting sides inflamed and fanned [literally] by an openly biased Press--protected [ironically] by our Constitution in order to expose bias. 

LIBERAL vs CONSERVATIVE DIVISION...Truly--a progressive, functioning culture needs a balance of both liberal social programs in partnership with [healthy] conservative free enterprise to support them. 

Having said that 'truly' too much of either, for too long throws cultures 'out' of balance. You likely noticed this tug-of-war - amplified since the 2016 election that exposed a sleeping partisan volcano. There's no finishing-school that could have polished several of Trump's cringe-worthy remarks [planned or off-cuff]. Even more galling it's not that he didn't understand social-graces -worse- he didn't think they applied to him. However, his presence shook up the artificial polite society of DC. 

Steadily over the decades after George Washington left office in 1797, America's elected members began to hide behind a mask of civility to screen their true [personal] intentions. Prior to seeking America's top public office [as global businessperson] Trump had spent years in upper political circles federal, state and city here then too in other countries so he knew how favors were parceled out and by whom. 

The American Republic was orchestrated originally as a single party government. There was no intended hierarchy, only regular people from the ranks of farmers and soldiers, merchants, clergy and educators offering their services to coordinate the building of a functioning infrastructure. In 1789 when Geroge Washington was elected his main job was to identify the best possible person or group of people to resolve new issues or needs as they arose. Once the issue was resolved everyone who worked on the task was expected to return to their regular lives. 

*The early approach was always-always-always with sights clearly focused on a goal that was best for the nation as a whole... 

ABORTION vs LIFE DIVISION...This issue [settled decades ago by every other country on this planet] has been meddled with by both Church and State...Neither medicine nor science has been factored into the debate for long enough to remove the 'drama'. 

The State gets involved prior to nearly every election because one side or the other is seeking votes. The Church[es] get involved [historically mainly Catholic] because they seek more 'flock' to lead, to provide ongoing contributions in the collection plates. It's a numbers thing--like calculating the odds in Vegas. What became an impasse for women [mainly Catholic] was the church's stand against 'both' abortion -and- birth control. Any birth control. This meant, regardless of a couple's ability to support more than three or four or five [or more] children the only accepted birth control was either abstinence or the rhythm method.  [In theory a human female can only become pregnant a few days each month so by tracking the female period cycle her fertile days could be avoided...In theory] 

Since artificial birth control was a sin and abortion was a sin [& illegal] over the centuries tens of thousands of women [married or not] died having too many babies or from self induced abortions in a struggle to keep their family sizes manageable and authority over their own physical bodies. 

Getting the right to vote took American women 70 years [Canadian women got to vote 95 years sooner]. It's been 49 years since Rowe v Wade and more than that for a woman's right to choose--even birth control! Enter Gloria Steinem who in the late 1960s almost single handedly upended the logjam of women's issues from birth control, to equal pay to equal career opportunities and holding public office... Very interesting reading.  [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Steinem]  

 *Regular Birth-Control can prevent an abortion decision dilemma. 

GUNS vs SAFETY DIVISION...Like everything debatable, interpretation can also be contentious - and so too our Constitution's 1791 2nd Amendment: "the right to keep and bear arms."  This was partially based on the 1689 Bill of Rights in English common law that supported; the natural rights of self-defense and resistance to oppression. [However, three hundred years ago those who could afford one carried only a single shot musket...]

The most influential framer was James Madison who felt a Federal army could be kept in check by State militias [of ordinary citizens] able to repel the danger of a federal army. Then I found this telling 1876 Supreme Court ruling [United States vs Cruikshank] "The right to bear arms is 'not-granted' by the Constitution; neither is it in any manner dependent upon that instrument for its existence. The Second Amendment means no more than it shall not be infringed by Congress with no other effect than to restrict the powers of the National Government." Then in 1939 [United State vs Miller] the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment 'did not' protect weapon types...So understanding the original 'intent' [on the heels of independence from England] was that ordinary citizens had the right to defend themselves against a rogue-government...

To that end three centuries after independence perhaps: a] education programs that identify and help at risk children at a younger age who live in troubled homes; b] raise the age to purchase 'any' automatic weapon to 25 with safety training and follow up; c] make detailed background checks and longer wait times mandatory; d] stronger soft-target security; e] make the manufacture, sale and promotion of assault style/automatic weapons -and parts- more of a liability to stores and factories; f] provide zero media attention or notoriety to a perpetrator--no name no photo...

*Question: Why do we have a Hate-Crime designation? Isn't any murder hateful all on it's own? 

HOMOSEXUAL vs HETEROSEXUAL DIVISION...My younger brother's twin boys turned 11 and are heading to Middle School in the fall. On the phone a few days ago I had a brief conversation with him about how he and his wife were approaching the topic of the birds & the bees--since these days addressing puberty with boys and girls is not simple...

Coming to terms with 'who-am-I' is challenge enough for a boy attracted to a girl or a girl attracted to a boy - so adding in a boy who is attracted to another boy or a girl attracted to another girl is a harsh twist of nature. I'm not even going to pretend I understand the emotional and biological mechanics of either level of attraction, because none of us [heterosexual or homosexual] understand it either. What I do understand is that within the majority-straight community is a minority-gay community of people who are full contributing members to society en masse from whom we benefit.

Mixed in with our cultural confusion around the gay community--more recently--bloomed a focus on transgender people. Somehow transgender people have become lumped in with gays and lesbians which has added more fear than resolution by education. It's not enough to say; "just accept them" - we need to understand. A [true] transgender birth is an anomaly that occurs with 1 in 83,000 live births. It's the result of a hormonal imbalance occurring in the fetal brain to differentiate development as a male/brain or a female/brain. Typically, there is also both male and female reproductive organs present--with an underdeveloped uterus, penis and scrotum. This is a correctable medical condition...     

Exaggerated division permeates our news and social media. Why do we have hate-crimes vs regular crimes? Why is there black vs white? Why gas fueled vehicles vs electric powered vehicles? We have thousands of civil rights lawsuits that when we plough through the decades of so many cases, the fillings actually begin to contradict each other...

*We have been conditioned to accept an us vs them mentality instead of giving careful thought to varied opinions because distracting us with commotion sells more newspapers or attracts more viewers or gets someone elected or re-elected... 

Sherrie Todd-Beshore is an award-winning novelist and former journalist...

Patchwork Publishing, LLC 

BIRTH-CONTROL..IN AMERICA

 Dear George,

After you became President Mr. Washington - I understand the War of Independence left the original 13 Colonies in a somewhat wobbly social condition., but oh George - nothing in your wildest dreams would prepare you for how human-reproduction in the Republic you struggled to form has evolved since...

After the Roe vs Wade ruling [1973] prior to every election cycle as predictable as bird migration specific segments of voters take to the streets - then we're back to ABORTION...

But in 2022, we're seeing thousands of women marching in the streets again because according to social-allegations a clerk in the Supreme Court office of Justice Sotomayor has leaked a draft copy of how the majority of the court [heavily weighted on the conservative side] may rule in June on a contentious Mississippi abortion legislation case.  

I feel rather qualified to "enter-the-Lion's-Den" on this storm. Like the Pilgrams who landed on Plymouth Rock as some of the 'first' to colonize in the launch years of America - I was in junior high school when the launch of this controversy exploded [literally] as I reached puberty then carried into my early adulthood. [*Unlike America, the rest of the globe [that uses the metric system and prints difficult to counterfeit currency] has moved on.]

As a young adult two major contradictions swirled around abortion covered by an emerging TV media that scrambled to keep up with each day's baffling event.  At 13 I remember watching the 6o'clock news in horror as people picketed with signs printed with [among other expressions] RESPECT  LIFE also using those signs as clubs to attack clinic staff.  Frenzy 'against' abortion was so intense people either participated in -or- cheered when clinics were fire bombed ending the 'lives' of nurses, doctors and staff inside. The flipside to the 60s abortion madness was a subgroup [organized by mostly churches] of people who opposed an emerging medical solution to abortion---the PILL. Since new medical research offered a pregnancy prevention alternative, one would expect that to be embraced...Nope. 

Since the use of contraception was common from the time of the Minoans, Ancient Greeks and Egyptians and Earth's population is careening toward the 8Billion mark by 2025 - why do staunch conservatives and religions decry both abortion -and- birth control? 

Caught in the middle of this big cultural-religious-ethical quandary [as usual] sits the vast majority of citizens. Millions of couples and women and men...but mostly women [because typically the male of our species is not like the seahorse] felt damned either way. Women in the 60s and the 70s who opted for the pill and freedom from the worry of an unwanted pregnancy were considered immoral - another contradiction - another social double standard. [Have we moved on from that?]  

However, in 2022 why is a woman's choice only between abortion or carrying an unplanned pregnancy to term? Why isn't our [third] choice to seek as much information as possible about 'avoiding' a pregnancy dilemma in the first place?  

*The estimated total cost to raise one [healthy] child from birth to age 18 is between $200,000 to $250,000.

*Average cost of birth control for 18 years [using the patch] is about $10,800.  

*If you're certain you do not want any children at all -or- you have reached your 2 to 3 child limit then a tubal ligation [with or without insurance] is between $1,600 to $7,000.

Our federal government does support reproductive health [Planned Parenthood gets most of the press] and has mandated insurance companies [including Medicaid] to cover all forms of contraceptives making many co-pays $0 to $50 depending on the women's birth control selection...Insurance carriers eagerly embraced this directive because even an uncomplicated pregnancy with a vaginal delivery can cost an average of $2,000 for nine months of prenatal care then delivery [nursing, doctor, medication] and hospital stay $4,000 to $37,000...[Triple that for complications or C-Section deliveries.]  

·         Depo-Provera – around $30 to $75

·         Implantable Rod – around $400 to $800

·         Patch (Evra patch) – around $15 to $50

·         Intrauterine Device (IUD) – around $500 to $1,000

·         Vaginal ring – around $15 to $80

Schoolboards and teachers' unions across the country are pushing for classroom discussions on gay, lesbian and transgender issues targeting children still learning to color inside the lines - but not pushing for middle school classroom information on BIRTH-CONTROL or the true emotional impact of what a teen pregnancy can mean...Obviously we're 'not' having those discussions, because if we were then we wouldn't be presented with 'only' a Pro-Choice or Right-To-Life conflict. 

Fortunately, there are dozens of community programs for teen parents who select to keep their baby to raise. Teen moms can finish school then get housing, food and further training assistance if neither her family nor the teen father's family can step in with financial support.

The alternate direction for an unplanned/unwanted pregnancy brought to term is ADOPTION private or foster care. Pregnant women [of all ages] can surrender their newborn via an arranged adoption handled by a law firm [at no cost to them] or in the hospital or anonymously at designated community firehalls. Private adoptions are immediate. Children who are State Wards in foster care typically wait one to two years to be adopted, most wait five years for a permanent home. 

Both abortion [medical or surgical] and a full-term pregnancy carry health risks short and long term especially for girls under the age of 15 and women with underlying heath issues like weight, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc... So let's have some logical dialogue about contraception and NOT include women of color or the disadvantaged because everyone can access county, state and federal support programs.

And while we're discussing CHOICE...Perhaps abortion is 'not' specifically written into our Constitution - but the FREEDOM of CHOICE 'IS'...So--maybe the U.S. Supreme Court could remember 'that' when they pen their final RULING -and- follow in the footsteps of former Justices like Sandra Day O'Connor...

Sherrie Todd-Beshore is an award-winning mystery-suspense novelist and former journalist...

Patchwork Publishing, LLC 

*Life in small town Montana is not as quiet 

as you might think.

DECEPTION IN AMERICA

 

Dear George,

When you became President, Mr. Washington - were you typically upfront and transparent or did you use detractions and misdirection to accomplish an objective [that might not have been popular or even fair] with most citizens of the new nation? 

       *Side Note: I'm recovering from Covid myself  [OmnicromBA2] and of scientific research interest as well because like Tom Brokaw I too have Multiple Myeloma. Which-'Fellow-Travelers' brings me to my first point of discussion. 

PANDEMIC: Covid by any other [variant] name has been/is a flagrant abuse of taxpayer funds and deliberate infringement to every citizen's personal liberty. It has also exposed just how inept management at the CDC [Center for Disease Control & Prevention] and National Institute of Health truly are...[See Jan 9 2021 Blog "Health-Care In America"]  With that-for all we know the high [reported] Covid death rate could be attributed to a major CDC failing to address chronic HAI [Hospital Acquired Infections].  People admitted to a hospital are susceptible to a colonized infection [perhaps, from a poorly sanitized ventilator?] Even prior to Covid, 1 in 25 hospitalized Americans actually died as a result of Hospital Acquired Infections.

INFLATION: The U.S. Federal Reserve Bank - established in 1913 is owned 57% by the Rochchild family of London in partnership with the U.S.  Rockefeller and Morgan families. [Only 3 countries in the world are without a Rothchild-owned bank; Cuba, North Korea and Iran.] The American based Reserve Bank has absolutely nothing in their "tool-box" to address U.S. across the board 11% increase in goods and services - because - this round of runaway inflation has not been due to a typical supply and demand cycle - it's been artificially caused. 

1. Caused by a swift rise in Federal and State Minimum Wage...Let's look at that. Everyone deserves a fair living wage, but what is a fair living wage? Typically, the cost of living is housing, food, transportation and clothing factored as basics. Then - if the wage of a 40-hour work week [after taxes] can't support those basics the employee's options are  a] pick up more hours, b] seek a promotion, c] find a better paying job, d] develop other skills/return to school...BUT the vast majority of any minimum wage job was originally intended for 'temporary' workers like high school and college students . Except for low and mid level management ALL fast-foot, general construction, unskilled labor or part time entry jobs were 'never' intended as sole support for anyone. Those temporary workers were typically under age 21 and still living at home then after graduation from an apprenticeship or college they quit and moved on at which point a new 'crop' of students filled open places while they finished school.

2. Caused by a sudden reduction of oil and gas production...Let's look at that. One of the several dozen Executive Orders Biden reversed only a few hours after his inauguration was the XL Keystone Pipeline. He recently quipped when asked about that in light of rising fuel shortages that; Keystone wasn't relevant because it was 2years out when he took office. True, but it was 2years out--14 months ago! If that project had been left in place production would by now be completed this fall. Keystone aside - as the days and weeks following Biden's inauguration came and went that pipeline wasn't the only transport system of fossil fuel interrupted. There are/were 210 already well established and safely functioning pipeline networks across the United States that also connected to systems in Mexico and Canada. For decades pipelines have been a proven means of providing fuel and heat safely from the oil rigs to refineries to homes and vehicles. And - the 6,000 various petroleum products needed [daily] for transportation of goods and people, the military, road building and maintenance, food packaging and medical equipment and supplies--have all been cost-hijacked because of an arbitrary [Green] cutback in petroleum production....

CLIMATE: Sooo - if each and every one of those concerned environmentalists pushing for a complete block of all future oil and gas exploration and development have stopped using plastic water bottles and disposable diapers and are walking to work or riding a bicycle to the grocery store they have my attention. However-they still aren't approaching even a basic 'transition' plan away from fossil fuels. In fact the pseudo-environment-protectors are [actually] responsible for exchanging one issue for another. The surface and undersea mining of rare-earth minerals for batteries and other techno electric vehicle parts are creating surface scaring and ocean dead-zones. Damaged and replaced wind turbine blades along with damaged, expired and replaced solar panel parts have created an even greater, extended landfill problem.  [See Oct 13 2021 Blog "Green And Clean In America"]  

IMMIGRATION: During the 2020 Election Campaign after it was made clear that work on the southern boarder wall would be halted - those seeking to expand their drug pushing, people smuggling, money laundering - enterprises into the United States saw that declaration as an invitation.  Our Border Guards saw it as a national nightmare. [Personally--if we doubled the salaries of all our border patrol officers, we still couldn't begin to compensate them for the high-stress, dangerous work they do.] 

Decisions coming from this 46th Administration and this 117th Congress are not even remotely astute politically...Will the millions of illegals crossing the southern border gratefully vote Democrat in all future elections -because- they will magically appear on voting lists, which is why so many Dems object to photo ID and proof of citizenship? [Do drug dealers and human traffickers vote?]  Or - will the millions of unskilled, marginally educated illegals become disillusioned because they get stuck with less than minimum wage jobs that too many college educated [legal] citizens won't do? [Perhaps Arizona Governor Dusey will join Texas Governor Abbot adding even more busses of illegals destined to Pennsylvania Avenue - since too many in public office make too many arbitrary decisions with no idea of any Dominio effect.]  

N.A.T.O.:  Just as Covid exposed the ineptitude of healthcare management in America - the Russian invasion of the sovereign Nation of Ukraine has exposed just how irredeemable the United Nations is and the weakness of NATO.  Oh, NATO Members have hurried to 'look' like they're united, but mostly they're in 'butt-covering-mode'. Each nation scrambling to protect their own interests with zip regard for the millions of Ukrainian citizens caught between a government struggling to emerge as a functioning democracy [much like Poland 30 years ago] and a Russian leadership struggling to remain relevant. What IS the rest of the world doing in this 21st Century to truly address Russia and Ukraine? Mostly just watching - which has exposed something else...We now witness weak, ineffective leadership in western countries globally - and don't think each of the decisive dictators in the rest of the world aren't paying attention. Because they are the very event inept western leadership are trying to avoid could become exactly that event.

PRESS/MEDIA:  Journalists with CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, PBS-News Hour-Frontline  have all been exposed via Trump's time in office and Covid for their single-minded, open favoritism and/or their State-Influence bias... Journalism was 'once' a nobble profession, one I was once proud to claim as my writing launch pad...Now, not so much. [See Jan 15 2021 Blog "Journalism In America"] 

2020-US-MIDTERMS: We have "Truth In Advertising Laws", but it's not followed by election campaign ad producers -or- people running for public office - either before, during or after an election... Misdirection, "...the action or process of directing someone toward the wrong place or wrong view...". This is a common tactic in every performance by magicians and illusionists, but it has no place in public office and should 'not' be common practice for those seeking public leadership positions. 

Democratic leadership requires a high level of trust. Voters [who are in fact peers] offer to share their collective power in exchange for the management and coordination of all the moving parts with city, county, state and federal affairs. A 'trust' given to the people who were voted into public office - to follow through with integrity. To hold a duly elected public office is not a blank check for personal influence or enrichment - but domestically and globally it's clear that has reached a steep tipping point. 

Nancy Pelosi is quoted as stating emphatically that "...no one is above the law..." but Nancy only meant that for her version of what Trump was doing wrong, she didn't intend that meant her - or her circle...And instead of moving on to a balanced budget or much needed infrastructure or transportation/supply chain issues or enhanced education due to teacher's union influence -- Congress decriminalized marijuana! [Not even mentioned on the list of voter concerns.] The double standard between elected lawmakers and those expected to follow those laws applies to members of both parties and the gap is widening. 

RESPONSIBILITY:  In the movie "American President" there's a line at the heart of the entire plot. "To be President is entirely about character."  To which I would also add responsibility by those elected and those 'who' elect.  

In the 21st Century the vast majority of people truly do not need to be 'led'...We are better educated with access to more information than in any previous century. We can select a career and follow through or start a new business or fall in love and raise a family. The vast majority of people can self-govern; they don't steal from or vandalize businesses, they don't rob or hurt other people, they attempt to drive with prudence...What we simply need is competent executives to 'serve' with strong management skills. That's about it...

We don't need leadership who - 'defund-police' or make masks mandatory for preschoolers or ban the sale of vehicles with internal combustion engines by 2030 or create inflation and supply chain problems by slowing oil and gas production or encourage illegal immigration or supports surface and ocean mining of rare minerals or yields to unions that have depleted education standards and disrupted solid businesses - so they get reelected...

Somewhere in all of this is logical information that WE-THE-PEOPLE have not bothered to research for ourselves. Our responsibility is to know who we're electing then maintain supervision after they are elected and be more informed than those misdirecting us, so we can 'call' them on any slight-of-hand falsehood. 

Do we take back our responsibility for transparency control of this still evolving Republic, this unique democratic-experiment -or- do we let it dissolve...What do you want for your America this coming November 2022...

https://medium.com/@BraveNewFilms.org/heres-how-to-contact-all-535-members-of-united-states-congress-call-email-tweet-20b8a1c54195 

Sherrie Todd-Beshore is an award-winning mystery-suspense novelist & former journalist...

Patchwork Publishing, LLC 

'PALACE' INTRIGUE IN AMERICA

Dear George,

One of my favorite quotes Mr. Washington, via author and humorist Mark Twain is: "If voting made any difference, they wouldn't let you do it."

Once upon a time--and not that long ago there were people born into the working/middle-class who were certain the Universe had made a serious mistake and they should have been born into an aristocratic/upper-class...To correct this oversight they took matters into their own hands, became career politicians then ran for public office!

Through the early centuries of human history there were basically two social classes peasant and gentry. Prior to that [a giant economic block of people created by the Industrial Revolution -and- access to public education] the class we affectionately call the Middle Class was of minor consequence. So, from the 'beginning' with Adam and Eve to the 1800s - barristers, bookkeepers, doctors, engineers, teachers, commerce and clergy were a minor group in human social structure. However, after the French Revolution and the growth of peasant awareness -- social evolution took a swift turn. As kings and queens and aristocrats in general began to lose their [real and metaphorical] heads - from country to country, those who could already read from the ranks of that 'minor' group stepped up to assume several leadership roles. But without the acumen that balanced governance requires sudden authority created sudden swollen egos.

Mr. Washington, you were a reluctant leader/hero who chose two terms - voluntarily limiting the office of the new presidency to eight years. Maybe it was your age, and maybe you were tired, [leading with constant ethics is exhausting] but maybe you knew that too much authority for too long could be too addictive to those who followed blessed with more ambition than good sense... And beyond your 30 years of military service that led to the office of President you were happiest as a landowner/farmer, stridently shunning any further title of Emperor or King. 

Curious about the social distinction between royalty and commoner and how all that began - I went looking. 

To declare yourself a sovereign requires a simple recipe [of sorts] and it helps to be surrounded by many, many, many other people who are uneducated and superstitious. So, with thousands of uneducated and superstitious people, you convince them you are either ordained by or descended from a god - several is even more impressive. Next you either own or control lots and lots of land/territory/an empire/a kingdom - that all those uneducated, superstitious people work to produce crops and minerals. It's also important to have an army to repel possible invaders or to be able to invade others for more land and people...

There you have it - that's basically how you become a king/queen or emperor/empress starting somewhere around the Early Bronze Age in Mesopotamia - which is modern day Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey. Title of Pharaoh came later with the Egyptians, but the recipe is the same.

Meanwhile...back in DC in this century several disturbing and delusional personalities have been struggling to somehow distinguish themselves from those they consider the 'great-unwashed'. They seek separation between where they govern - from - 'how' they got there. Because - in 2022 they are surrounded by many, many, many people who are educated and not superstitious and they 'owe' their present title of Congressman/woman or Senator or President, or Mayor or Governor or Schoolboard etc...to these many, many, many people also known as peers/voters/taxpayers.  

DONALD JOHN TRUMP [I/R] born Queens, New York City: father, Fred Trump a real estate developer whose parents were German immigrants--mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, homemaker whose parents immigrated from Scotland. Let's see--wealth, land, employees, connections--but not descended from or related to any gods so not royalty... 

WILLARD MITT ROMNEY [R/?] born Detroit, Michigan: father, George W. Romney an auto executive of English, Scottish and German ancestry--mother, Lenore LaFont a former actress turned homemaker of French and German ancestry. Let's see--money, homes, connections--but still not descended from any gods so 'not' royalty...

ADDISON MITCHELL MCCONNEL [R] born Sheffield, Alabama: father, Addison whose family had a funeral home was in the army and of Scots/Irish/English ancestry--mother, Julia Shockley was a homemaker. Though Mitch's ancestors fought in the Revolutionary War there's no connection to any gods and therefore not royalty...  

NANCY PATRICIA PELOSI [D] born Baltimore, Maryland: father, Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. an Italian immigrant from Genoa who served in Congress then as mayor of Baltimore--mother, Anunciata an Italian immigrant born in Fornelli, a homemaker also active in politics and social networking. Okay--money, homes, staff, connections--but still not descended from any gods, no royalty there either...

CHARLES ELLIS SCHUMER [D] born in Midwood, Brooklyn: father, Abraham who ran an exterminating business, Jewish ancestry from Chortkiv, Galicia, now western Ukraine--mother, Selma Rosen a homemaker. Here--diligent/frugal, home, staff, community--but alas also not related to or descended from any gods, not royalty...

JOSEPH ROBINETTE BIDEN Jr [D] born Scranton, Pennsylvania: father, Joseph Sr. who became a successful used-car salesman, of English, French, and Irish ancestry--mother, Jean Finnegan a homemaker was of Irish descent. Here too--hardworking, middleclass, church and community--but no gods in sight, once again not royalty...

The CLINTONS [BILL & HILARY]   WILLIAM JEFFERSON BLYTHE III [D] born in Hope Arkansas: biological father, William Jr was a traveling salesman who died in an auto accident before his son's birth, descended primarily from Scots/Irish/German ancestry--mother, Virginia Dell Cassidy who became a nurse and later married Roger Clinton Sr. a gambler who co-owned a car dealership. At 15 WILLIAM formally adopted the Clinton surname. No gods in sight--so again no royalty...HILARY DIANE RODHAM [R/D] born Chicago, Illinois: father, Hugh managed a small successful textile business, of English and Welsh decent--mother, Dorothy Howell a homemaker of Dutch and French-Canadian ancestry--At first and second glance--hardworking, middle-class, home, employees, community connections, but no gods therefore not royalty...

***I picked on these people as examples of - what?  Why? 

Why indeed? Who on that list or any public office list has a heritage or ancestry or parentage any more deserving than any of ours? 

All of the above are examples of ambitious, driven people who sought public attention, through public channels using public connections to advantage - not so much to serve or enrich the whole. They demonstrated more in attitude of entitlement and arrogance than lasting contribution - unless we count decades of taxing waste and damage. Damage just as much in what was 'not' done as in what was...

I picked on these people because they continue to maintain media attention regardless of their actual relevance or guidance...They either cling to decades of elected office or seek a return to public office. This may sound harsh, but truly - help - or get out of the way!

I picked on these people to demonstrate that no matter how they 'spin' their present place - they're no higher in any ranking than the rest of us. Their position is temporary with authority that's borrowed [from voters]. They owe voters not the other way around. And anyone reading this [if you're still with me] needs to understand that no one in public office is ordained beyond that of ordinary mortal. 

Politicians garner respect 'only' if and when they 'earn' it. A title of mayor, governor, senator, congressman or president does not automatically come with respect - the office yes, but not necessarily the person holding that office. And, voters are not obligated to respect anyone appointed/elected to public office who in turn do not respect voters.

In 1947 Congress debated then passed the 22nd Amendment - Two Term Limitation On Presidency - Ratified in 1951...Essentially, debate was to: prevent the risk of presidential tyranny which justified the loss of presidential expertise and democratic choice, while counseling caution in assuming that term limits are essential to prevent presidential entrenchment, protecting against abuse... Question: why doesn't those same arguments against abuses of advantage - apply to our U.S. Congress? 

Responsibility yes, and ethics, and courage is the job of those elected to govern fairly and wisely on our behalf - not however, absolutely not, with any notion of superiority - none. No royalty here...

Sherrie Todd-Beshore is an award-winning mystery-suspense novelist & former journalist

www.patchworkpublishing.com 

  

WOMEN & MINORITIES IN AMERICA

 Dear George,

I realize Mr. Washington that in your-day except for the odd queen here and there in Europe and Africa or the Middle East--planet Earth was essentially a man's world. And, remaining securely in-charge of everything was the goal regardless of the fact that the global birthrate has always been split 51% female to 49% male...

Okay, so my high school biology was a few decades ago. However, besides my senior year segment on the human immune system [see 5/12/21 Blog: DIS-MIS-INFORMATION IN AMERICA],  I also noted 'that' particular biological percentage because I was curious about nature's math.

So, t-h-e-n 'fellow-travelers' imagine my surprise when upon moving from Alberta to Colorado [1990] I kept hearing journalists on news networks and corporate professionals and politicians speak ever so blithely using the expression "women and minorities"...  I was puzzled. Why were women included with cultural minorities? Women are neither a separate culture nor a minority. Since the definition of minorities is: ...the smaller number or part, especially a number that is less than half the whole number...Using that shouldn't it be; "men and minorities"? 

Naturally I was being facetious because men aren't a culture either. Females and males are a gender. [At least that used to be the 'science'.]

Anyway, statistics [and polls] seem to be the mainstay of journalists, corporations and politicians - but the 'circumstances' by which statistical and probability information is gathered has a huge effect on the outcome. I took only one [required] statistics course with my geology major, and it's not rocket-science, but I learned enough to realize it takes rocket-science to plough through the formulas some analysts use. When people in public office or the news media report for example that 68% of parents are 'for' the wearing of masks in school classrooms--they also need to tell us how many parents were contacted, and in which school district[s] in which county in which state...But the mean, median, mode and range are not reported on the 6PM news. Because those standard details are missing, the impression left with us is that 68% of parents [across the country] are in favor of masks in school classrooms--which is as you can see, 'not' accurate. 

Technically no one has lied, but is only 'some' information still a lie? Maybe it's not a lie, but this repetitive pattern maintains an artificial social division. Divide and conquer is a longstanding battle strategy, but it's also used domestically. 

Ideally, the simpler the premise for gathering and using data offers more accurate results, such as: what was the 2020 U.S. Census total?  From the basic census results of 331,449,281 [million] U.S. citizens, a horde of experts from dozens of disciplines will dissect this larger number into more finite graphs and records such as region - age - education - occupation - ethnic origins.

For the purpose of this Blog a simple breakdown of the 2020 U.S. Census was actually a surprise. Once again, when politicians and the national media only provide part of the information the masses need to get a balanced perspective - it creates mass ignorance. Because so much emphasis has focused toward African-American issues--I expected Americans of African descent would represent the second largest population group after Americans of European ancestry. But, they weren't, and they weren't even third in population size. The second highest group by population was Hispanic, the third group was citizens of Asian descent. Those of African descent were fourth, with Jewish and Middle Eastern fifth and our Native Americans sixth.  

We forget that many ethnic origins enriching the American salad of people come from 50 other countries. Everyone here is from somewhere else, but while we've all been enhanced by the variety of foods, art, music and inventions due to immigration, our ancestry ought to be a bygone. We absolutely should be aware of, and thankful for the efforts of ancestors who came before us - but not 'cling' so strongly to that past that we waste our present. Sadly, we continue to do just that and here's how...

Twenty years ago, at the turn of the 21st Century only 7% of the U.S. population listed their ancestry as American on the 2000 Census. [I couldn't find an updated number for 2010 or 2020.] But why isn't anyone 'born-here' or anyone who went to the effort of obtaining legal citizenship think of themselves as American? It's actually easier to govern citizenry who are homogenized, but only if 'harmony' is the goal of those in leadership. If not, then blending isn't possible - ever.  

Even after five generations in many families too many citizens of the United States remain divided by the sustained use of labels like Asian-American, Hispanic-American, Muslim-American, Jewish-American, African-American, Native-American, but not European-American. For some odd reason anyone from Europe is just referred to as whites...As someone of [mostly] European descent if I was continually reminded, via social programs or the media or politicians--to think of myself as say Norwegian-American, then I'd keep my connection to the homeland of my immigrant grandmother uppermost and unsettled. **Each week Professor, Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. who hosts and produces the PBS program Finding Your Roots, enlightens people about their ancestry. But his production includes 'Roots' in the title for a reason - because it's where our DNA begins, not ultimately where it is today.   

Control and influence can be an intoxicating addiction. And, historically for the human species it's actually been mind-altering to the point that for thousands of years males in every culture assumed complete authority. And, bluntly looking at human history there's evidence that males made quite a mess from century to century and continent to continent and should have had more female input.  Over the span of some 400 years Britain spread itself all around the world--using the same tactics everywhere. However, the British Commonwealth began to lose its grip 'because' they used the same domineering tactics everywhere. 

The female of our species remained [relatively] patient until toward the end of the 1700s. By then more and more girls were learning to read and to write--then ask questions. Sadly, just questioning wasn't enough and never seems to be enough to motivate those in leadership who find change annoying and inconvenient--for them...

 As for our growing populations of minorities - money - influenced holdover, stuborn thinking. Slavery was abolished in England, France and most of Europe [including Portugal that started global slave trade] 20 to 40 years prior to the U.S. Civil War. And maligning various cultures wasn't limited to well, hardly anyone. [One wonders without the meddling of royalty, parliament or congress would the vast majority of people seek to be more supportive of each other?] 

My great grandfather was born in Ireland when the ruling British were smearing the character of all Irish in general. To escape and reach America, his ship's passage was paid for him, then he worked for a farmer as an indentured servant for two years as reimbursement for his sponsor. The hours were long with no days off and the experience was so horrific he left as soon as he could to seek opportunity in the nearest city. However, he faced further discrimination with sign after sign that read; "Irish Need Not Apply" posted in every store front, warehouse and dock. The only people who welcomed him and gave him work were immigrants from China who ran laundries, market gardens and labored on the railroads.  

Oddly, one would expect that since the United States was a 'new' country social innovation would have happened here sooner and faster...But for women and minorities it's been quite the opposite, even well into the later part of the 20th Century. As for a woman's right to vote that too was almost two decades behind most countries in Europe including Russia, one of the first in 1906. Sooo, two decades into the 21st Century the reason we have organizations like; The League of Women Voters, Affirmative Action, NAACP [National Association for the Advancement of Colored People], the ERA [Equal Rights Amendment] and other programs is the same reason we still hear distinctions like, "women and minorities". Until the mid 1980s married women, couldn't have loans or credit cards in their name, single women needed a cosigner, birth control/abortion choices or maternity leave and daycare was standard in every progressive country except the U.S. 

No one should have 'more' rights than anyone else - no one, no group - but not less either. Actually, not anywhere on this planet, but especially 'here' because we absolutely do know better. 

How does this cycle stop? It stops when We-The-People no longer vote for political-relics. It stops when we vote for people who have the same ethics we expected from our grandparents. It stops when people in public office lose blank-check authority with no accountability or repercussions. [Question: what happens if we eliminate those pointless little boxes we're expected to check for male or female or white-black-hispanic-asian-other from most forms?]

Publicly supported leadership [by either taxes, dues, tickets or purchases] for: school boards, sports organizations, corporations, entertainment, print/network news, unions, political parties--means assuming and accepting responsibility.... 

All authority elected or appointed is temporary and borrowed from each voter and consumer collectively. Governance also means serving everyone even those who did not vote for you or who may not spend a lot of money at your business. And, to make arbitrary decisions that marginalize any group, culture, religion or profession for financial or political advantage creates us-versus-them labels that continue to resurface. 

Here and now, there are no "women and minorities" because in America there are no minorities. In America there are only Americans as our passport designates...

Sherrie Todd-Beshore is an award-winning mystery, suspense novelist and former journalist.

Patchwork Publishing, LLC