We live in an era rarely seen in our history.  An era in which many Americans have decided that formal education in history, civics and logic no longer are important.  Where many Americans actually scoff at anything mentioned by anybody they perceive to be more intelligent than themselves.  An era where the "common man" thinks they alone have the answers to problems, even though they don't have the foggiest notion as to the nature of the problems we face, let alone potential solutions for those very same problems.  And I am afraid, this is leading our nation directly towards the "shit hole" status our president claims for other nations.  
           You see, once again our nation suffered a collective injury when a shooter entered a building and murdered children in their classrooms and school hallways.  Instead of addressing the multitude of issues surrounding this tragedy, many Americans decided instead to attack those asking to discuss the issue of gun reform.  In doing so, it becomes quite obvious our nation is in deep trouble.  How so?   We are in deep trouble because so many cling to the Second Amendment without knowing anything else about our Constitution, that's how.  
           This week I replied to someone on Facebook when someone posted blatant falsehoods about gun control advocates.  The responses I received were, well, frightening.  No, no one threatened me with physical harm.  What they collectively did though sent a shiver down my back.  I know, "suck it up and take it like a man!"  Except no matter how hard one may try to enlighten fellow Americanas on anything, many people feel empowered not to argue facts, but instead attack, attack and attack yet again anyone that opposes their views. I can take the attacks, but it's the content of the attacks that disturb me.  How so?
            As soon as I pointed out that Chicago has not had strict gun laws since they were struck down in the McDonald case some 10 years ago, I was met with; "you are such an arrogant asshole!" When I pointed out that Chicago is not the "Murder capital of the World" and posted links to prove both points, I was not met with "Hey, thanks for correcting this for me." instead, I got a lot of "You think you are so smart and we are so dumb!"  Actually, prior to engaging with them in this "conversation", I never considered anyone stupid, just unaware that their positions are based upon myth and falsehoods.  Another responded with "Ya, just continue flying your rainbow flag and pushing your leftist agenda and you can leave America if you don't like it!"  One obvious problem is none of the responders cited any evidence I was wrong - just that I was "Condescending and Arrogant" and "worthless."  By now you know I try and try again to get through to people (it's the pedantic educator in me), but when like-minded people jumped in to say "I've checked you profile and lawyers are the least respected people in America!"   how does that makes sense when arguing about guns?  
             Another responder chimed in that I am a "leftist that wants to take our guns away from us!"  And obviously, I have "no idea what the Second Amendment says!" When I suggested they read Scalia's opinion in the D.C. v Heller gun case, I was met with even more strident barrage of hate.  "Courts are a joke.  Unelected judges make decisions that mean nothing.  We are not bound by decisions of Courts!"  Anyone else see the irony of Americans wrapping themselves up in the Second Amendment while having no idea what the rest of the Constitution says or the objective of the Framers to vest interpretative powers in an unelected judiciary - to make them independent from the pressures of the uneducated in America (affectionately known as the "mob.").  When I raised the notion of reading The Federalist Papers #78, their response was more direct - "We know everything we need to know and don't have to take direction from an asshole that thinks he's smarter than we are.  This is why Trump won and will win again - because of people just like you!"  And that is when I told them to have a nice day but that I was no longer going to waste my time.  
             So when indictments come down to prove Russian interference in our elections, these same folks scream "Who needs the FBI, they are all 'deep state traitors!'", score one for Putin.  Thanks Mr. Trump.  You have unleashed the ignorant and their vile hatred of knowledge (as long as it doesn't come from Fox news, it must be fake!).  Which gets me to my point.  I was taught to respect intelligence. To embrace the notion that "I don't know what I don't know" and to surround myself with people that are smarter than me because hopefully their knowledge and wisdom would be shared and come to me.  Instead,  in America today we have a class of citizens that feel they already know everything they will ever need to know and detest anyone with more formal education or experience beyond their provincial foundations.  And these my friends are the "Trumplings!"  So we are in scary times.  Not just because of the proliferation of mass shootings and death in the form of unlimited access to weapons, but because we now have a large swatch of the electorate currently celebrating ignorance - and it has and will continue to cost us all as a nation.
            As President Thomas Jefferson once wrote; "Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty."  Sadly, our liberty and our nation is threatened from within -by those too ignorant to learn, too cocksure to realize others may actually know more, and who have forgotten that civic duty goes beyond pushing narratives designed to divide us from each other.  Have a great week!

          Now that the Winter Olympics have begun, I no longer find myself that interested in the event.  Is it me, or are certain "must see" events no longer necessary of my attention.  Could it be age?  Am I too old to care so much about a sporting event?  Have I come to the realization that sport is a nice diversion that can either elevate or depress our emotions, but overall are not worthy of taking too much of my limited time?  Or is it a direct result that, like a lot of other Americans, I am simply tired - worn out worrying instead about our way of life and how politics are impacting it these days?  Perhaps it may be a little of both, but one thing is for sure.  Sports are great, fun to play and watch, but in realty, have no real impact on most of Americans' day to day lives.  Politics on the other hand, has a direct impact.  And the political atmosphere we are currently in is enough to cause concern.  
        Allow me to elaborate.  We have always had conflict between ourselves and others when it comes to sports and the teams we root for or against.  I have "my" teams that I follow.  They are tied to my life based upon where I went to college and the area that I grew up.  I can frankly say that whenever I see a car with a bumper sticker featuring a rival sports club logo, I really don't pay much mind to it.  But when I see a political related bumper sticker, that seems to be another story all together.  When I see "Lock Her Up" stickers, or one with the NFL logo crossed out with "I stand for the pledge", I admit I do cringe a little. Why is it so damn important to openly display a political "bent" on a vehicle?  Does it score points ("winning!") for the driver if they know they are passing along political views in a way that forces other drivers to know it?  And if you disagree with the statement on the sticker?  I simply shake my head and wonder if those displaying the sticker truly believe its message or whether they find it necessary to put it on their vehicle because they are seeking like minded drivers in an effort to reinforce their beliefs?  I really don't know the answer.  But I do admit, I physically cringe when I see these public displays on vehicles (side note - I have NO stickers on my car and my wife's car only has an IU sticker on it).  So what gives?  I know it's freedom of speech, but for what purpose?  
         Which gets me to my last point. We know there is a concerted effort by the media and political parties to separate us into "tribes" wherein we give absolute loyalty to the "cause of the tribe" without thinking for ourselves.  Instead of thinking we are all in this together, we are seeing more and more divisive rhetoric designed to corrode our sense of community unity and spirit.  By posting my blogs about "Trumplings", have I too fallen into this rabbit hole of divisiveness?  Perhaps to some I have, but I find my efforts to bring some back to their senses is worth the risk of alienating others that simply cannot be reached anymore when it comes to accepting the lies and hypocrisy flowing from the Trump Administration and the current GOP.  
          For example.   Our local newspaper reported that Cory Lewendowski, former Trump campaign advisor was in Sarasota to gin up support for a candidate for a State Representative seat.  I'm okay with whomever he wants to campaign for, but when their basis for supporting the candidate is based upon open lies, then I take exception.  With Lewendowski, the paper reported "There were Make America Great Again hats sprinkled throughout the crowd, people sported Trump stickers and a chant of 'lock her up" even broke out..."  Since when does stirring a crowd to cheer on an effort to imprison a "former" political opponent an example of American values?  Last I checked, Clinton lost her election bid for the presidency, yet Trumplings can't seem to process that our country has a president, and he's been in that position now for over a year.  More importantly, what in the hell does a candidate running for a Statehouse seat have anything to do with Hillary Clinton? Could it be that there are no actual issues in play so they need to resort to this level of rhetoric? 
         Obviously, if there is no "substance" to the candidate, fire up the crowd by chanting tribal themes, sit back and watch its members break out in pre-programmed affirming responses.  Wouldn't it be nice if a political candidate actually campaigned on real platforms to pursue if elected?   But the appeal to turn the tribal switch on (and the independent brain off) seems to be too appealing.  And this is the real problem we face in America.  So many refuse to apply logic and actual facts to anything that may upset their "tribal view".   As an American, I find this very disconcerting - especially when some GOP leaders push a narrative that is not only factually incorrect, but lacks any reasonable attachment to American values ("Lock her up" chants are dangerous and are not virtuous). What does it say when elected officials have so little knowledge of American history and are so willing to manipulate it to further their political rhetoric? (See: lawandcrime.com/politics/rep-scalise-says-thomas-jefferson-wrote-the-constitution-he-didnt/).  I'm pretty sure Lincoln (happy birthday Abe) would agree with me on this point.
          As President Lincoln once wrote; "I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts." We are in this together whether some like it or not. Truth and honesty is needed back into our political conversation.  It's past time we demand our media and elected officials get back to that notion!  Have a great week!
          

          Have you ever engaged with someone who seems stuck on the "What if?" train?  You know what I mean. Every time you say something, the other guy/gal says "But what if..."  Or when you read something demonstrably false and you provide a link proving it is indeed false, but the response isn't "Gee, I was wrong, thanks for getting the facts out".   Instead, you get a  "But what if it is true?".  I have addressed this issue before, but now that the Nunes Memo is out, it is patently obvious that the calculated strategy of the Trump White House is to always paint a picture filled with at least some doubt - just enough to derail arguments that use actual facts.  For the guys playing fast and loose with the "Fake News" labels, it amazes me how many Trumplings refuse to acknowledge they have fallen victim to a very cynical (and unpatriotic) strategy.  How is it "unpatriotic"?  Allow me to explain.
            Trump is not a moron.  There, I said it.  He is the President of the United States.  There, I said that.  And because he is President, he is rightfully under a microscope as required by the Constitution when it comes to Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances. (Article I).  But Trump is a genius who has perfected playing the "Media Game."  He knows he has a widely followed Propaganda machine in Fox News and the Wall Street Journal.  He knows he can get his "message" out - at a level previously not either understood or fully appreciated by previous occupants of the Oval Office.  Social Media allows him to "Speak directly to the people!"  And Trumplings cheer this.  But what if all he tweets are lies?  The GOP media machine has allowed Trump to lash out with lies and distortions without any culpability for his dishonesty.  This has all come about because Trump seeks to create a sort of "beyond a reasonable doubt" threshold for his wrongdoing.  Even if the government can prove he is corrupt, will potential prosecutors be able to exceed the "beyond a reasonable doubt" question?  By creating a wave of "What if's" and "What About's", Trump and his machine is manufacturing just that...doubt.  Doubt of the institutions that serve the American People by investigating and prosecuting wrongdoers.  Doubt that laws actually apply to everyone, including presidents.   Why trust the prosecutors if they are corrupt?  Or Politicized? 
(www.vox.com/world/2017/10/19/16503050/trump-tweet-fbi-steele dossier; www.npr.org/2018/01/22/579209787/criminal-cabal-fbi-fears-political-attacks-may-imperil-work-of-field-agents;  www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/1/16956290/nunes-memo-release-the-memo-fbi-russia).
           To those that would casually dismiss criminality on a claim of "What if" or "What About" (despite actual facts proving otherwise), then society must question your patriotism.  Unlike many others, I believe America will always win in the end.  Why?  Because no one is above the law (no matter how much one wants to mentally deny actual facts), Courts of Law do not play that game.  For every move Trump and his Trumplings make, I trust Robert Mueller, et. al., will effectively respond.  In the mean time, opposition can only be successful at the ballot box - and November will be here before we realize it.
              As President James Madison once wrote; "Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."  No "What If's", "What About's" or doubts.  Have a great week!