Tag: John F. Kennedy

U.S. Presidents and Cultural Amnesia

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OPINION: U. S. Presidents and Cultural Amnesia

Not every president of the United States is remembered well.

OPINION: U.S. Presidents and Cultural Amnesia

By Trevor K. McNeil

Uncertain Legacy

We are all judged  by our actions, intention meaning little in terms of social discourse. Rightly or wrongly, the measure of a life tends to be in what is done and not what it means. Presidents are no different. Where then, will Trump end up on the scale of U.S. political importance? Currently, the pathetic and deposed Caesar, is hiding out in one of his private properties.  It is reasonable to believe that things are very much over for Trump, in terms of ever holding political office again, though not in terms of  his political legacy.

A Year Is A Long-TIme

With all the time and concern dedicated to politics, it can be easy to forget how fleeting it all is. The cardinal issues of today, tomorrow’s old news, particularly with a two term limit. The old administration forgotten almost as soon as the new one is sworn in. Much as how things go from wartime to post-war before the ink is dry on the peace treaty. This can make the facts, at least the facts of the time, difficult to come by, except possibly for those who remember it. Though even that can be hit and miss, since all memories are formed by our own biases.

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: The Newcomer

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AOC: The Newcomer

By Megan Wallin

An Emerging Star

No matter what your political leanings, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one to watch. She is the youngest woman ever elected to congress. Ocasio-Cortez was born in The Bronx, NY on 11/13/89 of Puerto Rican descent.

Political Upset

“Women like me aren’t supposed to run for office,” began the political rocket ship of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s primary campaign. Not only did she win 77.92% of the vote to defeat 10 time incumbent Joe Crowley she did it spending less than $200,000. Contrary to Ocasio-Cortez Crowley spent $3.4 million dollars. The fact that she won was a huge surprise, but the margin of victory, in combination with her minimal spending, caused what can only be described as a political earthquake. She went on to trample her Republican opponent in the 2018 mid-terms by more than 72%. Those facts alone have made her an emerging political star.

Puerto Rican Ancestry

Some media outlets didn’t even bother mentioning her name, pre-election results, as if to imply that her chances were so slim it didn’t matter that she was running. A day before the primary, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had tweeted that “some journalists still refuse to say [her] name,” simply referring to her as Joe Crowley’s opponent. Some people attributed her win to political trends, while others noted that she was of Puerto Rican descent, and had huge support from the Hispanic community. According to New York times reporting, “Her strongest support came from areas that were not predominantly Hispanic.”

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I’m A Liberal–And Here Is Why

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I’m A Liberal, And Here Is Why

D. S. Mitchell

The resurrection of the GOP attack on Health Care, Trump’s UN speech, and a nasty Twitter exchange with a rabid Trump supporter, or maybe, a Russian troll, has caused me to sit down and pout for a few minutes, kick my feet and wonder if the fight is worth it.  I, like many of you, get so tired.  Some days it seems like Trump, in 10 short months is on the precipice of destroying the backbone of this country, our laws and our media. In the midst of my pout, I remember what President John F. Kennedy said about his core values and I perked up and finished calling my list of potentially five persuadable Republican Senators; in an effort to stop the GOP effort to repeal the ACA. 

The JFK quote has been seen a million times, but it is worth another view.  If you are a liberal and are taking a breath, forget it. The GOP and all their ‘effing money are out to screw us all. So get up, dust yourself off, drag the sign out of the basement, and hit the streets. Or, the phone. You can have a big impact if you make those Senate office phones ring.

So, my sweet liberal friends, gather courage from the words of one of our greatest presidents, “If by a ‘liberal’ they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reaction, someone who cares about the welfare of the people–their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights and their civil liberties–someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what it means to be a ‘liberal’ then I’m proud to say, I’m a liberal.”

Keep up the fight, the road will be hard and the results slow in coming, but a determined heart will protect health care and the social contract our government has with its citizens.

Join the Resistance

Dar