Category: Government

Women’s Suffrage: 100 Years In Retrospect

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Women’s Suffrage: 100 Years in Retrospect

By Anna Hessel

 A Century and Counting

Our nation just celebrated the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution which gave women the universal right to vote.  “You’ve come a long way, baby…” but we have an even longer way to go.  The women’s suffrage movement was a decades-long fight, giving females their voting rights, but the battle for equality is far from over.

The Fight Heats Up

In 1875, women’s suffrage had reached a monumental mark when Mrs. Virginia Minor filed suit against the State of Missouri for her constitutional right to vote in the presidential election.  The case wound up in the Supreme Court.  Unanimously, the justices claimed the privilege to vote was not a fundamental right of United States citizenship, and further asserted the denial of her voting rights was not protected by the 14th Amendment.

Coming Together for the Common Good

Before 1890, the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA), specifically worked toward securing a woman’s right to vote by a federal Constitutional amendment.   The National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) had their focus on the passage of women’s voting rights legislation on a state-by-state-basis.  That year they joined forces, becoming the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA).  Strategical arguments had threatened to derail progress towards the goal on more than one occasion.

The Twenties Roar Right Out of the Starting Block

The 1920 ratification brought enormous changes for ladies in that decade.  These “Thoroughly Modern Millie’s” were scandalous, bobbing their hair, tying their pearls in a knot, painting their faces, and raising their hemlines.  Men found themselves in a quandary, as these new-fangled females were standing strong as empowered women.  As the musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie” put it about the watershed change of the time:

There are those

I suppose

Think we’re mad

Heaven knows

The world has gone

To rack and to ruin

What we think is chic, unique and quite adorable

They think is odd and Sodom and Gomorrah-ble

But the fact is

Everything today is thoroughly modern

Check your personality

Everything today makes yesterday slow

Better face reality

It’s not insanity

Says Vanity Fair

In fact, it’s stylish

To raise your skirts and bob your hair

In a rumble seat, the world is so cozy

If the boy is kissable

And that tango dance they wouldn’t allow

Now is quite permissible

Goodbye, good, goody girl

I’m changing and how

So beat the drums ’cause here comes

Thoroughly modern Millie now!

Everything today is thoroughly modern

Bands are getting jazzier

Everything today is starting to go

Cars are getting snazzier

Men say it’s criminal what women’ll do

What they’re forgetting is, this is 1922

Have you seen the way they kiss in the movies

Isn’t it delectable?

Painting lips and pencil-lining your brow

Now is quite respectable

Goodbye, good, goody girl

I’m changing and how

So beat the drums, ’cause here comes

Thoroughly modern Millie now!

Inspired by a 1967 Musical About 1922

I remember singing and dancing to that song at the age of 15 – it was the opening number for my modeling school’s graduation.  I was completely inspired by those lyrics, and I was armed with my Great Lash Mascara, Bonnie Bell Jumbo Lip Smacker in the very grown-up flavor of watermelon, Aqua Net big hair, and brand new platform sandals.  Just like those teenage girls getting their first experience with cosmetics when Bonnie Bell rolled out their skin care line in 1927, I was ready for these new, “all the rage” conveniences.

Equality is Coming…

I stood on street corners with NOW (National Organization for Women), asking people to, “go to bat for girls in sports”.  And, of course, doing everything I could to see the ERA ratified.  After all, I was almost 16; surely by the time I finished my education and joined the workforce, equal rights and equal pay would be a given.  My enthusiastic, “Young Miss” brain was mistaken – the fight continues on.

Give ‘Em an Inch…

The 19th Amendment changed women’s lives in many ways, moving closer to equal rights in many aspects of life in the United States of America.  Ladies were now advocating for education, birth control, sex education, equal wages, job opportunities, and the like.  Another baby of the 1920’s, the original ERA was written in 1921 by fellow activist attorneys and feminists Alice Paul and Crystal Catherine Eastman.  Ms. Paul held three law degrees and had been an instrumental leader of the women’s suffrage movement.  Ms. Eastman, of Erie, PA,  was a socialist, anti-militarist, journalist, and lawyer, educated at Vassar, Columbia, and NYU.

Persistence Pays Off, Sort Of…

The original phrasing read,  “No political, civil, or legal disabilities or inequalities on account of sex or on account of marriage, unless applying equally to both sexes, shall exist within the United States or any territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof.”  The amendment was first introduced in Congress in 1923, and in some form had been resubmitted in every subsequent session for almost fifty years, until it’s passage in 1972.

Still Trying

Virginia was the 38th state to ratify the ERA since it was proposed in 1972.  That ratification pushed the ERA across the threshold, however, the original deadline had run out in March of 1979.  But President Jimmy Carter signed into law an extension passed by Congress, granting additional time for the ERA to be ratified until June 1982.  Prior to this, though, five states had “rescinded” their ratifications, the legality of which still remains unresolved.  Many hurdles still remain in the amendment’s path.  It received bipartisan support with recent ratifications by Illinois in 2018 and Nevada just the year before, but these occurred after the inactivity of four decades.  Whether the amendment protecting the equal rights of women will actually be added to our Constitution remains yet to be seen.

Still Fighting

In the words of the immortal Shirley Chisholm, “You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining.  You make progress by implementing ideas.”  “I want history to remember me…not as the first black woman to have made a bid for the Presidency of the United States, but as a black woman who lived in the 20th century and who dared to be herself.  I want to be remembered as a catalyst for change in America.”  “At present, our country needs women’s idealism and determination, perhaps more in politics than anywhere else.”

“Why shouldn’t I run for president?”

“I have certainly met much more discrimination in terms of being a woman than being black, in the field of politics.”  “I ran for the presidency, despite hopeless odds, to demonstrate the sheer will and refusal to accept the status quo.”  Those of us that watched the Democratic National Convention will recall with pride a video clip of Ms. Chisholm exclaiming, “Why shouldn’t I run for president?”

Progress is Made but Higher Goals Await

Many women now serve as elected officials, holding public office, but none has yet to break the ultimate glass ceiling of our nation.  Hilary Clinton came very close, winning the popular vote against Donald Trump in the 2016 election, but lost by electoral votes.  Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris may just be the break we need to shatter the enormous barrier.  Marginalized minorities – Native Americans, Hispanics, African-Americans, and Asian women – still fall through the cracks.

Somethings Never Change

Outlandish arguments against the women’s suffrage movement are still in effect today, still being used against women’s rights.  For example, many men feared women voters might disrupt harmonious family relations, distracting away from family values and the institution of marriage, with the possible consequence of divorce.  Why women even may go to the extremes of wearing pants, cowboy boots, and neckties.

In Their Own Words

Both the 19th Amendment and the Equal Rights Amendment are succinct and simplistic in their directness:  Amendment XIX: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”

Equal Rights Amendment:  “Section 1: Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. Section 2: The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article. Section 3: This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.”

The Vice Squad’s First Member, Almost

We as women voters owe a debt of gratitude to these sash-wearing, determined ladies of yesteryear, and those that followed in their stead.  Geraldine “Gerry” Anne Ferraro, the first woman to be nominated as a vice-presidential candidate by a major political party, quipped, “Vice president-it has such a nice ring to it!”  She faced much opposition, saying, ”The polls indicated that I was feisty, that I was tough, that I had a sense of humor, but they weren’t quite sure if they liked me, and they didn’t know whether or not I was sensitive.  I readily admit I was not an expert on foreign policy, but I was knowledgeable, and I didn’t need a man who was the Vice-President of the United States and my opponent turning around and putting me down.”  Ms. Ferraro, who’s desk drawer was filled with all kinds of prayers, humbly revered her place in history.

Dare to Dream

Author, feminist, and journalist extrordinaire Gloria Steinem reminds us, “Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities.  Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.”  Vocalist Helen Reddy recorded an anthem for empowered women everywhere:

I am woman, hear me roar

In numbers too big to ignore

And I know too much to go back an’ pretend

‘Cause I’ve heard it all before

You can bend but never break me

‘Cause it only serves to make me

More determined to achieve my final goal

And I come back even stronger

Not a novice any longer

‘Cause you’ve deepened the conviction in my soul

I am woman watch me grow

See me standing toe to toe

As I spread my lovin’ arms across the land

But I’m still an embryo

With a long, long way to go

Until I make my brother understand

Oh yes, I am wise

But it’s wisdom born of pain

Yes, I’ve paid the price

But look how much I gained

If I have to, I can face anything

I am strong

(Strong)

I am invincible

(Invincible)

I am woman

Take a Stand, Make a Plan…to Vote

For the women who planned and marched, setting the bar high for those of us that followed a century into the future, I will honor your suffrage and legacy.  With a blue vote to elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, I will take my stand for equality, so that the next chapter in our history may be written with dignity and relevance.  Women will decide this election; let us pave the way for our first female Vice-President of the United States.  Ladies, “this is our moment.  This is our mission.” (Joe Biden)

Kamala Harris: Go Easy on ‘Em Kid…

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Kamala Harris: Go Easy on ‘Em, Kid…

By Anna Hessel

History in the Making

Joe Biden made history with his selection of the bright, beautiful and tenacious Kamala Harris as his running mate.  As Vice President Biden points out, “There is no door Kamala won’t knock on, no stone she’ll leave unturned, if it means making life better for the people.”  Joe originally met Senator Harris through his son Beau.  Joe valued his son’s respect for the strong-willed senator from California.  Kalama and Beau became friends when both were state AG’s and worked on financial institution reform.

Day One

Biden knows Ms. Harris has demonstrated her ability to be a leader from day one.  As the Attorney General for the state of California, she ran one of the biggest governmental legal organizations in the world, and is a member of the Senate Judiciary and Intelligence committees.

Rooted in Community and Excellence

Women of all races and walks of life identify strongly with this spirited heroine.  Kamala Devi Harris is 5’ 2” of pure energy and strength. This pretty, petite powerhouse has stood for justice since she was a child.  Senator Harris is an East Bay native, deeply rooted in the area, She was born October 20th, 1964, in Kaiser Oakland Hospital, Oakland, CA.  Her name Kamala, means “lotus” and refers to empowered women.

Mom and Dad

Her parents were immigrants and academics. Donald Harris, her father, is an emeritus professor at Stanford University. Her mother Shyamala Gopalan Harris, worked at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.  Shyamala attended the University of Delhi, completing her undergraduate degree when she was only 19.

A Family Of Activists

Kamala’s grandmother,  Rajam Gopalan, who married at the age of 16. Rajam was considered an upper-caste wife.  She used her elite class status to help disadvantaged women in India. She was famous for driving around in a Volkswagen Beetle, announcing through a bullhorn how underprivileged women could access birth control.

Grown to the Sky

Kamala holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics and political science from Howard University. Ms Harris  received her law degree through Hasting College Legal Education Opportunity Program for Students from Adverse Backgrounds.   She was elected as the Attorney General of California in 2010. She was reelected in 2014.  In 2016, Ms. Harris became the junior senator from California, making her the third female senator from California, and the first South Asian American senator and the second African-American woman elected to the United States Senate.

In the Beginning

The fearless Senator Harris has always fought for our nation’s good. She has worked tirelessly for the American people, a lifelong leader for civil rights and public safety.  Kamala’s political career spans decades, and her exposure to activism started early.   Her parents, met at UC Berkeley and shared a  passion for civil rights. When Kamala was still a toddler her parent’s took her to numerous campus protests.  As a toddler, fussing little Kamala was once asked what it was she that she wanted – having already attended several civil rights rallies, the adorable, precocious tyke replied, “fweedom”.

A Childhood Like So Many Others

When she was only seven years old, her parents divorced.  Kamala was raised by her mother in a yellow duplex in Berkeley, along with her little sister Maya.  While in first grade, she was one of a group of students bused to Thousands Oaks Elementary School, a very prosperous upper-class Caucasian neighborhood.

Movin’ On Up

Maya and Kamala attended both an African-American Baptist church, as well as a Hindu temple, at the same time.  Ms. Harris was influenced by her grandparents when she visited India as a child.  Her grandmother was an activist and her grandfather was a government official of high-rank, both educating and fighting for the rights of the Indian people.  She attended high school in Montreal, where her mother taught at McGill University, and also held a position at Jewish General Hospital as a cancer researcher.  13-year-old Kamala, along with younger sister Maya, successfully led a protest outside their apartment building due to the policy that prohibited children from playing out front on the lawn.

Been There, Done That

Harris had wanted to be a lawyer since childhood.  Harris interned for Senator Alan Cranston of California, worked as a press aide at the Federal Trade Commission, and even served as a tour guide at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.  Her role models include Charles Hamilton Houston, Thurgood Marshall, and Constance Baker Motley.  Kamala advocates for abuse victims, and works to educate the public that certain behaviors such as dress and music do not necessarily equate to gang membership.

Apples Fall Close to the Tree

Her sister Maya received a B.A. from UC Berkeley, and then her law degree from Stanford.  She was in charge of her sister’s presidential campaign, having worked in television as a commentator and as an executive director of ACLU for Northern California.  Her husband, Tony West, served during the Obama administration as an Associate United States Attorney General, and now is the Chief Legal Officer for Uber Technologies, Inc., in San Francisco.

The Fruit Begins to Show

The stunning and stylish Ms. Harris joined the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha while at Howard University.  Also, during her time at the school, she ran her first campaign, for the freshman representative position on the liberal arts student council, and was also a member of the debate team.  Howard taught an excited Kamala that you can be many things – the homecoming queen can also be the valedictorian, channeling Elle Woods.

“What, Like It’s Hard?”

Daily after classes in law school, she helped potty-train her niece. Recalling the experience in 2018, Harris said, “I’m dealing with this brutal stuff, dog-eat-dog in school, and then I would come home and we would all stand by the toilet and wave bye to a piece of shit.  It will put this place in perspective.”  She passed the bar exam on her second try in 1990. The same year, she joined the Alameda County Prosecutor’s Office in Oakland, as an Assistant DA.

Working to Keep Victims From Being Victimized Further

She was recruited by the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office to help end teen prostitution.  Ms. Harris’ goal for these young women was to view them as victims, not criminals, selling sex.  She has always advocated for women and children. She was instrumental in developing the San Francisco Department of Public Health program which enables emergency rooms to identify evidence of sexual abuse.   Kamala is the co-founder of the Coalition to End the Exploitation of Kids, pushing the strengthening of laws to end profiteering of those under age.  Her efforts produced San Francisco’s very first safe house for minors to escape sexual exploitation.  Ms. Harris’ creativity and influence has resulted in punishment for perpetrators victimizing youth.

Getting on the Right Track

Even when she receives criticism, she does not back down from her principals.  Kamala insists that it is imperative to be “smart on crime.”  “Back on Track” is a program, she helped design for non-violent lower-level drug traffickers. The program offers life skill and job training, with the chance to avoid a prison sentence.  Only 10% of the program’s graduates had repeat offenses, contrasted with the typical recidivism of 53% for those with drug convictions.  Her rehabilitative program is more cost-effective than jail time.  She refuses to consider offenders as lost causes.

Attending to the Heart of the Matter

Ms. Harris also targeted the truancy of elementary school children when she discovered that nearly 95% of those murdered before the age of 25 in the San Francisco area happened to have dropped out of high school.  Those who were very often absent while in grammar school were more susceptible to leave high school prior to graduation, typically by age 35 ending up dead or jailed.  She developed programs to assist parents with school attendance.

Raising the Bar

In 2003, Kamala Harris ran against her former boss  to become the first African-American female elected DA in California.  Within her first three years as the District Attorney of San Francisco, conviction rates increased from 52% to 67%.  She endorsed her friend Barack Obama when he ran for the Senate in 2004, and in 2010 she went on to win the race for the state’s top attorney.  Attorney General Harris filed a successful civil enforcement action citing “widespread misconduct” on foreclosures against OneWest Bank.

Fashion and Plate

The fashionable and funny vice-presidential nominee often sports pearls and has an extensive collection of Converse sneakers, including platform versions and All-Stars.  Her unique style rocks; a high-low mix of classic attire.  Not since 1984, when Walter Mondale chose Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate, have we had the pleasure and progress of a female vice-presidential nominee.   Rumor has it she enjoys a good burrito, and loves cheeseburgers, but admits we need to establish more healthy eating habits, reducing red meat consumption.  She also recognizes the importance of American families being able to put food on the table.

Food Network Calling?

Kamala loves to cook.  In a video she shows Senator Mark Warner the proper way to assemble a yummy tuna melt.  She can roast a chicken with the best of them, using salt, pepper, chopped herbs, lemon zest, and minced garlic, trussing the poultry and allowing it 24 hours in the fridge. Then rubbing it with butter or oil, and slow-roasting it at 325 degrees for at least a couple hours, making a sauce of the drippings and using the leftovers for a scrumptious chicken salad.

Wife and Stepmom

She is married to prominent entertainment attorney Douglas Emhoff. Harris and Mr. Emhoff met on a blind date set up by a friend. Senator Harris is tough and courageous, yet still has a big heart – her two stepchildren affectionately call her “Momala”.

Making History

She is also resolved and resilient – in 2017, her rather persistent grilling, which had Jeff Sessions remarking he was “nervous” after only three-and-a-half minutes of her interrogation, went viral. Another viral moment came during the intensive questioning of Brett Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court Justice confirmation hearings in 2018.   During the 2019 Democratic Presidential Debates, Joe Biden quipped to Kamala Harris to, “Go easy on me, kid…,”  Six months later he chose this amazing woman to make history as his running mate. If elected she will become the first female and minority Vice President in U.S. history.of the United States.

‘Beeing’ Herself

The lady Donald Trump referred to as, “nasty”, we call, “insurmountable, decisive, intelligent, and caring”.  Kamala allows us to see her fun-loving side. One video shows her  attired in leggings, a jacket, and sneakers, dancing like everybody’s watching, and we are.  On November 3rd, my leggings, jacket, and sneakers are ready to join our new Vice President-elect in a victory dance – “you go, girl….”

OPINION: We Are The “Others”

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Police enforce the stigmatization of groups including people of color.

We Are the Others

By Trevor K. McNeil

Something Rotten

To paraphrase the immortal words of Shakespeare, “there is something rotten in the state”(s) of the union. A creeping specter striking down the innocence and protecting the guilty. Most will point to police prejudice, particularly racism, in the exercising of State power over the citizenry. The problem is greater than brutal policing. It is in fact a society wide issue. But, policing is a very visible factor in the lives of the oppressed that frequently leads to the incarceration or death of the oppressed. It does not help matters that policing is basically grunt work. Almost anyone can apply for the  job of a cop. Many police applicants have  less education than EMTs, or firefighters. People certainly die in the hand of these professionals, but it is always an accident. Police officers, on the other hand, frequently serve up death through inhumane tactics, brutal force and malfeasance.

Shadows Around the Fire

Fear of ‘the other’ is ingrained in the human DNA. It is the self-protective mechanism that predates man stabbing mammoths on the tundra. In fact, it is probably responsible for the wiping out of the Neanderthals to make Homo sapiens the only higher humanoid species on the planet. Generally speaking, the term ‘othering’ is understood as an undesirable objectification of another person or group. In effect this social process, labels those defined as ‘different’ in a negative manner, whether it be by skin color, sex, sexual orientation, economic status, ethnicity, religion, or even disabilities.

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Grab and Go Strategies

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Whether it is a tornado, a hurricane or a blizzard it is essential to be ready at a moments notice

Grab And Go Strategies

D.S. Mitchell

AARP Does It Again

I love AARP magazine. It is loaded with information for the young, and the old.  I was on a clean everything mode recently. As I was cleaning out a closet I found an October 2017 issue of the iconic magazine. The issue was loaded with a bonanza of knowledge. I thought Jeff Rossen did a great job of telling the public how to put together a “To Go Bag.” A “To Go Bag” is exactly what it sounds like; a bag, a backpack, or suitcase (he recommends one on wheels) packed with life essentials.

Be Prepared

It is an important message. Being prepared, being ready for any emergency, is a good thing.  You never know when an untoward event will occur. The recent flooding and dam collapse events in the Midwest highlight our need to be ready for dangerous situations, day or night. Over the last couple of years we have seen the devastation and chaos caused by floods, fires and hurricanes. It can happen anytime, anywhere.  In my little corner of the world, the North Oregon coast, we are subject to evacuation orders because of  earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, floods and even a rare tornado.

Don’t Wait Till The Last Minute

No matter where you live there is always the possibility that you will be forced to move quickly out of harm’s way. Not all incidents of danger are caused by natural events, often these tragedies are man-made disasters, such as toxic spills. The principle idea in the AARP article is to take personal responsibility for your safety. One key way to help yourself is by being prepared for an emergency. A “To Go Bag” is a good place to start.

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World On Fire

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firefighters working to put out fires started during protests

WORLD ON FIRE

Trevor K. McNeil & D. S. Mitchell

Better Angels

Humans are complex. Neither angels nor devils, but something in between. As with many things it is a continuum. Abraham Lincoln understood this perfectly and touched on it when he referred to “the better angels of our nature.” As with human nature, so with human action. Which assists in understanding our history of civil disobedience. Particularly when it happens to turn ugly. Such as when legitimate protests based on genuine grievances turn into deadly riots.

Rebels With A Cause

Henry David Thoreau was a vocal abolitionist, anti-expansionist and a  conductor of the underground railroad. In 1849, Thoreau, an infamous proto-anarchist, published his essay “Resistance to Civil Government”.  “Anarchist” in this case meaning classical Anarchism. A political ideology that accepts rules, but opposes the notion of rules in a top-down coercive system, where using lethal violence, or the threat thereof, to keep the populace under control.  Thoreau advocated “resistance to an unjust state.” He said, “I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government”.  Thoreau said “the government that governs best is that which governs least.” Though notice the phraseology. Government. To govern. There being a vital difference between a government and an administration.

 Historical Perspective

America has a long, rich history of civil disobedience. “Fight the Power” being the unofficial national motto. Setting the American Revolution aside, one of the places this first came into focus was in lower Manhattan in 1863. From July 13th to July 16th, during the throes of the American Civil War, hundreds of citizens, many of them immigrants took to the streets to protest the draft that would send them to fight the Confederacy. What started out relatively peacefully soon grew into a large violent, three-day riot. In the end an estimated 120 people lay dead.

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Editorial: The Tyranny Of Trump

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EDITORIAL: The Tyranny Of Trump

By Trevor K. McNeil

That Old Tyme Religion

Generally speaking, there is a difference between old gods and what could be considered new gods. The god(s) of monotheism being firmly of the new school. The God of the Judeo-Christian Bible has gone through quite a transformation. He’s gone from a flaming-sword-angel-sending, flood killing-everything-on-earth, city destroying God of the Old Testament, to a Messenger of hope. Apparently, the Father felt he needed a new approach.

Police Violence

Loud, mostly non-violent demonstrations have filled the streets of America, again.  Four police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota have murdered another handcuffed black man.  Nothing new about that either. It seems a common event in this country. A large crowd was hanging out in front of the White House. AG, Bill Barr suddenly appeared, surrounded by a cadre of secret service personnel. He appeared to be surveying the situation. Minutes later, without warning, National Guard troops using tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets alongside horse mounted riot police violently cleared peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square and surrounding streets. The brutality was fast, savage and done without warning against passively demonstrating American citizens.

Brutal Passage

We would soon see the violence was done in order to create a path for Trump and his entourage to walk from the White House to St. John’s Episcopal Church.  Once in front of the Priory House Trump awkwardly held up a Bible, turning it around, and around, in a bizarre manner, finally turning it upside down for a memorial photo. The newly proclaimed “law and order” president stood surrounded by his cabinet members posing for the media event. The self-proclaimed King-god of America now known as “Tyrannical Trump,” had used a militarized police force so he could shame the Bible, debase a church, and humiliate Christianity.  An action of sacrilege that, in the good old days, that would have gotten him a lighting bolt right between the eyes. Thor must have been off that afternoon.

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Sam The Sham And The Pharoahs “Wooly Bully”

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Sam the Sham And The Pharoahs

“Wooly Bully”

By D. S. Mitchell

Watching The Mailbox

My husband and I were married in 1965. My husband and I waited nervously every day expecting to find a draft notice in the mailbox at any time. He was in his junior year in college and did not want to disrupt his education. In those days there was a military draft and young men all over the country were being drafted. My husband and I were mentally preparing ourselves for that day we knew would come, and he would be sent to Vietnam. The United States had “advisors” in the country for at least a decade by that time. The Vietnam War was escalating in SE Asia, and the Cold War was growing hotter by the day.

Deployment

The rhetoric of the politicians described Vietnam as a domino piece and if it fell so would the rest of Asia. LBJ was president and he had been increasing the American presence in SE Asia dramatically. By the end of 1966 we had a young son, and my husband had finished his bachelor’s degree. After many long and tortured conversations he volunteered for the Air Force and deployed to the huge air base at Da Nang, South Vietnam. The year that he went to Vietnam “Wooly Bully” was screaming from every radio in America, and the American soldier took it to South Vietnam.

Protests Increase

There were major protests across the United States by 1968. LBJ sensing the country had turned against his conduct of the war announced he would not seek re-election. Richard Nixon said he had a plan to end the war. As Americans would see that was all a lie. And the anti-war protests grew. Seeing the people fill the streets outside the White House brought back those days vividly. Americans protest when American politics do not meet the needs and desires of the American people. When Trevor K. McNeil suggested “Wooly Bully” as the Calamity Politic’s Jukebox choice of the day, I said, “hell, yeah”. Here it comes, ready or not, Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs, in the long version of “Wooly Bully”.

“Wooly Bully” by novelty rock ‘n’ roll band Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs came out in 1965. “Wooly Bully” was written by the band’s frontman, Domingo “Sam” Samudio.” It’s all about the beat.

COVID-19 And Murder In Minneapolis

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Police form ranks to break up protests in Portland, Or

COVID & Murder In Minneapolis

By D. S. Mitchell

Grasping At Sanity

I hadn’t known, until I stayed home that the mailman stopped at my mailbox everyday at 11:30, like clockwork. Never before did I start planning dinner at breakfast time, but, I do now. I wash my hands at least twelve times a day, once for every hour I’m awake, unless I have to go out, or I get a delivery, then I hand wash compulsively every five minutes for at least an hour. Sometimes, I wonder how long I can hold onto my sanity.

Vacant Streets

The strange thing about the COVID-19 pandemic has been the quietness of the streets. The 24 hour buzz of the busy freeways is gone. The roads have been  almost vacant. Not in a post-apocalyptic sense, but certainly a sense of disturbing, quiet unfamiliarity. There is, however, an awareness of danger. A danger lurking on every surface and every person. The danger, although  invisible, has been scary enough to have people locked down in their homes, until Monday, May 25th.

Silent Killer

Someone called it, a “willing paralysis.” I’m not sure what to call it. Physical contact with another person could be a death sentence. The bullet, nothing more than a cough. As we have social distanced, we have heard new sounds. The sound of chirping birds. The sound of a singular child bouncing a ball against a wall. A neighbor, whom I’ve never met, playing his acoustic guitar, like a resurrected Michael Hedges. Not all killers are silent, or invisible. Some are intentionally visible and they kill with impunity for the camera. And now our country hears a new sound. A cry, a great and powerful cry.

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Guilt By Association

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Guilt By Association

By Trevor K. McNeil

A Little Bit of History Repeating

History is more of a cycle than a straight line. Those who have looked at it closely recognize trends have a tendency to repeat. Themes and progress ebb and flow in the oceans of time. Sadly, there are some areas where the water is darker than others. One such dark spot in the ocean of time is the anti-Chinese sentiment in North America.

An Ill Wind

One of the more damaging aspects of coronavirus, aside from the death toll, is the misinformation being spread about it. One being the Anti-Chinese sentiment, fostered and fueled by President Trump and his surrogates. Attempting to redirect blame from his colossal mismanagement of the pandemic response Trump continues his attacks on China. Our boneheaded and close to illiterate president regularly promotes the idea that the virus “came from China.”

Historical Reference

Did it spread through China first? Yes. Do we know for a fact that it is where the virus originated? Hell no. In fact, the Chinese point an angry finger to the United States military. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS–CoV-2) and coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is new and poorly understood. The prevailing theory is that the original carrier was a bat. I’m not sure if you’ve ever noticed, but bats fly. Over a fair bit of distance. As a historical reminder the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic did not originate in Spain, but rather Kansas and was spread by American soldiers.  Not that it matters anyway. The country of origin not nearly as important as how to stop the spread of SARS CoV-2 and cure the disease among those who contract it.

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