The Day Luis Tiant Met Fidel Castro - (As Told To Romans At The Legends Of The Diamond)

Fidel Castro's death brought back a memory that I will never forget that occurred at a local fundraiser. I learned personally about the oppression of Cubans from  the Yankee  great Luis Tiant. He was a guest of the Legends of The Diamond. (For those who do not know, Rome hosts the Legends Of The Diamonds Dinner each year for a former Yankee Great that benefits the Lions and Kiwanis Club)

At the event, Tiant was asked questions about his career. Most questions were about being a Yankee. Then, Rome's very own Greg Mattacola asked a great question, "What was it like growing up under Castro's influence as Castro was from Cuba." Tiant would  share a story of Fidel Castro that I will never forget about the oppression that existed during Castro's reign.

He shared a story similar to a New York Times article as follows: “Cuba was the country with the most Latin American players in the majors until the regime took over and set everything back,” Tiant said. “It’s incredible, all those players that were unable to succeed, so many good ones. When I played, when I left, there were 50 or 60 players as good as me or better than me. And they could never get out. They all stayed there.

“That’s a hard thing, because everyone in life must have an opportunity to be someone, to be able to do what you love, what you dreamed of as a child,” he continued. “That should not be taken away from anyone. That is what happened: They took away the freedom, the happiness, the dreams that one had as a boy, all you wanted to be and never could.”

At the time Castro took over power of Cuba, Tiant was in Mexico playing baseball professionally. Playing in Mexico gave him a better shot at coming to play professionally in the states. However, that did not stop Castro from trying to stop him. He told us about one night, when Castro personally visited his parents and gave them an offer. He told them their son can play baseball for Cuba, or he could play baseball for the United States. However, if he plays for the United States, they would never see their boy again. He was 17 years old at the time. His parents wanted their son to have the opportunity to escape oppression, and reap the benefits of his talents. They told Luis to go and play professionally in the states. This decision would cost Tiant personally. Tiant very rarely saw his parents. In fact, he saw them in 1968 in Mexico City and in 1975 through an arrangement with the U.S and Cuba. His last time with his parents was in 2007.

Tiant's story was a great example of the oppression that existed in Cuba during Castro's tenure. A story he shared with the great people of Rome. Children with their dads learning about living history. An experience this writer will never forget.

The Curious World Of Donald Trump and Income Inequality

Okay, take a deep breathe and open your mind to a new reality. Donald Trump may do more for income inequality than his predecessors. (Everyone Okay?) I recently read his first 100 day plan, and if he terminates the trans-pacific partnership, he will reverse decades of unfair trade practices. More importantly, he will reverse urban decay, and bring about fair trade policy.

This in my opinion was Trump's strongest card during the elections. He tapped into the Sander's crowd that wanted income equality through fair trade practice. For all his faults, he strongly advocated changing this practice from day one. I know we countered that his ties were made in Mexico, but come on, most textiles have shifted to 3rd world labor. This was a weak counter argument.

Donald Trump knows that the past 30 years of manufacturing decline were due to bad trade practices. We, along with other industrialized countries maximized profits by using cheap third world labor. This also allowed companies to avoid mandates by governing agencies like the EPA. (I spoke about this in my book back in 2006.) He and Bernie Sanders actually agree that global world trade practices have devastated our country, and the rest of the world.

Set your differences aside with Trump and pay particular attention to this issue. If he follows through on this promise, the Democrats and Republicans will have to answer to their empty promises of income inequality over the past 30 years. His plan will work. He believes a livable wage versus minimum wage will be impacted by a fair trade policy. This will raise incomes more than mandate guidelines from the government regarding a minimum wage.

We have been stagnant due to lobbyists handcuffing Washington with bribes on both sides of the aisle. Plant after Plant closing and going overseas. Eyesores in their place in many urban areas. Devastation left behind by the low paying jobs that replaced high paying jobs. It will be interesting to see if this happens, as Trump may make this a battle.

The NBA Leads Again For The Fight For Civil Rights

Read this very carefully. When it comes to quest for civil rights and corporate responsibility, the NBA has led the way. The league is a model of corporate decency that the rest of the United States needs to take notice. Here are some recent examples of how the NBA adheres to a strong policy of equity for all citizens.

The NBA moved the All Star game from Charlotte North Carolina to New Orleans in February 2017. This was in response to North Carolina's law that discriminates against the LGBTQ community. Recently, 3 NBA teams have boycotted the election of Donald Trump by eliminating any connection to Trump business ventures while on the road playing basketball. Gender equity: NBA expanded sports coverage by women broadcasters, refereeing games, and coaching and training opportunities. The NBA also has required stronger disciplinary practices for Domestic Violence. Police violence was also addressed. The NBA has played a pivotal role regarding Social Justice issues.

The recent moves by the NBA continues a policy of social responsibility that no other professional sports organizations have tried to aspire to be. Lost in discussion are the efforts by the owners and the league to fight injustices that exist in our country.

Okay Dems, Time To Learn From Trump.

Trump Trump Trump..... Yes I know you are angry. You should be, but for the right reasons. The best thing Democrats can do now is to acknowledge their mistakes. Rioting and protesting aside, we blew it. We lost our way without even realizing it. Stop blaming "uneducated white males" for the loss. Reflect and listen to what the nation is holding us accountable for during the past 30 years . Here are some thoughts:

Bernie Sanders - He was the Trump of the Democratic Party. People wanted real change this year. We dumped Bernie, which gave us Trump. It is that simple. We did it the old fashion way, Chicago Politics. Almost every primary had accusations of primary fraud. Our DNC chair colluded with the Clintons. It was dirty politics swept under the rug. Even in Bernie's boyhood home in Brooklyn, election fraud was brought to the attention of the State's Attorney General.

Correction Notice: Clean up our primary process to represent our values.

NAFTA - 30 years ago, Democrats rallied against NAFTA and free trade agreements. Today, we just go along with things. Our nation's economy was destroyed by Free Trade. Free Trade has impoverished 2 billion people to 2 dollars a day or less in income. That's not a democratic principle.

Correction: Reject Free Trade. Replace with a policy of Fair Trade.

Healthcare Reform - We had the house and senate 8 years ago similar to the Republicans have today. Yes the Republicans blocked Obamacare's landmark reforms. However, we accepted the blood money of healthcare corporations to go along with it. The House and Senate needs reform. They do not follow the Democratic Platform in regards to legislation. It's okay to filibuster folks!

Correction: Filibuster, Rally, and Be True Legislators in the House and Senate.

Hillary Clinton/Rural Support - She Blew It. Thought she won in a landslide until a week before the election. 260 days without a press conference. Democrats back in the day would campaign in rural and urban areas. In my hometown of Rome NY Donald Trump made an appearance. The first Presidential appearance since JFK. He could not win NYS, but he knew the value of campaigning everywhere. Hillary never even made an appearance in Wisconsin. Trump was laughed at for going into Democratic havens such as Detroit and Chicago. Who is laughing now?

Correction: Never take anything for granted.  Grassroots means just that.

Media Manipulation - When 97% of the media contributes to democrats, that's not good. People picked up on that and it played into Trump's favor. Even Fox News turned on Trump for many months only to play favor in the last few weeks. The Democrats used to be a proponent for fighting against media bias.

Correction: Advocate for Media Reform. Disavow cable news networks with a slant on both sides. Political consultants from campaigns should have a window before becoming journalists to avoid collusion between parties.  

Corruption - We talk the talk, however we sure do not walk the walk. We pay and play just like our counterparts. I understand we have to at times to get elected. However, Democrats over the past 30 years have not energized the movement to have publicly funded elections to take the money out of the system.

Correction: Advocate for Publicly Funded Elections.

The bottom line is Trump is going to address some of these issues and hold Democrats and Republicans accountable for inactiveness. We became a house of cards that needed to crumble on both sides. Just remember one things before you criticize the Republicans. 16 months ago, each party had a rogue candidate. The Republicans let the process work to their credit while the Democrats discredited Bernie. You reap what you sow sometimes. That's the lesson of 2016.

The History Of Water Rights In Rome NY

Water rights are something people take for granted. When we hear the term "water rights", we think of the west coast, whereas water is in short demand. However, water rights is a nationwide issue on many levels. Pollution is the most common problem outside of water shortages. In fact, clean water has been in the news this past year, reminding us that managing water is critical for communities. . The need for clean water is legislated by the Clean Water Act of 1972. Many communities back in the 1970s were in need of repair. Clean water was a problem.

Central New York was not immune from the water rights controversy of the 1970s. A great example of  how clean water impacted it's citizens happened in Rome New York back in the mid 1970s. Rome had the largest Giardiasis outbreak in the nation. Lost in the archives were the details that were documented by scientists. Here is what happened based on reports from the CDC.

Three hundred fifty residents of Rome, New York, had laboratory-confirmed cases of giardiasis between 1 November 1974 and 7 June 1975. A random household survey showed an overall attack rate for giardiasis (defined as a diarrheal illness of 5 days or more) of 10.6%. A significant association was discovered between having giardiasis and using city water and between having illness and drinking 1 or more glasses of water a day. The presence of human settlements in the Rome watershed area suggested that the water supply could have been contaminated by untreated human waste. The infectivity of municipal water was confirmed by producing giardiasis in specific pathogen-free dogs fed sediment samples of raw water obtained from an inlet of a city reservoir. A microscopic examination of the water sediments uncovered a Giardia lamblia cyst in one sample. This was the first time that a G. lamblia cyst has been found in municipal water in an epidemic and the first time that such water has been shown to infect laboratory animals. (source - CDC)

One has to travel back in time to understand what was gong on in the Rome area. Water governance was an issue. The area was transitioning to Water Authorities largely in part due to Federal Legislation by the Clean Water Act of 1972. The outbreak was largely due to failed policies of the past. The outbreak today is a lost part of Rome's history.  The good news is that reform came after the outbreak, and Rome has some one of the best water supplies in the United States.

5 Changes For The Election Of The POTUS That Need To Happen Now.

I think people tired of the election of the POTUS 6 months ago. What a mess. An embarrassment to our principles. The election is too long, corrupt, and lacking any process that makes sense. When in an abyss such as we have experienced, we fail to see he simple solutions for the next election cycle. Here are a few suggestions.

1. Shorten the vetting process: Do we really need 2-3 years of vetting. In some cases, it starts after the election ends. The new criteria is to shorten the election process to 10 months as originally intended.

2. Publicly funded elections: As crazy as this might sound, the time has come to publicly fund elections. Politicians are bought and sold by fundraising. It would be great to free our leaders from the chains of donations to their campaigns.

3. 1 month ban on vetting by the media: Too often, as we have see, the media holds on to stories for years for the benefit of the other candidate. To clear up this mess, new stories have to be limited to platforms during the final month or months of the election process.

4. Media Bias: Contributions by media personalities to the candidates is dangerous. The same for the corporations they work for can be said. Banning donations can free the media from scrutiny, and help the American people trust our news organizations.

5: PAC ads: Negative advertising needs to be replaced by platform discussions. The political action committees know how to tweak public opinions with distortions. This is not good for our democracy.

There are many more changes that are needed. We need to start somewhere, and we love things to have a number to them. Why not 5 changes to start? The impact would be immediate and return the election process to the people.

If We Can Learn Anything From This Election - We Need To Reform The Election Process

2016 is a blessing and a curse when it comes to our election process. The office of the POTUS is mired in money and media bias. Without a doubt, this is the worse example of voter frustration and disgust. Many asking, how did we get here?

The truth is the office of the POTUS is controlled by a minority of power brokers that spend billions on voter manipulation. We are deluged with negative advertisements, and attacks on personal lives. Very little substance is discussed during the 2 year process to elect a president.

The process of reform can be a simple one. With our technology, we could create a system of algorithms similar to Netflix that allow voters to examine the platforms of candidates. Take away the money and advertising and have the candidates only discuss the issues directly to the voters.

Next, it may be time to reexamine political parties. What would happen if we allowed candidates to run without the confusions of political parties. Political parties have exhausted their influence on elections. Without them, we could start the next big reform for democracy. One that has a direct vote by the people, without political parties to manipulate and confuse matters.

There are many new ideas waiting to be introduced. Hopefully, the millennials will pave the path to reform. Our democracy is counting on them.

How Trump Proved Sander's Point About Income Inequality

Those who doubt the theory of income inequality were hopefully listening in the last debate. Donald Trump proudly told the audience, "I have not paid taxes in 15 years." He in fact implied how stupid we are to think the rich would ever pay taxes to the Federal Government.

The progressive tax system is far from progressive. For years, it has transitioned to a tax system that benefits the rich. The middle class pays the bulk of taxes in our country based on the percentage of income versus taxes paid to the federal and state governments. The same can be said for fee for services charged by all branches of government.

Bernie Sanders led the charge this year regarding income inequality. The system of collecting revenue simply does not work as a progressive system. At this point, we would be better off with a flat tax. It would be better to collect 14% of taxes versus a system in which the rich do not pay at all.

The barrier to passing such a system of fairness is ironically, those who pay the most in taxes. There is a disconnect regarding their perception that the rich pay their fair share in taxes. Clearly, after watching the debate, nothing can be further from the truth.

Hey NYC Police....Why The Secrecy All Of The Sudden?

In what seems to be a huge setback for transparency, the NYC Police Department has decided to hide from the public disciplinary actions for it's officers. A standard practice for journalists and families to review, has all of the sudden disappeared. The department is taking advantage of a state statute that the legal department never knew existed to hide from the public disciplinary actions of it's officers.

By doing so, it will be much less transparent.

Why is this important? If a police officer breaks the trust of their position, their transgressions can be hidden from the public. This sort of privilege can be taken advantage of by officers who are reckless on and off duty. What may seem to be an accident to the general public, could be a cover up of a negligence by officers. In a sense, they can hide behind the badge when they make mistakes or worse yet, purposeful damage to another individual.

This surely will not help bridge the gap of mistrust with groups like Black Lives Matter. In fact, it only proves their point. Another problem is the silence of Mayor DeBlasio, who ran on a platform of greater transparency for all departments in NYC.

Why Are There Only 3 Peace Pagodas In The United States?

Civilization is not to kill human beings, Not to destroy things, not to make war;  Civilization is to hold mutual affection And to respect one another.”
–Most Venerable Nichidatsu Fujii

Peace Pagodas have a significant place in the development of humanity. Peace Pagodas are a symbol of non-violence dating as far back as 2000 years ago. During that time, the Emperor Ashoka of India, a notoriously bloody warlord, was approaching after a particularly wretched battle by a Buddhist Monk who admonished him for his wrong doings. From that time on, Ashoka became a became a fervent believer in Buddhism. After his conversion, he gave up his warlike ways and began erecting Peace Pagodas.

There are 80 in the world today. Of which 3 are in the United States, a country that has a military budget that is the equivalent of the next 10 nations combined. In an ironic twist, Peace Pagodas are lacking in a nation that is best prepared for the destruction of the planet earth if need be. For over 100 years, the United States has been the most militaristic nation in the world. Yes, we have fought battles that have led to peace, however we have contributed to wars around the world for generations that were covert and unnecessary.

New York State and Massachusetts have 2 of the 3 Peace Pagodas. One is under construction in Tennessee. Peaceful and a place for reflection, they offer children and adults the opportunity to reflect upon civilizations and how we choose to live our lives today. We have a choice to be violent or non violent as a society. We can destroy or build things based on empathy, and compassion. It is a choice, if we seek out the truth. This blog is dedicated to exploring what can be, as much as we need to understand what is.........

Rethinking Political Parties

Is it time to rethink political parties? Have millennials already started the process? Great questions, and Americans are starting to pay attention. Over half of millennials have registered independent. Tired of the political process, they are sending a clear message. That message is, political parties are the problem.


Political parties are interested in winning so that they can have power and control over the major branches of government. Over the past 50 years, trillions of dollars are transferred to power changes for Democrats and Republicans. House domination is the equivalent to corporate welfare. The political process has been hijacked, and without many older Americans realizing, we have converted to a Corporatized Democracy. Corporations first, people second.


Millennials have figured it out. We can not have change until we change the political process. The marriage of Corporations, Media, and Political Parties has changed out country, and not for the better. There is a stranglehold on issues of decency. We live in a lottery system of services based on political whims instead of social policy.

Our educational system is another example of the problem with political parties. Hijacked for decades by political parties, the system is a revolving door of standardized educational testing and corporate control. Teachers are not treated as professionals. They have been incorporated into a system of professional test givers. The same is true for Guidance Counselors. Often relegated to data analysis, they have help more with the administration of tests than working directly with students. Parents have demanded for years reform, priorities for curriculum and less tests, only to fall on deaf ears. It seems that corporatized curriculum is more important than local control.

The decline of political parties will continue. However, the corporations control the agenda as political parties decline. It will take a greater decline in political parties to increase the possibility of positive change for the United States. How long this change will take is anyone's guess.

Hey Michael Moore - Remember President Bush and Katrina?

Call me crazy, but the Democrats have lived on a platform for years of President Bush's handling of Katrina. He was late arriving on scene, and everyone criticized him for not responding. Many allegation included race as a motivation. Some like Michael Moore profited from Katrina by documenting the events in his movies.

Fast forward to 2016. Flooding has led to a massive evacuation in Louisiana and President Obama is on vacation. Not a hint of his presence. Why is there no outrage similar to President Bush?  The problem in political loyalty. The Democrats are silent, and should be ashamed of themselves. People in crisis often do not have a name, and a political party to lean on, they just need help.

This is a great example of the polarization of the United States due to the media. Michael Moore and the likes of him on both sides of a position lean toward parties and platforms when they should bring equity to the discussion of human rights.

What Happened To The Idea That Robots Will Make Our Lives Easier?

Over the past 30 years, automation using robots has changed our society. Robots essentially have replaced people. We were sold a proposition that robots would make our lives easier, and in some ways provide us a much simpler lifestyle.

Automation has worked quite well. We produce as much as we consume thanks to technology. In fact abundance is more of an issue versus the shortfalls predicted a generation past. The question I have is for our readers is, "Did we miss on opportunity to make our lives easier?"

Think about it, in Europe some countries have factored in the benefits of automation. Shorter work weeks, extended vacation times, and universal health care for all. All paid for through the benefits of automation, and of course careful planning and social policy.

Did we miss an opportunity to extend the same freedoms to our citizens? If we shortened the work week to 30 hrs, we would improve the health of our citizens, increase employment, and provide for the intellectual freedom promised by our very own Constitution.

Time For A Do-Over

Take a deep breathe, sit back, and really contemplate this election for President. Now imagine yourself as someone neutral, or from a foreign country. What would you think about our election process for President? Better yet, imagine this election through the eyes of our children.


2016 is the year of corruption. Many historians will point to past elections and say, "This happens every election cycle." Simply not true. We have one of the most unbalanced unhinged candidate in American History, and we have one of the most corrupt public figures and political party since the days of Boss Tweed.

The media is another problem. We have journalists covering the election that have connections to political parties that are inappropriate. Fox, CNN, MSNBC to name a few hire the political consultants from both parties to provide coverage of the candidates. In today's social media empire, the connections to mainstream social media is helping control the election process.

We also have voter fraud in most states. Whether ID fraud, or cooking the books in highly populated counties across the U.S., the odds are that your vote only mattered if you vote for the 2 major political candidates that won the election.

Finally, nothing gets a candidate disqualified anymore. Whether it is their behavior or their unethical practices, we are sending a message to our children that the content of your character does not matter. We have witnessed 2 people, broke all the laws spoken and unspoken to win an election. Violations in ethics and the law have been skirted, without consequence.

The solution: The President and Congress need to step in, and disqualify the primary results. They should extend the current President's term by one year, create a bi partisan commission, and clean up the election process. What a powerful message to send our children, and the rest of the world. How we vote for a candidate is more important than who wins. For this reason, please consider the following petition to the Congress and the White House.

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/call-democrats-and-republicans-postpone-upcoming-presidential-election

What Two 19 Year Old Rapists Can Teach Us About A Broken System Of Justice

The criminal justice system has been broken for decades in our country. The most glaring injustice is sentencing, especially when it comes to race. Drug sentencing has devastated the African-American community. Yet, the outrage for such an imbalance in sentencing seems to hardly get the attention of mainstream America. People seem to doubt the accuracy of such claims that the color of your skin is a barrier to justice.

The recent sentencing of two 19 year old rapists are clearly an example of what role race plays in our justice system. Brock Turner, a white male was an athlete from Stanford. He raped a woman as she was unconscious. In fact, he raped her behind a dumpster. Clearly not a nice guy. Corey Batey is an African American college athlete that raped a woman as she was unconscious.

Brock Turner was sentence to 6 months in county jail. He could be released for good behavior in 3 months. Many were outraged. The judge's explanation was that at such a young age, a longer sentence would have a negative impact on the young man's life. Contrast that with the sentence for Corey Batey. He was given 15-25 years for the same crime.

U.S sentencing for African-Americans are 20% longer than their white counterparts. In the case of Turner and Batey, the difference is 3000% for the same crime. For those frustrated by Black Lives Matter, maybe it is time to see why so many African Americans are frustrated by a broken system of justice.

Corruption On Both Sides - Fair and Balanced

What a mess! Daily we are barraged with stories of corruption. Both sides of the aisle are abusing the powers granted to them via the Constitution. While Trump dominates the headlines, it is important to note, any thing scandalous to him was committed in the private sector. What voters need to be outraged by is the abuse that happens within the public trust.

Emails being deleted, pallets of cash delivered to Iran, and corruption stories today without any form of justice that locked people up just a few years ago. The most concerning is lying under oath. It would seem that Martha Stewart did not get away with it a few years ago, however our elected officials can routinely commit perjury without consequence.

It is time of Americans to wake up and demand a higher standard in nation's capital. We the people decide what is just, not our elected leaders. This summer will resonate with millennials and hopefully older generations. It is important that all of us recognize that ethics are compromised which is dangerous for a democracy. When our corruption perception index goes up, we as a nation plunge into mistrust. It is time to clean up this mess.

Is It Time For Pariliamentary Democracy In The United States?

The past 30 years have seen a large transition to the office of the POTUS. The position itself has become lost in money. It takes a few billion to elect someone to the highest of offices. It is a shell game in a broken two party system. The elections have become to long, and the leadership is to compromised by the time they take office due to financial donations to their campaign.

Maybe it is time for a change. A Parliamentary Democracy would better represent the people, versus the electoral college and our current system of electing a president. Parliamentary Democracies do not have a presidential election at all. The ruling party elects a Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister answers to the entire legislative body and the people.

A Parliamentary process brings the elections back to the local level. Voter turnout would improve because each congressional district is in play. Currently, voter turnout for the Office of the POTUS has declined to 50% of the population voting. One could conclude that citizens do not feel invested in the election process for President anymore. It has been in steady decline for multiple decades. The media and political parties consider a no vote as laziness. It is actually the opposite. People feel like their vote does not matter anymore. This is a dangerous precedent in a democracy.

Recent presidential elections had strange anomalies such as one candidate earning more votes in a district than registered voters. Some have one precincts by 100%. We reduce the risk of this happening by returning voter control to the people. A Parliamentary process might be what the United States needs to reinvigorate the principles

of the Constitution, even if it means amending the electoral process for President of the United States.

Do All Lives Really Matter?

All Lives Matter! Right? Hmmmm, not so fast. I have been following the social media posts and happen to tally additional posts by the same people that claim "All Lives Matter." I noticed a peculiar pattern. It would seem that people who post All Lives Matter have very strong opinions that are quite the opposite.
For example, many people that claim All Lives Matter are against Gay Marriage. Kind of seems odd that we would discriminate against the right to marry. They also support the Republican National Committee Platform rejecting gay marriage. Some of the people posting All Lives Matter have a peculiar pattern of restricting the rights of individuals to live freely. So the question is, do All Lives Truly matter, or just those that seem similar to our own moral judgments and character.  

Here is another question for those who post All Lives Matter. If you reject religious freedom, how do we justify that All Lives Matter? It would seem some Conservative Christians posting All Lives Matter would prefer to keep this mantra for those who accept Jesus Christ in their lives. For the rest, well you can spend an eternity in hell based on your personal choice to worship, or not worship as one feels is morally correct for themselves.

Some people would like to control how we go to the bathroom in the All Lives Matter movement. The posts are quite hurtful, and demeaning. Again, Do All Lives Matter?

The idea of Immigration, both legal and illegal seem to bother a lot of All Lives Matter folks. Especially those who are unemployed or generally unhappy with their life. . It seems strange that a country with strong roots to immigration is intolerant to immigration. Again, for those that believe in turning a blind eye to refugees and immigration, do All Lives Matter?

It is disingenuous to post or support All Lives Matter, when we restrict the rights of individuals to live free of discrimination and policies that restrict the rights of Individuals. Maybe it is time to reexamine the hurtfulness of All Lives Matter, and allow the Black Lives Matter movement to have their context to the phrase, without white people feeling they need to have a moral equivalent.

What We Could Have Learned About the Dallas Sniper

If we are going to use robots in police standoffs, we should use them for impairment and not killing a citizen of the United States. It is more important to have the person alive to study cause and effect than to kill an individual out of revenge.
A kill limits us to learn why tragic events happen. In the case of the Dallas shooting, it would have been a great opportunity to question and learn from the shooter what made him become the person that shot and killed 5 officers. This was not a typical profile. The shooter was a 2 time Afghan soldier and someone that worked with people with disabilities. Something drove this young man to the brink of madness. Unfortunately, we may never know what happened.
More importantly, with all of the Veterans Affairs problems, it is important to study such an individual. He obviously had mental health issues. And, there is a very scary coincidence that the shooter was from Dallas Texas.

Remember the movie American Sniper. The movie ends without explaining how Chris Kyle's life ended. Chris Kyle came home only to be shot and killed by another Veteran of Foreign War Eddie Routh.  Routh killed Chris and his friend Chad Littlefield. It would have been very powerful to explore the events that unfolded that day.

We may never know how coincidental the two tragedies were in comparison. However here are some details of Routh's life:

He was admitted to the Veterans Administration hospital in Dallas for the first time in July 2011 and diagnosed with PTSD. Doctors prescribed a raft of antipsychotic and anti-anxiety drugs, including Risperidone, a powerful antipsychotic medication used to treat schizophrenia. Meanwhile, he steadily self-medicated with alcohol and marijuana. In September 2012, police picked him up walking down the road, incoherent, and he was brought to the VA hospital, suffering from what psychiatrists there called a major depressive illness and psychotic delusions. He was again given medication and discharged. He would seem better for a time, and he even found a girlfriend, Jennifer Weed, whom he had met online. They briefly lived together. She later recalled that he sometimes talked as though he had, in fact, seen action in Iraq, saying: "I've killed before, and I'll do it again." On Jan. 19, 2013, he had another psychotic episode, holding Weed and her roommate prisoner in their apartment while brandishing a knife until police arrived, and he landed at the VA hospital once more. But after a five-day stay, he was released again.

Routh's mother, Jodi, had pleaded with the VA doctors not to release her son. Exhausted and running out of options, she turned to Chris Kyle. His two kids attended the elementary school where she worked, so when he came to pick up his children, she approached him as a last resort. She said that she had heard he was spending a lot of time helping other veterans with disabilities and PTSD and told him about Eddie's deepening crisis. He promised to reach out to her son.

Hopefully, a closer examination of the Dallas shooter will give us insight into the Veterans returning home from modern warfare. Did the VA clinic in Dallas again play a role in the returning veteran not getting services they need? We need to transition from revenge to finding answers. It is hard to have empathy for anyone that commits such an act, however something acted as a trigger. We need to find out what caused such a young man to shoot and kill the 5 police officers. The best way to honor the men and women in blue is to help learn how to avoid such tragedies in the future.

Texas Open Carry Laws - Are We Safer?

The tragedy in Texas has many tales yet to be told. However, one is quickly emerging about the impact an open carry law can have on public safety. Gun Control advocates have said that open carry laws will save lives. Gun carrying advocates have sited singular examples of people saving lives in the workplace or isolated settings as a reason for open carry laws.

Texas has an open carry law that includes pistols and rifles. It is legal to carry an AR15 or a pistol for all to see. However, did the law cause confusion in Dallas during the tragedy that killed 5 police officers and injured police and civilian? The police originally thought they found the shooter, only to realize in the confusion it was someone else that handed in their rifle to police because he was a part of the Black Lives Matter movement. A smart move on his part, as he could have been shot during the confusion. The fact that multiple people carried weapons in a public area may have caused confusion for law enforcement.

The law's intent is that society is safer when we allow people to carry weapons. However, in a state like Texas that is approaching one million open carry citizens, confusion could be a part of mass shootings as many people will be packing heat at public events. It will be hard for police to sort out who is the shooter versus who is a civilian with an open carry weapon. It also puts a target on openly carried weapons, versus concealed weapons. The original intent of the law was that open carry would discourage people from trouble, however we may soon learn that open carry can also create troubles for law enforcement and citizens alike.

The Curious Case Of Hillary Clinton

Remember Edward Snowden?  He leaked classified documents on a private email server. He knew the consequences would be dire. Snowden fled the country to avoid decades in prison. Do you know who referred to him as a traitor who has “blood on his hands” for his leak of classified documents? Yep, Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Clinton was given a slap on a wrist. She was called careless. She is not the first government official to have “carelessly” handled secret information. However she is the first to be given such leniency. There is a danger with such actions by our government, as many citizens will feel that the judicial process has two tiers of justice. One for the commoner, and one for the ruling class.

Lets look at some of the criticisms objectively. Some critics reflect on Watergate. How can we seek the resignation of a President that had 18 minutes of tape that are missing yet Hillary was given a slap on the wrist for 30 thousand missing emails. Other site David Petraeus as an example of hypocrisy. His career was destroyed for sharing confidential information by email. He was fined 100.000 and given probation for his actions. He was a four star general.

A former CIA Director had to resign back in 1996 for storing classified documents on his personal computer. He was also taken to trial and plea bargained a misdemeanor for his actions. Ironically, he was pardoned by his friend, then President Clinton during his last day in office. The Clintons have a pattern of forgiving friends, similar to how the Hillary was forgiven under a current Democratic sitting President.

The most important aspect to the FBI decision is moving forward, lower level employees of our government will be held to different standard. They will be reprimanded, fined, and even taken to court for lesser crimes than Hillary Clinton's careless behavior. This will be a problem that will haunt the Democratic Party for years if not decades, as citizens will remember the two tiers of justice that the Democratic Party looked the other way when it came to the Clinton decision by the FBI.

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Do We Need To Reevaluate The Term 'Religious Freedom"

Religious Freedom is a word tossed around a lot these days. The context of the phrase in simpler terms for many is:


    "An Individual or Group is free to worship as he or she sees fit"

The problem with the definition is that many people around the world are subjugated to inequalities based on religious freedoms. It is not just ISIS, it is most major world religions. It is an illusion for many that they are "Free" to worship and it is the will of their God to be subjugated. The opposite is happening as individuals without realizing it live in a society that free will is subjugated to religion.

The true definition of Religious Freedom is as follows:

     "The ability of an individual or group to impose their religious beliefs on another individual to worship in a certain manner or context."

Religion is conceptualized for an individual. They are given an illusion that "all things happen for a reason." The problem with this concept is that factually, individuals are misled into believing that somehow life is based on divine intervention from a higher power. It is a subtle manipulation. For example, the higher power is credited with positive interactions in a person's life while never credited with negative events in a person's life. This leads to complicated scenarios to question religion within an individuals thought process known as doubt. Supports are provided within most religious organizations to stamp our all doubt. Doubt is the enemy of free will, and must be squashed for a person to successfully achieve religion is many religious groups.

Today's definition of religious freedom can be torture for children around the world. We see the images of recruitment internationally, but ignore the negative effects in our own back yard. Subtle bullying and intimidation to lead children to a higher power exists in our communities and schools. There lacks protection for children from groups that want to convert a child to their ideas of religion. Parents who are not particularly religious will be subjected to religious groups imposing their will on children starting in Middle School.

Can religion be a positive event for a person? Absolutely. Religion can be a positive force in a person's life through free will. When it is a personal choice or reflection, the connotation has a different meaning. This is a better definition of "Religious Freedom." When your natural rights lead you to a path of learning, it is through freedoms that you achieve an informed decision about God.

Think about daily informed decisions people make without the help of other individuals or groups. It is those decisions that people feel complete, and well informed. We are a nation that free will is governed by our Constitution. Our Declaration of Independence was founded on the truth of free will. It is this form of religious freedom that existed back in the 1700s. People came to religion freely when our nation was founded. This was the basis of the 1st Amendment in regards to freedom of religion.

We as a nation need to reinvigorate protecting the religious freedoms of children and adults to naturally decide for themselves the right path to a higher consciousness, including the path to a higher power. A new dialog regarding the context of the phrase would serve the 21st century well, and possibly move us forward into a world of generous thinking versus war and conflicts. That is the true definition of religious freedom.

Would You Live In The United State Of Texas?

The British exit vote of the European Union will surely inspire the state of Texas to consider secession from the United States. Texas is unique, in that it was a nation-state prior to entering the union.

Critics will tie a succession movement to racism and Donald Trump. However, the reasons for succession go well beyond the mainstream media's interpretation of secessionist thinking. Texas is the 10th largest economy in the world if they left the union. They have the resources to be an independent nation. The movement would primarily be economic and benefit the citizens of the state.

Another reason for secession would be Texas has a conservative spirit of minimal government. The United States has increased the involvement of government in personal decision making. This is not a part of the spirit of conservative thinking. Secession would appeal to Texans as the see less government as an attractive reason to leave the union.

Texas is geographically in a good position to secede. Most states are landlocked. Texas has excellent ports for trade, and borders Mexico, one of our largest trading partners. Texas also has Oil, Wind and Solar to be self-sufficient as a nation. Texas would also be able to solve problems quicker with a smaller bureaucracy, which could be appealing to it's neighbors to relocate.

Whether Texas secedes or not, it is important to realize that as a state, secessionist thinking has many benefits for the people of Texas. It is not born from racist thoughts. It is born from self-interests of the citizens that live and work in Texas.  

Inclusive Learning Is So Important For Every Community

In the 1950's, the Supreme Court ruled that communities be more inclusive with the ground breaking decision known as Brown V. The Board Of Education. Similar decisions would follow, including people with disabilities and other groups that were discriminated against. The United States, it would seem was moving towards a more inclusive society.

While there have been great gains, it seems that high stakes testing has reduced progress. Quietly, classrooms in some communities have been again segregated. People with disabilities have been reduced to smaller less inclusive settings. It would seem that full inclusion is no longer the goal. The academic needs of the mainstreamed children far outweigh the needs of inclusive education. Social learning has taken a back seat to standardized testing.

While anecdotal, there is evidence to conclude that the same can be said for minorities. Some minorities are shipped off to alternative education sites or segregated learning centers. Behaviors are often the rationale for such moves. The school districts will argue that they lack the proper setting for such behaviors, and smaller settings have a goal for the student to return to their home district. Often, this is not the case. Many sent away will graduate at the learning centers that was intended to return them home.

Children leaving their cohort from their community, especially at such a young age can have negative consequences for the community as a whole. When diversity is absent from the classroom, students can make conclusions later on as adults that can be intolerant to other groups of people in their community. A community will lack empathy for certain social issues while being overly supportive of more mainstream causes. Advocacy efforts for those less fortunate will fail when a community is less educated about the citizens that no one sees or hears from as children. 

This was never the intent of Civil Rights legislation, and should be reexamined by educational leaders. It is time to advocate for the benefits of full inclusion whenever possible for disenfranchised populations.

The Next Civil Rights Movement - Disallow Franklin Graham In Public And Government Facilities

Franklin Graham is on tour. He wants to garner enough votes for candidates that have a platform to deny someone their civil rights. He makes it sound nice. Candidates to restore the family is such a catchy phrase. However make no bones about it, Franklin Graham wants to restore policies that discriminate against gays, and lesbians. It is time for our Government to limit people like Franklin Graham to privately owned facilities.

How far right is Franklin Graham? He has endorsed Vladamir Putin's policies to protect children from gays. His stand is immoral and incorrect. Most of the abuse and neglect in our nation is at the hands of heterosexuals, not homosexuals. His agenda is biased and hateful. Mainstream Christians have condemned his comments like the one he made about Putin.

When we allow Pastors like Graham to make a salary of 880.000 a year, and be given a non-profit status, we promote an agenda of hate. When a Pastor garners such a salary, and goes on tour, their role has changed. They want to impact the role religion plays on individual human rights. This is unconstitutional and unfortunately in the minds of Americans proper.

For years, the KKK, and conservative commentators have been protected under the Bill of Rights. It is the 21st century and we need to limit their impact on our society. The Bill of Rights is flexible. You can get arrested for yelling, "Fire!" in a crowded building, yet a Pastor can scream, "I want to help gays and lesbians prevent eternal damnation in hell."  One is just as dangerous as the other. We need to limit hateful speech and it's impact on our children and vulnerable adults.

Limiting Graham will start at the grassroots level. It will have to start with expanding against churches like the Westboro Baptist Church to all churches that limit the rights of individuals. When Graham or any Pastor with a message of hate comes to your town, it is time to become active and protest their agenda.

 We have reached that point in America, and the rest of the world. We have to confront those that promote an agenda of hate.

Let's Be Honest - The Bogey Man In The Sky That Discriminates Does Not Exist

It is time for Americans, and people around the world to challenge extremist thinking, especially when it comes to religion. Currently, there are too many people that believe there exists a higher power that picks and chooses his people, based on the words of men written centuries ago. The truth is, that the idea of an existence of a higher power for the past two thousand years has lead to countless numbers of deaths. It is also true that ethnic cleansings and brutality were inspired by extremist thoughts. History has seen countless wars based on the ancient texts. Centuries past, people blinded followed because that was the truth without dispute. Today however, thanks to science, we know that many ancient texts no longer contain truths. We stand at a point in history that we should no longer be guided by religious intolerance. It exists because we allow it to exist. We teach false truths to our children. Our public schools are not allowed to teach science without being challenged by evolutionists. Thus, we remain silent instead of teaching the truth.

We live in an age in which absolutism in religious thought should be challenged and extinguished. There is no need for tolerance of faiths that practice extremist thoughts that include the denial of human rights. The Bill of Rights or similar documents around the world never were intended to protect religious freedoms that exist in today's context. Governments around the world need to end the practice of tolerance towards ideas that promote the hatred of another individual or groups. Our leaders should not be misled by religious thoughts that are simply not true.

The problem with religion is the teachings found in most books. Most religious books teach inaccuracies to children and born again adults.  At this point in history, there is no reason, to believe that any group is targeted by God to be considered sinners or immoral based on outdated ideologies. For example, the idea that a man can not be with a man or a woman can not be with a woman is not factually the word of any higher power. The truth is that authors of ancient texts did not have the knowledge we have today, and wrote the stories based on cultural norms of centuries past.

How does religion impact generous thoughts? We spend more time online denying the rights of the transgendered to use bathrooms than we did acknowledging the people who died in Orlando. The priorities are skewed because people do not challenge the ancient thoughts of religious teachings. People do not realize that the religious books they are reading have been rewritten from their original authors. Over time, men have changed the context as humans have developed. The claim that a book is infallible, when it has been rewritten for modern audiences  is in itself is absurd.

There is a pattern to hate that involves believing that the bogey man exists. The pattern I am about to describe is just as dangerous as a loaded weapon. In the right hands, it can kill someone. Here are some examples that need to be challenged regarding conventional thinking: When someone believes the earth is 6600 or 10000 years old, they lack rational thought. We live in an age that it is indisputable to accept such a concept. When a person thinks the Old Testament or Koran is Infallible, they need to understand they are putting things into context that simply are not true. The new religious leaders claim the opposite. They claim that it is non-believers that take things out of context. Leviticus is Levitics is Leviticus. The truths proclaimed in that chapter are barbaric and obscene. It is a fact that women have been subjugated by such thoughts for thousands of years. Same sex couples have been harassed and killed over Leviticus. The same is true for the stories of Allah destroying the people of Lut. Countries have the death penalty for homosexual acts based on the teachings of ancient texts, and the world community needs to challenge such thinking moving forward.  

The global community needs to rise against the many injustices sponsored by religion similar to the fight we waged against fascism in the 20th century. We can start by acknowledging that the bogey man in the sky that discriminates is a figment of one's reality created by men centuries past. Once we conquer the man upstairs that sponsors hate, we will go along way in ending global extremism and terrorism.

It Is Time To Reinvigorate Silence Equals Death

When the AIDS virus was discovered in the late 80s, a group known as Act Up had a great educational campaign titled, "Silence = Death." The idea behind this movement was simple. When those not impacted as of yet by intolerance choose to be silent, people will die. The power behind this movement came from the gay and lesbian community. It challenged people, gay or straight to speak out against intolerance. This movement was incorporated into curriculum in our schools and very successful towards gains for the LGBT community.
If we can learn anything from the early advent of Act Up, it is that their campaign is more important now, than ever. Mass shootings, religious intolerance, and the overall globalization of hate has taken many forms. Many people are not speaking up against groups or individuals that impact the spread of hate. People are choosing to be silent, and this leads to death.
Whether it is political leanings, or pressures from our community, many still choose to be silent for all the wrong reasons. Social media is a great example of our silence. Friends and relatives post about hate so often, and we often give them a pass. It is never direct, yet subtle. For example, they post that a soldier wounded from war is a "real" hero in comparison to Caitlyn Jenner. They both can be seen as heroes, without the slam on the LGBT community. It happens all the time. Whether it is related to gun control, religious intolerance, or far right fringe postings, we seldom speak up and challenge the intolerance of others. We give it a pass far too often without realizing that this kind of thinking  leads to violence in our communities.
When we are silent, those on the far right promote extremists thoughts without realizing the impact it can have on those individuals that suffer from mental health issues. Too often, an individual with mental health issues has plenty of time on their hands. They watch mass amounts of television and surf the internet. Whether it is the far right screaming on TV or the posts on social media, it is a fact that they play in role in violence. Predisposition has been proven to be a catalyst to future violence when people immerse themselves into a negative thought pattern towards another group or individual.
The research should strengthen our resolve to realize that it is time for silence to take a back seat to activism. People need to challenge their friends and relatives and impact change on a local level. In the future, do not just examine events like Orlando on  a national level. Look at your own community. For example, did your community have a remembrance for the victims of Orlando or did your community stay silent. It speaks volumes when a community fails to react to such an event. It is led by community leaders that were silent due to political leanings. What a community chooses to respond to is directly correlated to the leanings of hate. The most important learning opportunities for our Children are teachable moments. Missing them dictates where our priorities are as a society regarding how to respond to hate.
Another problem is staying silent online. It is those that promote memes for patriotism that often fail to give remembrance to people who died in Orlando. They cry and rally over a soldier not getting a proper funeral, however stay silent when our citizens of Orlando die in a hateful attack. People who take umbrage to President Obama going to Japan to visit the survivors of Hiroshima on Memorial Day lack the respect and empathy for such actions. These kind of responses ttruly speaks volumes to our own lack of empathy as a society.

Too often political leanings are never challenged, however a person's attack on a President that is biased deserves a conversation. There is a reason why many people challenge President Obama every time he misses a funeral or remembrance. It is due to intolerance, whether overt of subtle. The truth is there is no difference when someone dies from the hands of gun overseas or here at home. The attacks on our president are rooted in hatred towards another individual or group, and  is very sophisticated. We need to find that same passion in to challenge another persons lack of empathy towards any human being that has suffered from violence.

What should one do? If you have a friend or relative with a viewpoint that can lead to hate, it is time to challenge them. Intolerant people like to challenge others with different ideas all the time to accept their viewpoint. Challenging people also use measures of getting their viewpoint to be generally accepted. However, it is those with far right thinking that are the most dangerous in our communities. For example, far right people are recruiting our children right from under our noses by inviting them into their homes and community gathering places to recruit a child to their point of view. This has to stop across our nation. People have to speak up against groups that sponsor hate. It is also inporatand that conservative churches and faith communities should not be given a pass moving forward. They also play a role in hate crimes, and no one wants to address their actions. Again, silence = death. 

It is important to watch, look and pay attention to the subtle posts online or actions in your community. We need to challenge any group that tries to spread intolerance in our schools. It should be a goal for every community to restore balance and keep those that sponsor hate to themselves. The more they gain ground, the more hate that is spread. It is time to speak out and stand up to intolerance. It is time to remember that Silence = Death.

Orlando - Hold On......Let's Not Take Extremism Out Of Context.

It is becoming clear that religious extremism is behind the nigh club massacre in Orlando. It is also looking like Muslim Extremism was behind this attack.


While Muslim Extremism is primarily a plague in the Middle East, religous extremism has been a plague on the United States. It may come to surprise people that most extremism is practiced by Christians, not Muslims in the United States. Home grown, and more political than people realize, it has been a cancer on our nation and has cleverly been masked as Patriotism since 9/11.

Since Christianity is a majority of our citizens, it is hard to track religious extremism. Tracking of hate crimes can be complicated by Christian acts of violence. For example, the Charleston shooting of 9 African Americans in a church is not considered a hate crime, even though the shooter clearly found motivation from the Bible to commit such acts.

While Muslims are feared in the United States by some, the FBI has tracked 1140 attacks by Christians against Jews in 2014 in the United States. Yet there was 1340 crimes against sexual orientation. I am not sure how the FBI can differentiate between the 2. Most origins of crimes against sexual orientation are motivated by religious upbringing. Either way, one can assume that religious intolerance is a common thread for hate crimes.

What most may not know is that 9/11 led to a series of events that increased fundamental outreach towards children in our public schools. President Bush included with the Patriot Act legislation that allowed schools to have an increase of religious presence. This opened the door to religious clubs and special events like prayers at the flag pole. The goal of the legislation was to loosen the control over public schools regarding the separation of church and state.

What some parents have experienced has been almost as painful as a mass shooting. Unbeknownst to them, Christian Churches have sent youth pastors into schools as teacher assistants and aides. These folks befriend children and often encourage them to attend events. At these events, indoctrination begins and their parents are considered to be "non supportive" participants of the road towards Christ.

Without parents knowing, there have been examples of these groups encouraging high school participants to skip college whereas doubt through higher learning can be a barrier to the road to religious enlightenment.

Most of these examples can be found in the south, and rural areas across the United States. Inner cities have kept restrictions to such events happening, however religious organizations have found a way to inner city children via multiple outlets.

The problem with evangelizing youth is that they will be indoctrinated into believe the Bible is Truth.

When a verse in Leviticus tells you that a man sleeping with a man or a woman sleeping with a woman should lead to death. The young mind will be conditioned to believe this is true. It can happen with adults, but the profile is that it has a stronger impact on children.

There are other examples of religious violence. In Whitesboro New York, a church member was beat to death by his congregation regarding his behavior.  Conservative churches can have strict doctrinal interpretations due to their fear of a church member doubting the teachings of the pastor or the group as a whole. Hundreds of thousands of youth groups bring kids into the fold through clever fun events, only to fall prey to such teachings. It is a very dangerous recruitment practice happening all over the United States.

The political consequences of returning the balance of separation of church and state can no longer be tolerated by the general electorate. Most religious people can differentiate between personal faith and fundamentalism. What political leaders need to do is enact legislation that greatly restricts the rights of conservative churches to enter public schools with their propaganda. Stricter hiring guidelines are needed for public service positions to filter out religious zealots. Schools need to return to being safe havens for children to learn without religious pressures regarding the path to enlightenment.

Guns are a problem, but one has to remember that during the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s, fundamentalists used home made devices to kill hundreds of people in churches. There were also over 3000 lynching's a year. Hate finds a way, and guns should not be the blame for our events such as Orlando. Hate finds a way, and it is time for us as a nation to deal with the extremists that promote hate.