You were not aborted but were born to a loving, nurturing mother. A true miracle. Thank her.

 No matter whether it happened on a snowy January morning, or a hot July evening, you know the date, the day of the week, the year and perhaps even the time of day. What is it? It is none other than the day you were born, or, as a two year old would say, "Morrow is my bird.. day!" 

And if you are under 16 years old, you want to load that cake with candles. But if you are over 25, you'd rather lose count after 20 candles! Regardless of the candles, or the flavor of the cake, you know the month, day and year of your birth. 

But do you really appreciate

the true significance of that day? Do you really understand that everything had to be perfectly lined up and in sync for the miracle of your birth to take place? Following is a brief chronology of the events that took place leading up to and including the spectacular miracle of your birth.

First four to five weeks (1st Trimester):

In the first four to five weeks after you were conceived, your brain and spinal cord began to form. And so your heart and your arm and leg buds began to appear. At this point, you were an embryo and were very, very tiny!

At eight weeks (1st Trimester):

Your organs and body structures have begun to form. Your heart started beating with regular rhythm. Your arms and legs grew longer and your fingers and toes began to form. Your sex organs began to form. Your eyes moved forward and your eyelids formed. Your umbilical cord, which was your lifeline to your mother, became noticeably visible. You were a fetus and looked more like a human. You were about an inch long and weighed less than one eighth of an ounce. 

At 12 weeks (1st Trimester):

Your nerves and muscles worked in sync and you were able to make a fist. Your sex organs revealed your gender. Your eyelids were closed to protect your eyes as they developed. Your head growth had started and you were much longer and you weighed nearly an ounce.

At 16 weeks (2nd Trimester): 

Your muscles and bones continued to grow (your skeletal structure). You had your first bowel movement. You were able to make sucking sounds with your mouth. You were about 4 to 5 inches long and weighed almost 3 ounces.  

At 20 weeks (2nd Trimester): 

You were more active and fluttered slightly.You were covered with fine downy hair, lanugo, that protected your underlying skin and by a waxy substance called vernix. Your eyebrows, eyelashes, fingernails and toenails had began to form. You were able to scratch yourself. You were able to hear and to swallow. You were about 6 inches long and weighed around 9 ounces.

At 24 weeks (2nd Trimester):

Your bone marrow began making blood cells. Your taste buds formed on your tongue. Footprints and fingerprints began to form. Real hair began forming on your head. Your lungs had formed but did not yet work. Your hand and startle reflexes began functioning. You began to sleep and to awaken regularly. If you are a male, your testicles began to move from the abdomen to the scrotum. If you are a female, your uterus and ovaries were in place and you were provided with a lifetime supply of eggs in your ovaries. You had begun storing fat and had gained weight. You were about 12 inches long and weighed about one and a half pounds.

At 32 weeks (3rd Trimester): 

Your bones were fully formed but still soft. Your kicks and jabs were forceful. Your eyes opened and closed in response to light. Your lungs engaged in practice breathing moments; although they were not yet fully formed. Your body began storing vital minerals, such as iron and calcium. Your lanugo began to fall off.  You were roughly 17 inches long at this point and weighed about 4 to 4.5 pounds.  

At 36 weeks (3rd Trimester):

Your protective waxy vernix became thicker. Your body fat increased. Your body became bigger and had less room to move around. Your movements were not as forceful and jabbing, but you stretched and wiggled a lot during this period. You were 16 to 19 inches long and you weighed about 6 to 6.5 pounds.

Weeks 37 - 40 (3rd Trimester):

At 39 weeks, you were full term. Your organs were nearly ready to function on their own. You most likely presented a "head down" position for birth. You probably weighed between 6 pounds 2 ounces and 9 pounds 2 ounces at birth. 

Birth:

Obviously you made it here and beyond. Your mother loved you enough to carry you full term and to birth. She withstood the late nights, the kicks, the pain, the fevers, the dizzy spells and all of the uncertainty that encircles a pregnancy. And why? Because she loved you. And she loved you since the second she learned that she was expecting you. Her maternal instinct was in control the whole time and she knew exactly what to do, and how and when to do it with the right amount of tender loving care. 

And she was there with you on the first day of kindergarten. And she waved "Good bye" to you for the very first time on that day. And that day has stuck with you ever since. Well guess what, it has stuck with her too. If she is still with you, give her a big hug and kiss, or call her or send her a card if she is far away. And thank her for carrying you to term and enabling you the greatest miracle ever bestowed upon us, the miracle of life. 

If your mom has passed, say a little prayer for her or have a moment of silence for her. She did so very much for you. She brought you to this life for crying out loud! 

 

 

 

Your Assembly member's bills get plucked and amended: The Nuts and Bolts of Sacramento

 It's election season and your local CA State Assembly member suddenly realizes that he has not introduced a single bill for his district in the last two legislative cycles. And he is in a tough fight with a primary challenger of his own party who is after him for not introducing any bills to protect the water rights of Valley farmers. He desperately needs a bill but does not have time to write one. What does he do? He finds spot bill! 

What is a spot bill?

A spot bill is a bill that already has been written and that sits in the inner sanctum of the State Legislature waiting to be introduced by a State Assembly member or State Senator who is in a real pinch and quickly needs a bill that is crafted on a particular area of interest to that legislator and his or her district. The spot bills usually do not change existing law and are not controversial and so they easily pass in committee hearings and on the floor of the legislative chamber in which they are introduced. 

In this particular hypothetical case, our legislator needs a bill on protecting water for Valley farmers. Since the bill can't change existing law as a spot bill, it simply will state things the way they are but will sound important: "The State of CA remains committed to the agricultural industry's commensurate needs for water in the pursuit of its requisite obligations in planting, growing and cultivating California's rich agricultural manifold." As you can see, the bill does not change existing law in any way but it sounds important and it attracts headlines in the local papers for that incumbent Assembly member who is facing a tough primary challenger from his own party.

So far so good

OK so far so good, right? Our hypothetical spot bill, which is proceeded by the letters AB because it is an Assembly bill, (State Senate bills are proceeded by the letters SB), has made it through all the Assembly subcommittees, including the Assembly Appropriations Committee (there's nothing to appropriate) and now is on the way to the Assembly floor as AB123. It will easily pass in the Assembly with a bipartisan vote because the bill does not change existing law in any way. And the Assembly member gets great press at home: "Assembly Member ________'s water bill for farmers, AB 123, passed in Assembly with a bipartisan vote." 

Plucking and Amending AB123

But what happens to AB123 when it reaches the State Senate? A ha! This is where the plucking and amending takes place! And this is the really, really scary part. This is the sordid reality of the California State Legislature as it is today. Our bill, AB123, goes through the same committee review process that it underwent in the Assembly. However, the difference is that this is the opposite chamber of the Legislature and all bets are off. No more "Mr. Nice Guy." AB123 gets completely plucked and amended. It no longer is a spot bill on water for California farmers. Besides it does not even mention farmers or water at all!

What has happened to AB123? To put it simply, it has been plucked, amended and thrown back onto the table for approval. First, all, and yes I do mean all, of the language of the bill has been crossed out, erased, and removed from the bill. It has been plucked. And the language has been replaced with wording about gun and ammunition purchases, age limits, caliber limits, background checks, etc.. (amended). Our non-controversial water bill, which did not change existing law, has been converted into a very controversial gun and ammo purchasing bill in totally incognito fashion. But it retains its original title: "AB 123 Water bill for farmers." This is what is so deceiving to voters and even to the media.

Why would State Senators do this?

Why would the opposite chamber, in this case the State Senate, want to change the language of a bill and make it a completely new bill? Think about it. There are State Senators who would lose their seats if their constituents knew that they voted for tougher gun and ammo purchasing laws. This way they can vote for a controversial bill without anybody knowing about it. So far as the public is concerned, their State Senator voted for a non-controversial water bill for farmers that did not change existing law. And no Assembly member voted for a gun and ammo law. They all voted for a do nothing water bill! And yet the final result is a controversial gun and ammo law that everybody could say they did not vote for because they voted for a water bill! Whew! So that's how things are done in Sacramento! 

 Our challenged Assembly member

And what about our Assembly member who originally introduced AB123 as a water bill? He's still lamenting his victory in the Assembly with his bill and boasting how he is protecting the water rights of farmers, hoping all the while that the local newspapers won't delve deeper to find what really happened to AB123. More than likely, they won't and our do nothing Assembly member with his spot bill will get re-elected to another mediocre term.

Nuts and Bolts

This, my friends, is the low down and dirty reality of the California State Legislature today. Sobering, isn't it? That's the nuts and bolts of it like it or not!

 

Emerson Drake scores a grand slam homer at tonight's Modesto City Council meeting

 Without so much as a quiver of doubt or equivocation, the rising star of tonight's Modesto City Council meeting was Emerson Drake, owner and editor of  Eye on Modesto, who held his momentum throughout the meeting. Drake spoke on a number of issues and did not hesitate to express what was on his mind one iota. 

Public Comment Period

Drake's first comments tonight were delivered during the Public Comment portion of the meeting. Drake pointed out the hypocrisy of the Mayor

and Council when they strictly enforce vaccination requirements for City employees, but they are not enforcing mask mandates. Drake pointed out that countless elderly and sick people are being unnecessarily exposed to COVID-19 by people who refuse to wear masks. He made reference to the police chief who does not enforce mask mandates with his staff, stating, "And you hire a police chief who does not enforce mask mandates?"

City Calendar

Drake's next time at bat concerned a measure to change the City Council meeting calendar. As it stands now, the City Council regularly meets on the first, second, fourth and fifth Tuesdays of the month (if there is a fifth Tuesday). Tonight the Council was considering a new meeting calendar for 2022 in which there only would be two (2) City Council meetings per month. Drake vehemently opposed the new calendar and accused the Council of trying to "hide behind the calendar." He pointed out the fact that the Council puts up a huge clock on the screen in City Council meetings on ZOOM and that "You can't see anybody." He continued, "And now you want to cut it down to two meetings a month? Why are you meeting so seldom?" Drake then accused the Council of hoping that by meeting so seldom, that the citizens will just dissipate or "go away." He then asked the Mayor and Council if they were trying to increase their pay per meeting by meeting longer and so seldom. Despite Drake's well-reasoned comments, David Wright made a motion to adopt the new 2022 calendar as it is written. Council member Braaton seconded the motion.

Drake encouraged the Council to "try it out" for three months instead of adopting it for the entire year. Council member Tony Madrigal motioned that the Council "revisit" the new calendar after 3 months to "see how it's going" and that this be added to Wright's motion. But then Council member Rosa Braaton objected and removed her second of Wright's motion. Braaton then offered a counter motion to leave Wright's motion as it was originally! The majority of the Council, including Jenny Kenoyer and the Mayor, voted in favor of Wright's original motion and the new 2022 calendar, with only two Council meetings per month, was adopted despite Drake's and Madrigal's earnest efforts. 

A $313,281 purchase of a 'stand-by ambulance'

Emerson Drake did not stop there. He was at bat with three men on base and he was going to get a grand slam and he did! Drake opposed the City Fire Chief's proposed purchase of a "stand-by ambulance" "not to exceed $313,281." Drake pointed out how ridiculous such a purchase would be in light of all the other expenditures that the City is unable to pay at this time. He further questioned the utility of acquiring such a vehicle and suggested that it was not necessary, emphasizing the fact that it will be a "stand-by ambulance." The Council then voted 7 -0 in favor of the purchase.

First responder fee

Drake then passionately objected to a service agreement from Wittman Enterprises, L.L.C., which entails a "First Responder Fee for Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Services." In other words, either the patient or the patient's insurance company is going to have to pay a "first responder fee" for the services provided by the Modesto Fire Department when they are dispatched to respond to the patient's medical emergency,  "Fee for First Responder services" provided by a publicly funded fire department. Drake pointed out that once the insurance companies are charged for these services, that premiums will go up. The spokesperson from Wittman Enterprises refuted that, but Drake stuck to his guns, stating, "Insurance will go up. Insurance will go up!"

A Civic Hero

So far as this citizen is concerned, Emerson Drake was a civic hero tonight, a man who speaks his mind and does not compromise his values one bit. Emerson holds no office, but he has the heart and soul of a resolute citizen who will stop at nothing to do what is right and to say what is necessary to keep our city safe, vibrant and dynamic. Here's to you, Emerson!

 

 

Why Modesto always gets it wrong: The City is run by staffers, not by the elected Mayor or Council

As sure as the sun rises in the morning and sets at dusk, the Modesto City Council gets it wrong, one decision after another, one regulation after another, one unrealistic request after another that drives potential employers away, one costly mistake after another, i.e., tearing out all the tracks on 9th St. and along Virginia Ave, tracks that could have been used for light rail and saved the City millions in fuel costs for its extremely antiquated bus system.

 What is causing the City to make all these mistakes?

The question arises: What is causing all of these horrendous mistakes that the City still is making, such as approving diagonal parking spaces downtown

that are too long and too slanted for most drivers to back out of safely because of visibility issues, or approving parking meters downtown without soliciting prior feedback from the public, or making unrealistic sidewalk and infrastructure demands that scare off major manufacturers that potentially could employ thousands of our citizens?  

To this observer, the answer is obvious: The City Council's mistakes, for the most part, are caused by its repeated delegation of its decision-making authority to non-elected City staffers who have not sworn an oath to the City, the State of California and to the Constitution of the United States, like the Mayor and City Council have. 

Consent Items on the Meeting Agenda

If you regularly or even occasionally watch the City Council meetings on Zoom or in person, you will see that the Mayor has the City Clerk read off a number of items to be approved by a simple majority vote of the Council. Most of these items are mundane, such as approving a garbage company contract, or approving mosquito abatement along a riverbed, or something similar. However, some of the items are more controversial and should, but usually don't, involve the solicitation of opinions from the public before a decision is made. 

One thing that all of these Consent items have in common, whether they are mundane or highly controversial, is that they all are written by City Staff and put on the Agenda by City Staff. City Council members may have some input with respect to what does and does not end up on the Agenda, but the actual Agenda items are written by City Staff.

Make the Mayor and Council write the Agenda items

It is this observer's opinion that from here on out, the Mayor and City Council should roll up their sleeves at a pre-meeting of the Council and hammer out the Agenda on their own. There are a number of reasons for this: 1) The Council members will be much more familiar with what is on the Agenda because they wrote it. 2) The Council members will take much more of a personal interest in the Agenda if they write it. 3) The Council members will take more responsibility for the outcome of something that they wrote than of something that somebody else wrote. If it is a bad piece of legislation, the Council members are much more likely to rewrite it and improve it before allowing it to go to a vote at a public meeting. 

Full time Mayor and Council

When I was a small boy, Mayor Don Hammond, the owner of Dow-Hammond International Harvester, and later Mayor Peter Johansen, the owner of The House of Carpets, were full time businessmen who attended to their part time Mayoral duties once a week. The Council members all had full time jobs too. 

This was back in the early 1960's. Modesto was a very small town then that more closely resembled Mayberry than anything we have today with a population of over 200,000. We did not need a full time Mayor and Council then, but we do today.

It is my suggestion that we implement the following changes immediately:

1) Cut the City Staff in the City Manager's office by two-thirds.

2) Use the money saved from the aforementioned to increase the salaries of the Mayor and City Council to a "reasonable" level so they can comfortably support themselves and their families.

3) Require that the Mayor and Council members divest themselves of any active interests in any businesses of which they have an ownership and/or partnership while they are in office.

4) Have a "No Moonlighting" clause in effect for the Mayor and Council members while they are in office so that their entire professional and occupational time will be devoted to their jobs with the Council.  

In conclusion...

For much too long this city has been run by non-elected City Staffers in the City Manager's office who write the Agendas and get them passed in one fell swoop as Consent Items in very quick, Up/Down votes. It is time for that era to end. The days of part time Mayors and Council members are over too. We need to fire two-thirds of the City Manager's staff, elect a full time Mayor and Council and pay them enough to support themselves and their families without having to run a business or work on a job somewhere. And we need to have "No Moonlighting" and divesting mandates in effect for the Mayor and Council while they are in office as well. If we implement these changes, there no longer will be any need for the City staffers to write the Agenda items for the Mayor and Council.

Perhaps if we enact these measures, we will start seeing legislation coming out of our City Council meetings that more closely reflects the will of the People and is more responsive to the the needs of everyday citizens in Modesto. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Modesto City Council Members hide behind a clock during Open Forum

 At last night's meeting, the Modesto City Council introduced a huge clock (timer) on Zoom that appears whenever a citizen speaks to the Council. No longer can citizens see the reactions of the Council members to what is being said. The Council members are being shielded behind this huge clock that takes up the entire screen. This is during the "Public Comments" portion of the City Council meeting, the time during which citizens can speak for three minutes on any item "not on the agenda." 

This huge clock first made its debut last Saturday during the four hour "Listening" session when the Council heard citizen input for improving the Modesto Police Department. Apparently somebody from the Council liked the huge clock because it made a cameo appearance at last night's Council meeting much to the chagrin of citizens who were speaking. 

 

 And nobody could see the facial expressions of any of the duly elected City Council members as citizens spoke on the issues of concern to them. 

And apparently those issues are of concern to the Mayor and Council too, so long as they don't have to look into a camera lens to prove that they are concerned! 

Former Council Member Grewal's weekly presentation

Of course I must not fail to mention that this "Public Comments" portion of the meeting was after a 40 minute "brief" COVID update from Former Council Member Mani Grewal (I know that he is a Board of Supervisors appointee) and a visiting female physician. Mr. Grewal has taken it upon himself to "educate" both Council and citizenry about COVID at every meeting since the pandemic started. There is no clock showing when he speaks, just when voters speak!

When the Council members talk, the clock disappears!

The irony of all of this is that when the Council members speak, the huge clock disappears and you are able to see the Council members' faces. And so they can look into the lens of the camera when they are talking, but not when they are listening to citizens talking. 

As Emerson Drake asked, "Is this even a Council meeting?"

 

I don't know the answer to that, but I do know that several of the members of the City Council, including the Mayor, were elected last year on a platform of "transparency." I think that getting rid of this huge clock might be a proper step in that direction. Smile! You're on camera!

 

 

 

 

Celebrate our Presidents on Presidents' Day: Most cared about our country, right or wrong.

This is Presidents' Day. In my life so far, I have seen six Presidents in person, met two and known one (both Democrats and Republicans). All of them were patriots. All of them put our country first. And they all respected our laws, our Constitution and our electoral process.

They all understood that when an election takes place, that "the People have spoken." And all of them left office gracefully when their terms of office were over. 

 

I was fortunate enough when I was very young to work on Capitol Hill when I was a student. I met two Presidents, several Presidential candidates, and countless Members of Congress and U.S. Senators. I met people who aspired to the Presidency, thought that they should be President, and were ambitious to no end.

 

Put their country first

 

However, despite their unrelenting ambition, and their uncompromising self-confidence, all of them, no matter their Party, believed in our country, revered our Constitution, and believed that our greatest days were ahead of us.

And they all put our country first. All of them had served our country in one way or another, and all of them believed that America was the best nation on Earth.

 

I saw their sincerity

 

I saw and experienced the sincerity of the Presidents and the aspirants to the Presidency that I met, including the one President that I actually knew. And I can tell you that in every instance, these people, both men and women, were sincere in their loyalty to this country and to the Constitution.

 

I feel the pain

 

Needless to say, I feel the pain that Members of Congress and their staffers experienced on the day of the insurrection, January 6, 2021. I have been in all of those rooms of the Capitol. I worked in those rooms as a student when I was young. And I have met and gotten to know many of the people who worked in those rooms and who still work in them now. And I have eaten the infamous "Senate Bean Soup" with them in the Senate Cafeteria.

 

And I can tell you now that I feel the pain of all of these dedicated patriots of both parties.  This is a time that we all need to come together and celebrate our country and our Presidents, except perhaps one.

 

What took place on January 6 was not indicative of the Presidency nor of our country. The President who led this insurrection was an anomaly who never should be allowed to rise to power again. Let us not allow this one revolting anomaly tarnish our celebration of Presidents' Day or those for whom it is celebrated.

 

It is Presidents' Day

 

Yes, it is Presidents' Day. But more importantly, it is our day to celebrate our Presidents, right or wrong. Absolutely and without a doubt, our Presidents, for the most part, have cared about our country, put our country first, and risen to the occasion, no matter the circumstances, no matter the challenges of the day. God Bless you, and God Bless the United States of America!!!

 

'Acting President Pence' cannot pardon Trump if he resigns

 Amid the talk of a possible resignation from President Donald Trump in hopes of being pardoned by President Pence is the realization that Pence most likely will not be able to pardon Trump. Here's how it goes: Trump now has less than 60 days left in his term. At this point, even if Trump were to resign today, Pence could assume the responsibilities of the Presidency without taking the oath of office, under the 25th Amendment, just as if the President were temporarily disabled and in the hospital.

As Acting President, not having taken the Oath of Office, Pence really would not be President. He would be the custodian of the duties of the President, but he would not actually be President. In that capacity, so far as I can determine as a political science scholar, Pence would not have the power of the Presidential pardon available to him. 

When Reagan turned power over to Bush

When Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981, he turned over the power of the Presidency to George H.W. Bush, his Vice-President, while he underwent surgery. During the surgery, Bush was Acting President but he did not have Presidential pardon powers nor did he take the Oath of Office as President. 

At this point, there are so few days left in Trump's term that Pence most likely would fill in as Acting President without even taking the Oath of Office. And just like Bush in 1981, Pence will not have the pardon powers available to him.

A failing self pardon

It is likely, therefore, that Trump will be advised by his legal team to utilize the one remaining option available to him: pardoning himself. It is unknown at this point if a self-pardon will be successful for Trump. Sources believe the Supreme Court would overturn a self-pardon on the grounds that nobody can fairly judge himself or herself.

State prosecution

Even if Trump is successful at pardoning himself of the federal tax charges against him, he will not be able to relinquish himself of the state charges against him in New York State. Trump will face prosecution after he leaves office. That is for sure, pardon or not.

Lindsey Graham arrested while tossing Georgia ballots into ocean

(Satire at its best)...

Senator Lindsey Graham, (R, SC), was arrested yesterday along a Savannah, Georgia pier while allegedly throwing legal ballots into the Atlantic Ocean. The ballots, which were primarily from Democratic districts in Atlanta and Savannah, were  packed in white U.S. Mail packing boxes with labels addressed to elections offices in Atlanta and Savannah. It was estimated that Graham had at least 70 boxes stacked along the pier, each box easily containing at least 300 marked ballots. 

Graham's Chevy Suburban, which was found about a hundred feet from the pier, was loaded with another 50 to 60 boxes of ballots. It is believed that they were early mail-in ballots that Graham and his cohorts in crime somehow had managed to attain early in the vote counting process.

Scuba team retrieval

A scuba team of Navy Seals, which ironically has just undergone document retrieval training in the high seas, has been deployed to retrieve the ballots and deliver them to the proper Elections Offices. 

Graham's Judiciary Committee Chairmanship

It is not known if or how Graham's arrest and likely conviction will affect his chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee. However, it is unlikely that he will chair the confirmation hearing of the next Supreme Court Justice. Camera crews can't social distance in the Federal Penn!

Trump's biggest regret: Marilyn did not jump out of a cake for his birthday

(Satire at its best).

Outgoing President Donald J. Trump, after finally tweeting that he had lost to Joe Biden, stated that his biggest regret as President was that Marilyn Monroe did not pop out of a birthday cake for him and sing "Happy Birthday Mr. President" to him. "If she could pop out of a birthday cake for JFK in 1962, the second year of his Presidency,  why couldn't she pop out of a cake for me in 2018, the second year of my Presidency?," the President asked Chris Hayes in a rarely granted MSNBC interview.

 

Trump continued, "JFK did great things for civil rights, for world peace and for the Space Race. But look at me. Nobody did more for all of those things than me and my administration. If JFK could get recognition from Marilyn Monroe, then why can't I get at least a pop up birthday cake visit?"

Not worth the jealousy

Hayes then asked the President if he thought that it perhaps was better for everyone concerned that Marilyn did not pop out of a birthday cake for him since it could have made Melania jealous. Trump quickly responded, "Oh no. Melania and I have discussed jealousy before. She has made it very clear to me that I simply am not worth being jealous about. So far as she's concerned, anybody could pop out of that cake and she would not be jealous. I simply am not worth the jealousy to her."

 

 

 

 

 

McConnell gives Trump's Concession Speech for him on Senate Floor

(Satire at its best...)

A tired, torn and haggard Mitch McConnell took to the Senate Floor on Tuesday after an exhaustive meeting in the White House Situation Room with President Trump, Vice-President Pence, Lindsey Graham and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. The hastily called meeting, which was scrutinized by Vladimir Putin remotely via hidden cameras and microphones, allegedly was called to discuss "the President's next steps and the future of the GOP." 

It is unknown who among the guests wore masks at the meeting, but unnamed sources have confirmed that Putin was wearing his mask throughout his surveillance of the meeting. It is unknown if the guests were tested for COVID-19 upon entering the Situation Room. However, Russian media sources have verified that Putin recently tested negative for COVID-19.

 

McConnell's announcement:

McConnell, still winded from running into the Capitol corridor after being dropped off by one of the White House Chevy Suburbans driven by Donald Trump Jr., approached the Well of the Senate Floor and began his short, unrehearsed speech with all the major news sources present, even FOX News. 

"I met with the President and Vice-President Pence and leading GOP members of both houses of Congress. We discussed various options for President Trump, the GOP, and, most importantly, the American People, including the President's base. After much bantering back and forth, it was decided that I am to give this short statement which I will read now..

I, Mitch McConnell, acting on behalf of another, hereby concede the 2020 Presidential election to Former Vice-President Joseph A. Biden on behalf of President Donald J. Trump, effective this date, November 10, 2020. I do this freely and with all kinds of reservations; but nobody cares what I think anymore."

 

 

 

What Trump will do the day he loses

 If Donald Trump loses the election on November 3rd, his reaction will be akin to that of a birthday boy who is grounded from attending his own birthday party. To put it mildly, he will not take it well. He will rant, rave, protest and demand a recount. And he will continue his endless Twitter diatribe about the unfairness of the election process, the so-called "fraudulent ballots," the phony mail-in ballots, etc., etc., etc.. He will mudsling towards Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Adam Schiff and others. And he will save plenty of blame for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Ilhan Omar. And if he loses Florida too, he will try to "fire" Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for failing to deliver Florida for him.

And of course he will have plenty of blame left for Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham and Kevin McCarthy for failing to bring in the undecided voters for him. He will be in a rant and rave like that of a rabid dog biting its own tail. He will be like a desperate criminal pinned against a wall, not able to ascertain who his friends and enemies are and hating the world. He will lunge out at everyone with an anger, hatred and wrath not seen in a leader since the dictatorial reign of Adolf Hitler at his worst.

He will deny the results

I predict that after Trump goes into his tirade on Twitter blaming all of the aforementioned people for his 2020 election defeat, that he go to the East Lawn of the White House and hold a "no question" press conference. At the press conference, he will announce that he does not accept the results of the election. He will announce that it is a fraudulent election, that the ballots were tampered with and that the "only way" that he could have lost is if there was fraud and he will insist that there was fraud.

He will demand a recount

I predict that Trump's next move will be to demand a "recount" in every county or parish in which he is listed as the loser, across the country. I predict that he will have Attorney General William Barr contact the Secretaries of State of all states that Trump lost and demand a full recount of all the ballots.

He will reject postmarked ballots

I predict that Trump's next move will be to have Barr attempt to issue a binding order to all Secretaries of State in all 50 states to the effect that any and all ballots postmarked November 3rd, but not received until after November 3rd, cannot be counted. This would disqualify most ballots from active military personnel and other Americans overseas, since most of their ballots are not received by Election Day. 

He will deny ballots from unconfirmed voters

In what perhaps will be his boldest move after losing, Trump will attempt, once again through Barr, to invalidate any and all ballots nationwide from voters whose identities were not confirmed through photo identification. This would ban all mail-in ballots nationwide and would ban all ballots from California voters, the nation's most populous state, thus depriving Biden of California's 55 Electoral College votes. (California does not require photo identification for voters and has not done so for years).

He will refuse to concede

I predict that Trump's next move will be to refuse to concede his loss to Joe Biden. Although it is not absolutely mandatory that the incumbent President concede if he loses, it always has been the practice to do so. No defeated incumbent President ever has refused to concede. Although he does not absolutely have to concede, he does have to turn over the powers of the Presidency, as well as the launch codes and the nuclear football, on January 20, 2021. If he refuses to do so on Inauguration Day, then most likely the Marines and the Secret Service would intervene and force the issue. This will be extremely embarrassing indeed for all concerned parties, including the American People.

He will lose his court battles

More than likely, Trump will lose his court battles. Joe Biden will be certified as the winner and will be declared the President-Elect of the United States. It's what most likely will happen next that is of particular interest to students of politics.

He will try to pardon himself

I predict that Trump's next move will be to try to pardon himself for obstruction of justice, abuse of power and tax evasion. I predict that the backlash from this will be swift, deliberate and definitive. Somebody will take it to court and the pardon will be declared "null and void" almost immediately.

He will resign from the Presidency

It is my prediction that just as soon as his self-pardon is declared unconstitutional, that Trump will resign the Presidency with approximately two and a half months left in his term. Trump will make up some phony excuse for resigning, but the real reason will be that he hopes that Pence, who is finishing out Trump's term, will pardon him.

He will move to an undisclosed foreign location

I predict that President Pence, who still has dreams of being elected President in his own right in four to eight years, will not pardon Trump. I predict that Trump, Melania and Barron will move to an undisclosed foreign country, leaving Trump's adult children behind to deal with the Paparrazzi. 

Conclusion...

Well that's how I see it. Of course I do not have a crystal ball; but I think that this is pretty close to how things will play out if Trump loses on November 3rd. Whatever happens, we all know that Trump is not going to take losing easily and that he is going to blame everybody else, including his greatest political allies. In his mind, nothing is his fault and it never has been. And he has never made a mistake. And he handled the pandemic with total artistry. 

I think that the Donald may be in for one rude awakening on November 3rd. It's time for him to vacate  government housing and move to a foreign country; that is if they will have him. 

Senator Feinstein: Don’t berate my Catholic faith

Senator Dianne Feinstein, as you prevail in your attempt to dissuade your fellow Senators from voting to approve Amy Barrett as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, please do not berate my Catholic faith or question its principles and teachings. Yes we disagree with you on Choice. Yes we are Pro Life. And yes we believe in certain principles, practices and morals that distinguish us from other sects of the Christian faith.

Your off mic comment in which you stated that Amy Barrett’s “deeply personal” faith is influencing her decisions as a judge was quite disturbing. You went further and told Barrett, “Your dogma lives loudly within you.” What dogma are you talking about, Senator? Are you talking about the Catholic teachings about the sanctity of life? Are you talking about the Catholic belief that life begins at conception and that unborn babies need to be protected? Are you talking about our steadfast and total objection to late term abortions in which doctors take inventories of body parts as they rip them off babies that are still in the womb? 

Pandora’s Box

Senator, the point that I am trying to make is that once you start attacking a person for their religious faith and referring to it as their “dogma,” you are opening Pandora’s Box. And when you are talking about a faith as old and as complicated as the Catholic faith, the conversation can go on from here to perpetuity. 

Instead of attacking nominees for their faith, or “dogma” as you call it, perhaps you should ask nominees about their qualifications for the job and make your decision based on their qualifications instead of your perception of what their “dogma” is or is not. And speaking of qualifications, being Catholic is not an instant “disqualifier“ for a judicial nominee or any other type of nominee. And if you see it as a disqualifier, then you are guilty of anti-Catholic bigotry.

Catholics can be leaders too

We Catholics can be leaders too. And we can make decisions that pertain to the society as a whole, guided by our principles, beliefs and morals without forcing our faith on others. And yes we may have a more stringent sense of right and wrong than do most Christian denominations; but we still can listen to others and make principled decisions without infringing upon the rights of others.

Roe v. Wade

Yes Senator Feinstein it is no secret that we Catholics oppose the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide. It is no secret that we believe in the sanctity of human life and that we believe that life begins at conception. 

But you are making quite a presumption when you assume that just because we oppose Roe v. Wade that it means that we can come up with a Constitutional rationale for overturning it. If such a rationalization does exists, it exists no matter whether those who discover it are Catholic, HIndu or anything in between. Conversely, if no rationale exists for overturning Roe v. Wade, it does not matter if the Justices determining that are Catholic, Jewish or agnostic. 

If there is no rationale for overturning Roe v. Wade, then you ought not fear that a Catholic Associate Justice will find one. And if there is such a rationale, it can be found by any Associate Justice, no matter their religion.

And so the fact that a devout Catholic has been nominated to the Court should not make any difference at all. Just because Amy Barrett is very sincere about her Catholic faith does not mean that she cannot be objective, fair and equitable in her decisions as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. And it does not mean that she would be any less objective, fair and equitable than anybody else. 

Fearing the Pope

When Senator John F. Kennedy was nominated for President by the Democratic Party, a lot of people feared that he would be directed or influenced by the Pope. Senator Kennedy reassured voters that he would not be directed by the Pope and that he would listen to the American People before making decisions.

The American People believed Kennedy and gave him their trust. As it turned out, Kennedy kept his promise and did not depend upon the Pope when making decisions as President. Senator Feinstein, I believe that you should extend the same courtesy to any Catholic nominee for a judicial post who assures you that they will not allow their faith to dictate their judicial decisions. Once such a nominee has provided you with such assurances, you should drop the issue of their religion and accept their assurances at face value.

It’s your decision

Senator Feinstein, how you vote on the nomination of Amy Barrett is your decision and only yours to make. I am not telling you how to vote on her nomination. However, I am asking that you not let Barett’s faith enter the picture as you cast your vote in the Senate. Base your vote on her qualifications, not her faith. After all, isn’t that what millions of Catholics did in California when they voted for you as a Senator? Need I say more?

Acting President Nancy Pelosi? It just might happen!

 Donald Trump has stated that he will not concede if he loses in November. Nancy Pelosi has urged Biden not to concede under any circumstances if early returns show him losing. It is likely that early returns will favor Trump because they mainly will be from in-person polling stations in GOP favored precincts. For the most part, Democrats will vote by mail this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And most of the vote by mail returns will not be in by election night and will be counted over a three or four day period after the November 3rd election.

Election returns will turn more and more blue as the vote by mail ballots are counted. The Trump campaign will begin to file lawsuits to try to stop the counting of vote by mail ballots on the grounds that ballots received after Election Day cannot be counted. The Biden campaign will counter sue, stating that ballots that are postmarked on or before Election Day can be counted no matter when they arrive at the Elections Office. The litigation will have begun and tensions on both sides of the campaign will be higher than ever.

                    The Court Battles Ensue

Most likely, the election outcome will not be known on November 3rd, nor will it be known a week from then, or even a month later. The outcome of the election will be tied up in court with both candidates claiming that they won and neither candidate conceding. More than likely, Trump will claim that he is the victor based upon early returns from in-person voting stations and Biden will be claiming that the outcome is yet unknown because of millions of uncounted mail-in ballots. And, as mentioned previously, Trump will attempt to block the counting of those mail-in ballots.

Additionally, both Trump and Biden will be suing the Secretaries of State of the contested states, trying to force them to count or not count ballots. Those lawsuits will be fought in the state courts of the respective states and then those rulings will be appealed by the losing sides. The lawsuits will ascend the judicial ladders until they finally end up in federal court, then the federal appeals courts and finally the Supreme Court, the decision of which will be final.

All of this could take months. During this very uncertain time, Biden will not be able to prepare to take over with a transition team and Trump will not be able to prepare for a second term.

                    Trump leaves office

With the court fights still underway, the election outcome will not be known by Inauguration Day on January 20, 2021. Under the Constitution, the President has to leave office on January 20th if the outcome of the election is unknown and his term has ended. He cannot and will not stay in office pending the outcome of the election.

Conversely, Joe Biden will not be able to take office either if the outcome of the election is unknown. And if neither candidate has conceded to the other one, neither candidate can take office. In 1960, John F. Kennedy won against Nixon by only 100,000 votes. The election results could have been challenged by Nixon. But Nixon, not wanting to tie up the courts in one appeal after another, conceded to Kennedy and Kennedy took office on January 20, 1961.

That most likely is not going to take place this time. Trump already has predicted that the election results will be challenged by either side and that the outcome will be tied up in court for months. And he has stated emphatically that he will not concede. And although Biden himself has not stated that he will not concede, he is being strongly encouraged not to do so by Nancy Pelosi and others.

                     Nancy Pelosi becomes “acting” President

If the election outcome is tied up in the courts and neither Trump nor Biden have conceded to each other, then the only Constitutional remedy is to swear in Nancy Pelosi as President pending the official outcome of the election. As Speaker of the House, Pelosi is second in succession to the Presidency, after the Vice-President. Pence would not be able to take office as President because his election also would be in question and so it would fall upon Pelosi to succeed to the Presidency, at least temporarily. 

Under the Constitution, there is no designation for an “acting” President; but Pelosi only will be President pending the outcome of the election. Pelosi will take the same oath of office as the President because there is no oath for an acting President.

Pelosi’s “Presidency” could be a matter of hours, days, weeks or months. It all depends on the courts, the appeals, the lower courts and the higher courts and finally the U.S. Supreme Court. Each lawsuit will be handled on a case by case basis. And each case will have its own path through the appellate process. 

Conceivably, Pelosi could be President for months. During that time, she will have the full power and privileges of the Presidency. And she will be the Commander-in-Chief. She will carry the nuclear football and will have the access codes.  

As President,  Pelosi will be managing the COVID-19 crisis, directing the Center for Disease Control, allocating funds to go to the states, and administering a relief package for businesses and American citizens who are unemployed as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

                    Ruling by fiat

Because Pelosi will not know how long she is going to be “acting” President, she will not have the luxury of going through the long, cumbersome Congressional process to get her proposals enacted. She will have no choice but to rule by Executive order for the time being in hopes of providing some semblance of stability to the government as it deals with COVID-19, massive unemployment, a depleted economy, international relations, wildfire relief and a whole host of other problems facing the country.

Pelosi will rule by fiat, or executive orders, while fully aware that her executive orders can be overturned by whomever is determined to have won the election by the courts. But that will not be the issue at the time anyway. Pelosi's objective will be to run the government as efficiently and effectively as possible for the time that she is in office and to provide for the needs of the states, cities, large and small businesses, and the American People.

                    An empty White House

During this time, the White House will be empty. Trump will have been moved out and/or been "escorted out" on January 20th because his term will have ended. Biden will not have moved in because he will not have been determined to be the winner nor sworn in as President. And Pelosi, who will have been sworn in as President, will not move into the White House because she will not know how long she is going to be serving as “acting” President.

And so for the first time since Harry Truman moved out of the White House while it was being remodeled, nobody will be living in the White House. Reporters will camp out across the street from Pelosi’s private home, instead of the White House, much like they do in England across from 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the British Prime Minister. Makeshift press conferences will occur on Pelosi’s doorstep or front yard or in a temporary large, white tent somewhere near Pelosi’s home.

                    An interesting time

The acting Presidency of Nancy Pelosi, if it does in fact become reality, will be an interesting time. It will be the government’s attempt to bring stability and order to a very uncertain, chaotic time in our history. No matter who ultimately is declared the winner of the 2020 election by the courts, America will have prevailed and the Constitution will have guided us through yet another quagmire. Long live the Constitution!

Likely Senate picks for CA Governor Gavin Newsom

 If Kamala Harris is elected Vice-President in November, California Governor Gavin Newsom will have to appoint someone to serve as a United States Senator until the next election in 2022. The opportunity to appoint a U.S. Senator is one of those perks that rarely presents itself to Governors; but when it does, it gets a lot of attention. 

In the last 56 years, two Governors, Edmund G. "Pat" Brown and Pete Wilson,  had the opportunity to appoint Senators. Brown appointed former Kennedy press secretary Pierre Salinger in August 1964 after the death of Senator Claire Engle. In January 1991, Pete Wilson appointed State Senator John Seymour to fill the U.S. Senate seat that he had vacated to serve as Governor.

If Harris is elected Vice-President in November, Newsom will be the first California Governor to appoint a Senator in 30 years. No matter who he appoints, this action by Newsom will have long term effects on California politics and will comprise a major portion of Newsom's gubernatorial footprint.

Serious Candidates with a political future:

Ideally, Newsom will appoint a person who has a promising political futures and still is young enough to serve for awhile. Herein is a list of possible prospects that this author thinks that Newsom should consider for appointment to the United States Senate seat should Harris be elected Vice-President in November:

Betty Yee

Yee, 62,  currently is the State Controller of California and is in her second term in that office. Prior to being elected State Controller, Yee served on California's State Board of Equalization. Yee also is President of California Women Lead, an organization dedicated to promoting women to run for elective office. Yee sits on the California Lands Commission. She opposes fracking and supports alternative energy sources. She is a strong advocate for homeless and abused children and works hard to provide solutions for kids who have been neglected and forgotten by society.

John Chiang:

 Chiang, 58, is both the former Treasurer and former State State Controller of California. He also served on the California Board of Equalization. Chiang is a strong advocate for workers and in July 2008,  he defied orders by then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to slash the wages of state workers. In September 2016, as California Treasurer, Chiang clamped down on Wells Fargo for predatory practices involving unsolicited savings accounts that had been set up for unwitting customers.

 Xavier Becerra:

 Becerra, 62, was elected California Attorney General after Harris vacated that office to serve as a United States Senator. A graduate of Stanford Law School, Becerra also is a former member of Congress, where he served for twenty-four years. 

Alex Padilla:

 Padilla, 47, is California's Secretary of State. He also served in the California State Senate for eight years. He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1994.

Congresswoman Katie Porter: 

Porter, 46, is a member of Congress who is known for her tireless questioning of Trump White House operatives. She is a member of the House Committee on Financial Services and a graduate of Harvard Law School.

Eric Garcetti: 

Garcetti, 49, is the Mayor of Los Angeles. He is a Rhodes Scholar and a graduate of the London School of Economics.

Gavin Newsom:

 Newsom, 52, potentially and legally could appoint himself Senator to fill the vacancy left by Kamala Harris. Although it rarely if ever is done, governors have been known to appoint themselves. Newsom was a renown Mayor of San Francisco, famous for having legalized same sex marriage in that city in 2004. He also served as Lieutenant Governor under Jerry Brown for two terms before being elected Governor in 2018.

Place holder candidates:

Place holder candidates are people who could fill the seat of U.S. Senator until the next election, but who have no prospects of running for the Senate or serving beyond the next election. Governors often will appoint place holder candidates when they just want to fill a vacancy without adversely affecting the status quo, or, shall we say, "rocking the apple cart." Sometimes governors will appoint place holder candidates because they don't want to promote the careers of people who potentially could pose a threat to their own political careers on down the road. 

Jerry Brown:

 Brown, 82, has a political career spanning over 50 years. A consummate environmentalist and frugal spender, Brown has served in multiple Constitutional offices in California: Secretary of State, Attorney General, Governor and Governor again decades later. He also served as Mayor of Oakland in between his gubernatorial terms.  Altogether, Brown served as Governor of California for four terms, or 16 years. He ran for Senator in 1982 but was defeated by Pete Wilson. Brown also ran for the Democratic nomination for President in 1976, 1980, and 1992.

John Garamendi:

 Garamendi, 75, has a resume as long as a submarine. He currently is serving in the United States Congress, representing Contra Costa County and the surrounding area. Most recently, he was the Lieutenant Governor of California. Before that he was California's Insurance Commissioner two different times. He is widely reputed as an advocate for hard working Americans and a strong environmentalist. 

In Conclusion:  

In conclusion, no matter whether Newsom appoints a serious candidate or a place holder candidate to fill Kamala Harris's seat if she is elected Vice-President, his selection will have a lasting impact on California's future. But then again, nearly everything Governors do has a lasting impact on their states. Elective office is not for sissies. It is for decision makers like Gavin Newsom who are able to make their decisions and then forge ahead without looking back.

 

No increased parking fines; Modestans can't afford them.

Last night I spoke in opposition to increased parking fines at the Modesto City Council meeting. I stated that the per capita income in Modesto is much less than that of other California cities of comparable populations in the Bay Area and Southern California. Under the measure approved by the City Council last night, the cost of an overtime parking fine will increase by $20.00, from $33.00 to $53.00. All other City parking fines will undergo similar increases.

Modestans cannot afford increased parking fines

As I see it, the People of Modesto cannot afford to pay markedly increased parking fines. The per capita income in Modesto is only $24,957! In Sacramento, which is one of the "comparable cities" referenced by City Staff as having higher parking fines, the per capita income is $67,902! In San Bernadino, another referenced city, the per capita income is $60,420. And in San Francisco, yet another referenced city, the per capita income is $55,567. 

Mayor Brandvold agreed that I made a good point about the per capita income in Modesto not being commensurate with that of the referenced, "comparable cities." The Mayor also stated that he was opposed to this increase until he is presented with a complete plan showing what needs the increased fines will be meeting and how the additional revenue will be used. 

                                 The purpose of parking fines

I also stated that fines are intended to encourage people to comply with the law, not to generate revenue for the City.  My comment was in response to a statement by Council member Jenny Kenoyer that the increased parking fines will help offset a $6 million shortfall in the City's current parking revenue and pay for updates to the City's parking garages. All that is well and good, but that is not the purpose of parking fines. If anything, the increased revenue should be used to set up programs aimed at parking violation diversion and education, not for parking garages. 

                                  Blaming the Modesto Police

The City Staff presented several charts and graphs that showed that revenue from parking fines went down in 2017 and 2018. The City Staff blamed the Modesto Police for those shortfalls, stating that they were due to lax enforcement because, as they stated, the Modesto Police had "other priorities." I asked the City Staff if they had considered that perhaps the People of Modesto complied with the law in those two years better than in other years. I asked them if they had proof that the fine shortfalls in 2017 and 2018 emanated from lax enforcement rather than increased compliance with the parking laws. The City Staff did not answer me.

                                    The toast of the town

As I see it, last night's Toast of the Town goes to Mayor Ted Brandvold. He realized that the People of Modesto cannot afford increased parking fines. He realized that he is there to represent the People of Modesto, not the City budget. He realized that he is not a bookkeeper or an accountant, but that he is a representative of the People and a leader. And last night he exemplified leadership in its finest sense.

Sebastian Jones: Name Modesto's Next Elementary School After MLK

Local Modesto political activist Sebastian Jones is calling upon the Modesto City Schools to name its next elementary school after the late civil rights activist the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. Jones, who is a Board member of Modesto's King-Kennedy Center, has been an activist for social justice all of his adult life. He regularly advocates for innocent victims of predatory landlords on the verge of homelessness before the City Council and various urban commissions that deal with landlord/tenant relations. Jones' application to serve on the Board of Building Appeals is being reconsidered after it originally was rejected by Council members Mani Grewal, Jenny Kenoyer, Bill Zoslocki and Ed Ridenour.

So Long Overdue

 

As Jones sees it, the naming of an elementary school after Dr. King is long, long overdue in Modesto. A city of over 200,000 people, like Modesto, Jones says, should project an interface of ethnic diversity. Such an interface, according to Jones, is not possible without the inclusion of an elementary school that is dedicated to the memory of the one civil rights leader who dedicated his life to bringing people of all ethnic backgrounds together peacefully and judging people by "the content of their character, not by the color of their skin."

Why an Elementary School

 

The question arises: Why is Jones calling for naming an elementary school after Dr. King, and not a junior high or high school? The answer is quite simple: The elementary years are the formative years and the impressions made during those years run the deepest. It is during those formative years that children will be the most responsive to instruction on who Dr. King was and the values that he represented. Also, it is during the elementary years that children best can be molded to accept each other for who they are and not on the basis of race.

Sebastian won't quit

 

Sebastian won't quit in his tireless fight to see to it that Modesto's next elementary school is named after the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. He is a relentless fighter and he believes in the causes for which he advocates. And this is one cause in which he totally believes!

A colleague's hurtful comments over the JFK assassination: The pain continues

As most of you know, I rarely talk about President Kennedy's assassination. It totally traumatized me as a young boy of nine. I must share this now: This was the singly most traumatic event of my childhood, even more traumatic than when I was very ill as a kid, or when I was in an emergency landing of a fiery airliner at age twelve. 

My internal trauma

 

I was totally traumatized and horrified over the JFK assassination. I was glued to the television for 4 days straight. I cried and pounded the floor repeatedly. I was in as much of a grieving state as possible for a little boy anywhere in America. 

Suddenly this man, who was only a little older than my father and who had given me so much hope, had been murdered by a madman in a city called Dallas and in a state called Texas that was southeast of my home state of California.

A colleague's hurtful comment

Years later I was siting in the faculty room at the school where I was an educator. A woman who was at least 12 years older than me started talking about the assassination of President Kennedy. She mentioned that she was in college at the time. I stated that I was in fourth grade at the time and that I was very adversely affected and traumatized by the event. She very cruelly stated: "Oh no Kevin. You don't remember that. You were too young at that time."

I do remember

 

To my colleague who knows who she is but who will remain nameless: I DO remember the assassination of President Kennedy and I was totally traumatized and mortified by this event. Not only do I remember this horrible event, but I lived through it and I will never forget! I stayed up all night for four nights. I saw tens of thousands of people pass by the President's casket in the Capitol Rotunda. I saw the First Lady and daughter Caroline kneel at the coffin. I saw Caroline step back to get John-John to bring him to the coffin as well. I saw Oswald get shot live by Jack Ruby. I watched every single second of the President's funeral. I saw Mrs. Kennedy walking with her blood stained dress. I saw John-John salute his father's horse drawn caisson as it went by and I saw it live! And I cried. And I cried. And I cried until there was nothing left for me to do but to keep crying, and then cry even more.

And the pain continues to this day and it will never end, not ever!

Never underestimate the trauma of major events on children. Never.

How dare you!

 

Don't ever tell me what I do or do not remember about a tragedy in my childhood. To my former colleague: How dare you ever judge what does or does not affect me, or what I remember from my childhood. How DARE YOU!! John F. Kennedy was the singly most inspirational and hopeful leader of my lifetime. Colleague: You will never take that away from me! Worry about your own memory. If it is as lacking as your compassion for others, there is nothing there!!