AMERICA CELEBRATES

This grand Republic an experiment that had never been done before. America celebrates the founding of a nation. America is the land of opportunity but is it still? How are we standing? Well, let’s take a look.

Respect has become unknown. Hate and violence is rampant among the citizens. Intolerance has become a national standard and prized over communication or kindness.

Face masks…some people wear them to save others’ lives, but that has become a political anti- science flag that brings hate and violence. People want science when they drive their cars, but deny science when it is inconvenient.

Inequity is everywhere in wages, rights, opportunities wealth, education, health and job access. 10% of Americans own 70% if the wealth: the bottom 50% of Americans have 1% of Americas wealth. The middle class a shrinking group own less than 30% of American wealth.

People openly carry guns everywhere because they do not trust the police or the army or their neighbor. They feel at war with everyone and fear that people are out to get them so they must defend themselves every moment of life. The various police units are trained in occupying forces training and equipped to perform those functions.

Congress and the Senate can not govern or get anything done because they can no longer discuss or listen to each other because of intolerance. Voter suppression seems contrary to a Republic or a democracy but is in action throughout the country.

America is great and rich so should have great benefits and infrastructure. Public Transportation is almost non existent, the fastest train in America is 60 miles an hour while in other parts of the world trains exceed 350 miles an hour.

America access to health care, clean air, clean drinking water, education are poor to non existent unless you are able to pay for private options. America has by far the most expensive health care system that serves a small percentage of the population.

Energy for industry and running the economy is using dirty and outdated modes that are being discarded by most of the world.

Toxic chemicals and poisons are allowed in the air and food that most countries have banned

PLUMBING

I have good plumbing in my house… it is all copper sweated fitting. My drain system is all PVC cemented plastic pipe and drains the waste away. It is good for me and good for my house for which it was designed. It was never meant to be a universal good, but good for this specific purpose.

“Following orders” flow

But it is winter and it got really cold in the basement and the water swelled at one bend and burst the pipe. The pipe just expanded with the water and swelled till the nice round pipe split and a jagged edge opened and when it got a little warm, there was water everywhere.

“Following orders” drain

And now the problem is not just the pipe. Now it is drywall, carpet, wood, foundations. Everything is at risk and the damage will only get worse and more destruction will occur until you deal with the problem.

“Following orders” in line

Now most of the pipe is good (in that it meets the specific purpose) but there is a problem, a real problem that needs to be fixed.

Does not help to be proud of all of that fine pipe that still does its job just fine. No, it is time to take actions, decisive action, and fix that jagged broken pipe. Focusing on the good doesn’t fix the problem. Take action now or it will only get worse.

CHILD MARRIAGE

CHILD MARRIAGE

There are 3 states now where child marriage is illegal in America. Pennsylvania just joined New Jersey and Delaware.

In a review of records between 2000 and 2010 there were 248,000 children married in America, some as young as 12 years old. The majority of the children, 77%, were females married to adult males with significant age differences. In a country that abhors pedophiles, we as a society support their vice.

There are 47 states where child exploitation remains legal. This is an issue that affects females and fairness like the ERA, Equal Rights Amendment. Yes, women are equal to me but lets not make a law about it ’cause then equal rights would be guaranteed and not just a nod of “sure they are.”

The pay between males and females in America has great disparity and is supported as there is no law that says females are equal, so they are not. Women earn .81 cents for every 1.00 a male earns in America. And American women raise most of their children on their single parent salaries.

THE NEW AMERICA

Is this the New America or is this the same old story again?

In the 1960’s there were protests in the streets for Civil Rights and against Police Brutality. The people were demanding change and were fed up with conditions. Now a new generation is calling for the same issues to be fixed 60 years later. Now that is NOT PROGRESS.

JPM1904 — Demonstration and protest on Sunday, May 31, 2020 in Denver in response to George Floyd’s death at the hands of police in Minnesota. (Photo by Joe Mahoney)

Does this look like freedom to express and freedom of speech? Looks like the streets of a third world dictator in a run down country.

America used to be the shinning example of a well operated country that meets the needs of its citizens. Now for citizen happiness we rank 26th in the world. What happened to the American Dream? Seems like it was literally shot down in the streets.

The only thing that has changed is everyone has cameras now and the videos on social media is starting to hold others accountable.

When will all citizens be treated the same? When will we as Americans have an education system that considers and teaches tolerance and equality, as called for by our constitution?

CONTROL

Humans want to control their lives and their future. Humans want to be in the driver seat and the American Ideal is to be that rugged individual that controls and tames everything around them. The whole idea of the frontier, never mind that people were living on the land and had been for hundreds of years. The WHITE PERSON came and tamed the wilderness, which happened to include genociding the native population that were living on the land. Well, how else can you tame the wilderness if there are people and animals there, so you kill them.

Down through history the person who could foretell the future was an asset to control events. Slaves were looked down upon because they do not control anything. Rich people are looked up to because they control everything. Capitalism is based upon greed, taking things from others, and being top dog. That is the whole game. Capitalism does not share or compromise.

Covid 19 is a virus that controls humans and kills humans. What a lack of control. Like any pandemic, it kills without judgement and mercy. Like the wildfires that racked California and Australia, the fires came, made their own weather. and were relentless in their destruction and actions. Much like humans invading a frontier.

In part many of these issues like Global Climate Change are all interconnected and focused and magnified by the human interference and massive population now at 7.8 Billion people. Humans are destroying the ecosystems and other life forms at an astonishing rate. Someday soon only humans and the virus and germs that prey on humans will survive on this planet.

FREEDOM

My mask protects you: Your mask protects me. What is so hard about that? And why do so many people say their freedom is at stake if they have to wear a mask. This seems to be an America point of view.

I want the freedom to breath on others. I want the freedom to fowl other people’s air so they can not breath. I want to have freedom to carry a gun to intimidate others. I want to use my phone and text while I drive. My freedom is about my selfish view of life and I do not want to take my impact on others into consideration. I want to have my freedom and not be responsible for my actions. This form of logic worked when we had a frontier beyond the 13 colonies and there was lots of wild space. That is gone except in the minds of a few.

There are more than 7.5 billion humans on the planet now. The world is getting crowded, lines are getting longer. Humans are breeding so fast we are running out of the ability to feed the humans on the planet. The viruses are spreading because we are now so close to each other. We by our very presence and breath affect others around us. In 20 years we have gained 1.5 billion humans on the planet. We are breeding at an astonishing rate. In 1820 there were 1 billion humans on the planet, in 1920 there were 1.8 billion humans on the planet. We are destroying other forms of life on the planet at an alarming rate.

The virus that causes the disease Corvid 19 is a part of Global Climate Change. We are changing the planet. We are interacting with the wild world and in fact there is little wild world left. We are killing all other living creatures on the planet by eating them and destroying their habitat. We know that the people who are dying of Corvid 19 have health problems often caused by pollution and the pollution is helping to kill them. So America is easing all pollution standards to allow more people to die. Politicians are openly stating that making profits and keeping the economy is more important than human life. What happened to RESPECT LIFE. We have turned to worshiping CORPORATIONS and MONEY. Human Life is only important as a worker and a consumer, to keep the money and corporations going as a capitalist system.

MASKS and Human Cost

Will I wear a mask to save a person’s life or is it just inconvenient to me?

I can buy a mask with my favorite football team, a thousand designs or Republican or Democrat symbols. But Doctors and medical workers can not get a mask to save lives. How do the priorities of America work? Is this a great nation or a bunch of small villages with no leadership to organize or lead? And state and the federal government are competing and bidding against each other to buy masks. This is pure capitalism where the corporations are making fortunes on this pandemic.

Fortunes are made in pandemics and in wars at the cost of human life.

We have a leader who says that insurrection is lead by good people and I support them. Should not the leader of the country support the government and not the terrorist rebels standing with an armed coup of the government. The coup was not successful but I wonder if the White men with all the bullet proof vest, military arms and weapons would have been met differently if they were black or brown rather than white. Being white they were treated with kid gloves because they are acceptable terrorists.

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THE WORLD IS WEIRD

The world is weird. Well yes it is, not since 1918 have we seen a virus hunt for humans at such a level. We have always known that virus are out there lurking on the edges, but now it is war. We smart humans are not very well prepared for this event.

In history, the actions of past humans called for human or animal sacrifice to appease the gods and hope for change. Now we have science to give us answers, but do we listen to what science says and wash our hands? Or do we pray for the clouds to part and the voice from the sky to tell us we are saved.

This is a time where some people go into high gear and are saving lives as in the health professions. Truck driver, warehouse workers, food service workers and cashiers who we often do not think about are saving lives and keeping people from starving today and tomorrow. Are you grateful?

Some people are working from home and quarantine and this is quiet time away from the routine. How are you using this time? Are you drinking and binge watching TV or reading and taking up a new practice or skill?

And what of our actions? Did you go out and donate money, masks and gloves to medical staff and assist setting up a hospital or care center? Or did you buy a gun and horde your toilet paper and ammo to kill people in the near future?

I am not judging you, but I am asking you to think about your choices and decisions. These decisions forged in these times will be with you and affect your life.

PANDEMIC

The World is a comedy to those who think. A tragedy to Those who feel.

-Horace Walpole

So I have been off the grid or at least not on this blog. BUT I AM BACK! Maybe even on a regular basis.

All things change like it or not. Now there is a virus traveling around the world. Be careful and use all precautions for your own health and the health of others. This is a serious business so be mindful and cautious. This virus in new but the idea of a world wide virus such as this has been predicted for at least 5 years by the World Health Organization, WHO. Why no government or agency was prepared is a mystery. Well maybe it is if you trust science as a purveyor of truth or a myth system as truth might explain not being prepared. Elizabeth Warren and Hillary Clinton have had pandemic plans in writing for how to proceed for such an emergency.

In my own life, I know my vehicle will always get me where I want to go ’cause my dealer and the owner’s manual told me so. There is no reason to listen to reason to put gas and air in the vehicle or change the oil those are what science says to do and I do not believe in that so it is of no consequence to me. I believe in the good book, the Owner’s Manual and what my Dealer told me to get me to buy in.

So the plan is that I will talk about a variety of things in this blog. I will stick to the title that I am untethered and have my creative process, my art. This relates to what I create and how I live my life. We are all artists of our own lives and can create beauty or mayhem as it is our choice.

This blog will continue with it’s tradition of being a bit sarcastic and tongue in cheek in some of its comments and if it offends you, I am sorry but I hope you will find humor in my observations and travels in life. I will ramble about as that is my way and I am getting younger so it is harder to keep a focus. So… where are my glasses so I can see?

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America: An Experiment in a Republic

The Republic is based on a balance of power between 3 branches of government. The founding fathers were very leery of monarchy. America had fought a war against a monarch and was seeking citizen rule. Executive branch includes the President; Legislative, which includes the Congress and the Senate; and Judicial, which are the courts. The Constitution holds that one branch can not withhold or have power over another branch.

We celebrate July 4, 1776 as the founding of the Republic. This lasted until January of 2020 when many in the Legislative Branch colluded and formed a Monarchy with the Executive Branch. The Legislative Branch has been colluding for years to disrupt the Judicial Branch and make it an arm of the Executive Branch in violation of the Constitution.

For these reasons there is nothing to celebrate in the demise of the Republic except of life that lived far longer than many thought it could. The Republic is now just a tool of Capitalism in it’s worst form of greed and money manipulation, or Oligarchy. 150 families in America control 90% of the wealth and resources of the Republic and so a citizen’s voice has long been a whisper in the wilderness.