Independence Day

The Spirit of America

On July 4, 1776 the Second Continental Congress met and unanimously adopted "The Declaration of Independence", announcing to the rest of the world that the Colonies were seperating themselves from Great Britain which made that date the official birthday of what is now The United States of America but the observing of Independence Day didn't become widespread until after the war of 1812. Libraries are filled with books written by far greater men than I, therefore this posting, as promised, will feature a letter, a copy came into my possession, written to a local newspaper on that subject. Enough said. Thanks,

Dear Editor,

On Sunday July 4, 2010 we will be celebrating or commemorating the 234th anniversary of the birth of our "Declaration of Independence". The day will be observed in many different ways but we all should stand united as "One nation under God with liberty and justice for all". Look back through our history at all the men and women who stand out as heroes in their service in forming this nation and as Presiudent John F. Kennedy said, ask not what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country. Some of my heroes are written in this:

The Spirit of America

I'm the Spirit of America / all about what freedom means /
I'm the Spirit of America / the heart and soul of American dreams

I knew George Washington before Valley Forge / helped Teddy carry his big stick / flew the plane for Amelia Earhart / watched Clara Barton as she cared for the sick / I went with Andy Jackson to New Orleans / was with Bowie when he made his knife / stood beside Davy Crockett at the Alamo / it was for me that he gave his life / for I'm the Spirit of America / all about what freedom means / I'm the Spirit of America / the heart and soul of American dreams.

I flatboated on the Allegheny River / walked the trails with Johnny Appleseed / held the kite strings for Ben Franklin / was there when the slaves were freed / I stood on the deck of the USS Arizona / as it went to its watery grave / I light the torch for the Statue of Liberty / and wave the flag over the land of the brave / for I'm the Spirit of America / all about what freedom means / I'm the Spirit of America / the heart and soul of American dreams.

Celebrate, Commemorate, Delibrate - whatever is your cup of tea but on this special day may we all strive to do some deeds that will leave this world better than we found it. Thanks. Sincerely,

Bill Browder


There has been some controversy of late about the Pledge of Allegiance so I may try that subject next time but again maybe not. Several times I have noted that if you liked anything about this blog you could leave a comment below but I have not yet got the hang of it so can't advise anyone how. Anyway, as they say, it's the thought that counts. Til next time, stay tuned. William

Mish -Mash, Hodge - Podge

And Left Over Bologna

About five months ago, quite by chance, I entered into the world of blogging. While checking out another blog I noticed the invitation, in top right corner, to start a blog and even though I hardly knew what a blog was I took that invite and entered into the unknown (at least for me). I admitted at that time my lack of computer skills (I could barely turn it on and off) and asked anyone who happened upon it to give me a chance to improve. Have I made any progress? You be the judge. One of the most important things I have learned is that even after posting my writings on the blog I can got back and edit them so if you find something that is wrong one day it may have been corrected the next day.
When I was asked for a title for my newly created blog I decided to use part of the title I had used for a short (less than ten pages) genealogy article which was meant to refute some of the claims of other family members. That full title was "Mish - Mash, Hodge - Podge, Stray Thoughts and Left Over Bologna. Even though I picked "Stray Thoughts" I could just as well have used "Left Over Bologna".

I am an Independent in politics and maybe too much so in many other ways therefore I tend to look at most issues as not being totally black or white but, as they say, somewhere in the gray area and have tried to keep my postings somewhat neutral but sometimes (and more so lately) I have been inclined to take sides. Mostly, but not always, one side is not totally right and the other side totally wrong. I guess what I am trying to say is that there is nearly always, at least, a little good in everybody.

Next Sunday will be Independence Day therefore my next posting will be on that subject but will mainly consist of a letter written to one of our local weekly newspapers by Bill Browder. I just happened to come into possession of a copy of that letter and already know it contains a poem titled "The Spirit of America" which, in my opinion goes well with this occasion.

Several months ago I came across a poem written about our early history and the men and women who made it. I believe the title was "America's Heroes" and was written by some famous person named "Anonymous". As I remember it one verse was something like this;

They came, they saw, they conquered / thinking not from whence they came / they fought their way to hell and back / but we can't even recall their names.

If nothing happens to me between now and then my next posting will be next Wednesday and will be about our greatest holiday. Stay tuned. Thanks - William

All the World is a Stage

or 15 Minutes of Fame

In his play "As You Like It", a comedy, written in 1599 or early 1600 William Shakespeare quoted, what was already a cliche at that time, the line "All the world is a stage and all the men and women merly players". If that be true then I wonder what part I am playing and whether or not this world will be left better off for it.

In 1968 Andy Warhol made a statement that has lived on as one of his most famous quotations. It was "In the future everyone will have their 15 minutes of fame". I was already into my adulthood in 1968 and have been waiting for the last 42 years for my 15 minutes. I must have missed it somewhere along the way. Could it have been because I didn't write down all the things that happened that I just didn't understand. If that be the case then I will try to change course and start with one I heard a few days ago.

Things I don't understand - Part one.

While watching television last week I heard a United States Congressman say that if this administration would stop fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and bring all our men and women home then we could save over a trillion dollars. He said we could use that money to create jobs so that we wouldn't have any more unemployment and our economy would be robust again. At first I couldn't understand how that would make much difference in our economy but then I got to thinking (some people say that is when I get dangerous so I try to limit it to no more than once a week) and it would appear to work something like this. If we just quit and walk away from those wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, like we did in Viet Nam, then we wouldn't need more than half of our servicepeople (after all if we quit fighting the terrorist they will love us and won't attack us - right). It gets down right exhilarating just thinking about all the money we could be saving.
Where should we start in recounting those savings, well since we won't need all those military people we will save millions in pay, then we won' need all those bombers, fighter, helicopters, drones, aircraft carriers and support ships, submarines, bombs, rockets, torpedos, tanks and other armored vehicles or any other munitions. Then if we don't need all of those we won't need as much steel so we can save money there and don't forget the food services which supplies all the food, especially the "Meals Ready to Eat",to our men and women in combat zones.
But then another thought, that's two in one day - really dangerous, after we save all that money what happens to all the men and women who would have lost their jobs simply because we no longer need their service or expertise? Do you think it could be feasible that some of those who would be left unemployed would take the jobs that are now filled by illegal immigrants? If so then that would help alleviate the illegal problem but on the other hand many of those people came to this country with the sole purpose of taking what wasn't theirs. After all of this, looking at it from many different angles, analyzing the pros and cons and thinking way too much, about the best thing I can come up with is; "That's one thing I still don't understand".

Now what, you may ask, does all of this have to do my part on the world stage or my quest for 15 minutes of fame? As to the fame, maybe if I had started early in life writing about all the things I didn't understand then I could have written a book and became world famous - or maybe not and as for my role on the world stage that is just another thing I don't understand. If I ever figure it out I will let you know. Thanks, William

Indifference

Or Jesus - Crucified

A few weeks ago I came into possession of a poem written by Geoffrey Anketell Studdert Kennedy who lived in England (b. 1883 - d. 1929) probably in or around Birmingham. In 1929 a book of his poetry was published and is now copyrighted (C. 2003) by Ian Lancashire for the Department of English, University of Toronto. Under those conditions that poem is being printed here:

Indifference

When Jesus came to Golgotha they hanged Him on a tree,
They drave great nails through hands and feet, and made a Calvary:
They crowned Him with a crown of thorns, red were his wounds and deep,
For those were crude and cruel days, and human flesh was cheap.

When Jesus came to Birmingham they simply passed Him by,
They never hurt a hair of Him, they only let Him die;
For men had grown more tender, and they would not give Him pain,
They only just passed down the street, and left Him in the rain.

Still Jesus cried, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do,"
And still it rained the wintery rain that drenched Him through and through;
The crowds went home and left the streets without a soul to see,
And Jesus crouched against a wall and cried for Calvary.

In a feeble attempt to bring out similarities and contrasts in subject matter and outcome this next posting was written, copyrighted and published by Bill Browder in 1990 on a small bookmark card. The date A.D. thirty - three could be viewed as somewhat ambiguous in as much as, at least, some historians believe that King Herod, who lived when Jesus was a toddler, died in Four B.C. The Browder poem is being used by permission. It is;

Jesus - Crucified

My mind regresses back in time
to a place they called Golgotha
the year is A.D. thirty - three
and the time is early Friday
A crowd has gathered on the hill
to watch the valiant struggle
of a man carrying a heavy cross
along a busy highway

Thru tears and jeers it's moved along
upon the back of Simon
to the hill known as the skull
where men before had died
there they nailed Him to the cross
for all the world to see
Jesus who came to redeem the world
that day was crucified

In my mind I can see Him there
filled with grief and pain
His time had come, His work now done
upon the cross He's slain.

Has there been any significant changes in the world's attitude in the last hundred year, since Mr. Kennedy wrote his poem, and if so is it better or worse now? If you like anything in these postings you can leave a comment below. Thanks, William

Constitutional Or -

Ex Post Facto?

The Domestic Violence Offenders Gun Ban was passed in 1996 as an amendment by Senator Frank Lautenberg, attached to the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Bill. The law effectively made it illegal for anyone who had ever been convicted of domestic violence to have possession of or own any firearm or ammunition and was made retroactive forever (maybe back to Noah). Among those caught up in the passage of this law were many police officers, some of whom were veterans of twenty years or more in law enforcement who had pled guilty to domestic violence, some as many as twenty years earlier, as was the norm at that time, just to get their case settled. I wrote a letter to my United States Representative stating my objection to the law as written. While not altogether against it (who would condone any kind of violence much less domestic violence) I was objecting on the grounds that it was unconstitutional . Our Constitution clearly states in "Article 1, Section 9, Paragraph 3 that: "No bill of attainder or Ex Post Facto law shall be passed". To all, like myself, who never studied Latin it simply means that no law can be passed after the fact and made retroactive. My representave answered my letter by saying that I had made a good point and if it ever came up again he would pass my concerns on to the other members. I thought that was what we elected him for. The constitutionality of that law has never, as far as I know, been challenged in court. The general attitude is that "if it don't affect me then I don't care".

Again, our Constitution, in "Article 4, Section 4" states that: "The United States shall guarantee to every state in this Union a Republican form of Government and shall protect each of them against invasion, and on Application of the State Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against Domestic Violence".
When the democratically elected Legislature of Arizona, after repeatedly being ignored while pleading for help on the problem of illegal immigration, passed their own law to protect themselves they were promptly condemned by Washington and many of the other states, claiming racial profiling and calling for boycotts of Arizona and anything that came from that state. It was another clear violation of our Constitution when our Government in Washington refused to protect the Legal Citizens of Arizona and other border states against both Invasion and Domestic Violence. Strike two in the "if it don't affect me mind set".

In 1851, to encourage investments in sailing vessels, congress passed the "Maritime Limitations of Liability Act" which limited the dollar amount of damage an owner (Invertors) could be held liable for after an accident to the value of the vessel after the accident.
In 1912 the Titanic, a British flagged ship on her maiden voyage, struck an iceberg several hundred miles south of Newfoundland and sank with the loss of about 1500 lives (not enough lifeboats) and even though it was British owned they (the owners) filed their case in the United States court asking for protection under the 1851 Maritime Law. Our courts accepted the case and ruled in their favor. All the passengers who survived and the relatives of those who didn't got to split the value of the lifeboats because they were the only part of the Titanic which survived.
In 1990, in the wake of the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster off the coast of Alaska, Congress passed "The Oil Pollution Act" which limits a firms Economic Liability from an oil spill to 75 million dollars - a fixed number that hasn't been indexed for inflation. Any cost above that are covered by "The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund" which is funded by -- you guessed it -- the taxpayers.

In April of 2010 the BP (British Petroleum) oil drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico, fifty miles off the coast of Louisiana, exploded and burned with the loss of 11 lives and has already dumped millions of gallons of crude oil into the gulf. BP has said that they would pay all cost of damage and cleanup but at this time they are being threatened with multiple lawsuits, some of them from Washington. It is hard to learn anything from the news but according to one paper, Bp, earlier this month, has filed for protection under the 1851 Limitations of Liability Law, in the 5th Circuit Court in southern Texas. If (and that's a big if) that be true and if it is upheld by the courts then Bp might only be liable for the 27 million dollars that they now owe in royalties. That may be the reason we are hearing the call for congress to pass a law that would lift all caps on liability. Again it would have to be Ex Post Facto and again that would be unconstitutional. Does the end justify the means? What will be next on their list to be fixed Ex Post Facto? Does it not appear that there too many threats of legal action being thrown around and not enough about what we can do to stop the oil from coming ashore and to clean up what is already there?

Martin Niemoller, while in a Nazi prison during World War two, wrote the following poem:

First they came for the Jews/ and I did not speak out/ becauseI was not a Jew/Then they came for the Communist/ and I did not speak our/ for I was not a Communist/
Then they came for the Trade Unionist/ and I did not speak out/ for I was not a Trade Unionist/
Then they came for me / and there was no one left/ to speak out for me .

If we aren't careful that may be us someday. Thanks, William

The Ditch

How to get out

There are some who think it all began in 1994, the mid point of President Clinton's first term in office, when the Republican Party won control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. This majority continued through the remainder of the Clinton Presidency and the first six years of President Bush's tenure, being a total of twelve years.
Let's, at this time, go back in history (as if there was any other way) to the Maccabean period (135 to 105 BC), to the beginning of the Pharisee party as opposed to the Sadducees. The Pharasees, meaning "The Seperated Ones" could properly be spoken of as seperating themselves from the King, the Sadducees, all sorts of impurities and the people of the land. They believed in the Messiah, the Resurection, Angels, Demons and so forth. This, because of its affiliation with the much malined Religious Right, sounds somewhat like our modern day Republican Party.
Even after the loss, by the Republicans, in 2006 of both Houses of Congress and the debacle of 2008, there are many who seem to have no idea what the problem was or how to right it which brings to mind a verse in the Bible where the Disciples came to Jesus and said, "Know Thou that the Pharisees were offended by this saying" and Jesus answered and said, "Let them alone, they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall in the ditch".
Can anyone disagree with the premise that, at least, the National Republican Party has fallen into a very deep ditch. Too long in power, so it seems, had transformed very large egos into bright and shiny objects which appears to have blinded some to reality. Can it be overcome? For some, maybe, but for others who have been there for decades it is doubtful.
Lest anyone should foolishly believe that the Democrat Party has been immune to the allure of this malady, there is more than enough evidence to convict many of them of that same egotistical mind - set. The concept that we, as voters, can vote for and elect politicians solely on the promise of being rewarded from the public treasury is slowly but surely rearing its ugly head.
This monster, being a blight on civilization, must be exterminated down to and including its roots. How best can we, as a civilized and orderly people, attack this growing malignancy which threatens the very heart and soul of our United States of America?
How can we get off this slippery slope which is surely taking us closer and closer to our own destruction? One way would be an attempt to impose term limits of no more than two terms for any member of the House of Represetatives or the Senate, be it Washington or our own State Capitols. But if we plan to wait for our elected officials to enact such laws then we had better not hold our breath.
Another way might be for the Electorate to refuse to vote for anyone running for a third term. Again, don't hold your breath. I'm sure you've heard it said, "you can vote out your rascal but I want to keep mine". That's exactly the kind of thinking that our elected officials are counting on.
Do you remember the story in the book of Danial, where he read the handwriting on the wall? It was: "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin and this is the interpretation of the thing: Mene; God hath numbered thy kingdom and finished it. Tekel; Thou art weighed in the balance and art found wanting. Peres; Thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persions. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain".
Do you see the handwriting on the wall? More importantly, is there a Danial in the house? Please think about it. Thanks, William

Lord Keep Me Strong

Forever and ever

Lord I'd like to think that I have made a contribution
so as to leave this world a better place to be
even though it can be lost in its own smallness
You can always tell that it's from the heart of me
it takes a lot of little things to add up unto greatness
and though not completely satisfied I can go along
with being just a little cog in the wheels of Your Kingdom
so I'll put my faith in You, Lord keep me strong
my body and my mind, my spirit all the time
Lord keep me strong -- Lord keep me strong

Now Lord I think You know that I'll be forever grateful
for the helping hand that You extended to me
and I want to thank You for the blessings You have given
and all the times You've carried me over the stormy sea
Your strength makes it easier whenever I face temptations
and You're quick to forgive me when I have done You wrong
if loving You is all it takes to get into Your Kingdom
then I'll meet You there, Lord keep me strong
my body and my mind, my spirit all the time
Lord keep me strong -- Lord keep me strong

Copyright by Bill Browder 1983 -- 2006

I don't believe there is anything I can add to that except to say that if you would like to see more such poems included in these blog postings you are urged to leave a comment below. I am thinking about making my next posting a non - political commentary on our present political situation. Can it be done? Stay tuned to find out. Thanks, William

Non - political Politics

Non What?

Non political politics seems to be, in and of itself, an oxy-moron but believe me, all things considered, it could and should happen. As long as we have partison bickering in Washington we will continue to lose not only monetarily but our freedoms as well. There is now talk about curtailing the freedom of the press. What will be next??

One of the best examples of non-political politics can be found in the speech made at his Inaugural Address on January 20, 1961 by President John F. Kennedy when he said: "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country".

Alexis de Tocqueville was born in France and came to America in 1831 when he was 25 years old. In 1835 he wrote volume one of "Democracy in America" and volume two in 1840. The two volumes were a study of the American people and their political institutions. Several years ago these books were much quoted by various politicians but lately seems to have gone out of vogue. The following is a direct quote from one of those books: "America will be a great country until the people learn that they can vote thenselves money from the public treasury, after that, it will be a war of all against all with each person striving to get the greatest amount of free money possible".
It appears that for many years we have been steadily drifting toward the fulfillment of that prediction or prophecy until we may have already passed the point of no return. I pray that I am wrong on that count.

Last week, by permission, I included a poem from a book written and published by Bill Browder. After much discussion,soul-searching and things better left unsaid I am operating on the assumption that I have his permission to include other poems should the occasion arise. That being said, my next posting will probably begin with one of his poems written as a prayer. It might be helpful to all of us. Until then, William

Disaster in the Gulf

One of the most glaring headlines in today's news is "Disaster in the Gulf" which, of course, referres to the (so-called) gulf oil spill. It appears to me that this spill has progressed to the point that it should now be called dumping, with no end in sight. It has now been predicted that the oil could go around the tip of Florida and up the East Coast, at least, as far as North Carolina. Lest we forget, we also have the "Global Warming" scenario which is promising dire results if we don't drastically change our way of life. And we won't even get into the results from damage done to our country by illegal immigration. There was a book published and copyrighted in 1983 by a Bill Browder which contains a poem that I find very approprate in these hectic times that we are living in. The title is "At the End of the Road" and is as follows:

In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth. And the earth brought forth grass and herbs yielding seed after his kind, and the trees yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself after his kind, and God saw that it was good. Gen. 1: 1, 12

Now there's a sign at the end of the road / that reads "Danger - Toxic Landfill" / but once you are there, there's no turning back / for our environment is fast sliding down hill / deep dark secrets are buried in the past / poisens that can destroy us all now / the future's not bright for the children we raise / and it's getting bleaker and bleaker somehow

Dump it in the river in the name of a buck / or in drums that are buried in the ground / let the acids seep out to kill our wildlife / and the chemicals spread all around / our government spends billions to clean it all up / throwing good money after bad so it seems / till not much is left of the things we hold dear / The Heart And Soul Of American Dreams.

And the earth was without form and void and darkness was on the face of the deep. Gen. 1: 2

I believe that is enough said, if we don't all wake up and smell the roses there is a very good chance that there will be no roses left to smell. I pray that all who read these words will truly think about them. Thank you, William Lee