Dommy's Brighter Day

 

We certainly have much to disparage as we contemplate this 2020 Election (too much perhaps to fit into this space):

Ä    misinformation from a President and his followers in the Senate that questions the integrity of the vote

Ä    people on the Alt Right called forth by the president to intimidate others at the polls, some carrying weapons

Ä    a Biden campaign bus surrounded by Trump supporters in automobiles; some media reported attempts to push bus off the road

Ä    Trump and chosen sycophant director disrupted post office service to slow delivery of ballots by removing mail boxes, slowing delivery, confiscating and destroying high speed mail sorters and “losing” some ballots

Ä    judge’s ruling closing drive-through voting locations in Texas shutting down a potential of about 60,000 votes

Ä    Trump campaign rallies became spreaders of coronavirus because precautions were not taken

Ä    attempts through court actions to reduce voting, stop counting of some ballots and/or placing some ballots in limbo: i.e. were mailed but attempt was made to keep them from being  counted because deadline for arrival (Nov.3^rd) was missed; luckily, the courts held firm on most cases that there had to be sufficient evidence to grant standing to the charges;

Ä    Trump declaring victory before all votes counted, and deciding to go ahead with court cases where he claims fraud or faulty procedure influenced the vote

Ä    number of Americans, particularly young women, who desire to leave the U.S. permanently is on the rise. In fact, 40% of women younger than 30 would like to depart, study showed (msn.com)

Ä    vitriolic moves by Trumpians to delay the transitioning of Biden-Harris to their new positions

 

However, not everything was negative; we have some things that are historic and some that are truly laudable:

·      11 million people turned out to cast early votes

·      early voting itself in 25 states and DC

·      a record popular vote total for the winners!

·      poll watchers were needed in many places across the country because of absence of older people (caused by fear of exposure to COVID 19) who usually volunteered for those positions, and many young people ages 18-24 turned out to fill the gaps

·      number of mailed-in ballots increased substantially

·      people helping or aiding other people on long (and delayed) voting lines no matter their political affiliation

·      spontaneous celebrations in the streets of many cities as the votes were finally tallied completely in several states to cement a win for Biden-Harris

·      the celebration of the first woman to be elected to the Vice Presidency was impressive and stood out as a vivid example for children and young people

·      the contributions of manypeople to various aspects of the election: women of color made a tremendous difference in getting people registered to vote and then in getting to the poles; the people who worked a t the poles on election day and the counters of ballots who spent days at their posts doing their jobs made democracy a reality  

·      the importance of the calls for patience from the Biden campaign

·      the poignant picture of Joe Biden visiting his son Beau’s grave after he attended Mass on Sunday; a promise kept.

·      the important contribution made to the success of the Biden-Harris ticket from disaffected Republicans who put away years of being in opposition to Democrats in order to save our Republic from the machinations and dangerous policies of Donald Trump.  The Lincoln Project deserves our undying gratitude for their boldness and creativity.

·      The projected president and vice-president have already begun transitioning to their work and  initiated a new Task Force on  COVID19 as of Monday, Nov. 9^th.

 

A Major Question lies heavy upon us all now that the President-elect has called us to greater unity and understanding involved in  healing our divisions:  WHAT DO WE DO NOW?

 

I have great reservations about the fact that there were over 70 million people who voted for Trump, the great destroyer of our form of governance. Perhaps only 25-30 million are die-hard supporters but one does not know that.  Those reservations become laden with anger, sorrow and grief when I think of all the people who have been harmed or killed and perhaps maimed by a pandemic that a competent administration could and should have controlled.  I think of those killed in natural disasters that might have been handled in a more competent manner.  I think of those in our battered economy who are now unemployed, broke or bankrupt, homeless, and now living in poverty.  I think of those like granddaughters of mine who lost a senior year’s celebrations and now are affected at their colleges because of lack of preparation by this administration for opening schools and colleges in a safe way.

 

And just recently, I have been jolted by a missive from a close friend of our family who touched our hearts and lives so often in her growing-up years.  She put in a post on Facebook -- a plea and a challenge and a hope.  The plea is that we recognize that Donald Trump and his racist attitudes harmed their family by denigrating the image and future of their young son.  She feels a sense of relief that Trump will no longer be in a position to flaunt that racism from his powerful position , but what about those who carry on his racist hateful views?  How do we deal with them?  The call for unity and civility may be something we must strive toward.  But what do we do about those who want to harm or injure or denigrate her beautiful young son (and the millions of sons and daughters who are part of all of us and for whom we share a common responsibility).  Her post captured the fears and hopes of many in a way I never could.  She has graciously allowed me to share it with you.

 

by Brigid Colgan 

His shirt says, “I can change the world.” And after a long time of feeling hopeless and that our voices weren’t loud enough, I’m finally able to release a bit of my held breath and hope that it is true. He is everything that is good in this world wrapped up in one joyful (albeit, destructive!) little package.

It won’t be easy. It’s going to be a long road and a lot of work to keep doing. There was a lot of hurt done, and it won’t end just because of this new day. But this new day feels lighter, more hopeful, and comes with a renewed inspiration.

I want people to know this. For me, this was never about differing politics. Or whose side was going to “win.” This was about what we as an American people were going to determine was decent and right.

In the last election, I was shocked. And looking back on that now, that was my privilege. Dom wasn’t shocked...he knew that racism has plagued our country for its entire being. Because he has experienced it. There was a lot I didn’t understand back then and still more that I am learning. But to see it again 4 years later felt like a gut punch. And this time I was scared for my son’s future and what message the American people were sending to people like him.

For those who say we are “gloating.” This is not gloating....this is simply an intense relief from a weight we have felt for the past 4 years. There is now a little more hope that we are headed in a better direction and that there is a chance for change. That hope was handed to us by the very people who have been pushed down by white privilege. For that, I am eternally grateful.

I also want people who I know personally to understand that for those of you who voted for him, or who didn’t vote at all....maybe you meant no harm, I’m sure you would undeniably declare that you love Dommy....but we had an opportunity as a country to stand up for him, for all our children, and for people in this country, who for far too long have not been considered equal to us. We had an opportunity to put policies and parties aside, and stand against racism....and you chose not to. Yes, this is me taking that personally. You chose not to stand up for my son, and the millions of children who look like him. That is something that, as of this moment, I’m not sure how I will ever forgive.

And yes we need to come together. Of course further hatred will only perpetuate more hatred. But please know, that with your vote of him, you caused a lot of hurt. And for that I hope you can be reflective and take responsibility for that hurt before we all can move on and start repairing harm done.

I still have so much to learn. But for that little face, I am determined to give it everything I have.

 

 

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So more questions come our way:  HOW DO WE UNITE WHILE MANY ARE INTENT UPON DELIVERING HARM TO OTHERS IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER?  If healing is important, shouldn’t we start by healing the harm done to Trump’s victims?

 Let me conclude today’s blog with some suggestions on ways we might proceed toward healing by finding some common ground of matters of humanity not of political categories. They are presented in brief here but demand further attention soon.

         1)     Apparently, we will, as a general principle, need to GO ABOVE and BEYOND                        normality to eschew the usual words and actions we take that affect others to try                         new behaviors

2)     Simultaneously, we will need to Rejuvenate Virtues of long-standing that we cherish, such as: civility, humility, caring for others, random acts of kindness, responsibility and duty

3)     In preparation for the future and to bolster a current movement by youth, we must focus on the well-being and Healthy Development of all our Children and young adults, with precise attention to the truth that Black Lives Matter; all of which involves many aspects of government and private sector support 

4)     There is an overwhelming need to Change our Societal Folklore and National Biases to something other than the brutishness of a Donald Trump , thus:

5)     Let us Call on government and the private sector to replace bullying, aggressive behaviors, belittling of others, profit motive, unregulated enterprises and the unwarranted privileges bestowed upon wealth to inaugurate SERVICE as the basic principle guiding our endeavors – install community & national service as the principle undergirding our best efforts to establish fairness, civility and equal justice imperatives.  Best place to start is to expand the efforts we have right now (see my Blog for 2/8/2016).

6)     Care for our neighbors as we would want them to care for us – civility and “random acts of kindness”

7)     Think more globally  –  we are not one nation alone we are just one among many and we’re all in this together;  we must return to working cooperatively with other nations to achieve peace and human rights

8)     Work to overcome our fault lines and flaws in trying to actualize our ideals; begin with protecting the vote from any requirements that restrict someone from voting

9)     Change the status quo where it is holding us back from progress; change processes that do the same

10) Focus on problem-solving rather than adversarial bickering; we are failing to solve problems because of outmoded rules of order and structures like useless committees and too many powers held by leaders; but mainly because our representatives have little technical training in the problem-solving method

 I submit these knowing that more must be said which I will attempt to do in the very near future.

 

 

Let "ONE TERM" for Tenney REMAIN as "One Too Many!"

 (an essay written to potential voters of NY’s 22^nd congressional district on Election Day Eve, Nov. 2nd, 2020, to remind them why a local congressional election is important to their future.  Hopefully, it rings true for voters in other districts who also face a “Trumper” running for office.)  

Sorry to have to say it, but it must be said:  Claudia Tenney will be useless in Congress.  Why?  Because the House of Representatives will surely be Democratic once again and Tenney has a record that shows her bipartisanship to be on the lower end of the scale from her last sojourn in Washington (see Govtrack.com).  If she couldn’t get any bills signed into law during her term when Trump was President and Republicans held the majority in both Houses, what can we expect to happen if this time around Democrats hold onto the House, regain the Senate or at least reduce the GOP majority to a razor-thin margin, and the presidency is held by Joe Biden?  Claudia Tenney will be as irrelevant as a legislator as Bill Barr will be as ‘ex-Attorney General’.   

It makes no sense whatsoever to send Claudia Tenney into a Democratic Congress where she will have little opportunity to work with a majority she despises and a newly elected President she has maligned.  What that means very simply is that this district in Central New York is going to miss a golden opportunity to bring home some much-needed attention to this area.  Tenney will perhaps still be able to serve individual constituents who need help with red tape or difficulty with the IRS but her working on legislation that names streets or buildings or post offices after local people who deserve such recognition, is about all that can be expected.  She is not going to get legislation signed into law that promotes a local company like the SPOONS Act did for Sherill Manufacturing under Congressman Anthony Brindisi’s leadership.

Despite what one Utica O-D Opinion letter-writer tried to claim -- that Brindisi couldn’t rightfully claim that he was responsible for that Act since Claudia Tenney was the one who authored it when she was in office -- the argument that Tenney should get the credit for that Act fails on two accounts.  One, Tenney did not get enough bi-partisan support for her bill, and two, Tenney failed to get it passed in the Senate and signed into law by her idol, Donald Trump.  She failed to get it into law, unlike Congressman Brindisi who GOT IT DONE, enlisting bi-partisan support all along the way, and then getting it signed by a president who even today in a Tenney TV ad denigrates Rep. Brindisi for being a “Liberal” who votes with Nancy Pelosi and not with him.  Yet, this man who occupies the White House (hopefully, not much longer) has signed six bills authored and managed by this so-called “Liberal” Pelosi-supporter that will assist constituencies that Republicans used to support --  veterans, farmers, small businesses including his two latest bills focused on veterans' Mental Health.  Tenney got no such bills signed into law – nada; zilch, zero, none!  And that, my friends is the whole point – it matters what gets signed into law, not what gets proposed and never reaches that final level!  Tenney failed; Anthony Brindisi GOT IT DONE!

And, Brindisi has been recognized nationally for his sterling efforts by the national Chamber of Commerce organization.  

  One more thing.  This claim that Congressman Brindisi is tied into the Democratic majority in the House and therefore a flaming Liberal -- is not only irrelevant, it misses two important points:

One – our Congressman is widely recognized as a moderate Democrat who has supported progressive and pragmatic legislation, not certain legislators, or leaders.  Because he believes in fair elections, and adequate and affordable healthcare, in measures that aid people dealing with the burdens of poverty, or measures that aid in environmental clean-up,  does not make him a “puppet of Pelosi” or anyone else.  He votes for resolution of issues and problems that are national but affect his local constituents as well.

Two – because he is in Washington to solve problems, he cooperates with many people who want to address such problems.  Some are liberal, some moderate, some conservative.  An in-depth analysis of Brindisi’s activity by GovTrack.com indicates a person whose ideology is much more toward moderate right than radical left.  They rank only eight Democrats in the House to the Right of his ideology which indicates a far different picture than the false one that Trump/Tenney have thrown at him and us.  Brindisi has never been, and probably will never be, a Radical Left politician.  His work on the Utica School Board, in the New York State Assembly and now as a problem-solver in the U.S. Congress has never been ‘radical’ but moderately progressive. As a moderate, he has emerged as one of the leaders of a bi-partisan group in the House that defines itself as “Problem-solvers.” 

Association with certain individuals or groups is NOT the issue.  The issue is: what can be accomplished to address the needs of people of this nation, and the people back home in central New York.  Anthony Brindisi, I believe, acts upon a core belief that he was sent to Congress to solve problems and reform systems and structures that prevent the solving of those problems and issues.  Those who reduce the duty of congresspersons to ideological and political absurdities with “buzz words,” or to accusations because of necessary association with other representatives and with leaders, make themselves into obstructionists.  With their glaring misrepresentations, they are the ones who keep problems from being resolved and better avenues of implementation from being created.  They are the ones who build walls, not bridges.  They are the ones who do not work in the best interests of the People because their main concern is not problem-solving but making problems for adversaries that end up making problems for us all because nothing gets done!

When Nancy Pelosi is making it possible to pass problem-solving legislation, or legislation that faces future challenges, or legislation that expands people’s rights and freedoms; rebuilds our infrastructure, or any other worthwhile endeavor that improves our lives, then we must thank Congressman Brindisi for associating himself with those efforts on behalf of the people, whether those actions are considered liberal or conservative. 

We are left with the question: what matters most in terms of voting?  Whether your ideology leans left or right from the center of the political spectrum, what is important in the short and long run is the desire,  the skill and the pragmatism to solve problems in order to protect our health, our lives, our freedoms and our values as demonstrated by Brindisi’s extraordinary accomplishments as a first-term Congressperson.

In stark contrast, stands Donald J. Trump -- a narcissist, inveterate liar, bully, child abuser, and failed businessman who displays and values fascist tendencies -- has no business leading this country.  And, what’s worse perhaps, we do not need unquestioning sycophantic cult-like followers like Claudia Tenney who, whether her despotic leader is still calling the shots or is shunted out into the night, has no business being in the Congress dedicated to adversarial and ideological outcomes rather than critical problem-solving applied to the needs, problems and issues of our people.  Claudia Tenney is not equipped to get the job done, because what appears to be of most importance to her is securing her own future and prosperity by catering to wealthy individuals and rich corporations, not resolving problems or meeting needs facing the rest of us. Why would she vote consistently against affordable and universal healthcare for constituents unless something or someone was motivating her to do so for her own good?  If she is elected, those who voted her back in office will be the losers because she will:

Ø  continue deconstruction of government

Ø  diminish government assurances to us of Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid;

Ø  continue attacks on consumer protection and advocacy through deregulation of the for-profit market,

Ø  denude its ability to guard us against war, domestic terrorism, and loss of rights like universal unrestricted voting. 

Help “One-Term Tenney” keep her title – it fits perfectly!

RE-ELECT CONGRESSMAN ANTHONY BRINDISI – HE “GETS THINGS DONE”!