Monthly Archives: September 2019

THE 2020 ELECTION MAY BE FIXED – just like in 2016

Fixed-election

The House Speaker and many other Dems talk about winning a presidential and congressional election. But they don’t seem to consider the critical fact that the Russians invaded the last presidential election with hacking software and have had years since to refine their electoral attacks. Worse, the Senate Majority leader and the Republican Caucus refuse to put safeguards in place – like a paper trail. Impeaching Mr. Trump, the beneficiary of Russia’s manipulations, is a big step in the right direction to avoid this electoral disaster – if it happens sooner rather than later.

Special Counsel Bob Mueller said that the Russians didn’t just target individuals in the Clinton Campaign. They also targeted persons and entities involved in the elections themselves.

Their victims were targeted. They were the persons and entities involved in the administration of the elections, that is, state boards of election, secretaries of state, county governments and those who worked for these entities.

Nor was that the end of it, the Russians also went after the private tech firms that made the hardware and wrote the software for voter registration and electronic polling stations. The Russians did this right through the election. Continue reading

Statement on the Loudoun County Public Schools “Equitable” Assessment

Our County is discussing a report about how “equitable” are our Loudoun County Public Schools.

The Report says that we have not been “equitable” or “sensitive.”

After all this nation has gone through on civil rights, how is it possible that Virginia still is trying to figure this out at this late date, so long after the war between the states?

Eric Williams, the Superintendent of our billion dollar school system, concluded that the school staff has “a low level of racial consciousness and racial literacy.”

Amazingly, the report says, in this day and age, that “people are unclear and fearful on how to participate in conversations about race, let alone respond to racially charged incidents.”

I taught High School for several years in the late 60s and 70s.

There is nothing mysterious about how to be fair and impartial to students unless you are neither fair nor impartial.

The Report makes it clear that there has been disproportionate discipline for students of color but especially African-American students.

Students reported that they were the targets of “racist comments and acts of violence from both their peers and teachers.”  Not just other students but their own teachers.  What kind of teacher treats a student this way?

And here’s the rub.  “Nothing happens!”  So, the aggrieved students report.

White kids use the n-word and deny they did.

Persons of color are humiliated about their skin color and their hair.

One student said the teacher “told me to go back to my country.  I was in shock, I was born here.”

This is not computer science.

This is common sense.

Sanction the students who use the n-word or threaten other students with assault or abuse.  These offenses are serious infractions and there must be punishment up to and including expulsion.

The teacher who told a student to go back where he came from, well that case is simple, fire that teacher.  The teacher and student will both learn something from such punishment.

If persons can get away with this kind of misconduct without any rule or regulation or discipline that punishes their misconduct, we can expect more of the same.

The schools must act firmly and quickly so that this misconduct ends now.

This report is a shame and a disgrace – it scars the reputation of this County and its citizens.

We have to clean up this mess and now.

Fire in the House

image1I’m originally from a neighborhood in the South Bronx. 143rd and Willis avenue was our first neighborhood. My Dad was the super for the building. We lived in what I described in a grammar school essay as a “picturesque” tenement. My dad said I was mistaken to use the word picturesque – I disagreed. My Dad was amused.

As these apartments were packed one on the other, 4 stories high, they were possible fire traps and there were notable tragedies for those tenements with no way to escape.

I think Congress is presently more like a tenement, hardly picturesque, my Dad I’m sure is nodding agreement from the hereafter, and our Republic is going up in flames for congress’ failure to follow its oath and to act In the manner dictated by our constitution.

My Dad who was a carpenter, electrician and a plumber often said a poor workman blames his tools.

The founders gave our Congress the tools to restrain a chief executive with a monarchical bent.

But our Congress doesn’t even use the tools the founders created for just this kind of circumstances.

Again about tenements. What saved tenements from the fear and danger of fire were fire escapes that not only could and did save families.

(Incidentally, these fire escapes, for us kids, was like having open air balconies – as good as any populating the elevator towers on the east side silk stocking district – it was our place of freedom and, yes, escape.) Continue reading

The Virginia Plantation

Leesburg Martin Luther King Day parade, 2015

Leesburg Martin Luther King Day parade, 2015

We “celebrate” Labor Day but it’s a false “celebration”– a sham.

In Virginia, you can be fired at will.

Women are not paid an equal wage or salary as compared to men.

If you’re a person of color and a woman, don’t be surprised if you are treated differently.

If you speak up, you can expect HR (Human Resources) will find some pretext to investigate you.

Companies fight to keep the minimum wage as minimum as they can.

Health care and insurance ever since World War II is tied to your employment, tying you down to work for your benefactor employer.

When you age, if your company puts you in a supervisory position, they can can you despite your age because of that promotion.

If you are a woman, your pregnancy is treated as an illness, not a natural and welcome event.

The company may not give you an agreement but they will obligate you not to compete in a region or the nation for a period of time that relates to your business when you separate from the company. Continue reading