This is My Father's World - From Freedom: The Case For Open Borders - By Joss Sheldon

 

EVERYTHING HAS ALWAYS BEEN MOVING 

The ground beneath your feet is also on the move, albeit at a rather pedestrian pace… The science of “plate tectonics” tells us that Earth’s lithosphere--its two outermost layers--is comprised of seven or eight major “plates”, as well as several smaller “platelets”. These have been moving across the planet’s surface for 3.4 billion years. Sometimes, these continents come together, to form a single supercontinent. We’re talking about the likes of “Columbia,” a landmass shaped like a piece of pizza, which formed two billion years ago. Columbia broke up into smaller continents, which then reunited to form “Rodinia”. This process repeated itself--resulting in “Pannotia”--a supercontinent located around the South Pole. The most recent supercontinent was called “Pangea”. It formed around 335 million years ago, was home to the dinosaurs, and broke up after another 135 million years--forming Asia, Africa and the Americas-- continents which continue to migrate today; travelling just under ten centimetres a year. (Li et al, 2008). (Read & Watson, 1975). 

Plants appeared on Earth a fair while after the continental plates--just under half a billion years ago. And you’d never guess what: They also move around! Their seeds are so light, they can be carried by the breeze--in rivers and oceans--within birds’ stomachs, claws and feathers. They’ve been known to make some rather long expeditions… Around 1.4 million years ago, a seabird carried the seeds from acacia trees in Hawaii--either in its stomach or in its wings-- before depositing them on Réunion Island, eighteen thousand kilometres away! (Le Roux et al, 2014). The chances are that only a few seeds survived the journey. They took root, multiplied, and began to evolve. But plant migration doesn’t only occur when a few plants travel alone. Sometimes, a great number of plants move together... The most recent Great Tree Migration occurred at the end of the last Ice Age, ten thousand years ago. As the ice receded, the trees which had survived in more temperate locales--further from the poles, at altitude, and in protected pockets of land--began to spread across the newly unfrozen terrain. Fossilised pollen shows that oak trees migrated across Scotland at a rate of one kilometre per year. Beach trees moved from one side of the Great Lakes to the other. Norwegian spruces circumnavigated both the North Sea and the Baltic. (Bridle, 2022). It’s not quite the acacia. These trees didn’t travel eighteen thousand kilometres in a single journey. But they experienced a mass migration-- moving together, along with their peers.

~~~

Once Sheldon introduces all who are world citizens in today's reality, he quickly and, almost, lovingly begins to share about the world in which we all live: Planet Earth. Again, he moved backward historically showing the concept of how the earth has changed. How the creatures of earth had changed... In doing so, he erases little prejudice in acknowledging the science behind how the earth was formed. Indeed, I personally have never found it contradictory to talk about evolution... It exists. Period. Nor does it exclude that God was the creator. After all, man invented time. often, in order to study what was found as evidence from the past... We learned that "Adam" was to be the shepherd over all of the animals--to even name them. We also learned of Lilith, Adam's first wife... So it is not difficult to understand all that might have happened about which nobody was able to record...

Sheldon talks about migration during the beginning of the world, providing bits and pieces of research to help readers to think back on some of their school teachings or, perhaps, be the first time that some will have explored earth's beginnings. It's a wonderful story that you tend to sit back and relax in its exploration...

Things like those birds who often assisted in spreading seeds from plants in different parts of the world. And, as they traveled, brought varieties of new types of plants here, there, and everywhere. I remember one year when I came out my door and looked toward a flower bed to my right. For the first time, I saw two new plants that had not previously been there. They seemed to have grown overnight. But, I saw that they were evenly spaced where they were, Perhaps, I realized, birds had fed on my other plants and had dropped the seeds. But, they were trees that would grow higher than would be safe, so we transplanted them. They didn't like the relocation and died, sadly...

After the exploration of our animals migratory and reproduction actions, Sheldon turns to the scientific exploration of man's historical migration. For, surely, we must accept all of the newest scientific data on humans... DNA, for instance, as being the basic components which make up our bodies... 

However, this is a central part of Sheldon's, as he explores...the...early...migrations of humanity.

NO-ONE IS INDIGENOUS: Borders attempt to divide us – to say that we’re all inherently different – that some people belong in certain places, whilst others belong elsewhere. And yet our biology disagrees. We all have longish legs, dexterous hands, and oversized brains. We all have lungs, kidneys and bladders. This remains true, no matter where we were born – whether we’re American or Mexican, British or Polish, Indian or Pakistani. There’s no such thing as a “British gene.” Mexicans and Americans have the same DNA. Our genetics are universal... 

Can you believe that? I can... Consider a simple match test for somebody like me. Is my blood a different color than my Black friends, my indigenous friends, et.al.? No, it's not... Later in the book, there is a reference to the Tower of Babel...

Whether or not you choose to believe the Bible's story, or not, we do know that people became who they are, based upon the location in which they were born. Continuing along these lines, Sheldon simply presents the scientific changes that occurred to those who were originally born in one land, Africa, then to migrate out from those lands, following their desire to see other lands, to enjoy the world that surrounded their homes... But, no matter where the original individuals traveled (or were placed by God) they continued to evolve to adjust to the particular land in which they had chose... Yet, continued to have the basic genetics, the basic DNA composition that every single person on the earth has!

Many who are in America, including me, are incensed by a man who is campaigning on what would happen if he were elected again in 2024... Certainly a threat to our democracy. But, when you stop and think about it, whether through early migration or by having God place people across the world He created, it is quite clear that there is NO way that blood can be contaminated... Simply because we are all created equally... While my emphasis on the above is based upon my own knowledge, here's how Sheldon uses a parable to explain the theory.

It’s a run-of-the-mill American chat show. Two guests are sitting on upholstered chairs, which have been arranged at a ninety-degree angle – half-facing their host, and half-facing the studio audience. The show’s presenter, Trisha Goddard, is sitting on a matching chair-- wearing a tight-fitting, blue-and-black ensemble. Peering over the top of her glasses, Goddard reads from a golden certificate. She’s addressing her guest, Craig Cobb--a racial separatist who’s attempting to establish a white-only enclave in North Dakota. Cobb is relatively handsome for a man his age, with flowing grey hair, and a tidy beard. Dressed in a regal-red shirt and tie, he exudes the confidence of a man who has total faith in his philosophy: That black and white people are like “Oil and water”, and that “Oil and water don’t mix,” “Craig Paul Cobb has undergone DNA testing,” Goddard begins. “To determine his genetic ancestry. It is 86% European, and, err...” Hahaha-hee-hah! The second studio guest, a black woman who is wearing a colourful hat, leans back and emits a joyous chortle. It’s contagious. As she slaps her thigh, the audience amplifies her response-- hollering, clapping and stamping. The second studio guest encourages Goddard to continue. “Give it to him,” she cheers. “Give it to him.” And Goddard is only too happy to oblige: “14% Sub-Saharan African.” Cobb emits a nervous smile, as the audience continues to cheer. “Wait a minute,” he protests, as cheerily as he can. “Hold on...” “Wah-ay!” Goddard cheers. “Ho!” But Cobb remains defiant: “This is called ‘Statistical noise’.” Goddard leans forward, nodding furiously, whilst her eyes bulge out from their sockets: “Sweetheart, you have a little black in you.” Cobb repeats his refrain: “Listen. I tell you this: Oil and water don’t mix.” But Goddard is already on her feet, leaning into Cobb’s personal space, and offering him a fist pump: “Hey... ‘Bro’.” She offers another fist pump, and Cobb declines again. But it makes little difference. The science has spoken: This proud American is 86% European and 14% African. Oil and water do mix. They’re mixed up within his DNA. But there’s another fact, implicit in these results, which goes unmentioned: Eighty-six and fourteen add up to a hundred. Cobb is 100% European and African. He’s not even the slightest bit Native American. He’s the descendant of immigrants – a guest in another land. There was nothing particularly unusual about Cobb’s DNA… A study conducted by genealogists from the Harvard Medical School, in collaboration with 23andMe, asked Americans to self-identify their ancestry. They were categorised as “European Americans,” for example, if they selected “Not Hispanic,” if they also selected “White,” and if they didn’t select another category. Of these self-identifying “European Americans," which would’ve included the likes of Craig Cobb--3.5% were shown to have at least 1% Sub-Saharan African ancestry. In the south, one-in-ten people who self-identified as white, had some African ancestry. But very few had any American DNA. On average, only 0.18% of their DNA was Native American. The other 99.82% had come from immigrants. It was actually those people who self-identified as “Latinos,” and only as “Latinos,” who had the highest proportion of local DNA. 18% of their genetic makeup was Native American. They were a hundred times more American than people like Craig Cobb. Let that sink in for a moment: The people trying to cross over from Mexico into the USA, were over a hundred times more American than the likes of Donald Trump--the people who were trying to stop them. The descendants of immigrants, with massive amounts of foreign DNA, were pointing their fingers at people who did have some American DNA, and saying “You’re too foreign. You can’t come in.” The science would beg to differ. (Bryc et al, 2015). 

At that point I had to smile. Perhaps you've noticed that our writer is a Brit who is speaking out about our past-president--but I want to quickly say that he also talks about the former blond PM in his homeland as well. LOL The key point is that when somebody lies, there will always be people who know they are lying, because they know they can prove the truth... 

Do we need to explore this further, I don't think so, do you? The Constitution says that we are all created equal and to be afforded the same rights. Science says that we are all, basically, the same, differing only based upon where we were born... And, most importantly, those who believe our God created all of us, must surely accept that He sees all of us as His Children. Not to be rejected, no matter what color our skin... Opening our borders is the least we can do to meet the needs of our neighbors...  

Other Worlds Are Possible - Joss Sheldon begins... Freedom: The Case for Open Borders

 

OTHER WORLDS ARE POSSIBLE 

This book fills the void which was created by the shift towards authoritarianism--to share the ideas which are missing from the mainstream narrative--making the case for free movement. I want to arm you with the information you’ll need to challenge the anti-freedom agenda. So that when someone repeats a Trumpian falsehood--these ideas that “Immigrants take our jobs,” or that “They’re not like us”--you can respond with the facts that debunk their lies. 

I want to help you to challenge the politics of fear and hatred, so that we may usher in  new politics based on the humanity we all hold in common, no matter where we were born. 

Does that sound crazy? Perhaps it does! But let’s not forget that this narrowing of the political spectrum has been a relatively recent occurrence. Politicians were willing to extend a warm welcome to their international guests, in the not-too-distant past. Do you recall the George Washington quote at the beginning of this chapter? When he said the USA was open to strangers from “All nations and religions”? Well, that kind of statement used to be the norm. Harry Truman won the 1948 presidential election, after promising to overturn controls on migration. He later stated: “We do not need to be ‘Protected’ against immigrants… On the contrary, we want to stretch out a helping hand, to save those who have managed to flee (from the USSR)… To welcome and restore them.” (Volner, 2019). John F Kennedy once said: “Immigrants have enriched and strengthened the fabric of American life.” He also declared: “We are a nation of immigrants.” And Barack Obama echoed his predecessor, when he stated: “We are and always will be a nation of immigrants.” 

But it wasn’t only Democrats who used to speak in such a manner. Take these quotes from the three Republican presidents who preceded Donald Trump, beginning with Ronald Reagan, who said this in 1980: “(Rather than) talking about putting up a fence, why don’t we work out some recognition of our mutual problems, make it possible for them to come here legally with a work permit, and then, while they’re working and earning here, they pay taxes.” Reagan’s successor, George Bush Senior, reminded the nation that the USA was built by immigrants, when he said this in 1990: “Our nation is the enduring dream of every immigrant who ever set foot on these shores, and the millions still struggling to be free. This nation, this idea called America, was and always will be a new world--our new world.” And Bush’s son, George Junior, extolled the immigrant work ethic, while speaking in 2004: “As a Texan, I have known many immigrant families, mainly from Mexico, and I’ve seen what they add to our country. They bring to America the values of faith in God, love of family, hard work, and self-reliance--the values that made us a great nation.” George W. Bush also admitted that, “Nearly all Americans have ancestors who braved the oceans--liberty-loving risk takers in search of an ideal... Immigration is not just a link to America’s past--it’s also a bridge to America’s future.” (Ortiz, 2016).

If these Republican politicians, who certainly weren’t a bunch of “bleeding heart liberals,” could’ve spoken so glowingly about immigration in the recent past, then they should be able to do so again in the future. You never know: This book might swing them back in the right direction!

 

EVERYONE HAS A STORY 

I suppose I have skin in the game… I was born in Barnet – a fairly anonymous suburb on London’s outermost fringe. My father grew up in the area. But my mother moved around a little--she grew up in Oxford, went to study in Liverpool, and headed down to London when she began her career. My grand-parents were also born in England. So, it’d be easy for me to consider myself British through-and-through. My family speak English with an English accent. We eat fish and chips, go to football matches, and whinge about the weather. I’ve never heard any of my relatives refer to themselves as “immigrants”. In reality, all eight of my great-grandparents moved to England from Eastern Europe, between the two World Wars--fleeing from antisemitism. If they hadn’t made that journey, they might’ve been murdered by the Nazis. I wouldn’t be here today, writing this book. How many other lives were saved, thanks to similar journeys? And how many of the six million Jews who were slaughtered, would’ve been saved had there been open borders, providing them with a passageway to safety? It’s sobering to think. But free movement, for me, isn’t something that’s limited to the dark annals of history. It’d be fair to say that without international travel, you wouldn’t be reading this book for a second, entirely different reason… In December 2012, I left my job at Northampton Town Football Club. I was determined to write and release my debut novel. But I only had a few thousand pounds in the bank. Would that money have sufficed, had I remained in England? No way! I’d have spent it in a few months, whilst I was only a fraction of the way through the first draft, and I’d have been forced to get another job to pay the bills. Perhaps I could’ve written part-time. But that book, Involution & Evolution,  took almost two years to complete. Distracted by a job, and by fatigue, it would’ve taken even longer. Given that it was a bit of a flop, I’d have probably lacked the motivation to keep writing. The chances are that I wouldn’t have made it to book number eight, and you wouldn’t be reading it today. So, what happened? 

Well, I “moved,” of course. I put the word in quotation marks, because I didn’t take up permanent residence abroad. I was more of a nomad. I went to India--one of the cheapest countries on the planet. I rented a rather basic room, for around £70 a month. I washed my clothes by hand, on the floor beneath the shower. I cooked porridge in a kettle for breakfast, and ate my other meals at the cheapest restaurants. All in all, I survived on about £5 a day. Even when you add in the cost of flights and visas, it’s not hard to see how I made my money last for around eighteen months, enough time to complete the first two drafts of my novel. Moving to another country, helped me to launch my new career. It also helped me to put down roots… 

Even as a relatively successful author, there was no way I could’ve bought a house back in Barnet. According to Right Move, the average property in my hometown sold for £891,938 (in 2022). The average apartment cost £509,664. At the same time, according to Words Rated, the average indie author was only making a thousand dollars a year. You do the math! So, what did I do? I wrote my first two books in India and Nepal, before writing my third--The Little Voice  while house-sitting for friends in Spain. When that began to sell, I treated myself. I wrote my fourth novel, Money Power Love, in the food-lovers paradise of Thailand. It was there that I met my (now) wife. We moved to the Philippines and then to Bulgaria, where we bought a three-bedroom house on the edge of the Pirin National Park. With beautiful mountain views, that little slice of paradise was a short drive away from a ski resort and an assortment of hot springs. It cost me around £30,000 – the sort of price that a moderately successful indie author could afford to pay. 

After a few years, my wife began to miss the land of her birth--the Philippines. I could tell that she’d be happier if we returned to that island nation. So here we are today. We’ve bought a little under two hectares of land, for about £25,000, and a team of builders are erecting our home as I type--replete with a well, water-filtration system, solar panels and wind turbine. We plan to grow our food, live off-grid, and be fairly self-sufficient. It's not the sort of life everyone would wish for themselves, and it certainly has its downsides. But it’s the life we’ve chosen. And there’s no way we could’ve afforded it back in Britain. We had to move, to enjoy this lifestyle. We’ve been incredibly fortunate, to be able to do such a thing. The British passport is a powerful tool--it makes it easy for Brits to relocate. 

But still, there’s a part of me that feels conflicted. I feel like a spoilt brat, hopping from one place to the next, whilst other people are forced to remain where they are, and accept circumstances which were imposed upon them at birth. There’s one rule for one group of people, and another rule for everyone else. That’s not right, it’s not just, and it’s not fair.

Everyone has a story. They tend to be fairly unique. And the nuance is often lost. We rarely hear about those people who move abroad to enjoy a cheaper cost of living. We seldom speak about those people who move for the sake of a homesick spouse. Have you ever come across anyone else who moved from Britain to India, to launch a career as an author? Discussions about migration tend to focus on the negatives. 

But not everyone who moves is a victim--a “refugee,” an “asylum seeker,” or an impoverished “economic migrant.” People relocate for thousands of reasons--most of which we never stop to consider--most of which are positive and beautiful. People move to study, retire, or make a fresh start--to experience different cultures, climates and lifestyles. It’s true that some of us only make single journeys--emigrating from one place, and immigrating into another. But plenty of “returnees” do head back in the other direction. Other people are more nomadic. Some move around their regions, whilst others traverse the globe. They might settle down for a few weeks, a few years, or a few decades. 

Whatever the case, one fact remains: No-one chooses the place where they were born. It’s a lottery. You might be fortunate. You might be born in the perfect nation for you--one with all the opportunities you’ll need to become the best version of yourself. Then again, you might not. It seems inherently unjust to trap people in particular lands, simply because they were born there, when they could attain self-fulfilment elsewhere. It’s also a historic anomaly… 

Beginning with the reality of what immigration has come to mean in the world is so very difficult... In America, Russia, and, through one man, even Israel, it has become a purely political matter where one party is willing to harm these people... purely to gain  power! In fact, within or without the United States, we have seen what is happening when those who are known for authoritarian domains, wars have sprung up, people are dying...

Let's be specific... Putin has initiated a war against the freedom enjoyed in Ukraine... Netanyahu had been under investigation when Hamas attacked, but he has now used his authoritarian ways to keep a war going in Gaza that has already been declared inhumane and criticized across the world. The leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei funded Hamas and other terrorist groups who are now attacking ships in the area, and more...

It is quite clear to me, at least, and many others that if the past president of America would be reinstalled as president, it would be a total destruction of our lives as Trump has clearly stated that he would be a dictator on day 1 if elected and would then work with other dictators to rule supreme...

While I hold confidence this will not happen, nevertheless, many now live in fear, which includes, fear of those who see the United States as a safe haven. And hundreds have already come from another dictator's country, China, because of the move toward even more suppression in all ways.

ALL OVER THE WORLD, PEOPLE ARE CRYING OUT TO BE FREE! I believe this book is not only an excellent treatise of just how much people desire--and--deserve to live free. All over the world!

After his introduction related to the political climate, Sheldon immediately moves into a comprehensive research review of historical account of how people lived. As I read, I began to sink further and further into the beauty, the awareness, the reality of living free. This, to me, is what God intends for all. And, for America, as guaranteed to us in our Constitution. And, then, I realized even more just how one leader of a bordered country can quickly, or slowly, remove each and every freedom... just by demanding "borders" around a perceived ownership of property!

Homo sapiens have been moving about, establishing homes in various locations, for at least eighty thousand years. Earlier humans, such as Homo habilis, were wandering the Earth around two million years ago!

In America most of us now have the luxury to move within the country at will... until recently. Many of us know that historically those from another world first came to America, seeing it "mostly" free of people and decided that the land was up for grabs... Many of those who were presently living on this land, who had moved from place to place, to hunt, to move for climate improvement, or to establish a home place soon learned that immigrants coming to their land were not interested in their nomadic moves based upon living in the best possible climate at any given time... Soon, it resulted in violence, murder and...theft...

Sheldon points out that we all have some need to move, to go to places different than where we were born. In fact, he begins to give statistics of movement of people from location to location. Specifically, unless you live in Africa where you were born, all of us are immigrants in the land of the free! 

Thus begins the History of Movement

“And what is a border, if not a story? It is never simply a line, a marker, a wall, an edge. First, it’s an idea. An idea that is then presented as a reality. It doesn’t just exist in the world. It can only ever be made. It can only ever be told.” --James Crawford

Boom! No, that doesn’t do it justice. BOOM! No, that doesn’t even come close. The universe didn’t begin with a big bang. It began with a massive bang. The sort of explosion that’s impossible to conceive. A melee of gamma rays, heat and light. This massive bang dispersed all the physical matter that’s ever existed, at more than a billion kilometres per hour. That matter would go on to form stars, planets, trees, animals and humans--but it would never stop moving. Every gram of matter that exists today, has been in constant motion for 13.8 billion years--travelling away from the site of the big bang. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is no exception: It travels 2.1 million kilometres every single hour. Planet Earth is also beholden by this rule of constant motion. It’s orbiting the sun--travelling 107 million kilometres in an hour. Our solar system is also moving around the Milky Way. 

And there’s more: That’s because the Earth is rotating on its axis. If you’re standing on the equator, you’ll be travelling 1,600 kilometres each hour, thanks to this phenomenon alone. All this means one thing: You’re migrating right now. It might not seem that way. You might be very comfortable, relaxing on a sofa, sipping a cup of cocoa. Everything might feel pretty stable. But in reality, you’re whizzing through space at a mind-boggling velocity. You’ve never been where you are at this moment, and you’ll never be there again. This has always been the case. The history of the universe, is a history of continuous travel through space. (Fraknoi, 2007).

Reading this book instilled a sure knowledge that freedom is precious--precious enough that we must fight to keep, or obtain, it! Now when it is so apparent in so many ways across our world, take the time to learn how and why voting is just one of the ways we can be free...

Next: This is My Father's World!

Freedom: The Case For Open Borders - Joss Sheldon - Introduction

It’s the 16th of June, back in 2015. Donald Trump is riding an escalator in the Manhattan tower he’s named after himself. The skin beneath his chin is sagging over a generic red tie. His face is reddish-purple. He holds his left hand aloft, and offers a thumbs-up to the press. In the background, a couple of dozen people are standing on the level from which Trump is descending, pressed up against a golden handrail. Some wave at the reality TV star, whilst others snap photos on their phones. A few of these spectators have wandered in off the street; curious to see what’s afoot. Others are being paid $50 to attend. Trump follows his wife, Melania, who is sporting a white dress and a stoic face. He clambers up onto a makeshift stage, positions himself, and begins in the style to which the world will soon become accustomed: 

“Our country is in serious trouble. We don’t have victories anymore. We used to have victories, but we don’t have them. When was the last time anybody saw us beating, let’s say, China in a trade deal? They kill us. I beat China all the time. All the time. “When did we beat Japan at anything? They send their cars over by the millions, and what do we do? When was the last time you saw a Chevrolet in Tokyo? It doesn’t exist, folks. They beat us all the time. “When do we beat Mexico at the border? They’re laughing at us, at our stupidity. And now they are beating us economically. They are not our friend, believe me. But they’re killing us economically. 

“The US has become a dumping ground for everybody else’s problems. “Thank you. It’s true, and these are the best and the finest. When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people. “But I speak to border guards and they tell us what we’re getting. And it only makes common sense. It only makes common sense. They’re sending us not the right people. 

“It’s coming from more than Mexico. It’s coming from all over South and Latin America, and it’s coming probably... probably... from the Middle East. But we don’t know. Because we have no protection and we have no competence, we don’t know what’s happening. And it’s got to stop.”

These were the opening remarks from the speech that launched Trump’s campaign for office. He’d started as he meant to go on. Less than two weeks later, when NBC dumped Trump for “Derogatory statements... regarding immigrants,” the future president doubled down, claiming: “We must have strong borders and not let illegal immigrants enter the United States… Public reports routinely state great amounts of crime are being committed by illegal immigrants.” Trump insisted that the solution was a border wall: “I will build a great wall. And nobody builds walls better than me, believe me. And I’ll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall.” 

And Trump took things to the next level, in December of that year – saying he’d implement a “Total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States”: “Our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life.”

Things were pretty dire, for a significant number of Americans... Jobs had been shipped off abroad, wages had stagnated, and living costs were spiralling out of control. The aftermath of the Global Economic Crash had been devastating for everyday folk: Around ten million Americans had lost their homes, nine million had lost their jobs, and over 45 million had been plunged into poverty. (Shallby, 2018). Trump was tapping into this seam of discontent, and offering a deliciously simple answer: It’s the immigrants! They’re the bogeymen. They’re the ones who are pillaging your prosperity. But that malaise hadn’t been caused by immigrants. It was caused by the policies of Ronald Reagan, George Bush Senior, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. They were the ones who’d put corporate profits before the welfare of the American people – cutting regulation, abolishing trade barriers, and reducing union power. (Gerstle, 2022). 

And the Global Economic Crash wasn’t caused by immigrants either. It was the work of unscrupulous investment bankers, the credit agencies that gave triple-A ratings to subprime loans, and successive governments, who’d rolled back the very legislation which was designed to prevent that type of meltdown. Most of the bankers at Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns weren’t immigrants. Most of the politicians who put profit before people, were born and raised in the States. It wasn’t immigrants who closed around seventy thousand American factories, and outsourced five million manufacturing jobs. Those decisions were made by fat cat chief executives. And it wasn’t immigrants who profited from the slash-and-burn approach to managing the economy. It was a tiny cabal of shareholders. (Scott et al, 2022). 

But none of that mattered. In politics, the truth is secondary. Narrative wins the day. If you can pick at people’s discontent, work your audience into a frenzy, say you’ve identified the issue, say you have the solutions, and promise to make life better – then you’ll rack up the votes. Donald Trump did that. Hillary Clinton did not. 

THE FACTS WHICH DISAPPEARED 

But what if Hillary had tried such an approach? What if she had acknowledged the suffering of the American people? What if she’d gone as far as to say that immigration policy was to blame? Imagine the scene, if you will… Clinton and Trump have won their parties’ nominations. Trump’s rhetoric is well-known. But Hillary has been fighting fire with fire--taking an unashamedly pro-immigration stance. Her campaign has been just as controversial as Trump’s...

~~~

Imagine, if you will, that Hillary Clinton had created her own, but exact opposite, of the campaign that was used during the 2016 election. The slogan would be "Immigrants make America Great" and ads, hats and even necklaces that could be hung around a woman's neck would be seen all around. Hillary would forget about trying to out-scream Trump and, instead, she would talk about sisterly support, how she was already working with thousands of women and charitable organizations that were aimed at meeting the needs of the poor and hungry...

Well, we already know that Clinton won the popular vote, especially after Trump's claim that he could grab the genitals of women and they wouldn't care... And all of those women who attended the large protest march at that time, had voted and asked that state representatives for her campaign would work with the electors of states, to ensure that they were singing the same tune that the majority of Americans had been singing... Clinton promises to help Immigrants from across the world, just like the Statue of Liberty guaranteed... She had recited the famous poem, "Give me your tired your poor..." followed by a rallying cry!

And now the banner can be seen – 

red, white and blue – star-spangled, 

with a three-word demand: 

“Open the borders!” The crowd cheers:

Open the borders! 

Make America the Land of the Free!

I had a chance to talk briefly with my mailman yesterday and we got into politics, somehow. He was laughing that Trump had won and would win again in 2024. I pointed out that Clinton had won the 2016 popular vote--that he had won... And I mentioned the Russian hackers... Again he roared in laughter. I asked him, Do you know what report documented those who had been convicted of interfering with the election? He looked at me. I could tell he didn't and mentioned the Mueller report. Again, a blank stare...

How I wish that the Democratic Party had realized or knew about all that we now know! But that is history which we cannot change, even though much of Trump's actions during his presidency has been regurgitated into entirely different statements of republican truth...

BUT, I want to quickly point out that this book has little to do with politics! As I was reading, I again realized that I was to read this book NOW. Because it was purely by a God Incident that I even discovered Joss' email--I had been routinely deleting email from the address I had used as a reviewer who accepted requests for reading books from authors. And, as I read, this song came to me...

Whether you approach the care of our world from a religious or scientific viewpoint, or both, like me, is really irrelevant. It is, frankly, common sense for all of us to be alert to, and be involved in any way we can help to care for Planet Earth, all of its occupants, and the heavens above... So why are republicans unwilling to support a Climate Control program...Again!?

Still, Sheldon is not quite finished with his Introduction of a story that began in 2015... He shares elaborate RHETORIC from rallies from Candidate Clinton... Talking about the fact that all of the creators of the Constitution were Immigrants! Then she moves on to people who came from various countries, such as those now working in health care. Noting that 1.5 Immigrants work in various positions such as doctors--and I immediately thought of my doctor who performed surgery to remove a tumor from my brain, who was an immigrant, perhaps 1st or 2nd generation... But I was thrilled with his caring concern and the success of that life-saving surgery. 

Wouldn't you like to have seen a rousing debate between the two candidates on the same subject, rather than how it did occur?! I sure would have. But, then, again, D. J. Trump would possibly never have been indicted on 91 criminal counts, and gone back to cheating the State of New York in various ways, starting with the creation of a charitable organization which was closed due to how the donated money was being used... With a statement that the Trump family would never be able to open a charitable fund in the future...

This week I will, with permission by the author, be sharing more than usual about this book, simply because it is a very important book...as well as because border problems are now in the forefront of our country. We need to consider our future in America and around the world... We need to realize that Freedom requires Attention and Action!

Joss Sheldon speaks of Free Open Borders! Can we, as President Biden demands of Congress, begin to at least get some type of rational program at our southern border approved and funded! Don't let the republican party continue to use thousands of potential immigrants as pawns in their political grab for power! Freedom Begins With Each of Us!

Tomorrow: Other Worlds Are Possible!

First in Christian Clear Creek Series, Ryan's Ruin, by T. E. Killian is Delightful, Heartwarming and A Little Bit of Murder Mystery...

 

After a mostly sleepless night, Ryan was still planning to go through with it, but he had come up with a plan. He knew his sisters and Margie left the house between nine and nine-thirty on Sunday mornings. Since he wasn’t going to Sunday School, he didn’t have to leave until after ten-thirty. So that would give him plenty of time to get ready after the others left the house. But the question that had really kept him awake for most of the night was why. Why, after all these years, had he agreed to go to church and with Candy at that? And why did he agree so quickly and so easily, too? He didn’t really have answers to any of those questions, even now in the light of day. So, as he sat at the kitchen table drinking one last cup of coffee, he decided not to think about any of that anymore. The others had all breezed through the kitchen numerous times, getting coffee or breakfast. Now, it was about time for them all to leave. 

This was the moment he’d been waiting for. Or was he really dreading it? At any rate, they all trooped through the kitchen and past him and through the garage door. Hazel was in the lead as usual, with Ernestine right behind her and Margie bringing up the rear a little way behind her aunts. Ryan had to laugh at the comical procession they made as they filed past him. His little niece was really maturing. She was at least three inches taller than her aunts now, too. Finally, they were all gone. Now what? Did he really want to go through with this or not? And if so, why? Why did he say he would go to church now when so many had tried to get him to go over the years? Why did he decide to go when a newcomer, an outsider, even a competitor, asked him to? He sat there for a few more minutes and finished his coffee. Then he remembered that he’d decided not to think about any of that anymore. He was going, and that was that. 

But despite that resolve, as he was climbing the stairs to go to his bedroom, the answer to all the questions flying around in his head hit him like a two by four between the eyes. Candy! In spite of his concerns about her coffee shop maybe hurting his business, he liked the woman. No, it was more than that, much more. The fact was, he was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. And that was what was bothering him the most. Wasn’t that reason enough not to go? He kept arguing with himself all through getting dressed and driving out to the church. When he parked in the church parking lot, he noticed that Candy’s son, Connor, was standing on the concrete slab outside the front door, watching him. The kid disappeared inside the building and a moment later, Candy came out and stood there, looking his way. When he didn’t get out right away, she started walking briskly toward him. He jumped out of the truck and they met on the sidewalk leading from the parking lot to the front door. She was beaming at him so much that he almost turned around and hightailed it toward home. But a closer look at her stopped him in his tracks. She was wearing a dark blue dress, and it made her look fantastic, too. Whoa, stop that. “Oh Ryan, I’m so glad you came.” When she smiled at him like that, he knew why he’d come to church for the first time in thirty-five years. 

He didn’t know what to say back at her, so he didn’t. He just walked beside her through the double glass doors and on into the foyer. Of course, Ryan should have known that pushy preacher would be there just waiting to get his hooks into him. He had never really cared much for that preacher. It seemed like the guy was always coming by at his sisters’ urging to try to talk him into going to church. Well, right now, the man looked like he’d just won the lottery. He was beaming from ear to ear and as he walked toward Ryan, his belly jiggled with each step. And of course, his equally obnoxious wife was right behind him, making all kinds of excited sounds, which sounded more like a pigeon to him. That was enough to turn Ryan around and head back home, but he suddenly felt Candy’s light touch on his arm. That stopped him cold. That touch calmed him down and put him in just the right frame of mind to face that preacher and his wife. He was surprised again when neither the preacher nor his wife said a word about it being about time or any such nonsense as that. Instead, Martin Howell shook Ryan’s hand. “Welcome to First Baptist Church Ryan. It’s good to see you here.” His wife came up to him then and tried to pull him into a hug like he was her long-lost relation or something. Well, he let her get half way but that was all. He sure didn’t hug her back, that’s for sure. 

When he chanced to glance at Candy, she had her other hand over her mouth, like she was trying not to laugh right out loud. Well, as he thought about it, though, it was just a tad funny after all. But he wasn’t about to laugh, not here at least. After running the beltline, so to speak, of the pastor and his wife, as well as several of the deacons, Candy was finally able to get him into the big room where they had church. Of course, Ryan had been in the building quite a few times over the years for weddings and funerals. But today, the whole place had an entirely different feel to it. He couldn’t figure out what that difference was, though. Well, he knew it was too good to last. As soon as Candy led him to a row of chairs where her kids and Margie were sitting, his sisters saw him. They were sitting across the aisle with some friends of theirs. But they both let out whoops, jumped up, and rushed over to where he and Candy were. Hazel was in the lead, as usual. She stopped in front of them and grinned up at Ryan. Then she giggled. “I told you so.” With that, she hugged him, then turned to Candy and hugged her, too. He heard her whisper something to Candy that sounded like, “Thank you, Candy.” As was normal for her, Ernestine stood a few feet away, stiff as a board, frowning at him. And when she spoke, he knew he could have predicted exactly what she said if he’d just thought about it. “About time.” With that, they all settled down in their seats. He wound up on the aisle with Candy on his right and the three teenagers on her other side. He looked that way and saw Margie grinning at him. 

He smiled back at her and turned his attention back to Candy, who was talking to him. “The kids usually have a service of their own next door, but the Youth Minister is sick today.” He was thankful that Candy explained everything else to him, as it happened all through the service. Otherwise, he might have been sitting when he should be standing, or vice versa.

All through Sunday School, Candy had been nervous and had kept looking at her watch. She was just so afraid that Ryan wouldn’t come. She realized it had to be hard for him suddenly to come to church after so many years. She kept praying he would indeed come, though. Then, when Sunday School was over, she had sent Connor outside to watch for Ryan. She still wasn’t sure he’d come. But then Connor had come in with a smirk on his face. “He just drove up.” She hadn’t known what to do. Should she wait for him here? Or should she go out to meet him? She tried to look through the glass doors but couldn’t see him from that angle. So, she slipped out to stand just outside the doors. When he sat in his pickup for a minute, she realized he might be getting cold feet, so she headed toward him on the sidewalk. That was when he climbed out of the truck and started toward her. When they grew close, she almost laughed from relief when she saw that smile. He was giving her that crooked smile again. What must he be thinking right now? Whatever it was, she knew somehow, she needed to make him feel comfortable quickly and try to keep him that way. She met him at the beginning of the sidewalk and smiled at him. “Oh Ryan, I’m so glad you came.” 

Earlier in Sunday School, she had explained to Tiffany and Sabrina that she wouldn’t be in the choir that morning and why. They had been so excited that they’d stopped right where they were in a hallway and prayed with her for Ryan. That had touched her so much to have such friends who were so strong in their faith. Now, the service was almost over, and she had been trying to help Ryan to know what was going on at all times and especially what was coming next. She didn’t want him feeling awkward in any way. That was when she looked up into the choir loft and saw that woman who owned the appliance store giving them a dirty look. Oh my. What had she done now? 

As they were standing to leave, she leaned toward Ryan and spoke softly near his ear. “Ryan, is there something between you and Naomi Tidwell?” He turned to her. “No, not really. Why do you ask?” She suppressed a giggle and nodded toward the choir with her head. “She’s giving both of us a rather dirty look right now.” When he looked that way, he groaned. “Oh no! Not now!”

~~~

This novel, Ryan's Ruin, is the first in the Clear Creek Series by T. E. Killian. I found myself smiling almost all through the book. You see, I had already read the next two books, so I knew what the ending was going to be! LOL And, I had already met the man who is named in the story's title--Ryan. I bought all of these at one time and had just started reading the first I came to on my Kindle. However, I would highly recommend you start with the first book and move through the three books in order.

Ryan and his two sisters own a small mid-town cafe which had become somewhat worrisome; he was concerned whether he could meet the costs for keeping the family inherited business in the future. So, while he was pondering what to do, he had a new neighbor move in next to his family home where he and his sisters still lived. His niece who also lived with them saw that there were teens about her age, and she excitedly starting talking to and about them...

It was then that he learned that the teens' mother, Candy, who was also a widow of ten years, was going to open a cafe exactly opposite him on the main street! He was devastated, sure that another cafe would be the ruin of their own business! Worse, she seemed like little miss sunshine, just like his talkative sister, and everybody was welcoming her to her new home and town.

On the other hand, readers will quickly discover that the people in Clear Creek, or most of them, that is, were very kind, welcoming, and, worse, involved in the local Baptist Church! Groaning, he just knew that his two sisters would be hounding him even more to go to church since Candy and her son and daughter were anxious to meet new friends there.

Worse, two of his poker buddies had immediately asked Candy out and, after a while, Ryan even became a little jealous, maybe of their loyalty to him? Or, was it really because Ryan also had noticed Candy's blue eyes, her blond hair, her...everything...

To make matters worse, the arrival of two recently released jailbirds were beginning to hone in on the family who had moved in next door. Hunter, the town's chief of police and also boss for Ryan, who was the town's mayor, had explained that the two brothers had always heard that the older woman who had died and was the owner of the house into which Candy and her family had moved, had a lot of money that she had kept hidden, and safe, within that house!

It wasn't long before the brothers started harassing Candy and even breaking into her home. Hunter knew that somebody had to help guard Candy and her children, but knew he didn't have the staff or time to do it. Given the proximity of their homes, Hunter finally convinced his best friend Ryan to guard the house each night! Ryan set up a camp bed downstairs in a small storage room, but that didn't stop their meeting from time to time as they came or left the house... And, slowly, a relationship developed... along with their mutual backstories that were very similar... But whenever something about the church or praying came up, Candy quickly realized that Ryan's quickly tensed up and pulled away... A great start to a wonderful series.

GABixlerReviews

A Cat Mystery? Of course! I'm In! Check Out - Sofie Ryan's Latest in Second Chance Mystery Series! Fur Love Or Money

 

See First in Series for Background!

Elvis attends meetings

“Are you serious?” Rose asked. “Well, of course I am,” Liz said. “People are already gossiping, speculating that Channing has been involved in helping Ian Stone avoid the authorities for nearly three years and that’s why he was staying at the cottage, which is ridiculous. I won’t have Channing’s name dragged through the mud, and the best way to stop that from happening is to find that young man’s killer and then learn where he’s been, who really was helping him and what happened to the money he swindled from his investors.” I wasn’t sure I agreed with her logic. Finding out who killed Ian Stone wasn’t necessarily going to lead to whoever had helped him fake his own death. However, I didn’t think Liz would be dissuaded if I spoke up.

“I’m afraid the last part isn’t going to be so easy,” Mr. P. said. “People have been looking for Mr. Stone and his money since his purported death.” Liz reached for her tea. “That’s true, Alfred,” she said. “But we haven’t been.” She took a sip from the cup and set it on the table again. “We need to put our heads together.” She looked at Mac. “We’ll need all of your contacts.” Mac nodded. “You have them.” Liz turned her attention to me. “We may need Peter’s connections as well.” “I know Dad will be happy to help,” I said. Peter Kennelly was my stepfather and a former journalist. He’d helped the Angels before on more than one case and I knew without question that he’d help this time. “For the record, I am the client,” Liz said. “Not Channing.”

“No,” Mr. P. said. All heads turned in his direction. “Excuse me?” Liz said. I knew that tone in her voice. So did Mr. P., but he didn’t seem the slightest bit alarmed. “This case is not business, Elizabeth,” he said. “As clichéd as it might be, we are a family—everyone in this room and several more who aren’t here. When one of us or somebody one of us cares about ends up in deep water we throw out a rope and we all, without question, grab that rope and pull.” I liked his metaphor. He looked around the room at each of us, coming to Liz last. “We will clear Channing’s name. I give you my word.” Liz pressed her lips together for a moment before she spoke. “Thank you,” she said. I could see the wheels turning in Rose’s mind. She was already organizing our plan of attack. She turned to Mr. P. “Alf, we need everything you can come up with on Mr. Stone, his business dealings and his so-called death.” “I’m on it, my dear,” he said. She looked at Mac. “See what you can find out that didn’t make the news, please—we need to know who made money with Mr. Stone, who lost it, who if anyone might have helped him and who hated him enough to kill him.” He nodded. “I’ll get started right away.” Rose turned to Liz. “Find out everything you can from Channing about his friendship with Richard Stone and how the rental of the cottage works. I’ll get Charlotte to see what she can find out about Victoria Stone.” “How can I help?” I asked. “You and I are going back to see Ashley and Casey. She may have heard or seen something she didn’t realize the significance of at the time.” “And we can take another look at the crime scene,” I said. I knew the way Rose’s mind worked. She smiled. “Why yes, I guess we may be able to do that, too.” “Thank you, everyone,” Liz said. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and laid my cheek against the top of her head. “Love you, kiddo,” she said. I smiled and gave her the reply she always gave me. “Yeah, yeah, everyone does.” Liz drank the last of her tea, got to her feet and walked over to Mr. P., who had already opened up his laptop. I turned back to Mac. “Apparently ‘knock on plants’ doesn’t work.” He nodded solemnly. “I will file that away for future reference.” “Thank you for saying you’ll use your old contacts to help Liz.” He smiled. “I’m glad I have a way to contribute. And Alfred is right. We are a family.” Rose joined us then. “Could we go see Ashley and Casey tomorrow morning?” she asked. “I don’t see why not,” I said. She smiled and I got the feeling she had just checked that off on a to-do list she kept in her head.

Elvis at Jam

“Do you know if Nicolas will be at the jam?” Nick and I and my friend Jess were regulars at the jam, also known as the Thursday Night Jam at The Black Bear pub. Sam, who owned the place, was also a very talented musician. He and some of his friends got together every Thursday night for a couple of hours of old-style rock and roll. Anyone was welcome to join them.

“Last time I talked to him he said he’d be there,” I said. The only thing that kept Nick away from the jam was work. “Could you bring him up-to-date, please?” Rose asked. I nodded. “Sure. I can do that.” “And keep an ear out for any gossip going around,” she said. “It helps to know the scuttlebutt.” “I can do that, too,” I said. Rose turned her attention to Mac. “Alfred has a couple of questions for you.” “I’ll go talk to him right now,” he said. He looked at me. “Are you going to have lunch before you go back outside?” I nodded. “I’m going to check on Avery and Charlotte first.” “I’ll be there in five minutes,” Rose said. Mac and Rose went over to talk to Mr. P. Liz straightened up and had a brief conversation with Rose. Then she stood in the doorway. I realized she was waiting for me. I needed to check on Charlotte and Avery. “Are you coming to talk to Avery?” I asked. “I am,” she said. “You know how that child is. She doesn’t miss a thing.” “Yeah, I wonder where she learned that?” Liz glared at me but didn’t say anything. There were no customers in the shop. Avery was by herself, rearranging our collection of teacup planters and adding several of the bottles I’d seen her showing her customer earlier. “Hey, Sarah, I sold three of those ugly old vases,” she said. “And no, I didn’t say they were ugly to the customer even though they are.” “I appreciate that,” I said. Like her grandmother, Avery tended to speak her mind, but she was learning—mostly thanks to Charlotte—that sometimes it was better to keep her opinions to herself. Avery glanced up at the ceiling. “Charlotte’s upstairs looking for a bag. She’s taking two teddy bears and a tablecloth home with her. She said the bears are a bit grubby and the tablecloth is limp as a dishrag.” “That’s fine,” I said. We used the teddy bears mostly for décor and every once in a while they needed to be wiped with a damp cloth and brushed because they got handled a lot. As far as the tablecloth went, I should have known I wouldn’t be able to get away with not starching it. I saw Avery shoot her grandmother a quick sideways glance as she moved two teacups to the back of the tabletop. “You know what’s going on,” Liz said. Avery nodded. “Yeah, Nonna, I know.” I guessed that she had eavesdropped on at least part of the meeting. It wouldn’t be the first time. “So what can I do to help?” she asked. “I like Channing, and yes, he told me to call him that and not Mr. Caulfield.” I spoke before Liz could say anything, which I knew would be something about Avery staying out of the investigation. “Keep doing what you already do: listen and pay attention.” Liz’s eyes narrowed. “And what exactly is she going to listen and pay attention to?” “Everything. Anything. People often treat teenagers the same way they treat senior citizens.” “You mean they ignore us,” Avery said. I nodded. “Yes. And sometimes they say things in front of you because they didn’t notice you were there.” Avery nodded. “Yeah, teachers do that all the time. You wouldn’t believe some of the stuff I’ve heard.” I shot her a warning look. “Which you don’t really need to hear.” “If you hear anything,” I said, “anything—no matter how insignificant you think it is—you tell me or Mr. P. right away. Deal?” “Not to mention me,” Liz added. “And don’t do anything stupid, please,” I added. The teen rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she said. “Is this just your way of keeping me out of everything?” I couldn’t help laughing. It was exactly the kind of thing Liz would have said. “No. Give me credit for being smart enough to know that would never work. There’s going to be a lot of gossip about this case. It’ll help if we know some of what people are saying.” A customer came in then and Avery went to help him. I linked my arm through Liz’s. “C’mon, I’ll walk you out,” I said. “Are you sure involving that child is a good idea?” she asked as we made our way back through the workroom. “No, I’m not,” I said. “But one way or another she will end up involved because she loves you. At least this way we have a chance of knowing what she’s doing instead of her sneaking around behind our backs.” I gave her a look. “It’s not that long ago that I was a teenager.”

~~~

I read my first Sofia Ryan novel in 2014 from another series... If you enjoy cats within cozy mysteries, move to the right column and search on the author's name to find all her books I've read--so far! The Second Chance setting is also a wonderful way to get ideas about how to repurpose things that you may think should be discarded--but could be saved by somebody who knows how or just had an interest--and a business--to do the necessary work. 

In many ways, this series goes beyond the average one amateur detective, since as it has evolved, two of the team members have gotten their PI license. But, really, that just made what they were already doing legit! The characters are wonderfully drawn from real life inasmuch as you may identify most of them as being like someone from your own life. The original team included four older citizens who were proving that the active brains of each often far exceeded those of the local police--at least in getting the mystery worked out quickly.

This time, however, was much more difficult. Because the man who had been murdered had already been dead years ago... Yes, I did say that right. You see, the man had faked his death after scamming millions of dollars from many of the people living in the surrounding area. Now, Ian Stone had been found dead in a storm cellar and found when Rose and Sarah were visiting a neighbor, and their dog had run away, only to be found near a large hole where a puppy was trapped... Seeing a ladder laying at the bottom of the hole, Sarah decided she could get down and then use the ladder to come back up with the puppy. While she was down there, she looked at what she thought was probably garbage... But she was curious enough to check, only to find that part of a body was within the garbage bag and then covered with a tarp!

Once the identity had been confirmed, the list of those who could have committed murder was long, but the first obvious one was his ex-wife who was now remarried... She was quickly eliminated, at least by the team but not the police... And even though the police stick with their desire to solve their case, normally they are talking with the team throughout the investigation. After all, this time it was at the request of one of the team, and the team was...all... family!

The number of interviews required could have gotten tedious in another series, but with so much going on in the shop as well as in the area where even dumpster dives are often brought in for their special restoring, it is never boring! Don't be surprised if you will learn a good way to remove, say, stickers from a cabinet...

The mystery gets solved; but, if you are like me when reading a cat mystery, you'll have so much fun just reading what is happening with this fantastic set of characters where work at Second Chance and work on a murder mystery gets so intertwined that you'll forget about whodunit! Cozy lovers, animal enthusiasts, or those who enjoy senior citizen characters are bound to love this one... I recommend you start from the beginning, it's a great series!

GABixlerReviews 

What's Happening at Book Readers Heaven - Celebrating Women's Day, March 8th, Spotlighting Women's Issues at Forbes 30/50 Summit! And, The State of the Nation Address!

What a Wonderful Way to Celebrate my Own Birthday! I went to bed excited to have listened to  President Biden's State of the Union Address to America! Are you not as excited as I am? Well, what this President has in store for his vision of his next term will be celebrated by all women! Don't you think?

Obviously Women's Health Issues were spotlighted, as women affected by the chaos that has occurred since the overthrow of Roe under the previous republican president, who actually brags about it... Women, doctors and fathers are angry that once again the government wants to be a third member in every bedroom in America... stopping parents from making their own plans for their families. Biden will ensure that the will of the majority of Americans want to have Choice related to these personal issues is ensured. I've already stated my opinion. The government should NOT be involved in this matter, except as needed for providing access to basic medical support to our women...to our families!

And then, this morning, I listened as discussions occurred on MSNBC, as one of the moderators at the Forbes 30/50 Summit, Mika Brzezinski, discussed what was happening at this year's event! I don't remember any time in my life that I wasn't interested in supporting women in one way or another. One of the issues I thought of--which was spotlighted in Biden's plans--was about our teachers. My second-grade teacher was my neighbor during my early years. Her husband was a dentist. My Mom worked for the family, taking care of an elderly parent... That dentist provided all dental care for Mom's four children!

Later, when I started working, in Personnel of West Virginia University, I was involved in creating the permanent employee records, including for financial benefits. I knew salaries and I knew that the level paid to our teachers in public schools and at the lower level of instructors at the university level were very low--given the fact that these were the people who were teaching us to move upward in life! Now, it is wonderful to know that the president plans to increase the salaries for teachers in public schools!

And so much more! Listen to all that he said last night and provided above. 

My heading for this post, before all of the above, was "Are You As Frustrated As I Am?" Now, I can't even remember what I was going to write about... Our President is working for the best for America! He's now answered all the questions that many have had, clearly providing his position on each issue.

I am being led to books that respond to all the
questions we might have, including about immigration which I'm now reading and will tell you about soon...

And finally, I'm finding more and more Christian leaders who are differentiating between being a Christian, a believer in Jesus, and that of those who speak of christian nationism, which is a group who are definitely not of Our Heavenly Father... Please believe that I had the following two videos on my "Watch Later..." list. These are the two videos that He led me to watch today and share! Note that the man talking says that he is an atheist. I have no problem with that, because I agree with what they are talking about. Something has happened and those of us who see it clearly in America, are concerned! America welcomes all beliefs, even those who doubt...

I have found a group who speaks Jesus as I know him... Below is the beginning of a longer essay. I encourage you to move next if the beginning interests you as it did me... In my opinion, it speaks to the republican party's move for retribution, violence and hate as led by the past president... Please do your research and vote, I believe, for the man who wants to support America's citizens as Jesus would...

God Bless

Gabby 

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,

And his kingdom will have no end.

There we have it.  Christ is judge.  And with that bit of information, there are countless people both inside and outside of the church who walk away.  Why insist that Christ is judge?  And why – of all things – feature it in a Creed that occupies so few lines?

Doesn’t this just prove that Christianity is for judgmental and cruel prudes?  Doesn’t it prove that God is really out to get us?  Doesn’t it prove that – for all the church has to say about love – that it is all just smokescreen and window dressing for condemning people to hell and sending a handful of people to heaven?

At first blush, it certainly sounds like it, especially if you have never looked evil straight in the eye.  Especially, if you have never seen the unspeakable horrors it inflicts.  Especially, if you have never watched your future be destroyed.  But what if we get in touch with just how far we can sink?

Let me offer you an example.  Recently, I’ve been listening to Ken Burns’s new documentary on the United States and the Holocaust.  Burns, who confesses his own deep love of America, notes that in exploring this subject, he was troubled to learn that our history as a country is anything but straightforward and laudable.

Contrary to the popular storyline that describes the GIs as the first Americans to discover the horrors of Nazi concentration camps, most Americans already knew that Jews were being exterminated in horrific numbers.  They knew it from radio reports, newsreels and newspapers.  Newspapers alone, for example, published over 3000 articles on the persecution of Jews during the first 100 days of Nazi rule in 1939.  And, to be fair, many Americans were alarmed by the news and took to the streets.

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