Welcome to BOOK READERS HEAVEN! Books, Reviews, Short Stories, Authors, Publicity, a little poetry, music to complement...and other stuff including politics, about life... "Books, Cats: Life is Sweet..."
More and more writers, either for TV in this case, or books--latest TheDevil's Eye, review coming soon... are exploring not just the "What's Happening" within a Story Plot... but the ramifications of the "Why?" And the True Crime behind that Reason... This is the first time I've felt led to write about a television program... That tells you just how much I'm enjoying the Origins series!
I've been more involved in this follow up series branching off the NCIS beginning series than with the many NCIS stories that I and millions of others have watched on television. And enjoyed. But Origins is simply better, in my opinion, because Gibbs is telling the backstory now. Both the "Why?" of it and the resulting Results of War, Violence, Murder, Hatred, and... the...Pain and Sorrow.
Monsoon explores the lives of war veterans--Vietnam or any other where death occurs under extreme circumstances... And then the vets come home and often are spit in their faces...discarded... They are trained to kill and then expected to readjust in a land where violence is not welcomed... Yet occurs on a daily basis with homeland terrorists. Worse, the Vets are left to find their own way once out of the military. I oppose war and all that it means! In this particular show, Franks (and Gibbs in other shows) is spotlighted as he begins to have flashbacks of his own times of trauma in war and then upon return home... It begins when he meets a vet looking for help--his friend has been murdered and he's trying to have somebody investigate. Franks takes on the case--of course... and is, contrary to how we see him on NCIS, even as a ghost, is tender, caring, giving the murdered man's friend his coat, to keep... He takes him home and his wife makes a delicious homemade dinner for them. And, as Franks' thoughts go backwards as well, we learn the story of how he met and fell in love. His wife also offers to helps the veteran begin to clean up by offering that she would help to rinse his hair before he takes a shower. As she sprays the water over his head, he begins to hear guns in the area, the water reminds him of running or escape, or, even, that he was waterboarded. We never learn what triggers his PTSD. But we all see the panic, the horror and the shakes as he tries to come back to where it is safe, at least for awhile...
As the investigation proceeds, one of the pathologists added a poignant statement as they discussed the man who had been murdered... "That man once was a child, a baby that somebody loved. That somebody hated to have him leave his home only to come home to nothing, no help, living on the streets--and now murdered... Just goes to show, this world...is...wacked! (Crazy)
It is not hard to acknowledge that the world has become even worse than in the past--even if some want to go backwards! Folks I know that I talk about these issues maybe more than I should. But just as the vet was taken backwards into his time of turmoil, I find myself doing the same... With a major difference! This time, the danger is for America, our Constitution, and the major part of the world who wants peace!
The story of how veterans have been treated during the many wars around the world is well known. But when we have internalized the characters played on television and care about them, because of the good work they do to help people, to solve crimes, those who have the gift of empathy can't help but worry and wonder about the "Why" of what we see happening in real life... It used to be that I would read books with the good and bad guys involved in some type of mischief, sometimes even deadly. But real life is mild in comparison to what is happening right now... That's why I use videos to document my thoughts and opinions. If I'm wrong, I'm always willing to discuss what I believe... Soldiers and our police work to make our lives secure... Now, major disruption is occurring... Many are fighting back!
Why are there people in America living on the streets, including those veterans who have fought to make the world safe, still in that situation!? Why is there still hunger in America and across the world. Think about it... If there were no need to fight wars, all people, especially in America, would have their basic needs routinely available. So why do wars continue? I found this cute video to make a point, but in an interesting storybook way...
Monsoon. the latest program of the series reminded me that when Jesus was about to be crucified and found Not Guilty by officials at that time, still the religious leaders and most of the people living then, chose to free Barabbas, a known Criminal! Isn't that what we've seen happening from the president and many others now in government?
Note: I've never watched The Chosen One...
Perhaps one day when America is free of tyranny, I'll take the time...
So We Come to the Why of It, don't we? Over 2000 year have gone by and many choose to free a criminal as opposed to an honest man who speaks God's Truth to His people. (Or, now, vote in a criminal who has been convicted of fraud as well as sexual abuse in the State of New York.
Yes, that time period may have been set in the land of Jewish families. But realize that many of Jesus' followers did listen and follow Jesus, just like many of different faiths may choose Him... But that is indeed Free Will on all people's part. So again, Why do people choose to refuse help to those in need--to provide food for the hungry, or a home in which to live? Each of us must decide. I used to say good over evil... But I've come to the probable conclusion that evil is not an entity in itself in today's world. Rather, each individual chooses, freely. There may have been or continue to be demons of one kind or another. I've never met one and only see them in movies... So, from what I've seen, the devil really didn't make you do something. We chose to act on our own desires... This, too, has become very visible, as, for instance, two, yes, only two, republicans chose not to accept what Trump was doing to the republican party and chose to fight back... I now see that for the first time in about 10 years, people are choosing not to accept the type of discrimination and ugly hatred that has evolved out of MAGA.
So where am I going with my thoughts after watching a movie about teaching people to kill and then throw them away without support... Recently I talked with a woman who was pregnant and forced to have a caesarean birth... We talked about hospitalization coverage and I was shocked how quickly coverage was "cut off..." Surely after such an operation that cuts through 7 layers of her body, she will need personal attention as well as for her child...NOT... Hundreds of examples could be added to illustrate just how badly the "individual" citizen had be hurt through lack of concern for all citizens of America...
At this point, all I can go by is that a lot of lives of American citizens are being disrupted by acts now being ordered by the President totally against allocations made by Congress in the past, and totally made by illegal acts that are outside of the scope of the President's authority. I'm not going to make comments about the various things that are happening...these are just a few illustrative videos... My point is that after a first term under Trump, we saw that he did nothing substantive in the way of improving lives for Americans... Biden did and there is much to document those achievements. When an inexperienced individual is placed in charge of the Department of Defense, for instance, with the largest budget, which has already been funded for even more (plus a multi-trillion debt ceiling increase!), I believe there is reason to question how a man incapable of creating his own agenda (and instead merely using the Project 2025 playbook that was written, not by Trump for any part of it, but by those who were NOT elected to work in the Federal Government!) can be acceptable to respond to the needs of All Americans, not just one party!
The volume of actions by individuals who wish for nothing but total control of spending--by now having access/control of the United States Treasury--is beyond belief yet it happened, yet this type of criminality keeps on happening! America has gone through similar attempts to grab power and control in the past, but have failed... More, importantly, however, is that those who most need financial support are being spotlighted for dismissal, based upon race.
The only thing that keeps me going is to escape into fiction stories to break the extreme tension of seeing our nation under attack from the inside! I've been in Yorkshire for Rick Brady's mystery series... so will be talking about them next!
I've been touched by our Father in heaven...I have been asked to speak out as I am led...
Because I know that I know that I know that God is Watching
All the Hate, Violence and Lies and the Use of religion as an excuse
to gain power and riches!
Matthew 19:23-26 King James Version (KJV)Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matt. 25:37–40.)
Do or did you once balance your checkbook? Many found it a very tedious process, and yet, in reality it was a minor but important task. computerization by banks and then online banks has taken over a large part of that balancing act. But can you depend on it totally? Recently, I was locked out of my online account. I tried to resolve it, gave up, and drove to a bank several times to verify my balance at a ATM machine!
PNC had changed the few screens by which we entered that bank. As they were making changes, they deleted my saved signin information. I first checked my password management online and got my stored password. A popup had appeared showing 3 choices, apparently past account info(?) and the password on my Google list was there, so I entered that information. It was refused. I tried the other two options presented by the bank. At that point, I was told that after 3 tries, I was locked out... I do, I really do recognize the importance of security...
BUT, when programmers are allowed to change screens whenever they want, delete saved information, and then be told I am locked out, while telling me to contact such and such (within the system they have locked me out of!), I stop in frustration! PNC took over a local bank where I had banked since I moved to Pennsylvania. I was not happy immediately upon registering for their online system. I had talked to the manager of my local bank and she pointed out that in order to close my account, I would have to notify all of the companies for which I had auto pay... That was about the time I had discovered a need for removal of a brain tumor surgery and had made all possible accounts Auto Pay since I knew I could not deal with paying bills... That continued with 3 additional major surgeries which were scheduled by my priority one right after the other...
When I was able to return to handling things myself and checking my bank statements, I began to experience problems with every single one, most of whom had changed their programs! I have already written and will continue to document those companies actions...
Which brings me to the main thrust of this article:
West Virginia University had an Auditing Department, whose job was to routinely go around the campus and audit the financial activities of each and every department on campus. It was an ongoing process. Perhaps the federal government also had such a department at one time. In any event, when Trump came back into office, after having been impeached during his first term for attempting to manipulate and hold back the payment of a Congress-established allocation to Ukraine, which, indeed, was verified by financial staff had been held back by his orders, we watched as impeachment began in the House which had a majority, but did not pass the Senate because no republicans would approve, even though there had been ample documentation of Trump's attempt to negotiate a deal with the Ukraine president, asking him to dig up dirt on Hunter Biden and give him whatever dirt could be found. Ukraine's president refused. And Trump withheld the allocation!
Now, Trump is seeking retribution and illegally doing anything he wants, including bringing in a man--the richest man in the world--and given him the responsibility to... or better said, do anything he wants!
Within a short time, Musk sought and got a key/entry into the Treasury of the United States. The head of that office resigned. Musk brought in a small staff of systems experts... And almost immediately the entire financial documentation was open to one man, which included personal information for every single person in America! Then, he picked out the first department do eliminate! Those people who handled Congress-approved allocations for Aide across the World. Musk immediately cut the entire program... supposedly based upon finding evidence of waste...
Now, here's the primary reason I KNOW there is NO WAY that Musk/staff could have found anything in such a short period of time--even if they were all brilliants which they are not... And here's how I can say this!
West Virginia University reports to a Board of Regents where all state funds (like the Treasury) are managed/directed/and also provided oversight. When my office was merged with the University Architect's Office, a department which had the responsibility for a multi-million capital construction budget (and apparently had not been successfully doing it), the unit was placed under Bill Campbell, my boss. He asked me to take over the entire planning and analysis unit, while he began to deal with the functions of the University Architect.
Instead, by that time, the University had funded a new Asst VP for Facilities, who immediately moved Campbell up as his assistant (which was, sadly, a common way to begin to move out an individual that the new leader didn't want... As I mentioned, that individual immediately brought in as Director, a friend from ROTC. Campbell, I found out before he was leaving the University, had bargained for me to be made Associate Director of the new office of Facilities Planning and Management. Initially it was agreed that each would take on the two separate departments. Jim Shaub, the new director, was to handle all activities of the former Architect's Office. Facilities Planners were Hired with architectural or construction backgrounds and soon were assigned projects, large and small. I happened to have one of those projects which was a million-dollar renovation of Eiesland Hall, a small theatre which had become necessarily also used for large classes and therefore was under my control and management.
Almost immediately I was told that Eiesland Hall project would have to be delayed indefinitely. It seemed that there had been no development of a financial management activity for Shaub's acceptd responsibilities, and two Planners had allocated the same available money and proceeded to act on their projects, with purchase orders, etc... They had run out of money.
I was then told that, as Associate Director, I would need to become responsible for the financial management of Shaub's staff's work! To do so, I had to conduct an entire audit of the capital budget and the transfers of money from the Board of Regents... I immediately contacted the Board of Regents, head of Administrative Affairs, Dr. Edward Grose, with whom I had worked for many years, related to my own responsibilities. I explained what I'd been asked to do and asked for a copy that of the format the Board used for project financial management.
At the same time, I asked my personal secretary who I knew had an accounting background, to help me by establishing an individual project budget for all approved capital projects. Sandy Johns was one of the best employees I had ever worked with and soon she was ready to deal with the new process. Soon it was established that all facilities planners MUST go to Sandy for any type of financial activity before I would approve/sign any movement forward to begin or continue a project.
In the meantime, I began an audit of all capital projects accounts for the previous/present years. To do such an audit. I needed to access:
Board of Regents allocations to the University
All Purchase Orders made against the University's capital budget accounts
All Invoices submitted for payment by vendors against those purchase orders
All payments made through the University Controller's Office and verify whether any change orders to the original purchase had been made, cross referencing with the project budget account as to whether additional funds had been moved into that project; e.g., use of the approved Eiesland Hall budget was transferred to cover shortfalls to other projects.
Verify all funds utilized by WVU were syncing with Board of Regents account allocations
Create a report documenting all errors found
Present that documented report to University and Board of Regents senior officers...
It took one year to actually accomplish this new responsibility and get it running. It could never have been done by untrained individuals unfamiliar with University (government) policies and procedures, financial documents and the flow of accounting documents through an institution.
Ultimately, I permanently lost my Eiesland Hall Classroom Upgrade allocation.
Ultimately, there were insufficient funds to fund all approved capital projects.
Ultimately, when my report reached Dr. Grose, He expressed regret, but that there was insufficient funds at that level to cover the shortage for WVU. All of their funds were allocated to other state institutions.
He ordered that all that was still available be sent to WVU, based upon my report. For, after all, WVU had been responsible for maintaining control of their allocated budget and had failed to do so. Upon completion of a year's work paid well under $50,000. The University received over $1M!
Now, try to convince anybody financially qualified that Musk learned "anything" within weeks of access of a nation-wide treasury system managing trillions of dollars and they would have only one conclusion.
Elon Musk is lying. His actions are capricious and arbitrary. Even Trump could not possibly have selected the elimination of one entire unit's Congress-funded budget based upon supposed waste! The entire process was impossible to justify under any circumstances!
What we are learning is that Elon Musk is the richest man in the world because he has been even more corrupt than Trump! And, apparently Musk made a deal with Trump to support his campaign and millions was provided, even Musk paying big bucks for votes for Trump! Musk bought the presidency... And Trump is just now figuring out what has happened... Too late...
Folks, a final personal note...
Yes, I lost a year of my life because of incompetency or an authoritarian mindset that considered financial management below his level of responsibility--who knows? When I first retired, I was still dealing with job burnout results. I had to acknowledge that after having the responsibility thrust upon me to solve the problems created by the new director and facilities planners total lack of any expertise in financial management of those construction projects, I could barely deal with paying bills... I procrastinated, even knowing that I would have to pay late fees... It was worth that late fee just so I could choose, myself, when I was able to sit down and pay that one bill, or two... or all of them!
After Steve Showers was appointed to the Assistant VP job and also made no move to ever sit down and go over the responsibilities of my area, I knew he was no better than the last group. What happened to the entire internal facilities planning and management function was its destruction... Just like Trump/Musk did to all Inspector Generals for the Federal Government... The total destruction of the entire USAID Congress funded program by one man, supported by a president who received money to get reelected by Musk... And the Department of Education is next! Which will affect the entire nation!
They shuffled me around until I wound up with Dr. Barb Judy... who I learned while doing a search for her correct title at WVU, and discovered her obituary, I found I wanted to add a small excerpt from that remembrance statement... for one of the most important women mentors in my life... Just by saying a few words to me one day...
Americans with Disability Act Coordinator (ADA) for West Virginia University (WVU) and the state of West Virginia, and served as the chair of the Board of National Associations of ADA Coordinators. She was a driving force in the widely acclaimed Job Accommodation Network (JAN) for over twenty years beginning in 1983. She was elected to the Hall of Fame for Persons with Disabilities in 1992. She made presentations about disability issues throughout the United States and Canada, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia in 1986, and most recently in Guam of 2014, and represented the United States in the former Soviet Union in 1990. She was a member of the President’s Committee on Employment of Persons with Disabilities and served as a chairperson of their Work Environment and Technology Committee. She further served as chairperson of WVU’s Council on Disability Concerns and was a member of the WVU Social Justice Council representing disability issues. She chaired the Policy and Service Committee of Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America...
She served as the director of Pacetec alongside Mike Oliverio, Sr. and Vic Zanotti, and was responsible for the development of their newest facility at Mylan Park. From 1993 to the present, she served as President of the National Association of American’s with Disabilities Act Coordinators (NAADAC), an organization that she gave her entire heart and soul to. From 1994 to the present, she also served on the Advisory Board for HealthSouth Mountainview Rehabilitation Hospital. She was appointed to West Virginia State Rehab Council from 1983-2007. Mrs. Judy was one of the leading authorities on reasonable accommodations in the world, as well as one of the most imminent and influential university ADA coordinators in the United States. She was also appointed Patriot from West Virginia by the President’s Committee on the Employment of People with Disabilities. Her publications include “Real-Life Issues in Job Accommodation (Employers’ and Employees’ Perspective” 1994, “Job Accommodation in the Workplace” 1989, and “The ADA Coordinator Guide to Campus Compliance 2004.
~~~
Barb Judy was a beautiful person--She cared and it showed in all that she did to try to help people across the University and the world... Barb told me that during a presidential staff meeting, she announced "I'll take her (me)--I've never had any problem with her..." And so I joined her and her secretary who was located in a little office cubbyhold on the ground floor of Stewart Hall...
Barb had been one of the individuals with whom I was involved as I was creating the concept of a totally integrated facilities management system which would be campus-wide, accessible to all units (more on that on a different page)... As we spent some time together those first few days, she brought up the facilities inventory for which I was once responsible. She still hoped to add ADA information for facilities, especially those used by students and other disabled individual on campus. I told her that she would have to request access through the Assistant VP's Office. That the entire inventory had been transferred into his office, even though I was positive that he would never use it...
Worse, the staff member who had been maintaining the inventory had put a lockout so that the inventory was no longer accessible for use by anybody, including, of course, me... I should emphasize that part of my responsibilities was the data gathering and updating of that inventory as deans and directors changed their allocated facilities. For instance, what once was a small conference might have been turned into a seminar room for higher level small classes needed by graduate students. That change would automatically change the room classification from "350" to "110 or 210"... it was now being used for teaching classes as opposed to a meeting room. That data was collected by two staff members who routinely went on site to gather correct data based upon government room use codes, as well as square footage changes for renovations, etc. Those two positions were relocated to another department....... Classroom scheduling was moved into Admissions and Records... Scheduling of those rooms for meetings/events apparently was eliminated or no longer centrally controlled for effective utilization... You get the idea... Since nobody but Bill Campbell knew what I did and when he was "retired..." nobody thereafter ever bothered to find out the scope and level of responsibility under which I was burdened...
In any event, this was a personal blow to me...All of the work my department had accomplished on behalf of the university at large had been demolished by one or two men who thought they knew what they were doing... Or, knew what they wanted to do with their new power! I had not only lost a year of my life to clean up the mess of financial management for Jim Shaub, my entire career had been dissolved! Just like Donald Trump, the new president didn't really care about efficiency and management of facilities. He wanted total control of everything to do with as he directed to the deans and directors...
And some of you might have wondered and now begin to know what job burnout can lead to--total devastation of every memory of accomplishment for 10+ years of a life... Can you wonder why just how much all that Trump has and is doing has thrown me back with PTSD...
Nevertheless, as Barb and I talked that last day before I left an institution after over 35 years, Barb said to me, "You've been Used, Abused, and Thrown Away..." I will never forget those words. An acknowledgement, at last, that at least one person knew what had been done to me...
At home, alone, I could not stop crying. That was the primary physical manifestation of job burnout for me, together with the cruel actions by a few men who had indeed used, abused and threw me away... I needed help, the first person I thought of was my choir director, who also worked on campus and would at least know what I was talking about. I couldn't reach her. I called my pastor, Ed Williams, who, together with his wife, immediately came. I had left the door open so they entered my condo and came upstairs. As soon as they came, I asked for prayer... I tried to explain, knowing they would have no idea what I was talking about, but I remember I kept saying over and over "they can't do that to people..."
I had been a participatory manager until I started working with authoritative men who had no idea what I was doing and obviously didn't care... I found myself changing. I took on an attitude of not listening to people, just wanting them to do their job (even if they didn't know how)... Hey, when you are forced to hire people who are not qualified and there is no time to train an unqualified individual for that position, because, of course, I had already been assigned duties under the other unit in order to ensure Shaub's unit was functioning. That was all he cared about... I had no option but to point out they could not handle what needed to be done...and fired that manager who had been forced on me after my lost year was over... While the good ole boys sat around talking about finding "rubbers" in the heaters in a university building...but that's another story...
What I know is that, thanks to Barb Judy, who cared about people and being supportive, told me that she recognized how I had been treated...I had finally received, even if too late, that I had indeed done nothing wrong other than responding to a brain meltdown due to too many hours working for the University.
My only solace for the hundreds and perhaps ultimately thousands of government employees who are fired for no reason other than the republican party condoning it, is that half of America knows what is happening and people are talking about it and trying to fight back! When I had tried to fight and failed at West Virginia University, I had at least one person who had known what they did to me... But the physical and emotional trauma had already taken over my life.
But, in the end, that really doesn't help the psychological trauma that Musk/Trump and the republican party is/will be placing on civil servants who have no part in doing anything but their jobs--and probably doing it very well... Yes, there could be changes needed...but NOT the way it is being done. Correcting problems takes total agreement in Congress, a long time, serious discussion and priority setting... If one party of the government is no longer willing to do that, we all have a right to be upset, angry, concerned... Just like at WVU, the authoritarian leaders chose to eliminate a department established for efficient use of campus facilities, rather than deal with the necessary training and supervision of employees... Especially when you don't know how to train staff for their duties and responsibilities!
Because most Americans are in middle-level or lower-level positions that keep America running... No billionaire could get along without us and become rich without us... And it is the republican party who refused to raise the minimum wage! That says it, doesn't it... Trump is just the monster--now replaced by a bigger and badder (never thought that was possible) monster...
And they are destroying the undergirding of America... How very stupid and dumb is that...!!!
God is Still Above All
Including Republicans
Including Christian Nationalists
Including Elon Musk and Donald Trump
Pray for God's Truth
Seek God's Love over Hate
Remember that Millions believe as I do, You Do
You are NOT Alone
Do your part, no matter how small
Share your concern, tell them why
Help people understand that Lies have Manipulated
and brought forth those who want power and money
and will do anything to gain it
Check out multiple sources of information
Verify your opinions, your truth
If it is not God's truth, then why do you believe it...
God's truth says to love our neighbors as ourselves
God's truth asks that we take care of those in need
God's truth is Free Will for each of us
Destroying another's free will to be
is NOT of God
God Bless Us One and All
Gabbie
Breaking News! My governor has filed suit on the freeze of money already approved for Pennsylvania! Grabbed this interview to start to catch up on what impact on my state is evolving based upon the fiasco being caused by the Trump administration! And republican party!
“It’s impossible
to lie when the truth is carved in stone.”
--African
Proverb
Harold Michael Harvey, begins his book with a chapter called "Power Balls," which immediately takes readers into a time period when , although Black Men were now allowed to vote, the wording by white leaders actually prevented any of those voting to run for office and actually vote for their peer group(s) in various parts of Georgia. This book dives in deep regarding actions that took place in Macon, GA.
Listening to this can help all of US--no matter what race
I've always found peace in Black Gospel songs... I used to play/sing on a local Black Minister, Rev. Joe Jordan's TV program in Morgantown, WV...A wonderful memory
!
Because I was able to start reading Fantasy Five by the time that Black History Month had begun, I talked with the author and received his permission to handle my involvement with his latest book in any way I wanted... So, in order to not only get the word out, I thought I could take a more indepth look at the evolution of voting and holding public policy issues that became political traps by which white citizens there chose to use various methods, including, one outright theft, to prevent one individual to be able to feel like a fair election took place... I will do a chapter at a time and spread it across the month, filling in other books for which I have also made commitments to review...
One of the curious actions for me was that, once given the right to hold office, it became a tragedy, in my opinion, that some black men would do anything to gain the power of holding office, as opposed to allowing the best Black man to be able to run and, hopefully, be accepted by white voters in the area. After having seen so much within the white race, I guess I was disappointed that this type of avarice appears to be in all races. But, of course, that was based upon my background and the few Black people I have known in my life, most of them authors, some of them becoming good friends... Still, it has always appeared to me that Black families are closer than many white people, perhaps because of all of the prejudice bestowed through thousands of years by, supposedly, their white brothers?
“When the roots are deep, there is no need to fear the wind.” --African Proverb
“…It’s
been a long time coming, but I know a change is gonna come; yes, it will.”Sam
Cook - A Change Is Gonna Come
Ladies and Gentlemen, Just how long must our Black Neighbors be forced to fight for every single step toward advancement without white people working to prevent recognition of those individuals who were once enslaved and used by white farmers who were not only beaten, forced to work long hours, being sold to other owners who needed a slave, which resulted in a split-up of families, and, from my point of view, have Black women raped by White owners--any time they wanted to! But that was just the ugly beginning of the lives of Black people who had been brought to America, and who were treated as property, as opposed to their being treated as every single person who was created in God's image, should be treated!
You will see that I've included some info comparatively related to the present... just as the study of history will/must(?) affect the future...
In 1975, Black people in Macon and Bibb County, Georgia, like every city and county in Georgia, were plagued by the gentlemen’s agreement woven into the resolution at the 1868 State Constitutional Convention that stripped away a provision on citizenship that would have allowed every citizen the constitutional right to hold public office.
While nearly fifty percent of the delegates to the 1868 State Constitutional Convention were of African descent, the majority of delegates were White Southerners who wanted back into the United States but under their terms. To maintain the pre-Civil War status quo, White Georgians knew that if they could not prevent Blacks from voting, at the very least, Blacks should not have an absolute right to hold public office.
The method used by the “White Power” structure in Georgia to prevent Blacks from holding public office was by causing the apportionment process to draw district lines that contained a majority of Whites. This form of apportioning district lines for representational purposes is known as gerrymandering. This practice is as old as the United States of America. Today, this practice divides states, counties, and municipalities by political parties.
Gerrymandering by party has become so pervasive that it caused a young African man running for a seat in Illinois State to tell delegates at the 2004 Democratic National Convention that we were not the Red States or the Blue States but the United States of America.
Thus, Black people could vote for representatives in the executive branch, the legislature, and for city and county government. Still, as a bloc of votes, Blacks, without a significant number of White voters, could not elect a Black person to public office. A Catch-22 that one hundred and fifty-five years after the 1868 State Constitutional Convention caused State Senator David E. Lucas to posit, “For a Black person to win an election, you had to get White votes, and you could not get White votes.”
This unspoken agreement ruled the day for 106 years in Macon, Georgia, until members of the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored (NAACP) filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court for the Northern District of Georgia against the Georgia General Assembly challenging the at-large voting district process. The suit alleged that with these documented voting patterns, it was impossible to elect qualified Blacks to public office. A district system should carve out a set number of districts with a significant Black population to ensure that Black voters could elect people who looked like them for public service.
The NAACP prevailed in this suit, and the federal court ordered the Georgia General Assembly to dissolve militia district 89, containing six post districts that required district-wide voting. However, a candidate declared which of the six posts he wanted to represent, and all voters in the 89th District had a vote in each post. The court order required Georgia to create four districts out of the six posts in the old 89th District. They were Districts 99, 100, 101, and 102.
Of those four new State House Districts, Black voters held a population majority in Districts 101 and 102.
When the federal court decision came, Macon’s second-ever Black attorney, Tom Jackson, announced to a few friends that he planned to seek the District 101 seat. Jackson grew up and received educational instructions in Boston, Massachusetts. He migrated to Macon in 1959 after marrying a young lady from Macon. Tall, slim, and tanned, Jackson was a suave dresser and spoke with a slight stutter and a Boston accent. A Howard University Law School grad, Jackson played tennis at the Tatnall Square tennis courts on Sunday afternoons, which in the 1970s was quite the thing for upwardly mobile Blacks to do. The Tatnall Square Sunday afternoon tennis matches brought out Macon’s Black tennis enthusiasts and a host of looky-loos watching the middle class enjoying life in a park and on tennis courts that a few years before were off-limits to them.
Jackson represented the Bivens family in a 1963 lawsuit that led to the desegregation of the public secondary schools in Macon. This writer benefited from that lawsuit, integrating the Lanier Junior High School for Boys in September 1965. When the District 101 seat became available, Jackson still represented plaintiffs in this desegregation case.
In early 1970, Jackson hired William C. “Billy” Randall, a 27-year-old Emory Law School graduate, to assist him in his practice. Randall, the son of political kingpin Bill Randall, grew up in Macon’s Pleasant Hill community and played baseball during the summer at Grace Hill Park. He attended Morgan State College (University) undergraduate school and graduated from the Emory University Law School.
According to Jackson in a 1976 interview with this writer, shortly before the deadline to qualify for the new District 101 State House seat, Jackson announced privately to close personal and political friends his plans to seek the District 101 post once the federal courts ordered the drawing of district lines. When the decision came down, Jackson contends, Randall left his law practice, taking files that Jackson thought “were the property of the Jackson law firm.”
Then, in May of 1974, before Jackson publicly announced his candidacy, Randall announced that he would seek the newly created legislative seat.
In this 1976 interview, Jackson stated he was floored and felt betrayed by Randall’s announcement. He said that he thought it was a “Judas effect” because he had given Randall a job when he came home from law school and mentored him in the early stages of his legal career.
Jackson was acutely aware of the bad blood spilled to keep Henry McNeal Turner from representing Bibb County in the General Assembly a century before the creation of the 101st District. He sought to avoid a nasty fight in the Black community over the election of the first Black State Representative since Turner.
He tossed the idea repeatedly in his head and in discussions with his close political allies. Perhaps he should not have planned to run - a thought - that took up much of the space in his head. But the thing that nagged at Jackson was the tactic Randall used to usurp his plans to run. Jackson stated he felt that a person who would pull an underhanded trick to be the first to announce lacked the essential character to represent Black people in state government.
The character issue ruled the day, so on the deadline to qualify for this seat, Jackson drove to Atlanta and paid the qualifying fee to oppose his former law associate in a run for the District 101 seat.
The fireworks were beginning. The contest, as Jackson feared, split the Black community into pieces. For over a decade, Jackson’s suave sophistication set a high standard in the Black community. He quickly earned the support of the professional Black middle class.
With the political battle lines drawn, Randall, like Jackson, had found his tribe. Randall was the people’s candidate, and Jackson was the middle-class candidate. From the “Cotton Avenue Mafia” to the Pio Nono Avenue Beer House card players, the political pundits held intense conversations over whether Jackson or Randall best represented Black folks in Atlanta.
With superior name recognition, Randall had his share of middle-class voters. While this writer was working as a substitute teacher at Eugenia Hamilton Elementary School, the school’s principal, Bill Barnes, a member of the “Cotton Avenue Mafia,” came into the classroom to encourage the teacher to cast his ballot for Randall. The principal’s request intimidated the substitute teacher, who never substituted at that school again after notifying Barnes that he volunteered for the Jackson campaign and planned to vote for him.
Jackson’s campaign took issue with Mayor Ronnie Thompson’s 1968 “shoot to kill” edict to police, offering to work to lower crime by improving the educational and prison rehabilitation systems. Randall, in the spirit of his daddy, pledged to represent both the Black and White community. Randall told George Doss, Macon News Staff Writer, “…what is good for one race is good for the other race, and what is bad for one race is bad for the other race” (The Macon Telegraph, Sunday, August 11, 1974, p. 6).
During the campaign, Randall, in an attempt to ingratiate himself with the 40 percent of White voters in House District 101, issued a statement alleging that Jackson had received support in cash and catfish from John McGown. Randall knew the controversial catfish farmer and political boss established in Hancock County, Georgia, by the Ford Foundation did not sit well with White people in Middle Georgia.
McGown, a strong, unapologetic Black man, before an unapologetic Black man was a catchphrase, was feared by Whites because he organized the majority Black population in Hancock County and took over political control of the county. The McGown group kicked every White office holder to the curb, just what every White man attending the 1868 Georgia Constitutional Convention had feared. McGown was the worst nightmare of every member of the White Power Structure: a Black man with political and economic power. And, while in their heart, every Black man was proud of McGown’s accomplishments in rural Hancock County, Georgia, none of the so-called elite Black leadership wanted alignment with him publicly.
McGown built his economic wealth on the strength of a successful catfish farm. In the early 1970s, practically no one farmed fish. The McGown operation in East Georgia proved that fish, like cows, pigs, and chickens, could be raised on a farm without sticking a pole into a pond to enjoy traditional bottom feeders, without the unhealthy foods these pond or lake catfish ate.
Based on 2022 data, over half of the fish consumed is raised on a fish farm and not caught in the wild. McGown was a forerunner in the husbandry of fish. Today, fifty years later, McGown’s fish ponds lay in ruins, his antebellum home rotting by the day, and the Black power he ushered into the Hancock County lexicon, all but forgotten, reduced to infighting among Black elected officials.
Jackson said this allegation was “…a lie, calculated to hurt me.” Was it calculated to hurt Jackson, and with whom?
Randall's ploy was undoubtedly calculated to distance White people in District 101 from Jackson. Jackson had a sophisticated manner and spoke the King's English to perfection. He was relatable to white people. Randall did not leave anything or any vote to chance. He wanted to influence White voters away from District 101 or, at the very least, from Tom Jackson.
In my 1974 interview with Jackson following his 1972 dust-up with Billy Randall, he denied receiving any fish from John McGown.
An election mishap caused, perhaps, by the Bibb County Board’s malfeasance turned this hotly contested race into a powder keg when Randall squeaked out a 22-vote victory in the August 13, 1974 Democratic Primary. Several Jackson voters who voted at the National Guard Amory on Anthony Road alleged that the Jackson-Randall contest did not appear on their ballot.
After an investigation, Henry Dews, the Bibb County Election’s Superintendent, reported that about 100 voters in the Godfrey 3 Precinct voted on the wrong machine, which had the ballot for the uncontested District 102 race.
The Godrey 3 Precinct is what is known as a split precinct. A split precinct occurs when a portion of two or more districts vote at the same precinct. Based on the voter’s address and their legislative house district, the poll managers direct the voter to the appropriate voting machine. Randall won the Godfrey 3 Precinct 100 votes to 79 for Jackson.
Jackson challenged Randall’s 22-vote win on the allegation that some citizens in House District 101 did not receive the correct ballot. Also, Jackson contended that other irregularities took place that he would look into and that he would likely file a challenge regarding them later.
Randall countered that he felt Jackson’s contest of the election results was a case of “sour grapes.” Randall told The Macon Telegraph, “I would like to point out that if you threw Godfrey 3 out, I would still win by one vote” (The Macon Telegraph, Thursday, August 15, 1974).
For the first time in 102 years, Black people in Bibb County had an opportunity to send a State Representative to Atlanta; the primary election had ended after a hard-fought and bitter campaign as close as an election can end. In the days leading up to the court order requiring district lines in Bibb County, Black leaders hoped that the issue of who would run could resolve itself without a fight in the Black community.
Other potential candidates for the District 101 seat were content to allow Tom Jackson to run uncontested for the seat. His legal challenge to desegregate the public school system in Bibb County had earned him the right to represent Bibb County in the General Assembly.
Every other potential candidate conceded the seat to Jackson except Billy Randall. He felt his father’s civil rights leadership, which began in the early 1950s before Jackson came to town, had earned him the right to a seat in the Georgia House of Representatives.
The war of words between the two camps continued into the fall. A Bibb County Superior Court Judge then threw out the primary votes of August 13, 1974, and ordered a special election. The election board set the new election for October 10, 1974.
“He is not a man that I would want to entrust a responsibility to,” Jackson told reporters following the primary results.
Randall received 1,037 votes in the special election to Jackson’s 813. Randall’s 224 votes fell within the margin where Jackson could have challenged the outcome and called for a recount. Instead, Jackson lamented at the Bibb County Board of Elections after the vote tally: “It takes a lot of good people to defeat a machine” (Christopher Bonner, Political Editor, The Macon Telegraph, October 11, 1974, p. 1).
Randall retorted, “He’s calling the people a machine.” Ibid.
But the people were not the machine that made Randall successful. Jackson was referring to the Robert W. Woodruff machine that had pledged to several Black law students at Emory University that he would do all he could to see their success. Randall was among a list which included Judges Clarence Cooper and Marvin Arrington,
Jackson decided not to contest the “Special Election” results to achieve harmony in the Black family. Billy Randall was going to Atlanta to join David Lucas as the first two Black people from Bibb County to have a seat in the general assembly since Henry McNeal Turner. Jackson never sought public office again.
Harvey begins his first chapter in the year 1975... And what do we find, after about 100 years, only then did Georgia and, I am sure, many other states, even begin to be willing to give some minimal level of acceptance that Black citizens had a right to both vote AND to hold office! But it was a fight all the way!
At the same time, after reading about the fight which began in the 1800s, once slavery had been abolished, it must beg the question, just how racist are the white people in Georgia...in the nation? For surely, race has continued to be an issue even into today's world... And, perhaps, surprisingly for many of us, race was used in the 2024 election under the guise of immigration, with the claim that all immigrants are dangerous people. It seems, even the ones that have been here for years and pay taxes, are under investigation. As an aside, I oppose the process used by America for running for federal office. It has become clearly a matter of influence as opposed to even having a basic review of qualifications of potential candidates. We have already seen it grow worse as totally unqualified people are being sworn in who lack even the basic experience by which they could hope to achieve any type of success in the demanding positions. Criminals are included and even the president has a criminal record...
In the 1975 race, it was clear to me that white people in every way possible were opposing any black representation in government. I maybe could have understood, a little, if this type of feeling had occurred right after the abolition of slavery when tempers were on edge for all involved people. To me, it should have changed within 20 years at best... Yet, it was in 1975! During my lifetime! That gerrymandering had to be accomplished in order to at least even up voting options... At the same time, NOW it is gerrymandering, which was created to solve a problem, is still being used, now to separate political parties! What is the difference I wonder... If we had candidates who were selected, first, based upon qualifications rather than any type of bias, in the primaries, then, by the time it moved forward, it "might" be able to become by popular vote... However, I have seen that bias exists for many people. Whether it is race, religion, or whatever separates people, it now flourishes in government, which is meant to "treat all people equally."
Jackson versus Randall was a no brainer for me. Randall had chosen to go around the back of his mentor and sign up for the very same district that Jackson had shared he planned to. Both were lawyers, so were minimally qualified I would assume. However, integrity of Randall was key for me... Randall had played dirty once, and probably would continue to into office. Yes, I know that this is getting into my opinions, but that is the reason I no longer accept reviews. I buy the books I want to read and also share my opinions on how books affect me... Probably 99% of the time that works to help an author. In any event, the political arena within today's world has indeed affected my scorn so comparative analysis seems appropriate for the historical book of what our Black folk have had to deal with their entire lives!
But Jackson continued to look toward some type of movement forward in his legal profession. But it was not until 1990 that he was appointed as a part-time judge of the Municipal. And even that was questioned even though the City Council now had black members. But, get this, the white power structure wouldn't give up! They created a new judge position, hired a white man and made his a senior position, forcing Jackson to report to another judge, both selected by the court, but one clearly be discriminated against! You know, folks, I fought every time somebody tried to screw this woman who had moved into a male-dominated work area of facilities/physical plant. When a woman is also white, the bias is covertly done, but still based upon bias... And, by the way, did you notice that Black men were allowed to vote before Black women? Same deal with white women... Check our Constitution... Those power-seekers are normally men--and in the case of race--it is mostly White men!
Next candidate up for office was David Lucas's historical run for the Georgia State General Assembly. The Black community hoped there would be no Jackson v Randall battle. Lucas had graduated from Tuskegee (see also review of Tuskegee Airmen) with a Political Science degree and was certainly qualified to enter into politics. I found it especially interesting that he won--because no "qualified" republican could be found! Now that's exactly what I was talking about above. NO individual should be running for government positions without documented qualifications for the position for which he is applying! Can I please hear an "Amen!" David Lucas is Still in that Seat, thankfully haven proven the Black politicians can succeed and continue to be elected.
It was Lucas who, as his first goal, was to work to change the present policy of "At Large" membership on the Macon City Council...
And that was just the beginning... to be continued...!
I thank God for Lawrence O'Donnell--and other MSNBC News Hosts!
For over 20 years, I have had to be on medication for Job Burnout... What that means, in my case, is that I had been working many more hours to try to keep up with an impossible work load, without any sign of recognition from my superiors that they...even...cared...
I ask, would you have even tried to explain how you were feeling if, from the very first, with four new superiors above you, and not one had ever met with you to talk about the responsibilities of your office? Or, not once, asked to review job descriptions to learn exactly what was going on in your unit? Or, even stopped by once in a while to meet your employees, talk to them, and me, and ask how things were going? No, a new President, a new Vice President, a new Assistant Vice President, and a new Director of my office had rode in on white horses claiming they would save the day, that they knew everything they needed to know and that, an authoritative hierarchical structure must be maintained henceforth... Of course, none of those words were ever said--after all, they were all authoritarian, clearly, and were "Do as I Say; Not as I Do!"
I was in an environment of higher education on a land-grant university campus that operated state-wide, which meant the Federal Government was even more involved than with those who were not land-grant institutions. After I had already submitted papers for retirement, after having gone on an extensive medical leave, after being told by my doctor that I had to choose between my life and my job--frankly, there was no choice, I planned to leave an institution that I had loved for over 30 years, having moved upward from my first job in the Office of Personnel. And, to put the icing on the cake, after having absolutely no conversations with me about my employment with that administration, I was given a letter that my job had been eliminated... But, I remember now, that I did have one conversation with the University lawyer, about handling a dismissal of a man who I had been forced to hire. During that discussion he said something like, "You should be glad to have a job." To which I replied, "I used to have a career and I've never been interested in just a job..." There was never any mention of any wrongdoing on my part...
In fact, during my nearly 40 years, I had received just one performance review. That was in the '60s when the Director of Personnel gave me a letter of excellent performance. And, oh yes, the new Director of my office had given me a form letter something about my running the Office... as if I was the office manager. But, let's face it, he had no idea what I did and only turned to me when he realized that financial accounting of capital funds had gotten out of control, because he, who supposedly ran that side of the office, had never initiated any action toward financial management!
But, of course, I should at least mention that I had defied my Assistant Vice-President, and refused to sign a request from Human Resources that the actions taken by him, after I was released for return, was formally accepted by me... When I refused to sign, I said, "You may have a right to do what you did; but you don't have a right to my respect for what you did." He turned around and walked out...
And I have been defying authoritarian people ever since... I "could" be tearing my hair out each day if not for my faith in God, the very few personal connections I have made, as well as, having found Lawrence O'Donnell! It's not that I chose him "over" others who I also enjoy watching. But, this man was older, had had experience in Congress, had also demonstrated to me his concern with his "desks for African children" program--which meant he cared... Yes, he cares!!! His empathy as he discusses issues reveals just how much he wants to have all of his viewers know about how he views the impact of that newsbite on our lives....
This was important to me. During the years when Trump first came into Office, I had become a fanatic news watcher. At that time, I had never heard of MSNBC, so I was watching CNN daily. The reporters--at that time--were thorough and many expressed concern for the issues and what was happening... Once I found MSNBC, I immediately saw the difference in passion, of concern, and of working and finding research that supported what was happening that day--that time period! However, a series of recent medical operations made me stop to consider my health. I could not afford to move into another mind-melt. So, I chose Lawrence as the one individual who I recorded--I read most nights from about 5PM on... and I watch him most morning as I take my meds for the day.
My point is, that I have found a correlation between the environmental changes at West Virginia University, as I have seen in the government during the years from 2015 and forward--ten years!!! Unbelievable!
One thing I have learned is most important. My personal anguish and job burnout was and is minor in comparison to what Donald J. Trump has/is doing to the United States Federal Government! Seeing the change of a participatory president, James Harlow, as the first WVU president under whom I was employed, through to the last authoritarian set of individuals who were in their positions at the time I was forced into a medical leave and walked out of the job in response to my doctor's warnings, is, frankly, now not even worth remembering...
Except that as each and every day I listen to O'Donnell, I flash back to what I personally went through with bosses who had no time to know me as anything other than a workhorse they viewed that did a good job performing for them--until I didn't... And "fired" me!
Yes, I was once a 9-5 classified employee (although it was 8:15 to 5). That was in 1963 when I first started in the Office of Personnel. Later I moved into the President's Office and worked for two Provosts one after the other (title for VPs at that time) as Secretary. I then moved into a technical position in the Office of Facilities Analysis and Utilization and then continued upward until I reached a non-classified position. What that meant was that I worked any amount of hours in order to get the job done...without additional compensation. BUT, the director of that office, William Campbell, was an excellent supervisor, both interactive with his staff--we felt appreciated--and willing to train. Our office was the first-ever office at WVU and was established to centrally handle all things related to facilities management as required by academic units and auxiliary programs, and the federal government. Under President Harlow, all of the Provosts were, what you might call, his cabinet (including the Medical Center which was a first, so I also responded to the Vice-President, Health Sciences Center, as well as all Vice-Presidents physically located on the main campus--Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Athletics, Off-Campus Activities.
Bill Campbell was well-respected and later, the Office of University Architect, which handled Capital Planning and Construction, was placed under his management. Only one staff architect was retained from the previous office. By that time, I was placed in charge of all activities which were previously directed by Campbell. He began to deal with an entire set of issues, none of which could be handled by the remaining architect. In fact, that individual's inexperience in dealing with the overall planning process, soon resulted in a need to relocate him and begin to add new positions which would merge the analysis side of the office with the capital planning side which was now to be developed. By the time that major leadership changes began, I was promoted to Associate Director of a unit now called Office of Facilities Planning and Management. It was soon clear that the new management planned to eliminate Bill Campbell who would be replaced with a "good ole boy" associate of the new Asst. VP. Next, when a vacancy occured in my area, I was forced to hire another "good ole boy" associate of the Asst VP... All men; all from Military Sciences ROTC.
At the point, when I later had lost a year of my lifeto conduct a complete audit of capital funding allocated to WVU, because the new director did nothing to deal with the financial management of capital construction, I returned to directing the unit for which I was responsible. Soon, I knew that the last hire which had been forced unto me, was unable to perform at what was a first-level manager position, but which was very numbers/detail oriented in a discipline that at that time was not being taught, but had to be learned through self-study. It was clear that the former Major had no awareness, nor interest, in learning what he needed to know in order to handle that first-level managerial position. In fact, as things were boiling up, this man came to me to share that he had gotten an "A" in one class now being taught under Educational Administration at WVU. He expected, I could tell, that he expected me to be happy. I couldn't be and said, "You expect me to be happy about taking a class and learning what you should have, by now, learned for the job you were hired to do?" This type of comment was what I was experiencing as things led up to my total collapse, which, by the way, for your information, resulted in my not being able to stop crying. My body had tried, but I had failed my body. It rebelled for my treatment. And, rightly so... Did I have a choice? I didn't think so. I had invested over 30 years at WVU and I knew it was the change of superiors that was at fault.
So, regurgitating all of my personal experiences is only to point out that in my own situation, lack of knowledge about the work required and an unwillingness, or, a lack of actual experience in order to visibly see and learn what was the total scope of responsibility for their new positions, to be learned by new authoritarian-type individuals, led to an ultimate total collapse of my unit, of which I was Acting Director by that time.
An interesting tidbit that my dedicated secretary told me later was that, an applicant for the Director's position was offered the job. He had worked at the University of Maryland where Bill Campbell had worked. When this man came looking for me, he learned that I was on medical leave. He wanted to talk with me; I had headed up a Facilities Conference that we hosted on the WVU campus and he had gotten to know me quite well through early planning, etc. When he asked if he could call me, my secretary told him that I wasn't accepting calls from anybody but her. He turned down the Director position. Of course, if I had known... but that's just not what happened, so why bother considering the "what ifs" in life...
Soooo, Trump who was once voting democrat, apparently saw that the republican party seemed to be the proper choice for a possible leap into the power of the presidency. He was right. By that time, the evolution of both parties was significant, as can be found in learning about our history of government politics. In essence, through reading many books and/or videos, I've concluded that the two parties have switched places, sometime around the election of Reagan, the first entertainer hired for the presidency...
Now is a perfect point in this presentation to point out that, until 2015 when I was settled in my new log cabin, doing gardening--actually cleanup of a property which had been neglected for many years due to the death of both owners. After I purchased my home, in 2015, I heard just one video which was heard across the nation about the Trump candidate, and which led to the Major Women's March on Inauguration Day, 2016. When a man, even if talking "good ole boy" or "locker room" talk as some called it, trash talking with another guy, claimed that because he was a celebrity, he could walk up, grabbed them by the pxxxx, and get away with it... I was, frankly, immediately on alert. I had had my share of sexual invitations while working as a single woman. I had handled them "professionally" as I wanted to do. At no time, was I to have, from men on campus, anything as vulgar, or crudely presented, as I heard from Trump. As I later learned in E. Jean Carroll's book, and from news, of Trump's exploitation of women in all forms, I was incensed... Let me just say, when Trump/Clinton were debating and Trump roamed around behind her as she spoke, I would have turned around and said, "I'll stop until you start acting like an individual who is a candidate for our presidency..." Shoulda been there! LOL
Then when I faced both family insults about my choice to become a democrat and vote against Trump, as well as learning that Evangelical Christian leaders had made a deal with the Devil/Trump. I became somewhat obsessed... I knew immediately as a book reviewer, that I had to start doing my research!
Yet he was reelected... Unbelievable! There are now rumblings about whether Musk had his staff hack into election machines, much more secretly than did Russian hackers during the 2016 election. However. I had thought of it, but then I remembered that for the first time ever, Trump said he had a "mandate" to act, I started to add 2+2...+3... get the idea... All the billionaires watched and learned about Trump. He wanted unlimited riches, power and glory... To even get anywhere, he would have to use "criminal actions" to get it... Power-hungry people came out of the underground... Project 2025 came into existence, which is the actual words that have been used for ALL Executive Orders signed, but not initiated by Trump--except maybe one of his latest, which was to withdraw Biden's ban on plastic straws. With all of the McDonald's he eats, straws are a very important need for President Trump...
And I have become more sarcastic, more short on patience, more acutely aware of the lowering of common sense intelligence of the average American who, in the past, may have not paid much attention because the government was at least visibly doing the things that affected them personally... For me, Affirmative Action, Equal Pay for Equal Work, Need for dual-career marriages due to low salaries, and more... But most of all, the loss of Truth as our guiding interaction on all things affecting the entire population of the United States.
What I have learned through the last 10 years with Trump in the picture, leading the people of America with lies, disinformation, and, importantly, lack of any information unless somebody became a whistle blower in some way, together with the proliferation of technological advances which have moved so fast that a visible loss of control has resulted in, at least for me and others with whom I've talked, a total lack of confidence in a government--a population percentage--that would choose to listen to conmen rather than working to seek out the truth and VERIFY!
God is a God of Truth...
What do you think He is thinking as He watches those who have chosen Trump, one who attempts to act as if he acts for God and can do no wrong...
Pray for God's Truth and Power to touch Those Who May Hear!!! Seek His grace for those who voted for what has/is occurring... When men choose to take away needed money to help the indigent in foreign lands, we know that decision was NOT to respond to Jesus' request to take care of those in need. When a decision to eliminate public schools, it is the same principle, many cannot afford to send children to private schools...Lord give those who know Thy wishes, the strength and patience... Lead us to the Truth! God's Truth!
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