Monthly Archives: October 2022

30

Oct. ’22

Insular Cases

Maybe I am wrong, maybe I am right, but here is the situation. The Supreme Court have decided not to take the case of giving 3.6 million people of the U. S. Possessions equal rights. I say the court is wrong in not taking the case. I think it is wrong that those people do not have equal rights in the first place. It is not about law (although the lawmakers and court are not reading the law the way I am), it is about morality.

               This is the situation. American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are U.S. territories. These possessions have U.S. passports, pay taxes, and, as U.S. possessions, it is considered U.S. soil. So, the way I see it, if the properties are American soil anyone born on that soil is automatically a U.S. citizen and have all the rights and privileges as a citizen.

               The problem, the reason there are lawsuits, and it has gone all the way to the Supreme Court, is the people can not vote. My question is, why not? All citizens are supposed to be afforded the right to vote, or am I wrong about that. They are calling it ‘Insular Cases’.

               I will quote what I read in a Yahoo news article: ‘Insular Cases that deny people like Fitisemanu equal rights as citizens were explicitly founded on racist premises. The cases, which occurred from 1901 to 1922, claimed that the people of the oversees territories the U.S. conquered in the Spanish-American War came from “savage tribes” and “alien” and “uncivilized races” who were “absolutely unfit to receive” the rights provided by the Constitution. The court invented a new legal class of “unincorporated territory” for the colonial possessions taken from Spain that denied them equal rights and statehood.’

               These people also serve in the armed forces, go to schools in the 50 states, work in the 50 states, can live in any state and must abide the American laws. But it seems as though the courts still want to hold on to the racist laws from more than a century ago. Yet we as Americans choose to tell other nations how they should conduct themselves when we are the ones that need to change. These racist stereotypes not only hurt the island possessions but many Black, Brown, etc. here on mainland USA.

               As I read the article, all I thought about is how many island people I have met, and I thought they had all the rights I have. My original thoughts about our laws, which I have harbored in my mind since childhood, have not changed. A lot of these laws can be changed but most keep hitting roadblocks put up by the Republicans. The Republicans loaded the Supreme Court and now they control what goes on there. I do not foresee anything that make sense or is moral coming out of the Supreme Court.

               The people of these islands will never see justice as long as the court is the way it is and as long as the Congress have those roadblocks. Call them American Nationals or whatever you want, it still is not right. Let us not call it Insular Cases, call it what it is. Racist.

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16

Oct. ’22

Long Live Mother Earth

I’ve been thing about all the hullabaloo over climate change which made me wonder whether it is true or false and (I try to listen to my mind and body) what do I really feel about it. My mind, body, and soul say it is true. Not only from what the scientists say but from my own personal knowledge. I have been a person that look at things thoroughly, while in the military and out. I am also a person that depend heavily on things I learned through life.

               What really got me to write about climate change was an article in The Atlantic by Chris Baraniuk about ancient flooding tales. The article was really good, and I could add more (I guess he could also), especially a few stories from the Bible (remember Noah’s Ark, to name only one). Through the years I have written a blog or two about catastrophes during biblical times (blog: www.faithingodministries.net).

               Earth have been in constant change since its existence. Through my lifetime I have witnessed some of the changes. For one, the weather here is not like it was when I was growing up in the area. Some things are very minor while other things are dramatic. There are areas where the landscape is different and the coming and going of the seasons have a different feel to it.

               When I was in the military in Germany, I had many German friends and I stayed in many German homes. I remember a man that was digging fencepost holes in his back yard when one pole went further down than the others. He had hit an old Roman grave, hit the corpse, flipped it before it stopped. The experts were called and verified the site, excavated and searched the grave before leaving. I knew the Roman soldiers buried their dead on the banks of a stream or river. The nearest water was about a hundred yards away which told me the stream had changed over the years. Things change, nothing is ever the same.

               When I was a child my sister and I always wondered if it would snow for Christmas because most times it would even if it was only flurries. Now I don’t worry about it because it has become a rarity. I also remember, when I was stationed in North Dakota, my mother was telling me about a tornado that hit the area. I did not believe her. She had to send me the newspaper article before I began to believe. All my childhood I had never heard of, knew anything about, nor knew what a tornado was.

               In the article by Chris Baraniuk, he tells how stories from elders around the world told of different land features and even lands that have disappeared. Upon extensive investigation, he and the people with him have found the tales from around the world were true. I have always said that people should listen to the elder person. Maybe that is what happen to Atlantis.

               I personally do not think us humans will stop, nor can we slow what is happening to the changing world. Earth have been changing for far too long. Long live Mother Earth!

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09

Oct. ’22

John the Baptist

6:22 And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, ask of me whatsoever you will, and I will give it you. 6:23 And he swore unto her, whatsoever you shall ask of me, I will give it you, unto the half of my kingdom. 6:24 And she went forth, and said unto her mother, what shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist. 6:25 And she came in immediately with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that you give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist. 6:26 And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath’s sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her. 6:27 And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought and he went and beheaded him in the prison, (Mark 6:22-27 KJV)

          For those of you that do not know the entire saga of John the Baptist I will just say something of the characters that is in this part of his life. Herod is the king and he married Herodias who was his brother’s wife. John the Baptist, being the greatest prophet, was jailed. He told Herod that it was wrong to marry his brother’s wife. The wife had a daughter that was, evidently, very lovely.

          For some reason the wife did not like John the Baptist (I am assuming it was because he told Herod he was wrong to marry her which make her wrong to accept the marriage). When her daughter danced for Herod, he offered her anything she wanted, up to half his kingdom, Herodias saw a way to rid herself of John the Baptist.

          Women can entice men to do almost anything they desire. Just by looking at today’s headlines anyone can see it happening. And, to talk about negative results, these women are running amuck with our government, and this includes Clarence Thomas’ wife.

          After Herod said what he said he had to behead John the Baptist for his stepdaughter, not knowing his wife requested it. Some women can be deceptive and (as the old saying goes nothing is worse than a woman’s scorn) vile.

          God hates evil and Herod got the wrong end of the stick. His army took a beating in his next battle. I am sure God did not forget Herod’s wife nor the daughter. I am also sure the women of today will get the wrong end of the stick and so will the husbands and anyone attached to them.

          Years ago, I learned not to trust anyone at face value, especially if it is a woman. Years ago, I found myself is difficult situations because of a woman. I look at the women that have clout and I wonder who or what they did to make it where they are now. Some of the women in Congress is destroying it (not counting the numerous men). Be careful out there.

5:1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. 5:2 And all of you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that has done this deed might be taken away from among you. 5:3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, (o. pneuma) have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that has so done this deed, 5:4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when all of you are gathered together, and my spirit, (o. pneuma) with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit (o. pneuma) may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.               (1 Corinthians 5:1-5 KJV)

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02

Oct. ’22

Book Sense and Common Sense

When I was in the military, we had a saying about many officers and it was, ‘lots of book sense and no common sense’. This also applies to some NCOs as well. Not all of them were like that but there were plenty to go around. These people stayed in some sort of school, always into their books but when it came to thinking outside of the box, what is not found in a book, they were lost or would do or say something crazy.

               There are a lot of people in Congress, state and local government that run in the same pact. They can say what you need to hear or want to hear but never enacted what they have said. They are good at telling you what need to be done or tell you what to do but have never done it themselves nor realize what the outcome will be. Every situation is different with all sorts of variables which mean there must be some sort of fine tuning to complete the task.

               There are many people that cannot think beyond the box and have been put into a position due to who they know or who they owe, etc. but they do not have the knowledge, expertise, or anything that qualify them for the position. I have seen a lot of them when I was in the military. There is one in Congress (there may be others that made it in because of this situation) that was elected because her opponent had to drop out for personal reasons, and she ran unopposed. If the opponent had not dropped out, she would have never won the election. Now the state and the country are stuck with this unqualified person.

               Then you have those that get into politics to gain wealth. All they want to do is make money anyway they can. They will say and do anything. They will take money to say and do certain things as long as they can climb up the ladder a little further. In the meanwhile, we the people suffer for the wrongs that are being perpetrated by these people. They do not care if the law that they want enacted helps the constituents or not as long as they get theirs. If they can garner a fan base, all the better because that will ensure they can stay in place and make more money.

               There is a Congresswoman that constantly break the rules and is fined for them. Now she is complaining she don’t have money because her pay is going toward paying off the fines imposed on her. Common sense tells anyone not to break the rules that carry a fine in which you will not get paid on payday.

               Thinking about book sense and common sense; there is a leader of a violent group from the right that is a Yale Law graduate but is now considered a jailbird because of his and his group’s actions. He has plenty of book sense, but I don’t think he ever had enough common sense to stay out of jail and to keep those radical views out of his head.

               I’ve always said that knowing the book is good but common sense is better. First, the book may not tell you everything. And second, is the book telling the truth? A mix of book and common sense go hand in hand to make a better person and a lot of Congresspeople need to make that change. There is a lot of stupid out there, even in those that elect these stupid people and keep them in office.

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