A Sit In: House of Representatives Style

The Octogenarians

Two days ago Democrats staged an unprecedented sit in in the House of Representatives led by John Lewis and powerfully seconded by Nancy Pelosi.The attempt was to get a vote on a “No Fly List ” denial of gun purchase and an “under FBI scrutiny” denial.Speaker Ryan called it “a publicity stunt”.in the senate Susan Collins put forward a bill which was cleverly twisted by McConnell so that the likes of John McCain could vote for it with the assurance that it would not get sixty votes and a simple majority would not do.Let’s hear it for the follow the money,good guys who sell guns (NRA)and our elected representatives who don’t give a tinker’s dam about governing,grief,or fairness!Small wonder that popular sentiment begins to swing toward benevolent despotism.The problem is that while the despot may be big,tall and handsome,he(she)doesn’t stay benevolent long.Greed and scapegoating are soon to wreak havoc.

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Yorkshire(Brexit) & Orlando:Another tale of two cities.

The Octogenarians

The day before the murderous assault on a LBGT frequented bar in Orlando FL another murderous assault took place across the Pond.A 42 year old parliamentarian was shot and stabbed to death in a suburb of Yorkshire.Jo Cox was a stalwart campaigner for the little guy and battler against Brexit.The enormity of the murder of 49 or 50 people exceeds that of the death of one.But when you consider that guns are not widely owned in England and the murderer also used a knife while shouting “Britain first”,you can see that both events have implications for acceptance of differences and the suppression of the territorial imperatives surrounding nationalism(tribal-aspirational)as well as fully developed.Jo Cox was a hero,(heroine) but Britain is likely to vote for Brexit.The usual bewailings of mental illness are being raised,but the execution of radical acts depends heavily on the immature and conflicted.These behaviors will continue; minimizing their frequency…

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“A Well Meaning Oaf”

The Octogenarians

HW(http://www.pitcherinthewry@blogpost.com)characterized Donald Trump as above and I agreed with him.What of course, I didn’t consider was the effect that the “mirror on the wall” often has on people who are somewhat narcissistic and aggressive.It would appear that “the fairest of them all ” pronouncement can become oracular and isolating .The same appears to have happened to Sanders.Omniscence and unwillingness to compromise appear to follow.There is a good psychosocial analysis of Trump in a recent Atlantic,done before he   became a presidential candidate and so not violating any guild mandates.HW was not wrong.The major problem for America is that the angry and intolerant groups that are gathering to object to the status quo will persist long after the elections and will make outrageous happenings more likely and dangerous.It can happen here(KrystalNacht)!

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Where Are The Good Guys With The Guns?

The Octogenarians

Orlando Florida is in the news again.Two days ago Christina Minnie was gunned down while signing autographs.Last night 50 people were killed and at least 53 wounded in what appears to be a lone wolf assault on a well known bar frequented by gays.The deceased assailant appears to be of Islamic descent.The death by gun epidemic   is accelerating ; apparently motivation is not as important in prevention as might be hoped and prayed for.(To Allah as well as Jehovah)The last good guy with a gun who tried to intervene was grievously wounded by the bad guy with a gun who was apparently a better shot.(Was it Texas?) If we can’t all get along, can’t we impose limits on the proliferation of multishot semiautomatic weapons?It is hard to see the profit motive contributing to the greater good here.The visible hands here, despite the Donald and the NRA, are on the…

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Experiencing a New Technology

The Octogenarians

I recently tried Uber as a new way of getting downtown in the early morning rush hours.My wife and I used the the new technology with some trepidation but were delighted with the outcome.At 1/3 the cost of a limousine and with the added attraction of a conversation with a driver from southeast Asia.This gentleman who was driving to be busy and not for the money, explained that U.S. sanctions did work against his government but took a long time and had the effect of squeezing the poor to the point of near rebellion after which the military junta effected political reform.The return trip was equally edifying. We chose the group option and had the company of a young black man with a Philadelphia Eagle’s cap.The driver this time was from eastern Europe and the discussion was not about the Thunder and the Warriors, but about the minimum wage.Surprisingly, there…

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