FIFTY YEARS ON

 By Ruth A. Sheets

January 22, 2023 marks 50 years since the Supreme Court in a 7-2 vote ruled the right to abortion is constitutional.  They assumed women had a right to bodily autonomy although they didn’t call it that.  They understood the Constitution permitted women, as well as men, to make decisions about their own bodies and future.  Unfortunately, over the years, conservatives who needed an issue to pump their supporters up to a ridiculous frenzy on their way to power, clamped onto the issue of abortion which over time expanded to include women’s  rights in general.

A bit over a century before the Roe v. Wade decision, the Pope in the Roman Catholic Church declared abortion anathema, not the exact words, but close enough.  The supposed reason was to save women’s lives since abortion could be dangerous.  Women were not seen as much, so the Church had to couch its decision in god language, a mortal sin to have an abortion.  With five Catholic conservative justices on our Supreme Court, their task is clear, stop abortions at all costs in god’s name.  The Church orders it. 

A decade earlier, in 1857, a  Harvard-educated New England doctor, needed an issue to prove how important and professional he as a doctor was.  Horatio Robinson Storer settled on abortion as that issue and began his crusade against women and the midwives who supported women’s reproductive needs.  Through Storer’s efforts, abortion went from being a non-issue to becoming one of the most contentious issues of the second half of the 19^th century, and women had essentially no say in it.  Few states or territories had laws against abortion before Storer came on the scene, but by 1900 nearly every state did. 

Storer and others as time passed, all men of course, had little or no evidence that midwives were incapable of caring for women’s reproductive needs, or that abortion was so terrible.  It didn’t matter, he was a medical man and at the time doctors (nearly all white men of course) were trying to be established as the authorities on everything related to health, including women’s bodies.

Moves against abortion began  three-quarters of a century after our Constitution was ratified.  The founders most likely never even thought of abortion and considered anything beyond their brief participation in begetting a child to be women’s work and promptly ignored it, well unless a baby was born, then he could claim it as his property. 

Were Alito and the other anti-Roe justices aware of this?  Did they even care?  I suspect they knew and had to find a legal justification from before our nation’s founding they could use to do what they had intended to do all along.  Alito et al should be ashamed of their choices of  law-makers to cite, OK and to even overturn a precedent with no pressing need.  But, when one’s goal is in reach, any argument will do.   That’s particularly true if you know you can’t be challenged.  The expectation of infallibility on the part of the conservative justices lately is disturbing.

Right now, the Supreme Court seems to be walking on the edge of a cliff.  They could listen to the American people and start ruling in our favor or keep moving closer to being blown off the cliff where they will no longer be seen as relevant.  This past year, the six told states they had limited ability to restrict gun ownership, yet told states they can restrict a woman’s right to abortion.  Essentially they said, “white men, get a gun to use if you are scared” (white men seem to be scared all the time), but women, you have no right to your own body if a bunch of white men in state legislatures say you don’t.  Yes, racism and misogyny are alive and well on our Supreme Court and there is no evidence a remedy is at hand.  Women of color and poor women will suffer most, as usual.

Restricting abortion is cruel.  It condemns women and children to carry a pregnancy whether it is the right thing for them or not.  Who gets to decide, mostly rich, straight white men in power and their female surrogates.  The men will never get pregnant and the surrogates want the trickle-down of power they may get agreeing with powerful men.  Those women and some men have been brainwashed to believe their god is against abortion.  If that were true, wouldn’t one expect that Jesus would have said something about it.  If He had, it would have been recorded and passed down.  He didn’t and It wasn’t.

As so many feminists of all races, creeds, and nationalities have said for years, women should  have the sole decision of whether to maintain a pregnancy, with no interference from legislators at any level.  And if one listens carefully to the anti-choice faction, their “reasons” to force women and children to remain pregnant are undemocratic (since more than 60% of the population supports the right of women to seek abortion with few or no restrictions).  

So, let’s see, a collection of rich, white, straight men and their surrogates oppose abortion so women are condemned to carry fetuses to term, held as criminals if they have a miscarriage, losing their lives while waiting to be sick enough – close enough to death to have an abortion, seen as criminals to be jailed if they use chemical abortion aids or leave the state to get an abortion, jailed to force the woman to continue a pregnancy.  That sounds like a kind of involuntary servitude, vulnerable women trapped in a system that has denied their rights and freedoms for a set of religious beliefs in a nation whose Constitution declares there will be no establishment of religion. 

A few years back, I learned about a group of women in Chicago in the late 1960s who called themselves “The Janes.”  They were heroes, women and a few men who saw a need and worked to figure out how to provide abortion services to thousands of women.  Finally, they were betrayed by someone who just had to prove she was a handmaid of god or something.  The prosecutions never went anywhere, though because of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision.

We need “Janes” everywhere in our country now, doing everything they can to help women who need a termination to a pregnancy.  We need a network (possibly secret) of people who can distribute abortion pills and transport women to abortion clinics.  We need brave doctors who will help the few women for whom the pills don’t work properly.  We need courageous doctors, nurses, and midwives who can provide abortions after the 11^th week and those who step up and provide appropriate care for women in medical crisis so women won’t have to come close to death to get help.  We need prosecutors who will dismiss abortion cases unless there is actual evidence of wrong-doing by a provider.  We will require judges on federal courts at all levels that will dismiss cases brought by people against women who have gotten an abortion.  In short, we need some courage throughout our nation.  I know some exists, but there needs to be more.

Then, those of us who do not have a medical bent need to keep calling out Republicans and others for their disinformation and hypocrisy of wanting forced birth while providing absolutely no services to help the women who don’t even have the wherewithal to pay for prenatal care or giving birth.  Republicans whine in protest at being called racists and misogynists while regularly demonstrating racism and misogyny. 

We the People should also take turns when we can to be present at abortion and other health care facilities where anti-abortion folks are jeering, taunting patients, and lying through their many times magnified supposed pictures of abortions.  We have left the ground to them when we should have been there more openly.  We can also heavily support candidates in every district, every community who believe women have the right to whatever health care they need, including abortion.  Ditch the toddler-adult candidates who can’t see past their own “beliefs” to let others have theirs.  We the People can do this! 

And so, the challenge for us 50 years on is knowing the anti-women, anti-everyone who is not rich, straight, white, and male movement will continue working to hurt us all if not thwarted.  They will pass archaic laws and work to enforce them no matter who is harmed.  That is cruel, but cruelty is their point.  We the People can stop this if we work together as the Janes did 50+ years ago! 

. . . AND IN THE CENTER RING!

 By Ruth A. Sheets

Republicans finally elected Kevin McCarthy Ringmaster of their circus in the House of Representatives.  He has already proven himself a less than stellar entertainer, although he thinks he is magnificent!  The American people saw the show two weeks ago and know there are problems with a guy who loses a vote 14 times.  And, his side of the aisle may remind them uncomfortably of a school playground or a circus tent!

We know McCarthy paid a price (his soul perhaps) to get the job of Ringmaster, but he is letting some clowns whose goal it is to run the circus into the ground, control the action, while he waves his arms, shouts platitudes, and pumps up bills he knows will never pass the Senate because they are so bad and unpopular.  Maybe they represent a slice of the soul he traded to the clowns.

The first act, of which the Ringmaster is most proud, called for cutting funding for the IRS.  One can’t help but be suspicious of those who voted for this one.  We the People are pretty sure they don’t want the IRS learning that they or their families or their donors lied on their tax returns.  Such lying was fine when the IRS didn’t have enough people to investigate the rich folks.  With the bill passed in the previous Congress more staff can be hired so ordinary people can get their questions answered and corrections made, but also rich tax evaders can be found and summoned.  I and the circus audience would love to see the newly enhanced IRS checking out those who voted to cut IRS funding.  Then, let us know if there are discrepancies.  The clowns should have fun with that.  Oh No!  Their taxes might not be exactly right?  Beep!  Beep!

Republicans just can’t let the issue of abortion go, so in the Fetus-Lovers’ Ring, acrobats leap on bills to ban abortion everywhere in the United States, twisting and turning to avoid being called hypocrites as they encounter memories of mistresses and girlfriends who got abortions for them.  They know a large majority of Americans, even Republicans don’t want the ban, but they jump for it anyway.  Note, it is not in the Center Ring, so mostly passed unremarked.  The audience knows this is just a sideshow that will go nowhere, but it’s something Republicans, mostly white men, will do to feed their hungry base.

And in the far right ring, on the tightrope, George Santos (his stage name) is trying to stay aloft as constituents throw truths at him like balloons whushing right past him, hoping he will fall, but so far he hasn’t.  He is wobbling, though. 

Next in the Center Ring, Raising the Debt Ceiling!  This action has been done by every Congress, even by Trump’s, but Ringmaster McCarthy has plans for the show.  He wants to force Democrats to cut all kinds of services to the American people, like Medicare, Medicaid, and the military so it can’t help Ukraine (many of the clowns are fans of Russia’s Putin, you know) before he will agree to raising the debt ceiling.  Of course, this would put our economy at risk, but Ringmaster McCarthy is now beholden to Gates, Jordan, Greene, Boebert, and the rest of the insurrectionist clowns and that is what they want, and he agreed so he could be Ringmaster.  Remember?

Secretary of the Treasury, Janet Yellin just informed us that the debt ceiling (our ability to pay our already-accumulated debts) will be reached on January 19^th.  There are work-arounds for the Treasury Department, but those work-arounds will only hold for a couple of months.  McCarthy and his insurrectionist bosses know that and want to cause a disaster, the bigger the better.  Their ignorance lets them believe it won’t impact them.  Of course, their states will demand (beg for) money when the next storms hit or wildfires and floods rage.  There won’t be funds for them,  Ah, how sad!  I guess Republican mansions won’t be harmed, so who cares.

Ringmaster McCarthy is now trying to make sure none of his performers will defect and vote to raise the debt ceiling against his wishes.  One wonders what a man without a soul has to trade or to use as a threat to any Republicans who actually care about this nation and might stand against this circus.  It will be interesting to watch his “dealmaking.”  The problem for Ringmaster McCarthy, the Democrats will as a bloc  vote to raise the debt ceiling.  With a 4-vote majority,  McCarthy needs to have only 6 defectors to lose, and any member of the House can call for his removal from the job of Ringmaster.  My hope is that someone, preferably a Republican will do that  and someone, a patriot will call for the vote and at least 218 members, Democrats and a few Republicans will do the right thing and vote to raise or do away with the debt ceiling, the latter being preferable. 

In the meantime, the Ringmaster and his clowns are planning to do massive investigations of Democrats and the FBI for anything they feel mad about (they’re toddlers, you know).  Who will serve in these investigation clown cars?  Why the insurrectionists, of course, the above-mentioned gang will be first to be selected and the other clowns will jump in.  We the People will watch their shenanigans as they whine, interrogate, accuse, and whine some more.  The audience can only hope this goes on for the next 2 years so Democrats can point out to the American people, with evidence, that Republicans have done nothing, absolutely nothing for them.  OK, that is a dream, but with the right kind of messaging, it could work, and, it will be true!   

So, my fellow Americans, who’s heading out to see the circus with me?  Be sure to bring your phone, a good book, some games, knitting or crocheting because once the show gets rolling, we will all see just how pitiful House Republicans and their Ringmaster really are and we will need something interesting to do to keep from being bored to death.  One can only watch toddler-adults for so long, despite their clownish behavior, before losing it.

However, the circus could close and real work could get done if . . .

1. the members of the House who participated in the January 6^th insurrection were indicted and sent to jail for say, a year or two for betraying our country

2. The Speaker started acting like an adult instead of a childish ringmaster who has no idea what is going on and doesn’t seem to care much as long as he gives the insurrectionists everything they demanded for their votes, to keep him in office

3. the Republicans in the House demanded serious consideration of bills that would actually help the American people and forced McCarthy to bring them up for discussion and a vote

4. the House immediately raised the debt ceiling with no strings attached.

Since I doubt any of these will happen, better bring our stuff to keep us occupied while in the big tent.

DAYS AT THE CIRCUS

By Ruth A. Sheets 

Happy New Year!  It appears this year is going to be as “exciting” as last year, so get ready! 

On January 3, 2023, it began.  The Senate and House of Representatives were set to open the 118^th Congress, usually a ceremonial event.  The Speaker of the House, who has already been chosen by the majority party is elected by the full House and the other party leaders are voted in as the Senate gets set up.  The members are sworn in, then business can begin.  That’s the way it’s been done for the past century, but not what happened on January 3^rd.  The Senate proceeded as usual, but the House, well, the House is a different story.

Kevin McCarthy the current minority leader in the House had decided he was going to be Speaker no matter what.  The American people were informed on numerous occasions that McCarthy has wanted this post for years and would  get it even if it took months.  McCarthy set up his circus tent and the show began.  Call the first vote!  Nominations for Speaker were placed.  After 434 names were called, McCarthy didn’t win the vote.  He didn’t win on the second or third votes either.  The House adjourned.

The House members returned for Day 2.  After 3 more votes, McCarthy didn’t win and we learned that the ultra-right-wingers who voted against him wanted significant concessions from him for their votes.  Of course, they didn’t care if the concessions would be good for the House of Representatives or for the American people, they just wanted them.  McCarthy didn’t make enough of those concessions to win any of the 5 votes on the third day either.

The fourth day didn’t begin as usual because two elected members had gone home for personal business, so the House waited for their return.  At 10:00 p.m., the House convened and three votes more were taken and again McCarthy didn’t win, although he got closer.  One surmises he was getting nearer and nearer to selling his soul for the job and gave in to more concessions to the ult-right crew.  By the way, that crew was made up of mostly insurrectionists who either helped plan the January 6^th insurrection, spoke at the Trump January 6^th rally in favor of Trump’s lie that he had won the election, or refused to accept the count of the electors after the insurrection had been halted, a “patriotic” clown car. 

The 15^th round of voting was called and this time, McCarthy squeaked through because several of the insurrectionists and their supporters declared themselves present rather than vote for him.  They knew their “present” would mean McCarthy’s victory.  Hey Clowns!  You actually did vote for him. 

There was a near altercation between two members and some other rude behavior, but for the most part the Republican circus was managed incredibly well by Clerk of the House, Cheryl Johnson.  She kept things moving and used the gavel judiciously.  Maybe she should have been elected Speaker. (I digress.) 

Democrats had excellent seats for the show.  They voted every round their 212 votes for Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries.  Those who nominated him each time gave good speeches about who he is and the issues he sees as important to the American people.  They also pointed out Republican limited support for those issues.

The McCarthy nominators had a difficult time trying to find qualities to extol.  McCarthy has not shown himself much of a leader over the years, but the nominators attributed extraordinary talents in leadership to him.  They rattled on about him being some kind of check on the Democrats (or something), and kept repeating insincerities about his leadership skills, abilities, and talents. 

The difference in quality between Jeffries and McCarthy was clear when they gave their opening speeches.  Jeffries talked about what Congress had done and could do for the American people including the accomplishments of the past two years.  He said there were things Democrats would always stand for and against.  He had an alphabetical list of the positive over the negative:  Freedom over Fascism, quality of life issues over Q-anon, Yes we can over you can’t do it, all 26 letters.  He listed the many people who make up this nation and that we are all Americans and that there should be no tolerance for the hatred of some for the others.  Diversity is strength.  His speech was 15 minutes long and was uplifting all the way.  He said he hoped to work with Republicans, but the doubt was in his voice.

On the other hand, Kevin McCarthy’s presentation sounded like a mediocre high school graduation speech with some references to the House thrown in.  He just played back all the Republican buzzwords:  stop crime, make sure all criminals are prosecuted, and reiterated the line about being a check on Democrats.  He claimed he will cut energy costs and make good jobs for workers with no plan, no ideas.  He got Republican cheers when he said the first bill would be cutting funding for the IRS.  That, of course would free his donors, his members, and their families to continue to avoid paying taxes.  Not surprising this is his first bill proposal. 

McCarthy said he was concerned about China’s Communist Party.  He wants to get a committee to see how to bring back jobs from China.  Democrats already started the process with the “Chips Act.”  Then, McCarthy spent several minutes bragging that all debates will be open to the public, transparency, you know.  However, they have been for some time, if his Republican constituents just turn on C-SPAN. 

McCarthy’s voice through much of the speech went up and down like a yoyo.  Loud when saying nuggets like “We must get America back on track,” then ending his thought so quietly it is hardly heard as though it held some profound something.  It never did, just the end of a less than stellar sentence. 

New Speaker McCarthy made up some nonsense about hanging out in the back of Statuary Hall where supposedly Lincoln sat (or something), and in the dark of night when no one is around.  It sounded weird rather than the moving image I suspect he intended.

How sad the Speaker had to follow Hakeem Jeffries’s speech.  Even adding Lincoln and Washington didn’t help.  His iteration of who was in the boat in the painting of Washington Crossing the Delaware and their rowing together was disingenuous and disjointed.  He has rarely if ever talked about diversity or inclusion meaningfully and he didn’t do it this time either.  He may think he did, though because he was really into it. 

This is going to be a rough two years with McCarthy as Speaker if his “speech” is any indication.  The Republican House Circus ended with a man who lost 14 tiresome ballots standing in front of his colleagues demonstrating his lack of public speaking talent as well as his shallowness.  Of course, he had to remind everyone that he never gives up.  He also knows no shame which is more problematic.  He claims to be working for the American people, the ones in the boat with Washington, but it will be interesting to see which American people, and if he would have people thrown out of the boat if they don’t row the way he demands they row.  I vote he will go for tossing folks from the boat.   

The poor speech preparation for such an important event that McCarthy was supposedly planning for all his political life has mostly been ignored, probably because no one expected better from him.  My guess is his leadership will be as shallow and as mean as the underlying message of the speech, America look out, we’re going after Democrats and anyone who gets in the way of our rowing.  Tonight, the House is supposed to vote on the rules that will run the House for two years, one of them to disband/ignore the Ethics Committee.  Hmmm!   Let’s see, who might the Ringmaster be protecting? 

Last week the circus opened.  Now, the clowns are in charge.  So, we had better look out because clowns are usually entertainers, not folks skilled at governing.  I wonder how long it will take for Republicans to admit they made a mistake choosing McCarthy as Speaker-Ringmaster.  I guess, two years. 

The Year of the Toddler-Adults

By Ruth A. Sheets

As the year 2022 comes to an end, I, like many others, think back over the many events that have punctuated this crazy year.  The thread that seems to tie those punctuating events together for me is the presence of the many toddlers who now hold positions of authority around the world.

Toddlers  are supposed to be 1 to 4-year-olds who are learning to get around, to observe everything, and react to what others do.  They are curious and want to learn, the wonderful part of toddlerhood.

However, toddlers can be willful, demanding they always get their way, moody, and trying to prove they are in charge.  Some toddlers can be “mean” to other kids since they have not yet developed empathy.  They throw tantrums when they don’t get what they want or if they think someone ELSE is getting something they want.  They often refuse to follow their routine and in short, can make life very challenging for parents and everyone else.

Parents who understand kids at this stage can help them get through it with a personal emphasis on the positives, helping the child work through the hard stuff.  Most toddlers do learn to share and take turns.  They learn not to hurt others and to try all kinds of new things.  Some parents are not able or willing to help their child to move past the negative toddlerisms. 

What happens to those who do not come through the toddler stage well and grow properly into the next stages of life?  They get stuck and retain the worst aspects of toddlerdom and just expand those bad behaviors as they grow physically, looking like kids and adults at the various stages, but unable to mature.  These are often the schoolyard bullies, the ones who threaten and blackmail the other kids, the ones who are not caught because their observation abilities have shown them who to target and how to suck up to the adults in their world.  Lying is not a problem for them, just as it isn’t for an uncorrected three-year-old.  

By the time these folks are of an adult age, they are sure they are superior to everyone else and tell it to the world, doing whatever they can get away with to rise among their families, “friends,” college mates, and co-workers(often getting into the “top” schools).  For many, their college and job victories are insufficient to feed the ego at the center of everything they do.  They always need more!

These folks get positions of power because of how well they can “play” the people around them.  If they want something, they may well take it.  If someone does not go along with their schemes, they will work to physically harm or undermine them.  These are mostly not courageous people.  They secure some sycophants, desperate to be in the presence of ”greatness,” and are willing to do their dirty work.

Toddlers in power are a problem.  I always wonder why people are drawn to these toddler-adults.  I think it may be they put out some kind of vibe that turns on some people’s parental instinct, the way one responds to little kids exhibiting their natural childish behavior.  These toddler-men and toddler-women often have no trouble getting followers who will vote them into just about anything.  It truly is a puzzle we need to solve sooner than later. 

Currently, we have a good number of these toddler-adults on stage.  Donald Trump is one of the best-known, but there are plenty more in Congress and in state legislatures, primarily among Republicans.  Kevin McCarthy, Jim Jordan, Marjory Greene, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio are just a few that quickly come to mind.  There are governors like DeSantis of Florida and Abbott of Texas who demonstrate their childish behaviors on a daily basis, while others, less often. 

The toddler-conservatives on the Supreme Court have decided that women are second-class citizens and don’t even have the right to decide what happens to their own bodies.  The 5 men and 1 woman who made that ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade after nearly 50 years had no real reason to make that decision so had to scrounge for Medieval and 17^th century laws made up by witch-hunting white men to back them up.  They knew before the hearing what they would decide and had to find some way to try to justify hurting a whole lot of women.  What they wanted was more important than what the American people want, very childish, but toddlers in power generally get away with their childishness.

Around the world, we are having to deal with a whole group of mostly toddler-men who just can’t figure out how to grow up.  Besides, why should they when their toddler antics get them so much attention and power.  Russia’s Putin attacked Ukraine just because he could, believing he could walk in and take over no matter what anyone there wanted.  He whines and lies that he has a right to do this and threatens his people who don’t go along with it.  They have been well-trained to fear the child-man and do whatever he wants, just like the bad parents who let their toddlers rule their home.

The Taliban in Afghanistan have decreed that women can no longer attend colleges and universities, now only allowed to attend school until 6^th grade.  Why?  They will come up with a reason they will state publicly, but the truth is they are scared of women and the fact that women will be far more effective at running a nation with their knowledge than the Taliban who know nothing but killing people will ever be.  Child-men can’t have that!  The Taliban want women at home serving the every desire of the man/men who like spoilt children, want to make their mommy do whatever they want. 

Xi of China, too, wants his people to do whatever he says.  He recently got a shock when the people decided they didn’t want to do his bidding when they had had enough.  They are willing to acquiesce to the child-man sometimes but within limits.  This toddler-man is now trying to teach his people a lesson that terrible things will happen to them if they don’t listen to him and go along with everything the toddler-ruler tells them to do, like endure appalling quarantines and no vaccines or boosters for most of the people, no matter how bad it is and that Xi can do and go wherever he wants.  A whole lot of people will die because of their disobedience to the toddler-emperor.

All over the world, child-men are gaining power.  However, some of the child-men are being challenged.  It will be interesting to see how long people will continue to be pushed around by toddlers who are far more devoted to what they want than to what the people want or to what is best for their country. 

Toddler-adults don’t just happen.  They are the product of poor parenting.  No manual comes with a child as it is born.  Therefore, every parent needs help  and support with the challenging task of raising children to be caring responsible adults.  No child has the wherewithal to rule anything or anyone.  They will be tyrants if permitted.  No child is perfect or superior to any other at being human.  Parents, your children are not here to fulfill your dreams.  They should have their own and grow up to live them.  

Then We the People need to stop coddling toddler-adults.  Because they do not have the maturity to govern well, they are more likely to make a mess than do the right thing.  We must stop voting for them.  How can we tell who they are? You ask.

You’ll know you are either under the control of a toddler-adult or about to be when:

• their words speak in absolutes and threats – all women must, if anyone does, those who don’t go along are enemies, etc.
• their actions are designed to harm people who might object to being ruled/controlled by a toddler-adult – instituting book bans of books that talk about the world, history, sex, people who are not like the guy in charge, etc.
• They have people arrested for minor “offenses” the toddler finds threatening; develop a special military group loyal only to the toddler – morality police, election overseers, a private security force, etc.
• questions are asked and the toddler avoids answering them, blames the person asking those questions for something, the toddler outright lies, the toddler pronounces some kind of conspiracy theory about people the toddler claims must be stopped, etc. (distraction)
• the toddler-leader lies as a matter of course – example, Donald Trump lied in public while in office over 30,000 times and a whole lot since leaving office.  He and the other toddlers lie about anything and everything and hate being called on the lies.  They don’t like to be called on their cheating either.
• The toddler can’t actually state the why’s of what he/she believes but forces people to comply with whatever those unstated beliefs are – the Supreme Court conservatives made up reasons to declare abortion rights unconstitutional and let mostly white male state legislatures decide women’s reproductive rights; women are dragged off the streets and killed in Iran because their hijab is not exactly what the toddler has decided it should be (I guess the toddler doesn’t want mommy to show her hair, leave the house without some male relative, or do anything the toddler doesn’t want mommy doing).
• Money comes in from questionable sources to keep the toddler in power (dark money), and the toddler doesn’t want anyone investigating where it came from or making laws that require all donations be disclosed.  Remember, a lot of donors like supporting toddler-adults because they can be outrageous and cause havoc when encouraged

It is possible to notice the childish speech and actions if one is willing to pay attention.  We the People need to ignore the “R” or “D” associated with a candidate and dig deeper to find out if the candidate being supported is a toddler-adult.  If so, move on to someone who thinks and acts as adults do and can be counted on to make adult decisions, at least most of the time.

This is meant to be a note of hope that we all can start spotting the toddler-adults in power and work to keep them from and get them out of power, starting now!  We all need to be in it for the long haul as they say. 

Happy New Year!  Make 2023 great and with fewer toddler-adults in charge.

BOOKS OF THE YEAR LIST Part I

By Ruth A. Sheets

Every year, at this time, all sorts of media are putting out their list of best books, movies, music, and other formats of the year.  I see few movies, listen to music of all kinds on occasion, and don’t listen to enough podcasts to select a few best (although one best this year was Rachel Maddow’s “Rachel Maddow Presents Ultra” a must-hear).  So, I will forego the above-categories for consideration. 

However, I do read a lot.   As of the first week in December, I have read somewhere around 300 books.  They were not all published this year, so I can’t claim they are “the best books of 2022,” but they are the best ones I read this year.  I include them here because each one is worth checking out, in my opinion, of course.  They are generally in no particular order except that I read them all in the first third of the year.   So, here goes, my “best books read in 2022 Part I.”  I hope you’ll check a few out and let me know what you think.

Information Hunters, When Librarians, Soldiers, and Spies Banded Together in World War II Europe by Kathy Peiss - The author’s uncle was one of the information collectors during and after WWII rescuing books and other written materials that had been stolen or hidden, trying to learn whose books they were. 

The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen - An English girl meets and falls in love with an Italian boy in Venice while on a trip.  She is an artist who gets caught up in the insanity of WWII Venice.  Her great grand-niece goes to Venice to look for her Great-aunt’s story and finds love. (fiction of course)

 Bridge of Scarlet Leaves by Christina McMorris - Friends in LA, one of whom was Japanese, and secretly married his best friend’s sister experience WWII.  The friends went to war.  Maggie went to the internment camp with her husband until they were relocated to Illinois. 

Vanderbilt, the Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty by Anderson Cooper & Katherine Howe - An interesting look at an iconoclastic family and its many foibles, as well as its lack of empathy and appreciation for others except as they can use them, written by the son of the last Vanderbilt of her line, Gloria.

The Darling Dahlias and the Poinsettia Puzzle by Susan Wittig Albert -  The happenings of a small Alabama town during the Depression include corruption in a local prison, a child who could be a star, opening a bake shop when neither owner knows how to make bread, a romance, a newspaperman’s work, and more.  Fun and some recipes too.

An Irish Hostage, A Bess Crawford Mystery by Charles Todd – One of the last books in an excellent mystery series taking place during and just after WWI.  Bess attends a wedding in Ireland and gets caught up in the troubles.

The Paper Daughters of China Town by Heather B. Moore - An amazing woman fell into a job rescuing Chinese girls and women being trafficked in San Francisco.  She worked at and directed a rescue mission for these women for 39 years. 

The Dressmakers of Auschwitz, the True Story of the Women Who Sewed to Survive by Lucy Adlington - A life-changing book about women’s resilience in nearly impossible circumstances.  The women helped each other, shared, and resisted until they were able to get free.

 Wild Lives, Leading Conservationists on the Animals and Planet They Love by Lori Robinson & Janie Chodosh - I want to know more about the amazing work with wildlife most of them are doing.  One of them, though was OK with trophy hunting since lions reproduce so quickly.  I guess that’s one way to look at it.

 Forget the Alamo:  The Rise and Fall of an American Myth by Bryan Burrough, Jason Stanford, & Chris Tomlinson - The book moves through the lead up to and battle of the Alamo plus all the stuff that was hung on the event as time passed, none of it good, ignoring  The fact that defenders were trying to protect slavery, to drive out the Mexicans, and to dismiss the Tejanos who had also helped the Americans at the siege. 

 Straighten Up and Fly Right, The Life and Music of Nat King Cole by Will Freedwald - This was a terrific book about a singer hero of mine.  Just thinking of the book makes me want to listen to his music.  

MEMOIRS BY PEOPLE OF NOTE

Going There by Katie Couric - As much as I have liked listening to reports by this journalist, I knew very little about her.  This was an interesting well-written memoir

Just the Funny Parts and a Few Hard Truths About Sneaking Into the Hollywood Boys’ Club by Nell Scovell - A very funny comedy writer had to fight to get chances to prove her skills when a male writer would have had so much less trouble by just being male.  I like her humor.  

Unbound, My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement by Tarana Burke – She survived childhood sexual abuse and worked with women and girls who survived sexual abuse before getting the Me Too movement going to call men out for their bad behavior, no matter the race or financial status.

 My Broken Language, A Memoir by Quiara Alegria Hudes - A compelling memoir, strange, poetic, but a curious look at Hudes’ unique childhood in West and North Philly which led to her amazing career as a playwright.  I can’t wait till she writes the next chapter.

 The Boys, A Memoir of Hollywood and Family by Ron and Clint Howard - A fun look at the family that brought 2 child actors into the world and into the lives of people everywhere:  Ron in “The Andy Griffith Show” & “Happy Days” and as director of many films, and Clint in “Gentle Ben” and as a character actor in more than 200 films. 

All In, An Autobiography  by Billie Jean King - An interesting account of King’s tennis life and the many things she contributed to sports, women’s rights, and LGBTQ right\

Mr. Hockey, My Story by Gordy Howe - I really liked this memoir of one of Hockey’s greatest.  He played 32 years as a pro and had 2 sons to follow him into the NHL.\

Chasing History, A Kid in the Newsroom by Carl Bernstein - The co-author of “All the President’s Men” began his news career at “The Washington Star” with people like Mary McGrory and David Broder, people I have admired for years.  He began his career at age 16, right off the street and worked his way up to being a full reporter.

 The Dark Heart of Florence by Tasha Alexander - This is part of a mystery series.  Lady Emily and her husband Collen go to Florence for the Crown.  The book has a 15^th Century story and a 1903 part.  In the 1490s, a woman helps to save precious art and writings from those who would destroy them.  She left a message that Lady Emily helped to decipher while she helps solve 3 murders.

 When Can We Go Back to America, Voices of Japanese-American Internment During WWI  by Susan H. Kamei - writings by people , mostly American citizens who experienced the “internment,” rounding people up like animals and throwing them into barbed wire surrounded camps in the worst possible places to live in this country because of white trumped-up fear and racism.  Cruelty was the point.

 Valley Forge by Bob Drury & Tom Clavin - This was a revisiting of the events that led to, during, and after the army’s winter at Valley Forge.  Well-told. 

 The Hollywood Jim Crow, The Racial Politics of the Movie Industry by Maryann Erigha – A look at Hollywood movies of the past decades and the racist forces keeping movie-makers of color from success:  few directors of color, lack of wide distribution of films, less money for films by directors of color, no people of color in industry decision-making. 

 The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi - A girl in rural India escapes a bad marriage and runs off to the city where she becomes a henna artist for the rich women there.  Her previously unknown sister shows up and her life changes.

 The Arbornaut A Life Discovering the 8^th Continent in the Trees Above Us by Meg Lowman - A fascinating account of Meg’s adventures in studying the canopy of forests around the world and how critical that layer of the forests is to the well-being of the earth.  She helped design walkways that let people see the life in the trees.

 All That She Carried, the Journey of Ashley’s Sack, A Black Family’s Keepsake by Tiya Miles - Traces the probable history of a handmade sack a girl carried with her when she was sold away from her mother.  She passed the sack down to her granddaughter, ultimately passed on to the African-American History Museum.  An interesting way to learn history.

 Angel of Greenwood by Randi Pink - Angel is a high school junior in Tulsa, OK, who believes her task in life is to help everywhere she can.  She helps a boy figure out who he really is through her kindness and caring.  Their lives change drastically when the town is destroyed by white vigilantes in 1921.  Gr. High and older

 The Women’s History of the Modern World, How Radicals, Rebels, and Everywomen Revolutionized the Last 200 Years by Rosalind Miles - Some women I knew of and others I didn’t.  All of them made a difference in their own way from science to politics to discovery, to writing to media.

 The Happiest Man on Earth, The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor by Eddie Jaku - His experiences were horrific, yet he made a deal with God that if he survived, he would treasure every day and be happy to have each day.  He said it took a while to get to that but he created an amazing life for himself.

 4,000 Days, Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman - This is a practical but fun guide to get us to stop trying to do everything while accomplishing  almost nothing and trying to be perfect when it’s impossible.

 Calling Bullshit, The Art of Skepticism in a Data-driven World Carl T. Bergstrom & Jevin D. West – A no-nonsense dissection of bullshit, who uses it, when and where, and how to identify it.

 Swing Shift, All-Girl Bands of the 1940s by Sherrie Tucker -I knew there were lots of great female musicians, but not that there had been dozens of “all-girl” jazz bands all over the country throughout the 30s and 40s.  And, despite the biases against them, they could do anything the male bands could do.  I wish there were recordings.  

 The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling - This is an allegory in which a young boy goes into the Land of the Lost to find his toy pig. 

 54 Things Wrong With Gwendolyn Rogers by Caela Carter - Gwendolyn reads an IEP report about her and finds it lists 54 things wrong with her.  She goes on a quest to find out why she gets so angry, can’t be still, forgets things all the time, and more.  Really good to help kids develop empathy and appreciation for others. Gr.3-7

 Chemistry for breakfast, the Amazing Science of Everyday Life by Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim - chemistry is part of all we do.   The author goes through a day discussing the chemistry of things from waking up to going to bed.  

 Mary McGrory, The First Queen of Journalism by John Norris -Great columns over the years, smart, relevant, and pulled no punches when dealing with the Washington crowd.  A true liberal, but not partisan.

 South to America, A journey Below the Mason-Dixon To Understand the Soul of a Nation by Imani Perry - A scholar travels around the South to try to figure out how much of who we are as a nation is dependent upon the presence of Black Americans. 

 Profit and Punishment, How America Criminalizes the Poor in the Name of Justice by Tony Messenger - At every turn, our justice system goes after the poor to pay for the rich and middle income through court costs, bail, and so much more, debt most take a lifetime to get out of when it started with a small infraction or no crime at all.  

 Caste, The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson - This book should be read by all Americans, particularly white ones.  It discusses the caste system in the US, how it works to keep members of various groups in their place with white males at the top and everyone else at sorted places below them. 

 Her Hidden Genius by Marie Benedict - A novel of the last 11 years or so of the life of Rosalind Franklin, discoverer of the DNA molecule.

 Joan is OK by Weike Wang (This is the story of a Chinese-American doctor who navigates the death of her father, learning to relate to her mother, and the arrival of COVID at her hospital.  It ended abruptly but was really good.

 Harpo Speaks by Harpo Marx and Roland Barber - A hilarious book that sort of describes Harpo’s life as a comedian, harpist, and all-around good guy.  It is hard to know which stories are true, but who cares.  I was totally entertained!

 Atlas of the Heart, Mapping Meaningful Connection, and the Language of Human experience by Brene Brown – An account of the range of human emotions and their potential impacts. 

 All Standing, The Remarkable Story of the Jeanie Johnston, the Legendary Irish Famine Ship by Kathryn Miles - A ship built to bring timber and supplies from Canada to Ireland, picked up potato famine survivors and took them to Canada and the US between 1847 and 1856 when the ship sank.  It carried about 2,000 immigrants and lost none of them unlike most of the “coffin ships” on the same route. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

By Ruth A. Sheets

I recently completed my first year of retirement and find myself in a peculiar position where I am remembering, living in the present of all the things I am doing to contribute to the Thanksgiving gathering, and looking into the future to imagine what I would like to do in coming months as 2023 is drawing closer.

There have only been a few times in my life when past, present, and future sat down together with me and challenged me to make meaningful decisions.  I was too excited going off to college for such an internal discussion, besides, I think I was too young. 

The day I left a job I really disliked and moved to another state was my first experience of the big three coming together.  I had always planned to teach but that was not happening and I was hoping it would in the new location I had chosen for myself.  Looking back now, I realize I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into as my brother-in-law drove the UHaul away from my apartment.

The second time came only 4 years later when I chose to leave a job I loved, to return to school to follow a calling.  Again, looking back, I had no clue what was ahead despite my intense conversation with those three voices, this time chiding me a bit that perhaps I was making a wrong move.  It turned out, I wasn’t.

The most recent time previous to this when I felt the full weight of the before, now, and to come forcing me to assess what I really wanted in my life and that I might be able to have it.  The phone call from the Chester Upland School District offering me an interview, then a job brought past and future together and in the present, I cried because I had nearly given up on my dream of teaching in a school setting.

So, here I am.  I know where I have been.  I am thinking about what from that past can carry me through this immediate time, then into the future.  And, that’s where Thanksgiving comes into it.  I realize I am truly thankful for so many things, large and small.  Maybe after I experience the gratitude for my life, I can be prepared for the something that can bring an unexpected future as has happened before.

Maybe we all should try this gratitude thing now and then, and let our past, present, and future mull things over a bit.  Such a pause may provide direction or possibly, some resolutions or goals for the coming year, perhaps something even more profound.

Here is what I came up with.  I am thankful:

• For an amazing family who even with our ups and downs has made life possible and helped to shape the person I am,
• For unforgettable friends who brought joy, challenge, and lifelong connections that have made my life bright.  I am hopeful I have done half as much for them,  
• That music has been such an important part of my life from learning  pretty sophisticated songs before entering kindergarten to singing with amazing choirs and directors, performing in Philadelphia Revels, singing with Colonial Revelers, and best of all, singing with my family in many configurations. 
• For the ability to teach, to convey ideas to people of all ages from teaching neighborhood kids at age 10 to serving as a Girl Scout Leader, to earning money as a “teaching babysitter, to working as a volunteer kindergarten aide, to teaching cooking and other skills to blind youth and adults, to serving as an AIDS educator, to teaching Sunday School, to teaching computer-based document design, to substitute teaching, to tutoring, to the ultimate – teaching Gifted Support students.  How lucky!   
• For The chance to live in numerous places in this country and meet extraordinary people,
• For The blessing of leading worship and supply preaching in many different faith communities,

-For Access to a world of books that have opened my mind in a myriad of ways,

• For my enjoyment of all kinds of foods and for not being a picky eater.  I’m also glad I like to cook,
• For skill at writing that enables me to say clearly what I am thinking, well most of the time,
• For an awesome apartment in a really special part of Pennsylvania, 27 years in one home,
• For family, friends, colleagues, even strangers who have enabled me, as a disabled person to go where I needed to go and do what I wanted to do, and with companionship along the way.

There are so many more things I feel true gratitude for, but I think those are the biggies.  Those are the memories, the past.  The present is about Thanksgiving Day and the gathering of most of the Philadelphia area family while we devour air-fried turkey and the fixings.  Before the end of December, there are presents to prepare, shows to sing, a tree to decorate, and some goals for 2023 to set.  I think I am now ready to seriously contemplate the future, grateful for my past and present.    

So, let us all have a terrific Thanksgiving.  May we be grateful for this precious life with all its blessings, wonders, griefs, and glories.  May the rest of 2022 and all of 2023 be a treasure chest filled with joy, personal challenge, and satisfaction as well as opportunities to pay forward the many gifts we have been given.

ELECTION 2022

By Ruth A. Sheets

As Election Day is near and the polls open just under 60 hours from now, I thought I would reflect on some things I have noticed.  Unfortunately, it hasn’t been pretty.

I don’t remember an election in which so many candidates felt so free to display their racism, misogyny, homo/trans-phobia, ableism, and antisemitism.  Candidates said out loud what we have known they were thinking, but usually kept to themselves.  There may be a Democrat somewhere who has done this but I have not heard or read about them yet. 

1. Republicans put out ads showing images of Black characters while they claim Democrats are the cause of increased crime everywhere across the country.  They are tapping into the Willy Horton variety of ad that I first remember seeing used by Bush Sr. during the 1988 presidential campaign.  The goal seems to be, scare white people with those Black men who are going to come after them.  Dr. Mehmet Oz has PAC ads that accuse John Fetterman of releasing desperate criminals to terrorize the people (white people of course).  The truth of the matter is that the crime rates in cities and states with Republicans in charge are higher than in the “blue states and cities.  I admit I was surprised about that, so I had to look it up.  I guess the ads are OK, though since the terrified voices only imply that Black or Latinx people are committing the crimes.  Republicans claim to be the “law and order” party but we have learned that they don’t like the law much and only want order they can impose on the people they don’t like (consider January 6th and their attack on the police).

2. In primaries, many Republican candidates proudly stated their full approval of laws that make abortion illegal in all cases no exceptions, even calling for women who have had abortions given the death penalty (Missouri).  For the general election, they have either scrubbed their websites clean of any mention of abortion or just won’t talk about it or say “I’m pro-life” and naturally, no interviewers push for clarification of what that means.  Dr. Oz said who can get an abortion should be decided by a woman, her doctor, and local politicians.  During the primary he said there should be no exceptions to abortion bans.  In which case was he lying?  Doug Mastriano, running for Governor of Pennsylvania said “Women’s bodily autonomy is a joke.”  At least he said the same thing in both elections.  In general, the abuse female candidates are getting from male as well as female opponents is appalling and should not be permitted on the air, but . . . .

3. LGBTQ persons are targets of many Republican candidates who proclaim loudly that they should never have the right to marry.  The candidates can’t or won’t say why, but, who’s asking, no one I have heard.  The parents of trans children are being threatened with losing their children, jail, and more depending on the state.  Where is the why?

4. John Fetterman had a stroke just before the May primary in Pennsylvania and has been recovering well and on schedule according to his doctors and other doctors who work with people who have had strokes (including 2 sitting senators).  However, there are ads out implying he is incapable of doing the job of Senator because for now, his speech is impacted as is his auditory reception, very typical at this stage of recovery.  Fetterman agreed to “debate” Dr. Oz but the debate was clearly set up to maximize Oz’s glib talking skill and speed.  I am not sure why Fetterman agreed to the format unless he thought Oz would use a change of rules as Fetterman’s declaration of incompetence.  One would think a Doctor as Oz was, would know and do better, but alas, no.

5.  Antisemitism is still ugly, just as it was throughout history, but some Republicans have dragged it out again hoping to grab some voters who have some kind of grudge against Jewish people.  It appears it is working because more than one candidate has made antisemitic comments and faced only cheers from their audiences.  It appears they have just another group to hate aloud.  I guess their base’s hatred of everyone who is not rich, white, straight, “Christian” and male had to specifically include Jews.

We are in a deadly global warming crisis yet I have heard nary a mention of it by anyone.  Inflation has been blamed by Republicans on Democrats despite the fact that we have one of the lowest inflation rates in the world.  Democrats are finally trying to report on large corporate price gouging as a factor in today’s inflation, but can’t seem to get any traction.  I suspect it is because most candidates are raking in fossil fuel and other corporate price-gouger campaign money. 

Then, there is the large number of candidates running for the Republican vote who won’t publicly admit that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election.  They and he know he lost, but since the Republican Party has decided lying works so well for them, they endorse “the big lie” and go with the flow.

Republicans and some Democrats claim Democrats are lazy and just don’t like to vote.  I hope Dems will prove them wrong on Tuesday.  Those who make those claims, though forget to mention the voter suppression, gerrymandering, and other obstacles a lot of Democrats and even disadvantaged Republicans face too.  It is growing more and more evident that those white men in power will do and say almost anything to keep power.  They even support a few people of color and women whom they think they can control and get to do whatever they want, but whose presence is supposed to let We the People think they are trying to diversify.  Republican full embrace of Donald Trump and the downplaying of the January 6^th insurrection can let us all know about their desire for diversity.  It doesn’t exist.

There are a lot of good candidates out there who live by a set of principles that include justice for all, working to build a nation that truly values diversity not just as a talking point, consider a woman’s right to bodily autonomy as sacred, and care about our future, the future of our planet, and the children who will live that future, candidates with character.  Find those candidates and vote for them.