If you defund or do away with police, who will you call when

• you witness a head-on between an SUV and log truck?
• kids at the bus stop say a man in a green van grabbed your nine-year-old daughter?
• Janice next door screams “Help!”?
• a stranger holds a knife to your ribs and takes your wallet?
• some creep snatches your purse?
• kids are dropping bricks from a freeway overpass?
• your Lexus or Kia disappears from the parking lot?
• a Corvette speeds, dodges and weaves, forcing an Outback onto the shoulder?
• your thirteen-year-old daughter left her friend’s house three blocks away at nine, is not home by midnight?
• a stray Rottweiler grabs your four-year-old’s cheek?
• a man is exposing himself in the schoolyard?
• you pull in your driveway and see your front door is kicked in?
• and on
• and on
• and on

Got a problem? Call a cop. Thank a cop.

See Swords and Spears on https://myex-mo.com

Citing SARS, AIDS and flu statistics, some folks would minimize the significance of COVID 19, call it a hoax, not a Big Deal. I can’t speak for over a hundred-thousand Americans who have died, a million and a half who have suffered, their families and friends, but, for me, if Karen, one of my kids, grandkids, or others I care about were to contract this dreadful disease, COVID 19 would be a very Big Deal Indeed!

The indignity of a mask, social distancing, missing a paycheck—Painful and tragic as it is!—are the price we pay to manage a scourge which could wreak havoc on America unimagined since the Black Plague wiped out half the population of fourteenth century Eurasia.

When an individual’s words and actions seem inexplicable, he or she may be said to have “one oar in the water.”  Their thinking appears irrational, behavior out of control.

It becomes increasingly apparent President Donald J. Trump has no oar in the water. Under his erratic command the Ship of State bobs, turns, twists and nearly capsizes, veers off course with each current, eddy and whirlpool.  Nearing the end of this crazed, three-year drift, riffles and undercurrents have grown to COVID 19-powered, Class V Rapids!  Alarmed, sensing a waterfall around the bend, passengers and crew grip the gunnels and pray for a Stable Skipper.

It’s said, my criticism says more about me than the person I criticize.

After a bumpy rollout https://myex-mo.com seems to be in business.  Check it out?

February 13 Siena College Research Institute released results of its 6^th Presidential Expert Poll, asking 157 “presidential scholars, historians and political scientists” to rate the best American presidents. Picking a few, Reagan comes in 13^th, Clinton comes in 15^th, Obama17^th, G.W.H Bush 21^st , Richard Nixon 29^th, and G.W. Bush 33^rd. Beating out Andrew Johnson (44^th) who was impeached and James Buchanan (43^rd) whose presidency was followed by the Civil War, Donald J. Trump ranks 42^nd or the third worst American president.

Employing his boilerplate response to messages that doesn’t suit his purpose, Trump would, of course, kill the157 messengers.

My new site https://myex-mo.com is limited to thoughts on The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints. Mormons are wonderful people. I love my Mormon family and friends. There are, however, Church history and doctrine which I find troubling, even impossible to believe. If you have no interest in Mormonism or are not okay with having LDS precepts examined, don’t go there. If it’s worth a read please tell your friends.

Delay getting site launched.  Should be up soon.

It’s said Barak Obama, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden represent the status quo, old-fashion politics, business as usual in D.C. It’s true! It even has a name: Democracy! It’s civil debate and compromise. It’s respecting the loyal opposition, even when I vehemently disagree with their politics and policies. Democracy is not mean and rude.  It is not taunting, shoving and name-calling like a sixth-grade Bully! Democracy is not saying whatever serves your immediate purpose regardless of truth or fact!

Borrowing on English poet and philosopher John Donne, “No man (no nation, not even America) is an island.” Without the respect and cooperation of other nations we cannot survive. Our American Democracy does not thumb its nose, does not give the finger to the rest of humanity. The most favored people on Earth are duty-bound to do all we can—more than our share—to make life better for all people!

There’s a sense I earned and deserved this free and favored life. I didn’t and I don’t! Those who went before, parents and grandparents centuries back earned it. My responsibility is to preserve and pay it forward! My responsibility is to leave America and every nation on planet Earth more livable and safer for those to come.

With its full share of sins and shortcomings, each American administration, Democrat and Republican, represents Democracy in action. To this is point in time, none was a Trumpian/Putinian Oligarchy.

When an old man appears stiff and slow,
he’s not faking.