the-civics-journey

[the-civics-journey]

Grateful...

This entry is overdue... way overdue.. but I've been tired.. are you tired? It's been a long year so far and it's not over. So a few things...

First - Happy Gratitude Day.... A Sister said this to me earlier today and I'm happier with it than the traditional greeting of the day. I'm not one to celebrate the holiday as it commenced but rather use the occasion to be grateful for my blessings and fortunes.

To begin with, I am thankful for our current presidential regime. Not for the way they have put the country to the forefront because they haven't. If anything they've tarnished what cultural, economic, and global leadership ground we had gained in the past 50 years. What I am thankful for in regards to them is the exposure of our weaknesses as a country. Whether it be in terms of social justice, equality, environmental preservation, humanity, and global leadership. This presidency has put a spotlight on the cancers that have fallen through the cracks. Cancers that need to be addressed and eradicated.

I am also exceedingly grateful, more than I can convey in a single entry, for the new family I have acquired in the Resistance. Never have I seen such a magnificent force uniting to be the voice, to be the charging brigade in an effort to bring about the best in all of us. To bring about the equal treatment for every citizen or citizen hopeful. To rally for those of us that are the most vulnerable while keeping their sights on a brighter future for everyone. All the while my Resistance family battles naysayers, racists, misogynists, greedy sellouts, the uneducated or unfortunately the duped and even those elected under the hope they would actually protect their constituents. While there may be ripples and arguments as occur in all families, my Resistance family stands united against a bigger force that threatens the existence of our great nation and our future generations.

I am grateful for being able to write this entry. While some may not know, I live in Puerto Rico. (Presently I’m with family in FL which is how I have access to the internet.)  I was there when Hurricane Maria hit. I was there for 43 days after the storm, before coming to the mainland for an extended stay. (There will be more on this in another entry.)

Life and gratitude have taken on so much more meaning now. They both carried weight to them before the storm. But after... Let’s say I’m well aware of everything I am thankful.

Thank you for taking a moment to read this.

Keep resisting.

[the-civics-journey]

Constitution Day and Voting

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Today we celebrate Constitution Day. Unarguably, The Constitution of the United States of America is the most important document in our country aside from the Declaration of Independence. In it, our forefathers mapped what our rights are as American citizens. They also included provisions within the document to ensure that we, as a growing nation, could amend those originals rights as necessary to include unforeseen omissions. They expected us to become a fully functioning republic with the best of intentions for humanity and civilization. But more on that part in a moment.

The first ten articles listed are collectively known as the Bill of Rights. Everyone knows this or should. They include both civil liberties and civil rights.  I've included a picture first published in Young Citizen Teacher's Guide. (Full credit underneath as listed in govbooktalk.gpo.gov)

Image: Bill of Rights depicted in cartoon format from 1971 Young Citizen teacher’s guide transparency. Courtesy: Syracuse University https://govbooktalk.gpo.gov/tag/bill-of-rights-history/

While the terminology is used almost interchangeably by many, there is a difference between the two – rights and liberties. For more profound and elaborate definitions and examples, please see any of the following:

https://journals.law.stanford.edu/stanford-journal-civil-rights-and-civil-liberties-sjcrcl/online/civil-rights-vs-civil-liberties

http://www.ushistory.org/gov/10.asp

http://civilrights.findlaw.com/civil-rights-overview/civil-rights-vs-civil-liberties.html

In extremely simple terms, civil rights protect you from discrimination and civil liberties afford your basic freedoms. We cannot exist in a civilized republic without basic tenets of governance. The idyllic Utopian does not exist. It may not ever exist. We, humans, are innately prone to a territorial and adversarial methodology. Without having the language to remind us of what we need to do to build a better world, we, on instinct, would create havoc and chaos under perceived personal threats by simply advocating our own causes and possibly undermining others. And this would by no means be a peaceful movement. Having a Constitution in place allows us a starting point.

Yes, it's 230 years old. Yes, it is still a starting point.

We are a young country still. In comparison to many others, the United States of America is still in its adolescence. We are experiencing growing pains because we are still growing. We are not perfect. We are not finished. We are learning that evil does not completely evaporate. Neither with good intention nor with hard-won battles is the evil or avarice in men's heart easily dissuaded or vanquished. It is a never-ending quest that needs to be based on educated, willful and cognizant decision making. Putting the betterment of the people and the country isn't an easy task. It isn't frivolous undertaking.

This is where we step back to the expectation from our forefathers to carve out a fully functioning republic with the best of intentions for humanity and civilization. The government was created to break us from a king's unjust rule. We created a sovereign nation bound to the rule of the people, for the people and by the people.

A vote is the best way of getting the kind of country and the kind of world you want. –HARRY S. TRUMAN

Voting is the integral function to our governance. We elect our officials. Local, State, Federal. In some cases, even law enforcement chiefs are elected. Those we put into office thereby carry the weight of our future on their shoulders. They are expected to understand, explore and disseminate the truths that we are putting forth for the benefit of our collective nation. They will gauge our needs in every manner. They aren't supposed to be mindful of the benefit to a singular individual or an entity or corporation. How you vote is important. While I will not procure you to vote one party over another, I urge you to vote your conscience.

When choosing candidates, ask yourself:

What do I believe in?

Is this person willing to fight for everyone's rights and liberties?

Will this person represent our country?

Will they uphold the Constitution?

While the original Constitution did not actively account for differences in race or gender as a constricting bias on our governance, amendments to the document have rectified a number of oversights.

The 15th Amendment granted the "right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." The 19th declares that the right to vote "shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex." The 26th states “the right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.”

These amendments weren't thrown in as an inspired afterthought. They were fought for. Blood was unfortunately shed and lives lost. For every one of them. But they were put in place and voted on by our elected officials at the behest of everyone. Elected officials we voted into office. Your vote matters.

If you've never read the Constitution, I urge you to do so. If the language is a deterrent, there are a number of reputable sites that break down each Amendment in everyday English.

https://constitutioncenter.org/

http://www.usgovernmentmanual.gov/ReadLibraryItem.ashx?SFN=HHpPD10yEeWjNpxh5LEASSgHjOH0S/X9&SF=VHhnJrOeEAnGaa/rtk/JOg==

If you need information on voting, please visit one of these sites

https://www.letamericavote.org/

https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote

https://www.rockthevote.com/register-to-vote/

https://www.votingrightsinstitute.org/

Your voice matters. Your vote matters. Happy Constitution Day!

[the-civics-journey]

A letter to Congress

Dear Members of Congress,

While I recognize that you are busy dealing with the fate of the nation, I am writing to implore you in your endeavors to put this country on track. Regardless of party, you were elected and entrusted with the future of the country in mind. And while many people are still thinking and acting about the betterment of this country, Congress, on the whole, does not seem to be working to that end.

Before I truly begin my message, I want to thank those Members of Congress who have thus far put country over party, humanity over greed, and are determined to carry out the office they were elected for through thoughtful, logical, humane, and expedient manner. To those, I humbly thank you and tell you that you remind me of why we need intelligent, empathetic leaders and the example they set.

To those that have kept quiet or voted in favor of the current presidency, I ask that you recapitulate your decisions so far. In the days since inauguration, the sitting president has taken it upon himself to assault the very office he swore to uphold. His actions and words border on the tyrannical and in some cases sociopathic.  As Desmond Tutu said. “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

At the top of those situations is a pervasive lack of understanding and willful disrespect of the conventions of the office of the Presidency and the Constitution. While a list of every abuse and direct dereliction of duty he has perpetrated while in office would prove to be overwhelming for a single person, some of the biggest instances that support the above claim include

Perpetuating an authoritarian rule and instigating climate of fear

Direct attacks on the media

Derisive attacks on the Judicial Branch and their Constitutionally granted powers

Threatening Congress members with retaliation for voting against his wishes

Dismissal of career officials whose disposition is true to the Constitution

Promoting and encouraging unethical behavior within government positions

Threatening to rescind Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

Deliberately turning a blind eye to environmental and scientific safety

Pulling out of Paris Agreement

Executive Order permitting the Dakota Access and Keystone XL Pipeline

Removing regulations on emissions

Violating Civil Rights and creating a welcoming habitat for racism

Enacting a Muslim Ban

Enacting a Transgender Ban in the military

Supporting and employing white supremacy

Advocating for the use of egregious force in law enforcement

Perpetually instigating contentious disagreement with other countries

While you may not have specifically voted for, voiced favor, or cheered of any of the above, your legacy and character will carry the weight of those incidents for the remainder of your life. Not just your elected career, but your life. Please think about that.

Your silence is consent (Plato)

By not speaking against something, you are speaking for it. Your inaction implies that you are in favor of constitutional violations, racism, immorality, unethical comportment, international discord, and global decimation.

Is that who you want to be?

I'm not naive enough to believe we can reach across the aisle, hold hands and all will be well. But I am intelligent enough to grasp that discussion and compromise can yield better results for Americans and humanity overall than contentious, hateful and ultimately divisive behavior.

All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent  - Thomas Jefferson

[the-civics-journey]

Freedom of Speech...

In the corner of my bedroom, I set up a small table with two chairs. I call it my café. It's where I sit and ponder and write. Sometimes I entertain a close relative in early morning conversation over caffeinated beverages. None of this is earth shattering. None of this is worthy of public exposure. Save for one small detail.

In that corner, I have a metal sign of about 12 inches in length and 9 inches in width. It was given to me by former colleagues another lifetime ago because of my ideals. It reads “Free Speech Zone” in black letters. I wholeheartedly believe in the Constitution and our inalienable rights under the auspices of that doctrine. I tend to speak my mind most of all. Which is what brings us here.

In the Constitution, we have the 7 original articles that laid the framework for our government as well as the adopted 10 Amendments that are referred to collectively as the Bill of Rights. Those Amendments give us, the American citizens, rights and liberties. One of them is the Freedom of Speech.

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

The layperson reads that as free to say what you please, pray to whatever gods you choose and for the press (the media of the day or of choice) to report on what they see fit. And while the basic idea of that is true. There are limitations to those. I'm only focusing on Freedom of Speech portion today.

Yes, we are free to speak. Free to say what comes to mind. I can speak in English, Spanish, broken Italian and French. I can speak in proper terms, slang, idioms, and obscenities. Sometimes I can mix it all up. (Not a particularly spectacular talent, but amusing to whoever listens in the right context.) But simply because I can doesn't mean I do not or will not suffer consequences to what I say.

I am not allowed to yell the word “fire” in a crowded theatre. I am not allowed to use language that creates a dangerous situation or incites violence or illegal action. We, as a whole, are not granted the right to urge chaos or use our freedom to perpetuate a climate of fear. That isn't what free speech is about.

Freedom of speech exists to allow an individual to express thoughts and ideology that may not coincide with others - particularly government. But it exists with the moral obligation as to present such rhetoric with a tempered measure, peaceful in its presentation. We are a society. We are not barbarians. We are not genocidal butchers. We are a nation created with the promise of equality for all.

Using racial slurs, carrying guns or other weapons, defacing property, inflicting physical damage to another human... NONE of these are protected by free speech. These are not peaceful. These are not things done for the betterment of society. Freedom of speech does not give you the right to force your ideology on another. It does not give you the right to erase one group for the existence of yours.

You are free to say

“I'm white and proud”

“I'm black and proud”

“I'm a Republican/Democrat/Independent/Libertarian and proud”

But our Constitution does not grant you the freedom to intimidate with the promise or threat to harm another group with a different ideology than yours. That is NOT our country. That is NOT one of our inalienable freedoms. The freedom you are granted also does not prevent others from disagreeing with you or calling you out on your rhetoric.

To put it in absolutely blunt terms, you have the freedom to say you're an asshole. But you are responsible for your shit.

[the-civics-journey]

A day after the...

The second entry to this blog was planned a little differently. It was going to focus on civil liberties and civil rights, start the civics journey road as it were. But after yesterday's events in Charlottesville, I think I need to take a moment to address the force behind that. We are at a critical point in our history where we choose to do the right thing for everyone.

Hatred exists. It isn't new. It isn't going to disappear. It's a harsh truth and difficult to swallow but it isn't something we can shy away from. It exists in all colors, shapes, sizes. What we saw yesterday, and the previous night, is white supremacy. It isn't simply over-privileged white males exercising a guaranteed freedom. It is Nazism. It is a poison that has been running in the veins of this country for as long as it has existed. It's taken a lot of forms in different eras – slavery, The Confederacy, separatism, Eugenics, Jim Crow, Alt-Right, Neo-Nazi to name a handful. It is despicably ugly and should not exist. Should not but it does.

In the recent past, it has hidden away in the crevices of our national structure. Only coming out at night or in locations safe from prying eyes. Safe from scrutiny and judgment. Some instances of it have made headlines by breaking laws and causing death and destruction. Those moments used to be the exception. Now, after encouragement from the electoral college chosen president, these incidents are becoming a daily occurrence. These hate-filled, fear-mongering groups have been emboldened by a dimwitted racist sitting in a powerful chair and looking the other way. Others in government elected and assigned positions are equally as guilty in their indifference and implied consent of hateful actions.

We as a nation need to put a stop to it. How we face it as a conscious nation isn't to ignore or minimize it. It isn't to bring about arguments about freedom of speech or ambivalent language of 'both sides'. How we face it is to stand up to it. To look it in the eye and say NO. This is a country created to free us from oppression, to pave the way for freedoms for ALL not some based on their skin tone. This is a country built and founded on the backs of immigrants of all races, colors, cultures, and beliefs.

To white supremacy, we need to say this:

We resist against the idea that being one color grants you immunity from moral obligations to the human race. We resist the notion that one color allows you to incite violence against others. We resist the act of terrorism you want to pollute our nation with. We resist.

To those leaders that have seen the signs all along and stood for us, the nation, I say thank you. To those leaders that have finally realized that all is not all right in the capitol, I say thank you. To every armed service, police and emergency service personnel willing to put on that uniform and protect and serve against tyranny and evil, I say thank you. To every citizen willing to stand up to hatred, to stand up for each other, for the nation, I say thank you.

If we want to remove hatred from our lives, we need to remove it from our hearts. Keep resisting. Keep hoping.

[the-civics-journey]

Heroes Resist

On November 9th 2016, the nation woke up to a catastrophe. Not everyone agreed on this. Some people were actually overjoyed. But the majority realized that the results of a contested election brought to light a heap of fear and resentment. Fears and resentments that existed on both sides of the aisle. Even if those two weren't the same for all, we saw glimmers of what divided us. But the light wasn't a soft beam meant to explore. It was a harsh glaring spotlight and it wasn't going to turn itself off. No one was turning it off.

The fear and resentment on one side of the aisle fell on the likely derailment of our trajectory to being the greatest republic for the better part of the last century and likely the next one. Overnight we saw threats to our democracy, our antiquated election system, our futures. A man with no experience in governing, with decidedly malicious intent, an orchestra of self-entitled sycophants behind him, an army of culturally sequestered and often xenophobic Luddites, was now in office.

For a few days, there was moral outrage and disbelief. Hope for recounts and for the electoral college to do the right and proper thing. That hope waned and was squashed again and again. There were flashbacks to a past Republican victory that led to a devastating time in our nation. Back then, the furor over the electoral college putting an unpopular president elect in office was limited to people not understanding the existence of the electoral college versus the popular vote. But that's a conversation for another day. In the end, the unpopular president elect was sworn in and then actually re-elected four years later. It was the memory of this and the ensuing cascading legislative changes that elicited a different response this go around. That and the prominence of social media, Twitter in particular. Whether it was the need to shout into the ether or maybe instructing others, people took to social media to voice their protest.

Shortly after the 2016 elections, there were a number of Twitter accounts that popped up that were curious at the least. Not too many noticed at first but soon there were more and more of these accounts. Fictional characters. Perhaps it wasn't so strange. After all people can be anyone they want on the 'net. But these accounts were different. At first, I thought they were a part of an rp or a cosplay. That is until I noticed their unifying message. Their message was RESIST. I started really paying attention then.

The characters came, at first, from all corners of the galaxy and different dimensions. There were space captains and their lieutenants; a princess, Jedis and the Rebel Alliance; space pirates and  crew; Time Lords; the Colonial Fleet; some superheroes; a slayer and her gang; some tributes from District 12; even a few video game characters. Also visible were historical figures providing wisdom. All in all, there was a loud voice forming.

It was a voice that echoed from coast to coast and generation to generation. Race played no part in limiting it. Neither did economics nor educational achievements. People spoke out about the quality of the incoming presidency and its vulnerabilities. People rallied around the infringement of our rights and liberties as the warnings were exceedingly evident. We were being moved out of complacency into all-out awareness.

All along there were other organized voices – Women's March was the first to march en masse but many followed. While the voice was cross-generational, a lot of the louder voices were people who had marched in previous decades for similar battles. They recognized the precipitous slope that current generations had not been sent down and were planting themselves deep to prevent the upcoming barrage of chaos meant to confuse and demoralize. What's more, they were planting themselves in and reaching out their hands to others. It's a human chain like no other before.  Personal stories and heroes were rising out of the characters, out of the personas.

What became clearer was that I wasn't alone.