George Orwell wrote his famous book 1984 years before that date. His purpose was to show how society and societal values would change over the years. What they would be in 1984.

Orwell made 1 mistake. 1984 was too soon. It would take into the 2020 teens for the evils he wrote about to significantly manifest themselves.

Today, freedom and slavery are issues of consequence. What Orwell projected for 1984 are front and center today.

Re freedom and slavery, he wrote: “The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.”

Washington’s Mayor Bowser has started a trend. The large yellow letters covering 2 blocks in front of the White House saying BLACK LIVES MATTER will now have a place in New York City.

Mayor de Blasio and Trump do not get along. De Blasio announced that in the next 2 weeks in front of Trump Towers on Fifth Avenue a giant BLACK LIVES MATTER mural will appear painted on the street. Yellow, of course.

A source close to de Blasio said the Mayor “is doing it to antagonize the President.”

As I have said, he who fails to give respect is not entitled to respect. Trump has disrespected so many in the 3 years he has been President. The mural in the street a what goes around comes around thing.

An appellate court decision has freed Michael Flynn.

An absolute disgrace! Evidence of favoritism running from the President and Attorney General Barr to Trump’s personal friend Michael Flynn.

Flynn pled guilty 2 times in open court. Then Barr comes up with a baseless unique legal theory that Flynn was done wrong in entering the pleas.

Judge Sullivan the trial Judge. He said hold on when Justice wanted the case dumped. The Judge smelled a rat. The entire legal community smelled a rat. Not the way things are done. Blatant favoritism. A friend of the President was being accommodated.

Trump has demeaned and destroyed the good name of the Justice Department and those working under it, as well as the Judiciary. Barr has magnified and assisted in Trump’s wrongdoing.

Makes me wonder if Judge Sirica would have been able to do what he did. Sirica was the federal Judge who the Watergate burglars and others were before. They all did jail time. Sirica was not a man to screw around with. Even Nixon did not attempt what Trump has been doing and getting away with.

Today a famous one in American history. George Custer and his 7th Cavalry were wiped out by the Sioux and Cheyenne at the Battle of Big Horn.

It would be the last time the Indians knew such success.

A bit of Key West.

Willie T’s and Shanna Key have been closed because an employee in each place tested positive for coronavirus. Each will be closed for 14 days. “Cleaning and quarantine” to be manged by Florida’s Monroe County Health officials.

Owners of each establishment totally cooperative.

A problem here. Test results are supposed to be available in 3 days. In each instance, it took 7 days. The additional 4 days provided  opportunity for the virus to spread.

Key West’s famous July 4th fireworks may not be held this year.

On June 2, the Key West City Commission met and voted to have the fireworks. Since that time, coronavirus has increased everywhere in Florida. The Commission is meeting tomorrow morning to decide if their vote should be rescinded.

I suspect it will be.

The Key West Arts Center is located at 301 Front Street. A 2 story white building well kept.

This morning’s Key West Citizen ran a photo of the building taken many many years ago. The building in the photo a dilapidated wood structure.

The Key West Arts Center was established in 1960 and opened in the building. Still operates today. A popular tourist attraction. Part of the Old Town waterfront area.

The building was originally constructed in the 1850’s. Near what then was the waterfront. Constructed to be used as a grocery store. The grocery store was owned and managed by the Babcock family for many years.

Fire seriously damaged the building in 1886. It was rehabilitated as a single story building. A second floor was added in the early 1900’s.

In later years, the building was the location of the First WPA Art Project under President Roosevelt.

Another fire occurred.  An extensive one. The building was condemned and ordered to be torn down.

A Key West arts group and prominent local officials persuaded City officials to save the historic building. An agreement was reached. The building was converted into a City sponsored art center and gallery.

It is now recognized as a building of historical significance in the Old Mallory Square area.

May Johnson’s exciting 1896 life continues.

On this day in in 1896, May finished the dress she had been sewing for several days. White organdy trimmed in silk lace and ribbons.May wrote in her diary “very pretty.”

That evening she went out with Earl. An event at La Brisa. Called the “German.” In honor of the officers of the Maine.

Three states with rampaging coronavirus. One Florida.

I blame Governor DeSantis. Trump’s lap dog. Followed Trump’s dictates precisely.

As of yesterday, the number of new cases in Florida has increased more than 2 times since early June.

I fear the worse is yet to come, even for Key West.

This is day 105 of my self-quarantine. Fifteen weeks. If the coronavirus trend continues as it recently has, I may be here another 105 days!

I miss sitting at a bar and talking with people. I miss going out to dinner with friends and conversing. I miss partying at a friend’s home. I miss people!

Enjoy your day!

Basically a Key West day. I need a day off from Trump. Sure you do also.

What I am about to share also appears in my Key West Lou blog of 4/25/2017. You may want to check it out there.

Much of the information has been drawn from New York Times articles of August 1897. Front page news each time.

Sylvanus Johnson a black Key West resident. From this point forward, I shall use the word “negro” because the story made reference to the term many times. It fits what occurred back then.

Johnson was accused of raping a white woman. Mrs. Margaret Atwell. She was reported to be dying from the attack.

Johnson arrested and jailed. Key West’s white population not happy campers. They were committed to lynching Johnson. Some 40 negroes surrounded the jail to protect Johnson, threatening to shoot if any white man approached further.

Local authorities feared a riot. Called upon the Governor to send in the National Guard. The Secretary of War in Washington was also contacted and requested to send in federal troops.

President McKinley refused. Whether the Governor did, I could not ascertain.

Key West was completely at the mercy of the infuriated negro mob.

Johnson always maintained his innocence.

A prominent local white man William Gardner was shot by the negroes. He was one of the leaders of the move to lynch Johnson.

The trial was a kangaroo court. The judge and jury white. Witnesses white. Johnson’s attorney was forbidden to cross examine the witnesses.

Johnson was convicted in less than 2 hours. He walked out of the court house continuing to declare his innocence.

Johnson was hung a few days later.

White man’s justice for negroes in the summer of 1897 in Key West.

Shades of Africa in Florida. Another I live and learn item.

I was unaware that panthers and bobcats roam certain areas of Florida.

Florida’s wildcat population has recently been afflicted with leukomyelopathy, a neurological disorder. Eight panthers and 2 bobcats so far.

The Florida panther is the only subspecies of mountain lion remaining in eastern U.S. Panthers have been recognized as an endangered species since 1973.

Makes me smile. I have been worrying only about pythons and crocodiles for years!

Mosquitoes should be on my to fear list. Don’t worry about them, however. We have a Monroe County Mosquito Board. They do a good job of keeping Keys’ residents protected.

The fear is the dengue fever a certain type mosquito can inflict. Death possible. Between spraying and inspecting properties, the Board keeps a handle on the mosquitoes and therefore the dengue fever.

As a result, dengue fever is now rare. It does rear its ugly head every few years, however. This is one of those years.

The second case of dengue fever this year was recently reported. In Key Largo. The first case arose in Key Largo also.

The concern is multiplied by what has occurred recently in South Creek Village at Mile Marker 103. Eleven persons have been reported to possibly be sick with dengue fever. The 11 have all the symptoms. The doctors are not certain yet, however.

For a small island at the tip of nowhere, Key West has had a number of “heroes” over the years.

Colonel Floyd Thompson is one.

On this day in 1988, he received the Prisoner of War Medal from President Ronald Reagan. Thompson was the U.S.’s longest held prisoner of war. He spent 9 years in captivity.

My blog talk radio show last night. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. I spoke of nothing but Donald Trump. Contributed to my desire to get back to Key West itself.

One deviation to Key West today. Trump’s Phoenix Rally yesterday.

Trump preceded the rally to commemorate 200 miles of “new” wall in Yuma, Arizona.

Oh, how the man stretches the truth. Only 3 of the 200 miles were “new.” The rest renovated portions of the old wall.

Amazing. three years and only 3 miles of new wall!

Trump made a representation I doubt he can/will fulfill. He said that by the end of 2020, there would be 450-500 miles of wall.

Then it was off to Phoenix for a rally.

The rally was at a church that held 3,000. All seats were filled. College students. Closely sitting together. I doubt there were more than a dozen wearing masks.

Donald was protected however. He was seated in the middle of a stage as he spoke. A man seated to each side of him. Fifteen to twenty feet away on each side.

Typical Trump selfishness. Protect me, but to hell with the 3,000 teenagers who came to see and honor him with their presence.

The rally was a complete no protection event. No temperature taking, no masks, and no social distancing.

Enjoy your day!

Politics is dirty. Both sides. However the past few years have shown the Republicans to far exceed the Democrats when it comes to immoral activities.

Maybe it’s Trump’s leadership. I don’t know. Whatever, the Republicans have been flagrant in their abuse of propriety.

Kentucky an example. Bad.

Today is primary day in Kentucky. What I am about to share applies both to primary and election days.

Note that black hearted Mitch McConnell is one of the U.S. Senators representing Kentucky. He has opposition in the primary today. Expected to win, however. McConnell leads in 2 polls as to election day itself. He is projected the winner by 14 and 20 points respectively.

Maybe McConnell was worried, maybe Trump.

Kentucky Republicans wanted neither the blacks nor Democratic whites to have it easy when voting.

There had been 3,700 election places. Kentucky recently reduced them to less than 200. Especially where black districts were concerned.

The reduction a 95 percent one.

A clear example of the wrong is Jefferson County. Its population 767,000. Now has only one place to vote.

The purpose of the reduction in voting places is to make it difficult and to discourage Democratic voters.

LeBron James faced a similar situation recently in Georgia. He said, “This is systematic racism and oppression.”

Sure is!

The November election has clearly developed into a referendum on Trump. No question about it.

He deserves to lose big time.

Trump worries not about coronavirus. Strange because he is a germaphobic. Always washing his hands even before being elected President.

As of yesterday, the count is 8. Eight Trump advance persons to the Tulsa Rally have come down with coronavirus.

In addition, some White House personnel were discovered to be afflicted 2 weeks ago.

Hope some day the experts will be able to tell us how many of the 6,200 attending the Tulsa Rally also became infected. Extremely few wearing masks. No social distancing.

Now Andrew Jackson. Demonstrators sought to topple a large statue of him in the park near the White House.

The demonstrators chanted, “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Andrew Jackson’s got to go.”

One hundred fifty to two hundred U.S. Park Police arrived. They swung batons and released pepper spray.

Jackson still stands.

The protesters wanted Jackson to come down because he was cruel to Native Americans and an enslaver.

The group had encamped on H Street. Seven or eight tents set up on the street itself. They were moved off the street.

The tented area is near St. John’s Episcopal Church.

Beside trying to topple Jackson, the demonstrators also desecrated St. John’s Episcopal Church which was nearby. The Church of the Presidents.

BHAZ was painted on 2 columns holding up the Church. BHAZ short for the Black Home Autonomous Zone. The group’s intent to do what CHOP has done in Settle.

Florida shooting for the skies with its coronavirus numbers. Up and up, not flattening.

The Mayors of he 7 major cities in Miami-Dade County now require masks to be worn by all persons in public. Inside or out.

Palm Beach County is planning a reopening. Intends that masks be worn in public. Whether voluntary or mandatory not yet decided nor has a date been set to begin.

Coronavirus traveling at different speeds in various areas of the U.S. Some states still in the first wave. Others in the second.

A major problem is moving from one state to another. Easily done. Crossing state borders commonplace. Ergo, the virus is frequently spread and respread easily.

It’s going to be a long hot summer and autumn will not be any better.

Coronavirus from another angle.

The U.S. has the most new cases of Covid-19 in the world. We’re NUMBER ONE. AMERICA FIRST…..We can do this! We are doing it!

Nothing to be proud of.

Florida and California battling it out for the most new cases. Both over 4,000 a day. Florida’s inept Governor DeSantis says California has more people. Makes it sound like he is disappointed Florida may end up second.

I told you he is not too bright.

Florida reopened certain areas too soon. Beaches especially. Masks not required. The word was they were for wimps and Biden voters. Social distancing? No way.

I was proud how Key West initially handled the coronavirus problem. Imposed rules, followed rules.

Unfortunately, some merchants won out in the end. They created a furor. Reopening was permitted. Tourists from the mainland made Duval alive again on weekends. Especially young visitors. No masks, no social distancing, hugging and kissing ok. The numbers are creeping up again.

Key West City Commissioners are trying to take the bull by the horns again. Hopefully soon enough. The 200 and 300 blocks of Duval will be closed to traffic weekend evenings. Such should make social distancing easy. Masks will be required everywhere, inside and out.

No decision yet how to punish violators.

The plan is flexible. The blocks will be expanded as needed. Each weekend new decisions will be made.

Not enough from my perspective. Arrest violators. A stiff fine or jail. People will then understand. If the violation occurs inside a bar or restaurant, arrest the owner and hit him with a stiff fine as they do in Greece.

Coronavirus is nothing to screw around with.

Housing prices are plunging across the U.S. The most since 2008.

Condos down the most. Forty one percent. Homes 24.8 percent.The average of homes and condos for the past year May to May down 29 percent.

April-May is a red hot selling season. Not this year.

The May to May percentages all down. The north east 29.9 percent, mid west 20.2 percent, south 25.1 percent, west 35.1 percent.

One problem. I do not see prices dropping in Key West. Still the highest ever.

I suspect the numbers stay high because of manipulation. No other way could they not be consistent with the national figures set forth.

I listen to local realtor talk. They insist the epidemic will not affect real estate market prices. I think they fool themselves.

This day a big one in 1960. Changed life for women and in so doing for men also.

Today the anniversary of the day when contraceptive pills were made available for purchase in the U.S.

Feminism grew. Women considered themselves equal to men. Sex without the danger of pregnancy was available to them. The women’s movement grew from that day forward.

Sex without danger of pregnancy the enabling factor.

A criticism of today’s protest movement. I am for equality. I am for everyone to have available the same advantages.

What I cannot understand and what I cannot agree with is punishing the memories of people who lived 100, 150 and 200 years ago.

Note that we live a certain way today. What is acceptable today was not a couple of hundred years ago. People lived differently back then. Different rules, standards and customs.

Today’s movement does not take that into account. It should. We are holding yesterday’s heroes to today’s standards. Wrong!

One exception. Civil War Confederates. Traitors. Can understand their not being honored. However as to all others, leave their statues and memories alone. They broke no rules as existed back in their times.

Join me tonight as I share my thoughts on blog talk radio. The show Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine my time. Some ranting and raving. Guaranteed you will enjoy the half hour. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was an exceptional President. Goes without saying. Took the nation out of the Depression, led us through World War II, etc. Each an outstanding achievement.

Another, the GI Bill.

Roosevelt could see into the future where most could not. During World War II, he recognized that following victory thousands if not millions of military persons would be discharged and dumped back into U.S. society. The nation had to be ready for them.

Roosevelt believed that the Great Depression was the result of the U.S. not being prepared for soldiers returning from World War I. He also believed that the Bonus March of 1932 on Washington would not have occurred if the returning veterans had proper jobs. Gong a step further, even jobs!

He decided the nation had to ready to help the returning military and thereby the nation itself. The result was the GI Bill.

It was on this day in 1944 that Roosevelt signed the bill into law. The benefits of the bill were three fold. Returning military were entitled  access to unemployment compensation, low interest home and business loans, and funding for education.

From my perspective, the most important the funding for education. Most returning would not have been able to afford a college education. For many, no one in their families had ever gone to college. Their families laborers and factory workers.

The program made thousands of doctors, lawyers, teachers, professors, etc. that without the funding might have ended up selling apples on street corners as many did following World War I.

I was 10 when World War II ended. I recall in the years following a particular neighborhood in Utica that was sort of run down. An old church was converted into the new Utica College’s first building. Then run down buildings around it for several blocks.

The College succeeded. Reached a point where it was bursting at the seams. Moved to another area on the fringe of Utica. Started relatively small for a college campus. Eventually became affiliated with Syracuse University. Today and for many years has stood independent and alone. The campus extensive and beautiful. The College has a reputation for being able to get graduates accepted into medical schools. So fine the education the students receive.

All because Roosevelt could see where others could not.

Toppling statues will not end soon. Too many around the country. Too many reasons why this one and that one should come down.

Two noteworthy persons whose statues are to be removed or have been vandalized.

One, Teddy Roosevelt. Former President of the U.S. His performance so good that he is one of the President’s whose face is sculptured onto Mount Rushmore.

Since 1940, a statue of Roosevelt seated on a horse has stood at the entrance to the Museum of Natural History in New York City. Roosevelt was an equestrian whether leading his troops up San Juan  Hill, hunting in Africa, or living the western life in the Old West.

The statue in front of the Museum has standing on one side an African man and on the other a Native American.

The building and ground it rests on are owned by New York City.

The cry has risen to remove the statue. The reason being the men standing on each side. They “explicitly depict black and indigenous people as subjugated and racially inferior.”

Not everyone got to ride up San Juan Hill, in Africa or the far West. Some were troops, bearers, laborers, scouts, searchers, etc. Normally those native to the area.

Would the statue be permitted to remain if the African and Native American were on horses and Roosevelt standing between them?

Mayor de Blasio playing politician. He considers the statue “problematic” and should go.

The best is George Washington. Father of our country, First President of the U.S., the man without whom the Revolutionary War would not have been won. A statue and monument of Washington stands in the Druid Hill Park in Baltimore. This past week it was vandalized. Written in red paint “Destroy Racists.” The initials of  Black Lives Matter on the bottom: BLM.

Washington owned slaves. As did most if not all the signers of the Declaration of Independence. It was part of the mores of the time. Slaves had value. A man’s wealth was measured by the number of slaves he owned.

In Washington’s Last Will and Testament, he freed all his slaves. Few if any others did so during his era.

Oh, the things we learn. The comment refers to Black Lives Matter.

I took several Russian history courses in college. All but one taught by Alexander Kerensky, the first President of Free Russia. He was a White Bolshevik. When toppled by the Reds, he had to escape Russia to save his life. He eventually found his way to the U.S.

His courses exciting. He had lived what he was teaching.

One of the courses required the reading of Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto. Published in 1848. The book’s final two sentences stick in a person’s mind once read: “Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains.”

In the past few weeks, I have commented re the growing power of Black Lives Matter. Once suggesting they might be going too far.

The Blaze published an article by Paul Sacca 6/20/20 titled: Black Lives Matter Founder Admits Org’s Creators Are ‘Trained Marxists’ ”

Black Lives Matter was founded in 2013 by Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi, and Patrisse Cullors. Organized in opposition to George Zimmerman’s acquittal in the shooting of Trayvon Martin. Today, the organization has in excess of 40 chapters world wide.

Its purpose: To “build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.”

A primary purpose today: To “get Trump out.”

Black Lives Matter does not specifically note they are Marxists in its website. However, one of its creators Patrice Cullors admitted they subscribed to Karl Marx’s ideology.

A newly resurfaced 2015 video on the Black Lives Matter Global Network found Patrisse Cullors revealing she and her fellow Black Lives Matter creators were “trained Marxists…..trained organizers.”

Removing Trump was reiterated this past friday by one of BLM’s members: “Our goal is to get Trump out.” The organization wants Trump to resign immediately. “He is not fit for office.”

In the past, Cullors has compared Trump to Hitler: “Hitler created the conditions that lead to what we all understand as Nazi Germany.” Trump is “literally the epitome of evil.”

I am concerned about Key West and coronavirus. The weekends find our small island crowded with visitors from the mainland. Mostly young. The visitors seem to care not about masks and social distancing.

They could leave the virus here. Infect others who will take it back to the mainland with them.

Two to three more weeks will tell the story.

Enjoy your day!

I thought sure there would be a confrontation last night between Trump supporters and activists. I was wrong.

During the afternoon, I had my first inkling I had called it wrong. In two different instances, activist leaders spoke with the media. Pence was coming in to talk with them.

The two activists in effect thought it was a good idea. They seemed to be backing off from a “war.”

They were.

All last night brought was a brief skirmish here and there. The biggest, which not big at all, following Trump’s speech when Trump people were trying to leave the area.

As to the rally itself, it was not up to Trump’s usual standards. From  my perspective, it was a failure. Interesting, we both failed the same evening.

Trump had been expecting one million people. The arena held 19,000. An outdoor area for 4,000 was arranged for those who could not get in.

Trump got neither 1 million, 23,000, or 19,000. Total attendance approximately 13,000.

The outside area was immediately taken down so it would not be seen empty.

Inside the arena, it was obvious the place was not full. Huge areas of empty seats. Especially on the upper levels. Also one third of the floor standees area.

Why the crowd much smaller than anticipated?

Two groups of American teenagers got him. TikiToy users and K-pop fans.They had members and non-members nationwide write in for a ticket. Never intending to attend. That is what ran the anticipated number up to one million.

Ho, ho! A gotcha situation.

Trump came out on time to speak. Unusual for him. He looked disappointed. Most of the 2 hours he spoke, he did not appear to be a happy camper. It was obvious he was unhappy because of the crowd size.

His talk reminded me of 2016. Mostly the same. Even the issues. Some of which are no longer issues.

He exhibited a sense of humor on occasion. Especially his recent West Point experience. Spent 15 minutes on it. I assume it was a made up story to cover what the press thought. Whatever, he was funny during those 15 minutes.

He lied on occasion. To be expected.

Referred to the activists as “thugs.” I found this interesting. Most of his supporters seated in the arena looked like thugs.

His overall demeanor the same as always. He cannot help it. He comes over as a nasty man.

Less I forget, I know I am correct about my coronavirus prediction. Four-six weeks from now, the numbers will spiral in many areas of the country because of the very few wearing masks and absolutely no social distancing.

Trump’s son Eric spoke. Called the Black Lives Matter protesters “animals.” I thought based on the way the Trump family lives, they could be called “pigs.”

Think about it. The massive uprising of the past several weeks began in Minneapolis with the death of George Floyd. Minnesota should be the first state to come up with legislative police reforms.

Not going to happen.

The legislature is one house Democrat and one house Republican. Their term was coming to an end. They did not come to an agreement. The legislature closed friday till late summer or early fall.

Why is it so difficult to do the obvious? It resembles the school shootings. Legislation right away! Never happened.

This tearing down statues and monuments is going too far. Everyone has an ax to grind.

Two recent statues down in California are examples.

Father Junipero Serra’s statue in Los Angeles has come down.

A priest. Spent his adult life in California developing the missions. It is said he worked the natives hard in building the missions.

His statue was erected in 1932 by the Knights of Columbus. He was canonized a Saint by the Catholic Church in 2005.

His statue was toppled this weekend. The reason given the way he treated the natives several hundred years ago in the construction of the missions.

The worst is Ulysses S. Grant. No justification for his statue coming down. The event occurred Juneteenth in San Francisco.

Grant has some heavy credentials. President of the U.S. and General of the Union Army that defeated the Confederacy. As President, he advocated for the civil rights of former slaves and helped ratify the Fifteenth Amendment which gave blacks the right to vote.

The reason his statue was toppled is he owned one slave. The slave was gifted to him. He freed the slave before the beginning of the Civil War.

A big step too far!

The colors of the rainbow have been adopted by gays and lesbians world wide. They have come to symbolize Pride.

Key West in 2015 painted the intersection of Duval and Petronia with rainbow stripes. Signifying gay/lesbian pride. The intersection is also the home of Key West’s most famous gay bars. 801 and Bourbon Street.

The intersection was resurfaced with the flag this past week. A bit larger and brighter colors.

Key Westers believe the rainbow intersection speaks as to how the community looks upon its residents and visitors: “Everybody is welcome, everybody is equal, everybody is recognized.”

Keys’ residents speak of iguanas and infrequently crocodiles and pythons.

A crocodile or two every year. A python every 5 years.

A crocodile visited the backyard of an Islamorada home last week. A 12 footer. He was captured by a legal trapper and removed to someplace where crocodiles go in north Florida.

Crocodiles cannot be captured other than by a legal trapper. They cannot be harassed or killed. They are a protected species under Florida Law.

As are the chickens in Key West.

Enjoy your Sunday!

There is but one certain winner tonight at Trump’s Tulsa Rally.

Coronavirus!

An arena holding 19,000. A building next door holding thousands more. The streets packed with Trump followers and protesters.

Such indicative of only tonight. For several days, out of towners wanting to watch the President have been arriving in Tulsa and living/sleeping in sidewalk tents. Social distancing not even a thought. Very few wearing face masks.

The coronavirus bug has to be saying WOWIE! All those people to infect! Especially those without masks and no social distancing.

A coronavirus delight! The cherry on top of an ice cream sundae.

Even better, the virus will travel with those out of town attendees when they return home. New bodies to infect!

A second problem tonight will be confrontations. Between anti-Trump protesters and those providing security.

Word is Trump has arranged for the national guard to be present. From which State I have not been able to ascertain. Additionally there will be local police, State Police, and Secret Service. In the largest numbers possible.

The confrontations could be bloody. Extremely.

I would expect those protecting the President and rally to be on the ready to react to the slightest disturbance. I would assume they will have the benefit of humvees and helicopters.

The days of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi are long gone. Though the protesters speak of “peaceful marches,” I sense  the protesters will fight back. Many will arrive prepared with guns and other items of war. People of color feel this is their time and will not relent.

I believe, though I could be wrong, that tonight will not be televised. It will only be available via streaming. I am still trying to figure out how to find an available stream to Key West and one which is free.

If anyone knows, please let me know.

One last point. I was a history major. I read voraciously. Especially historical books. I never read about the black tragedy which occurred in 1921 in Tulsa. I never knew it occurred.

Apparently buried so it would be forgotten and no one would know.

Enjoy your day!

Juneteenth. Never hear the word till 2 weeks ago. Already a bill being prepared for Congress to vote on to make the day a federal holiday.

Juneteenth is the special way June 19th has come to be pronounced over the years. Often described as the Black Fourth of July. It is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the U.S.

How the day came to be.

Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation became effective January 1, 1863. What most people fail to realize is it did not free all the slaves. It only freed those living in rebellious states. Lincoln wanted to weaken the South by freeing the slaves. Hopefully they would run away from their plantations.

June 19, 1865 is recognized as the birthday of the Black Fourth. Note the Thirteenth Amendment which freed slaves was not ratified till December 1865, some 6 months later.

Texas was the most remote of the slave states. Received Civil War news later than other states.

Union soldiers landed in Galveston, Texas on June 19th. They brought news that the war had ended and slavery had ended.

The blacks were jubilant. Most left immediately for the north. Traveled looking for relatives in other states.

June 19th was coined as a day of celebration. It grew in Texas in succeeding years. Then in other southern states. It became a time for the blacks to reassess each other, pray, and gather family members together.

Then except for Texas, the day began fading. Its resurgence came with the Civil Rights movements of the 1950’s and 1960’s. Received another significant move forward with the Poor People’s March on Washington.

In June 1980, Texas made Juneteenth an official holiday. Since then Juneteenth has experienced exceptional growth. Celebrates all African American freedom and achievement.

Most likely George Floyd’s death and that which ensued is responsible for the attention the day is now receiving. Black people want it formally recognized as their Fourth of July.

Key West is celebrating the day. Today. A Freedom March.

The March begins at 5 with speeches at the Key West Cemetery. At 6, the group will begin a march to Mallory Square.

There are some things I don’t like. They bother me.

Like tearing down Thomas Jefferson’s statue. Tearing down or vandalizing statues of other American heroes with little connection to slavery in years long prior to the Civil War.

Changing Aunt Jemima’s picture and name I find troublesome.

It has been announced that Uncle Ben’s, Mrs. Butterworth, and Cream of Wheat are rebranding in fashion similar to Aunt Jemima because of their racist origins.

Learned yesterday that many Blacks object to the use of the terms “Uncle” and “Aunt.” The words were a Southern form of address first used with older enslaved peoples, since they were denied the use of courtesy titles.

Respectfully, it seems society is going a step too far. Too much is being asked by Blacks.

An exciting week for Supreme Court decisions. Two significant ones. The first the recognition of the rights of gay, lesbian and transgender rights in the work force. The other, the DACA victory. Which blocked Trump from deporting the children brought by their parents illegally to the United States.

A significant federal court hearing at one today. Trump is seeking an emergency order to block the release of John Bolton’s book.

Justice in this case would be permitting the publication to go forward. The book was already reviewed by Trump’s people and whatever they wanted removed was removed. Now Trump at the last minute claims there are more objections.

Additionally, the book has been sent to media personnel already. By whom, I am not sure. The book’s contents have been freely discussed on news talk shows for several days. The cat is out of the bag!

Typical of Trump and his insatiable quest for personal gain, the Court is being asked that in the event it fails in its request for injunctive relief, that Trump receive a share of the book’s profits.

People are hurting. Unemployed number 46 million. And the number continues growing weekly.

Compounding the problem, many are not receiving their unemployment checks. Months late in some instances.

The reason obvious. The states have run out of money. How is this problem to be remedied?

Another example of how government cannot be relied upon in case of emergency.

Recently, I began a 3 part series. The first 3 worst hurricanes in recorded history. One left to go. The Hurricane of 10/17/10. Not today, however.

I have been researching the hurricane. Came across an item I suspect will be of interest to those of you who read the Key West Citizen.

May Johnson is the belle of 1896. A 20 year old school teacher. A major item of fun is dancing at La Brisa as many times as possible. Like several evenings a week.

Researching for the Hurricane of 10/17/1910, I came across a La Brisa item.

Someone wrote comparing it to roulette. In doing so, the 10/17/1910 hurricane was compared to the 10/1909 one of the previous year. Described as a storm of the greatest intensity.

A gambler I am not. However the term “repeater” is prevalent among roulette players. It means that a certain number will come up twice in succession 1,296 – 1 times.

The Hurricane of 10/17/1910 was considered a “repeater.”

La Brisa was a pleasure pavilion. Primarily used by the affluent. Dancing, dining, etc. It was located at the Atlantic end of Simonton Street.

Owned by the Key West Electric Company.

La Brisa was washed from its pillars and dashed to pieces. Most washed out to sea.

Rain, rain, rain. Are we having rain! Almost every day for 3 weeks. Heavy pouring rain. Strange. Not the rainy season yet.

The local feeling is coronavirus is going to strike Key West and the Keys in general soon. We came through the virus pretty much ok till recently. The numbers have started to creep upward.

The Monroe County Commission voted wednesday that all businesses must require employees and customers to wear masks. Mandated!

Any violation a civil rather than criminal one. Subjects the person to a $500 fine. Had it been criminal, the fine would have been $500 and 60 days in jail.

Not going to work!

Greece has come through the virus well. The government was tough. The people listened.

Punishment was heavy. The owner of the business was fined, not the customer, if someone was not wearing a mask. The fine $20,000.

Louis says fine the owner and make the sum astronomical as the Greeks did. Guaranteed everyone will be wearing masks!

Hurricane Irma. Almost 3 years ago. Hit 9/10/17.

People and places still hurting.

Every now and then we hear about money coming from some government source. This time $4.9 million from the Florida Historical Department to repair 3 local historical sites.  The Key West Lighthouse and Keeper’s Quarters, Pigeon Key’s Honeymoon Cottage, and the Citadel at the Fort West Martello.

The coronavirus of today the yellow fever of yesterday.

On this day in 1865, the bark Adventure put into Key West. Four of the crew had yellow fever. They were taken to Marine Hospital.

The fever spread to the Army troops stationed in Key West. An epidemic began. Three hundred thirty one cases. Seventy one died.

The fever spread to the locals. The number who contracted the disease  unknown.

Today, one of significance. My 100th day in self-quarantine.

Wow!

How has it been?

Not bad at all. The 100 days has swiftly gone by. I do not feel I have been inside that long. I had 2-3 days out of the 100 where I thought I was getting a bit goofy. Passed, however.

I have learned to cook a bit. My food is delivered. Needed something more than ham sandwiches. I have reached the point where I can cook some fish dishes. Two filet mignons a week. Must be careful. Overcook and the rare flavor is gone.

I do a little ironing. Not much. Where am I going?

My time has been spent primarily researching and writing. The blog takes a minimum of 5 hours a day. My tuesday talk show several hours during the week and then 5 more tuesday afternoon.

I have worked on 2 books. Never will finish them.

Read several books. Used the internet for tons of additional reading.

All kept me busy day and night. Worked for me only because I enjoyed what I was doing.

I need to talk to people. Compulsive. Thank God for the internet. I have made several new internet friends. I Skype or Facebook message with them.

You are already aware of Cathy. Cathy from Seattle. Cathy who in the 1980’s lived 3 years in Key West.

We have cocktails once a week on Skpe. Labeled Cocktails at 7. Chat about 2 hours. She imbibes. I only occasionally. Try to limit myself to Diet Pepsis.

How long more will I remain self-quarantined? For a while yet I suspect.

Key West did good coronvirus wise till recently. The numbers are creeping up, however. In 2 or 3 weeks, we are going to have some significant numbers. Key West reopened too early and tourists from the mainland began coming down. Partying without benefit of masks and social distancing.

Enjoy your day!

Blacks speak for blacks. Militia people for militia people. Police for the police.

Who speaks for the rest of society? The majority and primarily white.

Congress, I assume. Useless, however.

So there we are. Our country slowly being taken over. The race to second class citizenship for most whites accelerating.

Seattle an example.

A several block neighborhood taken over by what initially were protesters. Mostly black. Many Black Lives Matter people.

Now a black conclave.

The police precinct in black hands. Plantings of fruits, vegetables and flowers. Police absent. Plans being made how to change/reconstruct the area. Now known as CHOP.

Andy Ngo is a journalist. He visited CHOP by day and night. He reported them to be as different as Jekyll and Hyde. Peaceful by day. However, the “mobsters” come out in the evening.

Ngo observed in the night time a black man with a bull horn announce he needed 100 persons for a task. There was an auto body shop several blocks down. Its white owner not cooperating. Whatever that means.

The 100 marched to the body shop. Carrying handguns, rifles, batons, and knives. Their intent to burn the body shop down.

The owner anticipated something would happen. A few friends with him.

They captured one of the arsonists.

The owner called the police. Nineteen times. The police never came.

There are photos this morning on the internet. Photos of concrete barriers put up by the city/police to keep the transgressors inside the area they were dominating.

The concrete barriers of no assistance to business owners and residents inside CHOP.

The area has been described as a “cop free zone.” No one to help the business owners and residents. They describe themselves as “sitting ducks all day.” Abandoned by their city and the police.

I wrote yesterday that blacks believe they have won. Situations like CHOP can give them the feeling. All over the country there exists this feeling of victory. Statues and monuments coming down or vandalized. Even those of persons who were anti-slave.

Some major corporations are scumming. HBO’s initial stance that it would not rerun Gone With The Wind.

Another  Quaker Oats who announced that Aunt Jemima was being rebranded. Aunt Jemima a popular syrup and pancake mix. It has been around for 130 years.

Quaker Oats is rebranding because Aunt Jemima is “based on a racial stereotype.” The logo’s inspiration inspired by the minstrel song “Old Aunt Jemima.”

A stampede is moving across the country. Growing by day. Leaving behind trampled members of the majority.

Trump was mocked yesterday big time on the media. Came out looking like a fool. Portions of John Bolton’s book appeared in the New York Times. “The Room Where It Happened.”

I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy.

Enjoy your day!

Boogaloo Bois an odd name. The name may be silly, their actions are not. A group to be feared.

The group has been quietly making the news the past few weeks. Silently. A little bit of news here and there.

My May 30, 2020 blog is titled It Can Only Get Worse. In it, I described what could be found re Boogaloo Bois. My intent was to introduce the group to my readers.

I wrote as follows.

“An online militia movement has grown. Unquestionably gearing up for the heated summer ahead.”

“There is a far right militia group out there whose identity has only recently come to attention. Boogaloo Bois. Worked in the shadows before. Now, in the light. Very anti-police. Thought to be instrumental in last night’s riots.”

“Boogaloo Bois hopes are for an armed confrontation with law enforcement. A confrontation that will build momentum. The organization’s goal a new civil war in the U.S.”

“Pay attention to Boogaloo Bois. Do not let the name fool you. They are intelligent and committed. Also capable of raising large funds of money. In the past year, allegedly $50 million.”

Their uniform not the usual military garb. Instead, Hawaiian sport shirts.

I write today about them again.

Yesterday, two members of the group were arrested and charged in the drive-in killing of a federal court house guard in Oakland, California during a night of nearby protests against police brutality.

An interesting development re Boogaloo Bois must not be missed. I fear not enough people may be aware of the organization.

The blacks want statues, monuments, and names of military bases of those who supported the Confederate cause or slavery to come down. Boogaloo Bois supports the black position.

Another group has been added to those to be torn down. Union heroes and other American luminaries previously respected. People however who may have supported slavery even in the smallest way.

Sounds strange. For real, however. The blacks have expanded those they seek to demean. Again, leading anti-slavery figures. These blacks, and it appears to include most, make no distinction between Confederate and Union, abolitionist and pro-slavery, 15th century figures and 20th.

Their target not the Confederacy. It is the United States.

Why has this happened?

The various black groups believe based on the protests re George Floyd world wide that they are winning the battle. Most believe they have already won. They want their proper place in society. A place where they sit in control of government and business. It is their time!

These black groups believe all of American history is racial and genocidal. Ergo, all symbols of American history must come down. A new history in its place. A black history.

They seek to cleanse their consciences of ever having lived in such an evil and irredeemably racist country in the first place.

Black Lives Matter an integral part of the group.

Examples of non-Confederate statues, etc. that have been taken down or vandalized include Matthias Baldwin. His statue in Philadelphia. He was an early abolitionist.

Civil War Union heroes include Admiral David Farragut and General George Thomas.

In Philadelphia stands the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the American Revolution. Vandalized with “Committed Genocide” written in large letters across it.

The Shaw Memorial commemorates the all Black Battalion that fought for abolition. It has been vandalized.

A peaceful protest was taking place Sunday in Whittier, California. The statue of John Greenlief was vandalized. Greenlief was a prominent Quaker abolitionist. Considered the most prominent literary voice leading the fight to end slavery. A fight that took place decades before the Civil War.

BLM was sprayed on his statue.

The worst of the worse thus far is Thomas Jefferson. The third President of the United States, the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, and one of our Founding Fathers.

A school in Portland, Oregon is named after Thomas Jefferson. In front of the school a statue of Thomas Jefferson seated in a fashion similar to the Lincoln Memorial.

Two ropes were thrown around Jefferson’s neck by a young black woman and the statue torn down. Then a black man came forward with an ax. He took the ax to Jefferson’s body several times.

Monday night two statues of Juan de Onate were taken down in two different cities. De Onate a name little known in the east. However, well known in New Mexico.

He was a Spanish conquistador. A despotic one. Consider by some to have been a demon.

Long has a simmering tension existed between Native Americans and Hispanics over Spain’s conquest of New Mexico.

The statues were located in Santa Fe and Albuquerque.

The protests were moving calmly along. One group was reciting the Hail Mary. Four shots were fired. One of those hit a person praying.

The police retaliated with tear gas, flash items and several non-lethal projectiles.

An example of a today group trying to right a racial injustice that occurred several hundred years ago.

One of the groups involved was multi-racial. They wanted the statues removed. The other group were right wing militants. Armed and white. They wanted the statues to remain.

For whatever reason, female protesters in the multi-racial group were violently shoved to the ground.

I wrote this blog to portray a new evil spreading throughout the U.S. Bad feelings may have always existed. Definitely among blacks.

From black rights to get rid of Confederate statues, etc. to get rid of all statues, etc. that in any fashion, even indirectly, had a slavery connection.

In less than a month, this change in vision by the protesters has even moved to small communities and relatively unknown historical figures such as de Onate.

Positions are turning into an all or nothing situation. The blacks want it all. Will not happen. Less to them not enough. Where will it all end?

Intimately part of this charade are the police. Many did wrong. Some believe all must pay for the sins of a few. Yet the police are fearful of functioning these days. Understandably.

Whites are in jeopardy. With no one protecting the rights of one side, the turmoil can go on forever.

Enjoy your day!

A change of pace blog today. A break from Trump, coronavirus, police killings, etc.

The Hurricane of 10/11/1909.

Described as Key West’s first hurricane of intensity.

Several weeks ago, I wrote about the Hurricane of 10/9/1840. The first recorded hurricane ever. A big one. Much damage. However, nowhere near the intensity and damage of the 1909 one.

Reported hurricanes go back as far as 1493. Note reported as opposed to recorded. Based on old wives tales and Indian recollections.

These memory stories passed down through the ages told the story of religion protecting Key West and the Keys. Everyone prayed. To an Indian or Christian God.

From 1493 forward, no hurricane of any consequence hit Key West till the one of 10/9/1840. For some reason no storm got beyond Cuba or Puerto Rico. The 2 islands served as a protective buffer. The 2 islands and prayers.

Then the hurricanes began hitting the Keys. Nothing types leading upon to the one of 1840.  Then more hurricanes over a period of 100 years leading up to the intense one 10/11/1909.

Halley’s Comet played into the 1909 hurricane as it had the 1840 one. In both years, the Comet passed over and Key Westers believed the Comet had something to do with the intensity of the storms.

Although the 1909 hurricane hit on 10/11, one must go back 3 days in describing it.

For several days, the weather had been threatening. Nothing unusual, however. It was not until the night of 10/10 that the barometer fell indicating the proximity of a hurricane.

The people never secured or took any precautionary measures because the signs of the oncoming storm became apparent late in the evening. People had already gone to bed. They had no warning as they fell asleep. Boats were left lying at their usual moorings, not secured for a hurricane.

The storm hit hurricane proportion at 9 the morning of 10/11. Winds were steady at 75 mph. Gusts exceeded 100 mph.

Unprecedented rain. In a 5 hour period, 8 1/2 inches.

Fortunately, only 2 lives were lost.

Damage was major. Most buildings down, vessels here, there and everywhere except where they should have been, the few buildings left standing were roof free.

The damage of a 100 mph hurricane in 1909 did as much damage then as a Category 5 would do today. A difference about 50 mph between the 2. The reason why the damage was comparable to today’s Category 5 is that there were no building codes and structures built consistent with code requirements.

Thus was the Hurricane of 10/11/1909.

Tonight my blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou.

Guaranteed, I will not be talking about hurricanes. Too much other material re Trump, coronavirus and the police. Guaranteed to be an exciting show.

Join me at 9 for a fast moving hard hitting half hour. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!