Americans know Abraham Lincoln. From school days, readings, movies, and other sources. Donald, you are no Abraham Lincoln. Far from him on the Presidential spectrum. Lincoln is considered the U.S.’s best President. History will rank Trump as the worst. Last on any listing of best Presidents.

The President is a demagogue. A fancy term for a rabble-rouser. A leader who gains popularity in a democracy by exploiting prejudice and ignorance to arouse the common people against elites, whipping up the passions of the crowd and shutting down reasoned deliberation.

Lincoln the opposite. Therein lies the reason why Trump should not have moved the annual Fourth of July celebration from Capital grounds to the Lincoln Memorial. He should not even be speaking. Few Presidents have. Most watch the event on television at the Presidential residence.

The Fourth of July event has traditionally been one for the people. Their celebration of America’s most important day. All attending equal and there to enjoy, not politicize.

Many articles this past week indicating the celebration should be as it was. Not as Trump has remade it. A few, very few, supporting his plan.

Opinion writer Greg Sargent wrote in this morning’s Washington Post a lengthy column titled: Trump’s Highlighting of the Fourth of July Just Got a Bit Uglier. His thoughts parallel mine. He portrays them better. Ergo, I set forth excerpts from his column.

Trump “hijacking the Fourth of July…..Trump’s Fourth of July tank dream is about personality, not patriotism…..Trump has transformed the celebration into a campaign event…..the event a takeover…..The naked audacity of usurpation…..whole story Trump told about American decline is false…..his lies about immigration is producing a horrific humanitarian catastrophe.”

There is “…..no doubt that Trump envisions this Fourth of July speech – delivered amid a show of military might – as a display of his own imagined role in restoring U.S. greatness. Trump “has in practice produced…..circuses bluster toward foreign elites and destructive trade wars with no end…..a genuine embrace of strongman authoritarian nationalism…..a real abandonment of the ideals of liberal democracy.”

Trump…..”absolved the Saudi royal family of any role in the dismembering of Jamal Khashoggi…..Trump does not know why he hates liberal democracy – only that he senses it is incompatible with the value he places on domination and hierarchy…..Trump has not given much thought to the Declaration of Independence.”

Some incidental observations re this day of national importance.

The Trump inspired Lincoln Memorial event will cost in the area of $100 million. Where will the money come from to pay for it? Trump already “borrowed” $2.5 million from the Park Service. The U.S. still owes the City of Washington D.C. $7 million for inauguration expenses.

Millions being spent to satisfy a Trump whim. It does not appear proper to spend all that money when…..a portion could be used to buy toothbrushes, blankets, diapers, etc. for the immigrant children caged on the border. If Trump can borrow or incur debt for his folly, then he should be able to act in a similar fashion to help the children.

The tanks in the parade have not been used in 60 years. Not since the end of World War II.

Not all the family will be at the event. Ivanka, Jared, Donald Jr, and his girl friend, will be in the Hamptons partying.

Today is normally spent with family and friends, cook outs, parades, and parties. I am confident they will continue. The American people will enjoy the day and then at 9 this evening sit down to watch TV to see what Trump has arranged. For the American people or himself?

Enjoy your holiday!

A few days ago it was reported that a migrant father and his 2 year old daughter drowned while trying to swim the Rio Grande to U.S. shores. A photo of the two dominated the news. The 2 year old girl with her little arm draped over her father’s shoulders especially heart wrenching.

America cried out! We must do something about it!

Yesterday, a migrant mother and 2 year old girl tried to swim the Rio Grande to U.S. shores. One died. The mother made it. The 2 year old did not. They are searching for her body.

How many more migrant children and adults have to die before the situation is remedied? The American people seem more incensed this week following Congressional persons who were admitted to certain detention camps and viewed the miscarriages occurring, and then reported the abuses.

The furor increased. To what good? We are at a point where something has to be done. Courts and complaining go so far and require time.

I do not know the solution. I do know no more 2 year olds should die while attempting to cross the Rio Grande.

Tomorrow, America’s birthday!

Locally, the fireworks always outstanding.

For many years, a good place to watch from was the Casa Marina Beach. A huge event. Hundreds of people. A family event. The grounds and beach packed.

Rotary has been the primary sponsor over the years. This year Rotary has opted for a different party.

One for the rich and affluent. Whereas in prior years, a small donation got you in, tomorrow $250 per person. VIP seating of course, buffet and free drinks.

I am anxious to see what the profit factor is.

Even if significantly more, not the way to do it. Fireworks on the Fourth belonged to the people of Key West. Rich or poor, it made no difference. Everyone was happy. Smiley faces abounded.

This year, gone.

Out of respect for the Rotary, the event is a fund raiser for some charitable good. I never the less maintain it should not have been changed to the $250 a plate/seat deal.

Placing it all in perspective, if Lisa, her husband, and Robert and Ally went, it would be a $1,000 evening. How many Key West families can afford that number?

There is a picture of the First National Bank Building located at the corner of Duval and Front Streets on page 2 of the Citizen. The photo taken on this day in 1897 when the building was completed.

A magnificent structure. Brick. No longer a bank. A series of small tenant stores.

In 1897, the cost to construct the building $14,380.35. Millions today.

Ivanka was at the G-20 in Japan with her father. She was treated as Trump’s daughter and given the recognition a diplomat of long standing would have received.

Ivanka  did not belong at the meeting, no matter what excuse is given. Donald insulted himself, his daughter and the U.S. by having her participate.

No other nation had a son or daughter representative.

Trump’s knowledge of history amazing!

I watched him on FOX News several times yesterday. The discussion concerned the homeless. Trump commented in effect how terrible. Then said the problem was only 2 years old and he was considering looking into it.

Only 2 years old? Where has he been the past 20 years? They sleep on the sidewalks and on benches in the Washington government district and streets of New York. Must be Donald never walks nor looks out of a limo window.

He does not know.

I don’t have to tell you Trump has scheduled Washington’s July Fourth concert and fireworks for the Lincoln Memorial. The steps from which he will give a speech. He has made sure the whole world knows.

The event has been planned under the direct supervision of Trump. All kinds of military equipment make up the parade. For what ever reason, Trump wants the world to be aware how strong we are.

Jeff Greenfield had an excellent article in this mornings POLITICO re Trump and the event. I share certain quotations from the article.

“Trump has less sense of any President as to what it is all about…..The President’s intrusion into Independence Day is a hijacking.” The “President has upended many of the traditions of the celebration.”

There will be “tanks on the streets of Washington…..his plan is robbing people the wrong way…..what Trump is doing is wreathing himself in the most potent symbols of American history  delivering a speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial…..looking across at a landscape of monuments – without any appreciation for the history that made that whole landscape possible.”

“He sees himself without any connection to the American story, any link to presidents past, other than his manifest superiority to any of them.”

Great white sharks. A number spotted off the coast of Cape Cod.

Cape Cod a normal spot for them in the summer. They seek cooler waters. The Cape’s waters are cool/cold as I can attest. Another reason this year. The weather has driven an overabundance of seals to the area. Good shark eating.

Many are spotted off the shore of Chatham. I spent many years vacationing during the summer in Chatham. The Chatham Bar Inn. Any of you who have visited Chatham are aware of it.

I recall one summer when we spent more time out of the water than in. Sharks were prevalent. The swimming guards were constantly yelling or blowing their whistles warning people to get out of the water.

They would know when. Not from an actual shark sighting. Rather the tiny fish that swam in large schools near the top of the water. A favorite shark lunch. The tiny fish created a large ripple blanket.

Quote for the day. By Frances Rabelais: “Everything comes in time to those who can wait.”

How very true!

There were few goals I did achieved timely. I would say this will happen in 3 months or 2 years or whatever. Then work towards the goal. Most came. All late, however. In the final analysis it made no difference.

A great American died yesterday. Lee Iacocca. Age 94.

Iacocca was an automobile industry legend as well as an American legend. Two notables. He helped Ford create the Mustang. A wow car! We all had one. The other occurred when he was CEO of Chrysler. Chrysler in terrible shape in the 1980’s. Going down the tubes. Iococca saved Chrysler with a massive loan from the government which Chrysler paid back.

May he rest in peace.

Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou went well last night. I hit on everything. Sex, female Viagra, Ivanka the homeless, Pavarotti, and China’s new radar system which negates our relatively new stealth planes big time.

Enjoy your day!

Excuse my language, but strong words are called for re the situation I am about to describe.

Business has never been better in Key West. Hotels, etc. and restaurants doing a bag up business. Everything expensive. From food to drinks.

While most business owners are doing well, their employees are not. Bartenders, waiters, waitresses, and other minimum salaried workers, live 4 to a 2 bedroom apartment. Work 3 jobs. Can’t make it otherwise.

Many have left since Irma because they could not afford to remain. Those who did are finding it difficult now even though the economy has recovered. They are leaving. Some businesses are operating with less than full staff. Especially restaurants. There are not enough people remaining who are looking for work.

There is an effort in Tallahassee to put a Constitutional amendment on next year’s ballot. One to increase the minimum wage from $8.46 an hour to $15 an hour. Tipped workers would go to $8.46 an hour.

The raise would be in increments. It would take to 2026 for the $15 an hour to be reached for example.

The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association is opposed, of course. The Chamber of Commerce has not made up its mind. I assume they will be opposed also.

Even off season is good. There is no off season in Key West any longer.

There is a short column on Feedspot this morning which exemplifies the problem. A minimum wage worker writes he is hungry. He has not eaten in 2 days. Looking for a food pantry. He believes he will not be able to make it in Key West.

Situations such as his are becoming typical.

Business owners should be ashamed. Employees help their employers get rich. Share the wealth!

Visited Dr. Norris yesterday. A follow up to see how I am doing re the pancreas attack I suffered.

My complaints minimal. After 6 weeks, I still have some however.

One is I wobble when I walk. The reason I am falling more often.

My blood pressure was 100/70. Pulse 64.

Thought it is my blood pressure meds. I take many. He cut one back to see if that would help. Something to do with no alcohol meaning less salt in my body requiring water.

We shall see.

My next stop was the Cuban Coffee Queen for a cheese toast and cold Cuban coffee. A relaxing atmosphere to enjoy both in.

Then to Home Depot. To keep my walking exercise I had started the day before going.

The first day, I walked 20 minutes and was tired. Especially when I went outside and the humidity hit me. Intended to walk 25 minutes yesterday. Good luck! I was dead at 15. However continued till I reached 20 minutes.

Then hurried home and to bed for 3 hours. Needed to rest. Shot!

Never made it out last night because of the tiredness. Missed Dueling Bartenders and dinner at La Trattoria.

A haircut today at 1. Lori leaving tomorrow for a 3 week vacation to visit her parents and in-laws. Time spent in Maine and on Long Island.

My blog talk radio show Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou tonight at 9. Join me for a fast moving interesting half hour. I rant and rave about everything bothering me. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

I was looking for a blog I did about 10 years ago. Never found it. However did come across one I did on January 22, 2010. It involved my granddaughter Lisa.

Lisa was 4 at the time. I was babysitting her. Lisa had to take Robert to Montessori for something.

The pertinent sections of the blog follow.

“I decided to take Ally to a Haitian relief benefit on White Street. We walked. The event was nearby…..sponsored by KONK 1680 AM radio.”

I was doing a one hour radio show at the time for KONK Radio: The Key West Lou Legal Hour.

The party was on White Street in front of the radio station.

“Street blocked off. Singers on a flat bed. Hot dogs, beer, huge cookies, soda and other goodies…..Ally and I walked around. …..bought a large chocolate chip cookie and soda……sat on curb in front of Fausto’s eating and drinking and watching the singers and people…..Ally and I had a good time. She is at an age where she silently takes everything in. She absorbs……The walk home was fun. We were walking Duncan Street. It was dark. The street lights were on. Ally got into shadows. Mine and hers. It was discovery time. She got all excited walking on my shadow…..The beauty and imagination of a 4 year old!”

Ally is 14 years older now. Next month a freshman in high school. A young lady. In a very few years, she will be a woman.

I miss the little girl.

Enjoy your day!

Have to move fast this morning. A doctor visit. Nothing new bothering me. Merely a follow up to pancreas attack and recent fall to determine if everything ok. Should be.

The pancreatitis knocked me on my ass for 6 weeks. With fingers crossed, I tell you I feel well at the moment. Weight good. Body out of shape however in many regards. Requires some exercise.

I opted for walking. Hope to make it a daily thing.

Hot and humid in Key  West these days. The humidity the killer. Extremely heavy. Impossible to walk outside. Decided on the Home Depot. Air conditioned. Began yesterday. Did a whole 15 minutes. A good start. I was tired at the end of 15 minutes and stopped because of it.

An historic day in American history. On this day in 1898, the Battle of San Juan Hill took place. Teddy Roosevelt leading the Rough Riders up the hill to victory.

A little known fact. The Rough Riders was a special unit consisting of western cowboys and eastern blue bloods.

The Spanish-American War and Key West have several connections.

Many of the American troops embarked for Cuba from Key West. A mere 90 mile trip. A large number of the sailors who died when the Battleship Maine exploded are buried in the Key West Cemetery. Each year Key West has a special service at their graves to commemorate their sacrifice. Following the War, a special hearing was conducted at the Custom House to determine the reason why the Maine sunk. Consisted of a high level blue panel. At the time, the Custom House was a recently constructed federal building.

Key West’s progress in public transportation similar to what occurred in most U.S. communities. In the late 19th century, the street cars were horse drawn. Then came electric street cars. A major event! Finally on this day in 1926, the electric street cars were replaced by buses.

Buses it is to this day and in the foreseeable future.

New York City’s Pride Parade yesterday. One of the largest in history.

Key West did itself proud. A significant number attended the Parade to carry the 100 foot Rainbow Flag and to otherwise participate in the march.

Back in the 1970’s, a new cigarette hit the market. It was specifically directed at women. Its slogan: You’ve Come A Long Way Baby! You’ve come a long way could also apply to gay acceptance in the United States.

In 1969, 49 States had laws providing that gay sex among consenting adults was a crime. New York had a law on the books that it was illegal for 2 men to dance together. The law was in effect till 1971.

An interesting political occurrence. Presidential primary candidates have submitted their second quarter figures.Mayor Pete Buttigiez leads the pack. Raised $24.8 million. Number of those donating since the beginning of his campaign 400,00.

The figures significant.

The game plan for this evening is Dueling Bartenders at Aqua followed by dinner at La Trattoria. Hope I make both!

Enjoy your day!

Last night turned out to be special. I saw the new documentary Pavarotti. Directed by film maker Ron Howard. A masterpiece!

His recordings and videos over the years always moved me. Left me with a good feeling, touched my soul.

As his voice should. He is recognized as one of the greatest tenors of all time.

Pavarotti’s voice and life story in one film. Can’t be beat! His talent and blemishes in one undertaking.

Pavarotti is playing at the Tropic Cinema. Do yourself a favor and see it.

June is Pride Month. Key West has already had its day of parade and celebration.

Today probably the biggest parade of all will be held in New York City. The New York City WorldPride Parade.

A touch of Key West will be represented in the parade. The rainbow flag. A 100 foot section of the flag first unfurled in a Key West parade June 15, 2003.

Gilbert Baker designed and was instrumental in the creation of the flag. The original flag 1.25 miles long. Ran the length of Duval Street. From the Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico.

A brilliance of rainbow colors. Took 3 months to make. Seventeen thousand six hundred linear yards of fabric sewed. Required hundreds to carry the flag in its first parade.

A special celebration today as part of the New York City parade. It will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. The gay shout to New York City police and the world that they were not going to take it any more. Harassment of gays had to stop!

Included in carrying the 100 foot flag today will be current and former Key West residents, their friends and families.

For those who are part of the LGBT movement, the flag is held in high esteem. It is considered “one of the most iconic pieces of history.”

Key West is having its own small gathering to share the New York City parade. At 6:30 this evening, a party is being held at the Sidebar. Locals will have the opportunity of sharing the flag’s unfurling and participation in the parade.

Yesterday, I wrote of human sex trafficking in the United States. Sick and perverted. Today, I share another story involving sexual madness.

Reggio Emilia is a town in central Italy consisting f 10,000 residents. Eighteen persons have been arrested. The 18 included the mayor, social workers, and psychologists.

The crime brainwashing children via physiotherapy and electric shock into thinking their parents sexually abused them. The parents lost their children as a result. The “abused” were placed in foster homes where the new parents paid big dollars to acquire a child of their own.

In the meantime, the “real parents” went to jail. The mayor and his accomplices shared hundreds of thousands of dollars. The children mentally screwed up.

A lot of sick people in this world.

Today, the last day of June. Tomorrow, the first of July.

Half the year has already gone by.

I don’t know what it is. I suspect my age. It seems like the days and months move faster at this stage of my life.

Discouraging news. Suicides in the U.S. are at their highest level since World War II.

The suicide rate increased 1 percent a year from 2000 to 2006. From 2006 to 2016, 2 percent a year.

In 2017, there were 1.4 million suicide attempts. Of that number, 47,000 died.

Suicides are at a crisis level.

Gone With the Wind. One of the most successful novels and movies ever.

Margaret Mitchell published the novel this day in 1936. The movie came out in 1939.

I have always considered Rhett Butler’s line at the end of the movie as one of the best: “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.”

The book’s version a slight bit different: “My dear, I don’t give a damn.”

A step into history. A showman’s step into history. Even if few admire it. I refer to Trump’s visit with Kim Jung Un at Korea’s demilitarized zone yesterday.

Trump elevated Kim Jung Un in the eyes of the world. The leader of the free world meeting with probably the most despotically sick person in the world.

Typical Trump. He sucks up to and enjoys being with the World’s worst persons.

At the recent G-20 meeting in Japan, Trump spent much of his time with the other bad guys. The likes of Putin and Xi. Trump thinks he is becoming “one of the boys.” I believe they recognize what he is and are taking advantage of him at every turn.

Trump thinks he did the proper thing. He believes he is bringing the U.S. closer to North Korea. That the closeness will ultimately result in North Korea agreeing to denuclearize, and eventually history will remember him for it.

The man is sick! History will recall him as the person who upset the world apple cart by his actions.

With regard to Trump’s moves as regards Kim Jung Un, forget not Otto Warmbier. The 22 year old U.S. student who was taken into custody by North Korea. His family worked diligently to obtain his return. To no avail.

Finally, Otto was returned to his family. He was comatose. He died 6 days after returning. How can Thump work with North Korea after what was done to U.S. citizen Otto Warmbier? How can his parents feel watching Trump suck up to Kim Jung Un? How can they feel when Trump says he “loves him?”

Something wrong here.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Florida ranks #3 in human sex trafficking in the United States. Which means there is a significant amount. The numbers continue to grow.

One initially thinks of young ladies being trafficked coming from France or Saudi Arabia. Not the case. Most are home raised Floridians. Run aways. Just a few miles from home. Some are still transported in from France and Saudi Arabia. The number small, however.

It is a $150 billion global criminal endeavor. Human sex trafficking surpasses the illegal sale of firearms. It is expected soon to outpace revenues from the illegal drug trade.

The greater portion of the Florida trade is centered in south Florida and the Keys. The business has grown so rapidly in recent years that it has outpaced local enforcement’s understanding of the issue and ability to cope with it.

Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach 3 examples.

Miami has the problem under control. Miami has geared its ranks to deal with the problem. Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach have not. Accordingly Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach are basically inept at dealing with sex trafficking. Yes, they do arrest. However few if any procedures are in place for follow ups. To assure prosecutorial success. Police, prosecutors, judges, and medical personnel require specific training as to how to deal with sex trafficking cases post arrest.

Miami took the time and incurred the expense to do so. As a result Miami’s success has been obvious. Miami is the largest city in Florida. Its arrest numbers are high for sex trafficking. Its conviction/pleas on the high side also compared to Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach.

Human sex trafficking exists in the Keys. Especially with under 18’s. I could locate no numbers indicating percentage of success with bringing Keys white slavers to justice.

Human sex trafficking growing. More required to deal with the problem. Florida being #3 is nothing to be proud of.

Spent some time at the Chart Room thursday night. Tammy bartending. Good friend David at the bar. One of the nicest people in Key West.

Met a terrific couple. Allie and Michael from Naples. In Key West for a long weekend.

Both around 27. Attractive, bright and interesting. Allie has a very giving job. Giving of herself. She teaches kindergarten autistic children.

Michael no slouch either. He has a Doctorate in physical therapy. Seven hard years of study. His specialty is helping patients avoid surgery. Interesting work.

Originally from Chicago, they now live and work in Naples.

Married 2 years. Allie told me they were trying to have children. She said they were “working” on it.

They indicated they would return to Key West. I hope so. I would enjoy chatting with them again.

Last night dinner at Donna and Terri’s. Donna cooked of course. She has the touch! She could make show leather taste good.

We enjoyed fresh caught fish.

I have not seen my lesbian wives in about 6 weeks. During that time, I was sick. Terri had a heart attack. Her second. Donna was in the hospital with pneumonia.

The black cloud was over us.

The last time I saw Terri 6 weeks ago, she was extremely tired. Obviously so. The doctors thought it was the many meds she takes re her cancers. They missed the actual problem. She was 99 percent blocked in one of the vessels near her heart. Stented and ok.

Lucky she did not die.

Last night, she was a new woman. The Terri I knew. Joyous, laughing, chatting away, etc.

She recently received word from her cancer doctors that her cancers are in remission because of the drugs she is now taking. A stalemate between the drugs and cancer. Better than the alternative.

Donna was in better health. I forgot to mention she was in the hospital again last week. She thought she was having a heart attack. No attack. Doctors not sure what. She is undergoing a ton of tests.

I read an interesting political comment this morning.

At this time in the GOP primary race for the Republican nomination in 2016, Jeb Bush and Scott Walker were leading with 22 and 17 per cent respectively. Donald Trump was in last place with 1 percent.

The Democratic race still too early to call.

A little World War I history I never knew till recently. U.S. infantry troops arrived in France in June 1917. Doughboys.

A problem. They were untrained, ill equipped, and far from ready to fight. Wilson had to show America’s support for the war soon after the U.S. got involved. So he sent 14,000 untrained troops for “show” purposes to France. Their next 4 months were spent training. General John J. Pershing set up a training camp. Four months later, America was in the fight for real.

More troops and equipment soon arrived. The troops had been trained in the U.S.

Seventeen months later, the war ended. An armistice was declared. In that short period of time, the U.S. sent 2 million soldiers over. Fifty thousand were killed.

It was the war to end all wars!

The G-20 meeting in Japan has come to an end. Trump smiling and appearing to make friends with everyone. He has sat down with China’s Xi. No final decisions arrived at. Trump however is holding future tariffs in abeyance to see if the treaty being negotiated can be finalized.

Then Trump can declare he “won” the confrontation.

Trump sat with Putin. Videos show the 2 amiable, both laughing. A reporter asked Trump is he had warned Putin to stay away from the U.S.’s 2020 election. Trump kiddingly turned to Putin and in a joking manner told Putin to stop. They both laughed.

History will show that Putin bullshitted Trump all the way.

Don’t forget North Korea’s Kim Jung Un. He and Trump write “love letters” to each other.

In a tweet, Trump asked Kim Jung Un to meet him at the DMZ border separating South and North Korea. They could shake hands and have a friendly conversation.

Trump is convinced he is going to convince Kim Jung Un to stop developing nuclear weapons. Trump is totally unaware Kim Jung Un is making a fool of him.

The social media companies sense the government is going to be on their asses soon big time. So they are doing whatever they can to show the U.S. government they are “good guys” and “cooperative.”

Tweeting is Trump’s favorite social media. He would be lost without it. If not able to use it, he would undoubtedly have withdrawal symptoms. Big time!

Tweet announced 2 days ago that influential government officials who used the site for bullying and abusive behavior would face consequences. The first news report looked like a bar to such conduct. Trump definitely in trouble!

I read this morning however that such tweet messages would not immediately be shown. Rather a label would show up on the screen indicating bad behavior. Then it was the responsibility of the reader to press  and eliminate it or go ahead and read it.

Trump’s messages will still get through.

Reminds me of Don Quixote fighting wind mills.

Enjoy your day!

Last night was the second evening of the Democratic Presidential debates. A new team of 10. They came to play. Not like the previous evening that lacked a punch. Probably because most of the major candidates were scheduled for last night.

My thoughts, observations, etc.

There was a major drawback. Most of the participants were into yesterday. Few spoke to any degree about tomorrow. Their thoughts  for the future of the U.S., its programs, etc.

Biden. Screwed up big time. Disappointing. Probably the best qualified. However it did not come across. Harris buried him.

They say Biden does not practice for the debates as he should. A mistake. Even champions have to get ready.

Biden had to know someone was going to come at him with his comment last week re the 2 Southern Senators from more than a generation ago. Biden’s response defensive. Biden was making the point he could work across the aisle. His message simply stated. Misconstrued by many. It became the basis to beat him up re his purported admiration and support of the segregationist south.

Biden should have been ready to pointedly and effectively jump on the defense when the issue was raised. The issue was a yesterday problem. He reacted and voted consistent with the rest of the country. One reacted to events that way. Quickly Biden should have then spelled out one of the primary issues today is police shooting blacks and offered his thoughts re the issue. Bingo! He would have taken control of the argument and thrown Harris off.

He went into yesterday on other items also. He must stop. A brief comment fine. But get on the offense quickly. Control the dialogue. Otherwise, he will not be the candidate.

I have spent considerable time evaluating Biden’s performance because I believe him best qualified to be our next President.

Harris. A fighter. Unquestionably. If she were President, the country would be in good hands. Though Biden is the more experienced and would make a better President. A Biden/Harris ticket would be a winner.

Sanders. Sad.His comments a rehash of 2016. The election is 4 years later. New times, new issues. He cannot win with 2016 alone. His poll ratings will continue falling.

Buttegieg. Love this guy! Brilliant. Perhaps the most articulate politician in years. Outshining even Obama. Not his time, however. A bit too young and his same sex marriage needs more time to take hold.

The winner last night. NBC’s Jonathan Allen said it correctly: “Donald Trump the winner of the first debate.”

Which brings me to a final point. Besides discussing present and future issues to be dealt with, the candidates should have beat Trump up a bit. From my perspective, Trump got a free ride.

Enjoy your Day!

My thoughts re the first night of the Democratic Presidential Debate.

Too many candidates. Ten last night. Ten more this evening.

Three stood out.

Elizabeth Warren. Outstanding in every respect. It was expected of her and she disappointed no one.

Julian Castro. Came out of the blue. Smart, articulate, fearless. He will move up in the polls. My sense is he could take on Trump and defeat him. David and Goliath. Physically and mentally.

Corey Booker. Going to be difficult to knock him over. A smart guy. Personal. He weaves his roots into many of his responses.

There is one candidate who got lost in the mass. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. He has accomplished much in New York City. He took its problems by the horns and came up with several significant solutions. He sees where others do not and has the capacity to come up with new and fresh programs that work.

Unfortunately, he will not go far in the Presidential race. The way it is.

Comment is required re the moderators.

The first group consisted of Lester Holt, Savannah Guthrie and Jose Diaz-Balart. They did a poor job. They were like school teachers trying to keep what they anticipated would be a rambunctious group of students in line.

The way they questioned, insisted on keeping to the schedule, nastily cutting off candidates, created a not needed tension. They forgot one of the candidates might be President and all should  be accorded respect with that in mind.

The second group of moderators were Chuck Todd and Rachel Maddow. Performed in an outstanding fashion. Kept the mood light. Permitted a bit of rambling. Made a sincere attempt to allow followup questions by the candidates themselves. Showed respect for the candidates.

Tonight another group of 10. The luck of the draw has pitted most of the leading candidates in this group. The evening should be interesting.

Enjoy your day.

The Bible tells us the way things are. It speaks as to the consequences of bad deeds. Do bad and bad will come back at you. St. Paul’s epistle to the Galatians, Galatians 6:7: “Be not deceived, God is not mocked: for whatever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

Future consequences are inevitably shaped by present actions. We all pay for our sins.

Trump has a big misdeed to pay for. He should pay every day of his life.

I refer specifically to the father and daughter who drowned recently in the Rio Grande. A photo of their bodies is everywhere.

Father, mother and daughter left El Salvador for the United States. The daughter 23 months old.

The family waited 2 months in a migrant camp in Matamoros. The temperature hit 113 degrees some days.

The family had received a humanitarian visa from the Mexican government. They could not enter the U.S. however. The ports of entry were too crowded.

They were desperate to get to the U.S.

The father swam across the Rio Grande carrying his daughter. He reached the American side. Placed his daughter on the bank. Admonished her to stay there.

He then turned and began swimming back to the Mexican side to retrieve his wife. His daughter went into the water to follow him.

He got to her in time to save her. However the current was too strong. Both died. Their bodies washed up on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande.

The photo mentioned was taken of them. Both lying face down in the murky water. Beer bottles and reeds about them.

The saddest part of the photo: The little girl had her bare arm around her father’s shoulders…..It’s ok Dad.

The little girl and her father died because of events Trump had put in place. Some not even legal. All in his effort to keep asylum seekers out of the U.S.

A fitting punishment would be for the photo to be enlarged and hung in the President’s bedroom. Opposite his bed. So every time he looked up, he would be reminded.

I am not sure it would bother him.

Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou last night. Unfortunately most topics involved Trump. He has taken over our lives.

I was able to cover Hezbollah, Archduke Ferdinand, Saudi Arabia on U.S.’s blacklist for human trafficking, Nicholas Kristof’s column on child malnutrition, Trump imposing additional sanctions on Iran, the sunday ICE raid that never took place, the detention center were 330 migrant children were maltreated, and several thousand American soldiers still at the border wall with nothing to do who were painting the border fences.

The half hour went by swiftly.

A Key Wester died on Higgs Beach.

It was mid-afternoon monday. A woman went on the beach. Saw a man lying on a towel snoring. She took some sun several feet away. Suddenly dawned on her he was no longer snoring. She thought nothing of it.

A little later she walked over to him. She was concerned he was in the sun too long and might burn.

The man Jerry Earl Hickerson. He appeared dead. She and several others gave him CPR. To no avail.

I wrote yesterday about Julius Stone, the WPA, and Key West. I forgot to mention that Diana Millikan wrote about Stone and the Pirates of Penzance. She wrote a play. Took her a year. It presently sits on a Key West director’s chair with many others. He has to read it and decide if it is worthy of producing.

I hope it is. Diana worked hard on it. She is a talented woman. It has to be good!

First Democratic debate tonight. At 9. Can’t wait. Love politics!

The Clint, Texas migrant children detention center. in the news big time the past few days. Properly so. Things were in a disaster state. As a result, 300 of the 330 children were moved yesterday to another detention center.

My concern: One hundred of them were returned in the afternoon.

Why?

The House worked late into the night. Fine tuning for the border bill to sufficient monies for Clint and other detention centers. Trump claimed he had no money to properly provide for the children. A lie. He could have taken from one account and loaned it to the detention centers account. He has done it for many things already. Like the wall, troops, etc .

The bill totals $4.5 billion.

It is different from the Senate’s bill. Means the bills go to a conference committee for resolution.

Trump says he will not sign it. The House bill only covers humanitarian needs. It strictly prohibits use of the money for ICE raids or the border wall. It is for toothbrushes, food, blankets, medical attention, etc.

Everyone better move their asses. Congress gores home shortly for the July 4th holiday. Trump probably to Mar a Lago. If so, their attitude will have been the children can suffer a bit longer.

James Bond. 007.

A new Bond movie being filmed. Bond 25. A new fresh Bond younger obviously than those of yesteryear.

It was announced yesterday that Mueller had agreed to honor the subpoenas served him and appear before 2 House Committees on July 17.

I worry about Mueller. I was all excited he was investigating Russia and Trump. A top quality man from what I understood.

His report grossly disappointed me. He did not take a final position re Trump’s involvement. Which placed the Russia/Trump issues in limbo.

I fear he may not do on the 17th what he should have done in his 400 plus page Report.

If so, it will only make matters worse.

Enjoy your day!

Prosperity has it ups and downs. Key West knew great success in the mid 1800’s. Key West at the time was the wealthiest city per capita in the United States.

The Great Depression beginning in 1929 took its toll. By the time 1934 arrived, the entire country was in the depths of the Great Depression. Key West went bankrupt. Eighty five percent of its people were on relief.

Roosevelt had formed the WPA. His intent was that public funds be utilized to bring America out of the doldrums of financial disaster.

Key West owes much to Julius Stone. He was the Florida Administrator of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration. He traveled to Key West to assess the situation.

Stone concluded that the only remedy was tourism. He envisioned  rehabilitation and beautification as the first step. Make Key West an attraction as a tourist resort.

His thought was to bring artists to Key West from other areas. They were Public Workers Art Project artists. They did paintings and murals. Tourist brochures and postcards were created. An art gallery established for sales. Art and craft classes were made available.

A choral society and dramatic organization were established. A week long festival created. The choral and dramatic groups produced Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance.

Stone’s efforts were successful. The winter season of 1934-35 brought 35,000-40,000 vacationers to Key west.

Key West was on the road again! Success!

The WPA took over from the Federal Emergency Relief Administration. The WPA continued to operate the program into the 1940’s.

Tourism took a beating following its first successful season. The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 responsible. Bridges and the railroad wiped out. Access to Key West became difficult.

A highway was completed in 1938 which connected Key West to the mainland. Tourism flourished for a number of years.

Much of the Depression Art created exists to this day. Two of William Hoffman’s large murals are on the walls of the new City Hall’s Commission Chambers. Gallery on the Greene offers some of the works for sale.

Noteworthy artists from the first batch to arrive included Stanley Wood, Avery Johnson, and Alfred Crimi. Later came Walton Blodget, Marion Crawford-Parker, and Townsend Morgan.

Hard times would fall upon Key West after the Navy left sometime in the late 1940’s. Key West was in a state of economic despair til the mid 1960’s when David Wolkowsky returned and created a new successful Key West. His story has been told many times in earlier blogs.

In a certain respect, what is presently transpiring between the U.S. and Iran reminds me of another time in history.

It was June 28, 1914. Austria’s Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were assassinated. All historians agree it was the spark that began World War I.

A July Ultimatum dated July 28 drew the battle lines. Within 2 days, sides taken. All European nations were involved on one side or the other, except for Italy. World War I had begun.

The war was an unintended result of an intended act. The Archduke’s assassination the intended act. World War I the unintended result.

What is presently transpiring today between the U.S. and Iran could result in an Archduke/World war I situation. Trump keeps pushing a war. He may not intend one. Though in this instance I suspect he does as it will be considered a major occurrence benefiting Trump’s good friends Saudi Arabia and Israel. Both who have sought the destruction of Iran for years.

Big tree from little acorns grow. The back and forth between Iran and the U.S. involve minor happenings. Till now. Who knows what will happen next. Any small episode could result in war.  A war between the U.S. and Iran would immediately result in Saudi Arabia and Israel siding with the U.S. Other Middle East nations will choose sides. Russia and China will back Iran. The beginning of World War III.

Most Americans have to be appalled by the up front news concerning the 330 children detained at a border station. Disgusting, deplorable. Unamerican. Yet Trump and his cohorts do not seem to care.

The children ages 0+ to 17 had no toothpaste, soap, clean clothes, showers, and medical care. No beds resulting in children sleeping on concrete floors. No blankets, either. Some children living in the detention center as long as 9 months. Eating the same food every day. No deviation. Eight and 10 year olds caring for infants 1-4. Flu and lice going untreated.

OBSCENE!

Trump’s excuse is that there is no money. No money because the Democrats in the House won’t vote the funds. A lame excuse.

Trump transfers funds from one account to another for the wall and other things. Why not transfer funds to care for the migrant children detained?

Something else bothers me. Does the fact that the children are Latinos have anything to do with it?

Because of the public outcry the past 3 days, 300 of the 330 children have been transferred to another detention center.

I almost forgot. There is a 2 year old girl. She cries constantly wanting to be held. Even during the night. The older girls (5-10) take turns holding her.

There is a Hell for those who treat the least of us as these children have been.

Teddy Roosevelt responsible for many sayings/quotations popular even to today. Like Maxwell Coffee…..”Good to the last drop.”

M blog has a Comment section. Do I get comments! Some rough. That’s life. My readers cover the spectrum of events from one end to the other.

Very often they conflict/argue with each other.

Some share their names. Others a home made funny one. Many are signed Anonymous.

Anonymous does not mean they are ashamed of what they write. They merely prefer not to have their name bandied about. Understandable.

The names are numbered regardless of how signed.

There is Anonymous 23.227.194.203. A solid citizen. Reflected in comments submitted. Number 23 etc. responded to something with a quote by Teddy Roosevelt concerning Patriotism: “Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the President or any other public official save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him in so far as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth – whether about the President or about anyone else – save in the rare cases where this would make known to the enemy information of military value which would otherwise be unknown to him.”

Another night in. Intended to go to Dueling Bartenders. Never made it.

Donna e-mailed me that she was at Aqua and where was I. Terri was singing. Apologized and told her I loved my bed more than Teri at the moment. She understood.

Terri is out their singing several nights a week. Amazing! Only 2 weeks ago a heart attack.

My blog talk radio show tonight. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine my time. A fast moving half hour. I rant and rave. A lot to rant and rave about this past week. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!