MY COUNTRY, ‘TIS OF THEE, SWEET LAND OF LIBERTY…..

My Country, ’tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty…..Let freedom ring!

No more. We’re losing it.

Democracy is being sacrificed on the altar of Donald Trump. Politicians more concerned with expediency rather than correctness.

Yesterday, Napoleon Bonaparte Broward. Today, Stephen R. Mallory.

Mallory of Key West fame. Confederate fame, also. Key West’s famous Mallory Square is named after him. His bronze bust sits in the Key West Memorial Sculpture Garden. One of 39 recognized for having had a major impact on Key West.

He was a United States Senator from Florida 1851-1861. During that time, he was Chairman of the Committee on Naval Affairs.

He joined the Confederacy when Florida seceded. He served as Secretary of the Navy for the Confederacy during the entire Civil War. He did an excellent job for the Confederacy.

He fled Richmond at the end of the War, was captured, imprisoned, and charged with treason. After one year, he was paroled by President Andrew Johnson.

Mallory rarely if any time returned to Key West. He settled in Pensacola where he practiced law til his death.

I spoke of the Mallory/Confederacy problem last year when the move to remove statues, proclamations, etc. of Southern supporters arose. I asked: Should Mallory Square be renamed? Should Mallory’s bust be removed from the Garden of honor?

My answer then simple. The same today. Leave well enough alone. Broward, Mallory, and all the rest part of American history. Good, bad or indifferent.

History should neither be altered, destroyed nor removed.

Attended the Key West Craft Show yesterday afternoon. Covered half the length of Whitehead. Everything on exhibit, everything for sale. Great craft!

The Craft Show has been ongoing more than 30 years.

I bought my first Jack Baron painting 20 years ago at the Craft Show. A black Madonna and Child. $3,500. My wife at the time said I was out of my mind.

I still have the painting, as well as many other Baron works. It gives me joy every time I look at it.

Visited with Diana Millikan at cocktail time at her Key West home on Hilton Haven Drive. Her tiny condo sits on a canal.

Diana and I have been working on a book together for ever so long. It seems to be taking forever to complete. We are still at the research stage. The novel intended is a history of Key West prostitution. All the way back to 1660.

Diana just returned from a trip to Haiti to attend the funeral of a friend. She was down with dysentery for three days. She said she drank bottled water. Turned out the water was bottled in Haiti with Haitian waters.

Then to the Chart Room. Shaun bartending. Quiet.

Heard a cruise ship could not dock yesterday. Wind too strong.

Spoke with Tom and Fran Dixson in Buffalo last night. They recently returned from a cruise to Cuba. Leave soon for a 2 week tour of Rome and southern Italy. They are traveling with a Buffalo area seminary. The trip includes an audience with the Pope.

Too much on  my mind sometimes. I thought the Syracuse/Pitt game was tomorrow night. It was saturday night. Missed it. Syracuse won 60-55.

Next game wednesday evening against Georgia Tech at 8. I will not miss it.

Donna called last night. They made it to Tampa. Donna hurting bad. Going to find a Tampa orthopedist today.

Terri’s testing began at 6:30 this morning. I wish her well.

New Orleans has Mardi Gras. Key West, Fantasy Fest.

Beads have been clogging New Orleans’ catch basins for years. To the point, water ain’t moving. A bead removal project underway. Estimated 93,000 pounds of beads (46 tons) to be removed. Sixty four thousand catch basins. Cost: $7 million.

Will Key West ever be so afflicted? Hope not.

We have been complaining about Russian interference in our elections. Putin has turned the tables on us. He is complaining of U.S. meddling in the Russian elections to be held March 18. The pot calling the kettle black.

There is no need for any country to attempt to influence Russian elections. Putin either kills or jails the opposition before the election.

We take automobiles for granted. To drive or ride in. There was a time when autos were new, however.

William McKinley was the 25th President of the United States. He was the first American President to ride in an auto. September 1901 in a Stanley Steamer.

Enjoy your day!

 

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE BROWARD…..HIS STATUE RELOCATED TO THE DARKNESS OF STORAGE

Napoleon Bonaparte Broward. A formidable name.

Broward was Governor of Florida 1905-1908. A man of vision. Best remembered for draining the Everglades. He knew such had to be accomplished before south Florida could develop.

Today’s Broward County was incorporated in 1915. The new County was named after the former Governor. The man was held in esteem. So much so that a statue of Broward later erected in the lobby of the downtown courthouse in Fort Lauderdale.

On September 21, 2017, the JAABlog published an article setting forth Broward’s segregationist views. Unknown to recent generations. The views were in writing. The JAABlog reprinted portions of them.

All hell broke loose! The momentum to remove the statue was immediate.

Turned out Broward was an unapologetic segregationist. He wanted Congress to provide money to purchase the property of negroes and then transport them to a territory purchased by the United States. He envisioned an all black territory. The blacks would forever be prohibited from returning to the United States.

The County Mayor is black. The 17th Judicial Circuit housed in the building was ok with a removal/relocation if evidence of racial discrimination existed. The T. J. Reddick Bar Association, a Broward County black lawyers group, supported the statue’s removal.

Many supported removal and whatever might follow. The County ‘s black Mayor justified her position on the grounds that the statue was merely a piece of art.

Others opposed. Less than those who supported the removal. The reason being Broward was part of history and his statue should be left alone. A reminder of a time not to be repeated.

In the dark of night, October 18-19, 2017, the statue was removed and placed in storage.

My opinion remains as it did a year ago when the statue problem was rampant. History is history. It should not be removed or buried. It should not be forgotten. We learn from history.

What now of the name of the County? Broward. If the reasoning for its removal is valid, then the name of the County should be changed. An all or nothing situation.

Recall that last year, I pointed out on several occasions Washington was a slave holder. His name should be removed from our Capital, the spiral monument in Washington, and his face and name from the dollar bill. Jefferson likewise should receive similar treatment. Tear his magnificent statue in the Jefferson Memorial down. And so on.

Lets not pick and chose. All or nothing at all. Otherwise, a sort of hypocrisy exists.

Yesterday, a quiet saturday for me. I worked on Growing Up Italian in the afternoon. Planned on going out in the evening. Felt tired. Remained home watching television.

I had to make an adjustment re my drug coverage. Telephoned United Health Care. Spoke with Renee in the Philippines. We took cafe of my problem and enjoyed a short chat.

Renee had never heard of Key West. I filled her in. Told her of my blog. She wanted to read it. Gave her the site. Hopefully, a new follower.

Heard from Donna and Terri last night. They made it to Fort Myers. Two more days of traveling to go.

Donna said, “Lots of driving…..too much pain.” She had just taken a pain pill and was icing her shoulder.

I came across an interesting comment yesterday…..In North Korea, people are forced to listen to propaganda. In the USA, people do it willingly. The example given FOX News.

Robin Robinson writes gardening articles for the Key West Citizen. This week’s column titled “Botanical Paintings: More Than Pretty Flowers.”

The column provided food for thought. All artists paint/painted plants and flowers. Go back in time. There were no cameras. People drew pictures of the plants and flowers.

Brought back to mind movies of old. Mutiny on the Bounty, for example. There was always some one on board drawing pictures of the plants and flowers found on the new and strange islands.

Robinson writes well. She views herself as a writer and not a botanist. In her life before Key West, she was a syndicated columnist writing for the Chicago Daily News. She is also a novelist and active with the Key West Garden Club.

Refrigerators can be expensive. Some out of sight.

Trump is getting a new refrigerator on Air Force One. $24 million. You read correctly! Actually, $23, 657,671. Seventy cubic feet. One that can keep foods cold a long time. Justification is there are  situations where a President may end up flying around for several days because of a war or other disaster.

I smiled when I read the article. Recall when Trump became President, he claimed Boeing was ripping off the U.S. re a new Air Force One to be built. Cancelled the contract in effect. Boeing came hat in hand and told Trump they would reduce the price.

Enjoy your Sunday!