THOMAS PAINE, THOMAS JEFFERSON, ST. AUGUSTINE

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Civil disobedience rumbles through our society today. One example is what is going on in California. Attorney General Sessions has brought the might of the federal government down on California via a federal lawsuit. Legal and public opposition to the suit guaranteed.

People do not like being imposed upon by their government. The California issue has to do with sanctuary cities. California is a sanctuary state. It will not assist the federal government in rounding up, etc. certain illegal immigrants for deportation.

Many cities throughout the nation have labeled themselves sanctuary cities. All considering the federal government off base in seeking a city’s assistance to arrest and deport persons they do not believe should be deported.

The people speaking.

The lawsuit is weak substantively. The President forgot there is another branch of government called Congress. Trump’s signature on a piece of paper not enough to bring the power of the federal government down on a sanctuary state or cities without Congressional passage of a bill first approving what the federal government considers should be done with illegal immigrants.

Trump’s legal beagles in a hurry to do their master’s bidding, failed once again to do things properly. The legal analysis I leave for another day. Today, I want to approach the issue of civil disobedience from the philosophical perspective.

Thomas Paine said, “These are the times that try men’s souls.”

Thomas Jefferson, “If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so.”

St. Augustine, ” That which is not just seems to be no law at all.”

An unjust law is a perversion of the law. Law is supposed to stop bad things from happening. Not make them happen.

People have refused to obey/support laws wrong in their essence many times in the past. Significant ones include the Boston Tea Party, Gandhi, and the Birmingham protest marchers.

It all turns on morality. Sessions suit is immoral. Its basis immoral. The people of California are right in saying no to it.

My yesterday began at 8:45 in the morning with a visit to Dr. Norris. My intern. My first annual physical with him.

Lose weight and you make your doctor’s day! His records indicated I have lost 24 pounds since my last visit. Love doctor scales. I am still stuck at 20 on mine.

Everything ok. Blood and urine results next thursday.

The Cuban Coffee House is next door to his offices. I had planned on Cuban toast and coffee following the examination. No way! The line too long. No question season is here.

Decided on Harpoon Harry’s for a real breakfast. Lucky to get a seat at the counter. Packed. People waiting to be seated.

I enjoyed ham, eggs and hash browns. Yes, I cheated. Felt I was entitled. Skipped the toast, however.

Last night, the Chart Room. With Catherine.

Wonderful people.

Met Charlene and Chris from the Chicago area. Charlene reads this blog! I am excited and appreciative each time I run into some one who does.

Charlene is a State Attorney. She prosecutes. Chris an attorney, also. Works with local government in Joliet.

Both past visitors to Key West.

Charlene told me she had ordered Irma and Me. I loved her even more.

Hope to see them both again before they leave.

Gayla and Jeff were sitting at the bar. We started talking. From San Antonia. Home of the Spurs! They sounded like die hard fans. As I am with Syracuse.

Frequent Key West visitors. Two grown children.

Gayla stopped by before she left to tell me she had ordered Irma and Me on her cell phone.

Love these women!

Irma and Me has achieved a degree of popularity. It has been out 3 months now. Selling. I appreciate it. Not from a money perspective. Rather the recognition it provides. I am humbled people read what I wrote.

Finally, Holly. Holly of Kevin and Holly. Holly alone. Kevin at home in Key West.

Kevin’s scooter flipped a few months ago. Kevin spent 24 days in intensive care. Beat up badly. He is on the mend. Not totally yet. I hope to run into them both tonight at the Chart Room.

Today, a Louis one. A haircut with Lori at noon. Cuban cheese toast and coffee at Sandy’s Cafe afterward. A manicure with Tammy at 5. Then, the Chart Room.

Oh Syracuse, my Syracuse! Like Mighty Casey, struck out last night. Syracuse lost to North Carolina 78-59. The evening before, Syracuse beat Wake Forest 73-64.

The ACC Tournament is over for Syracuse. The NCAA next week. Will Syracuse make the big dance? I doubt it. A win against North Carolina might have permitted it. The team came up one game short at the end I fear.

We will find out for certain Sunday night.

Last but not least, tomorrow at 6 Kate Miano’s campaign kickoff party. Everyone go! At the beautiful Gardens. Free food and drink. See old friends and make new ones!

Enjoy your day!

 

 

MAKING OF A STAR

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I want to introduce you to the real Tom Cotton. You met him ten days ago. He is the U.S. Senator who wrote the letter to Iran. The letter signed by 46 other Republican Senators. The letter sent in an attempt to dissuade the Iranians from entering into a nuclear agreement with the United States.
My initial reaction was…..Who the hell was this guy? Thirty seven years old, a Senator only 61 days. Was he being used as a front by more experienced Republican Senators? Was he looking for 15 seconds of notoriety?
He may be the new kid on the block Senate wise. Otherwise, he is a person on track by Republican conservatives to someday be President. He is unabashedly a neoconservative Republican with a tea party attitude. Groomed by the big guys and money men to lead.
One of my initial thoughts was that Cotton was an opportunist (in the ilk of his fellow Congress persons) who could be bought with contributions and perks. Anything to enhance his career. Not so. Cotton’s danger is he believes everything he says.
His background says it all.
From Arkansas, he is 37, married and has two children. Harvard undergrad and Harvard law school. Served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Two tours at the front. He volunteered the second time.
He was elected to Congress in 2012. Served one term. In 2014, elected to the Senate. In a short time, he has become the most powerful man in Washington. Notice, not one of. Rather, THE. And we didn’t know!
His Harvard senior thesis discussed our Founding Fathers and the Constitution. He claimed the Founding Fathers were wise not to put much faith in democracy because people are inherently selfish, narrow minded, and impulsive.
He defended the premise that the new country should be led by a class of intellectually superior office holders. Those whose ambitions set them apart from other men. He admitted his position might be elitist. Anyone who thought he was being an elitist was mushy headed and naive.
While at Harvard, Cotton became impressed with one of his teachers. Professor Harvey Claflin Mansfield greatly influenced him.
William Kristol was another Harvard student impressed by the Professor’s teachings. The William Kristol now Editor of the Standard Weekly and a frequent political commentator.
Kristol was a student of the Professor years before Cotton. Somewhere along the way, Kristol and Cotton met and bonded. The glue being that they thought the same way. Kristol became Cotton’s advisor/mentor.
During his one term as Congressman, Cotton introduced a bill whose language would over turn the Constitution’s  prohibition of attainder. Article I, sections 9 & 10, prohibit any legislature from declaring a person or group of persons guilty of a crime and punishing them without a judicial trial.
Kristol formed an Emergency Committee for Israel which was financially supported by those who opposed an Iran deal. The Committee gave Cotton close to $1 million in the closing weeks of his Senate campaign.
Another benefactor is Sheldon Gary Adelson.  A neoconservative opposed to any Iranian agreement. Adelson is the eighth richest man in the world,. His fortune estimated at $36.4 billion. A business magnate, he also owns the daily newspaper Israel Ha Yam.
Cotton is also supported by Floyd Abrams. Abrams is the leading American attorney with regard to issues involving First Amendment rights. A supporter of Citizens United. He interprets the Constitution being in favor of a government by the rich.
When the Hurricane Sandy relief bill was before Congress, Cotton voted against it. He said, “I don’t think Arkansas needs to bail out the Northeast.”
Cotton’s penning the Iran letter was his coming out party. A conservative superstar introduced to the world.
The frosting on the cake is that Cotton is a neocon. A neocon meteor. A uber hawk. It has been said he loves war a little too much.
Such thinking would make him a child of the military industrial complex. The rich, again. The corporations that need wars to sell their products.
Cotton bothers me. The reason he bothers me is because he believes what he says. He is not the typical politician who speaks out of both sides of his mouth, rarely takes a stand. His beliefs are so far to the right, I worry. Cotton has the blessing and support of the oligarchy. With the money of the rich and his belief in the superiority of them, he can/will go a long way.
The political mood of the country is changing. Far to the right conservatives are being elected in larger numbers. Which says to me people must want what these candidates think and preach. I fear government for the people is slipping away.