Get serious

 I keep hearing stories on television about the issue with porch pirates. I just wonder how we took to calling thieves porch pirates, like it is a cute little moniker. Aye matey, we be plundering! They are just thieves, low life individuals lacking any sense of morality. It is almost like it has become a game, how to fool the pirates. Are we going to start calling shoplifters pirates too? Why not, they are doing the same action. Or are we going to start calling all of that undocumented acquisitions. That way we won't offend anyone by calling then what they are, thieves. 

 I do not have a camera rigged to photograph any one coming to my door. I have enough problem with all the other tech stuff I do have. The town does have a few cameras on main street but nothing covering my area. Yes I know I can just buy that ring doorbell and it comes with the app and all that. In fact I purchased one as a gift for my son, that was a few years back. It still works to this day. I have no desire to have one. I am not concerned about pirates. I do order frequently from Amazon and those packages are sitting on my porch. I haven't lost any so far. I am offered a safe drop box where I can go to get my stuff if I want to do that. I don't see the point. If I wanted to go somewhere else to pick up my package I wouldn't order it sent to my doorstep. I would just go to the other place. 

 In Maryland theft under 1500 dollars is just a misdemeanor. A slap on the wrist and an admonishment to not do that again. It doesn't matter how many times you are caught either, it's an unlimited plan. The courts in Baltimore report a very high number of repeat offenders, especially juveniles. Nothing really happens to them. They are sent home and told not to do it again. Being juveniles when they become adults all of that is sealed, so you could be hiring a career criminal and not have a clue about that. Then they can steal less than 1500 dollars from your business and still just get a misdemeanor charge. Not only that they have special "programs and incentives" for those being caught, you know, to help them get on the straight and narrow. Well, their brains aren't fully developed yet so it's not their fault.

  Now it's important to know that the value of stolen goods isn't cumulative. Each theft is an individual misdemeanor. I could take a package off every porch on the block but I only get charged for the value of each package individually, not the total amount. Each homeowner would have to press charges individually. The kids, even with those underdeveloped brains, are well aware of this and use it to their advantage. Well they are just porch pirates, isn't that cute. And it is illegal for you to set up any sort of trap or device that may harm them in any way. You are subject to being sued should any harm come to the pirates. I've seen lots of videos about that, all very funny stuff, but illegal. I'm thinking they have all been staged. You can't believe what you see. 

  Times change I understand all of that. When I was a kid stealing was a very bad thing to be accused of. And like most kids I was tempted to give that a try at the 5&10. No one would notice if I just took one piece of bazooka joe. I did and Mom noticed! I got almost to the car before being discovered. I was marched right back into that store and made to confess to the cashier exactly what I had done. Mom paid for the gum, I was thoroughly embarrassed. I was told, I'll be keeping an eye on you from now on. 

After we got home I wasn't traumatized by my punishment because I knew I had earned that punishment. Yes, earning something didn't always equate to it being something you wanted. I never stole anything again. As a child I was told that messing around with the mail was a federal offense and you would go to the big house for that! You didn't open another's mailbox, you didn't open someone else's mail, not ever. Had a neighbor that was drinking, took a baseball bat and smashed a mailbox for fun. He went to jail! You don't mess with the mail! 

  Porch pirates. Thieves is what they are and they should be locked up! Should be a federal offense to steal any packages from a porch. True Amazon isn't the United States Postal service but those deliveries should be treated with the same seriousness. As far as misdemeanors I'd add them up with those juveniles. If you have now stolen over 1500 dollars worth of goods, that's a felony, even if it took you a year to accumulate that much. Yeah, no more free passes as long as you moderate you thievery! Theft is theft regardless of the price of the object. You want to be a pirate? You can walk the plank as far as I'm concerned. Steal from Davey Jones locker if you can.

                                                                                    

Passing the test

  It was discovered that a man attending fire school in the city of Baltimore was planning a mass shooting event. He had lots of guns, a plan and also planned on killing himself in the process. Now the big discussion about what could have been done to prevent that. It is being suggested that mental health examinations should have been required before allowing him in that school. Yes, I suppose that a mental health examination may have revealed he had issues. The thing is this, even if they had administered a mental health examination and determined his mental state wasn't quite right, all they can do is not allow him to attend the school. You can't be locked up, put away anywhere, until you actually do something. 

 It began in the 1950's, the closing of state institutions for the mentally ill. There were abuses no denying that and that was a leading factor in the closing of those places. Today you can't be paced in a mental facility unless you consent to that. That wasn't the case back in those days. It's a tricky thing, mental health. It's my feeling that no one of us is free from some "issue" if we were given a test. The tests themselves are very subjective and open to interpretation. One expert saying this, and another saying that. It's why the "manual" is occasionally revised. What was a mental issue yesterday, is just fine today, in fact it should be celebrated! What changed? Nothing. 

 I was interviewed by a mental health professional as a part of the qualifications to become a Navy recruiter. I guess I wasn't nuts, I got the job. I don't really remember what the questions where about. I do remember the doctor asking me if I had any questions. I replied, who decides if you are alright? He seemed offended by that question, told me his collogues performed that function, and the interview ended. Personally, I think the guy had a screw loose.

  Now I realize mental health is a hot button issue these days. I see a lot of commercials on television for products that will help with your progress. You are already taking some medications but need a bit of a boost, there is a product for that. You can put your sad face card back in your purse. By taking more drugs you are making progress. Drew Carey on the Price is Right urges you to take care of your mental health. There are billboards addressing that as well. You can get counseling online too, no need to see a therapist in person, it might even be free. No judgement! Well, isn't that the function of that trained expert? Aren't they supposed to judge your mental state? Their only course of action however is to give you a prescription! Hopefully it alters your consciousness enough that you don't hurt others or yourself. Never mind the medication may have side effects like liver failure or death, that rarely happens.

  Are we now going to require a mental health examination before you can get a job, go to school or interact with people in any way? Are we going to require you carry credentials that you're fine. Will it become like Sheldon on the Big Bang Theory? I'm not crazy, I've been tested. Sounds ridiculous doesn't it? Just what does happen if you fail that test? Those examinations are not perfect and neither is any one individual. The only legal ramifications from failing a mental health exam may be a custody battle, a criminal proceeding, where you can claim you are nuts btw, and losing your ability to make a decision for yourself. You know, when someone else wants your inheritance, estate or control of your money. Think Brittany Spears. Of course, you may be denied employment or attending a school or anything else based on that assessment. Your only course of action would be a legal challenge. Thing is, mental health can't be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. It really does depend upon that expert opinion. 

  The whole institutionalizing of those with mental health conditions, by the state through legal means, did become a disaster. Many where sent there that shouldn't have been. The conditions were generally horrible and the treatment of the patients terrible. The oversight just wasn't there. But with the closing of those institutions there are many on the streets today that do have serious mental problems. And all that can be done is to appeal to them to seek help. Yes, we are relying upon the mental patients to check themselves in. When they do not and commit some serious crimes we prosecute the crime. Sometimes we don't prosecute the crime, instead excusing it because, well, they are nuts! They can't be held accountable for that. They can be ordered into treatment at that point though. We could have prevented the crime from happening if we had institutionalized that person before the crime happened, but we can't do that. Maybe we should give everyone a test. 

  Take care of your mental health. What am I supposed to do? Should I take medications every time I feel sad, depressed or have feelings of anger? Or should I go online and talk to a therapist. Someone that can tell me, you're fine you just need to take a few medications to boost your progress. Is that taking care of my mental health, the search for reassurance and acceptance. That reassurance and acceptance must come from outside sources, otherwise I may be having a mental health crisis, becoming a narcissist or egotistical. You know that is a disorder don't you? Seek help immediately. Nothing can be done legally until it's too late! You really should get tested. Yeah, there's a form for that.

                                                                                   

                                                                         

Motivation

  Is America changing? Well of course it is. Everything changes over time. Isn't that the basis of evolution? The hope is always the changes are for the better. In nature that always means survival. An adaptation to the physical world. With governments, that isn't always the case. In fact, historically speaking, governments rarely evolve into anything better that survives. Many scholars have written about that. The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire is probably the best known of those works. Rome didn't begin as a republic, it began as a Kingdom. The romans overthrew the king and formed the republic which lasted for 450 years until it was replaced by the Roman Empire. That's when they had emperors. That surely didn't work out well in the end. 

 I shake my head as I listen to many people today wanting to change our republic into something else. A socialist state seems to be leading the pack of possible alternatives. Changes that would destroy the republic. I hear the argument that the constitution is a living instrument and should be changed, it should evolve with the times. I'd argue that it has done just that with the addition of amendments. Most notably the first ten and those concerning civil rights. Other amendments were added to favor the government itself, rather than the people. But that is a discussion for the scholars. It must be remembered that the core principles remain the same. All men are created equal, an ongoing process that continues to this day. Equality doesn't mean any one group gets the advantage over the others! The freedom to speak out and address the government when you feel wronged. That's because you are the government, not those elected to represent you. 

 When I was in grade school we did say the pledge of allegiance in the morning. It included this phrase," and to the republic for which it stands" it did not say to the democracy. You hear a lot about democracy these days, our democracy. Yeah well our form of democracy is a Republic! If history teaches us anything at all it is that we must never let our Republic decline into a democracy. Aristotle stated that plainly enough and we should heed that warning and advice. Democracies decline into despotism. It's something the Democrats like to say about Trump, that he is becoming a despot. Last I knew the legislative and judicial branches of the republic were still in full effect. That's the way the republic was designed. 

 Aristotle also said. "Happiness belongs to the self sufficient." That is exactly what the United States should be, self sufficient. Some call that isolationism. I think of it as independence. Now I enjoy getting help when I need it, I like getting goods or services that I don't have as much as anyone else. I just don't want to be dependent upon them! There's a big difference between what you want and what you need. The purpose of government isn't to provide those needs, it is prevent others from denying your ability to acquire them. That is what true freedom is. Dependence upon government is not freedom. In fact, dependence is the surrender of freedom. Dependence is what will create the necessary circumstance for a despot to gain control. When government controls your means of production, your means to provide for yourself, you become dependent upon that government. Government should be the tool that ensures your freedom, not the shackles that restrict you! 

 Motivation does not change the objective. We hear an awful lot about motivations these days. We hear about why the pilgrims came to this land, why all the others followed over the years. We hear about the search for freedom, the American dream. Yes, the American dream and just what is that dream? Freedom from government oppression. Independence! Give me liberty or give me death! What is liberty? Freedom, that's what the word means. Freedom from restrictions imposed by government. 

 Liberty to the founding fathers began with ensuring individual liberties and is dependent upon civic virtue. What is civic virtue? Their conception of that was based in Christian beliefs. Virtue and morality go hand in hand. Virtue morality is not dependent upon words written in a book, ie: the Bible, Quran or Torah, which is why we have that separation of church and state. Rather it is based on just being a good person. The whole treat otters as you wish to be treated philosophy. Charity begins at home, not in the halls of government. 

 Is America changing? You bet it is and not for the better. It is not going to be a sustainable future when the population becomes dependent upon government. It really is as Margaret Thatcher pointed out, you will run out of others peoples money. She was talking about socialism. Socialism, a system that says everything should be controlled by the community (government). The hippies in the 1960's America tried that method, calling them communes. Communes, socialists, communists, all the same philosophy. no liberty for you! Those communes all collapsed. Disheartened and disillusioned the hippies just went back home. I wonder where will we all go if the Republic collapses? We must remain vigilant! 

 Our survival depends upon our motivation. What controls our motivations? Our individual moral and ethical values. What was it that Aristotle said? Happiness belongs to the self sufficient. Are you really self sufficient when you are willing to abandon all civic virtue for personal gain? Remember the Republic can only exist when the citizens of that Republic exercise sound moral and ethical values. In short, be good people. Being a good person does not involve forcing others to provide for your wants and needs. The purpose of government is not to provide charity, it is to govern the actions of those that would not act in a moral and ethical fashion. That is the purpose of government, the rule of law. 

 What is the motivation for you to be a good person? For the religious it may be eternal life. It may be just having a sense of purpose. It could be popularity, the desire to be seen as a good person. Whatever the motivation may be, it involves a reward of some type. Seems to me it depends upon just how soon you want that reward. Urgency often leads to bad decisions. I don't have any real sense of purpose here, I'm just a tiny piece in the big picture. A single pixel. Whatever reward I receive, I will have earned, that's my feeling about that. What motivates me? Not sure about that, but I have to keep going to find out I suppose. Curiosity is a good motivator. I have observed this much, "emotions are great motivators but seldom good guides" Stay calm folks. 

                                                                                

That's illegal

  I remember when the big conversation was about black people. The "descriptor" has changed over the years from the "n" word to African Americans, at least in some circles it has. I'm not certain what the politically correct term is today and do think it is dependent upon just who you are talking too. Well, its always been that way really. It always depended upon the circumstance of social standing. But now I keep hearing about the "brown" people. I have heard politicians using that term insisting that Trump is targeting the brown people. I'm assuming they are referring to those from Latin American countries, as well as "Indians" or "Pakistanis." What are those from Somalia? According to goggle they are from Africa but are not black or Asian. It doesn't say what they are called, just that they are an ethnic group. I don't know anyone from Somalia to ask.

  The "brown" people are those in between the black and white people. Their skin tone ranges from light brown to almost black, it also includes those with "yellow" skin. I wonder how black you have to be, to be black. I do recall when I was in elementary school a couple of kids arguing with each other about just that on the playground. They were "colored" kids. My school was fully integrated as I am from the north. But one day these two were arguing, the one saying the other one wasn't black, he was brown. The other kid saying, he was too black, his parents said so. I found that interesting as I had never given any of that a thought before that time. Did the different shades hold any significance? Apparently it did among that community, at least that was the impression I got from that argument. I never asked. 

  Now all these years later the brown people are being discussed. I guess we didn't have any brown people when I was in grade school. At least no one I ever noticed. There was this girl on the bus that looked different, I was told she might be from Mexico or maybe Puerto Rico as she had that long black hair and a darker skin tone, not like a good tan, but tan anyway. I was interested, she was not. 

 The brown people are being deported! Well, could be that is because those brown people came from another country and are not Americans. If I were living in Mexico or India I would expect people to think, he's a white guy, probably not from here. If I couldn't speak the language, or read it, that would be a real good indicator as well. Nothing prejudicial about that, just logical thinking is all. If I want to find a potato, I'm not looking in the cabbage patch. I'm not prejudiced against potatoes, just know where they are most likely to be and what they look like. 

  It's a funny thing these descriptors we use. If you give an accurate description of the individual you are often accused of being prejudiced! You may even be told you are stereotyping people. The police have taken to using numbers, like a number one male. That's a black guy, number two is a white guy. There is no number for the brown people though. No numbers for all the other genders either. Not sure how they report all that on their radio and in their reports, I'd have to ask a cop.

 Consider those black people. They have what type of hair? The official term is type 3 and Type 4, characterized by it being curly and s shaped. Afro-textured in polite company. Is that a stereotype? No, it is just the most common type of hair found in black populations. What about brown people? Google says that is a "racial classification" usually a political and skin based category. Everyone is skin based just not political?  And white folks, why we are just all prejudicial people, we are prejudiced against the black and brown people. What do white people look like? We have white skin. 

  In 1908 a play by Israel Zangwill titled "The Melting Pot" popularized that term. America was the great melting pot. Immigrants came here to assimilate into American society. That was the dream, to become a citizen of the greatest nation on the face of the planet. Those immigrants were well aware of the requirements to be met to obtain that status, citizenship. It began with legally entering the nation, obtaining the necessary documents to live and work here. The objective was to become an American. It wasn't to change American values, traditions, moral or ethical standards or impose their ancestors traditions and customs on Americans. 

 The objective was to integrate those with America. It requires the abandonment of all those traditions and values that do not align with America. The ideal is to have a blended society, all melted together to form one nation. An American society. It may have started out with predominately white people ( Europeans) but has always welcomed anyone that wanted to immigrate here. It's true in 1917 an immigration act was passed to prohibit certain folks from entering the country.  "According to the law, these included “all idiots, imbeciles, feeble-minded persons, epileptics, insane persons … persons with chronic alcoholism; paupers, professional beggars,” and those with tuberculosis and other contagious diseases. It barred felons, polygamists, prostitutes and their traffickers, and – similar to Trump’s ban – it blocked entry to those who “advocate the overthrow by force or violence of the Government of the United States, or of all forms of law” and anyone who would “advocate or teach the duty, necessity, or propriety” of killing of US officers or officials. " 

  I don't know about you, but all that seems reasonable enough to me. We have enough of those born here, we don't need to import any! Prejudicial or just common sense? You decide. In 1882 all Chinese were banned for ten years. That was a reaction to a very high unemployment rate and the Chinese were thought to be impacting that in the mining business. There are other instances and if you read about them they all made good sense at the time and circumstances of their implementation. Remember, hindsight is always twenty/twenty but is often viewed through a different lens. If you were not there to view it you really don't see the whole picture, only what has been reported. I realize it is shocking to some but we really aren't told everything! There are some things that are just none of your business. 

 Prior to 1875 immigration was a state controlled thing. Basically the borders were open and entry was allowed with the various states having different requirements. Then in 1875 the Supreme court decided that immigration was a federal responsibility. The court was predominately Democrats. So the immigration act of 1875 was established. That's the quote I included earlier, about not allowing feeble minded folks and all that into the country. Later, the Chinese exclusion act made it a federal crime to import Chinese people here against their will to work in the mines and railroads, no sex workers allowed and no pimps! 

 Really it was a protection for those Chinese that were being shanghaied and coerced into coming to America. That act was passed by a Republican majority in Congress. Sounds like a good idea to me, to protect the Chinese folks from that. It basically put those kidnappers, smugglers and human traffickers out of business! Yes, I'd say a wise decision, even though it may have hurt some peoples feelings. As for interring the Japanese during WW2 I ask you this, if another nation declared war on us, bombed our land and killed thousands wouldn't you be a bit suspicious of any of their citizens living here? It really is quite a reasonable reaction. It's no different than wandering into the wrong part of town, you can expect to be attacked. You might not, but are you taking that chance? It's called security. 

 The naturalization act of 1790 established the rules for gaining citizenship. There was residency requirement and naturalization was limited to "free white People." Just who was a white person? That wasn't defined and varied greatly from place to place. Today we are attempting to define what a woman is; guessing we haven't made that much progress after all. You don't want to hurt anyone's feelings you know. We feel like we have a handle on the white and black folks, the brown people, not so much. Brown people are just the in-between bunch, not white, not black. We do know that a good number of the brown people in America today aren't here legally. When they can't read or speak the language the suspicion grows. When their names appear on ICE documents for apprehension it's a pretty good bet that they are illegally in the country. 

 It became obvious in 1875 that we needed to control immigration. We really do need to know who is coming in the door. It isn't about race, it is about security. You don't leave your door open for just anyone to wander into your home. No, you want to know a bit about that individual. That's called documentation. Without any documentation you can't know for sure. That's why the bank just doesn't take your word for it when making a withdrawal or granting you a loan. Undocumented withdrawals are called theft! Yeah, robbing the bank. That's illegal. So is being in my country without any documentation of your entry. And it doesn't matter how long you have been here, just like it doesn't matter how long the money has been in the bank. You need documentation! Simple really. 

                                                                              

                                             If you have one of these, you have nothing to worry about. 

                                             

Generations

  The first day of December, already. In just one month a quarter of the century will have passed. Isn't that amazing? It is if you are a member of the boomer generation. We really are the first generation to be commonly identified in that manner. We took to calling our parents the greatest generation. Now I'm losing track of what generation is what. Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z, Gen Alpha and Gen Beta is on deck. When it comes to these generation's, a ten year span seems to be the defining time period. A generation is generally considered to be twenty years when doing ancestry. Guess we are getting in a hurry these days. 

  We boomers are generally dismissed by succeeding generations with a simple phrase, OK boomer. A definite shift in philosophy. Whereas we called our parents the greatest generation, they call us boomers as a dismissive term. I can't help but wonder if that isn't our own fault. I'm thinking we did name them right though, our parents were the greatest generation of Americans. Things have been going downhill ever since. No one to blame but ourselves for that. Now it wasn't everyone, but apparently it was enough that tuned in, turned on and dropped out. Maybe having witnessed the greatest we just lost our confidence and gave up. Many certainly surrendered independence for dependence! 

  My dad was born in 1924. He fought in WW2. His generation was called the silent generation, Sometimes called the traditionalist or builders. The greatest generation is considered to have begun in 1928, although I have always included by father as a part of that. The actual years are a bit murky, even among scholars. My thinking is an awful lot depends upon just who raised you. My dad was raised by his grandparents and so influenced heavily by their standards and beliefs. Interesting to note is that great grandfather Floyd was born in 1878 and according to the scholarly charts of generations his was the lost generation or the greatest generation! First time I've read that. 

 I have checked a listing of generations and noticed that in general each generation is lasting a bit shorter in time. All of that is of course very subjective. We try to explain the past in todays terms. I don't believe you can ever really do that. It's like attempting to explain things like slavery. There were times when that was considered a perfectly acceptable practice and in some places it is still practiced. There was a time when public hangings were performed, as a deterrent to crime, a show of justice. Most felt that was fair enough. People even went to those like we would go to a concert. The older we get the more we begin to understand and accept the past for what it was. That is because we lived that past. We do have an alternative opinion on that past as well. What is being taught in school may or may not align with our view of that history. 

 In just a few years I will have witnessed 3/4 of a century. The hope is to make it to one. Statistically speaking, less than 1% of the population will make that mark. I'm thinking I will one of them. I have some ancestors that did accomplish that, but it is less than 1%. It isn't anything I often think about or a cause of great concern. It's just a fact of life. I guess with Christmas approaching and this year to include a great granddaughter my awareness has been raised just a bit. She is a member of Generation Beta. Born January 8th, 2025 the beginning of that generation. I wonder what history she will have witnessed when the century turns again. I wonder will she read my history and wonder about that. "My great grandfather only had a black and white television, with vacuum tubes in it when he was a child. Can you imagine what that was like? " My great grandfather had a taxi, it was a horse and buggy. Can you imagine that?   

                                                                                   

Taken from the pages of the East Hampton Star newspaper. The buggy on the right is my great grandfather operating his " Main Steet Taxi"  

                                                                          

                                                                     Elliotte, generation Beta

                                                                              

                                                                                    

decided

  Reading over some of the comments and commentary on my timeline/memories page or whatever I was struck by a recurring theme. I fully support this or that, but I fully support your opposition to this or that. I saw that over and over again. I heard my fathers voice saying, either shit or get off the pot! That is exactly how I feel about that. You can't fully support anything while supporting those working against that. An example is the whole gay marriage thing. You either need to say I believe it is wrong, or I believe it is right. I believe it is wrong. That's as plain and simple as I can make that. Do I think those folks should be physically harmed in any way for that? No, but it shouldn't be legally recognized as a marriage. At best, a civil union affording them the tax benefits that come with being married. Beyond that, nothing. Another is the desecration of the flag. You either need to believe that doing that is wrong or you don't. You can't say I love the flag and proclaim some deep love and devotion to it while saying, if you want to spit on it or burn it that's your right. No, for me it doesn't work like that. I would codify the sanctity of that flag and make it punishable by law for any violation of that law. You can't do that here! Simple, direct and no nonsense about it. A hate crime. 

  In more recent years there is becoming an increasing amount of dissention regarding the practice of a certain religion. I'm talking about Islam. I'm old enough to remember when Cassius Clay changed his name to Mohamed Ali because he converted to Islam. He also refused to be drafted. He cited religious beliefs for that. Well, in my opinion that was a line of crap because those Muslim folks have a long history of fighting wars, of defending their nations and their beliefs. Instructions for that are even included in their religious texts! It strikes me odd how so many "African Americans" now proclaim Islam as their religion. Guess they have forgotten how their ancestors were sold to Muslim traders that forced them to convert to Islam or be tortured, enslaved or killed. That's how Islam came to Africa! It was never any tribal religion. 

 Yes Christians have done the same, just as vigorously and ruthlessly as any other religious group in the world but that has nothing to do with anything. Today the issue is the implementation of Sharia law on American soil. Those laws are derived from the Quran and so that means a religious basis for that law. We don't have that in the United States of America. To allow that is to be in direct conflict with the constitution! You can't have it both ways. If you have any doubts about any of that ask a Democrat about the constitution! 

 They are all expert on what it contains. The separation of church and state tops their list. Strange though how it is the Democrats that insist Sharia law must be honored and respected! The Democrats are importing the practitioners of that by the hundreds of thousands. Another instance of, I believe this but you can do as you please and I will support that. As a Christian I of know of no commandments, no instructions to attack anyone, to lie, cheat or steal to advance the cause of Christianity. I know of no directives from any denomination of Christianity that is in direct opposition to the constitutional rights of any American citizen. That certainly can't be said about Sharia law. In some Muslim nations that is the principle guiding law. We can not allow that to gain a foothold here. 

  We often hear, this country will be destroyed from the inside and Lincoln is often used as the source of that. Well, he did say something similar, although it isn't a direct quote. This is a paragraph of what he actually said: "At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide." I'd say it is indeed springing up amongst us as I'm writing this blog post. We are committing suicide by inaction! By the refusal to "take a stand" and enforce those core beliefs that were established by the constitution, by allowing that opposition, and supporting that, we are killing ourselves! 

   "A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within.  (Ariel Durant)   In my opinion we are working on that, vigorously. We need to rid ourselves of the cancer eating at our very soul. You start that process by making a choice! Then you stand by that choice, unwavering in your belief that you are right. You can't be wishy-washy about that." Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient Causes; and accordingly all Experience hath shewn, that Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while Evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the Forms to which they are accustomed." Is that familiar to you? It should be and what is it saying? It's easier to just go along with things than to enforce or change them. In more modern parlance,  grow a set! 

                                                                                   

  

Tradition

  Saw a little thing on the evening news about black Friday. It began with the opening of the doors at some store and people literally running through the door. They look frenzied! That was the first thought I had about that. Racing and rushing to be the first to do what? Take advantage of a sale that will last all day, if it hasn't already been offered for the last week and will last until Christmas day itself. Then they spoke with one lady that explained that she just loved that, it was a family tradition! A family tradition of greed? That's what I thought about that. A family tradition that involves camping outside a store for hours and then attempting to push your way in. A tradition, really? 

  The news story went on to explain how it is expected that this holiday season consumers will spend more money than ever before! Well, they will charge more than ever before, another tradition I assume. With all the recent reporting on how so many need snap and ebt benefits, how the baristas need a union and a raise, how McDonalds cashiers should be earning $25.00 an hour I have to wonder where all that money is coming from for that shopping. They can't buy food but they can charge gifts? Over forty one million people are collecting snap. That's about 12% of the entire population so I guess the remaining 78% are doing all the buying, in such a tough economy, one that is oppressing the middle class, making it almost impossible to pay the bills. Luckily it hasn't hit the Christmas shopping market.

  So we have black Friday, small business Saturday and cyber Monday. All days devoted to consumerism. Get out there, or stay at home on your computer, and spend that money. The bargains are out there and you should be taking advantage of them. It doesn't matter if you need the items or not, just buy it if it is a deal. It is a make or break deal for a good number of businesses and that has been the case for many years now. Some how over the years Christmas has become defined by the number of gifts purchased. We have been busy removing Christ from Christmas for a good number of years now as well. Remember when you weren't supposed to call it a Christmas tree anymore, it's a holiday tree and seasons greetings! And now the grinch is replacing Santa Claus. Cindy Lou Who is more likely to be the hero of Christmas with the young children today than baby Jesus. More know that story.

  Black Friday traditionally was a term applied to days that were very bad days. It wasn't a positive thing at all. The first use of it in America was in 1869 when a few rich guys attempted to control the gold market. President U.S. Grant ordered the federal reserve to release a lot of gold which made the price drop by 18%. That ended the plan by those rich folks. One of them was related to Grant himself. Black Friday was associated with financial collapses and catastrophes. Today we think of it as the time businesses go into the black, referring to the black ink in ledger books. Some historians insist Black Friday was used earlier in the 18th century because slave auctions were typically held on Fridays. Some claiming that was especially true right after Thanksgiving. Never mind that Thanksgiving day wasn't a thing until 1863 when Lincoln proclaimed that. 

  Watching that spectacle on television of people rushing into the stores, of all the excitement and anticipation of sales, and it being a tradition now, I do think the name is fitting. It is a black day in America. A day devoted to conspicuous consumerism! It's all about the sale, getting that bargain, and the devil take the hindmost. It's all about unrestrained emotion. Small children will typically rip into their Christmas gifts in that manner. Just grab them, rip them open and reach for the next one. As we age we typically learn to restrain ourselves just a bit, unwrapping our gifts slowly and admiring them a bit before going to the next one. In fact, that is what we are taught is the proper thing to do. Well except on black Friday that is, then you can act like a greedy, selfish, person intent on getting what you want! It's fine if you are buying! Why, acting that way is now a tradition! 

                                                                           

                                                                                       

                                                                                     

                                                                                                

                                                                                    

                                                                                           

Transference

  Christmas is a time to exchange gifts. That is what we hear quite often but that wasn't the original intent. For Christians it was God giving us the gift of his son. A man on earth that could relate directly to us mere mortals. Made in the image of God we are not flawed in any way, we are his perfect creation. Except, in that creation free will was part of the programming. You might call that, artificial intelligence. It has had unintended consequences, at least at one time requiring a do-over of sorts. All people except for a chosen few were wiped off the planet. Still, free will remained and has continued to be used in unexpected, unintended fashion. We were given a gift but have failed to recognize the significance of that gift. Nothing was asked in return for that gift, there was no exchange. 

  I was thinking about gifts this morning and this practice of exchanging them. I thought that many times we do not recognize the gift at the time we receive it, sometimes it takes years to see that. That happens when what you are trying to give to someone is sentiment not a physical object. It's the thought that counts expresses that thought. We hear that and think, that just means they didn't spend a lot of money on the gift. I suppose that is true to a degree, especially I think when we are younger. With age, hopefully comes a measure of wisdom, of understanding. That requires a distancing from yourself. The gift isn't about getting what you want, it is about intent. 

 How much thought did the person giving you that gift put into that? When someone puts a great deal of thought into that they are trying to give you a piece of themselves, or a piece of sentiment for you to hold as treasure. The everyday things, the gifts we exchange that hold little meaning are appreciated, it's the thought that counts, but how long will they remain with you? I do not have a single Christmas gift from my childhood or early adulthood. The gifts that satisfied the moment. Among those gifts I'm certain where those that were given with quite the opposite intent. If there is a fault in that, it is in my failure to recognize that sentiment. It is also the sentiment I hoped for when giving them a gift. Isn't that the the joy we wish to bring them? That is the intent. But we humans tend to want immediate gratification, instant happiness. We sometimes fail to see what is right before our eyes. 

 And that's the thing about gifts and gift giving. They should not require an explanation. But that explanation holds the sentiment you wish to express, to impart to the one you have chosen to receive that gift. You are attempting to give that person the thought. When you have to explain the significance of the gift the significance is often lost on the one receiving that gift. What you are trying to do is create a transference of sentiment. That is quite the difficult task in my opinion. It does fall within the confines of one mans trash is another mans treasure. It's the thought that counts. A true gift isn't getting what you want, but in getting something you may not know you need. The trick, if there is one, is in accepting that gift. That is what gratitude is all about. Gratitude draws the mind into closer touch with the source from which the blessings come( Wallace D Wattles) A gift requires no exchange, only gratitude.

                                                                                  

                                                       This is a card my father made for his grandmother

                                                        about 1930 or so. She held onto that until her death in 1956.

                                                        It was a gift and she was grateful for it. Is it thought or                                                                                sentiment?                         

obligation

  Feeling a bit sentimental this Thanksgiving morning, remembering what is was like when I was a child at home. I had my last thanksgiving at that home probably 55 years ago. I honestly can't say I remember that. Our thanksgivings weren't anything like the ones on the Hallmark channel. I do remember one year my Uncle Elwood, with his family, came to dinner. They had traveled all the way from Chicago. I remember that so well because it was so unusual, so different. It never happened again as far as I know. Thanksgiving dinner for us was always just immediate family, with that one exception. 

  Dinner would be about three in the afternoon. There was no football on the television then, at least none I was aware of. The television would be on for the parade. The highlight of that parade was seeing Santa Claus for the first time. You didn't see much of old St. Nick before that in those days. You knew it was a holiday because everyone had to stay close to home. My older brothers might go hunting in the morning but weren't allowed to stray very far. Dad was home, in the kitchen with Mom and that was unusual. Dad always made the gravy, that was his specialty. Looking back if cooking something involved lard, bacon grease and cast iron frying pans, that is what Dad did. 

 Our home was three bedrooms, two and half baths, a kitchen and the living room. There was no dining room. On thanksgiving though the living room became that dining room. We had to take the kitchen table and move into the living room. Mom explained to me, you can't have thanksgiving dinner in the kitchen! That just wasn't acceptable, as thanksgiving dinner is special, also the reason we said grace before that meal. We never said grace any other time at any other meal. Not only that, you had to get dressed up in your Sunday go to meetings. 

  Thanksgiving was a family thing, an immediate family thing. My mom had several sisters and brothers that lived in town but I don't recall any of them ever coming for dinner. I don't recall ever going anywhere else for that dinner either. I had a lot of cousins too, most I never knew even when I went to school with them. Thanksgiving was just a special day, always celebrated but no big deal either, if you get my meaning. We had the traditional turkey. It involved jellied cranberry sauce and rutabagas. Those were the two items that made it special for me and still do. It was also one of the few days when you had celery sticks with peanut butter or cream cheese. A cheese ball may be involved. Mixed nuts filled that bowl on the coffee table. And Dad, dad had figs and dates. Disgusting stuff those and long since left off the menu with me.

  Today will be the first thanksgiving for my great granddaughter. Her Mom, a nurse, has to work and so they won't be able to attend dinner at my sons house. They plan on celebrating this weekend. They live an hour and a half away. I'm quite aware of all of that. I will be sharing thanksgiving at my sons house. We are expecting about eight people to be in attendance, possibly a couple more. My son doesn't have a dining room either but he does have a large kitchen. Well, I say it is the kitchen, but you could call it the dining area of the kitchen. That's the more modern way, the modern layout of homes these days. You just don't see many formal dining rooms anymore. 

  Thanksgiving is a formal dinner. That's the way I was raised anyway. You had to get dressed up for that occasion, say grace, and use your best table manners. There was plenty of food, a big variety and you were encouraged to try it all. I can also hear the admonishment to eat everything on my plate because there were starving children somewhere that didn't get thanksgiving dinner. I also remember Mom making a plate for a bachelor neighbor of ours. Donald was his name, a nice man who had one hand that was deformed. Mom said that is why he was alone, she knew him when they were in high school. My sister and I would take him thanksgiving dinner. It was the only day of the year we did anything like that. It wasn't that he needed that food, he had plenty, as Mom would say, but it was the thought that counted. Everyone should have thanksgiving dinner. 

  So those are some of my memories of thanksgiving at home. It's strange because I really don't remember many of them at all. The one when my Uncle came stands out because it was unique. Others I vaguely recall. I remember the preparation for that meal more than the actual meal. It is proof that anticipation is often better than the event itself. A great deal of that is being lost today in my opinion. I don't think thanksgiving is as anticipated today as it was back then. The holiday season has really turned into a season! You might see Santa Claus hanging out with the Easter bunny these days. Black Friday is more anticipated than Christmas day. I admit I was never real excited about thanksgiving. It is more of an "obligation" to tradition than anything else, somewhat of a chore really. But, I would be sad if I didn't celebrate it too. 

                                                                                

                                                             Elliotte, her first thanksgiving. 

                                                                                 

Discovered

  I'm big on homemade. I believe that stems from my childhood where a good deal of what we had was homemade. We built what we wanted, fixed what we had or went without. It wasn't anything special, we didn't give any of that much thought, isn't that what everyone else was doing? Well, except for the rich folks that is, and I wasn't friends with any rich folks. Getting brand new, store bought items was a treat when it came to the "fun" things. The fun things are those things you don't actually need, you just want them, for fun. I would collect bottles and get some change, sometimes buying candy or chips with that and at others saving them up for something larger. I'm not saying I didn't get store bought things like toys and clothes, I sure did. But I got far more practical things than I did trivial. 

 I do have a good number of things that are homemade, collected over the years. My mother did all those mom things, knitting, crochet, needlepoint, sewing and the like. Later in life she took up painting and I have a few of those. I have some of those items from my aunts as well. My wife has made tons of crocheted items over the years. Some of those items hold special memories and others are just relics. Every one holds some measure of importance to me personally. To others I realize it is just old stuff somebody made. Remnants of the past. As with all of my stuff I do think about what will happen to it after my time. It does bother me to think it would just be thrown away or donated to Good Will without any "provenance" accompanying them. 

  The "provenance" is what makes something valuable after the original creator/owner disposes of that object. You have to be someone of note for that provenance to add that value, either that, or the object itself has to hold historical significance in some fashion. The objects, possessions and creations of the ordinary folks holds no value beyond sentiment. Without sentiment those things become the sediment of a life. The stuff that sank to the bottom, usually considered worthless and in some instances not desirable at all. What I have are sentimental objects in jeopardy of becoming that sediment. I feel an obligation to somehow save then from that fate. I want to keep their stories alive. The only way that will happen is by association. Fact is, I'm not a person of note. No fame, no extreme wealth, I'm not even notorious. No one that ever had any of those things fall into that category. My ancestors, as near as I can tell, were always just the common everyday folks in society. No provenance. 

  I tell myself everything has a time. All the trappings of everyday life will one day disappear, be replaced or discarded. We build museums to hold our greatest treasures. Works of art, objects from the long ago and all manner of sentimental things. The best of the best! And all of that is subjective. There are works of art hanging in galleries around the world that I wouldn't give you a dollar for but they have been declared as masterpieces! The opposite is true as well. I recently read where a comic book sold at auction for 9.2 million dollars! It was Superman number 1. Is it worth it? It is to whoever bought it but not to me. But then I don't have 9.2 million dollars to play around with. Good for whoever does I'm not jealous or envious. 

  I remember going to my grandparents house. It was filled with all kinds of old stuff. Funny old things that Nana had or Gramp used at some time in the long ago past. There were coal scuttles, goose wings sweeps to clean out the stove, and gramp even had a genuine buffalo robe blanket. Their houses were a bit mysterious to me as I wasn't allowed to just roam freely throughout the house. I didn't go upstairs alone, only when they decided to give me a quick tour to satisfy my curiosity. Bedrooms with old beds and old pictures on the walls. I little creepy to a small child, the silence of those rooms. I wasn't aware of that at the time but those homes were a sort of museum of their lives. I look around my own home today and I'm starting to get those museum vibes. The old, but very familiar things to me, mostly overlooked, things are just there. Memories sitting on shelves, hidden in the corners, or hanging on the walls.

 Will any of these things be curated? To be curated it takes a professional, an expert in those things. Only those things of value get curated, everything else is relegated to trash. One mans treasure is another mans trash, is an old adage that describes what I'm thinking about. It's all treasure to me. The value lies in memories, connections to the past, to what was. I do have a few objects worthy of curating, I believe.  Great Grandfathers mantle clock, sold by Tiffany and Co. , Great Great Grandfathers civil war belt buckle and a few other things like that. By far, the majority will just wind up as trash, memories discarded. Makes me sad to think about that. 

 I've written all this several times before and most likely I will again. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I have this card, home made by my mom. It was the last card she ever sent me. I rediscovered it a while back in my box of treasures and decided to frame that. I looked up at it this morning, noticing it once again. Memories of her flooded my mind and memories of Thanksgivings at home. Home is that sentimental place we all retreat to when we feel a little sad or down. The past is a comfort for the moment. That card now hangs next to a handkerchief embroidered by my great grandmother for my father while he served in WW2. It has the symbol of his unit on it. Those are treasures. Those are the things I think about. How long will they survive? As long as the memory lives. I think that memories aren't created, they are discovered. Usually it is accidental. Everything else is curated.    

                                                                              

Nuanced

  I made a posting concerning Pilgrims. It was pointed out to me that I had confused my pilgrims with puritans. Not much one can do about that but accept it. It is true that they are different groups. As a result of that I did a bit more reading regarding all of that. According to some pilgrims and puritans came from the same religious movement, separatist. The desire was to separate themselves from the catholic church. Inspired by Martin Luther and John Calvin products of the protestant reformation. The pilgrims ventured to America first and were followed by the puritans. They held many of the same views, the motivations were the same, it was just the manner in which they went about accomplishing that goal that differed.

 I did read a bit about all of that, enough to satisfy myself and gain a bigger understanding. What I quickly realized was in school I hadn't been taught the nuances, just a generalization of the history. It's true I only have a high school diploma, I never attended a college or university, never studied history in any real depth. I can only assume that those nuances are what is taught in furthering education. So yes, I did get my puritans and pilgrims confused. The pilgrims came to America to practice their faith without interference from government. They signed the Mayflower compact, a sort of precursor to our constitution. The puritans came a bit later with the same motivation, to practice faith unencumbered by government intervention. They were the group at Plymouth rock, a sort of second generation pilgrim. A bit stricter. 

 Both groups were motivated to migrate to a land were they felt they could be free to practice their beliefs. Each group also needed a means to get here. The pilgrims were financed by the Merchant Adventurers, a group seeing a potentional for profit in the fur trade, among other ventures. The puritans relied upon themselves and their patrons. There were individuals willing to provide cash and possibly a ship for the voyage anticipating a return on that as well. The main thing was to break free from the catholic church and the church of England. That is why they were called separatists. They did want to be a totally separate group. The church of England is a protestant group, but the pilgrims and puritans felt it retained too many trappings of Catholicism. 

 Since that time, the establishment of the many denominations has taken pace. Each denomination establishing its' own method of worship. That is to say, the practices, the nuances of motivation involved with all of that. Those of us raised in religious households are taught the nuances associated with the faith. I was raised in the Episcopal church and became quite familiar with the ceremonies and rituals. I did occasionally attend the churches of my friends and noticed the differences, And today it wouldn't be unusual for a church to have a stage instead of an altar and a band instead of an organ. Just some of the differences in practice. 

 I have lived long enough to see nuance turn to expression. In a religious context, nuance turned to piety. I'm certain if we could attend one of the services conducted by a puritan or a pilgrim we would be shocked. The motivations of the parishioners may indeed remain the same, salvation, eternal life, forgiveness of our sins, but the method of obtaining that varies widely. Many churches still requite the giving of tithes. 10%, a tenth, according to biblical tradition intended to support the church and its' work of saving your soul. That has become more nuanced over the years. The actual practice of worship has always varied greatly, from the solemn services associated with the Catholic church to the party atmosphere we may experience today. 

 The pilgrims were separatists, viewed as a nuisance. They did migrate to Holland for a while but became disillusioned in that land. There were far too many secular people there. For that reason, among other practical reasons, they sought a new land, a new place to make a start. They joined a group of others, not pilgrims, on the ship we know as the Mayflower. They received funding from the Merchant Adventurers, an investment group in England. The pilgrims were not religiously persecuted, just troublesome and viewed as a threat by some to the established order of things. The puritan separatists came a bit later and had become a real problem and so were persecuted, harshly. They pooled their resources and headed to the "new world" anticipating establishing a colony of their own, with their beliefs and practices. They also figured it could prove a very profitable adventure. 

 So there a subtle difference, a nuanced difference between a pilgrim and a puritan. I don't think we were taught that in grade school because of the complexities involved in all of that. It is far easier to simply teach the basics. You start learning to play an instrument one note at a time. We were just told the story and the two became intertwined. Sort of like talking about a chevy and ford, same thing really, but with some differences. The Pilgrims had the first thanksgiving, that part in true, but it isn't what we think of today. The natives provided the food and the pilgrims were thankful, grateful to them for that. That's where the Thanksgiving came from, giving thanks to them. There was no turkey. But don't let the details ruin a good story, the moral of the story is the same, be thankful, generous and giving to your fellow man. Let us give thanks! 

 I ask you this; is a kindness more; or less kind, if the one receiving the kindness knows the motivation? Is the real intent important? Do you need to know the why? Pilgrims and Puritans. Who followed them? The colonists. They were financed by the holder of charters from the Queen of England to control defined "plantations" in the new world. England was big on plantations. The colonists did come seeking freedom and the ability to make their own way and were financed by those anticipating a profit. That's the part we usually don't hear much about until we get to the, no taxation without representation part of the story. It's a nuance overlooked for the most part. We weren't told about that in grade school either. No the colonists just came here seeking freedom! Had to fight  the land, the Indians and the British! 

                                                                                 

 The Pilgrims are the group of Puritans who landed at Plymouth Rock on December 21, 1620, marking the establishment of the first permanent European settlement in New England. 

That is what Wikipedia says. Pilgrims or Puritans. Apparently they were both, Puritan Pilgrims or Pilgrim Puritans. Six of one, half a dozen of the other.   

shared memories

  Just about two years ago I built a physical representation of my memories of home. I was very fortunate that I had someone, a person that to the best of my knowledge never knew me personally or met me for that matter, went to the expense, the time and trouble to mail me a single red brick. This was no ordinary brick however, it was a brick taken from the fireplace my father had constructed in my childhood home. That house has been taken down, time having caught up to the structure. Still, I know and appreciate the fact that at least one piece remains. I, of course, have written about all that in the past. The story has been recorded should anyone care to read and research that. To research, to investigate that in a systematic fashion to determine the facts. A lot of folks doing just that these days. Personally, in most cases I just enjoy the story and do not concern myself with the research. 

  Now this replica fireplace I built was made to hold a tea candle in a recessed area. When it is lighted all you see is the flame. It is the flame we all watch when a fireplace is burning after all. There is just something primeval about watching a fire, any fire or flame. Something we inherently know is dangerous, that can destroy everything, but when contained becomes an ally. We stare into those flames and our thoughts wander the universe, rising with the heat. When I light my little fireplace my thoughts wander to home, the home I knew as a child. And that, that is always home no matter where you go in life. That is the beginning. My memories are contained in that tiny flame. I built that replica in an attempt to preserve all that, to share with future generations. The reality is, the best I can hope for is it becomes a curiosity. 

  I have written, " we are ultimately what we leave behind, not in physical things, but in memory" and I haven't changed my mind about that. Still, I don't think it can hurt anything to leave a few reminders around either. Like small children circling things in the Sears wish book, it's a reminder. We all like to tell tales and share stories. We especially enjoy telling others about things they don't know but we do. That is the basis for all "news" telling the story of who, what, where, when and why. It's our story. I'm attempting to explain the why portion of my life in many of these blogs. It's a biased opinion however and the research is flawed. For that reason I'm presenting a physical representation of my memory. We often here about memories being created, but in my experience, memories are discovered. You won't know the value of that memory until years later. And often that is all that is left, the memory. 

  What happens to our memories when we are gone? Do they live on with our spirit? Is that where our intuition, our instinct, that inner voice inside all of us comes from? Are they old memories? All stories are just memories repeated. Some are repeated for many generations, and others quickly fade. I do believe our memory is all we can really leave behind. The physical things will disappear given time enough. The pyramids are memories that have lasted a very long time, the stories are still being told. We do hear tales of lost and forgotten cities, of civilizations lost to time. We want to know the why of it. 

 Why did I build that little fireplace upon that brick? I did that because it makes me smile, I get a good feeling when I light that tiny tea candle. My thoughts turn to my father, the man that designed and built the original. I remember the stories associated with that construction. I remember "helping" by mixing the mortar for him and hauling bricks and mortar up to him on the scaffold. I can hear his voice calling to me, don't make it too soupy! Mortar has to be the correct consistency to work properly. I remember lighting a fire in that fireplace at Christmas time, our stockings carefully placed by the hearth. Only in the movies do you hang them from the mantle unless you want them to burst into flames that is.

  Life lessons learned in all of that are remembered, my little fireplace a reminder. Comfort comes in shared memories, even when someone hasn't shared the memory with you. That's why I built that. The intent being to share those memories to present and future generations. Future generations can use their imagination to fill in the details, unless, they choose to do their research that is. I have written several times about this, the story recorded. Sometimes though, the story we write for ourselves holds the most comfort, the greatest pleasure. It's the way I remember it anyway.   

                                                                                       

                                             There was a large hearth in front of that fireplace, 

                                                                 the brick represents that                                 

                                                                                               

the system

  It seems to me that an awful lot of people are just looking for ways to ruin the holidays. Well, to ruin just about everything really. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and I'm hearing all the stories of how terrible the pilgrims were. How white people brought all the disease and stole the land, killed the natives and all in all were just awful folks. They persecuted their own people on religious beliefs and everything. Some folks are certain they were all ancestors of Trump! 

  Yes much of what we were told about thanksgiving was just wrong. It has to be remembered that the stories being told are being told by those that survived. You could say the victors but that isn't really accurate, survivors is the closer definition. After all, if we are going to report the "news" in contemporary fashion the pilgrims were just migrants. I wonder why though in this contemporary reporting we don't recognize all of that as custom and traditions. Isn't that what the contemporary folks say in regard to our current migrants and the imposition of their customs and traditions. You are not supposed to tell the historical facts regarding any of those customs and traditions, just respect them. Fact is, Mohamed was no saint! That's just a historical reality given his life story. His story is quite a bit different from Jesus. But, that does depend upon who is telling the story.

  It looks like the grinch is replacing Santa Claus. That's the feeling I've been getting the last few years. The grinch is being celebrated for what? His recovery. Yeah, that's the story isn't it, he is a terrible guy that steals Christmas, cruel and mean, he's ruthless. But, he makes a recovery, he's a survivor and should be celebrated for that. Santa Claus is just some old fat guy using elves for slave labor and only works one day of the year. He's just in it for the glory. Not the grinch though, he has a compassionate heart, empathic and caring, all in all a great guy. Sure he stole Christmas, but he gave it back and that is all that matters.

  Many of our Christmas traditions and customs have been banned from government property. It's in the constitution! It's the first amendment, the separation of church and state. You can't be showing your customs or traditions on government property! That may offend someone that has a different custom or tradition. We certainly don't want to offend anyone. I don't know how Madison, Jefferson and Monroe overlooked that. Shouldn't that have been the first amendment, You can not offend anyone! You know, the ten commandments do not explicitly say that either, in fact the ninth commandment says you shouldn't lie or bear false witness, which if followed, may indeed offend someone. The truth hurts! Could it be that is the real intent, the reason for that omission? As far as I'm concerned I would use the defense, we've got it like that. This is America and those are our traditions and customs, we got it like that. 

  Beyond all of that it just seems to me like that is the general theme these days. Try to take the wind of everyone's sails, so to speak. Were your ancestors confederate soldiers? Well, they shouldn't be celebrated or remembered, they were all terrible people. Every single one of them fought to keep their slaves. Down with the statues and monuments. They should be replaced with those that were criminals but either turned their life around, or were killed by the police. Those people are the real heroes. Rebel flags and nooses! OMG how offensive is all that, triggering an entire demographic. It all needs to be banned. Columbus, a global terrorist really, and he didn't even discover America. A terrible person, just terrible. Thomas Jefferson, slave holder, terrible person. George Washington, same thing and he had the largest distillery in the country. 

 And we must never forget about the systemic racism in this country. If your ancestors were white Europeans, you are a racist. It was taught to you in school. You are privileged. You can't help that and you can never ever recover from that. Your only hope is to keep providing everything for the oppressed and asking for forgiveness. That's only right because you are the one that oppressed them! Never mind it was their countrymen that were selling them to traders as a commodity. Those folks aren't to blame, only those doing the buying. It's like being a drug dealer in the back alley, when they get arrested it isn't their fault, they are just trying to survive. It's the systems fault! And that means it is you, you are the system. You have nothing to be proud of.