Colin Kaepernick vs. Stephen Hawking

   

        I used Colin Kaepernick’s name in my title to get your attention. This blog is really about our priorities. Mr. Kaepernick opted not to stand for the playing of the national anthem and made his feelings known as to why. He throws a ball for a living and the media is hanging on his every word; because they have an audience that seems to be enthralled by this story. I’ll admit, it’s entertaining and is a new portal to the ongoing conversation about racism and violence in this country.

            Dr. Stephen Hawking is subjectively considered to be one of the smartest human beings alive. He is a theoretical physicist who studied at Cambridge and Oxford. He continues to battle a debilitating disease that, by all accounts, should have killed him years ago. He is perhaps the most respected scientist in the world. As a multi-million selling author of scientific texts, he has explained the theory of time, black holes, and the potential origins of the universe to fellow academics and the average citizen alike.

            On May 30, 2016, Professor Hawking gave a talk in which he called Donald Trump a demagogue. Further, in that discussion he warned, “A more immediate danger is runaway climate change,” and continued by saying, “A rise in ocean temperature would melt the ice-caps, and cause a release of large amounts of carbon dioxide from the ocean floor. Both effects could make our climate like that of Venus, with a temperature of 250 degrees.”

Did you hear about this on the news? It’s not very entertaining, is it? It was not widely covered because the media outlets do not have a big enough audience for this discourse; you know, something as insignificant as the destruction of our planet.

            Instead of concerning ourselves with the scientific studies and opinions of one of the greatest minds of our generation, we focus on the words and actions of a man who throws a ball for a living. Mr. Kaepernick may very well be an intelligent man. I know nothing of his education other than he was awarded a BA in business management from the University of Nevada, which he attended on a football scholarship. Many great intellects have never attended a single day of college and I am not putting into question his intelligence. I don’t know much about him other than his football talents, of which he has many and is truly gifted. What I do know is that he makes his living on the field with those talents and off the field by his endorsement and merchandising contracts. He is what we, as a society, seem to consider a role model for youngsters, a talented athlete who is entertaining to watch, and now someone we want to mock and degrade simply for standing (well…excuse the pun) for a principle. I personally respect any person’s right to express their opinions, whether I agree or disagree. If one is truly patriotic, that must be his opinion as well; a true “patriot” must respect the First Amendment.

            With all of that being said, here is the crux of the problem: The most brilliant man in the world told us our planet is doomed unless we make significant changes quickly. Three months later, an athlete refused to stand for the national anthem, a right afforded him by the U.S. Constitution. Why are we expending so much energy debating the actions of an entertainer while ignoring the warnings of a genius? Dr. Hawking sits all of the time; he has no choice. 

Ignorance and the Serpent

***This post represents the thoughts of a guest blogger, who wishes to remain anonymous.***


Dear Trump Supporter,

            An ignoramus is one who is willfully ignorant. It is, therefore, with a heavy heart that I label you an ignoramus. This differs from being stupid or idiotic, in that people who are ignorant are generally neither of the other two. Ignorant people are usually static and overly confident in their opinions in order to avoid opening their minds to new ideas. Charles Darwin remarked that “ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge.”[1]

            Now that I have placed a label upon you, an act of which you are so fond, let me label myself. I am a “typical” politically correct, pragmatic, bleeding heart, care-for-everyone, see-the-best-in-people, liberal, professional woman. I was unsuccessful in my attempt to find your good heart and see the best in you. The only rational conclusion being that you have hidden you heart behind ignorance, which is the prime breeding ground for fear.

You are afraid to shed your ignorance. Why not shed your ignorance like a snake sheds its skin? Are you not like the serpent? Perhaps you’re even colder. Snakes are keenly aware of their environment and adapt to the changing landscape or move on……perhaps you can take a lesson from the serpent. Shed the skin of your ignorance in which you have become so comfortable and see your environment through realistic lenses. Adjust your focus and realize the environment is not yours to manipulate. If you will not use your mind, then use your feet and move on. Remember, the open border works in both directions. Once you have left, then and only then would I recommend a wall.

            For you, I thought I felt hate. I refuse to hate because that is what I like least about you; your ability to hate anyone who angers you or who you deem a threat. I have risen above that and will not lower myself into the ignorant realm of hatred. Instead, I pity you. Like lambs to the slaughter, you follow Trump to the pen. When you are no longer needed, you will be discarded. And when I see you broken and alone, left for stray by the man you thought was here to make you great, I will help you. You know why? I understand what it means to be a true patriot. I know that Abraham Lincoln was correct when he said “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” I know that being a Republican or Democrat does not supersede being an American. I know hatred and name calling just breed more of the same. I know your bigotry and racism have been inculcated for decades. I know the misogynistic culture our nation has fostered for centuries is ingrained in your psyche. I know you are afraid.

            In keeping with your apparent love for crude and simplistic remarks, I will close with this: Lady-up, grow some ovaries, and get over yourself!

Sincerely,

A Human Being

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[1] Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man (London, 1871).

Friends of Clinton and Trump: Some Good Advice

Long ago my dad told me, “Only believe half of what you hear from the news and none of what you hear from a politician.” Good advice. My grandmother gave even better advice when she said, “Show me your friends and I’ll tell you what you are.” Assuming my dad was correct, it is safe to say that we cannot accurately assess this year’s presidential candidates, (and yes, Donald Trump, by definition is a politician) based on what they say or how they are presented in the media.[1] Now, if we juxtapose supporters and the candidate into my grandmother’s advice, we are left with, “Show me your supporters and I’ll tell you what the candidate is.” We are now left with the proposition that we can only assess the qualities of the candidates based on the words and actions of their supporters. That being said, let’s take a look at Clinton and Trump supporters.

Clinton Camp:       

   

         

 I’m starting with the Clinton supporters as it will be a relatively short discussion. On my internet search I was unable to find any substantial single video or compilation of videos of Clinton supporters at rallies other than those cheering Clinton and booing Trump. There are of course, many still photos showing diverse crowds that appear to be engaged and actually listening. This brings me to my essential point about Clinton supporters; they are a diverse group who appear eager to learn. Note the woman in the lower left corner of the above picture. She is looking directly at Clinton and is actually listening. More than that, she is hearing and digesting the words. She may even have gone home and thought about what she heard and drew her own conclusion without the aid of her phone or the television.

I have absolutely no doubt that thousands of people are supporting Mrs. Clinton simply to conform to party politics. Many others may be voting for her because she is a woman or because she is the Anti-Trump. So many other voters; however, who define themselves as independent ̶ ̶ the lowercase “i” is intentional ̶ ̶  and those of either major party who read and research the issues in order to make their own informed decisions, seem to be leaning toward the Clinton camp. In sum, through an admittedly small sample, Clinton supporters present as diverse, thoughtful, and willing to learn.

Trump Camp:

Ok, let’s take a look at this picture. First and foremost, all of these supposed patriots are desecrating the American flag. According to U.S. Code Title 4, Chapter 1, §8, Paragraph G:  “The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.”[2] See the full code cited below to understand the remainder of the violations in this photo.

Next is the issue of diversity. I do in fact spot some brown skin but also see the corner of the Arizona flag on the left side of the photograph. Speaking as a Zonie (a local name for Arizonans) I can assure you that even blue-eyed Irish girls have brown skin. In fact, I am very thankful for my blue eyes as I live in the SB-1070 state. Another blog for another day.

Finally, look at what they are doing. The man in the center is looking at his phone, the woman with the child strapped to her is either at a bad angle or falling asleep. The man in the blue shirt and white pants is either really concentrating or thinking about going out for a cigarette. The assessment to be made from this analysis is that the self-proclaimed patriots have no regard for the flag, which is symbolic of the country, diversity is very questionable, and the audience does not seem to be listening to what is being said. This is what I find to be most problematic; no one is processing any of the information they hear but rather, because they are unsatisfied with their current situations, they simply believe what they hear and give into fear instilled through propaganda. See, Germany 1933.

What follows is the link to a disturbing video compilation created from various Trump rallies. The language is at best troubling. What is even more disconcerting is the blatant and willful ignorance displayed by these people.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/04/us/politics/donald-trump-supporters.html

• To the man who says “Muslim is not a religion it is an ideology,”   WHAT??? A Muslim is a person who follows the religion of Islam. A religious ideology, as defined by Dr. David Satter of the Hudson Institute and Johns Hopkins University, is when  "man-made dogma is treated as infallible truth.” Hmmmmm.
• To the man who shouts, “Heil Sieg,” the customary greeting used by Nazis meaning “Hail Victory,” is Sieg Heil. See, Germany 1933.
• To the man who says, “Kill her,” I might remind you that she is a former FLOTUS, Senator, and Secretary of State. Be thankful that you cannot be identified as the Secret Service takes statements such as yours quite seriously.
• Finally, to the woman who boasts of wearing a t-shirt that displays a man’s testicles, proudly decorated as the American flag and claims that people are too sensitive and need to “grow up,” I don’t know what to say. Perhaps I am just not as grown up as you.

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[1] Per the Oxford English Dictionary, Politician is defined as “A person who is professionally involved in politics, especially as a holder of or a candidate for an elected office.” OR “chiefly US, A person who acts in a manipulative and devious way, typically to gain advancement within an organization.”

[2] For the full Code, see Cornell University Law Library, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/4.