Memorial Day: What Your Teacher Never Told You (Edition IV)

It’s time to Break It Down!

(Please enjoy a reprised edition of “Break It Down!” This post was originally published May 30, 2012 at: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com, reposted May 27, 2015 at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com as “Memorial Day: What Your Teacher Never Told You!,'' and again May 31, 2017 as Memorial Day: What Your Teacher Never Told You! (Edition III). 

OK, so Memorial Day was earlier this week.  You may be familiar with my holiday week philosophy, which is: make it easy on the readers, who are always otherwise engaged, no matter the holiday.  Of course, in the process, I am also giving myself a break.  That makes for a natural win-win scenario.

With that overarching thought in mind, I will endeavor to apply three elementary rules of communication:

1.   Utilize the KISS Principle, AKA, Keep It Short & Simple (also Keep It Simple Stupid)

2.   Convey new or “not widely circulated” information

3.   Always remember to emphasize points 1 and 2 above

Memorial Day is a federal holiday to honor America’s fallen soldiers.  It originated after the Civil War.  Falling between Easter and Independence Day, it is often equated with a late spring break, or a pre-summer respite.

The weekend typically includes a cornucopia of sports.  For example this week included the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600, the NBA Playoffs, College Men’s Baseball playoffs, and College Women’s Softball competition, among others.

With the plethora of activity always thrown into the mix, the holiday is sometimes almost lost in the shuffle. But wait; Memorial Day has a special cultural significance.  In fact, it is because of that nexus we should pay special homage to this late spring holiday.

The first well-known observance of a Memorial Day type was held May 1, 1865 in Charleston, South Carolina.  Over 250 Union soldiers that had been prisoners of war, died in Charleston, and were quickly buried in makeshift graves. A group of blacks, mostly freedmen, organized the observance and led cleanup and landscaping of the burial site.

Most of the nearly 10,000 people who attended were freedmen and their families.  Of that number, 3.000 were children, newly enrolled in freedman’s schools.  Mutual aid societies, black ministers, and white Northern missionaries were also in attendance.

David W. Blight, Professor of American History at Yale University, and Director of the school’s Gilder-Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, & Abolition, described the day this way:

“This was the first Memorial Day. African Americans invented Memorial Day in Charleston, South Carolina. What you have there is black Americans recently freed from slavery announcing to the world with their flowers, their feet, and their songs what the War had been about. What they basically were creating was the Independence Day of a Second American Revolution.”

Professor Blight conceded there is no evidence that the Charleston event led directly to the establishment of Memorial Day across the country.  But the record is clear they formed the earliest truly large-scale event, complete with media coverage.  Their effort was the prototype, if not the catalyst.

Having said that, I believe I honored the rules established above for this post:

  Told this story in a direct and uncomplicated fashion

 Presented information I am confident most readers did not know

  Recognized points 1 and 2, were accomplished and closed the post

Enjoy your bonus time, and be sure to reflect on “Memorial Day: What Your Teachers Never Told You! (Edition IV)”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the links: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com or /http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com.

A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_W._Blight

http://www.davidwblight.com/

http://www.snopes.com/military/memorialday.asp

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/05/25/1301862/-Memorial-Day-Has-African-American-Roots-First-One-Was-Conducted-By-Former-Slaves#

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/KISS_principle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS_principle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War

http://www.yale.edu/glc/index.htm

http://www.civilwarhome.com/freedmen.htm

https://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2019/05/memorial-day-what-your-teacher-never.html

Amash Calls Out Trump: Alas, He's A Unicorn

It's time to Break It Down!

Justin Amash, an attorney and U.S. Representative from Michigan’s 3^rd District, played the role of ideological heretic Saturday, calling for the impeachment of Donald Trump. In doing so, he broke rank with contemporary GOP orthodoxy, which basically is, whatever Trump says…or tweets. Despite the avalanche of pushback and circling of the wagons by those in his Party who support Trump (pretty much everybody but him right now), and which I’m sure he anticipated, Representative Amash refused to temper his calls for President Donald Trump's impeachment, in the face of the torrid onslaught.

Amash, a founding member of the conservative Freedom Caucus has more GOP/conservative bona fides than Donald Trump could ever hope to amass. He is a libertarian Republican. Politico described him as "one of the most conservative members of Congress.”

Still, there is a deep and wide gulf separating the two major political parties at this juncture in American History. Despite clear evidence of malfeasance, Trump has surrounded himself with folks who for the most part have demonstrated a boundless capacity to cosign, not only whatever Trump says, but also apparently whatever he may have done (or not) in the past (including his taxes). But that’s a topic for another post.

Amash tweetedSaturday:

“Contrary to Barr’s portrayal, Mueller’s report reveals that President Trump engaged in specific actions and a pattern of behavior that meets the threshold for impeachment.” 

He went on to say that the report:

“Identifies multiple examples of conduct satisfying all the elements of obstruction of justice, and undoubtedly any person who is not the president of the United States would be indicted based on such evidence.”

He added: 'President Trump has engaged in impeachable conduct'

As you can imagine, Amash’s comments were met with fierce blowback from top Republicans, including Trump, who hit back at the Michigan congressman in a pair of tweets Sunday. 

·     “Never a fan of @justinamash, a total lightweight who opposes me and some of our great Republican ideas and policies just for the sake of getting his name out there through controversy.” 

·     “Justin is a loser who sadly plays right into our opponents [sic] hands!”

In an interview with the Fox News Channel, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), said Amash drummed up talk of impeachment because he is an attention seeker. 

·     “You’ve got to understand Justin Amash. He’s been in Congress quite some time. I think he’s asked one question in all the committees that he’s been in. He votes more with Nancy Pelosi than he ever votes with me. It’s a question whether he’s even in our Republican conference as a whole.”

Unsurprisingly, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) broke with Republicans (OK, so there are two) in offering praise for Amash, branding his statements “courageous.” Sunday on CNN’sState of the Union, Romney said of Amash:

“I respect him. I think it’s a courageous statement.” But even Romney refused to join Amash in calling for impeachment.

Meanwhile, Amash’s remarks, be they courageous, those of a loser, or just the antics of an attention-seeker, did garner him a primary challenge from a Michigan state representative.

Michigan State Rep. Jim Lower (R) on Monday announced he would try to unseat Amash, moving up his announcement, spurred on by Amash’s comments. According to reporting by the Detroit Free Press, Lower said:

“Congressman Justin Amash tweets yesterday calling for President Trump’s impeachment show how out of touch he is with the truth and how out of touch he is with people he represents. He must be replaced and I am going to do it.”

On Monday, Amash doubled down on his impeachment remarks. He argued that those who say Trump committed no crimes are relying on a number of falsehoods. He maintained that the Mueller Report shows an “underlying crime.” He says Trump was trying to obstruct. Trump, and Barr, and every other Trumpite emphasize Mueller’s conclusion that collusion was not proved. They are generally mute on the question of obstruction. Not at all surprising since, whether it was lying about participating in formulating the email response to the infamous Russia meeting at Trump Tower, or the payoffs to women, or firing Comey, or attempting to persuade various folks to shutdown the Mueller probe, or trying to get Sessions to un-recuse himself, or blocking the release of his taxes, stifling information seems to be part of this administration’s modus operandi.

Justin Amash has spoken. Don’t look for his GOP contemporaries to follow suit. They are not about that life. Go ahead and get comfortable with the notion…”Amash Calls Out Trump: Alas, He’s A Unicorn!

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/05/20/gop-rep-justin-amash-holds-ground-calls-trump-impeachment/3745203002/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Amash

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/05/19/justin-amash-loser-impeachment/

https://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2019/05/amash-calls-out-trump-alas-hes-unicorn.html

Home Grown (American) Terrorism The Gift of White Privilege

It's time to Break It Down!

There is a growing scourge on American soil. Men, women, and children are being killed at schools, at churches, hotels, mosques, and synagogues, at shopping malls, at theaters, at work, and at nightclubs. They are not being murdered, for what they did or didn’t do, or for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

As Mallory Simon and Sara Sidner wrote in a piece appearing yesterday at CNN.com, they were, “Slaughtered again and again because, whether Jewish, or black, or simply not "pure" white, they are seen as a pestilence to be purged.”

The individuals who committed their murders are adherents of a vile and hateful ideology that meets the FBI definition of terrorism. However, a number of higher echelon law enforcement officials (LEO’s), past and present, say they aren’t treated as terrorists, because they arte American…and because they are white.

Alas, in the backdrop of a rising number of lethal white supremacist attacks, many of these same officials say that must change. They add; white supremacy has to be labeled terrorism, and in turn, addressed with the same vigor and relentless pursuit as ISIS and al Qaeda. Easier said than done, especially considering the policy changes that must be enacted to facilitate and achieve such a change.

Manhattan District Attorney, Cy Vance was one contemporary LEO driven to that conclusion by a preponderance of the evidence. He was investigating the Midtown Manhattan homicide of 66-year old Timothy Caughman. Mr. Caughman was walking alone when a man approached him from behind and plunged a sword into his chest. While dying, he uttered the last words, “Why are you doing this?” His killer’s response? He kept stabbing!

The answer would be become clear in short order. James Jackson had come from his home in Maryland with one thing in mind…To start a race war. While it was certainly an egregiously hateful act, Vance decided this was more than a hate crime. Vance said:

“It was the targeted killing of a black man with the aspiration of dividing the races to keep killing each other, ending in the death of every black person in the United States and around the world,” according to Jackson's manifesto. That’s deep; it’s also real.

Vance went on to say, “I think we needed to call it what it was. This was an act of terrorism. This exists in our country, and it happened here.”

Although DA Vance framed it gingerly, his point was nevertheless, crystal clear. Most Americans, in their own self-absorbed way, refuse to admit that terrorists can be English speaking, American-born, and white people. Terrorists, though, come in all tongues, nationalities, and hues. Moreover, if one endeavors to spread fear, and to wipeout a specific group of people, one is a terrorist. To wit, Vance and his team ascribed Jackson with the title he strived for, and that he duly earned, terrorist. He noted that calling someone a terrorist elevates that person’s profile, as well as that of the case; it can also lead to leveling additional charges and attaching higher sentences.

Caughman’s killing actually fits the category the FBI has deemed domestic terrorism:

“Perpetrated by individuals and/or groups inspired by or associated with primarily US-based movements that espouse extremist ideologies of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature.”

This murder may not have gained wide national notoriety. But, its part of a very public and growing, deadly trend of domestic terror attacks committed largely by white men. From the Charleston church massacre through the killing of a protester in Charlottesville and the shootings at synagogues in Pittsburgh and Poway, far-right extremists are responsible for -- or suspected of - most of the ideological killings in America in the last 10 years, according to data from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which tracks extremist activity.

White supremacist murders in the US "more than doubled in 2017," with far-right extremist groups and white supremacists "responsible for 59% of all extremist-related fatalities in the US in 2017," ADL's audit shows. They were responsible for 20% of these fatalities the year before.

The degree to which white supremacist terrorism is a problem depends upon whom you ask. Some folks insist it’s not a problem. Donald Trump, for example, has said he does not regard white nationalism as a rising global threat. His response to the question of whether he worried about the rise in white nationalist movements around the world, was, "I don't really. I think it's a small group of people that have very, very serious problems, I guess."

Conversely, George Selim, former head of the Countering Violent Extremism Task Force at DHS says, "If the same number of Americans had been killed at the hands of an individual that was inspired or directed by a foreign terrorist organization, you can bet this Congress and any administration, irrespective of political party would be reacting much differently," Selim is set to take his argument to Congress today. He is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. The title of the hearing is, “Confronting white supremacy: The consequences of inaction.

In a number of ways, the current spate of racist murders has common denominators with episodes of foreign terrorists. Its sort of a radicalization is radicalization vibe. It frequently occurs online, and is similar to the methods and sources utilized by ISIS and al Qaeda. There is one specific distinction; these homegrown extremists are white. Caughman’s murderer focused on his intense hatred of African American men before traveling to New York and killing him.

For weeks leading up to his attack, Jackson spent huge amounts of time during days and nights online studying Nazism and extremism. Interracial dating was an “insurmountable problem,” in his mind. He read obsessively about Dylann Roof, who murdered the Charleston Nine. Jackson wrote in his manifesto, “The racial world war starts today. Negroes are obviously first on the list for extermination.

The gunmen in Charleston, and the Pittsburgh and Poway suspects all engaged in hateful speech online before transforming their rage into lethal action. Mr. Selim emphasizes a behavioral response that he believes to be both critical and foreboding, the reluctance to name white men as possibly dangerous. That in and of itself poses a clear and present danger…”because white supremacists and nationalists are a real and persistent threat.” Selim went on to say:

"As I look forward in the next five to 10 or more years, we need to acclimate ourselves to the new normal, which is increased incidents of domestic extremism, domestic terrorism, anti-Semitism, and all acts of bigotry or Islamophobia, xenophobia that target ethnic and religious minority groups. Once we understand that that is very likely the new normal, then we can put in place some of the strong infrastructure related to counterterrorism and community resilience that we've already built up and focus it on these new threats that we know we're going to be facing."

In the final analysis, there is much work to be done in this area. No small part of the challenge is attached to America’s love of guns, and the sacrosanct nature of the 2^ndAmendment. Guns are frequently and easily available. And, they are most often the method of choice of the principals we’ve been discussing. But, if you are thinking, that’s a whole ‘nother blog, you’re right. IJS, in order to deal with this matter, we must eventually deal with the gun issue. In the meantime, today's focus is, “Home Grown (American) Terrorism: The Gift Of White Privilege!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/14/us/white-supremacy-terrorism-soh/index.html

https://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2019/05/home-grown-american-terrorism-gift-of.html