Reflections on the death of Sly Stone

I’m suffering from “old man’s syndrome.”  Everything was better when I was younger.  The music was definitely better.  News reporting was far better.  The clothes were more interesting.  The schools taught civics.  The Supreme Court followed the Constitution.  Congress took its duties seriously.  The Presidents–even Ronald Raegan and George Bush–definitely better.  No question there.

I suppose you could argue that medical care is better now, but give Robert Kennedy, Jr.,a few more months, and you will be nostalgic for 1970 when people routinely were vaccinated and there was no Facebook to spread conspiracy theories and no Fox News to amplify bullshit.

I do want to pass on some of the best advice I have heard.  It was in today’s editorial in the New York Times.  I am sure that many people are apprehensive about the “No Kings” demonstrations scheduled for Saturday.  Trump’s threats and the call-up of the military are certainly cause for alarm, but here is what the Times said:  “Those who want to live in a free country may be scared, but they shouldn’t be cowed.” 

See you Saturday.

Please Watch Gavin Newsom's speech

I just watched Gavin Newsom’s speech in response to federal troops in L.A.  He ran a a clinic on American government and the right to protest.  He called out Trump’s illegal actions and his attempt to foment violence.

You can get it on YouTube.  Watch it.  And then go out on Saturday and join one of the hundreds of protests.  Wear nice clothes.  Take an American Flag and a copy of the Constitution with you.  Make a good poster.  Something like “Hail to the Thief,” or “Trump named best U.S. President in Russian History,” or “Build a wall around Trump:  I’ll pay for it,” or “Trump:  That boy ain’t quite right.”  You can come up with something good.

I’ll be there.  I have a Trump mask.  My poster, which I must make, will say “Pardons:  $1 million dollars.”  That is Trump’s actual going rate.

Trump judges rule for Trump

Earlier this year a Federal District court judge ruled that Trump had to allow the Associated Press into his press briefings after he kicked out their reporters because they wouldn’t refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.  

Now the three-judge Court of Appeals for the District Court of Washington, D.C., ruled that he could limit what members of the press he spoke to, and it basically said he could pick the press that covered his events by their ideology.

The vote was 2-1.  The one was a judge who had been appointed by Obama.

The two Trump judges also ruled that it was ok to cut federal funding to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America.  That ruling was overturned by what is called an en banc hearing where all the District Court judges in that particular district rule one the issue.

Info for this post was taken from Zach Montague and Minho Kim, “Appeals Court Rules That Trump Can Restrict A.P.Journalists’ Access, New York Times, (June 8, 2025), p. 22. 

Trump incites violence in L.A.

Trump wants protestors killed.  This cowardly man, who paid a doctor to lie about “bone spurs” to avoid serving in Vietnam, advocated shooting people wading across the Rio Grande.  He thinks it will make him look tough to send Marines to L.A., even though the mayor of L.A. and the governor of California say those troops are not needed.

Remember that Trump encouraged an invasion of the Capitol in Jan. 2021.  When re-elected, he pardoned the whole mob, including the people who assaulted cops and demanded the death of his Vice President.  He and his followers even tried to re-write the script.  That wasn’t a mob–they were “tourists” peacefully entering the Capitol.  It won’t work with me–I saw it live on television, and that was no “deep fake.”

In 1970 I was teaching in Erie, Penna., 70 miles away from Kent State University where four students were killed by soldiers untrained on dealing with protestors.  The students weren’t even protesting.  Soldiers in L.A. will exacerbate the situation.  Angry people will throw rocks, perhaps Molotov cocktails.  Troops will fire.  People will die.  Trump will strut around like Mussolini, hero of the hour.  MAGA people will cheer.  

Welcome to my America, June 2025.

The Los Angeles "Riot"

In September 1957 Gov. Orval Faubus of Arkansas called out the National Guard to prevent racial integration of Central High School in Little Rock.  President Dwight Eisenhower, who knew something about troops and national power, then federalized the Arkansas National Guard and ordered it to protect the black students who were facing screaming mobs.

In 2025, when a group of protestors took to the streets in Los Angeles to protest ICE raids, President Trump, who knows how to seize media attention and move the story from Elon Musk’s breakup, has decided to federalize the California National Guard.  From what I’ve seen, the protests have been mild.  The L.A. police could easily handle any potential trouble.  But using troops is dramatic.  It gets attention.  Even I am blogging about it.  

I have no doubt that the presence of troops will exacerbate the situation.  More hotheads will come out.  Shots will be fired.  Trump will proclaim the need for more troops.  Commander-in-Chief Bonespurs will finally get the military action he’s always wanted, and the Trump-Musk feud will be off the front pages.  

It will be interesting to see what he will do on the “No Kings” demonstration day when over 1000 demonstrations are held.

D-Day anniversary

 I was roughly one and a half years old on D-Day, so obviously I don’t remember it.  I have read about it, however, and now realize that it was a close thing.  There was no guarantee it would succeed, and, in fact, it took weeks for the Allied forces to break out of the Normandy area.  

I think the word “hero” is over used today.  It does apply to those men who landed on those beaches in France.  To wade ashore in the face of enemy fire and comrades dying all around you–that takes amazing courage.  

The fact that this administration now will hold a Soviet-style military parade on June 14 while Commander-in-Chief Bone Spurs sits on his golden throne in review is one of the most disgusting spectacles I can imagine.  How did we go from Omaha Beach to this travesty?

Schadenfreude

I don’t know about you, but I’m making popcorn.