Tim Walz intro and rally

I watched the rally in Philly this afternoon.  Here are my takeaways.

It is obvious why Harris picked Walz over Shapiro.  Shapiro’s speech was ok, but Walz connected with the crowd without yelling, and his political experience dwarfs Shapiro.

Shapiro is a class act to open the rally.

It looked like Harris drew a much bigger crowd in that venue than Trump did for his rally.

Harris has really improved her campaign style since 2020.

What a fun rally.  Serious and meaningful, but also a really feel-good event.

Southern Baptists on the moral character of public officials

1998:  Southern Baptist Convention passes a resolution on the moral character of public officials:  “Tolerance of serious wrong by leaders sears the conscience of the culture, spawns unrestrained immorality and lawlessness in the society and surely results in God’s judgement.”

2024:  Southern Baptists provide a big part of the coalition that supports Donald Trump.

Info from a column by David French entitled "Some Think What You Preach Matters More Than What You Do.  It Doesn't."

Hating "those people"

Benito Mussolini, the Fascist dictator of Italy, once said:   “In every society there is a need for a part of the citizens who must be hated.”  

That, to me, is the essence of Fascism.

Free Leonard Peltier

Almost 50 years ago a Native American activist, Leonard Peltier, was tried and convicted of killing two F.B.I agents at the Pine Ridge Reservation.  Many observers did not think he received a fair trial and should not have been convicted.

He is now 79.  He has had Covid multiple times, a stroke, and an aortic aneurysm.  Native American activists have been calling for his release for decades.  His supporters have included the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, former members of the prosecution, and even the judge who sentenced him.  

The F.B.I. is believed to have coerced witnesses, and the prosecution withheld exculpatory evidence.

A month ago the U.S. Parole Commission denied Mr. Peltier a parole.  The F.B.I. will not admit any wrong-doing.  Of course it won’t.

Information for this article came from Rachel Nostrant, “Parole Denied for Native American Activist Convicted in 1975 Killing,” New York Times, (July 3, 2024), p. A20.  The cynicism is all my own. 

Saving a turtle

I was driving down Pohopoco Drive tonight when I noticed a large object in the other lane.  As I passed it, I realized it was a turtle.  I braked and stopped about 75 feet down the road.  I noticed the driver of the pickup truck behind me had also stopped.  A car was approaching in the turtle lane.  I put my hand out the window and motioned for the driver to slow down, which he did, then stopped.  As I watched in my rearview mirror the guy from the truck was picking up the turtle and moving it off the road.

I waved and gave him a thumbs up.  It was one of those occurrences that reaffirm one’s faith in one’s fellow human beings.  

I also think from its size, the turtle was a probably a snapping turtle, so that guy had some courage.  When I moved a snapper a few years ago, I put a stick in front of it.  It chomped on to the stick, and I dragged it across the road.  

By the way, if you do this, always move them in the direction they are heading. 

What is wrong with Carbon County Republican leaders?

I don’t think of myself as particularly moral, and I don’t think my friends would either, but I do have certain standards.  At one time I was active in the California Democratic Party, chair of the Santa Clara County Democratic Party, member of the State Committee, delegate to the Midterm convention in Memphis.  Nonetheless, when the California Democrats elected a State Chair who was a developer, lacked all environmental credentials, and got the position because he was rich, I quit the party.  It violated my ideas of what the Democratic Party should stand for.  I was a Green Party member for over a decade, until I moved to Pennsylvania.

Recently the Carbon County Republicans had their county picnic.  They had life-sized cutouts of Trump and Vance and proudly had their pictures taken with the cutouts.  The men and women at the party included County officials and at least one state legislator, Doyle Heffley.  Why would you want your picture taken with a facsimile of a man who denied the legitimacy of a fair and free election, who is a convicted felon, who mocks women, who brags about overturning Roe, who admires Putin, who caused thousands of deaths during Covid by saying stupid things, who says that after this election Christians won’t need to vote again, who separated children from their parents?

Are these Republicans so wedded to their party that they feel they have to suspend their integrity and their moral judgement?  These are not just some run-of-the-mill party registrants; these are local leaders.  

I do know Republicans who have rejected Trump.  They are people I admire.  The local leaders who proudly stand with Trump, even if it is just a paper cutout, disgust me.

Two encounters with strangers while wearing a Kamala Harris Tee Shirt

Two encounters with strangers while wearing a Kamala Harris Tee Shirt

Yesterday I received my tee shirt with a stylized picture of Kamala Harris.  I wore it today.

Encounter #1:  As I was leaving a Staples store in Allentown, I saw a woman taking a picture with her cell phone.  I don’t know what she was photographing, but I said, “Hey, would you like to take a picture of my tee shirt?”

She said, “Who’s that?  I don’t pay attention to the news.”

I said, “Kamala Harris.  She’s running for President.”

“She is? 

“Yes, Biden dropped out.”

“He did? 

“Yes, last week.  She’s running now.  She’ll be the first Black woman to be elected President.”

“Oh, I’ll have to look into that.”

Encounter # 2:  As I was leaving the “Art on Center” building in Jim Thorpe carrying a box of Bob Casey yard signs, a woman offered to help, but I told her could manage.  Then I said, “How do you like my tee shirt?”

She looked and replied, “Not very much.”

I asked, “Were you glad that Biden dropped out?”

She replied, “No, I wasn’t.  He would have been easier to beat.”

Maybe I should stop talking to strangers.