tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25407243036336408512024-03-13T11:46:53.460-07:00I'm Just Sayin'Kentucky Hall of Fame Journalist Ken Kurtz opines about the political landscape and state of local media.Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.comBlogger460125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-67350046986281977402021-03-22T12:20:00.003-07:002021-03-22T12:20:35.203-07:00AL SMITH: THE TRUTH<p> </p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>It is true about Al Smith, who died last week at 94.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>If you asked him what time it was he would tell you, and also how to build a clock. Al was that way; helpful, friendly, knowledgeable, and loquacious.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>He was also everything nice people have been saying about him in stories since his death; a Lion of Kentucky journalism, a mentor to many, a strong supporter of small town and community journalism, and of many of us who knew him individually.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>That he died of kidney failure seems ironic for a man who drank himself out of key jobs in one of the most colorful cities for journalism in our country--New Orleans. But he did, and never tried to hide it, or how much he owe AA to his recovery, and to Kentucky and to his wife Martha Helen, too.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>You and I, as Kentuckians, helped redeem Al Smith, as he helped redeem us, from decades of Old South conservatism (which now seems rampant again - where is our new Al Smith?) of bourbon and backwater when what we needed, Al was convinced, was more of his (and FDR's) New Deal liberalism.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>If journalism was his first love, education was next and he and Martha Helen supported so many projects in both fields it would be hard to list them all, or how much they improved Kentucky in his lifetime. Maybe the arts were next, and ditto.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>For those who knew him mainly as the host of KET's "Comment on Kentucky," that alone should commend him to you; another project to help Kentuckians understand life's issues and what might be done about them to improve our Commonwealth.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>An UN-Common Man has passed our way, for so many years, and we are now both richer for his having lived among us, and poorer for his passing.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>I'm just sayin'... <br /></span></p>Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-16863421910678914742021-03-17T04:49:00.004-07:002021-03-17T04:49:56.016-07:00A Sad Anniversary<p> </p><p><span>No, not the virus, sad as that is, but one year since Breonna Taylor was shot, and she still has no Justice.</span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span>She
is dead, killed by a cop. Her boyfriend, who fired at a cop has had
charges dismissed, thankfully. But she is still dead, and no one has
been charged.</span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span>One Louisville cop has been
charged for firing into the WRONG (!) apartment that infamous night, but
Breonna is still dead and no one has been charged.</span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span>The
attorney general gave lousy information to the grand jury, which
several jurors have since repudiated, as have lots of lawyers, but
Breonna is still dead, and no one has been charged.</span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span>Waiting
for the Jefferson County state's attorney to get off his butt and file
charges have so far meant a wasted year, and Breonna is still dead
through a cop's mistaken bullet, and no one has been charged.</span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span>There is still a federal probe going on and that may be our best hope.</span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span>The
GOP controlled legislature has done far less to reform warrants and the
police situation that several other states---incensed by what happened
in Kentucky, than has our Commonwealth, which says a lot about us.</span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span>And one year later Breonna Taylor is still dead, through no fault of her own, and justice awaits...and waits...and waits.</span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span>***</span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span>Another anniversary of sorts, spring floods. They
come in many years and this year they came with a vengeance. No federal
emergency declaration yet, which does not speak well of the Biden
administration, and the Republicans in the legislature are trying to
make sure they get to spend what COVID relief funds we get not the
Democratic governor. I am not hopeful. It took years for Hal Rogers,
then our most powerful Congressman to get funds for a flood wall in
Middlesboro. Lee, Estill, Breahitt counties, and more, need some type of
protection, and soon. So does Stoner Creek in Bourbon county, a public
eyesore there.</span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span>And if the state gets
funds, even finds them in strange places (such as the Fish & Wildlife
agency) will they be spent rightly? Can we help the families flooded
out for the umpteenth time to get on their feet, while making certain
they do NOT rebuild on those misnamed 100-year and 500 year flood
plains! The entire federal flood insurance program, once again, needs an
overhaul; and some way to get the commercial insurance industry
involved. After all, that's what they are supposed to handle, and they
have refused to do so. Fine public service from them, (Is there a
Hammer for Big Floods as there is for Big Trucks?)</span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span>Remember, the Floods WILL be back.</span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span>***</span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span><span>Lexington has always had its colorful people; characters
if you like. I wish to pay my respects to one of my favorites, who
recently passed on. Nicholas Pitanis was a pillar of his Greek church,
ran the Lexington shop on Romany Road for years and taught many of us,
including me, the joys and pleasures of good food and good wine. When my
wife and I were in his store, he would always flirt outrageously with
her (showing his good taste.) He founded the local chapter of les Amis
du Vin, which failed (and is IMHO, still needed here.) He
wore colorful sweaters, told colorful stories of being a smuggler in his
early years and welcomed all into his life. RIP Nikko,. Hail &
farewell.</span> <br /></span></p><p><span> </span></p>Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-81898777992504954172020-12-27T16:26:00.006-08:002020-12-27T16:26:59.519-08:00The Things We Don't Know<p> </p><p><span>Admit it. Just like me, you had no idea that your
cell phone service, your smart phone texting were out of order because
of that strange explosion in Nashville.</span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span>Nashville! Why would 911 service in Lexington, and my texting depend on a building in Nashville?</span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span>Why indeed?</span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span>But they did, and do, and you and Mayor Gorton and LPD, the city council and Gov. Beshear need answers.</span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span>Flights
out of Nashville were cancelled, library services in Louisville failed,
those essential 911 calls in 3 states and dozens of cities failed because the blast took place in front of and heavily damaged an
AT&T data and switching center. </span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span>But, who knew?</span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span>AT&T
for one, and if you want to blame them, and I do, blame them; but what
about all of our emergency services officials? They SHOULD have known.
Maybe city councils, maybe state officials, maybe the FCC &
FEMA - maybe, maybe. But they do NOW!</span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span>So, what are THEY going to do about it?</span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span>What
are YOU going to do about it? Maybe start with complaints, questions to your
council member to install a system that does NOT depend on a fire,
accident, storm, terrorism, or whatever, in a building hundreds of
miles away. We do pay for these services whether to text, or play
FreeCell, or depend upon 911 being there when WE call with OUR
emergency.</span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span>And, oh yes, complain to your
ISP. And not just you AT&T customers, T-Mobile was also
affected, and I suspect more as officials delve into this strange blast
in coming days. It isn't just AT&T's problem, though they need to be
held to account, it's OUR problem, and just one more indication that
global inter-connectivity, such as COVID-19 and climate problems, and
Brexit, and terrorism, and modern life brings many unwanted, unsuspected
problems along with benefits.</span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span>What "we don't know we don't know" has just bitten us in the butt, and it's long past time to do something about it.</span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span>Can ya hear me now? <br /></span></p>Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-16073781127371839262020-11-25T11:30:00.001-08:002020-11-25T11:30:17.881-08:00First, Take No Bribe<p> </p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>450,000 Americans DEAD!</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>NO, that is NOT a VIRUS report; (though it may be if we don't behave ourselves.)</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>It's the number who have died from legal and illegal use of opioid drugs in recent years.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>The figures came out of a federal court settlement this week against one of the main makers of such drugs, Purdue Pharma. The firm finally admitted to various criminal charges against it. One of which was bribing doctors, through "speakers fees" into prescribing more oxy than needed for more illnesses than needed.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>But, just as it is against the law to offer a bribe, so is it against the law to solicit or accept one. Let's hope the US authorities will (1) go after the doctors who accepted these bribes, and (2) publish a list of who they are so all may know.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>And local news media, especially in Kentucky so hard hit by opioid problems, should keep after the US until it does, filing FOI (Freedom of Information ) requests until they get this data. And doing lots of stories based on it.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>450,00 victims, many Kentuckians, deserve no less.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>I'm just sayin'... <br /></span></p>Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-42151808644271078842020-10-27T12:43:00.002-07:002020-10-27T12:43:36.043-07:00Such A Simple Thing<p> </p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>So, why has it taken our democracy so long, and yet, we have NOT achieved it?</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>Your vote is just as good as mine, no more, no less.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>To make mine just as good as yours (no more, no less) I have to grant you the very same right.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>One Tennessee vote equals one Kentucky vote.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>One New York or California vote equals one Kentucky vote (no more, no less.)</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>One Louisville vote equals one Lexington vote, and so on.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>But, that's not the way it is, and all because of the Electoral College.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>Why is Kentucky a "flyover" state?</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>Because we only have 8 EC votes.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>But if the President were elected by popular vote, as he or she should be, Kentucky's 3 million votes would mean something very different from our eight EC votes. And BOTH parties should realize this as a matter of practical politics.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>Even if it weren't true that my vote and yours should be equal, as today they are not. The next legislature should start the ball rolling towards ending the EC, no matter who wins the election, for in 4 years it could be the "other" party who wins the popular vote, but loses the EC.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>There is also an interstate compact around, which Kentucky should ratify, allowing for popular votes to be used, instead of EC votes in determining who is President. It's a new thought, maybe of dubious legality, but worth looking into, and far, far better than the present system where your vote means so much more than mine.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>It isn't fair.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>It isn't Democracy.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>It isn't America.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>I'm just sayin... <br /></span></p>Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-24391276283504093502020-10-13T03:48:00.000-07:002020-10-13T03:48:04.955-07:00VOTE "NO" ON BOTH CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS<p> </p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>Years ago, when I was covering the West Virginia legislature (the 3rd of 6 I have covered,) I remember a debate on putting a constitutional amendment to the peoples' vote. What to call it on the printed ballot? The "Good Law Enforcement Amendment" its proponents said, and it may well have appeared that way. I remember much guffawing on the House floor over that because the real purpose was to lengthen the terms of county sheriffs, whose state association was behind it.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>I cite this because the Ky. Supreme Court saw thru the last attempt to pull something like this in Kentucky with "Marsy's Law." Voters approved it in 2018 when it appeared on ballots as something that would have given guarantees of victim's rights in court proceedings. That was an emotional phrase, and clearly designed as such. It passed, but objections were raised and in a unanimous decision our state's high court overturned the vote; something courts very rarely do, saying the state constitution required not a "terse phrase' describing the amendment to be put on the ballot but the entire wording. If you read the involved, complex legalese the legislature adopted--and I did--you would have had second thoughts. <br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>Even more so, perhaps, when you realized, as the Herald-Leader pointed out recently, this was the result of a California billionaire, who lost a family member to crime, bank rolling the amendment in many states. That is his right, and it may not take away from its purpose if I point out, as the H-L did not, that the California backer is also a convicted felon himself---stock fraud, later dropped, and serious drug charges, where his money got him out of prison time in return for community service and $1M donated to treatment programs.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>Be that as it may, my objection to the old 536 word amendment, now grown to 614 words, which I don't plan to read, is that this subject is NOT one to be in our constitution, the fundamental law of the commonwealth, but should be handled as are other justice system issues by regular statutory law, and as a matter of fact, Kentucky already has such a victims' rights law, passed in 1986. More should be done for victims, but this is not the way to do it.<br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>Now to the "Good Law Enforcement" amendment...okay, Amendment 2, it seeks to require district judges, our lowest courts, to get more experience before they can run for the post. Good idea. But the carrot for this is that their four year term would be expanded to eight years. Same for county prosecutors. Backers say high court judges have eight year terms, and this would make matters uniform. Opponents, myself included, think eight years is too long before the people get a chance to vote on how the judge is doing. If you want to make them uniform, drop the higher courts to four, or maybe even six, but not 8.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>So, may I recommend to you all, vote early, by mail and vote "NO" on the amendments.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>BTW, the legislature has decided to put just two amendments at a time before the voters. Here are the two they missed:</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>PRIMO---allowing the legislature to call itself into session. it will never be an equal partner to the Executive branch until ti has this power, as only the governor does now. Illogical.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>SECUNDO--Eliminating the archaic anti-dueling oath from the constitution, the one that makes Ky. a laughing stock every four years. If we pull down some Civil War monument, why not end this provision which goes way, way, way back to before the Revolution! It has no place in a 21st century constitution. Neither do the new, verbose Marsy's law, or an attempt to give county politicians a free ride at our expense.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>I'm just sayin'... <br /></span></p>Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-19056966401870597002020-09-16T13:37:00.000-07:002020-09-16T13:37:05.357-07:00THOUGHTS ABOUT 9/11 & THE CONVENTIONS, MAYBE MORE<p> </p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> 1:</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>What Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima were to my generation, 9/11 is to several current generations. But there needs to be context.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>What bugs me is first, the almost total lack of news reporting about the 75th anniversary of The Bomb and the end of WW2. OK, then what bugs me about 9/11 is the way Congress reacted--passing a law saying those airlines that carried the baddies could NOT be sued. This after both government agencies and many news reports showed how bad airline security was. Once again, Congress acted on behalf of Big Biz not individual citizens. Surprise!</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>Even today TSA and news reports still show such security is not what it should be. If The legacy airlines go under, good riddance. New, hopefully better ones, will arise.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>2:</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>As to the conventions and the campaign it seems to boil down to this: Trump wants to reopen the country, saying the need to get the economy rolling again takes precedence over virus fighting. Biden feels the nation must first tackle the virus before the economy can rise on a firm foundation and reopening things will make matters worse.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>Logic and common sense favor Biden here. Every time we reopen cases spike, and people die...people who are customers as well as workers. We need to make customers and workers safe before anything else. That Maine wedding was a major case in point. Over one hundred people caught the virus from attending in, and seven died. But, NONE of the seven had attended the wedding!</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>In this connection I will say again that we asked much of the Greatest Generation; their lives among other things, and all we are asking of college students today is to wear masks and stay apart. They have NOT responded, at UK as elsewhere, and I am bitterly disappointed. I thought better of my fellow Kentuckians; I was wrong.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>Parents, teachers, administrators, bar & restaurant owners, etc..it's a tough world out there. But dying is a lot tougher than 30% capacity, or an early last call or virtual learning, or no fans in the stands. It's LIFE we are talking about. Gender reveal (another idiotic practice which caused one of the major California fires) and LIFE trumps (no pun intended) dying. Most of what our gov asks can be done without dying. Inconvenience, yes. Dying, No.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>Let's get our priorities straight.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>I'm just sayin'... <br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p>Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-59428193009849173302020-08-26T11:03:00.000-07:002020-08-26T11:03:00.727-07:00ET TU, PARTY ANIMALS? <p> </p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>I wrote a recent blog about how I would not want to be a parent these days, facing tough decisions for my kids about going back to school, virtually or in person. That was primarily for secondary schools. But now I see that parents face the same tough choices on the college level.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>I can't imagine kids going off to college, especially as freshmen, without they and their parents having a talk about the virus, and the importance of masks and distancing and NOT going off, right away, to mass parties. But, that is exactly what happened in far too many schools, from North Carolina to Notre Dame (yes, Notre Dame!!)</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>It used to be that some publications touted college for their reputation as "party schools." Much easier to do that now, just tally up the virus cases and make your list!</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>Sad, very, very sad. Parents and students (and I guess moi) should have known better. For college officials maybe a lesser excuse. But they soon learned and cracked down, in most cases. We can not afford to lose a generation of (hopefully) the "best and brightest" to beer bashes without masks and distancing. If that is your reason for going to college, drop out, go home, get a job; go back to college when you have a little more wisdom and concern for your fellow students.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>It isn't too much to ask of parents, and school officials..and above all, young people that they give up a party or two for the sake of LIFE.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>Apparently we will not have a new version of the "Greatest Generation" this time; not at least from all the recent news reports. Sad. Very, very sad.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>-------------</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span><br /></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>A note about our President before the next blog which may look back on the two conventions:</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>Mr. Trump deserves a lot of credit for his brokering of the new peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. This has the potential to be a game changer in the history of the Middle East and I pray it may work out that way.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>At the same time, I must point out there is something very, very wrong in US foreign relations when we can work to improve relations 6,000 miles away but can't do that 60 miles away from our shores. Yes, US relations with Cuba are a disgrace and we need to restore such relations. We don't have to like the Cuban regime to do so. We don't like Russia or China or Belarus, but we maintain official diplomatic relations, and we should do so with Cuba. In my opinion, that would work out to show more Cubans the benefits of democracy than not having such relations.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span> </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span>I'm just sayin'... <br /></span></p>Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-45013502666854645382020-08-04T06:04:00.005-07:002020-08-04T06:04:37.166-07:00Controversial (I'm Counting On It) Thoughts On Schools And The Pandemic<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1">One thing I am glad I am not today; a parent of a school age child.</font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1"><br /></font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1">I would be hard pressed to make good decisions about whether to send my kids to school, given all that's going on today, and which seems to change every other week.</font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1"><br /></font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1">A few figures to put all this in perspective:</font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1"><br /></font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1">The world's 3 most populous nations are: China: 1.4 Billion, India 1.3 Billion, and the US at 330 million.</font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1"><br /></font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1">The world's 3 nations with the greatest number of virus cases, per WHO: US-4, 582, 000, India 1, 804,000, South Africa 511, 500.</font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1"><br /></font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1">Something is sadly wrong here.</font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1"><br /></font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1">The nation which claims the best health system in the world, the best doctors, hospitals, medical research, etc.etc.etc. has the highest number of virus cases. It should not be that way.</font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1"><br /></font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1">And it is affecting all our lives in so many ways; not the least of which is the next generation, getting ready now for fall schools, and their parents.</font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1"><br /></font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1">I'm afraid I would be going to school board meetings and rattling the superintendent's cage asking "what in hell are you doing?" Sending Kids back to school, maybe late, when we have no vaccine, no real understanding of what this virus does to kids, what sanitation methods work and what don't. I mean, look at pro sports; every time they think they have an answer, they're wrong, and you want to risk our future?</font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1"><br /></font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1">Sorry educators. Call off the next school year. That's right, call it off!</font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1"><br /></font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1">Not all kids have the hardware for virtual learning, nor do school systems. It's unfair to educate one part of a class and not all of them. And virtual learning isn't as good as in-person learning. And we just don't know enough to avoid all the risks inherent in in-person learning right now.</font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1"><br /></font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1">Yes, I know this raises a LOT of problems, paying educators for not teaching (can't we find good, socially redeeming work for one year for these great, trained people???) Family problems will be immense, as I said, I'm glad I'm not a school parent these days, easy for me to say and not have to "do."</font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1"><br /></font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1">But, right now, with the knowledge we have, and the way the national administration is handling the crisis, I say better we not start schools than do so and run risk after risk after risk.</font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1"><br /></font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1">OK, beat up on me.<br /></font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1"><br /></font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1">Put this year behind us. Just drop it out of our calendar (There's lots of research that kids do better learning when they are older, anyhow.)</font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1"><br /></font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font size="+1">I'm just sayin'...<br /></font></p>Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-14229491493199653592020-07-28T06:46:00.003-07:002020-07-28T06:46:45.489-07:00Random Thoughts And A Plea<span>Over the weekend I saw a man object to wearing a
mask. "I'm not going to wear a mask," he said on a network newscast, "to
make some one else comfortable."</span><br />
<br />
<span>Comfortable?</span><br />
<span> </span><br />
<br />
<span>How about alive?</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>And maybe even keeping you alive?</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>What
is this nonsense about wearing a mask violates my Constitutional
rights? Where in the Constitution? How? (and sending federal troops to
keep down protesters doesn't?) And I mean
NON-violent protesters! How in hell setting fire to a courthouse door in
Portland aids Black Lives Matter and respects the memory of George Floyd
escapes me!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>As a journalist I have been
worried about this for some time, and as an old college activist, I
have worried over the so called "Hong Kong pro-democracy movement." We
need a better, more accurate phrase in the media to describe them. Yes
they were fighting the good cause, but their tactics were deplorable.
Violence, arson, looting, all in a Good Cause. Meadow Muffins!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>And,
at times, these bad acts have infected Louisville, Lexington, and other
cities. Breonna Taylor's family has deplored the violence on her
behalf, that should be enough.</span><br />
<span>And all this while John Lewis was being memorialized in Selma and Washington and Atlanta as "a peaceful warrior for Justice."</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>Let
the NON violent protests continue until America lives up to her lofty
origins for all, and respect the unbroken line that stretches from John Lewis to Dr. King to Ghandi and so many in history---to
Jesus.</span><br />
<br />
<span>I'm just sayin'... </span>Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-21127666509515173022020-07-20T18:23:00.001-07:002020-07-20T18:23:35.927-07:00In Memorium: John Lewis<span>EDMUND PETTUS.....YOU MEMBER HIM SURELY </span><br />
<br />
<span> </span><br />
<span>Well, maybe. It
takes a true Civil War scholar to be sure, but he was "a senior
Confederate officer," a slavery advocate, an Alabama US senator for ten
years, and the Grand Dragon of the KKK. So Alabama honored him by naming a bridge for him at Selma.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>Fast
forward to March 7, 1965. A totally non-violent protest march for
black voting rights, is peacefully heading to Montgomery for a rally.
All went well until they reached Selma. There, on the Edmund Pettus
bridge, state and local police violently broke up the march, and in the
process clubbed one of its leaders, John Lewis, so badly that he nearly
died of a fractured skull. The true horror of this uncalled for event
can be seen in the old black and white TV newsreels which have been
playing the last few days.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>Fast forward
again. John Lewis is now a nationally recognized civil rights leader, a
top aide to Dr. Martin Luther King, and for 30 years a US Congressman from Georgia until
he died from cancer last week. Dubbed "the conscience of the House," his role was to move America toward fulfilling the promise of our
democracy for ALL its citizens. If Alabama has a shred of decency left, it will rename that bridge the John Lewis bridge.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>And it won't have to pull any statues down.</span><br />
<br />
<span>I'm just sayin'... </span>Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-8523619780663286332020-07-12T13:08:00.001-07:002020-07-12T13:08:30.831-07:00NO EXCUSES<span>It's 20 words long: the Constitutional provision
giving the President the power to pardon, but oh how many conflicts it
has caused.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>Mr. Trump's is but the latest - his rule of law threatening clemency for his old, convicted buddy Roger Stone.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>His is only the latest--and most likely not the last--in a series of presidential nose-thumbing at the Rule of Law.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>Obama did it.</span><br />
<span>Bush did it</span><br />
<span>Clinton did it.</span><br />
<span>Nixon did it.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>And
yet, in two houses full of lawyers, not one serious move to rein in
this most serious challenge to what all the lawyers there (and there are
much too many of them) say is one of the foundations of our democracy,
the aforementioned Rule of Law. They make speeches on the House &
Senate floor, but nothing has changed. No Constitutional amendment
passed; if that is what it takes, no law or regulations proposed that
might restrict the pardon power use, not even a Joint Resolution
expressing our displeasure.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>Zip. Zilch.Nada.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>I
believe Mr. Trump at one time proposed pardoning an old buddy who had
been charged, but not even gone to trial; what an absolute mockery that
would have made of our Rule of Law, this when the Supreme Court has
just ruled no President is above the law in the case of Mr. Trump's
taxes.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>Truly this is a NON-partisan
matter, and ought to be considered as such by the leadership of both
houses. Here in Kentucky we can start with our Senate leader. He needs
to be on record about possible changes in Presidential pardoning
powers, and how to achieve them. So does our local
Congressman-lawyer, Andy Barr.........NOW.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>I'm just sayin'... </span>Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-83065787600483908672020-07-06T06:27:00.000-07:002020-07-06T06:29:43.358-07:00On This The President Is CorrectMr. Trump several times recently has called for an
end to midnight toppling of various public statues, and an end to spray
painting them, and other unilateral acts by various groups of
"protesters."<br />
<br />
<br />
I agree for several reasons.<br />
<br />
<br />
One
is: someone's going to get hurt, if they already haven't, by these
nighttime acts. I saw several news stories in which giant statues barely
missed hitting the toppling crew; someone easily could have been
killed. Does that advance the cause? But
the main reason is that there is a way, legal (but quite time consuming) to do this, and it allows for people of opposing views to have their say in a
public assembly, not after midnight with grappling hooks and ropes. Lexington
did it, and yes it toook a while (viz America's 'instant gratification" desires,) but it was done. Same in Frankfort where Old Jeff Davis wasn't hung to a
sour apple tree, but at a cost to you and me of $225.000 (in a cash
strapped state)the monuments law was followed, as in Lexington, and the
offending statues were gone.<br />
<br />
<br />
It can be, and
should be, that way elsewhere. Mr. Trump has every right to call for
law & order to be followed, whether in Richmond, Va. or Columbus,
Ohio, or Washington, D.C. And, BTW, calls
are starting to be heard for the removal of statues of George
Washington (a slave owner) Father of our Country, as well as Adolf Rupp,
Father of the BBN. They would join calls
and midnight action against Lincoln, Jefferson, Grant, Columbus, Teddy
Roosevelt, Wilson, Matthew Maury, yes, even old Matthew Maury. But
people are of two (or likely many more) minds here. In some cases I am
convinced it is the sculpture's presentation, not the lifetime of He Who
Has Been Sculpted that has produced the protests (especially in the
cases of TR and Old Abe) but still the views of the "protesters" (I
am trying not to use the word "mob") have every right to be heard and
so do the views of those opposed, so long as previously established
procedures, rules, laws are followed, or, in some cases, new rules need
to be drawn up allowing all sides to be heard before we rewrite
history a la 1964 forever.<br />
<br />
<br />
Lexington & Frankfort did it right, whatever my views, because various sides got to be heard before the final decision. Mr. Trump has called for the same, and said that those who don't follow the laws should be prosecuted.<br />
<br />
The President is correct.<br />
<br />
He is also right.<br />
<br />
I'm just sayin'... Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-20044166639232248362020-06-27T07:27:00.000-07:002020-06-27T07:27:18.967-07:00THREE DISASTERS - Lexington, Tulsa And America<span>LEXINGTON--All was NOT well here election day. Walk
in voting at our ONE precinct, Kroger Field, was really, really bad. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>First off, just ONE place to vote? Madison County had 3, little Knox
county 2, but somehow, our election board went with one. OK, they got so
many mail-in requests they probably thought there wouldn't be so many
in person. Wrong. With hindsight, the large number of requests probably
showed heightened interest. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>Second problem: the place. That site at
Kroger Field was too small, allowing for 4 check in stations, finally
six were squeezed in. Since I voted by mail I am not familiar with that
site, but in the vastness of the Field, a more spacious site was surely
available. I am told the check in site was the real problem and we had
enough polling stations. Maybe. Louisville had 350 at its one site. Then there was the rain - brief but bad. No provisions made for the line to get covered. No one thought about rain, apparently. Nor, apparently was bottled water provided, as was done at so many other voting places when lines appeared. I
am surprised because we usually do take care of our neighbors better.
Don't know that the totals will be affected, except for those who left,
wet & thirsty(!) but all of this adds up to a disaster that should
not have happened.</span><br />
<br />
<span><br /></span>
<span>TULSA
---I watched Mr. Trump's speech in Tulsa and when he delivered the
lines about how if we slowed down testing we wouldn't have so many virus
cases. I decided that would be the topic of this blog. But then the
White House insisted it was all a joke, and a very, very senior Trump
official reassured the media that it was all tongue-in-check. So I
decided not to write about it. Then, a day or so later, The President, as
he has done before, pulled the rug totally out from under his staff and
the very senior official by insisting he really meant it. DUH, Mr. President, duh.</span><br />
<span><br /></span>
<span><br /></span>
<span>AMERICA. OK, since
no one else will, I will. I hereby proclaim to all of you who have been
worrying whether a "second wave" of virus cases would come, stop
worrying. They have. They are here. All because too many states and
cities jumped the gun; especially when the "word" from the White House
was to favor business ('reopening') over health care. Friday, Florida had
NINE THOUSAND new cases. Texas, California, Arizona are not far behind. And
the old "first wave" epicenter, New York has fewer new cases than
almost anyone because of its more rigorous reopening.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>The Second Wave is here and I just hope Dr.'s Birx and Fauci have the guts to say so, and soon. But since they haven't, I will:</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>A LIFETIME IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN A LIVELIHOOD</span><br />
<br />
<span>I'm just sayin'... </span>Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-5507015595468133162020-06-13T20:32:00.000-07:002020-06-13T20:32:17.726-07:00The Viruses Among Us<span>VIRUS #1</span><br />
<span><br /></span>
<br />
<span>OK, enough
of the results are in. We have made a HUGE mistake in reopening so
soon, even in Kentucky, which thanks to the governor has been slower
than most to jump the gun, but even we are among 17 states where cases
have spiked since we have reopened for the sake of profits.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>A LIFETIME IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN A LIVELIHOOD.</span><br />
<span><br /></span>
<br />
<span>I
wrote that weeks ago and I stand by it. Yes, you and I have been
inconvenienced by some closings; some not very sensible, but life, even
if unemployed is still better than death, or spreading contagion to your
loved ones. So, what to do,...reconsider everything and backtrack where
there are indications such openings or relaxation to rules may have
contributed to new infections. it's the only sensible thing for Team
Kentucky to do, and the way we will all get thru this together.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>At
the same time, not all the changes were bad, they just need to be
reanalyzed in light of recent spikes in virus cases to see which need to
be changed and which need to be retained. An example: my bank lobby was
closed; we customers were to use their walk-up or drive-in windows only.
Meadow Muffins! With several cashiers, a large lobby, and people
available to check masks and social distancing, banks should provide
lobby service. That's just one of several regs that ought to be studied
for possible change.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>But, A LIFETIME IS
MORE IMPORTANT THAN A LIVELIHOOD, and with that as our mantra, we ought
to generally pull back from the rush (slow or fast) to reopen
everything. New York, once the epicenter of cases and deaths, is now
the state with the fewest new cases and deaths thanks to judicial
reopening rules. Kentucky can, and should, do better.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>VIRUS #2</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>Racism
has bubbled to the forefront again, not that it has been long out of
the news or much below the surface. Minneapolis may be that epicenter,
but Louisville may well be number 2. First it took weeks for the Breonna
Taylor case to get the coverage it needed, but thanks to the ineptness
of the LMPD it got it. Then came Dave McAtee, where the final report on
that tragedy is not yet in. But together they have focused attention on
one major aspect of racism; the distinctly different, and unfair,
treatment of black citizens by police, for years, everywhere. In her
death, Louisville has made major changes, and Lexington needs to do the
same, although I must say I am pleased and encouraged by both the way the
majority of our local protesters--and police--have handled themselves
here.</span><br />
<span>Still, as a reporter who has covered the police beat in 6 different cities, let me urge the following changes here:</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span>1--end no-knock warrants</span><br />
<span>2--end "qualified immunity" for police</span><br />
<span>3--end choke holds and similar measures.</span><br />
<span>4--expand body cam use</span><br />
<span>5--increase
police sensitivity training, updated periodically with the latest news
events and what they mean..and in many cases, how they could have been
done differently. (example..was the infamous Staten Island "I can't
breathe" case of only a few years ago used in such training in the Twin
Cities? Four cops there obviously didn't get it.)</span><br />
<span>6--set up a civilian review board, subject to appeal to city council.</span><br />
<span>7--review police salaries and pensions with an eye to increase and upgrade but also a system of modifying these for cause</span><br />
<span>8--report and make public cases of violence and similar major proven incidents against individual officers.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>This
will get us started, and that's all. Lexington needs to examine far
more than just the police department here, but that's the current focus
of many racism complaints. But as Dr King said; "Injustice anywhere is
injustice everywhere." Lexington should live by that mantra, and:</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>A LIFETIME IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN A LIVELIHOOD</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>I'm just sayin'... </span>Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-35996976329089390812020-06-01T04:46:00.003-07:002020-06-01T04:46:55.323-07:00ONCE AGAIN...<span>America is being consumed by protests of police brutality in a most Justifiable case in Minneapolis. And once again, "peaceful" demonstrations have gotten out of hand in Louisville as well as other cities. Firing weapons, by protestors, is not peaceful.</span><br />
<span>Setting stores and businesses on fire is not peaceful Looting is not peaceful.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>Why does it always seem to happen? (Good case here for a consortium of social psychologists to take a look.) I
am always skeptical when city officials blame "outsiders" for turning
peaceful demonstrations into violent ones, but Minnesota officials seem to
have factual evidence that 30% or more of those arrested, or license
plates involved were from other states, some as far as Alabama. Still,
we need more facts on this, and arrest and court records, and we need
prosecutions.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>People who loot stores (and I saw whites & blacks doing this in some cities) are not protestors, they are thieves. People
who set fire to businesses (and PBS did a fine report on an area in
Twin City St. Paul where the owners of the burned out places were often
minorities or immigrants; a story that has been repeated over and over
since the infamous South L.A. riots)--those firebugs are not protestors
but arsonists and need to be prosecuted as such.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>And, if convicted, let all of America have their names and hometowns. Meanwhile,
Ms. Taylor's family in Louisville has put out a great statement denying
that their daughter would approve such violence. An EMT woman, devoted
to saving people from their injuries, would never support actions
designed to injury others, often the truly innocent.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>That
said, we can not overlook the inexcusable actions of a few sworn "to
serve and protect." One wonders if the Minneapolis PD ever showed, in
training classes, the illegal choke hold that took a similar citizen's
life not so many years ago, in the first of the "I can't breathe"
incidents. Will police departments across the nation now incorporate
into their training programs the video from Minnesota? Will "no knock"
warrants finally be outlawed? Will we learn from the honest protests to
incident after incident involving minority communities, and will
civilian review boards (and juries) hold offenders culpable?</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>We
need our police (and) I have ridden with many of them in many states over
the years, been on the "cop shop" beat in several cities. I would not
have their job, even if they were paid a better salary. But they are
crucial to the workings of a "civil" society. Maybe we need a new national
Kerner Commission (Google it) that can help us better address their crucial
role, while maintaining the rights and liberties of ALL our citizens?</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>Some
pundits are worried that we can not handle two major social issues at
once. That misses the point. We have no choice; between saving another
100,000 and insuring the rights of all Americans, we must do
both, before another round of "peaceful" protests totally shreds our
American dream.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>I'm just sayin'... </span>Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-83754904792104934762020-05-19T03:29:00.000-07:002020-05-19T03:29:44.447-07:00The Half-Great GenerationIs that us?<br />
<br />
<span>We know what the Greatest Generation did - sacrificed
life and limb (both often) and future and health to give us victory in
the war.</span><span> What are we asked to do? ?</span>
<br />
<span>Wear a mask and stay home.</span><br />
<br />
<span>Big Deal.</span><br />
<br />
<span>And. we can work from home often, we even get paid by
Uncle Sam for not working. We have 200 channel TV's and streaming, and
video games, and on line shopping, and pizza delivered to our doors,
and......some sacrifice.</span><br />
<br />
<span>And what do we do?</span><br />
<br />
<span>Complain, protest, object. (OK, that's in the
American nature, our national DNA, but over masks and 6 feet between us
and staying in??? Some sacrifice.</span><span> Already in 3 major examples I know of, South Korea,
India, and Texas, when the rules were lifted and people went back to
"normalcy" horrible new virus outbreaks (and hundreds of deaths)
occurred.</span><br />
<br />
<span>The "business of America" is NOT business - it's
freedom. Yes to protest and Yes to NOT protest, to wear a mask, stay
home, stay apart, and support those scientists, health officials, doctors, RNs, etc--all those we call "Heroes"--and who
urgently ask us to stay home, wear a mask, stay apart, and NOT indulge
in mass swimming at beaches, mass church services, mass bar hopping,
mass messes.</span><br />
<br />
<span>Is that so much to ask of Americans, who still
remember what sacrifice truly meant during WW2? As we applauded Captain
Tom In England, and our American heroes of the Greatest Generation,
can't we take their devotion to America to heart, do
what little is asked today of us, and maybe, just maybe, be the
Half-Greatest Generation of this decade?</span><br />
<span> </span><br />
<span>It is so very little to ask of us.</span><br />
<br />
<span>I'm just sayin'... </span>Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-17199961184895044462020-05-04T04:39:00.005-07:002020-05-04T04:39:32.060-07:00A Life Is Better Than A Livelihood<span>Well, now that I've gotten that off my chest, let me
remind you that Sunday was World Press Day; coming just a few days
after an out-of-state firm closed the Morehead News (and several others)
pleading virus financial hardships. Maybe true,
but the Rowan County area will suffer until a new paper arises, as I
hope it will soon. I have been a broadcaster for over 40 years but I
started in journalism as a printer's devil, then cub reporter for a
small weekly paper and, TV to the contrary, local
print is the backbone of American journalism, and we all die a little
when one member perishes.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>BTW, 49 journalists were murdered around the world
last year, and it's in their spirit we observe World Press Day this
year--and every year. Many more were harassed, persecuted and jailed
than were killed. To show you the lengths some nations
will go, take Iran. It went after a woman journalism activist for
criticizing the religious leaders there (a warning for us here) but when
the officials couldn't find her to arrest her, they jailed her
non-journalist brother instead. He's still in jail, no
charges, no bail, no trial date; but many there know his fate is but a
warning to journalists not to push their "freedom" too far.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>A LIFE IS BETTER THAN A LIVELIHOOD</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>Canada this week banned over 100 types of assault
rifles. Its prime minister said these weapons had one purpose, "to kill
as many people as quickly as possible." One massacre in Nova Scotia of
20 plus was all it took for Canada to act. The
US has had how many Nova Scotias so far?? Canada, whose history of
exploration and fur trapping parallels our own doesn't have a Second
Amendment to be misinterpreted by a Supreme Court or an NRA, so the PM
could do this. When will we learn?</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>A LIFE IS BETTER THAN A LIVELIHOOD</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>And many lives are being taken in understaffed,
unprepared, under-regulated and under-inspected state nursing homes.
Federal stats showed 30% or more of Kentucky nursing homes did NOT meet
US standards, and that was before Wuhan. Their lobby
has kept Frankfort from imposing decent standards and inspecting them
properly, so now your relatives and friends may die, needlessly. A
former UK journalist , Bernie Vonderheide, tried to get proper rules to
be followed by the homes., but his years of work
were largely in vain. Bernie, they should have listened to you more. We
all should have.</span><br />
<br />
<span><br />
</span><br />
<span>A LIFE IS BETTER THAN A LIVELIHOOD</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>I'm just sayin'... </span><br />
<span><br />
</span><br />
Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-75058075934500669482020-04-22T09:09:00.004-07:002020-04-22T09:09:33.001-07:00Earth Day @ 50<span>MY GOODNESS:</span><br />
<br />
<span><br />
</span>
<br />
<span>It's Earth Day.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>How Ironic. Here we are, having ignored our Earth and its problems for so long, and now we are paying the consequences.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>OK, Earth Day is about the land and the air and the
water; all things we can not live without - they being in good shape,
that is. But they aren't. And neither are we just now when the virus
that takes all of our attention. Someday it will
be over, and we will still have the problems of pollution, and toxic
chemicals not properly regulated, and famine, all related to a Climate
that IS changing--and which we have been ignoring also at our peril.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>One thing COVID-19 should have taught us (??) -- a
problem somewhere on our Earth can end up being a problem everywhere on
earth. We are connected, we are one world, we are one mass of
humanity, and we live or die together.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>That should not scare us. Almost all religions try to
teach us respect for and aid to our fellow humans. Now that their
lessons have come home to us in spades--and caskets--can't we learn?
"Can't we all get along?"</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>The "richest, most powerful nation on Earth" has been
brought low by an invisible bug from a town most of us never heard of.
And when this passes, will we go back to our old ways, or just wait for
the next bug from the next unknown place?</span><span> We should have learned we are "our Brother's keeper." Earth Day helps remind us of that, and boy did we need reminding.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>But now we've had our faces rubbed in it; painful,
but important. We, mankind, are resilient. We shall rise again, if we
but learn the lessons Earth Day has so horribly reminded us. We can
learn, we should learn, we MUST learn.</span><br />
<br />
<span>I'm just sayin'... </span>Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-55141692468828971612020-04-12T09:08:00.000-07:002020-04-12T09:08:41.616-07:00Thoughts In The Time of Plague<span>I believe in God and consider myself a Christian.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>(I hope God considers me a Christian, too.)</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>Perhaps I listened to too many good Presbyterian
sermons growing up in my small West Virginia town, but I do believe,
with them, that the "church" is not the brick and stained-glass building
we worshiped in, but the people of the congregation,
the members of the faith instead; maybe that's why I have not been
much of a churchgoer over the years, but I believe, whether in a
building or not.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>If you truly "love thy neighbor" why would you put
them at risk by insisting on a crowded meeting Easter Sunday, or any
other? To insist on such here in Kentucky after we have had several
examples of the virus traced to church meetings--including
some deaths--hardly seems "Christian." And with broadcast services and
drive in services even less so. I can "render unto God" without getting
ill or putting others at risk even if I do skip the most sacred of all
Christian services of the year, a genuine
pity but a necessity in the time of contagion. </span><br />
<span><br />
</span><br />
<span><br />
</span><br />
<span>Far more that we spend time trying to learn the
lessons of WHY this old testament pestilence has been visited upon us.
Why we still have traditional areas of mass poverty where disease
flourishes--after years of warnings---"wet"markets where
this virus supposedly originated---after years of warnings---of
failures to vaccinate properly which has allowed once eliminated
scourges to reappear---after years of warnings.</span><br />
<span>And we can think and think and think why a "loving God" would allow this to happen to innocent people worldwide?</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>I don't know that answer, and I don't know anyone who does.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>God knows.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span><br />
<span>I'm just sayin'...<br />
</span><br />
<span><br />
</span>Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-48495243666141825962020-04-03T08:49:00.005-07:002020-04-03T08:53:57.340-07:00The Good, The Bad and The UglyI'm talking about the way the GOP majorities in Frankfort passed an unusual one year budget this week.<br />
<br />
<br />
OK, they were absolutely right to make it only one
year, instead of the traditional two. No one knows what the future of
state revenue is in the time of Covid-19. I might quibble about their
unusual voting plan, but if the Dems or the ACLU
think that was illegal, let them sue. (Not that they did before when
the legislature refused to follow the Constitution and pass a budget at
all by April 15th only a few years back.)<br />
<br />
<br />
End of most "Good"<br />
<br />
<br />
No raises for state employees, including teachers.
(Take that, Andy Beshear!) No funds for libraries, no funds for school
textbooks, and no funds for any new social workers, at a time when
everyone knows there will be many more demands
on them in the weeks ahead due to the virus, when present workers are
already way above the national standards in caseloads. That is truly
ugly.<br />
<br />
<br />
Why is it so easy for Republicans to raise "sin
taxes?" But do nothing about real, basic revenue. No taxes on casino
gambling, or even expanding casinos here when multimillions flow out of
our state each year to every surrounding state that
has gambling parlors. Stoopid! (More later) No taxes on medical
marijuana.<br />
<br />
<br />
Let me agree entirely with senate minority leader
Morgan McGarvey, truthfully chastising the majority when he said.."Since
2008, when the economy collapsed the last time, the cupboard has been
bare and we haven't restocked it." Even a broader
tobacco tax the guv proposed went down, tho an increased vaping tax
passed. While we wait a year, other states will reap revenue from
Kentuckians traveling to their casinos. Sports betting, in this
sports-crazy state, was also rejected. Makes no sense.<br />
<br />
<br />
Will we know more in a year? Probably. Can the GOP majority be counted on to do better? Probably not.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Now let me add a few words of objection to some acts
of our governor, who has been doing extremely well in his late afternoon
virus news conferences. (Can anyone really see these conducted as well
by Matt Bevin??)<br />
<br />
<br />
You have overreached yourself guv, in closing so many
places. Please reconsider and keep checking on places that might
reopen, as well as others that may need closing. OK, this is personal,
but I have a pair of glases that need repairs. Optical
goods stores are closed. I also need a haircut. Every time I went to
get one, social distancing was enforced, even informally. Are we to go
back to Dan'l "Beard?"<br />
<br />
<br />
But what is this crap about closing our borders to
people from other states (any other states, not just hot spots
apparently) I think that is beyond your powers, good goal tho it may be,
and most likely UNConstitutional. Hope someone challenges
it. Do we really want turn away all those people who come to buy our
cheap bourbon, by quarantining them. And what about Kentuckians who go
to Nashville or Illinois casinos, and come back? Are they to be put away
for 2 weeks? Makes no sense either.<br />
<br />
<br />
But, as Mr. Beshear said, this MAY be a small price
to pay in the midst of a unique tragedy we are living through, but
together, we will make it.<br />
<br />
<br />
I'm just sayin'... Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-11133834565902711002020-03-23T08:04:00.000-07:002020-03-23T08:04:25.494-07:00The Virus And The Elections<span>What causes this virus?</span><br />
<br />
<span>Poverty.</span><br />
<br />
<span>If that surprises you, let me plead my case. Both COVID-19, and SARS and the Swine Flu (remember them?) and Ebola (far and
away the most lethal and far from being controlled) have originated
in areas where poverty rules. Yes, even with the world's
2nd largest economy, China's areas of poverty (rural and immense) have
been the location where several of these diseases have started. Remember
the millions (if not hundreds of millions) of chickens killed to try to
stem one of these outbreaks? That didn't
happen in the cities, only when the market brought them, and swine, to
the cities, and the infected people from poor health areas along with
them.</span><br />
<span><br />
</span><br />
<span>Poverty has been shown in Kentucky (and everywhere
else) to be the cause of kids and adults not having the health they
should (in the "richest nation on earth".) We should not be surprised at
this. Poverty needs to be recognized as a public
health problem, just as much as a political problem, and a moral
problem for all of us.</span><br />
<br />
<span>The other thing we ought to "thank" COVID-19 for is
putting to rest the idea that climate change is NOT happening. It isn't
much of a leap of logic, given the fast spread and global spread, to
realize we are, truly, all ONE world. If China
pollutes, the US gets sick; if Greenland melts, Savannah will
suffer---and New York and Miami and Los Angeles, not to mention entire
nations in the Pacific which will simply go out of existence. And we ARE
getting warmer, and melting.</span><br />
<br />
<span>This needs to be addressed by our health and
political leaders, just as soon as covid-19 is under control. And we
voters need to demand certain promises from our elected leaders as they
campaign in the next elections, whenever held.</span><br />
<br />
<span>I am not a fan of either early voting or mail-in
voting. It was not just COVID-19 that cost a lot of Americans their
choice for president recently. In those early voting states many a vote
was cast for people--a whole slew of them--who dropped
out before the elections were held, or even put off. And in Washington,
the only state now entirely elected by mail-in votes, one week after
the election, it still hadn't tabulated returns, including who got that
states' presidential delegates. Maybe they
had COVID-19 problems, or maybe mail-ins overwhelmed the state, but one
way or another, it didn't work.</span><br />
<br />
<span>Now our new Sec. of State in Kentucky is rethinking
mail-ins here. Don't. It's still untested, let alone whether it truly
encourages Democracy. Same with early voting. I do support expanded
reasons for absentee voting, but not "no excuse"
absentee voting, unless the deadline is very close to election day.</span><br />
<br />
<span>And as for the contretemps between our governor, who
is doing an excellent job marshaling all of us in these times, and the
legislature over the session, I'm with the House and Senate, and their
second attempt to get a constitutional amendment
passed that allows them to set their own agenda when they call
themselves back into session. I would give the governor similar special
session powers, but not his alone. That is one-person rule, not
democracy.</span><br />
<span> </span><br />
<span>Stay safe!</span>Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-89424090049701305742020-03-09T08:00:00.000-07:002020-03-09T08:00:14.277-07:00Democrats Play Legislative Chicken!A BAD IDEA!<br />
<br />
<span>Last week a worthwhile constitutional amendment
failed in the House when previous Democrat sponsors suddenly withdrew
their support. Later a spokeswoman said it was to remind the GOP
majority that the minority "counted" and needed to be taken
into account.</span><br />
<br />
<span>Meanwhile the amendment failed, though there is a good chance it may be revived.</span><br />
<span>The proposal is needed. it would allow, but not
require, local governments to find new sources of revenue--yes, new
taxes. it is needed because of the current major financial squeeze on
local government units--primarily brought about by the
legislature's own mishandling, for years, of our pension system.</span><br />
<br />
<span>For the Republican majority to even think of allowing
new taxes to be passed is a major step forward. For the Democrats to
quash this progressive step is inconceivable. Let's hope the minority
comes to its senses and get this important idea
on the ballot.</span><br />
<br />
<span>And meanwhile, let me proposal my annual fave
amendment: "So much of this Constitution as pertains to dueling is
hereby rescinded." And, as the Supreme Court has required, amendments
must not be so "dense" as to confuse their meanings; as
the Marsy's Law one did. If passed, Kentucky will no longer be the
laughing stock of the nation every four years when our new governor
swears he has not taken part in, or facilitated a "duel," Ye Gods!</span><br />
<br />
<span>I'm just sayin'... </span>Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-46311931746960291342020-02-26T12:03:00.003-08:002020-02-26T12:03:33.704-08:00Pardons Me!<span>But, I've heard this all before, especially the objections/criticisms about Presidential pardons.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>Thanks to Gov. Bevin, we now have some of the same concerns at our state capital.</span><br />
<span>Both presidents and governors have come in for their
share of criticisms over how this executive power was handled; and it's
their own fault, but (wait a moment.)</span><span> In my time the worst presidential pardon was the one that
Pres. Ford gave newly resigned Richard Nixon. Ford had a good goal: "to
heal the nation," but it wasn't received that way. Many of us thought
Nixon WAS a crook and we wanted a trial in order to find
out. Ford ended that, and his pardon ended Ford. He always claimed it
cost him re-election, and he was right, it should have.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>Clinton had a few pardons that didn't pass the smell
test; so did Obama. (I'd be surprised if other presidents didn't also,
but I can't be sure..memory is getting old.)</span><span> Now Bevin has really stirred up the pot..including
among members of his own party (pardons shouldn't be a partisan thing,
but they often are.) He did so many, so last minute, so suspect in many
cases, that our legislature is looking into
changes. Good. Meanwhile Pres. Trump keeps reminding us that he IS
above the law. When, as Ford did, he can pardon someone BEFORE he is
tried, the President is not only above the law, he IS the law.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>What causes me to want to heave every time I hear
legislative objections to chief executives behaving this way is this:
Congress and our General Assembly are composed mainly of lawyers. It's
the #1 occupation there. Many have been prosecutors
or judges as well. They know these pardons are bad, undemocratic,
immoral and fattening. But they do NOTHING about it. Not since Ford; and
Bevin wasn't the only governor criticized here, he just made the
situation worse by his extraordinary list.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>Maybe now, in Frankfort, we will get some changes. I
have my doubts about Washington, where Mitch has his own views of the
Constitution and Trump's behavior.</span><span> Nevertheless, I offer this fundamental
suggestion to Washington, and to Frankfort: NO pardons until AFTER the
judicial system has run its course - trial, conviction, appeals
exhausted. Let's start with that. I'm sure there are other good
restrictions that need to be enacted, but let's start there.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>If we don't then the "rule of law" becomes "what the chief executive says it is," not what the Founding Fathers had in mind.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>I'm just sayin'... </span>Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2540724303633640851.post-70151429509617654202020-01-21T12:49:00.003-08:002020-01-21T12:49:51.645-08:00If I Were A Senator<span>How would I vote?</span><br />
<br />
<span>Let's take count 2 first; obstruction of congress.
Very weak. I agree with liberal, Democratic lawyer Jonathan Turley,
(amazingly) called by Republicans to analyze (and refute) the House Dems
charges. He pointed out the President had every
right to go to court and attempt to block what the committee majority
was attempting, he might win; he might lose, but he had those rights (as
you and I do). The Dems chose not to go, because it might take too
long. That is their judgment call, but it cost
them Bolton, Mulvaney, and some others whose public utterances so far
could have buttressed their case.</span><br />
<span>It's a weak unsubstantiated charge. I would vote No.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>Count 1 is a very different matter. By his own
utterances, to the media and others, and in the transcript of his famous
call to the Ukrainian president, he violated an important federal law.
He asked a foreign government for help in his/our
domestic politics. (It is not a favor when the head of the world's
most powerful nation asks a new head of a country under siege, and
which needs our arms in a domestic civil war to assist in his
campaign, and it is, and has been for years, against the
law. The transcript is enough, but it is supported by much testimony,
including 2 ambassadors, that Lt. Col., and even what Rudy G. has said on TV.) The president also sought Russian aid in 2016 as the Mueller report
has strongly documented. Mr. Trump also said
in one of his White House driveway news conferences that he saw nothing
wrong with asking the Chinese for similar help. That's three.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span>On Count 1 , as an impartial juror, based on the evidence presented, I would have to vote Yes.</span><br />
<br />
<span>I'm just sayin'... </span>Ken Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05614634777064640614noreply@blogger.com2