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Martin Luther King

It was this memorable line from his, “I Have A Dream,” speech that caught my attention and pushed me towards a life of going up against injustice of any kind.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

It was delivered during the March on Washington in 1963 but that speech which called for an end to segregation and discrimination will reach a young girl many years later and it would stop me in my treks as I listened to that voice, a forceful and rhythmic one which came droning out of an open window. I didn’t know what it meant at the time but I knew that it was important whatever it was.

I was far removed from a world of injustice. My world revolved around the fantasy world I had created in my safe childhood space but I would learn as I delved into books that the world was a cruel place and that even children were not “free” from the violence and injustices that segregation and discrimination brought about.

Martin Luther King was a civil rights activist but more than that he was a man of courage. It took courage to stand up against injustice and it still is. People have come a long ways from “Whites Only” places BUT there is still much to be done as we are seeing with the current administration.

“Let freedom ring,” was repeated throughout the speech and the last lines, “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!” concluded the speech. However, no matter how hopeful it was, discrimination as we all know is not a thing of the past. It is alive and doing well.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” MLK

He wasn’t a tall man but he came out as a giant using just his voice as a powerful tool and his stance of non-violence to get his message across. A one of a kind as far as historical figures go and therefore, my favorite historical figure.

Daily writing prompt

Who is your favorite historical figure?

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Trump Jong Un (Archives)

Update:

“We have the greatest missiles in the world. We have the greatest submarines in the world. We have the greatest army tanks in the world. We have the greatest weapons in the world. And we’re going to celebrate it.”

And celebrate he did. It was a show of force, Kim Jong Un style. Tanks rolled through the streets of Washington, D.C. and the petulant president got what he wanted. The cost of $45 million didn’t matter and neither did the additional cost of sending 4,000 National Guard members and 700 U.S. marines to Los Angeles to curb protests which is said to be around $134 million and I might add his deport-them-all policy brought about. Add another $16 million to repair damages caused by the tanks rolling though the streets and you have a whopper as far as costs are concerned.

A “Wannabe Dictator” needs and wants unchecked power to do as he pleases but the millions who took to the streets yesterday not in awe of the parade but to show a united front where “kings” are concerned did a mighty fine job of putting a clamp on his power hungry grab.

It’s not enough that he has tanked the economy and has blown up the WTO system of global growth and stability. The man who loves jumping at anything he sees as a money making scheme is off and running to another debacle, one which is more to his liking.

Rumor has it that he wants a military parade for his birthday. Nothing new here, he has been hinting at it ever since he attended one in Paris for Bastille Day in 2017. If it takes place at all, it would fall on his birthday which is Saturday, June 14 and coincidentally it just so happens to be the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. It is rumored that the Trump administration is “reportedly looking to add a parade that would stretch nearly four miles, from the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, across the Potomac River, into D.C. How about Hegseth leading the charge, bare-chested and flaunting his tattoos and wearing the Amerian flag? Patriotic enough? Let’s not forget Musk doing the Nazi salute and Trump grinning from ear to ear.

The cost of such a parade would be phenomenal but didn’t he say they’ve got 2 billion coming in each day from tariffs alone? Should be enough to cover the cost don’t you think?

Global economies are hanging in the balance and a full-blown Trade War is looming and hissing at the fringes so what’s missing? Let’s add a military parade to the mix why don’t we? One that proclaims America’s might as a superpower with a message that says, “Don’t fool with us!” Remind you of anything?

Enough said.

Three Impactful Books

I love books and as long as it had romance in it, I considered it a good read. Then I met these three and in some ways they did change my life.

The Thornbirds

I’ve written about this one before. It is a sweeping saga centered on the love between Meggie Cleary and Father Ralph de Bricassart, a priest who is torn between his love for the young Meggie and his faith. This bittersweet love affair has several themes but the most poignant is that of ambition, sacrifice and the consequences of sin. You can’t help but root for them but the relationship is doomed from the start.

The impact it had on me was incredible. Here was someone, Colleen McCullough, who wrote with such grace, beauty, expertise and had the power to take you on a journey until the very end. Her words had the power to touch something deep within and I wanted to be just like her!

Wuthering Heights

It was written by Emily Bronte and is a story that revolves around a troubled relationship between Heathcliff, who is adopted by the Earnshaw family and Catherine Earnshaw. However, Catherine marries Edgar Linton for social status which in turn drives Heathcliff to plot revenge against those who wronged him. An intriguing story of class differences and the destructive power of love. A toxic relationship that keeps you enthralled to the very end.

The impact it had on me was that “love” is a painful thing and it has many facets. I still feel that way.

The Diary of Anne Frank

This one was captivating, heart-wrenching and it chronicles man’s inhumanity to man. Anne Frank and her family hide from the Nazis in a “Secret Annex” above a shop in Amsterdam. She goes on to detail her daily life with others in the annex and of her fears and hope amid the war. However, after years in hiding, the family is captured by the Gestapo and sent to concentration camps. Her father, Otto Frank, will be the sole survivor.

The impact it had on me was mind-boggling. I lived her journey right to their capture and later cried when she along with her mother and sister died in the concentration camp. It is a powerful firsthand account of life in hiding and one young girl’s will to survive under unimaginable circumstances. It also taught me that life and people can be cruel.

Daily writing prompt

List three books that have had an impact on you. Why?

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Trump Jong Un (Archives)

Update:

Looks like it is going to take place, the parade that is. The estimated cost could be as high as $45 million. Trump says, it is, “Peanuts compared to the value of doing it.” Why?

There you have it, right out of the horse’s mouth!

It’s not enough that he has tanked the economy and blown up the WTO system of global growth and stability. The man who loves jumping at anything he sees as a money making scheme is off and running to another debacle, one which is more to his liking.

The cost of such a parade would be phenomenal but didn’t he say they’ve got 2 billion coming in each day from tariffs alone? Should be enough to cover the cost don’t you think?

Enough said.

MUSK

There is something in the air and it is spreading and invading far and wide so much so that it has now moved across the pond and into Europe. It reeks of something unpleasant and it is dangerous if allowed to spread.

Nazism is nothing to sneeze at let alone to make fun of. The man who was criticized for his “Nazi” salute not once but twice during Trump’s inauguration event is now speaking out for the far-right in Germany. The Tesla CEO or rather the “snake oil” salesman as some call him has big ambitions and I think it borders on world domination of the unsavory kind.

Elon Musk did a virtual salute on Saturday to Germany’s far-right party, AfD, saying Germans should “take pride” in German culture and values and “not to lose that in some sort of multiculturism that dilutes everything.” Huh? So, he is advocating monoculturism? It is defined as “the policy or process of supporting, advocating, or allowing the expression of the culture of a single social or ethnic group.” Someone should tell him that there are NO mono-ethnic countries anymore. He added more but who cares!

It is of importance that the man who faced criticism in the U.S. and Europe for his straight arm gesture resembling a Nazi salute is now trying to influence German elections. He went on to say, “I think you (AfD) are really the best hope for Germany.”

This is scary folks because if money, computer expertise and a Nazi salute here and there can manipulate the outcome of an election then Lord help us all!

Here We Go!

The 47th President, Donald John Trump was sworn in with pomp and circumstance and the celebrations still continue as Americans celebrate, well some are while others look on with mistrust and even horror at a new era of who knows what. Coming back to the inauguration, it was a peaceful transfer of power and it was for all purposes democracy in action as it should be. Remember what happened 4 years ago when Trump lost and the instigated attack that ensued on the Capitol? This time around there was none of that and you know why.

The new president has promised, “Your head will spin when you see what’s going to happen,” referring to his plans for Day 1 of his administration. Nothing new here because President Trump is known to run before he can walk.

On the agenda are immigration raids in major metropolitan areas to deport undocumented migrants. Following that or perhaps not in that order are the January 6, 2021 defendants waiting for pardons to be handed down which Trump has promised and others across the globe will be awaiting to see what plans he will put in action as far as “tariffs, land grabs and an end to grinding wars.” He has promised to issue more than 100 executive actions during his first week in office.

A new sheriff is in town folks and he’s going to make it be known that he’s the boss. All just hot air? It could be but it could be different this time around according to one of his advisors as told to CNN. “We want to come in and show just how serious we are. Trump is back, it’s go time. Like a shock to the system.”

Hmm….

Yes folks, the spin cycle is on and it will be dizzying to say the least. What about retribution? Remember he promised to “investigate and punish his adversaries, especially those involved in his four prosecutions and the congressional investigation of the Jan 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. However, President Biden might have made a preemptive strike on that one. Joe Biden has issued last minute pardons to Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley and members of the House Committee that investigated the Jan 6 attack on the Capitol, including former Representative Liz Cheney.

Did this move take the wind out of Trump’s sails? You can bet your bottom dollar it did but who knows what else he has up his sleeve. All will be made clear in time as a new Trump era dawns in Washington. Will we see a kinder, gentler and classier Trump now that he has the tech giants by his side or will it be business as usual. You know the schoolyard bullying antics of throwing temper tantrums when he doesn’t get his way. Will there be more of the same?

I think the real Trump will show up sooner or later. It is just a matter of time before he steps out thumping his nose at rule of law. Donald J. Trump is not known for “grace under pressure” and so I say, don’t hold your breath as far as the person he presented yesterday, the one who wants to Make America Again and his role as a peacemaker and unifier notwithstanding all the promises he rolled out. Many have tried and failed and if it was as easy as that, it would have been done already. The problem is wanting it and getting it are two different concepts altogether. It takes more than a scripted speech to do that and he is fully aware of it or perhaps not.

One thing is for sure, there will be much for the press to talk about, to decipher and shred as he takes office and goes about showing America and the world that he is the “new Messiah” and only he and he alone can right the wrongs and get everyone back on track. A big job for an old man who can’t even keep his thoughts in line, let alone one who has trouble making complete sentences that make sense!

Good luck and may God Bless America and the rest of the world.