A New Low. I am trying to avoid politics. The following is my judgement about a specific behavior more than a political statement but I recognize some political implications are unavoidable.
I was already disgusted that a 78-year-old man who wants to be the leader of our nation makes up demeaning names for everyone and then uses them as a 13-year-old bully. I left that behavior behind in junior high school. I have not said anything about the juvenile behavior in the blog.
BUT, calling people demeaning nicknames is one thing; calling your opponent a SHIT vice-president is an altogether different matter. That is the most disgusting comment I can ever remember having heard uttered by a candidate in public. This is not disinformation. He said it and I saw it, you can too: https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/20/politics/video/harris-responds-to-trump-insult-nr-digvid
Jim Mattis, retired four-star Marine General, and former Secretary of Defense under Trump wrote in a statement published by The Atlantic. “Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us.”
Calling your opponent shit is about as divisive as you can get.
Most of us have made up our minds about how we are going to vote. I only hope that everyone regardless of your vote is disgusted by the behavior.
Effects of Misinformation. I know both sides of the political aisle take things out of context and spread misinformation. In the past, I was not aware of misinformation being as dangerous as it is today.
60 minutes has recently made me aware of the extreme dangers for election workers. In the first segment, the official responsible for counting the votes in Maricopa County, Arizona was featured. He was a Republican and Trump supporter. Trump lost the county by 40,000 votes. Some people believed the conspiracy theory that the voting machines had irregularities. He oversaw a hand recount and Trump lost by 40,000 votes. Thus, clearly demonstrating the voting machines were not irregular and Trump lost the county.
The chairwoman of the Maricopa County Republican Party, said on national television that she knows Trump won the county and she is on a “mission from God” to prove the election report was not accurate. She said if she saw the official she would lynch him. Later she said she meant a political lynching. She offered no evidence for her claim; she “just knows” the 40,000-vote victory was not accurate. This misinformation led to death threats serious enough that one person has been convicted and is serving time.
A similar report covered Pennsylvania. Again, a Trump supporting official was responsible for the election reporting. He reported Trump lost the state by 80,000 votes. He also has been threatened. To the Republicans credit in Pennsylvania, the leaders have pointed out there is no evidence of voter fraud. They went so far as to point out that even if there was some fraud there is no way it could approach 80,000 votes without detection.
In my lifetime most of us have been thankful for the people who put so much of their lives into conducting the election process. It is time to return to civility.
It is also time to return to valuing truth. I wish fewer people were concerned about posting the Ten Commandments and more were concerned about following them. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor is a call to be truthful!!! Not being truthful includes plagiarism, where you were during the Tiananmen Square uprising, and who won the election.
This and That
I had a recent discussion with a good friend. When I stated what I considered to be true, he responded— “I don’t believe that.” He could not have counter evidence; he just did not believe my statement. Mine was based on evidence. I was open to hearing counter-evidence, but he did not offer any.
I understand finding truth is difficult with our modern media. However, we cannot get at truth unless we pursue it. The way to pursue it is to look at evidence from all available sources not just those that agree with you.
To that end, I would like to test an important idea this week. I will present an article and would like people, if they are aware of any counter evidence, to bring it to my attention. I prefer evidence not counter opinions. In doing so I hope I can get a better understanding of facts. I am not as interested in arguing for my position as I am finding truth. I want to check and double check my facts. I value truth.
The focus for today is United States energy independence. What is our situation?
To open the discussion I offer the following report by Forbes: U.S. Energy Independence Set New Record In 2023
Good News
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We cast absentee ballots today. The process was a very good and very thorough process.
Please vote!
Peace,
Jerry
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