Time to Think

Words Still Matter                                                                                   #367 By Hank Silverberg Commentary What's in a word? They do still matter. A few examples for you, my loyal readers. It is the holiday season with Chanukah occurring this week, Christmas and Kwanzaa just a week away, and New Year's Day not far behind.  It's a time of celebration, joy and goodwill in many places, though we are reminded by the events in Providence and Australia that often the words "good will toward men" don't mean much.  But still, we try to spread a bit of sunshine in the middle of a cold winter by greeting people with a smile and the words  "Happy Holidays". Oh, wait, I forgot, those words symbolize a "war on Christmas" to many on the right who per...

Birthright                                                                                                                     #366 By Hank Silverberg  Commentary  This week, the United States Supreme Court will hear arguments from the Trump Administration claiming that Birthright Citizenship is not legal.  It is, frankly, the most ridiculous and alarming claim this administration has ever made. Here is what the Constitution's 14th Amendment says on the issue...a direct quote here:  "14th Amendment Section 1 All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No S...

The Autopen                                        #365 By Hank Silverberg Commentary What's all the fuss over an autopen? Every president since Thomas Jefferson has used one from time to time to sign letters, documents and pardons. Jefferson even invented one.  P resident Trump, now keenly aware that he cannot just raise his voice or wave his hand and negate anything he doesn't like, is now threatening to wipe out anything his predecessor signed with an autopen. Of course,. they are more sophisticated now than in Jefferson's era. Here's a look at the one he used at Monticello in 1803.    Trump maintains that Biden was not present when a 21st century version of the autopen was used to sign some executive orders, pardons and some rule changes and that everything signed with such a device was illegal. But there is plenty of history to say otherwise. John F. Kennedy used it e...

Time Warp                                      #364 By Hank Silverberg Commentary I turned 71 years old this week. That is really NOT an achievement. Lot's of people get here. But the milestone has given me a chance to review a bit of history and wonder about the future. Growing up in the 60's you could spend much of your childhood never worrying about what the president was saying, or international affairs because there was no 24-hour news cycle and no social media.  Crime, poverty and violent conflicts existed, but as kids, in the suburbs most of us didn't see or hear it. Our parents, with the violence of World War Two still in their memory, didn't talk about it, and later as we grew up, the history books we read in school white-washed most of it.   You might read the newspaper to get the latest baseball score, or check out Beetle Bailey in the funny pages, but what was happen...

  The Epstein Files??? What About Everything  Else??  #363    By Hank Silverberg Commentary Tired of hearing about the Epstein files? I certainly am. First, let me say I have a great deal of empathy for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and his cadres of sleezeballs. Like many people, I would like to see  the victims get justice and closure for a terrible experience that in many cases, ruined their lives    I do have an issue though, with politicians and the media who seem obsessed with who was on Epstein's island, his plane, his guest list and the like, and ignore everything else.  We know Andrew Windsor, formally known as The Prince, was involved. And we know that Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and others knew Epstein and were seen at some of his parties.  But these events happened years ago, and somehow focusing on who is on the list and may have participated in the abuse of underage women has pulled the Congress and a good portion of the m...