Seeking truth together
Do you think the #UnitedStates is experiencing a #political #regression and #failure of #representation? At the close of the 1787 Constitutional Convention, as delegates left Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, A woman, often identified as Elizabeth Willing Powel, asked #BenjaminFranklin, “Well, Doctor, what have we got—a Republic or a Monarchy?”. #Franklin replied, “A Republic, if you can keep it”. Are we keeping it?
Renee Good’s tragic death demonstrates systemic societal failures of both uniformed and civilian training, preparedness, and response. I am hoping for a just verdict in this case and more insightful context to be revealed before a jury in a court of law. What is clear to me is that many quick (fast-thinking) decisions were foolishly made in this incident, and it should be used as a training video for (1) how not to approach and endeavor to stop a vehicle and (2) how not to respond to a law enforcement officer.
The author expresses frustration with the U.S. Executive Branch’s actions, including the suspension of vital foreign aid and funding, and concerns about billionaires like Elon Musk influencing government. He calls for the Legislative and Judicial Branches to act against these issues if the Executive Branch fails to correct them. The author suggests people should petition for impeachment if conflicts of interest and corruption persist.
Government needs transparency and people who do the right thing. Resilient and rational government employees represent the best of our government’s civil servants. But three other types of government workers are more common: riders, risers, and rescuers or wannabe humanitarians. The current executive branch appears to be targeting left-leaning humanitarian or rescuer types in order to (1) consolidate power and (2) cut spending. But, would mandatory annual itemized financial reports do the job for them?
Heather Ann Thompson’s “Blood in the Water” chronicles the 1971 Attica Uprising, highlighting systemic racism and injustice in American prisons. The book details the uprising’s context, violence, and legal aftermath, including a class action lawsuit settled 25 years later for $12 million, illustrating the gap between conviction and true justice.
“Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era” by James McPherson explores the concept of freedom and its preservation in America. The Pulitzer Prize-winning book delves into the complexities of individual, regional, and national interests in America in the 1800’s. The book presents an opportunity to learn from history.
In the 1962 book “The Fire Next Time” by James Baldwin, addresses the divide between people in the 1960s United States and beyond. Baldwin’s writing reflects on the traumas, fears, hypocrisies, and hopes of both majority and minority populations while warning against hate, violence, and oppression.
Deliberating Truth 