DO WE REALLY NEED TO BRING G-D INTO THIS?

     Breathe easy. folks. Never mind the fact that two states' electoral lists have been hacked by Russian sources, officials feel. Never mind the fact that this is the worst, least issue related campaign ever! So why should we  breathe easy and ignore all that? Simple. Michele Bachman reassures us that Donald Trump has been handpicked by G-d to serve as our leader. Well, if I believed that do I have a bone to pick with the Lord!
     I truly do not know what is the matter with people that they insist on bringing religion and belief into elections and politics. Yes, bring in humanity and humane practices, issues and whatever. Practice civility. Run on the issues but I sincerely doubt that the good Lord has bothered Himself re this election. If He did, He might be laughing rather than making choices!
     But then again, Trump is already preparing to protest his loss of the election by claiming that the election is rigged already. Yes, there seem to have been some attempts to play around with the election lists of voters and their information, but it also appears to be coming from his team, including his buddy Putin. I never would have thought that a national election could be rigged, other than on Scandal, but evidently the wonderful world of computers and hacking allows for a foot in the doorway. It also allows for rigging thru what should be antiquated practices, such as the shenanigans going on in North Carolina which would sorely limit the African American vote - today, in 2016! in North Carolina! Does Dixie rise again? And what a joke on history when the party that was the champion of the former slaves now has stepped completely over the line the other way. And people, if one group of "others" is barred from voting, do not think that others are immune from that possibility. Not in this crazy election already interfered with by a foreign power.
     So it just hit me that with this huge national election being messed with, though there are paper ballots and a trail to insure the proper recording and  counting of votes and with enough officials to shake a stick at, if this could be hacked and rigged in so many different ways, then why not ours, right here in CV. Yup. We have long maintained that our elections here are tainted, what with flooding the voting with delegates straight from their coffins, by eliminating delegates who oppose the incumbent, by having people who have no business being in the ballot and voting room being there - all morning long! So one can see that it is not so impossible as some try to make it out to be.
    So what to do in both elections and indeed in all elections today in  a world such as ours - be extra careful, take extra steps, double and triple check, perhaps use air gap computers for lists so as to prevent hacking access, set up better firewalls, perhaps pay hackers to try to break in and then remedy the holes they found - and keep up with this all the time - and keep people away who should have no access to this information or polling places or collection points or anywhere else there might be shenanigans.
    However, I am not optimistic at the outcomes of all this effort as some people are evil and unfair and unwilling to play fair and do the right thing. There is too much desire for power, for control and it is unfortunate indeed that so many of those running for office lately have fascistic and dictatorial tendencies and desires. We see that right here in our own CV and if you shake your head - well, want an article from me being judiciously critical of David Israel policies and/or actions to bring to the Rag and get it published? Ha!! Better you should champion that proverbial snowball in hell. Or try to get on a committee if you are part of the opposition or even just a free thinker, one who can challenge set ideas and policies, one who sees a better way. Aside from a token voice in the Wilderness, the members are the retreads of Israel's society and clique.
     We now have another choice to make in November, nationally and state and county wide. We need to think carefully, to choose carefully, to make sure we have a sane and capable person achieve the office and we need to do the same thing here in March for our own election. How many more times are we going to allow a damaged individual to run our home, run it into the ground actually?! How much longer do we allow a bad leader to use fear and manipulation to remain in office? How much longer do we allow the financial and physical ruination of our home?
     I cannot give you the answers to these questions. I can only point out the truths that too many ignore, that are too often trod upon and buried in the ground under heaps of lies. I can only do this and so can the others who are bold enough to stand up for the people, for the truth, for transparency and sanity, those who are willing and able to withstand the filth and abuse that comes their way. We do this so that you, the people, the residents of CV, have the opportunity to lift the blindfold, toss out the gag and see and speak the truth. Tick. Tock. The clock keeps ticking for us, here, locally and nationally. Our future is in our hands. Please do not follow the losers of history down that sad and dangerous trail of submission to one who promises to fix all with his/her unique powers. History tells us it is a lie -  over and over again - and all we need do is look at reality, read the papers, listen to the news - but not here in the Village unless you receive and read The Messenger and the blogs- our blogs, the truthful blogs. Why? Because the dictator has struck at our press, our radio and TV, our assembly points and even reached out to the outside of the Village in order to maintain his dictatorship and ruination of our home.
     Voting is a privilege and a right. Do not waste it.
     Addendum. Just read two articles which deeply disturb me for what they mean and signify. One concerns the governor LePage who is wacky as all. He gives out racially charged comments, makes ridiculous statements and is symbolic of what is wrong in our system and what has gone wrong so terribly lately.
     The other issue has to do with patriotism. There is a football player who refuses to stand up for the national anthem played before the game starts as is the done deal before any athletic event. Why this is so, that the anthem is played is not important. It is tradition at this point and one that does not harm anyone and not to stand for the anthem is disrespectful indeed. America is the best country to live in and the least welcoming to crazy and harmful people, though it is not as simple as all that lately. If this dude does not want to stand, to respect his countrymen then let him go play handball or Chinese handball or whatever it is that will not necessitate the playing of the anthem but until he does, no more football for him. What a message we are sending to our younger generation when we disrespect the flag, the country and its citizens and all the sacrifices that have gone into play for this country and our freedoms.
     What have we come to?

THE ETERNAL WHY

      Bet you all remember taking a trip or walk with your three or four year old and getting wiped out by all the "why" questions. It was a trip indeed and usually was successfully stopped at some point with an ice cream cone or a trip into a store or a promise to go to the park. But the why questions remain, even for adults.
     For example, why do people lie and think they can get away with it? Especially in these times, with everyone putting themselves all over social media, tweeting away, and all those hackers, black and white hat, there is no way that the lie will remain unexposed. And yet, lie they do. Russia is back to its old tricks of disinformation, be it here or in Sweden where they went psycho with their barrage of lies or wherever, all the better to sow discord and distrust, cheaper than sending in troops, though they have done that.
     Russia has taken one step further this time around and made pals with Trump, the presidential candidate out of "Where the Wild Things Are"! His friendship and admiration of Putin is clear and in the open, as is his admiration for other nefarious figures and dictators in history and now his daughter goes on vacation with the reputed girlfriend of Putin, a Chines American actress!! Puh-leese!!!
     Poor Huma Abedin. She stuck by her man when he proved to be sick what with his sexting and inordinate pride in his junk (cannot say whether that pride is deserved or not as never looked at the pictures!) but here we go again. The man is truly ill and needs help. He evidently cannot help himself and sexted more pictures even as his little son was sleeping beside him. Now she is leaving him though actually he has been the one to leave her truly. But what the hell is Trump tooting about here for it has nothing to do with the Clinton campaign unless it can be shown that Weiner wrote some state secrets on his junk! Seriously, what is all this desperate grasping about?
     Elsewhere in the world, ooohhhh let us look at city wide broadband initiatives and what did I say? I said we had to wait, wait until the dust settles, until we see what is going on, but some cities, with the best intentions, broadbanded up and now they are being asked to shut it down by the Federal government. Yup. The big guys. So can you imagine if we sign this huge contract - which is not legal anyway according to the by laws - and then have the feds come in to shut it down. Huh!! Just about as bad as the mistake -or on purpose - thing that David almost committed us too - the awful DSL contract for Wi Fi here in the Village. Thanks to the "malcontents" or the smart ones, the honest ones, the thinking ones, we averted that catastrophe but we could not stop the rolling stone of the roadways and we are now left with a huge heaping disaster that gets worse by the minute and more expensive to resolve by the second and no money nor plan to get those reserves unless we all now bite the bullet and pay in huge amounts to raise the funds. That is because the lies were flying around UCO and the Village and the truth was obscured despite our shouting from the rooftops, but once again, the truth is outed and here we are. Stuck once again in the muck and again we have David Israel to thank for it.
     We have a UCO and a WPRF that are stuck in the wrong tracks, concerned with flowers and signs, making an oh so pretty attempt at curb appeal but allowing the rot beneath to fester and continue. We fund fairy tale wishes and dreams and forget the realities, the everyday needs that must be taken care of. So people - WAKE UP!
     We have a paper that is now a rag and an advertising circular. We have retread people in office, changing hats. Take a look at the lists of committees and the chairs and see the lack of variety and it gets even worse when one sees the list of members. For the most part - all retreads so what the hell is the purpose of it all. There are no dissenting voices, no thinking out of the David Israel box, no joy in  Mudville at all.
     And when one turns to the world to escape our woes, well, no luck there. Polish mobs burnt Jews in effigy the other day and called for the death of Jews. Governments in Europe, the EU itself, takes part in BDS actions and blood libel - blood libel!!! is raised again. Are we back in the Dark Ages? Possibly yes, as the Jews and Israelis are now being blamed for diseases that sweep thru nations. And yet, who is there the firstest with the mostest on a disaster scene with their hospital and doctors and rescue people - the Israelis - and who is helping the civilians caught in the Syrian mess - the Israelis as they are brought into the hospitals of Israel for medical aid and surgery and anything they need - but does the world talk of this? Nope.
     The good news, some universities here in America are finally standing up for free speech and stopping the ridiculous coddling of "poor" students who cannot tolerate a word of something that bothers them. First Amendment is important as well as the Second! And state after state votes against the BDS movement and divests itself of them! Great turnabout is it not?
     So why is still an eternal question and perhaps it is good that it is so for else how are we to examine the details of life and find the answers as to why and if it is the little ones that make sure we stay on the right path then so be it. Perhaps that is what we all need - a hope for the future and an answer to  our questions. And by the way, you idiot who keeps threatening me with "Bakerizing", I have no objection to spending a few minutes chatting to a PBSO official, but then make room on your schedule as they investigate the organized hate campaign of current residents and UCO members and officials. I guess if the hoosegow on a hate crime does not frighten you, then by all means go ahead with your moronic threats, but remember - the file that is there is always ready to go. Moron!
     So here is what the obscene PC writes back and one can see the level to which this man has fallen. He is not normal. I quote: "You are such a stupid woman. (Insert by me - Phi Beta Kappa, Kappa Delta Pi, shall I go on?) The sheriff is not interested in anything you have in your moronic file.(Insert by me: This is a record of all the nasty, sexist, anti Semitic postings that have been sent to me by a certain group of obscene individuals, all adding up to a concerted and directed and condoned hate campaign. Tsk, tsk.) You are the one who will be carried away soon. SO SHUT the F*CK UP!!! (Capitals are copied as were sent to me).
    Lovely, ain't it. People, this is what you support when you allow the status quo to continue. Think about it.

LOUIS BRANDEIS SUBMITTED BY BETTIE BLECKMAN

Here is a guest posting, an interesting anecdote about Justice Louis Brandeis

WISDOM & WIT OF SUPREME COURT JUSTICE LOUIS BRANDEIS

Antisemitism on the Campus: Past & Present
Edited by Eunice G. Pollack

 

Louis Brandeis graduated from the Harvard Law School at age 20 with the highest grade point average in that school’s history and, after other academic triumphs, was appointed  Supreme Court justice. When Brandeis was studying law at Harvard, an anti-semitic professor by the name of Peters always displayed animosity towards him.  One day Prof. Peters was having lunch at the University dining room when Brandeis came along with his tray and sat next to him. The professor said,"Mr. Brandeis you do not understand. A pig and a bird do not sit together to eat.”  Brandeis looked at him and calmly replied, "Don’t worry, professor. I'll fly away," and he went and sat at another table. 

Peters, decided to take revenge on the next test paper, but Brandeis responded brilliantly to all questions. Unhappy and frustrated,  Peters asked him the following question:  "Mr Brandeis, if you were walking down the street and found a package,  a bag of wisdom and another bag with a lot of money, which one would you take?" Without hesitating, Brandeis responded, "The one with the money, of course."   Peters, smiling sarcastically, said, “Just like a Jew. Unlike you I would have taken the wisdom."  Brandeis shrugged indifferently and responded, "Each one takes what he doesn't have." 

Prof. Peters hate for the Jewish student came to a finale when he scribbled on his student’s final exam the word "idiot" and handed it back to him.  A few minutes later, Louis Brandeis got up, went to the professor and said to him in a dignified but sarcastically polite tone,"Prof. Peters, you autographed the exam sheet, but you did not give me a grade...”

 

 

THE PAST, THE PRESENT - WHERE IS THE LINE?

     I have been drawn back time and time again to the topic of the past and the present and their connection with and to each other. I recently wrote a posting about it and continue to think and muse. We know and have been told often enough that if we ignore the past it will rise up to bite us in our rears. We all know that according to some the past is not even the past for its circles of cause and effect just keep rippling through time.
     And then, yesterday I came across this passage in one of the books I read over this reading marathon Saturday. It goes like this: "The past....is a foreign country where things are done differently. This may be true - indeed it patently is true when it comes to morals or customs, the role of women, aristocratic governments...But there are similarities, too. Ambition, envy, rage, greed, kindness, selflessness, and above all, love have always been as powerful in motivating choices as they are today."
     And then I read of this slogan for the Clinton campaign - “do all the good we can, in all the ways we can, for all the people we can.” Tis a platitude indeed, but one that raises hackles in me for it smacks of much religion and I have maintained that religion has no place in politics, and certainly not in the Oval Office. And I think of an article, a brilliant one, that I read a few days ago and it raises the question as to why in a certain portion of the Torah or Old Testament, in a prayer said three times daily, why there is a repetition of words when twice we are told if we listen, listen, things will be good and we will live the right life. The author states that one of the commentators of the Torah explained that the two listen commands are actually one for the past and one for the present, that if we judge the present by how it continues to represent the truths of the past, then we will not only listen but hear - and act accordingly. That means that one has to truly and deeply evaluate the values which we keep from the past and those we need to toss away, get rid of the poison which mankind has often ingested.
     The past and the present, forever intertwined, sometimes good and quite often, deadly. We have learned, bitterly, the evils that religion and politics have wrought upon us, the evil that one religion has inflicted on another and it almost does not really matter by which name the offending religion is called, for the result is the violation of morals and morality, of justice, the indecency of using religion and its terms in order to justify the very opposite. So yes, I get nervous when a slogan smacks of religion - on either side. And love? I cannot love all my neighbors, be they here or in the world at large, but what I can do is not hate them, I can treat them humanely, I can practice justice and truth and have them guide my life. There is much we can do that is possible and realistic if we truly listen and heed the truth - "shamoah tishmi'oo - the Hebrew phrase of the 2x admonition to listen. We must listen to our hearts in the positive sense of the word, demand realistic behavior, decent behavior and the necessity of mankind to treat each other with humanity, if not love. Simple. A lesson of the past and one which we must learn, heed, internalize if we are not to repeat the evils and the mistakes of the past while we live in the present and plan for the future. And yet look around at the world and see if we still have not listened to these lessons, if we still continue to be deaf to the points of the past and see how we have so often and so badly and so deadly in result and consequence repeated the errors and the actions of the past and how we see them today in our world. Is it not time that we learn this historic truth and reform ourselves before it is too late and the past precludes any future?

AW C'MON, DAVID!!!

     Not fair. How am I to write a serious posting when I cannot stop laughing at David's column in the most recent Rag. Seriously, is he that desperate to get his broadband - which UCO has no right to do, by the way - and therefore must resort to a desperate strategy and tell us, no less than in highlighted words, how we are all in danger of getting arrested and thrown in the hoosegow.
     Of course, that is if we have a pervert living in our association - which there should not be, but anyway, gimme a break, David. Follow your stupidity along to its conclusion and basically we are all in danger of arrest and will continue to be so even with your illegal broadband because basically we are all using the same access system that comes into the Village or golly gee, what about if I am using the Wi - fi in the Clubhouse - that is when it is open - and some pervert comes along and hitches on to mine so does that make us all criminals and liable to arrest? Or do you maintain that no, only a wired building in the CVWPB that wired up legally and with the knowledge and approval of the business end of Comcast, only then if a pervert or criminal does something, only then those poor unknowing other residents are liable for criminal charges? I can just see the headlines now: FBI arrests huge crowd of senior citizens - and in the story there will be, of course, a paragraph detailing how extra paddy wagons had to be used because there were so many people involved and they had to accommodate their canes and wheelchairs and walkers and walking sticks, plus their health aids and several elderly elderly did not understand what the crime was in the first place and got agitated and refused to calm down, calling for lawyers and the wrath of G-d!!
     So let us continue along with this "logic" and uh oh - better not use your device to log on anywhere there is a hotspot so forget Starbucks, forget the airports, forget public hotspots and uh huh, forget them here in the Village and anywhere else and of course, if we continue further along, we will then find ourselves agreeing with the rulers of China for 'theft of service" if we share our modem access!
     Why are you trying to scare the people who do not know better? All the better to try to force thru your broadband initiative and force your decision and choice upon us when all UCO is allowed to do is negotiate for cable? Period. Done. Finished. Over with. Shame on you for trying to scare people and I can just imagine the poor presidents of these many wired up buildings when they are deluged with frightened people who think they are all going off to jail if one person in the building goes to a site that should not have been accessed. So people, worry not. If unit xxx checks out child porn it does not mean that PBSO is going to scoop up all the other units. Truly. Darn! There I go again, laughing, hard to stop. This is as true as David's old statements and threats to call down the wrath of PBSO upon us, upon anyone who dared to defy him or raise a concern. PBSO put him in his place on that one.
      And while we are on the topic of concerns, ooohhh, Fausto, what have you done? What have you said? Joy's gonna get ya! For how long have I and many others maintained that the Rag has turned into a useless piece of waste of trees, having little or no content that is relevant to the Villager and is chiefly now a Penny Saver, with a person hired - hired!!! to get more ads. That is one reason why there is the Messenger paper, one to which so many turn to for the truth of life here in the Village. And now ya dun it, Fausto. You said the truth out in the open in your little column. Better watch your access to your computer in UCO for the wrath of you know who will be upon you.
     And speaking of topics worthy of the Villager's interests, we now have Howie, our Treasurer, write in a column, a bit dense with stats, that basically says, our roads are garbage. There is a vastly differing amount of asphalt depths on our roadways, with foundation bases gone missing and shall I say it, pointing out the truth that has been denied all along -  okay - the rocks and sand that form some of the roadway have now separated themselves into piles of sand and lots and lots of little pebbles.  And now to fix all that will cost much, much more and we are going to have to raise the rate at which we are putting aside reserves for this purpose. So to change a famous song a bit: I have often heard these words before but they were all coming from the mouths of "the malcontents" so oh dear, oh dear, what shall we do? Oh we must, must tell the truth my friends- and no, Eliza Doolittle will not come to visit us, but perhaps the truth will and we will all have to bite the bullet and pay in yet more money, so much more as we have neglected this for so many years - actually, since it was first laid down and we roared at its inadequacies, to say the least!
    So when you read the Rag, if you bother, please keep a glass of water at hand when you choke on your own laughter and on the stupidities and about the truths that came out. See, remember, I have always maintained that the truth will out, no matter what one does to hide it and here we have it. In spades!!! So, fellow possible criminals, watch out for perverts and lurking informants for one never knows.....Really!!! Need a drink of water, this laughter is killing me.

ALT-RIGHT, HARD LEFT

     The title sounds like driving directions and yet it is not. Instead it is a symbol of what is happening in our country and it is not good. Positions are hardening, people are becoming so adamant in what they believe that they are brittle and break when challenged and to prevent this there is a palpable sense of evil and violence, fear, and so people back off. Principles of humanity are shattered and trashed by the wayside and the poor people in the middle are facing a cruel, new and confusing world.
     Alt-right is the new designation for those who are on the right, meaning conservative, side of politics and yet they are not, are they? Instead, they are part of a radical fringe group that has been around for years yet that has always been treated as lunatics and not worthy of attention. No longer is that the case. Alt-right people are great supporters of Trump. They rail at the "unfair' society they live in, raise tremendous clouds of hate and prejudice and bring back thoughts and days that should no longer exist and indeed, were not as visible certainly as they are now. And in reaction, in turn, there is a backlash and the violence mounts.
     And what is the hard left? These are the supposed progressive wing of the left of politics but they have taken this "progressiveness" to the extreme. In fact, if one does not buy into them whole hog, then you are out, unworthy of being in the same room as them. You are literally hounded out of meetings or protests or panels or discussions of any and all types.
     So what is the difference between them? Really, not much. Each purports to believe in directly opposing ideas and plans, yet in actuality they are two sides of the same coin. Call it Fascism or whatever, but these two supposedly opposing groups of thought are dangerous in the extreme and as usual have one very important point in common. Both of them hate Jews, are anti Semitic in the extreme and are not very fond of Israel either. In fact, for the alt-right, Israel is there to serve a purpose and once that purpose is done, well goodbye - if they even will wait that long. As for the hard left, forget it, Israel is anathema, a racist state, a historical aberration that does not deserve to exist.
     Both of these schools of thought? of violence, of backwardness, of danger, ignore the other issues of the day or approach it in weird ways. These are the groups that dismiss the violence of the campus, the rape of women and the abuse of the LGBT community. They dismiss the issues of women's right to choose except in extreme language. They literally throw out any and all people who share in any of their ideas unless they formally disavow Israel, disavow history and profess belief in a revised history in which there is no tie between Jews and their ancestral home, a home which has always been there in their hopes and dreams, prayers, and always has had Jews living within its bounds.
     So where does a person like me go in politics. I am a foreign policy conservative one might say, believing in a strong America with a presence in the world, but also one which is careful about boots on the ground policies and a strong sense of what needs to be done to defeat our enemies and terrorists. Yet I am also a domestic policy liberal, believing in social programs, in feeding our hungry before we feed the world for living in a poor area of our country does not make you of lesser importance than one in a foreign country. I believe in seeing to our citizens, in a fair immigration policy, in stemming the runaway abuses of big business, of Big Pharma - hey, I need epi pens for a stinging insect allergy - for the cruel actions of banks, the greedy actions of companies that outsource or even insource by bringing in foreign workers to replace ours and I still look for the union label and try to find Made in America on items.
     I believe that this is a time in history when people must make choices and must stand up for what is right. It is time we put away the violence and the hate. It is time we stop shooting those who protect us. It is time we start looking at the "inners" of people rather than the insignificant "outers" such as skin color or ethnicity. We need to see people as people and be very clear about it, no PC ignorance either. It is time we stop being hypocrites as well, for example in The Birth of a Nation issue. Yes, there is a story here, the rebellion of Nat Turner, but it is there in the history books already so I am not sure of what all the fuss is about, other than to pander to more violence and rile up more people, but be that as it may, the movie is starred in and produced? directed? by Nate Parker, a man who was accused of rape while in college and it was mishandled then as is typical, even today. The victim committed suicide - unable to escape the ever expanding circles from the event and by the way, if you wish to read a book that describes very well indeed the timeless effects of rape on a person, read Peter Robinson's latest book. In any case, there is debate about the movie now because of this event and his most recent statements about it, all concentrating on HIS feelings and how it affected him. Really?! If it were anyone else, particularly a white person, there would be no debate and the movie boycotted but the situation is other. I know that I will not go see it, not give my money toward a man who allegedly got away with rape and who still seems to not understand what happened when he allegedly violated another person.
     There is much to reform in this world of ours, from physical needs to moral imperatives. Would that we all realized that and its importance for this little ball in space is all we have, so tribal differences in Africa, sect differences among Moslems, distinct tremors in the Jewish community due to differing beliefs, ethnic hatred returning to where it was once gone and the unfairness of society in general along with the deterioration of our planet - do we not have enough to combat without creating more and making up new terms to supposedly clean up and rename hate in any form? That same clock is ticking on us. Tick. Tock. And where does it stand now? How many minutes before midnight? I am too scared to check.

PRIDE - WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?

     Pride goeth before a fall. We all know that one, do we not and have seen it happen - to others as well as ourselves. Sometimes we just get too ahead of ourselves and set ourselves up for the fall. We begin to set our own rules, think that we are invincible, and in so doing, we lose part of our humanity. Unfortunately, I believe that much of the world's situation and condition is deriving from too much pride, a wrong type of pride and if we do not stop then I am afraid to think of the consequences.
     The other day I was talking with some people and I asked, "Do you not sometimes get the feeling that this is the end of days?" What with the horrendous weather events between floods, tornadoes and crazy storms, fires and earthquakes where there never were before, and man made events of slaughters and wholesale killings, countries and their cities bombed to rubble - well, what are we supposed to think?
     And then of course we have those like WikiLeaks and Assange who make it a point of pride to snoop on others and to let all others know what they have found. It is taking prurient interests to a new low and it sickens me. This is a new world, this excessive use of emails and electronic devices and their weak point - the fact that they can be hacked and I do not care who tells you otherwise, be it David Israel for his unwanted broadband here or anyone else who wants to sell you a bill of goods. Supposedly secure, highly protected sites are routinely hacked so those of you who bank on line and lead your life on line - be careful, very careful.
     Anyway, now Assange is promising? threatening? to release more emails and information he attained thru hacking the DNC and releasing it prior to the election in November. And I ask - why, what is the purpose. I have no interest in hearing what Trump or Clinton or anyone else says in private and I respect their privacy and the right to it as I respect the privacy of us all. We must be free to talk openly in some space - whatever the conversation might be or else we are living in the land of Newspeak and Big Brother. The only reason to release all this info is for spoiler effect. Do we know that people say things in private that they would never say in public? Of course. To think otherwise is ridiculous. You know, Nixon said things in private re Jews and Israel amongst others, but he came thru for Israel in the Yom Kippur War so I could care less about his private statements. Trump makes enough statements that we do not need his private statements and the same goes for the DNC and anyone else that Assange feels the need to hack and join his new found masters in Moscow. Enough is enough. I wish we get on the topics and issues that matter and stop this sniping and backbiting like kids on a playground.
     It is the wrong pride that brings this to the fore. Assange is going to show everyone and then look at himself in the mirror and I do so sincerely hope he sees the ugliness within himself and not the wrongful pride of his misdeeds. And I wish the same for all those who take pride to the nth degree, the wrong degree and in so doing cause hurt and harm.
     Too much pride in a country and one becomes a nationalist, dead of soul, who does not like anyone who they think is 'other'. One can become a bigot and worse, act on and with that hate and remember - hatred goes both ways, pride goes both ways and when they clash it is not good. Five police officers walked away from a Taco Bell because one of the twits there refused to serve them and then when another came over to take their order, two workers were overheard talking of how they were going to "mess" with the officers, doing who knows what to their food in its preparation and so the officers walked out and rightfully so. Personally, I think those involved should be summarily fired and let their behavior follow them around like a ball and chain. This is pride gone wrong, where one thinks that one can make the rules, cross the rules and never mind the consequences.
     And for one more point taken locally. Pride of home, of residence is important to the physical upkeep and here, ladies and gentlemen, I have to come down on the same side as David Israel. The outdoors look of CV is sadly falling way down. I believe it comes from lack of pride in our home, perhaps because people do not live here year round or because we have associations with too many renters and renters have no skin in the game for they can pick up and go. It is not mine, they can think and then just dump the garbage, leave the filth wherever. But, people, it is also up to us. We are the ones who allow people to renovate and leave the construction debris around. No, that is wrong, for the price and the contract MUST include the fact that the contractor must haul it away. I do not care if a Radio Flyer wagon is used! Just take it away. I think that when people leave toilets around, or filthy mattresses or broken mirrors or decide that they must salvage the entire
village and then keep the scrap in a pile until they have a full load - it is just disgusting and I, for one, would love to have a new by law in place that would severely punish violators of the public view and eye, who leave this around and by the way, what will you say when a flying toilet comes thru your window or lands on your car during a hurricane or G-d forbid, a tornado. Associations, step up to the plate.
     Pride - good and bad. Take your choice and watch yourself and others. Take pride in oneself, in one's home, in one's principles and morals but not pride in breaking into the private lives of people, their utterances said in expectation of privacy and are not breaking rules, not pride in ruining a residence but instead pride in one's surroundings and in one's life.
     Something must be done here in the Village and we must pick ourselves up here in the country and the world must do the same. ISIS and its misplaced pride has brought half the world into ruins and the hatred flows. It has taken misguided young and caused them and their victims irreparable harm. Pride misplaced is pride deadly in fact. Pride in a positive manner can bring light to the world. Which side do you wish to take?

PART III AND PART IV FROM STEW RICHLAND

Here are the final two parts from Stew Richland's series. They should be read carefully and evaluated. For example, many associations are negligent on rules 7 - 10 in the first part of this posting.

How the unit owners may view their Board of Directors or how the Board views their unit owners.

We know that Association rules regarding participation in the association elections process, levying of fines, and procedures for resolving disputes through an objective third party can have a profound impact on the quality and enjoyment of community life. Some disagreements and disputes can be settled easily, some can escalate into to a point where home ownership can be endangered. Foreclosure can be devastating and the consequences of disputes can be particularly severe for older homeowners, whose homes typically represent their single largest asset.

One web site offered the following guide lines for a homeowners bill of rights.

1.Right to Security against Foreclosure
An association shall not foreclose against a homeowner except for significant unpaid assessments, and any such foreclosure shall require judicial review to ensure fairness.

2.The Right to Resolve Disputes without Litigation
Homeowners and associations will have available alternative dispute resolution (ADR), although both parties preserve the right to litigate.

3.The Right to Fairness in Litigation
Where there is litigation between an association and a homeowner, and the homeowner prevails, the association shall pay attorney fees to a reasonable level.

4. The Right to Be Told of All Rules and Charges
Homeowners shall be told—before buying—of the association’s broad powers, and the association may not exercise any power not clearly disclosed to the homeowner if the power unreasonably interferes with homeownership.

5. The Right to Stability in Rules and Charges
Homeowners shall have rights to vote to create, amend, or terminate deed restrictions and other important documents. Where an association’s directors have power to change operating rules, the homeowners shall have notice and an opportunity, by majority vote, to override new rules and charges.

6. The Right to Individual Autonomy
Homeowners shall not surrender any essential rights of individual autonomy because they live in a common-interest community. Homeowners shall have the right to peaceful advocacy during elections and other votes as well as use of common areas.

7. The Right to Oversight of Associations and Directors
Homeowners shall have reasonable access to records and meetings, as well as specified abilities to call special meetings, to obtain oversight of elections and other votes, and to recall directors.

8. The Right to Vote and Run for Office
Homeowners shall have well-defined voting rights, including secret ballots, and no director shall have a conflict of interest.

9. The Right to Reasonable Associations and Directors
Associations, their directors and other agents, shall act reasonably in exercising their power over homeowners.

10. The Right to an Ombudsperson for Homeowners
Homeowners shall have fair interpretation of their rights through the state Office of Ombudsperson for Homeowners. The ombudsperson will enable state oversight where needed, and increases available information for all concerned.

Does your association rules include the above?  Something to consider

Are your Condo rules and bylaws clearly written and frequently updated?

Homeowners deserve to know what rules the association applies, but frequently they do not. Clear disclosure provides the foundation for homeowners to agree to association rules and charges, facilitates compliance, and prevents arbitrary enforcement.

How does a unit owner (especially a grieved owner) and the Association begin to build or repair relationships.  Attempt to treat the relationship like a happy marriage based on deep friendship and mutual respect. Attempt to overcome any deep seated negative feelings.

When you are going to bring up areas of conflict keep the following strategies in mind.

1. Soften your startup.  Don't start off by accusing or sniping at you association reps  Instead, try to ease into your conversation, and definitely avoid being hostile or accusatory.

2.  Learn to make and receive repair attempts.  Usually, these are attempts by the unit owner or association rep.  to add some levity to a disagreement or to prevent the argument from getting into ugly territory.  Often this can be a funny statement or even just a request to get back on topic or take a break. 

3.  Soothe yourself and your association .  If you start to feel overwhelmed by the discussion, let your adversary   know you need a break.  When you feel the fight or flight response of a conflict, it takes a good 20 minutes to effectively remove the chemicals from your body and allow yourself to relax.  So take 20 minutes, listen to music or deep breath before returning to the discussion.

4.  Compromise.  Even if you are convinced that you are right (any you may be, who's to say), the only way to manage your conflicts is to compromise.  It's fine and dandy to be always right, but is it worth the dispute?   Of course not.  Work on making trade-offs.

When a position is open on a Condo’s Associations board of directors would you accept the position? Would you step into the shoes of a departing President. The answer very often was a resounding "NO".  Other than general malaise, what would be the reasons for such reluctance? Is it because the office is seen as a thankless position; the office requires too much time or would subject the holder to criticism; or the VP does not feel he or she has the support of the board?

Why would someone want to serve their Association?

Well, experience has taught that there are positive reasons and negative reasons that explain why some association members undertake these roles. Let's start with the positives:

    a. Wants to make a difference

    b. Wants to safeguard community values

    c. Has skills that could be helpful to the board

    d. Has a personal issue that he or she wants to be resolved which would

       also be in the best interests of the community.

 Now, unfortunately, come the negative reasons:

       a. Has a personal issue that he or she wants to be resolved which might not be in

           the community's best interests

     b. Power play

     c. Desire to send work to his or her own company or friends' companies

     d. Potential fraudster

How many folks have served on a board where the members disliked and mistrusted each other? How many have served on an association board where the members liked and respected each other and worked well together? It's not hard to figure out that the former situation creates dysfunction in a community. How many people would like to turn the reins over to a new generation of leaders in their community but no one is willing to take up the baton? How many associations  currently don't have any leader on their board or the wrong type of leader(s)?

How many board members or potential board members had ever attended a leadership seminar in their former life or even considered doing so when winning a board seat.  The board should search out free educational classes and materials for board members, committee members and potential candidates for the board.  Going together to one of these classes and discussing what was heard and learned together can be tremendously helpful in deciding how to put that new knowledge to good use in your Association

Do some informal training.  This is another option when it comes to getting some new blood on the board. You can develop future leaders by handing out challenging assignments to current board and committee members. Those members who show focus, talent, ethics and skills should be encouraged to seek roles as future leaders. Even just taking note of who consistently shows up for meetings and community events can provide a clue as to future leadership candidates. (This could have been one of the real positive roles of UCO but in this instance they have failed miserably.)

Focus on an internal succession plan for your Association.  Do current board members who are directors but not officers wish to become officers? Do current officers wish to hold different offices? Do current committee members wish to run for the board? If your board does not know who wants what in terms of serving the association, it should. Next time your board meets, ask yourselves a question.  If the president of the association moved would the current VP wish to fill the president's slot?

Ultimately, the board is elected by the members to make decisions on their behalf but how often do the directors have personal interests that might be given priority attention? 

Some issues clearly constitute a conflict of interest which would demand a director's disclosure and abstention from voting. Other issues, however, merely flirt with self interest. Those instances still demand that a director understand how he or she is voting on a particular matter and why. If there is even a whiff of self interest, the membership will sniff it out in many cases so the wise director is the one who takes steps to clarify his or her position in the face of such circumstances.

Lastly, when you poll your community members and they voice an opinion on a proposed course of action, boards who disregard that input do so at their own peril.

In conclusion, I doubt if any type of “Bill of Rights” for unit owners is what is needed. A person who buys a condo without looking at the fine print of the contract, does not ask the right questions of his realtor,  finds that the Association representatives are either not forth coming with the financials of their association, and does not talk to the residents of the building he/she wants to buy, then they are creating a scenario that could punch holes in their retirement plans. 

Yes, the Latin term: Caveat Emptor should be your guide: the principle that the buyer alone is responsible for checking the quality and suitability of goods  or condos before a purchase is made.  (the principle of caveat emptor serves as a warning that buyers have no recourse with the seller, association or realtor  if the product does not meet their expectations.)

A note to my readers. Much of this information has been gleaned from various web sites dealing with the issues of pertaining to  condo owners bill of rights issues. I have selected ideas, and excerpts from my research in order to put this article together. I urge readers who would like to follow up on the ideas presented here, just type in on your search engine Condo Bill of Rights, or Condo Association issues and you will find enough information to keep you busy for quite awhile. Please feel free to respond to my conclusions on this issue to the paper you are reading it in or

at phyllisrichland.blogspot.com

I will post tomorrow and make my apologies, but today was a travel day and we just got in and have much to do. Read Stew, learns and come back tomorrow. Thanks.

WHAT THE ......

     I cannot even believe the words I hear on the TV which is supposed to pass for news these days. Are people really as gullible as all that? Do people even pay attention to the things that are being spoken about? Do they think at all?
     So today's business was all about Trump's immigration speech being postponed. The why of that was open to speculation with a whole bunch of people plumping for the reason of wishing to focus attention on Clinton and her foundation and more junk about the emails. So tired of this garbage. So she will have to beat her chest and say mea culpa for using her server but perhaps there should be a governmental mea culpa that she did this for these emails were not classified at that point, nor was her email server hacked as was the State Department's by the Russian and the Chinese. So next?
     Up comes the Foundation. And yes, perhaps there was too much foreign money there but if one could say that then what about all the foreign money in the USA and in NYC and everywhere else in the country? What about the fact that the Chinese government owns us with all the bonds they have and if they should call them..... And what about the fact that Trump himself is in hock up to his neck including to Wall Street and the Bank of China?!
     The truth is that today's world is so mingled together that it is hard to separate things out and by the time one runs for office there are complications. So Obama went to madrassas and had an anti Semitic preacher he followed and everyone else had things in their background that was not so good - hmmm, wondered if they inhaled, but never mind.... the point is that there is a life to be led and mistakes are made and no one is perfect but there are limits.
     Connections to businesses and foundations can be cut and placed in a blind trust but I heard the Trump children are not going to do that. I heard that the donations to the Foundation will be vetted and limited and the Global Initiative meetings held no longer so can we get on with the now and today.
     Let us talk about that immigration speech. Deportation force? Really? And will they be wearing black or brown shirts and do not forget the leather bandoliers. They will fit in very well with the guards here who will constantly be asking for our papers! Wonder if long leather coats will be back in fashion?
     You see, when a bad idea comes out there are people all over who find a comfort in them for it provides them with a way to lord it over people, a manner in which they can feel superior. It does not make a difference on what level of government for it is all tainted by the same virus or germs. One of my "lovelies" wrote me that I am "mental" when I state that there are things not so on the level here in the Village and what could they possibly be? So....
     Rigged elections
     Contracts without DA approval
     Movement of money without approval
     Absolute control of the UCO assets and programs and the shutting out of people
    Oppression of opponents
     and I could go on, but the point is made. And notice I made no mention of incompetence - oops, now I did!
     So what comes next? Reeducation camps? Total dictatorship? Collapse of the oldest democratic country in the world and the loss of the leader of the free world? I mean, where does this stop? How far down the road do we go? Read Stew's articles and see what has been happening here, the accretion of wrongs, the nibbling away of the rights of the residents and then the bigger bites and the bigger gobbles. And yes, every once in a while something good is done by a participant in the "army" but that does not take away from what has gone before and what will happen again. Ed Black did right by a group here in the Village the other day and it is appreciated, but does that excuse his participation in the money movement or other shenanigans such as "the best contract ever" - NO, a resounding no.
     Don Foster turned over a new leaf and dropped his heckling of the opponents, including me, and has done some good work that is much appreciated, but does that excuse the fact that it takes lots of hectoring of "the powers that be" to get things moving? I am hoping that this will change as he seems to be a better responder and communicator. Time will tell.
     The point is that one has to take in the whole picture before deciding on something. Are either of the candidates the ideal, the paradigm of virtue, the idol to be of youngsters? No, never said that, but certainly there is one who is far more qualified than the other and as for that other, I and the country are still waiting for the truth of his assets and debts, his tax filings or is he too ashamed now or worried about the result being known that he pays little or no taxes? Where is the report about his health for I am concerned that he is well on the way to dementia from whatever the cause might be. And how to approve a man who followed along in his family's denial of their roots, all in the name of making money. No, he is not of Swedish background - his family came from Germany and as much of their money came from the pocket of Jewish buyers, they became Swedish. Really? That smacks of a big lack of character, does it not?
    In any case, we need help. The world needs help and if we cannot change the world, we can at least try to change our home. Stand up for what is right and just. Stand up and speak out. Demand a paper that speaks for all. Demand a voice in government. Demand a clean election without Village residents running back and forth to the ballot and counting room, including candidates! Demand the best for us - the best waterways, the best of equipment , a Clubhouse that will work for us and not leave us bereft of one, a WPRF that works for us and not for the President of UCO and we can go on ad infinitum.
     No longer should we allow any politician to say whatever and leave us with a what the..... look on our faces. Enough is enough.
     On a softer note I would like to remember a marriage that could have stood as witness to true love for the entire world. Today would have been the 76th anniversary of my parents, two people who met at age 14 and 16 at the HES in Brownsville, Brooklyn,and had eyes only for each other from that time on. For each of them the entire world was each other and in loving each other they shared that love with four children as wonderful parents and they have left a big empty hole in my heart since their passing. Today is also the 50th anniversary of the day that Gerry and I got engaged and we chose this day for what it meant so I thank my parents for the example they set, for opening their hearts to Gerry and  he to them and I know they are up there, watching over their family, showing the good Lord and his Host what true love means. Happy Anniversary, Pop, Nellie. I love you and miss you terribly.

CONDO OWNERS BILL OF RIGHTS PART II STEW RICHLAND

Here is another guest posting by Stew Richland. Again, well worth the reading. I will post a new blog of mine tomorrow in the early AM.

        Condo Owners Bill of Rights - part two -

Stew Richland

There is no magical solutions to the problems that many Associations have here in Century Village.  Based on factors published in community papers, voiced at the delegate assembly committee meetings, at pools, and at the club house one must conclude that there has been a long term set of systemic problems leading to the crumbling of the infrastructure of many Associations here in Century Village.

The premise of this article is to examine whether condo owners need some sort of “Bill of Rights”  to protect them from some of the decisions made by their associations.  Unit owners might feel that the Board may have acted in an unfair way by adding a bylaw that may take away a unit owner's rights, or having a lien placed on their property unfairly or receive a letter from an Association lawyer, and you might have been told that the majority rules and there is nothing you can do about it.

There is in place, by the State of Florida, routes to be taken by a unit owner in order to resolve an issue they may have with their Association. Florida has an Ombudsman that can help mediate issues and there are forms provided by the State in which a unit owner can file a formal complaint against their Association.  How effective these courses of action are, is problematical and may not provide the unit owner with a result they could live with.

While protections already exist for owners governed by a condominium association, conflicts often occur, including misunderstanding of rights or inequitable implementation of an association’s policies and penalties. This is when some owners wish they had some sort of  “homeowners bill of rights.”  This would include that boards can only conduct Association business when they have a quorum;  that homeowners would have a right to attend and participate in meetings of the association at least once a year; that owners who are behind on fees could correct any financial default before foreclosure by tendering payment in full; and that owners would have a right of access to all books and records of the association.  Associations exist solely to serve their unit owners. The added delay and expense of mandatory mediation would damage the very consumers it is intended to protect.

An internet search on these issues will provide those interested with very interesting ideas on this subject.  One site described  one of the typical problems that owners have to cope with.  “ Selective Enforcement is used as a defense by an owner to a claim by the association that the owner is violating one of the association rules or restrictive covenants in the Association Governing Documents.  In some rare cases the owner may actually initiate a lawsuit or arbitration against the Condo Association claiming that they are arbitrarily or selectively enforcing their rules and regulations.”

Authors note:  We live in an age in which an incredible amount of information is at our finger tips. Much of the information we obtain from the internet is factual but very often lacks the human touch.  For the last few months I have been enjoying the comfort of our pools and listening to the conversations of our residents while they float around enjoying their swim time.  Sadly much of their conversations dealt with the problems they were having with their Associations. I listened and asked questions and then I began to write my article.  I hope that some of what I have put together provides some guidance in resoslving their Association issues.

Part three to come soon.

(What should be noted is that many of the dictatorial Association Presidents are the same people who work in the current dictatorial UCO.- added by me, Esther Sutofsky). 

GUEST POSTING STEWART RICHLAND

There is a serious problem in the Village and Stew is addressing it along with others, including myself. His words are well worth reading.

Owners Bill of Rights vs. Caveat Emptor

Stew Richland

vs

                        

When the United States Constitution was written and submitted for ratification, many delegates refused to sign the document until a Bill of Rights was added to it.  These delegates, having experienced the unreasonable decisions made by the British government on the colonies, and still suffering from the ravages of the Revolutionary War, wanted to ensure that  the injustices imposed by the Colonial policies of Great Britain would never be repeated.  This led to the birth of the first ten Amendments to our Constitution, commonly referred to as the Bill of Rights.  Simply stated the majority will not take away the rights of the minority. 

When Century Village was first organized there were no associations per se and the residents of each building were basically  free agents exercising the right of eminent domain on their own condo and not interfering with the interests of those other condo owners that lived in their building. 

Red Button’s message was “Come on Down,” live the good life, bask in the warmth of Florida, you deserve to retire in comfort, live in Century Village where you will find your “fountain of youth,” and so the message became a reality for hundreds of new residents.

As with every community that experiences rapid growth, this expansion brings with it unforeseen issues that have to be addressed and resolved.  West Palm Recreational Facility commonly referred to as WPRF was responsible for all the amenities in the Village.  WPRF’s budget required that all residents pay fees to maintain the facilities.  When some owners rebelled and refused to pay,  some residents were denied the use of the recreational facilities.  In response, associations chose to incorporate.  Every building has a certificate of incorporation filed with the state of Florida.  Thus, the state of Florida established a set of standards and rules of operation by which every Association must adhere to.  In addition, each association drew up their own by-laws, that list the rules and regulations that each Condo owner must accept when purchasing a unit.  Other layers of administration were added when the United Civil Organization was formed and the Millennium Agreement was promulgated to resolve disputes between Century Village and WPRF. 

The reasons why condo owners decided to serve their fellow unit owners run the gamut  from a genuine desire of commitment to ensure that their Association runs efficiently, to those who were cajoled into accepting positions because many unit owners displayed a lack of interest or were “snow birds”  and could not make the commitments that were required.

Living in a Condo community means shared responsibility for managing the affairs of the Association.  However, like governments around the world, some Associations are led by hard working unselfish outstanding volunteers that accept  their responsibilities. On the other hand, there are Associations that may have started with good intentions but for a plethora of reasons, began to disintegrate into rule by fiat, dictatorship and soon earned the title, “Condo Nazis.”  There develops an air of casual superiority on the part of many presidents of associations. They overstep their authority, they marginalize the opinions of others, they tend to bully some of the older residents, and manipulate the annual association elections.  We know that elections have consequences.  Who do you blame for the disintegration of these troubled associations?  The new unit owner who has not read the association bylaws and thus becomes victims of their own ignorance.  Snow birds who have decided that their Condo is just a vacation residence, but their life really is some place else and divorces themselves from Association business. There is plenty of finger pointing but this does not solve the problem.

To my readers: this is the first installment dealing with the issues here in Century Village.  My goal is to educate and encourage positive change here in the Village. I welcome any and all comments.

OLD SAYINGS OR NEW MEANINGS?

     The other day we passed by the Chicago Holocaust Museum which we had visited several years ago. There was a sign that I had not seen before and it read: "Remember the past, transform the future." I thought about it and how it varied a bit from the traditional sign and decided it was quite timely and sadly so.
      Tonite, when I opened the computer, I read a story that told of the Jews of the Netherlands disappearing, either killed off during the Holocaust with 75% of 140,000 Jews being killed or leaving the country as anti Semitism grew and many moved to Israel. The Jews of France have been doing the same thing of late and there are areas in Israel where one hears more French than Hebrew. Incidents of violence against Jews, PC anti Semitism disguised as BDS and twisted involvement with Black Lives groups etc., violence against Jewish kids on campus merely add to the smoke and fire and the fear.
     Then we turn to the elections and its seems that every year we elect more and more unfit people to office, people who are dictatorial in manner, committed to one or two issues to the neglect of others and to the detriment of the electorate and politicians who seem to have taken a page from bad history and bad examples and have formed alliances and loyalties to issues and Party with that capital P. Loyalty to country, to electorate have gone by the side, simply deemed not as important.
     We seem to have developed a group or layer of people who wish to be dictators and who have done all they can and could to do so, or to make a person they support the dictator. People develop a blindness and a nastiness, a preference to designate lots of people as "others" and therefore not worthy of attention, of humanity or even of entering into the country. NIMBY expanded in a nasty manner, in a frightening manner.
     We have forgotten to remember the past in a big way. We have turned a deaf ear to its echoes. The campaign of Trump is an example of that forgetting of the past and the harmful possibilities it engenders. Harmful? No, rather dangerous, frightening, life threatening. He insists that only he can fix things, that we have much to fear and he is the answer to it all. Well, folks, we have heard all that before, have we not? And what is worse is that he has people who follow in his footsteps.
     Take a look at our Village where steadily and surely we are being deprived of the rights we are entitled to simply by living in this country and being Americans. Freedom of speech. Freedom of assembly. Freedom of information. Freedom to question. Free press. And now it seems that our resident dictator and his subordinates, including WPRF where the head of it here works at the pleasure of the President of UCO, suddenly we have added to the control over our lives within and without the Village. Outside businesses are threatened with dire consequences or are conversely, invited into the Village without the acquiescence of the Villagers. And now we are to expect the history echoing call of being stopped by " authority" figures and hear the words: "papierian". Evidently we are now to be forced to carry our ID card all over the Village, be aware that these figures whom we pay for now have the right to stop us and ask for ID, be it by the pools or anywhere else. Really? I do not carry my ID or money within the Village. Why should I? I do not buy anything nor do I figure I look like a crook out to steal pool acreage from someone else! Perhaps there needs to be another method and certainly there needs to be a logical and sensible explanation and a time for it to take effect and neither should there be threats of being forcibly and bodily removed and the sheriff and deputies have no business being called upon. I thought we already settled that when PBSO made it very clear that they were not to serve as the posse of David Israel. So what is the deal now?
    Remember the past? We have forgotten to do that for too long. We have questioned all those historians who have warned us that we must remember it. Transform the future? We must - but how? Only by active memories of the past and a determination that we will not allow dictators to take control of our lives ever again - not nationally or locally or Village wide. 
     This is a life transforming and endangering event. If we do nothing, if we leave it to others to do something, if we shrug our shoulders - then we are doomed and let me tell you, the youngsters are losing hope .I spoke to a whole bunch of them over the weekend and what I heard over and over again is that it is no use. Things are broken too badly and does voting even matter? I gave them the whole spiel of winning the vote, especially for minorities and women, of the importance of having a say and yet... the connection was not really there and just listen to their music - it is down, full of violence, full of despair, in what sounds to be rational sentences, but listen to it.
     Transform the future? We had better or the future is dark. Begin by transforming the ethics of our country, its politicians and our supposed leaders and then head on down to the localities and for Pete's sake - remember our Village. Time for transformation here - and soon. Tick. Tock. And you know who - you are an unmitigated moron or else you never listened in English class when allegories and metaphors were discussed. Too bad for you. this is way over your thick head.