That Is Just Wrong
by
Jansen Estrup
Some things can be embraced, others accepted with varying degrees of resentment or resignation. Some things are not worth getting our feathers ruffled over. But some things are just plain wrong.
For example, every time I see our president (particularly this current one) approach a Marine helo or Air Force One, I cringe. I cringe because I know that it is going to happen again, that a pair of senior active-duty non-coms are going to salute a civilian.
Ever since 1981 that Hollywood actor played make-believe warrior it has been happening. And it has been wrong every time.
The United States military services and personnel pledged to obey the Constitution and do the bidding of the 'officers appointed above them' are a part of the secondary (but equal) component of our government, the executive department.
The First, i.e., most important among equals is because it is a body of, by and for The People. These legislators are sent to Washington to work on our behalf, for us! Not, as we all too often hear out of the mouths of legislators themselves, for the president or this or that party or faction. We did not hire them to be on a team opposing another team. We did employ them all, including the president and vice-president, to do our biding, our work.
Any politician claiming to support, or otherwise work for the president should be immediately recalled. The president works for us, through the lawmakers. He, or she, is not our boss, king, or even 'great leader'. Rather the opposite.
Just as our electors do not work for the president, they do not salute him. They (and we) are all citizens of equal standing, status and ranking.
Yes, sure, we may have jobs and careers with a ranking hierarchy, but our citizenship status is that of equals, at least in theory - unless we've lost our citizenship rights in the courts and become as slaves-yes, legal slaves – see 13th Amendment.
Some of you will say that the president deserves his hand salute because he is commander-in-chief of the armed services, but that is true only during time of war and the United States has not declared war since 05 June 1942 (against Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania).
I see citizens envious or awed by wealth, status or privilege. We must recall the motto of an American immigrant who struck it rich, very rich ... “Death to Privilege!” said Andrew Carnegie. And he also believed that the worst thing a man could do was burden his heirs with inherited wealth.
And the other thing that bothers me is this slavery business. Slaves (Black, White, Asian and even Native, in the 1920s) were freed after the War of the Rebellion, but former slave owners slipped a clause into the 13th Amendment which stipulated that convicted criminals may be stripped of their rights and re-enslaved. So anyone (especially poor, female, immigrant or off-White) can and is preyed upon to steal their labor, wealth and future prospects. After 153 years many states still do not automatically reinstate full citizenship rights upon completion of criminal sentences (the so-called paying their 'debt to society').
Disgraceful!
Please correct me if I am wrong.
End of rant.
I just read that a survey has found that an annual income of $75,000 is considered the point of being happy. And, coincidentally, anything over $95,000 is the point of unhappiness starting to creep in. The more wealth one has, the more responsibility. Too much wealth can be much worse than too little.
The onerous we put on people who have served their time for crimes convicted, is almost unconscionable. We want them to be good citizens, but prevent them from working most jobs… Except those that are dangerous or have slave wages. How can they live in our society without an income? And, all because they are poor, colored, and sold a little marijuana because it was the only business available in the neighborhood.
Ron