Sharpshot Nature .Com 02672-tod-019564 Emerald Flame Yew

Emerald Flame Yew

 151

2023-09-27 02672-tod-019564 Emerald Flame Yew

NIKON D7100 – ƒ/6.3 1/160 60mm ISO200 – Champlin, MN

Source: Sharpshot Nature .Com 02672-tod-019564 Emerald Flame Yew

General McChrystal Endorses Kamala Harris | Diane Ravitch’s blog

General Stanley McChrystal, a much-decorated leader of the U.S. military, endorsed Kamala Harris for President. General McChrystal is retired. His endorsement appeared in The New York Times.

He wrote:

Some deeply consequential decisions are starkly simple. That is how I view our upcoming presidential election. And that is why I have already cast my ballot for character — and voted for Vice President Kamala Harris.

As a citizen, veteran and voter, I was not comfortable with many of the policy recommendations that Democrats offered at their convention in Chicago or those Republicans articulated in Milwaukee. My views tend more toward the center of the political spectrum. And although I have opinions on high-profile issues, like abortion, gun safety and immigration, that’s not why I made my decision.

Political narratives and policies matter, but they didn’t govern my choice. I find it easy to be attracted to, or repelled by, proposals on taxes, education and countless other issues. But I believe that events and geopolitical and economic forces will, like strong tides, move policymakers where they ultimately must go. In practice, few administrations travel the course they campaigned on. Circumstances change. Our president, therefore, must be more than a policymaker or a malleable reflection of the public’s passions. She or he must lead — and that takes character.

Character is the ultimate measure of leadership for those who seek the highest office in our land. The American revolutionary Thomas Paine is said to have written, “Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.” Regardless of what a person says, character is ultimately laid bare in his or her actions. So I pay attention to what a leader does.

History has shown us that the office of the presidency unfailingly reveals the occupant’s character. Moments of disappointment and crisis — like Jimmy Carter’s acceptance of responsibility for the failed 1980 Iran hostage rescue mission, John F. Kennedy’s navigation of the terrifying 13-day confrontation over Soviet missiles in Cuba and Abraham Lincoln’s courageous issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation — said little about policy but much about character.

And we’ve seen both sides of the coin: Failures of character, such as those of Richard Nixon and his vice president Spiro Agnew, dishonor and potentially threaten our republic. Character will dictate whether we stand by our NATO allies and against Vladimir Putin’s continued aggression. Character will dictate whether we have a commander in chief who honors and respects the men and women who serve in uniform.

Fortunately, neither candidate in this pivotal election is unknown to us. We’ve had years to watch both closely.

Each of us must seriously contemplate our choice and apply the values we hope to find in our president, our nation and ourselves. Uncritically accepting the thinking of others or being swayed by the roar of social media crowds is a mistake. To turn a blind eye toward or make excuses for weak character from someone we propose to confer awesome power and responsibility on is to abrogate our role as citizens. We will get — and deserve — what we elect.

I’ve thought deeply about my choice and considered what I’ve seen and heard and what I owe my three granddaughters. I’ve concluded that it isn’t political slogans or cultural tribalism; it is the best president my vote might help select. So I have cast my vote for character, and that vote is for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Ms. Harris has the strength, the temperament and, importantly, the values to serve as commander in chief. When she sits down with world leaders like President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, representing the United States on the global stage, I have no doubt that she is working in our national interest, not her own.

I would urge others to vote as I have. But whatever decision you make, let it be thoughtfully considered, carefully reached and yours alone. We’ll all have to live with it.

Source: General McChrystal Endorses Kamala Harris | Diane Ravitch’s blog

The Hypocrisy of Book Bans: #BanBookBans | From Behind the Pen

Image compiled by Kym Gordon Moore

I can be a reasonable person who is very capable of sitting down and having a civil conversation with people, at least most of the time anyway. The fiery spewing of name-calling and biased opinions will only exhaust and infuriate me even more, especially when it’s uncalled for. As with many of you, creative works are important to me, just as recipes are to a chef, music is to a musician, the galaxy is to an astrophysicist, or marine life is to an oceanographer.

On this “WordPress” forum, I am friends with many novelists, poets, authors, writers, librarians, researchers, teachers, professors, publishers, artists, photographers, homemakers, retirees, college students, and a myriad of educators and administrators whose voices are echoed through the power of their pens! Now, what would happen if said band of book banners protested against and banned this social forum of creatives? Would you be outraged that anyone could have that kind of power and chutzpah because they feel emboldened by it? Now, honey, I understand that certain books aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. I have certain authors and genres that I gravitate to more than others, as well as art, music, fashion, and architecture. Many may not be to my liking but they have fans who support them. I respect that.

For me, banning a book is like burning the entire book and then acting as if it didn’t exist. Or, it’s akin to putting a ball and chain on it to weigh it down and watch it sink to the ocean’s depths. To have an all-out intentional and divisive campaign to ban books when we are already facing rising illiteracy rates and declining literacy rates is nonsensical to me. Some of you may remember RIF (Reading Is Fundamental) as I do, that came on the scene in 1966. This non-profit organization is devoted to children’s literacy by providing books and reading resources to children nationwide. This mission was absolutely fundamental to children everywhere then and still is.

Now, let me weigh in on the obscenities that are being thrown out about the influence these banned books allegedly have on our children. I definitely think it is wise for parents to get involved with their schools and public libraries to check out the material that kids could potentially read that may not be age-appropriate. I would hope school administrators and school librarians are a little smarter than exposing our kids to salacious material like that. Nowadays, however, it’s like pulling teeth to get kids to step away from their digital devices for a minute and pick up a book to read. But let’s be clear about what our children are exposed to that a book can’t influence. My questions are for another discussion, taking a deep dive into where some problems are seeded with dysfunction.

What are these book banners doing to keep drugs and vaping out of their kid’s hands, whether in school, at a ballgame, behind closed doors in their bedroom, or at a friend’s house during a sleepover? What are these banners doing to monitor the various sites their children are on once they have logged into their online accounts? Remember, kids know how to skedaddle around parental controls like the invisible man. And what kind of conversations are parents having with their children when they come of age to prepare them for this dysfunctional society we live in? What about the adults and relatives hanging around your house and around your kids, who are some shady characters, and messing with them when you are distracted?

So let’s look at those moving parts that are more damaging, creating long-term mental health issues, that are gradually shoving our young people into becoming a menace to society once these damaged kids become adults. Nope, I am not a healthcare professional and I don’t play one on TV. I’ve volunteered with young adults, abused and exploited women, and a few men, who have shared some pretty intimate and heartbreaking details about how they became delinquents stemming from their contact with an adult they trusted who used them. Still, this is a different conversation that I momentarily digressed to and away from this book-ban conversation.

To many of us authors, poets, and publishers, we see these band of book banners sending a message that this fight is more about something not relative to the material they claim to be fighting about. This is targeted diabolical divisiveness with a sanctimonious attitude. How can you be offended by something you haven’t read and know nothing about, especially that of multicultural applications? And you want to talk about our 1st Amendment Rights, which include protecting our freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances? 

In my book, “We Are Poetry: Lessons I Didn’t Learn in a Textbook, I included the chapter “The Power of Poetry in the Fight against Illiteracy.” My mission is to increase literacy awareness by using poetry to help fight against illiteracy and aliteracy. Below is a recording of the podcast I did last year, “The Voice of Poetry” on my POETRY, PASTRIES, & PIES PODCAST. For individuals insisting on pushing the book ban buttons, it appears you are promoting the “Dumbed Down” syndrome when we are facing declining rates of literacy, especially among children. Such unwarranted attacks will eventually backfire. Don’t be naive to think your kids won’t stumble upon the books you’re trying to keep them and others from reading, because we know they will be curious, and you may have very well opened up a can of “bookworms!”

If you are unable to listen to this episode, “The Voice of Poetry” on the above podcast banner, try connecting to this Spotify channel by clicking on this link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kym-gordon-moore/episodes/The-Voice-of-Poetry-e2aq08f/a-aaggj9n

Image Credit: Prettysleepy/Pixabay

 

Source: The Hypocrisy of Book Bans: #BanBookBans | From Behind the Pen

Second Look Behind the Headlines – News you can use…

Baldacchino di Perla

"Luce di parole, ombra di sogni."

Northern Desert Photography

Living on the Edge of the Sagebrush Ocean

Susana Cabaço

Spiritual Insights & Personal Empowerment

Barbara Picci

Artist & Art Blogger

craft journey

Furnicraft, woodwork, and art

musings corner

reveries and rants

Japão para Românticos

Bem Vindos a este espaço onde compartilhamos um pouco da realidade do Japão à todos aqueles que desejam visitar ou morar no Japão. Aqui neste espaço, mostramos a realidade do Japão e dos imigrantes. O nosso compromisso é com a realidade. Fique por dentro do noticiário dos principais jornais japoneses, tutoriais de Faça você mesmo no Japão e acompanhe a Série Histórias de Imigrantes no Japão. Esperamos que goste de nossos conteúdos, deixe seu like, seu comentário, compartilhe e nos ajudar você e à outras pessoas. Grande abraço, gratidão e volte sempre!

Leben als Mensch

Willkommen auf Elke´s Glücks-Blog

Sharpshot Nature .Com

- Specializing in the great outdoors, capturing nature at its finest!

Diane Ravitch's blog

A site to discuss education and democracy

Expansão e Percepção

Seu Guia de Inspirações e Reflexões Diárias

noga noga.

my-health-and-beauty.com/

Uğurcan'ın Ütopyası

Benim Gezegenime Hoş geldiniz !!!

AKILS

Blog de viajes y lugares

Ed Mooney Photography

The official blog of Ed Mooney Photography. Dad of 3, Photographer, Blogger, Powerlifter. Exploring the historical sites of Ireland.

everything Explored on the earth

It has new aidias,news, about education , motivation, social, historical, culture, marketing creation new aidias education of language science culture and history

Born to die

L'unico modo sensato di vivere è senza regole

Early Morning Memories

by Anuran (A) & Sayoni (S)

My thoughts

Fun for the Brain

Neo Vision College

An exemplary learning community.

Anthony’s Crazy Love and Life Lessons in Empathy

Loves, lamentation, and life through prose, stories, passions, and essays.

Episodic Squalid Rants

public tantrums by a non-two-year-old

The Street Art Directory

Public, street and urban art worldwide

Artie & Stu

all the rules of free form

Everyone read that they fell in love first

<script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-2937106805202763" crossorigin="anonymous"></script>

davidscottmoyer

Lapsed Painter, Occasional Photographer, Compulsive Writer

Health & Fitness

Health Blogs

Buildings Tell Tales

Exploring the hidden architectural heritage of Budapest

Divit kalem

Yaşamdan

Roy's Weblog

The third incarnation...

Thought Pukes

More than a thought less than a question

"بوصلة الحياة"

"بوصلة الحياة: مدونة متعددة المجالات، من السياسة إلى الرومانسية، ومن تطوير الذات إلى الأدب وأكثر!" بقلم مشاعر بنت عبدالرحمن

parallax

The view from here ... Or here!

ClearingSpace4Joy

Bringer and seeker of joy

Belladonna’s Flashlight

The One Where She Stumbled Through Her 40's and Faced Her Demons

~ Trivial Music Silliness ~

Baw wit da baw. Just sayin'.

mo mnsoor blog

Website storys

Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss

Welcome to the Anglo Swiss World

gnaddrig ad libitum

Querbeet und ohne Gewähr

Peace & Truth

KINDNESS IS FREE, sprinkle it all over the world, and 😁 smile

Ética de la vida diaria

Nuestra ética de todos los días...

Elizabeth Gauffreau

Fiction Writer in Poet's Clothing