Posted on by rdaviddc17

 INNER-GHETTO BLUES:

“The Ghetto” is that part of a city where a minority group, often due to political, social, or economic factors, is forced to live. Perhaps the best example of these were the World War II Jewish Ghettoes of the Holocaust (i.e., Warsaw, Krakow). During the same period, in America, we had the Japanese Internment Camps (i.e., Tula Lake, Heart Mountain).  In the second half of the twentieth century major Ghettoes in America were renamed slums and were located in major cities. These, ranged from Tenement slums (Lower East Side and Harlem) to Public Housing Projects like Cabrini-Green in Chicago and others in Bed-Sty and Williamsburg in Brooklyn.  In dilapidated towns or rural communities they were simply referred to as being “on the other side of the tracks.” The “Inner City” was just a euphonism to camouflage the nitty-gritty reality of our modern Ghettoes.  The term was designed to further isolate the “Slums” with their share of underperforming public schools and scant municipal services from the “respected” communities. The “Blues,” as you know, is a musical art form which speaks of the laments of the spirit ignited by the pain and suffering inherit in the human condition.  The inherit conditions of our communitas were the bedrock of the Inner-Ghetto Blues.

Growing up in the ‘60’s and 70’s we were fully aware that we were living in the Ghetto and attending Inner City schools. We would cry out for change.  Not being heard or understood we turned to violence in the form of the Race Riots of the day.  We were left to our own devices and the sad aftermath of the burning down our own neighborhoods. The pain would last for decades with little to none improvements in the quality of life in the Ghetto. Sociologists and Urban Planners pried through our lives and our communities in a vain effort to show they truly cared. They authored Commission Reports and other “White Papers” on the causes of poverty and other ills in our Inner Cities. Most recommendations were seldom implemented and would lie dormant on some shelf. There simply was no denying how we were viewed and how we were treated.

For our part we turned to Music and the Arts to soothe our souls, cement our Brotherhood and Sisterhoods, and make alliance with those who knew the truth behind it all.  Donny Hathaway in his pulsating tune “The Ghetto” captured the sound and flavor of the Ghetto. Johnny Cash’s “In the Ghetto” captured the lament and sorrow of a mother with the harrowing lyric “A child is born in the Ghetto … and a Mother Cries.”  Bracing ourselves for impact we would flow with War on “The World is A Ghetto.” They, ever so gracefully, beseeched us with – “Don’t you know, that for me and for you, the World is A Ghetto.”  On Broadway we would champion James Earl Jones as Jack Johnson in the epic pugilistic battle dubbed “The Great White Hope.” In “Ain’t Supposed to Die a Natural Death” Melvin Van Peebles purposely brought to the fore the drugs, homelessness, unemployment, police corruption, and other ills of ghetto life, such that we were to be seen. The “Blaxplotation” films such as Superfly, Shaft, and Sweet Sweetback’s Baad Asssss Song equally portrayed the trials and tribulations of Inner City living while aiming to paint the enemy as “Whitey.” We needed that.

          Speaking of which, “White America” has seemingly tired of us dwelling on the Inner-Ghetto Blues” and dispensed with using the terms Slums, Ghettoes, and the Inner-City.  And, as if that was not enough, has embarked on a course of urban “Gentrification” to once and for all put us out of our misery.  Gentrification has succeeded in decoupling us from any nostalgia for the good old Inner-City. And, as it turns out, the modern city dweller is impressed with all the glitter of “Gentrification” and profess ignorance of their own roles in the process.  These mostly “White” enclaves are touted as the re-invention of our urban centers; having not only eliminated the long-standing blight but the local residents as well.  These new urban centers are designed to attract the up and coming (those with means) at the expense of the residents with deep roots in the community and the small businesses that once flourished. These upscale changes tend to camouflage the ever-expanding income gap and the vast increase in homelessness.  In a real sense, “Homeless Encampments represent the reinvented and out-of-sight Ghettoes.  Back in the Day, a group of young troubadours known as the “Mighty Temp” belted out their tune – “Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World is Today).” Their message rings just as true today.

Posted on by rdaviddc17 · 1 Comment

A LESSON FROM MY LATE FRIEND DR. GILBERT LANCE RAIFORD

Long ago I was a youngster with Dreams.  I fancied myself a budding historian, although frankly I was a rather naïve teenager.  Back then I viewed history from the prism of rote memory splashed with romantic notions of the Nobility of Freedom Fighters.  Dr. Raiford, a social worker by profession, met me in my youthful and idealistic period. I had already declared to my parents that I wanted to be a lawyer, and I never knew that I could back away from that claim.  Dr. Raiford in ways small and big guided me in making my declaration a reality.

“Doc,” as he would come to be called, was also an unusual scholar with a broad range of interests and knowledge.  Over time I would come to appreciate him as a Constitutional scholar as well. Even before my first day of law school “Doc” was schooling me about our cherished American Constitution. In particular he would expound on the 14th Amendment.  He went through great lengths to help me understand how the rights of minorities as protected by the Constitution and the broader Civil Rights laws rested on tenuous grounds. In short, his position was that these rights were subject to change. As an example, he drew my attention to the 18th Amendment, known as the Prohibition Act, and how when the country tired of the “Dry Spell” they opted to repeal it with the 21st Amendment.  Prohibition lasted from 1919 to 1933 and was a perfect example of “Doc’s” lesson that day.  As part of that lesson “Doc” showed me how these rights, which we view as fundamental, were an afterthought brought to life not by our Founding Fathers but by later generations of Americans.

Generations of Americans would agitate for change in order to uphold the “Spirit “of Freedom even when the law was not on their side. This battle was best illustrated by the 1857 Supreme Court case of Dred Scott v. Sandford.  This landmark case revealed how much of the country was still tied to the notion that African American “slaves” were not equal, so it was written in our constitution.  The Dred Scott decision found “that enslaved people were not citizens of the United States and, therefore, could not expect any protection from the Federal government or the Courts.”   Of course, in later conversations we would speak about how the North lost the Civil War and how in many respects it was still raging. But all that is for another day.

Dr. Raiford was able to articulate how despite their intellect and strong philosophical ideals our Founding Fathers would fail our nation by excluding from recognition the “Negroes.,” whether freed or enslaved and settled on allowing them to be counted as three-fifths of a person.  Let me be clear he exclaimed; they weren’t really recognizing us as Citizens but rather as chattel or property that had to credited in order to rectify the economic imbalance between the Northern and Southern Colonies.  In short, “Created Equal” was never meant for us. Hard to imagine but true nevertheless.

Despite arguments to the contrary the Civil War was fought primarily over the “Institution of Slavery. “The 14th Amendment came about as a way to justify the carnage between brothers (not to be confused with Bros.).  The victor (the North) had come to the late recognition that indeed “Created Equal” must have been meant to include “Slaves” and that it was about time to state this as clearly as possible. 

The first clause of the 14th Amendment reads, in part, as follows: “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.” Almost immediately the Southern States began to balk. In short order they would reverse most of the gains of the “Reconstruction Era,” and while in theory they “Honored” the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment they would pass laws that would strip and violate not only the spirit of the Amendment but the law itself.  Voting rules from poll taxes to literacy tests were ruthlessly enforced, thereby depriving “American” citizens of the very protection promised by the new and improved Constitution. There remained countless of ways in which society in general allowed all sorts of violations of the Constitution to go unchallenged.  That is until Pres. Lydon B. Johnson at the prodding of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and others ushered in the Civil Rights era and brought us a measure of equality. Mid you, I did say “a” measure. With Affirmative Action being put to bed and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion all on the ropes one can see the importance of the lessons taught to us by our Elders and our ancestors.

The important lesson Dr. Raiford imprinted upon me long ago was simply that our rights as citizens were mostly created by Amendments and not the foundational document itself, and thus they are subject to change at any time. Mostly, at the whim of a “privileged” few. Two things that I urge you to consider today are: 1) the history of the United States of deporting American citizens, and 2) the quest to end birth-right citizenship.  Both of these have transversed a tangled and twist journey throughout our history.

In 1882 Congress enacted the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. The act was the first major restrictive immigration law which in addition excluding the entry of Chinese immigrants resulted in the deportation of Chinese-American citizens.  American citizens were also deported during the Palmer Raids of 1919-1920.  Although the raids focused on Italian and Eastern European immigrants who were considered radicals American citizens were nevertheless rounded up and deported.  Within the decade the Depression would lead to the launch of the Mexican Repatriation program. The scarcity of jobs placed many Americans on the “Soup Line” and our leaders felt the urge to protect the few opportunities available for “White” Americans.  The program ran from 1929-1936 resulting in the deportation of Mexican immigrants as well as Mexican-Americans citizens. Then came the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.  The U.S. government reacted in two significant ways. The better known was the infamous Japanese-American Interment Program. Less spoken of is the actual deportation of Japanese-American citizens.

The question of “Birth Right” citizenship is right there on the first line of the h Amendment.  That line also contains the phrase “and subject to the jurisdiction thereof.”  These words have in the past, and even more recently, been interpreted by some as support for the proposition that children born in the U.S. to parents in the U.S. who are not themselves citizens are also  not citizens.  This twisted reading of the Amendment was at the very core of the 1898 case of United States vs. Wong Kim Ark a Chinese-American born in San Francisco to parents who were lawful permanent residents but not naturalized U.S. citizens.  The Court considered the key facts that Wong Kim Ark’s parents were neither diplomats nor otherwise official emissaries of the Emperor of China and thus were indeed “subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.”  The Court laid this stretch of an argument to rest and its decision has maintained precedential value ever since.  Nevertheless, the argument has regained currency with the far-right fringe and “White Supremacists” alike. They have found additional support from their De Facto leader President Donald J. Trump. 

Pres. Trump apparently never studied Civics and fails to understand the Constitutional process.  He has proclaimed through an Executive Order the end of “Birth-Right” citizenship.  He has been swiftly rebuked in the case of State of Washington vs. Donald Trump, et. al.  Federal Judge John Coughenour issued a Temporary Restraining Order on the basis that the State of Washington demonstrated a strong likelihood of success on the merits of its claim.  The Judge went further and stated during arguments that the Executive Order was “blatantly unconstitutional.”   The Judge went further and stated “I have been on the bench for over four decades. I can’t remember another case where the question presented was as clear.”  What is clear is that a Constitutional Amendment can be repealed through the Legislative process but not revoked by Executive Action.

My take-away is to recall my friend’s lesson of years ago, as supplemented by my own knowledge and experience, and stand guard against efforts to erode our Constitutional rights, especially that of Birth Right citizenship.

It is not inconceivable that future efforts could expand from eroding the 14th Amendment’s Birth-Right protection to eviscerating it in its entirety.  May God have Mercy on us. And thank you my dear friend for your wisdom and valuable lessons that have kept me grounded.

Posted on by rdaviddc17

“BORDER MADNESS”

It is well known that the geographic boundaries of the United States lie to the south of Canada and to the north of Mexico. However, historically speaking the southern border has captured all of the attention and for good reasons. It has long functioned as a prime entry point to America. It might be surprising, to learn that it is considered to be the most frequently crossed land border in the world. This attribute is due in large measure to the all-important international trade and commerce between two close allies who happen to share a common border.  The level of trade contributes to the overall economic health of both nations.  Unfortunately, this is overshadowed by the sheer volume of undocumented individuals seeking entry through the very same border.

It wasn’t always so. Throughout most of the 20th century illegal border-crossings were treated as troublesome yet manageable. The labor intense agricultural industry was the best example of the give and take at the border.  It relied on the flow of migrant workers, especially the illegal migrant worker, as the best source of cheap labor. More often than not the cost-benefit analysis trumped all other interests. Thus, the “look the other way” approach prevailed due to economic factors rather than political whims or considerations. It was a time when it was widely believed that during hard economic times the rate of deportations would increase, and conversely, during strong economic periods it was generally accepted that illegal migrants could be absorbed and would help keep the economic engine running at a strong clip. To say that there has been a sea-change in how Americans view the question of immigration would be an understatement.

The changes have been vast and wide-ranging. The spread of new immigrant communities from the traditional urban centers into suburban and rural towns has been welcomed by some and has been friction for others. This and other aspects of the changes felt have led to an increase awareness of immigration in general and the border crisis in particular. In many quarters the lack of answers has allowed the fear factor to set in and to be exploited by extremists and used as fodder for the ongoing cultural wars. The shift away from America being a “Welcoming” society evolved over several decades and has roots that run deep and wide.

During at least a forty-year span politicians and policy makers of all stripes simply kept dueling each other past the point of exertion. The end result has been a damaging paralysis on a vital question for our nation. This vacuum has created the space for an even more bitter cultural war in which the widening national divide flourishes and spreads. This has led to one side seeking to permanently close the border while the other side wishes to assure us that if we could only get to “the roots of the problem” all would be well. Neither side is being realistic.

There is no dearth of explanations for the causes of our current border crisis. From our nation’s birth we have enacted laws and measures to keep out those deemed undesirable.  In the early years it made sense to exclude from our country those who were beggars, convicts, prostitutes, and enemy aliens. But that wasn’t enough. One administration after another would push for laws prohibiting nationals from specified countries from entering our lands. The 1862 Chinese Exclusion Act was an early precursor to a string of laws excluding or limiting entry based on a person’s nationality. This culminated in the National Origin and Quota Act of 1924. This Act ushered in a system of national and numerical quotas which favored folks from the Western Hemisphere and, among others, targeted Italians and Eastern Europeans for exclusion.  The passage of this Act was driven by the anti-immigrant sentiments of the time and the emergence of the racist Eugenics Movement. 

The 1924 Act remained in full force and effect until the Johnson era Amendments of 1965. The 1965 Immigration Act would repeal the harsh and racist aspects of the 1924 Act and replaced it with a race-neutral quota system that called for greater diversity in our population base. As with other measures of the Johnson administration not all Americans were onboard with the changes.

The initial backlash was muted but remained just below the surface. The diversity enabled by the ground-breaking 1965 Act would, to say the least, change the face of immigration.  More to the point, by increasing the diversity within the pool of immigrants it transformed America into a more multiracial society.  So dramatic was this shift that the decade of the 1980’s was dubbed the decade of the “Browning of America.” As if in response, the decade would also usher in a virulent anti-immigration era that would reverberate well into the 21st century. Many roads, with twists and turns, would bring us to our current state of “Border Madness.” 

Two paths often forgotten or neglected helped shape where we stand today. The first was Pres. Ronald Reagan’s Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.  The other came as a cascade comprised of the residue effects and aftermath of the civil wars that plagued Central America in the 1980’s.  The backlash over the first would ignite the current anti-immigration movement. The latter would result in four decades of unstemmed migration which would only make matters worse.

Reagan’s effort at reform was dubbed the “Amnesty Act.” This in spite of the fact that it was designed to appease conservative elements in his party with provisions for “Employer Sanctions” to deter the real culprits – Employers – from getting away with employing unauthorized workers. But it was the “Legalization Program” granting “amnesty” and a path to lawful permanent residence for thousands which would prove too much. And soon the Conservative Movement would emerge as the powerful “Moral Majority” bringing the anti-immigrant vitriol to a new “fever pitch;” where it remains today.

During approximately the past 40 years the endless streams of border crossers has caused a major shift in the demographics of the average border-crosser.  The traditional Mexican migrant coming to harvest our fields and return home to their families would yield ground to a new crop of migrants seeking to stay here permanently and to ultimately bring the rest of their families here.  Another change in the demographics was that they would skip the fields altogether and head straight for our urban centers turning many into “Gateway Cities.” Some of these cities would in turn choose to become “Sanctuary Cities.”  Still, for many this would translate into long periods of separation from their loved ones, often for several years or even decades.  The constant urge to reunite with their loved ones would keep the waves of border-crossers going.  In addition, through a combination of factors a new phenomenon of “Mixed Status” families would emerge. These consisted of undocumented parents with U.S. born children or vice versa.

In recent years many border-crossers would be subjected to inhumane treatment.  For example; we had the detention of children in cages, the “Family-Separation” policy, Haitian migrants being assaulted by Border Patrol Agents on horseback; the Texas Governor usurping federal authority to plant Barb Wire fencing in the waters of the Rio Grande causing death and injuries to many; and finally, the Florida Governor joining Texas in busing and flying migrants to “Sanctuary Cities just to prove a political point

For years now nationals of Central America have been joined by waves of Haitians, Cubans, Venezuelans, Ukrainians and other non-Mexican. These have added to the growing anti-immigrant sentiment. And with no end in sight the far right has seized the moment and taken to calling the Border crisis an “Invasion.”  Framing it in this coded language led to the 2024 Presidential campaign where a hard-fought bipartisan legislative agreement on immigration was hi-jacked and scuttled based on the political whim of the Republican candidate.  This is what “Border Madness” looks like,    

But it doesn’t end there.  The results of our recent elections and the Republican takeover do not bode well for our country.  The threat of “Mass Deportations” means that our nation will continue to hurt and suffer from the yet unknown effects of this “Border Madness.” The added implications of  “Nationalism” and “White Supremacy” will haunt our nation and stymie the  healing process. The promise of its people coming together as “One” will surely be diminished.The results of our recent elections and the Republican takeover do not bode well for our country.  The threat of “Mass Deportations” means that our nation will continue to hurt and suffer from the yet unknown effects of this “Border Madness.” The added implications of  “Nationalism” and “White Supremacy” will haunt our nation and stymie the  healing process. The promise of its people coming together as “One” will surely be diminished.

Posted on by rdaviddc17

A FALLEN LEAF:

It is early Fall, a season best known for its autumn foliage accompanied by the falling of leaves as the trees ready for yet another season.  As I sat on my nephew’s porch recently I happened to notice one such leaf gently gliding towards the ground.  And it was just around this time last year that one particular leaf caught my attention.  It was not expected to fall although it was bound to happen sooner or later. My brother, Joe, passed away as surely as a leaf in autumn in mid-October. 

I recall being hurt and surprised by what I deemed an inappropriate timing.  Truth be told, I couldn’t imagine a season for Joe’s departure.  I expected him to be there – plain and simple.  But it was Joe’s Fall season and my sentiments would soon be wrapped up with the rest of my grieving. 

In hindsight I can see where my perspective went askew.  I had thought of Joe as the sturdy tree on the block.  An Elm or perhaps an Oak?  I failed to comprehend that like the rest of us Joe was simply a part of the beauty and majesty of the tree.  And, like me, Joe had often displayed a genuine affinity for nature and for trees in particular.

And, when one stops and thinks about it, what more beauty can Joe’s life reflect than that of a once radiant green leaf now inspiring us with the splendor of its autumnal colors.  Falling from his perch on a tree Joe wasn’t done with us.  His kindness necessitated a final burst of colors for us, and yes – me, to remember him by. 

I think I shall remember him best as a lovely Fallen Leaf.  As a green leaf in its prime Joe had helped me appreciate the fullness of the family tree, that sturdy trunk, the multiple branches displaying their innate beauty, the strength and weaknesses of all those leaves which he held near and dear to him.  In that respect, the tree of life is well aware that in spite of its Fallen Leaves the beauty that was – is – and in season – shall once more be. 

So brother Joe, Rest in Peace, and know that you fell gracefully and

that your splendor, your vitality, and your colors were more than enough.

A leaf has fallen and like a child I chose to honor it by placing it between the pages of my life.

P.S.:  My oldest sister, Rosa, Modesto’s first daughter also passed this year and her Fallen Leaf was just as sacred and beautiful as any. 

By David Rivera    

Posted on by rdaviddc17

DOWN BY THE BORDER

Current events have once again brought the tragedy on our southern Border front and center. And, once again the finger pointing has resumed. Pres. Biden deserves a failing grade for his performance thus far.  Engaging in a semantic battle over words such as “surge” and “crisis” is simply absurd.  The real question, year after year, has been what to do for the children.  So far the perennial answer has been nothing.  Pres. Obama back in 2008 pronounced that there was indeed a “Humanitarian Crisis” on our southern border, and even then it was nothing new. A humanitarian response remains off-limits.

This lack of action should come as no surprise seeing as how the anti-immigrant forces have long-ago hijacked Congress and stalled efforts at immigration reform.   Twenty-five years since the last Congressional Reform bill was passed these forces have solidified their grip on the Hill. Once again unaccompanied minors find themselves betwixt border defenders and hand-cuffed politicians of all stripes.    

 Just as before the administration continues to ignores the true dynamics of the exodus of refugees from the Northern Triangle region.  Waves of refugees have crossed our southern border since the 1980’s when the civilian population began fleeing the fighting, massacres, and U.S. sponsored mayhem in order to avoid being trapped between the cross-fire of government and rebel troops and their opposing ideologies.  The Reagan administration considered these refugees “collateral damage” of the Cold-War era.  It refused, with disastrous consequences, to recognize them as “war refugees,” insisting they were mere “economic refugees.”  That play on words resulted in Federal Court litigation which led the government to concede that it had systematically skewed the asylum process against legitimate claimants.  Consequently, it entered into a Consent Decree requiring it to reopen the process to allow thousands of class members to refile their asylum claims and have a new and fair review of them, consistent with the law.  Dramatically, the Court rejected the government’s notion that citizens from our allied neighbors could ever qualify as refugees. 

Subsequent waves of refugees came fleeing financial and other insecurities facing propped-up governments trying to rebuild their war-torn economies while forcing civilians and former combatants to live side by side as if the atrocities of the wars could be forgotten and their now tainted neighbors forgiven.  Uneasiness over this “Peace” arrangement produced another round of refugees streaming across our southern border.  Never once did “Uncle Sam” admit to its complicity nor bother to provide the American public a straight answer.   Unfortunately, nothing has seemed to change.

Not to be forgotten was Mother Nature’s imprint.  It visited the Northern Triangle and ravaged it with Hurricanes, Earthquakes, and multi-year droughts.  These natural disasters contributed greatly to additional waves of refugees.  Over the past twenty years Congress in its periodic reauthorization process for TPS has consistently revisited El Salvador’s country conditions and declared them mostly unfavorable.  Because of this thousands of Salvadorans refugees continue to obtain an extension of their TPS and avoid expulsion.  However, this “safe haven” has not been available to those who have entered the U.S. after 2001, creating a new “mixed-status” underclass.  Of course, none of this mattered to Pres. Trump who, without any thought, canceled the TPS program while kicking the exit date down the field. 

A constant overlay through most of the past few decades has been the societal impact of reverse migration of Central American youth.  Those who had spent years in the MS-13 and Barrio-18 street gangs wreaking havoc on our communities began to be deported as felons.  They returned home with a vengeance creating a new International Criminal Syndicate. Without much government interference they have ruled the extortion and kidnapping rackets and have more recently entered into the smuggling racket.  Now, if their extortion threats forces refugees to run, they are still guaranteed their smuggler’s fee.  That there is a hell of a racket. 

Next came the terrorists acts of 9/11 birthing a new breed of “National Security” concerns on our southern border.  In the name of “National Security” we devised a malicious plan to deter future border crossers by choking off their normal entry points and forcing them to take the more hazardous routes through the deadly Sonoran Desert.  In spite of the reports of an unknown number of deaths on the trail, and the criminal prosecution of those leaving water for them, the waves of refugees simply continue to find their way North.  And the harder the U.S. government tries to make their journey impossible the more lucrative the smuggling business becomes. 

Last weekend DHS Secretary Alejandro Majorca’s did his part to help clarify the situation. He stated in unequivocal terms that our southern Border is “CLOSED.”  He noted that families, and single adults, continue to be deported and sent back home.  In that sense, Sec. Mayorkas was telling us the truth, if only the half of it.  The other half is that the children are still deemed to be illegal border crossers.  They will be placed in removal proceedings while the fools on the hill debate semantics.  These border games show no sign of being play according to the “Queens Rules” let alone U.S. asylum laws. Thus, Pres. Biden may well inherit the tag of the new “Deporter-In-Chief.” This is what happens when politicians feign concern and promise to examine the root causes of “crises.”    

The truth has always been that our southern border was closed.  Blink – Blink.  When it was just Mexican laborers and farmworkers crossing over to work and take their earnings back home with them everybody recognized when a good Blink was in order.  When the southern border crossers became “war refugees” fleeing with their families the blinking became subtle and buried from plain view.  Thus it was, that another much-needed discussion on immigration was avoided and remains unresolved. The Trump administration annoyed about this state of affairs unabashedly went about truly closing the southern border without regard to laws or humanitarian considerations.  It did everything short of ordering Federal troops to open fire on border-crossers.

Sealing the border has replaced thoughtful analysis of immigration policies.  Following Trump’s lead, and at the 11th hour, his Acting Attorney General (via the Board of Immigration Appeals) issued a revised A.G. Decision in Matter of A-B.  To clear up any remaining doubts left by his predecessor he ruled that applying the law correctly most victims of gang violence, generalized crime, and Domestic Violence are suffering from “localized” incidents, are unlikely to show that their government is unable to protect them and should make efforts to relocate in their own country.  In short, they have no basis under the law to qualify for asylum.  This ruling applies to adult border crossers and unaccompanied minors alike. The difference being that the children will not be turned away at the border.  The hidden truth is that they will continue to be considered as being here illegally and will be allowed to pursue their asylum claims in removal proceedings where they will find Matter of A-B insurmountable.  And, given the extent to which the asylum process has been tampered with we can reasonably conclude that they do not have a fighting chance of prevailing.  They are mere pawns being subjected to a cruel and inhumane exercise of procedural due process.

At this rate, and left unchanged, the effect could easily result in Pres. Biden becoming the next “Deporter-in-Chief.”  Like Pres. Obama before him Biden, having inherited a sinking ship, will find himself before a Board of Inquest and held to account due to his being at the Helm and in charge.  The real question remains, who has the courage to stop playing word games and fess up to the American public, would-be refugees, and the International Community?

Posted on by rdaviddc17

MEET THE COVID TWINS (C-19 and P-45)

This set of twins are known around the world as scientific mutations. Their specific molecular compositions differ ever so slightly, denying them the pleasure of claiming to be “Identical Twins.” Still, as Fraternal Twins, they have quite a bit in common.

P-45 prides himself on the extent of his world-wide influence while C-19 rides higher than any influenza since the Spanish Flu.  Yes, they have egos to match.

The Covid Twins vie for the National Title of “Public Enemy # 1,” with brother C-19 “unexpectedly” ahead of P-45 in the race to end America as we know it.

P-45, the more mercurial of the twins, is known to have written an episode for “How to Get Away with Murder” (on 5th Ave.) while C-19, the enforcer, showed up and cleared the avenue and then some.

P-45 had worked tirelessly to dismantle the Affordable Health Care Act and, before giving up on the “Grand Prize,” turned the task over to C-19 who demonstrated how to get things done in a jiff and also upped the ante by dismantling the health of Americans everywhere.  Are you able, yet, to tell which twin is the talker and which is the doer?

As C-19 looked on P-45 decimated the ranks of the CDC.  Thus, it was that C-19 was provided a wide berth enabling him to firmly plant his ‘Corona” grip on the unsuspecting.

As his “Brother’s Keeper” (spokesperson) P-45 simply let the calls from Governors and Health Officials to fall on his deaf ears.   “The better to eat you with” retorted C-19.

P-45 painstakingly reassured a concerned nation that there was no reason to panic. After all, he could vouch for his brother, C-19, who is a truly “Great Guy.”

P-45 finally found his inner strength in his daily press briefings, mustering up the courage to declare himself “King.”  C-19 went about visiting the sick without waiting to be anointed as the “Heir Apparent.”

P-45 decidedly rejected any notion of wearing a face mask.  Such measures are only fit for lowly subjects and not members of the Royal Court.  Did someone forget to share this with the First Lady?

P-45, as is his wont, has neglected to disclose to the masses that he has a natural and biological immunity to his Fraternal Twin, leaving the rest of us lost in this masquerade.

P-45 insists on a rapid reopening of Wall Street as C-19 relishes the thought of expands his reach and claiming more victims.  Apparently, the Covid Twins are also symbiotic.

P-45 also touts his discovery of a miracle cure and prepares for a “Great” appearance on the Shark Tank.  C-19 will stand with him, holding a banner reading “There’s a sucker dying every minute.”

P-45, always pious, called on Americans to gather in church on Easter Sunday.  C-19 was thrilled to attend Church on his behalf, and proudly claimed one or two of the “Faithful” as his recent converts.

Oh how the Covid Twins admire those who, without question, follow “False Prophets.”

Sibling rivalry is no stranger to these twins. P-45 continues to claim that he draws the larger crowds, while C-19 boasts that he has carried away more victims and from large and small crowds.  It makes no difference to him.

One thing is for certain, the Covid Twins do not give a damn about your health or mine.

 

Posted on by rdaviddc17

COPY THAT, LORD

In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic a Minister opted to have his Church remain open for business.

Days after one of the Services the Minister contracted the virus and died.

St. Peter met him at the Pearly Gates.  You’re a fool he told the Minister.  I can’t let you in.

The Minister, quoting Scripture, replied – but the Good Lord, said unto me “You Suffer Fools Gladly, As You Are Wise.”

Whereupon, the Good Lord, appeared at the Gate.  Who is this who puts words into my mouth?

Lord, it is I, your faithful servant. Answered the Minister.

What seems to be the problem Peter? Asked the Lord.

I can’t let this fool enter.  He is likely to spread Satan’s virus amongst our Flock, Replied Peter.

Which Virus is it this time that Lucifer is trying to sneak in?  Queried the Lord.

The dreaded Covid-19 known to us as SARS-2.  Replied Peter.

Say it ain’t so, uttered the Lord.

Where did you catch this Virus the Lord asked of the Minister?

Where else would you find me, Lord?  During difficult days I be’s at Church, of course.

How in the Hell did you manage that!

Well, smiled the Minister.  I stood my ground against Satan and kept the Church open in your Holy Name.

Oh, my God, sayeth the Lord.  You are truly a fool.

Peter?  Yes, Lord?

Are you truly thinking of denying this poor sap entrance to the Kingdom?

Yes, Lord!

I must concur.  But surely we could find a small corner where to stick him in?

But Lord, that spot is full of all the other Idiots we granted Special Dispensation to!!

Yes, but we can always make room for one more fool, it says so right there in the Scriptures!

Yes, Lord, but you didn’t write the “Good Book.”

True that! But I am the “Word.”

Copy that, Lord.

Posted on by rdaviddc17

THE RED WAGON

Mi-ner-va! Mi-ner-va! That was how Alfonso would fondly call out to her.  No more.  Which explains why she was crying her head out.  Her nephew had died earlier that day and now all alone Minerva could not control her sobbing.  The son of her youngest brother, Luis, Alfonso was loved by all and would not easily be forgotten, not by Minerva anyway.  She suddenly recalled him as a child enthralled with the Red Wagon she had gotten him for his 8th birthday.  His joy and his smile that day came back to her and hung in her mind for more than a minute. She was comforted by this memory and began to smile to herself.  Alfonso had always had a way of getting her to look at the brighter side of things.  She cheered up and, at Peace for the moment, fell fast asleep.

The next day, Luis stopped by to steal a hug from her and cry some more.  She had a strange smile on her face but it did not matter to him.  In that moment she felt as though she had been hugged by Alfonso.  Alfonso, on the other side, was just happy to see them.  He was recalling that the best thing about his family, aside from their love for each other, was their fondness for genuine hugs.  He had decided to join them for a group hug, which is why Minerva was sensing his presence.  Meanwhile, Luis shuddered and gave it no thought as hugs in this family were always filled with emotions.  His sense of Alfonso’s presence was yet to come.

This was working out well for Alfonso, he just hoped that they could sense his tranquility.  He watched as Minerva poured some more coffee for Luis and caught a whiff of the aroma.  He remembered how he used to tell his college classmates that Minerva brewed the best coffee in town.  Just then he heard Luis tell her how the coffee was really good and he really needed it.  I couldn’t sleep last night, said Luis. Unconsciously, Alfonso uttered I know that feeling!  And just then, Luis asked Minerva did you say something. She nodded in the negative.

Alfonso was observing the tenderness between the siblings and realizing how special they were to each other.  He sensed that they would get through his passing because of their tight bond.  He heard Minerva explain to Luis how she just couldn’t quite get that long-ago Red Wagon that she had given him out of her mind.  Alfonso smiled at his own memory of that Red Wagon.  He had gone ape over it and had played with it well past his being a kid.  He had told his father that he was going to build a special stall in his garage for the Red Wagon when he got his first house.

Luis began to cry again as he told Minerva that he had just finished repainting the Red Wagon and was going to present it to Alfonso as a house warming gift.  Alfonso had just moved into his first house in the Fall.  At that, Alfonso started to cry.  Damn, that would have been a real thrill for all of us, he mumbled.  They should put it in the garage anyway, for the new owner he thought.  It was when Alfonso had returned home from his last tour of duty that he settled down and purchased the house on Eldridge Place.

Suddenly, he was glad that he had recently amended his Last Will and Testament and had bequeathed the house to Minerva, just in case. He could see auntie Mi-ner-va placing flower pots and plants on the bed of the Red Wagon.  She was going to make a fine new owner.  I hope she leaves room to park her car he thought to himself.  He was doing that a lot lately.  In reality, he could, in his new home, get away with talking aloud to himself and perhaps he would in time get used to that notion.

At his funeral, Minerva gave the Eulogy and proudly spoke of the day she put a smile on Alfonso’s face with the gift of the Red Wagon.  She laughed as she talked about the many times that he had fallen off the wagon – but it never seemed to faze him.    That was how he was, he had that unique capacity to take a licking and keep on ticking.  So to no one’s surprise she reported that the Red Wagon was here to stay.

The minister, in his short words, spoke personally about how Alfonso was rather mindful and respectful of everyone.  He lingered on a situation he had apparently complained to Alfonso about.  He recalled how the lad in his intuitive response had smacked him silly and in the end reminded, even him, to be humble.  Alfonso could wake people up like that.  The minister also reminded those gathered about how often Alfonso would volunteered for this and for that – you name it. He truly enjoyed pitching in and lived his short life by example.

Then, it was Luis’ turn.  He recalled the way Alfonso remembered everyone’s birthday.  He mentioned the deep spirituality he had always sensed about Alfonso when talking about deep subjects.  There appeared to be an unnerving connection there for Alfonso.  Still, he was happy when they went to Church together or privately prayed together.  He said it made him stronger.  He concluded his remarks by reminding us that the gifts of our children are hard to measure. And, they don’t tend to fade over time.  Quite the opposite.  Luis was all choked up but he made it through.

His best friend spoke next and reminded everyone that he had met Alfonso through the “Big Brother” program and that, despite his height, he had been the “Little Brother.” He marveled on how his relationship with Alfonso had truly transformed his life.  Alfonso had shown him kindness and much more.  He lamented that Alfonso simply wanted to relax that night by playing some pool.  When the shots rang out at the local Recreation Center Alfonso was with some of the smaller boys and had instinctively tried to shield them from danger.  He saved two of them.  That was very characteristically – Alfonso, and something for all of us to be proud of.  What was I supposed to do? Alfonso said – this time out loud.  Junior, his friend, wrapped up his comments by sharing that he himself had heard stories about the Red Wagon.  Then, and there, he announced that he would donate several Red Wagons to the Rec. Center in Alfonso’s honor.  Minerva was thrilled and so was Alfonso.

By David Rivera

November 2019

 

Posted on by rdaviddc17

CALLING ON THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE (The Last Great White Hope)

This letter is my passionate plea for “Divine Intervention” in the upcoming 2020 Elections, and by that I am hardly referring to the Russians or other interlopers.  GOD would do just fine.  And I am not asking, or for that matter, praying for a certain outcome. That is, if you don’t count my humble hope that one Donald J. Trump doesn’t make it to the FINALS.  I fully understand and appreciate that GOD himself is engaged on many more battlefields than our Marines find themselves in.  So, for that reason I am directing my plea to the 538 members of our famed Electoral College.

To put it bluntly, I don’t care what the rest of them say about you the members of this college, you’re alright in my book!  Sun Tzu put this best when he asserted that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” As a life-long Democrat it should not be surprising to learn that the Republican Party would be on my enemies list.  But, sadly I must report that my party has just been added to this list. Without a Party to turn to, what is a die-hard voter to do?   How about turning to the enemy of my enemy (the two-party system), that being the Electoral College.  My new found friend!  Great Cesar’s Ghost! there is no reason to believe that either political party is the Electoral College’s Siamese twin.

Our nation has been completely abandoned by both major parties and this explain my move to place my bet, if not my “Faith.” ALL IN with the Electoral College. The recent Mueller Hearings on the Hill established, if nothing else, that both political parties lack the best interest of our nation.  The Democrats wasted an abundance of energy on a futile effort to kick-start an ill-conceived impeachment process.  For their part, the Republicans did not fare that much better, they exhausted their energy on turning the hearings into a quest to find the “missing link” behind the Trump-Russia probe.  Disgustingly, neither party performed well with respect to standing up for the sanctity of our democratic institution – the Voting Franchise.  They each treated what should have been the burning question –  the known role that Russia played in the 2016 elections and the threat it continues to pose – as a mere afterthought.

It is also undeniably clear that both parties realize that there is no sound reason (and I do mean mentally sound reason) for America to have to endure the trauma presented by the candidacy of the lunatic by the name of Trump.  Members of both parties must by now know that his ascendency to the throne represents the “Death Knell” for America.  Why then do they insist on refusing to publicly acknowledge it and turn their backs on America.  This racist President (and so long as I live in the land of the Free and the Brave – that is what I will call him) is hell-bent on MAWA (Making America White again).  Thankfully, Speaker Pelosi was able to blurt this out from her lips. Unfortunately, she was one of the few.  The question we must ask ourselves is – why on Earth is Trump being portrayed as a truly viable candidate? Are the two major parties now playing the former role of the Electoral College?  Perhaps the Republican Party is on the verge of performing ritual Seppuku? Meanwhile, the Democratic Party, afraid of its own shadow, is now more concerned about putting down a possible rebellion by “The Squad.” Please do not utter the words Liberal, Progressive, Socialist, or Communist least the party be branded with the “Scarlet Letter.”   It is truly a Royal “FUBAR” in the Halls of Congress and once again the average American citizen has been pushed way out into the margins.

So, I have been left with little choice but to place my confidence in the Electoral College.  True, it is comprised of the very same members of our dual legislative chambers, plus three for the colony of the District of Columbia.  However, as recent history has shown, it is largely an unregulated body and toils in relative obscurity (nobody hears them screaming at each other).  For that reason, it is in a unique position to serve as America’s “Great White Hope,” in keeping with the true intent of the framers of our constitution.    Maybe, just maybe, in the quiet anonymity of their secret campus they can choose to be neither Democrat or Republican and instead act in America’s best interest and vote for a like-minded person.  The “Great White Hope” is my last best chance to restore my confidence in the American Way.  God, if you’re still out there, let this be the case. Amen.

Posted on by rdaviddc17

AND THE BAND PLAYED ON

It seems these days that I am being constantly reminded of the “Mighty Temps” and their one-time hit “Ball of Confusion.” In the past week the talk and the “tweets” have centered on new revelations in the realm of “Education.”  We should not be surprised, the song’s lyrics foretold a lifetime ago: “And it seems nobody’s interested in learning but the teacher.” This got me thinking about my own public education and just how wonderful the learning experience had been. Our teachers were appreciated, even if we weren’t always reminding them of their good work.

Today, Public School teachers are severely underpaid, and along with private school teachers, they are besieged by incidents of “Mass Killings,” invaded by “First Responders” and politicians bestowing their trite apologies.  Teachers have been scolded by State governments for seeking improvements in school budgets and their own salaries.  As if such thinking was a bad omen.  And, of course, all of this while the pundits bemoan our ever slipping worldwide rating on education.  These unsophisticated oddballs have come up with a solution.  With the full backing of the NRA they suggest that it is time we armed our teachers.  So much for education … “and the band played on.”

As if being crippled by the Charter School syndrome, Hurricanes Harvey and Maria, and the ever shrinking level of textbooks and supplies our teachers have been all but abandoned by the federal Department of Education.   It seems even corporate tycoons need to be taught a lesson or two by our marvelous teachers.  The bottom line might well be good for business but they need to learn that our children learn best when they are appreciated and supported by our communities.  When politicians and educators invest in our children the children will shine.  It seems this lesson as not been lost on our teachers who are “the only ones interested in education.”

Unfortunately, last week’s bombshell that some in the “privileged” class were employing their “privileges” to buy their dumb children open spaces in Colleges and Universities demonstrate just how low our nation has fallen.  The Temptations sang their tune to inspire us to do better.  And the Band played on …