Bits and Pieces

Rogue Nation Behavior: So, North Korea threatens the global community with nuclear missiles with international reach. Empty rhetoric. They have been coddled for many decades to bring them into the comity of the global community. No more. A brat child does not deserve any more largesse.

North Korea, your people are starving. Your people are undereducated. Your national culture is pitifully small and embarrassing. Your economic development relies solely on international charity. And your newfound military might is built through donations from Russia and China as they play their chess game of foreign relations and sleight of hand. Only problem? The world community knows Russia and China have propped up North Korea for generations. If these players wish to truly effect change on the global stage, they simply have to work on solving worthy problems. Get serious and work for common goals the rest of us are struggling with. Then you will earn serious listening by other nations. Until then, the spoiled child game has worn out its effectiveness.

Trusting the Supremes: leaks of confidential materials and drafts of pending court decisions is a small part of the trust issues centered on the US Supreme Court. Political interference, ideology apparent in discussions, decisions and ruling are on full display. Superior attitudes demonstrated by justices are easy to read. So were their declarations during congressional interviews and testimony when they were considered for appointment to the high court. Bad behavior by family members of justices is just another aspect of the complexity of serving on the Supreme Court. Lifetime appointments with solid salaries, benefits and working conditions make the justices appear spoiled in the eyes of ordinary citizens. Now we hear complaints that justices are treated openly with demonstrations outside their homes for controversial positions taken in court proceedings. Poor babies! All public servants are exposed to review of their actions. Whether hired or elected, it makes little difference.

The Supreme Court has a trust problem with the public. If they think they don’t they haven’t seen anything yet. The court is not free to do anything it wants. It is accountable to the American People. If they think otherwise, they have not been paying attention. Society is decidedly uncivil, and the Supreme Court is one of the causes of that condition. On the other hand, the institution could help solve the problem by being more open, and trustworthy. They have brought many ills to their own table.

Crime Statistics: Chicago shootings are reported nationwide. What is not reported – Chicago shooting deaths have declined in first 4 months of 2022. Yes, gun violence in Chicago is on a par with other large urban areas of similar population. It is too high, but it is a complex issue with many matrices to measure. Gang activity focused on youth, drugs and gun trafficking is the primary cause. But there are many other causes to ferret out and address. Solving gun violence in the Chicago metro area will take years of detailed, dedicated effort to bring under control. Demoralizing? Yes. But it is not insolvable. Nor is the problem unique to Chicago. New York, Miami, LA, Boston, Houston, Dallas, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh; name the city and they have seemingly runaway crime statistics. Best if alarmists quiet their critiques and let the adults in the room focus on solutions and actual facts.

May 13, 2022

 

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