Leadership

Not Implied, Private Speech

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What's Behind the Door

Seeking the Truth; What’s Behind the Door

Diversity, inclusion, acceptance, racial and ethnic harmony. Interesting terms; usually desirable concepts. Then there’s the opposites such as implied (as well as blatant) racial hate / bias. Basically, they’re a lot of talking points.

Starting with “implied bias,” they’re usually not actually discussed in polite public arenas but they (as well as the remainder of the list) actually exist, endure, are taught to new generations, and grow. They actually thrive because the necessary elements to avert stepping into the dumphole are missing. Those tools of rising above lack of understanding are exposure, having an open mind, and education, and overcoming myths fed by fear.

Is the Golden Emperor the first [purported] sitting president to harbor such hate and racist ideas? Nope. We need look no farther back in history than the Reagan or the Nixon Administrations. And if we look even further back in history (now more than 50 years), we have the examples of WWII detention camps for Japanese as well as Wilson who insisted on certain programs and protocols that tended toward a bigoted stance during the time when women strove to gain suffrage.

The difference between the Golden Emperor and the four cited above is that they were somewhat diplomatic and held their ideas in check and in private while abstaining from speaking from the dais and promoting their private ideas as public policy, thereby deepening the roots of Jim Crow that endured for the time.

The news account of the racist views and exchanges of Nixon and Reagan points out the difference between the first two examples and the current speaker but overlooks previous administrations. Unfortunate, that. Yet the Civil Rights Era emerged, succeeded (in many respects), and has grown to embrace open speech and advocacy of the stakeholders of that legislation plus the benefits that accrue to society because of it.

We also see that those previous administrations appreciated the importance of a positive leadership stance. They used tact and diplomacy. They sought to build national cohesion in spite of their divisive ideologies. Nixon’s practices and lack of good ethics seems to have been part of his political DNA because his track record is replete with various tactics to demean, disparage, and defame his opponents. And then there’s All the President’s Men to bolster even more of how those who were part of his inner circle were used as pawns for his attaining his personal and political goals.

Still, outright racist ideas and hate speech from the purported leader of the supposedly strongest nation in the world is troublesome. The import of what type of path is being followed is troubling, to say the least. Yet, like the sheep of Animal Farm and the mindless following of rules as was the practice in the 1984, that seems to be the course being paved. However, Winston found a way to escape the doom. Perhaps that was an Orwell’s author lifebouy for us. The important thing about that lifebuoy’s effectiveness is our learning the lessons before we stand teetering on the precipice.

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A Humanitarian Move from a Leadership Perspective

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A $4 billion border funding bill was passed by Congress today. Although at first blush it seems to be the funding “demanded” by Trump in order for him to finance a southern wall (that he vowed would be financed by Mexico), in fact, this bill is not for financing a wall.

Actually, the funds are intended to finance care of those who are migrants and being held in detention while waiting for an immigration hearing.

How far removed these detention centers are from the detention camps of WWII becomes questionable when the most recent news reports revealed how dire the circumstances of the detainees. Little to no food, no hygiene, no beds, children caring for other children and infants.

One compelling story seemed to push the envelope, that regarding the Central American man and his daughter who drowned while attempting to ford the Rio Grande.

Trump was shown pictures of their corpses. Appropriately, he expressed dismay. But he immediately returned to character by rebuffing responsibility in any form by blaming hardball politics used by Congressional Democrats, that resulted in delays as attributable for the deaths.

What I keep asking myself is whether this man who many call the President of the United States (the legitimacy of that title is still in question) is actually capable of being an effective leader.

Does he have any grasp of what is required of him? Does he know how to tell the truth? Is he capable of taking responsibility for his own actions? Does he realize how much divisiveness he is creating? Is he even remotely aware of the racism he’s nurturing and growing (which is now being replicated in many places)?

Does this man called Donald Trump realize that while he purportedly holds the title of President of the United States, it is not only a concern of The Press but also of The People of this country with regard to what he will say to leaders of other countries when he attends conferences and meetings? He is acting in his capacity as the leader. The people are entitled to full disclosure and awareness. He is accountable for his words and actions, even if he keeps bending the rules so that he becomes the New Age Teflon Emperor.

The answer came to me several weeks ago, perhaps a few months ago. It was in the form of some old words that are beginning to fade with the passage of time. It appears those words, and the document which embodies them, need to become an essential lesson for those who are ten years and older. The words?

“When in the course of human events . . ..”

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Roles and Responsibilities

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What are the ethical considerations here

What are the ethical considerations here

There are many types of “jobs” that carry particular duties and responsibilities. Some are so traditional, and the titles even more so, that after a time little attention is given to comprehending what it means to seek or accept that position. Some relate to being a Director of a corporation (or even an officer) or within an organization. Still others are associated with being part of an Advisory Board or of an Executive Committee. It’s important to know what these positions are, what it means to hold that position so that there can be appreciation of the scope and depth of involvement in the body and thereby be regarded as effectively executing those duties.

One of the more innocuous titles is that of being a god parent. It’s a role that typically happens in our early years. To some it’s simply an endearment to a friend as well as a demonstration of going through a type of rite of passage into maturity and adulthood. The duties and responsibilities are either not considered or ignored in deference to being able to hold the position in the life of the new person.

It’s interesting that some churches have a ceremony for accepting new members wherein the congregation recites a vow of responsibility to the new member. The vow is extremely similar to that of taking on the role of being a god parent to the inductee – whether a newborn or an adult. Unfortunately in the long run, the words are just that, mere words read aloud and then forgotten. The duties and responsibilities aren’t attended to but the ceremonial mantle endures. Perhaps, as the years pass, the title still brings a certain amount of esteem to the bearer – but little else.

Time to examine what it means to be a god parent.

Part of the baptismal vow the candidate takes says:

Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you
to resist evil, injustice, and oppression
in whatever forms they present themselves?

To which the appropriate response is, “I do.”

In turn, the congregation also participates in promising to nurture and support the candidate. This is the same vow that the god parents make at baptism and in part reads:

Will you nurture these children (persons)
in Christ’s holy Church,
that by your teaching and example they may be guided
to accept God’s grace for themselves,
to profess their faith openly,
and to lead a Christian life?

The appropriate response is, “We will.”

The vows conclude as follows:

Will you nurture one another in the Christian faith and life
and include these persons now before you in your care?
With God’s help we will proclaim the good news
and live according to the example of Christ.
We will surround these persons
with a community of love and forgiveness,
that they may grow in their trust of God,
and be found faithful in their service to others.
We will pray for them,
that they may be true disciples
who walk in the way that leads to life?

The appropriate response is, “We will.”

Advisory Board and Executive Committee

There are a few bodies that provide guidance but are not part of the actual functional arms of an organization. One is called an Advisory Board. It is not one of the arms of an organization that authorizes or confirms actions of the entity nor does it ratify contracts. It merely provides guidance from the various areas of expertise and insights developed by its members. It is a body of advisers who provide additional knowledge for the sake of making good strategic decisions.

On the other hand, an Executive Committee carries duties conferred on its members by the organizations’s Board of Directors and on behalf of that body. Those duties, and the attendant limitations, need to be carefully considered and defined as that portion of the entity is formed. Selection of members for it should be done based on the candidate’s background, knowledge, expertise, and association with business concepts and practices that will guide them in making sound decisions on behalf of the organization.

What the Role Entails

No matter what the title is, the underlying and driving reasons for it, the purpose it is to provide to the stakeholders needs to be understood before accepting the role and embarking on successfully fulfilling its requirements with maturity as well as the requisite professionalism in accordance with the role. The outcomes are significant. The lack of fulfillment can be stark.

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Choosing the Right Candidate

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What's Behind the Door

Seeking the Truth; What’s Behind the Door


In light of the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings and the revelations about his past, plus the sentencing of Bill Cosby, many recollections surface. In particular is Eldridge Cleaver’s Soul on Ice. It’s the only book I’ve ever attempted to read and by the end of Chapter 2 put it back on the shelf with a vow to never read anything from him. In that short span, Cleaver admitted to having raped several women simply because it was an amusement.

When the initial objection to Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court was raised, along with the timing of the incident, I wondered why the Hallinan defense wasn’t raised. However in Hallinan’s situation, he was brought to trial because of a fist fight in his youth. He won his case and was exonerated. He also went on to become one of the most respected San Francisco lawyers.

There are a few difficulties with today’s testimony. Although the incident happened during a high school party, there are successive, similar incidents that occurred during college attendance and yet another at a later time. This was not part of youthful indiscretion.

Another thing to take into mind is the heretofore practice of sweeping these types of incidents under the rug. The “victim” is silenced or encouraged to either tolerate the treatment or leave. To do otherwise, or become vocal about the incident(s) means career and reputation suicide. Meanwhile, the perpetrator is allowed to move forward with their career. The perpetrator advances and gains successively more powerful positions in social and business environments. They go unscathed and continue their practices.

It’s after 10 AM on September 27. The Ford testimony relating to appointment of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court is on break now. The question that keeps nagging at my mind is why, if she used the stairs to go to the bathroom and was wearing a one-piece swimsuit, that she never used the bathroom for elimination at any time before she got home. But maybe the need to use the bathroom for the purpose of elimination is an assumption on my part.

The next issue that now bothers me is why the only bathroom in the house was on the second floor; there was no other on the first floor, nor a parlor lavatory in the laundry area.

Apparently the swimsuit was not wet. But the next troubling issue is how she was going to manage using the toilet while wearing a swimsuit. Maybe she wanted to change clothes and that was why she went upstairs.

Those issues aside, the details of the event are very credible.

Another issue is this candidate garnered an amazing amount of support from the one who put his name on the list. This is the same person who admitted to sexually groping women. He also has the opinion that abortion, especially in cases of rape, should not be allowed; the woman should bear the brunt of the act and its consequences. The man should not be held accountable.

The same endorser questioned why Ford did not go home and report the incident to her parents. Let’s stop and think about that. You get home from a party or a date and the parents ask, “So how was it?” Your response would be on the order of, “Oh, it was great. We were drinking. There were no adults present. And two guys tried to rape me.” Great dinner conversation. Ford’s testimony regarding the desire to sublimate and move on is typical of those who have endured a similar assault.

It’s understandable that Kavanaugh is denying any involvement in the incident. It’s to be expected that he raise the current excuses. Who would want to publicly admit to such acts? Given that there are now three women who have come forward with similar stories, given that this candidate has the power to carry the attitudes of his recommender into supreme law (as relates to assaults, fact finding, exoneration of an attacker, abortion rights, and more), it appears we need to look for another candidate. To confirm him would be tantamount to SCOTUS negligent hiring – for life. I shudder at the thought.

This is one of those ethics questions that hasn’t been examined because I read the book. These are real, balanced and unbiased desires for fact and truth finding in order to determine the fitness for office of the candidate – for the position of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.

On August 10 Kavanaugh’s nomination was announced. I expressed some issues that needed to be considered. What do we know about Kavanaugh’s background? How well does he understand the plight of the people and the conditions that confront them? Is he able to make impartial decisions and resist attempts to influence him for political or economic reasons? Given that the practice of law (even law school) is so keenly competitive, will he be able to get along with his fellow justices if he does gain appointment?

All these things need to be taken into consideration when determining whether to make an offer to a candidate. The only things that change are the title, the organization, and the duties.

Some have the view that my voice in the war on sexual harassment is a new voice. Not true. It was only a recent occurrence that I began writing about it as a health issue.

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Developing the Environment

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Let's Make America Great Again

Let’s Make America Great Again

Facebook keeps prompting me with, “What’s on your mind, Yvonne?” What’s on my mind? After all the blustery posturing, the news of the Singapore Summit leaves me skeptical. Especially suspicious is the aligning of the two principal personalities. What’s on my mind is all of this is simply a fantastic drama with us as the players being used as pawns. We have no significance except to aide in the playing out of the drama and entertainment – a bit of showmanship to prove who is the greater master.

Recent news (circa May 17, 2018) has me concerned. The likelihood of a nuclear war started because two egomaniacal personalities wanted to show the other who wears the larger boots.

This week the on-again, off-again summit regarding denuclearization was on and actually happened. The pair met quasi privately in Singapore. Some argue that all the posturing was simply a game of chicken. That’s a dangerous game to play when it comes to human lives.

Now that the first dance has happened, what will be the actual next steps remains to be seen. There were promises made and understandings reached. The trouble is, both of these men are notorious for being unreliable with regard to treaties and pacts. Their loyalty is to their own selves and their own egos with regard to who sees them as the most powerful. Praise today only becomes grounds for termination within three days later.

Still, there has been some groundwork completed in regard to actual communication between the two countries after more than 60 years of ostracism and hate. It still looks like an alliance that’s being formed in anticipation of World War III, the Armageddon, wherein the entire globe will be annihilated. Unfortunately, it appears the U.S. will be a type of Holocaust Germany this time around. And we’ll be taking lessons from Leader Kim on how to rule the populace.

Yesterday (June 13) had a flurry of citizen journalists who were sharing summaries of the Summit from various sources. According to Jim Julian,

I just read the summary of the Singapore Summit on CNN and on Fox News. Were there two different summits? It would seem so reading this coverage.

All Americans MUST have multiple news sources and compare or risk being manipulated and misinformed.. As I’ve said before. I have three different news apps on my iPhone: CNN, Fox and BBC … three different worlds.

Wise deduction.

Perhaps I’m being overly pessimistic. A recent conversation illuminated the sensibleness of the bravado of our leader and how it is strategically wise. The words will need to be pondered and (you know me by now) researched in order to learn more.

Meanwhile, it would be wise to learn about disaster recovery and strategies to use in cases of attack and active shooter.

It’s unfortunate that our space program seems to have come to a halt. It would be good to have an escape hatch when the “big red button” is actually pushed.

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Quiet Power

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It may appear to be innocuos

It may appear to be innocuous


About two months ago, I had a conversation with someone about whether The Don beats Melania. It’s undoubted that he abuses her psychologically and financially. Sexual exploitation, manipulation, isolation, he probably uses all of those tools and a few more.

My conversation partner expressed very similar insights as Matt Bai. They also offered that Melania has much more power than we suspect because she is the one holding the golden nuts in the tightly clenched palm of her hand. And she has in all likelihood told Mr. Wonderfully Almighty that he’d better not make her angry or she’ll tell the world what he really is.

My conversation partner speculated that Melania, unlike her predecessors, holds a lot of financial power over the Golden Haired Marvel as well as some other tools that can be used at the moment she decides (not someone else) that enough is enough. [Consider how many photo ops have caught her brushing his anxious, PR-sucking grasp in an effort to give the appearance of domestic bliss.]

To those who have endured domestic abuse and violence, take a lesson from FLOTUS. Figure out where you hold the power and then hold it as a guillotine over your abuser’s head. This advice also applies to those who are enduring abuse at work, school, or even some type of eleemosynary organization.

Say “NO” in as many ways as it can be communicated but with tact, grace, intelligence, and confidence – those things your abuser lacks.

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Terrorism: Domestic and Foreign

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Gunman in need of a target.

Gunman in need of a target.

According to the history, this post was started on 2017/08/23. I remember this endeavor. Collecting the links to make the point of how conditions are devolving became overwhelming and I simply abandoned the effort. The hopeful thought was someone else would become cognizant of the issues, motivated by the circumstances, and act upon them before my feeble efforts at screaming “Stop it” were read, let alone heard. That wasn’t the case. Here we are nearly a year later. Here we are with so much more death and devastation.

Youth who are barely over the age of 16 years have become organized. They are speaking out. They have the organization and funding to plan and execute protests not only in Washington, D.C. but across the nation. Their voices are being heard. They are demanding that Congress stop using PAC dollars to maintain the status quo. They are saying ‘our lives matter’ – just as Black lives, and Brown lives, and Yellow lives, and the rest of the spectrum. All lives matter.

Even as I prepared to write a post regarding ethics, my attention was drawn the the number of times I’ve written about assaults in just this space. It was painful to relive those posts. It was even more painful to realize we use these instances as cocktail and coffee hour conversation. We suck our cheeks, cluck our tongues, feel good about the fact that we had a superficial exchange about the latest news, and then return to our normal activities, content with the belief that we’ve done our part for being socially aware and involved.

We have reached a point when it’s time to peaceably take action. It’s time to urge immediate action to preserve our Constitutional values and rights. It’s time to urge Congress to unite in protecting its citizens and population from the looming war that threatens us domestically, in every city nationwide as well as the foreign threat against the nation and the peace and safety we deserve to enjoy.

We should not awake before hearing the news report and wonder whether we are about to suffer a nuclear attack from some foreign country. Nor should we awake wondering when someone in our neighborhood (or even those who have crossed state borders to our neighborhood) who has the intent and armaments to attack and destroy our lives and desecrate our homes has done so. We should not be forced to live in fear for our lives and safety at every turn. Like a person living in a domestic violence setting, this is unhealthy. Anything could prove to be the tipping point that leads to the explosion – and our destruction.

In many ways, we’ve been told how inconsequential we are compared with the gratification of the president’s ego. His grandeur, not the welfare of this nation, is paramount for the attention devoted to sitting in the Oval Office. The power that seat represents is what drives the hourly tweets and inappropriate communication that emanates from the place. Those who serve the man, reflect his principles because he has set the standard and now leads by example.

Since August 11, I’ve been consumed with journalism about the events in Charlottesville, Virginia and posting coverage of not only those events but also related incidents. Enough. Depressing and disturbing as they are, the curated content is posted here.

August 12
Protesters in Charlottesville, VA turned violent as counter protesters reacted. The demonstration, in the early hours of California time, erupted into breaking newsworthy publicity. Three hours later, a car rammed through a crowd of counter protesters. One has been killed.

There was silence from the White House, yet the mayor of Charlottesville decried the situation and the cause of it.

It was FLOTUS who finally spoke out against the violence via a tweet.

It’s now an hour later. There’s been an announcement that of those in the counter protester injuries, one has died. The President (who during his campaign encouraged acts of violence and disorder while promising impunity for such acts) has remained silent.

Another breaking news announcement hit the airwaves a few minutes ago. The President was supposed to finally speak about the Charlottesville situation.

In reality, he had no intention to speak nor do anything about the situation except to do a PR one-minute acknowledgement of it. His first priority was recognition of the VA, which was essentially more his proclamation than addressing the violence and disarray in Virginia.

These protests against removal of the Robert E. Lee statue have been ongoing (at least since May of this year). Today’s activities took the protests to a higher pitch.

In a response to that incident, the observation was made that:
Leader inaction has consequences. You know, they were only following the campaign rhetoric and examples of the President. What’s wrong with that?

Things kept spiraling:
An account of the activities in Charlottesville that takes in many of the perspectives involved. It sounds like the domestic beginning of WWIII.

While China along with both North and South Korea looked on and worried:
In yet other news, China is urging Trump (for the second time since April) to use more restraint in his language and actions toward North Korea. Apparently there have been more than three warnings from China about the bullying stance coming from the new President up to this week.

Meanwhile, back in the States and as the events continued to escalate, I wondered, Is Virginia an open carry state? Apparently Charlottesville is an open carry city. Some of the alt-right protesters are carrying rifles. But we should take note that several days after this “rally,” it was reported that not all of the members of the crowd were Charlottesville residents. Protesters and rally attendees came from as far away as Portland, Oregon and other states in order to raise their voices and create the tumult. Their actions had absolutely nothing to do with rights and interests that pertain to their own homes and property.

August 13:
In sharp contrast to Charlottesville, VA, there were repercussions in Dresden, Germany when an American Tourist Punched For Giving Nazi Salute In Germany on the same day. Where’s the American enforcement of hate crime laws? In fact, it was time to look up the United States definition of “hate crime” as defined by the FBI.

* * *

Enough. I can’t endure this anymore. We cannot afford to endure this anymore. Time for us to join the youth as mentors and co-organizers. These acts of violence are not coming from immigrants; they’re homegrown in a toxic garden that’s being constantly fertilized. Time for all of us to lift our voices in protest to our current circumstances and take affirmative action.

How Many Times?

How many times have I talked about this issue? Here are some representative posts:

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Onset of the Second Year

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Let's Make America Great Again

Let’s Make America Great Again

Here it is January 3, 2018 and the beginning of the second year of the 45th U.S. Presidential administration.

The headlines throughout the first brought shock, amazement, outrage, disappointment, fear. They incited resistance by some followed by affirmative action by others who had more power and resources. The defenders of the Reich (oh, I mean regime) did their best to make excuses for the unacceptable or disparage representations of what was blatantly put before a world audience by the model. But the slow progress to our journey into darkness continues.

What are we being told when traditional journalists who broadcast their researched editorial opinions that are negative toward the President find themselves removed from their positions?
Fortunately, the phrase “fake news” is now considered a punch line for satirical monologues and comedy acts. But it appears the new McCarthy Era is going through birthing pains to resume its place in our society.

This morning’s reportage of the schoolyard taunts between the leader of the U.S. and the leader of North Korea about whose button is bigger again makes us wonder how far in the future is the reality of nuclear war because two narcissists want to implicitly compare their genitals via amount of power they have.

The smoke issued from the White House in the form of threats this year (and a type of bombastic display) are numerous. Merely attempting to locate the link regarding the firing of a CBS news anchor revealed this list of related searches:

  • colbert on trump
  • trump threatens media
  • trump threatens venezuela
  • trump threatens paul ryan
  • donald trump threatens pope
  • colbert late show trump
  • trump threatens nuclear war
  • trump threatens north korea

There may be some specter of hope for positive change on the horizon. In the process of confirming which administration is currently in charge of our country, some interesting headlines tumbled into my search results, headlines that urge reflection and consideration. What those headlines suggest is altogether more positive than the negative emotions created in the past. They imply that the time for accountability has arrived. They suggest the time for more assertiveness by the republic has arrived. (Think, “When in the course of events . . .”)

Those research headlines said:

There are probably a lot more that are similar; these were sufficient.

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Hispanic Migration Circa 2006

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[November 25, 2017]

Barriers to immigration

Barriers to immigration

The current rhetoric against allowing immigration into the United States from our southern border cites the negative attributes of undocumented (and therefore, illegal) immigrants. How those conclusions were reached when first pronounced in 2015 should have been called into question. But the immediate (and ongoing) reaction was polar. They were either completely accepted as near gospel or they caused so much outrage and revulsion that there was a major distraction and omission. Few voices were raised that asked, “Where did you get the statistics to support that?”

Quite interestingly, a study was conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center that resulted in a report called “Survey of Mexican Migrants, Part Three: The Economic Transition to America.” It was compiled during July 2004 to January 2005 by soliciting responses from a total of 4,836 individual at Mexican consulates in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Raleigh, and Fresno. The respondents were applying for an identity card and it is believed most lacked authorization to work in the United States. (There are presently 51 Mexican Consulates in the entire United States.)

In the original attack on Hispanic migrants, one of the assertions was “. . . they’re taking our jobs, . . .” According to the report, “The vast majority of undocumented migrants from Mexico were gainfully employed before they left for the United States. Thus, failure to find work at home does not seem to be the primary reason that the estimated 6.3 million undocumented migrants from Mexico have come to the U.S.” If this was the case, we need to ascertain the real reason for seeking employment in the United States. Perhaps we have something that is not available or is in small quantity in Mexico.

At the time of the study, migrants were concentrated in a handful of industries, those being agriculture, hospitality, construction, and manufacturing. However, the characteristics of the migrants and the nature of the demand for them began to change. Two such changes that were noted were:

“The more recently arrived and younger migrants from Mexico are better educated than their predecessors, less likely to be farm workers, and more likely to have a background in other industries, such as commerce and sales.

“Also, they increasingly come from a greater variety of regions in Mexico and make homes in new Mexican-migrant settlement areas, such as New York and Raleigh, . . .”

Suffice it to say, there will be an argument about these migrant settlement areas. Undoubtedly the argument will be that the population is deteriorating the areas and causing blight. However, given the findings of the Pew report, those types of conditions are highly unlikely for people who see themselves as upwardly mobile.

And Then There Are the Dreamers

Earlier this year an announcement was made with regard to the requirements for allowing immigrants into the United States. They now must pass incredibly stringent requirements with regard to language proficiency, amount of education already attained, and more. We need to ask ourselves whether we would be accepted into another country if it held similar immigration standards. These conditions are to be applied to all immigrants.

Just an aside: There were no exceptions mentioned when it came to considering those who seek asylum, whether from Mexico or any other country.

Putting these issues aside, let us consider the status of the Dreamers. They are young Mexicans who were brought to the United States as infants or were born here. They are not criminals nor any of the other adjectives applied in broad brush strokes to Mexicans. They are undocumented. They are among those covered by DACA. They are focused on being the best of breed and proving themselves to be so in many respects. They are not taking jobs from anyone. They are competing for existing jobs and striving to prove themselves worthy of a position in the company where they desire to work. But their tenure is challenged by revisions to the immigration policies of the United States and suspension of DACA.

There was mixed reaction to DACA (formally, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) when it was implemented in 2012. It should be noted that it was not an act but a program. It was implemented through an announcement, not made law by Presidential Executive Order. According to Wikipedia, a group of states sued to enjoin the implementation of DAPA (Deferred Action for Parents of Americans). Legal opinions regarding DACA are divided. Truthfully, I was among those opposed to it for many reasons, principally because of the drain on American resources and what appeared to be a scheme being used to make illegal entry acceptable for reasons of compassion (don’t harm innocent small children and infants). Having read the 2006 articles that document the positive impact of the population, my opinion is changed.

The challenging situation is the theory that fueled introduction of the Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment Act (RAISE) as it modifies the previous points-based system for legal residency as it accords a higher number of points “to people who are highly skilled.” Regarding the immigration system prior to August 2, 2017, Senator Cotton (co-author of the RAISE Act) said “For some people, they may think that’s a symbol of America’s virtue and generosity. I think it’s a symbol we’re not committed to working-class Americans. We need to change that.”.

The status of DACA, however, is that it was suspended. A Memorandum on Rescission of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals was issued in September 2017 by the Department of Homeland Security. Both DAPA and DACA will be wound down, according to the Memorandum. Adjudication (review) of applications will be done on a case-by-case basis. No new requests and applications for Employment Authorization Documents filed after September 5, 2017 will be rejected.

The Generalizations cf. Realities

Generalizations tend to get us into trouble when we use them to speak of large groups and assign attributes to them. Rhetoric that foments suspicion, divisiveness, and hate does nothing for creating a healthy environment for mutual support and growth.

It would be prudent to consider those who comprise the population of this country as people who have valuable skills and talents that can be used for improvement. The 2005 statistics show that just the narrow segment of Mexican immigrants are a desirable group of people who can and already are involved in making this an even better country. That’s just one segment. There are many others that offer similar benefits.

It may not have been part of the original installation but it still [Statute of Liberty poem] makes a statement about what our land represents to those who choose to come here as well as what the represent in terms of seeking renewed opportunities they’re willing to strive to earn.

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Conversations About Diversity from the Bench

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The Charlie Rose Show from last night aired an October 2016 conversation he had with Justices Ginsberg and Sotomayor. The essential element of their conversation was diversity. As the conversation progressed, they considered the different types of diversity as they have come before the court over time.

getting direction

Getting direction

They looked at how long we have struggled for the acceptance of women and for women to be considered essential to the human social fabric rather than coincidental. Have you ever wondered why women could so easily be excused from jury duty? Think about what that means. Think about how that attitude impacted women’s ability to climb out of subservient roles.

The conversation also looked at the matter of inclusion of LGBT in the diversity formula. It was brief but it was necessary. That part of our current discussions impact so many who now have the right to speak of their choice and not live in the shadows of society. But those who desire to serve their country must still be three times as good in order to prove their half worth, as was true during World War II and even before.

Charlie asked them to consider their roles as contrasted and compared to Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas. Their responses were striking, to say the least.

The matter of which type of experience is better for a justice also came up – appellate level, trial court, or state supreme court. It became apparent that being able to see the picture from the trial court level is essential. One important, although subtle, aspect of hearing a case at the Supreme Court level is the fact that the many amicai who are affected by the case at bar and its outcome are allowed to present their voices to the justices. Those voices, as well as the arguments of plaintiff’s and defendant’s counsel, contribute toward the ultimate decision.

And we all had a chuckle when they shared the anecdote about being introduced as the sisters who came to the function.

It’s been a long struggle. No, it’s been a long battle. Notably, they said the difference between the ones who graduate from Ivy League schools and the ones who sit in the button factory is merely one generation. Yet so many stories, so many essays are written about those struggles and that one-generation difference.

And then there are groups that *still* have not achieved that leap past that first generation. They continue to be buried in the past and, as was noted during the conversation, kept in a cage where they are not free to do anything except restrained.

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