What has the New York Democrat Primary go to do with me?

Why vote, the State has Chosen For You

Those of you who know me are probably aware that I am a Libertarian.  I believe that the rights of an individual are supposed to be protected (not granted) by the state.

You are born free to do with your life as you choose.  If you infringe on another person's rights, you must be accountable for your actions.  More often than not, agents of the state are tasked with enforcing orders that infringe your rights and they tend to do so with little chance of being held accountable.

Here is a link to an article in "The Guardian", In this article US district judge Analisa Torres wrote that the state had deprived voters of their constitutional guarantee of freedom of association. New York voters, she said, weren’t just voting for a presidential candidate, but also for delegates who could influence the direction of the Democratic National Convention in August.

You can read more in the link above but in essence this decision appears to indicate that a state restricting the right of a citizen to vote for whom he wishes and to have that vote counted has deprived voters of their constitutional guarantee of freedom of association. 

Remember, I said in the first sentence that I am a Libertarian yet my state, Tennessee has deprived me of my right to vote for a candidate or an office of my choice at EVERY election.  This is not new, while a resident of North Carolina, I encountered the same thing. Indeed, I was once removed from a North Carolina City Council ballot becaused the state board of elections decided that they could remove my party at the last minute (6 weeks before the election) and I would not have time to obatin the necessary signatures to get on the ballot as an independent in that race.

States routinely violate citizens' rights by making it more difficult for a Political Party to appear on their ballot, by deciding local and/or state issues via votes on a party ballot instead of in a general election where everyone can vote.

Each party when in power tends to tighten the rules on elections to favor keeping themselves in power, when re-districting is required after a census, district lines are redrawn to favor the party in power.

When you go to vote (assuming that you are one of the roughly 50% of Americans who does vote in Presidential Elections or one of the 25% who votes in the off years) do you really have a choice to vote for the person you deem best to fill a particular office?  How many of you if given a blank piece of paper and told to write down your choices would actually choose the one or two candidates for each office presented to you on a printed ballot? I daresay none of you would do that.

In my state as a Libertarian, I am barred from voting in any primary other than my own, Libertarians are not allowed on ANY ballot as anything but an independent candidate and there is no independent primary.  Many bond issues are decided at the primaries but Independent voters cannot vote in primaries.

Well, you might say, write in your favorite person for an office but in many states (Including mine) write in votes are not counted and if they are, they must come from an approved list of candidates.

The system is rigged and until you take a position contrary to the mantra of the "2 Major" political parties in this country, you will wonder what all the hullabaloo is about.

So, what has the New York Democrat Primary got to do with me? Or you or anything?  I am not a Sanders supporter  nor of any of the other Democrats who qualified for the ballot BUT the primary should be held and the votes tallied for all the candidates and the write-ins too.  In any political contest in a democratic country, every citizen who wants to be heard and can meet the basic qualifications for an office has a right to have his name placed on the ballot and any voter should have the right to vote in any election that affects without regard for party affiliation.

I believe that ballots with a very large number of candidates for every office give us a better chance of electing great leaders. Choice in all things is the best way to insure an educated electorate.

This tiny step by US district judge Analisa Torres is a start.

Tennessee: 13938 Loudon County: 39

Wednesday Night Banjo & Donut Marching Society

Last Wednesday I attended the inagural meeting of the "Wednesday Night Banjo & Donut Marching Society" via Zoom.

For those who do not know, when I was attending UNC at Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 1969, I met a young woman at Greensboro Women's College who would have been at home in hoop skirts, sipping mint julips while fanning herself and uttering such southernisms as, "Bless yo'r heart" and "Pass the suggah sweetie".  Myra was my first up close encounter with a "Southern Belle" who would have been at home at Tara and I was infatuated.

While listening to a local folk group at a small bistro one Saturday evening, Myra remarked, "I just Luv the Banjo, don't you?"

The next day, I bought a banjo and a how to play book to match and began my short lived banjo playing career.  I played badly and couldn't find anyone to teach me.  Myra was unimpressed and was soon off to find another Rhet for her Tara and I Was soon off to distant places and other pursuits but I never seemed to have the time to learn how to play the banjo.

Fast forward 40+ years and retirement and finally, enough time to learn to play the banjo.  In the on-line find anything you want I found an affordable banjo at Amazon and I found Patrick Costello as a teacher and a role model: you see, Patrick is deaf (cochlear implants did give him some hearing a few years ago), has more health issues than anyone ought to have but he plays beautifully and has a knack for teaching.

Patrick and his "Dear old Dad" Pat has an on-line publishing and teaching Claw-hammer Banjo to the likes of wannabes like me.  We've been on-line friends for nearly 10 years now and I have become a reasonable player.

Last week, I received an email from Patrick inviting me to the first gathering of the newly formed "Wednesday Night Banjo & Donut Marching Society" via Zoom and I had to be there.

22 banjo players joined Patrick and Dear Old Dad for an hour of mayhem in an international jam session.  We had fun - there were issues and questions and a bit of learning but the Society had a successful launch.  I'll be back next Wednesday and I'm sure others will be as well.

A Touch of Normalcy

Mobile Bay Tanker 2017

Last night, we went to the home of long time frinds Bill and Phyllis for dinner and conversation.  Just the sort of thing we used to do all the time with them before COVID-19 invaded our world,

The remarkable thing about it was how unremarkable it all seemed.

We sat on their deck couple by couple (the pairs about 10 feet apart) and enjoyed wine and cheese and conversation.  Topics ranged from the virus to cooking and shopping, to mutual friends and family Zoom gatherings.

Bill had gone to Bonefish Grill for a great take-out dinner for 4 of Lily's Chicken.

Just the idea of getting together and having a normal evening was refreshing.

What a great evening - hand waves (no hugs) and back home feeling much better.

Tennessee: 11891  Loudon County: 32