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

The straight skinny!

My New Hobby

Your intrepid blogger has taken a couple of week off to do some exhaustive research on the real situation with Covid-19.  I have combed through hours and hours of reports from all the major news outlest, the CDC, the Tennessee department of health, My brother-in-law Tom, Neighbor Chuck, Madam Rue (you know that gypsy with the gold tattoo from Love Potion #9).

The Chinese fellow at the local take out restaurant said it sounds like the Russian flu to him while my friend is Cuba last said to stay the hell indoors and wear a mask everywhere before he went off the air about a week ago (I'm worried about him!)

But here is the straight skinny derived (stolen & plagiarized  from dozens of reliable sources.)

The LIST:

1. Basically, you can't leave the house for any reason, but if you have to, then go ahead.

2. Masks are useless, but please wear one, it could save you or someone else or maybe not. Also could be mandatory, maybe. 

3. Stores are closed, except the ones that are open. You can buy the same stuff at some open stores that they have at closed stores and there are a lot more people inside them. 

4. You should not go to hospitals unless you have to go there. Same applies to doctors, you should only go there in case of emergency, provided you are not too sick. If you are sick stay home.

5. This virus is deadly but still not too scary, except that sometimes it actually leads to a global disaster or instant death. 

6. Gloves won't help, but they can still help. If you touch anything then throw them away! 

7. Everyone needs to stay HOME, but it's important to GO OUT.

8. There is no shortage of groceries in the supermarket, but there are many things missing when you go there in the evening, but not in the morning. Sometimes. Check Facebook for current inventory. 

9. The virus has no effect on children except those it affects.

10. Animals are not affected, but there is still a cat that tested positive in Belgium in February when no one had been tested, plus a few tigers here and there…

11. You will have many symptoms when you are sick, but you can also get sick without symptoms, have symptoms without being sick, or be contagious without having symptoms. Yeah.

12. In order not to get sick, you have to eat well and exercise, but eat whatever you have on hand and it's better not to go out, well, but please support local restaurants. 

13. It's better to get some fresh air, but you get looked at very wrong when you get some fresh air, and most importantly, you don't go to parks or walk. But don’t sit down, except that you can do that now if you are old, but not for too long or if you are pregnant (but not too old).

14. You can't go to retirement homes, but you have to take care of the elderly and bring food and medication.

15. If you are sick, you can't go out, but you can go to the pharmacy or pretty much anywhere. 

16. You can get restaurant food delivered to the house, which may have been prepared by people who didn't wear masks or gloves. But you have to have your groceries decontaminated outside for 3 hours. Pizza too?

17. Every disturbing article or disturbing interview must start with " I don't want to trigger panic, but…"

18. You can't see your older mother or grandmother, but you can take a uber and meet an older Uber driver.

19. You can walk around with a friend but not with your family if they don't live under the same roof.

20. You are safe if you maintain the appropriate social distance, but you can’t go out with friends or strangers at the safe social distance.

21. The virus remains active on different surfaces for two hours, no, four, no, six, no, we didn't say hours, maybe days? But it takes a damp environment. Oh no, not necessarily.

22. The virus stays in the air - well no, or yes, maybe, especially in a closed room, in one hour a sick person can infect ten, so if it falls, all our children were already infected at school before it was closed. But remember, if you stay at the recommended social distance, however in certain circumstances you should maintain a greater distance, which, studies show, the virus can travel further, maybe.

23. We count the number of deaths but we don't know how many people are infected as we have only tested so far those who were "almost dead" to find out if that's what they will die of

24. We have no treatment, except that there may be one that apparently is not dangerous unless you take too much (which is the case with all medications). 

25. We should stay locked up until the virus disappears, but it will only disappear if we achieve collective immunity, so when it circulates… but we must no longer be locked up for that?

I hope you feel better now that you are correctly informed.

Tennessee: 9667  Loudon County: 27

Another note from Cuba

Early 4/1 warning from Unicef

Things have changed in Cuba, here is a note from my friend there:

"The country that I’m in; Cuba, is 90% black or mixed and every single person whether it’s the president, new’s commentators, doctors or lawyers are waring a face mask. It is an absurdity— digress — for the black people there in the USA; not to be exhibiting necessary and prudent behaviors to protect themselves and their families from this contagious disease. And I don’t care who it is, if they hang their hat on the premise “I’m afraid I’ll get shot,” if I ware a mask to protect my family and friends. Those individuals should be fined or prosecuted for their brazen behavior in this time of crisis that has been cast upon virtually all of humanity."

My friend is outspoken but if you follow this blog, you will notice how his three posts have changed over the last few weeks.   From the slight concern of a distant storm, to storm clouds on the near horizon and ultimately the realization that the storm is here and we all need to protect ourselves and our loved ones.

Tennessee: 4634  Loudon County: 15

A little about COVID-19 VS. Personal Liberty

Big Brother is watching

I am a Libertarian, I believe that the rights of the individual are sacrosanct and should not be infringed by individuals or governments without just cause.

We have just been informed that cell phone tracking is being used to compare personal movements with COVID-19 infection hot spots.

Portions of the Tennessee/North Carolina boundary have been closed to all traffic.

Some counties on the Ourter Banks of North Carolina have been walled off to all but residents (prompting Federal lawsuits).

Florida is quarantining people crossing its border from New York and Louisiana. 

A parent was arrested in Colorado for playing ball with his wife and daughter.

A law enforcement team of lifeguards, coast guard and police are called out to arrest a single surfer breaking a closed beach restriction.

The list of such actions grows larger with each passing day.  The patchwork of state, county and city orders has created a situation in which many law enforcement people are themselves violating social distancing and quarantine rules to arrest people for violating those same rules. 

Many are clamoring for a Federal order to force people so stay in place; opening the door to more crazy instances of conflicting rules and regulations being enforced by people who are themselves largely ignorant of the procedure, rules and orders they are tasked to enforce.

Now, there is a point here: Most of these orders are put in place by well meaning officials who feel as though they must "Do something" but often that something causes harm to the citizens it is supposed to protect and endangers the people charged with providing the protection.

Most of these "Temporary orders" infringe some of the rights of the people but on the flip side foolish behavior by some will endanger some others.

What is the answer? Is there an answer to the rights vs. Corvid-19 question?

The answer is that there is just no one answer.  

My position is that the restriction of some of my rights (as ordered and enforced in Loudon County Tennessee today) may provide me with some protection from the virus and that reasonable enforcement of those restrictions by well informed and trained officials might help to slow the spread of COVID-19 and insure preservation of my life and the lives of my loved ones.  I can accept a temporary restriction.

However, any restriction of individual rights must constantly be reviewed and reduced wherever possible with the stated goal of removing all restrictions as soon as possible.

Now, if the public will do their part in following reasonable guidelines when you must venture out, behave as though you have the disease and don't want to spread it and treat everyone you encounter as though they have it and you don't want them to infect you.  Distance, masks, gloves, avoidance.

Not fun but not deadly. Be safe out there.

Tennessee: 4138  Loudon County: 15

Yakking with the kids

Our far flung family

One of the worst parts of being quarrantined at home is not being able to visit with friends and family in person. 

With stay-in-place orders in nearly every state, and 14 day quarantines imposed on travelers that cross many state lines, visiting is not a realistic option.

So after weekend phone calls, emails and a bit of downloading, we all got together via Zoom this past weekend.

Our three kids, their spouses and one granddaughter spent a delightful 40 minutes just talking and looking at each other.  From Colorado, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Tennessee, the nine of us were able to have a relatively normal conversation just as though we were sitting in the living room together and COVID-19 was far away.

Tennessee: 4138  Loudon County:  15