Is it a Matter of Choice?

For years, I've attempted to get people who claim to be pro-choice or woman's rights advocates to answer a simple question.  "When does life begin?"  It is the foundational question the U.S. Supreme Court deferred on in Roe v. Wade in 1973.
This week we see the Senate vote 53 to 44 against the "Born Alive" bill, which would have provided post birth protection for babies who survived the abortion process. The vote indicates at least some Republicans sided with the Democrats to deny care for the infants.
There can be no mistake from this point forward.  Those who claim to support a woman's choice believe no life is sacred and it only begins when they feel like saying it does.  As I've asked before, why stop at infants?
It seems to me the vote on this issue reflects a belief that there is no value in life unless it can further a political position.  So until the child can declare its party affiliation (which had better be with the DNC), their life has no value.
Yet the same people who have decided life does not begin at birth have the gall to complain about separating immigrant children from adults, and they are supported by those who claim Trump is mean to people while physically assaulting people who wear MEGA hats.
Give me a break!

Proposed Campaign Slogans for BS.

"Hundreds of tenured academics, and political economists can’t be wrong.  Can they?”

Or

“Vote for Socialism, this time with over one hundred years of failure, I think we might get it right (at least for the politically connected)"

Or

“I know I was a Communist when it wasn’t fashionable, but now that I am rich so I’m for those who will keep me that way.”

Or

“Free stuff for everyone who votes to keep me rich.”

Or

“I am the face of the youth movement - despite the fact I am over 70.”

Or

“Prove Trump wrong.  Destroy Prosperity for All.”

Or

“Socialism leads to Prosperity, Just Like Unicorns do.”

Or

“Socialism means never having to worry about climate change.  Bread maybe, but definitely not climate change.”

Or

"I know Marx and Engels had it right"

Or

"Socialism, destroying incentive and prosperity for over one hundred years."

The Evolution to Propaganda

It used to be news came to us in manageable doses.  A television hour here, a newspaper hour there, a few radio snippets thrown in for good measure.  There was a clear separation between the morning “feel good” shows like NBC’s Today Show and real news.  In fact, they would make a point of when they were changing to a 5-minute news break.  We didn’t really view the stars as real journalists, they were “personalities.”

That all began to change with the creation of Ted Turner’s Cable News Network, where we got the news 24/7/365.  They found that filling 61, 320 hours of airtime would be cost-prohibitive unless they played the same stories over and over.  People got bored so they had to come up with "discussion hours" where opinion became the main course.  The other networks found they were losing market share and thus began the evolution from morning personalities to “journalists.”  But to fill the airtime they still had to attract personalities the viewers wanted, and the best way to do that was to get in people who had a personal agenda in appearing.  It could be as simple as hawking a movie or book, or as complex as detailing a scandal.  The more scandals the better for the networks.  If they didn’t have a real one, then why not make one up?   That had been the way entertainment had sold itself for decades, and as news became entertainment they naturally fed into the tried and true ways of self-promotion.

As we’ve seen - the evolution from journalist to entertainer has been gradual, and most news people seemingly still live with the delusion they are “Journalists and members of the fifth estate,” charged with keeping the government honest and the people informed.  Unfortunately for all of us, they are unwilling to be candid and honest about the views they hold as dear and are used to flavor the news they choose to present, or the fashion they choose to present it in. 

As we’ve seen, with increasing clarity, these organizations have shifted from simple reporting of the news to flavoring news to support of a political agenda.  Now when something happens, they roll out not only the story but a wealth of “talking heads” who are supposed to be experts in the area of concern who will tell us what the event really means.  That keeps the real purpose intact.  We are not obligated to think for ourselves, they are happy to tell us how to think.

Let’s review the history on this whole Jussie Smollett affair and please feel free to jump in and tell me where I am wrong.  Since Smollett is an actor, let’s put this into the form of a tragedy in three acts. 

Preface:  Setting the stage:  The left hates Trump and Trump supporters and since his election has done anything and everything to discredit and vilify him and them.  (That is my opening position.  Feel free to show me how I am wrong).

Opening Act, Scene 1: Jussie Smollett (JS) an activist actor, who was allegedly attacked on the snow-covered streets of Chicago in the late hours of a freezingly cold night by two Trump supporters, (JS claimed they were wearing Make America Great Again ball caps), who were apparently wandering around looking for a gay black man to vent their homophobic and racist views on.

Opening Act, Scene 2:  JS is courted by a media who is totally on-board with the idea that all Trump supporters must be homophobic-racists, and his story is broadcast repeatedly without questioning the logic of his story.  (For the record, and to their credit, I believe the Chicago police took a good track in believing the victim until reasonable doubt became obvious.)

Act 1, Scene 3:  Every prominent liberal politician and media personality jumps into the fray with condemnation of the crime without one shred of evidence to support this was, in fact, a legitimate crime.  (It was critical for both the politicians and entertainment celebrities to be seen as sympathetic of JS victim status and confirm America’s intolerance is so great Trump must be destroyed.)

Act 2, Scene 1: Questions begin to arise as to the details of the JS storyline as the police continue their investigations into who actually executed this “hate crime.”

Act 2, Scene 2:  Details of previous problems JS has had with telling the truth begins to emerge.

Act 2, Scene 3:  Good Morning America has JS on and is interviewed by what could only be described as a totally sympathetic Robin Roberts to defend his victim status.

Act 3, Scene 1:  The men first highlighted in Chicago’s CTV video are identified and questioned.

Act 3, Scene 2:  Rumors begin to float that the men knew JS, worked with JS, and perhaps were hired by JS, and they were agreeing to testify about what really occurred.

Act 3, Scene 3:  Chicago police and the District Attorney have sufficient information to charge JS with filing a false report and he is arrested.  Fade to black.

Postscript:  This story has not fully played out, but it does not appear there will be any serious self-appraisal on the part of those in the alleged journalist profession.  The agendas will remain intact, and JS will soon be just a Wikipedia footnote.

One final thought:  There was someone on twitter who had what I consider a brilliant summary of this whole affair.  “Jussie Smollett is what happens when the supply of racism fails to meet the demand.”  It is my hope the supply of racism continues to decline until it can’t be used by those who would claim it as a defense for bad acts.

Quote of the Day

Taken from somewhere in the Twitterverse

"Jussie Smollett is what happens when the supply of racism fails to meet the demand."

Let’s Talk About Executive Order 9066 and Trump

Last week the news media (ABCNNBCBS, MSNBC, & Fox) and their political punditry are ablaze with the President Trump’s decision to declare the southern immigration problem a National Emergency and fund the construction of a wall over the objections of the Democratic Party.  Speaking to the press Ms. Pelosi (D-CA) said, “If the president can declare an emergency on something that he has created — an illusion that he wants to convey, just think what a president with different values can present to the American people,”

We can debate whether or not 150,000 unapproved immigrants a year is an illusion or not, but to put illusions in perspective we should compare that number to a problem the People’s Democratic Party is all over.  Specifically, the number of deaths from firearms (about 40,000 in 2017) most of which were self-inflicted fatalities or suicides.  Every day we hear about how guns are evil and we need new laws, why is one number significant and another, much higher number not?

Senator Rubio (R-FL) also condemned the President’s plan when he said, “We have a crisis at our southern border, but no crisis justifies violating the Constitution.  Today’s national emergency is border security.  But a future president may use this exact same tactic to impose the Green New Deal.  I will wait to see what statutory or constitutional power the President relies on to justify such a declaration before making any definitive statement.  But I am skeptical it will be something I can support.”

It’s is funny how this whole national emergency thing seems to work.  The founders imagined in times of emergency the President and Congress would work together to craft appropriate legislation.  But it has become increasingly fashionable for the President to act unilaterally when Congress fails to support his position.  As those who support the President have pointed out the previous President had declared something like 13 emergencies, 11 of which are still open.  The purpose of declaring an emergency seems to be a convenient way to get around the restrictions on the programming of funds defined by the separation of powers in the constitution.  I suggest we put this whole emergency thing in the context of the actions of past Presidents.  But first, let’s review the Constitutional requirements levied on the President.

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

The founders believed the real power of the government would be invested in the Congress, and the President acting as a co-equal would execute those powers.  Time has brought changes from the concepts of our founders as the Congress has acquiesced to Presidential decisions, which have made the Executive Branch an increasingly dominant role in the management of the nation's business.  What they did define is the President’s role in the defense of our sovereignty. 

“The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.”

So, we come to the idea of exerting Presidential authority through a declaration of a National Emergency, the current political crop would have us believe this is an unprecedented violation of the Constitutional authority.  To which I say, nay, nay![1]  It would seem to me to be far less egregious than the precedent set by President Roosevelt when he did it on February 19,1942.  It read[2]:

Executive Order No. 9066

The President

Executive Order

Authorizing the Secretary of War to Prescribe Military Areas

Whereas the successful prosecution of the war requires every possible protection against espionage and against sabotage to national-defense material, national-defense premises, and national-defense utilities as defined in Section 4, Act of April 20, 1918, 40 Stat. 533, as amended by the Act of November 30, 1940, 54 Stat. 1220, and the Act of August 21, 1941, 55 Stat. 655 (U.S.C., Title 50, Sec. 104);

Now, therefore, by virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States, and Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy, I hereby authorize and direct the Secretary of War, and the Military Commanders whom he may from time to time designate, whenever he or any designated Commander deems such action necessary or desirable, to prescribe military areas in such places and of such extent as he or the appropriate Military Commander may determine, from which any or all persons may be excluded, and with respect to which, the right of any person to enter, remain in, or leave shall be subject to whatever restrictions the Secretary of War or the appropriate Military Commander may impose in his discretion. The Secretary of War is hereby authorized to provide for residents of any such area who are excluded therefrom, such transportation, food, shelter, and other accommodations as may be necessary, in the judgment of the Secretary of War or the said Military Commander, and until other arrangements are made, to accomplish the purpose of this order. The designation of military areas in any region or locality shall supersede designations of prohibited and restricted areas by the Attorney General under the Proclamations of December 7 and 8, 1941, and shall supersede the responsibility and authority of the Attorney General under the said Proclamations in respect of such prohibited and restricted areas.

I hereby further authorize and direct the Secretary of War and the said Military Commanders to take such other steps as he or the appropriate Military Commander may deem advisable to enforce compliance with the restrictions applicable to each Military area hereinabove authorized to be designated, including the use of Federal troops and other Federal Agencies, with authority to accept assistance of state and local agencies.

I hereby further authorize and direct all Executive Departments, independent establishments and other Federal Agencies, to assist the Secretary of War or the said Military Commanders in carrying out this Executive Order, including the furnishing of medical aid, hospitalization, food, clothing, transportation, use of land, shelter, and other supplies, equipment, utilities, facilities, and services.

This order shall not be construed as modifying or limiting in any way the authority heretofore granted under Executive Order No. 8972, dated December 12, 1941, nor shall it be construed as limiting or modifying the duty and responsibility of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with respect to the investigation of alleged acts of sabotage or the duty and responsibility of the Attorney General and the Department of Justice under the Proclamations of December 7 and 8, 1941, prescribing regulations for the conduct and control of alien enemies, except as such duty and responsibility is superseded by the designation of military areas hereunder.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The White House,

February 19, 1942.

As the President considered this executive order the assistant to the Attorney General and the Attorney General himself appear to be the dissenting voices among the outraged Democrats of the President’s party.  In a February 2, 1942 memo James Rowe Jr. writes the order would “require the suspension of habeas corpus” and “would be one of the great mass exoduses of history.”

Attorney General Biddle urged caution in the execution of the order as a response the increasingly vocal media outcries coming from the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post, and led by columnists Walter Lippmann and Westbrook Pegler,[3] but his concerns were put aside when the War Department relieved the Attorney General of responsibility for the relocation.

So, as we struggled with the aftermath of Pearl Harbor the President’s executive order, declaring a National Emergency and establishing military exclusion zones was used to suspend the safeguards of the Constitution for well over 120,000 American citizens and move them from the military exclusion zones.  Although the Japanese were not mentioned exclusively (Germans and Italians were also subject) those executing the order targeted the Japanese almost exclusively.

Years afterward, during the time of Ronald Reagan’s presidency, the US government acknowledged the abuse of rights and paid reparations to the families of those sent to the internment camps.  Although no reparation could adequately make up for the true abuse of government power -- as it acted in such an overtly racist way in response to the hysteria that swept the nation, fueled by the media, in the post-December 7^th days.

During the Obama administration, most of his 13 declared emergencies seem to deal with terror-related activities and targeted the activities of specific ethnic groups, like the Sudanese, or Central Africans, or people engaged in activities in conflict areas like Yemen, Syria or Venezuela.  All of which restrict the rights and actions of individuals engaged in those activities without regard to a nation of origin.

So now we come to President Trump’s executive order, declaring a national emergency at the border so he can reprogram money to build a wall.  I am hard pressed to understand how his declaration rises to the level of unconstitutionality set as the precedent by previous administrations.  Maybe someone can help me out on this.  Is he proposing we suspend habeas corpus for our citizens or even the non-citizens who will confront the wall?

As with all things Trump, I guess the courts will sort this out and if he loses the media will have a field day.  If he wins we won’t hear much, if anything, at all.

---

[1] A line from the late comic John Pinette

[2] https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=74&page=transcript

[3] http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/archives/pdfs/internment.pdf  page 8 of 12 “Document 4: Memorandum to the President from Attorney General Francis Biddle, February 17, 1942:

Congratulations New York

In a span measured in months, New York was able to attract a HUGE commercial enterprise that by its own reckoning would employ up to 25,000 employees, and then convince them to bugger off since the people really didn’t want them after all.

I’m guessing these were not 25,000 minimum wage jobs, but rather competitive pay for skills jobs with salaries matching the corporate standards for those skills.  

Don’t get me wrong, there was a downside to the deal.  It was akin to what every NFL team demands when they threaten to move from their current city or offer to come to yours.  They want the taxpayer to help foot the bill.

In the case of Amazon coming to NY, the announced move included something like $1.525 billion in tax incentives, spread over a number of years.  It would have also included the costs for infrastructure upgrades in the transportation system (both roads and rail).

But there was clearly a huge plus side as a new industry rolls into town.  There would be a boom in the housing market as well as local retail sales for products the employees couldn’t get through Amazon.  Those same employees would then become part of the tax base to pay for all the social programs New York politicians are so fond of.  It was just the other day the Governor of NY was complaining about Florida “stealing” all the residents of NY, so 25,000 good paying jobs might have eased the sting of a state that just announced a $2.3 billion budget shortfall.  Of course, that shortfall has nothing to do with the policies of state government, it is all Washington’s (probably President Trump’s) fault.

Fortunately, for Amazon, the visionary politicians of the state convinced them their corporate greed wasn’t welcome in Long Island City and they should just not unpack their bags and leave.  So, they have.

Fortunately for New York the Green New Deal will be there for them.

It's the Truth

“I want the truth!”  “The Truth?  You can’t handle the truth!”  An exchange between LTJG Daniel Kaffee (USN) and Col Nathan Jessup (USMC) in the movie A Few Good Men.

As I’ve grown older the world has changed from “black and white” to “Living Color” to “50 Shades of Gray.”  It is a place where everyone once knew what was “right and wrong” is now “you have your truth and I have mine.”  I find it interesting in today’s world there are still people who believe they are standing on the moral high ground as they condemn their opposition as (insert your preferred demeaning adjectives here).

As I’ve noted in previous postings, we (the adults) of this American society have shifted from a heated but generally respectful debate of issues (social, economic, or otherwise) to simple personal attacks on those with opposing ideas.  We live in a world where most people now communicate across the social media by finding a glossy picture that praises or vilifies an idea they find attractive or outrageous, but when challenged they can’t really waste their time explaining why they feel as they do, they just do (or worse someone they like said they should).  It’s their truth and they are sticking to it.

As I write about the issues I find relevant – I find people of my generation generally understand the context of my statements and will either agree or ignore without comment.  (I sometimes regret the fact people who may disagree are unwilling to stand up and question me in public, but that is not something I control.)

Then there are those who focus on a single statement and seem to ignore the broader context.  Perhaps, it is my poor writing and an inability to articulate and define the central theme, or maybe it is easier for some to focus on a single tree when looking at a forest.  But, I ramble on.

Today, the issue before us is really one of government control, or rather how much government is enough and how much is too much. 

The members of the new People’s Democratic National Committee have rolled out a vision for America in their plan for a “Green New Deal” where they propose a government-run universal health care, elimination of all vehicles that use carbon fuel propulsion systems, an entirely new mass transportation infrastructure, a universal base salary, and essentially government control of all aspects of our social and economic lives.

The flash debate between the left and right is whether or not some words in the published draft are actually in the current draft or whether or not they really mean what they said before people questioned them on some of the stupid stuff they included. 

Just so there is no mistake let me be clear in my view.  I don’t believe this Green New Deal is any better than the last Green Deal the DNC rolled out.  And at the sake of offending those of my home town, I am not sure if the President’s intent of original New Deal was to actually help America recover sooner from the depression or just increase his power as President?

At its core, the New Green Deal is about expanding government control over the decisions of the average citizen.  Those who support it will claim it’s about making lives better, protecting the environment and creating the brave new future the progressives always see “just around the corner.”  These would be the self-same progressives who saw a better world in eugenics, lobotomies, and the myriad of social welfare programs aimed at eliminating poverty, racism, addiction, and illiteracy, but until now have only achieved a greater individual dependency on the state, while fostering poverty, racism, drug addiction and increased illiteracy.

But, just like the progressive movement, conservatives who oppose this new plan come in a variety of flavors and the most extreme would advocate we move governmental decision making back to the private enterprise.  This would, of course, undo over a century of lessons where we’ve found good reasons for government regulation.  For example, should we put banking without regulation back in the hands of the banker?  I think anyone who would advocate for this simply does not understand the human dynamic of wealth accumulation, but then again, has banking regulation stopped the creation of mega-banks (banks too big to fail), or has it led to our government spending money to prop them up when they realize risks they had dismissed as unimportant?  As Elizabeth Warren has pointed out, the money interest in Wall Street and beyond have paid substantial sums to have the politicians vote their way.  Unfortunately, Liz seems to think only one party has taken those funds, while we can clearly see otherwise.

That last point is really my central concern with an ever-expanding government.  It is not the average citizen who runs for federal office.  It is not someone who will serve a couple of terms and then return to private life.  Rather, it is someone who craves the power that title confers.  Once in office they, more often than not, become holders for life, except in the case of the President where the Congress decided after FDR that a lifetime was too long.  They accumulate wealth through their ability to influence the laws and regulations that are written, or direct the tens-of-thousands of employees hired to enforce those laws and regulations.  For them, and their media surrogates it is all about dividing the population into fragmented groups to maintain their elite status.

I believe the Green New Deal would not only create greater government power, but its real objective is to make the politicians and their business supporters wealthier.  In the end, it will do little to actually save a world that is, if you believe the hype, eating itself alive.  In a world of 7.5 billion, a nation of 350 million is simply a part of the equation.  Perhaps a big part, but even then, not the biggest part.  I would ask those who feel different explain to me how unilaterally expanding our government into a socialist state will prove economically successful at making the lives of the individual (who is not a member of the state party) better?  Alternatively, you can lay out how your example of environmental socialism will save the world by changing the way everyone else treats it.

Oh yes, when giving comparisons of how well democratic socialism has worked please account for the scaling issues of small versus large countries, or use examples from countries of equivalent size to the U.S.

Until you can convince me otherwise, that is my truth, and I’m sticking to it.

It's About Karma and Stones

The theologies of the world’s religions try and teach us to be better humans, but more often than not they fail miserably because we can’t get past the fact we crave attention and power.  Let’s think about that for a bit, shall we?

The religions of India detail a cause and effect relationship with one’s actions.  Good acts in the current life will have a positive outcome in the next, while bad acts will likely have a negative impact.  One’s future, therefore, depends on acting in a positive and affirming nature but as we see in the world around us, despite all the cliché examples of good or bad Karma, we humans will act out of a need for short-term gain without consideration of the potential adverse outcomes our actions might generate.

In Christianity, we find the story of Jesus and the temple courts (John, Chapter 8, versus 1-8).  A woman stood accused of adultery - under Hebrew law her punishment was death by stoning.  The scribes and Pharisees, attempting to corner Jesus is some act of heresy, questioned him on what they should do to the woman, and asked him to approve of the stoning.  Jesus response silenced the elders when he directed that whoever was without sin should throw the first stone.  Everyone knew there was no one without sin, so they were at a stalemate.  He then questioned the woman and released her with the direction to “go and sin no more.”

These examples serve only to preface the hilarity of today’s political world, where people who have little or no real morality are empowered to tell the rest of the world how things must be.

This past fall we saw the Democratic Senators, and their propaganda arm known as the mainstream media (i.e. ABCNNBCBS and MSNBC), attempt to destroy the reputation and approval of the administration’s nomination to the Supreme Court.  Every talking head, including the empty ones on “The View” and “Morning Joe,” set out to vilify the nominee based on unsupported accusations from his high school years.  At the end of the day “Spartacus Booker” Diane Feinstein, and “For the People, Harris” were unable to overcome the nomination, mostly because of the Karma that came from the decisions of the previous Congress where the Democratic party leadership chose to change the rules for what it took to block a nomination. 

Now we have the circus of the Virginia state government, which seems to be imploding after their less than courageous (I would suggest non-humanitarian) decision to support post-birth (okay really, really, late-term) abortion.  Remarkably, the Governor and Attorney General have been proven, by current DNC standards. to be racist while the Lieutenant Governor stands accused of being a sexual assaulter by another Ph.D.  In the past, the Democratic position was these sins must be accepted and the politicans stoned until they resign.

This presents an interesting dilemma for the party’s propaganda arm as they struggle to find the Republican who must really be the bad guy in this.  Fortunately, they’ve found a link to the next in line (State Senator Thomas K. Norment, Jr.) which can be used to suggest he too is a racist.  So, there may actually be no one who is not a racist or rapist in Virginia capable of running the state.  I can only imagine what the historically racist figures of the DNC would think of their party as it is embroiled in the social warfare the left has chosen as its battleground.

I also wonder if they will ever come to understand that attempting to destroy their opposition through ad hominin attack will most certainly come back to haunt them at some point.  As the bible said, “let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”

Or to put it in modern political terms.  “I’m rubber, you’re glue; whatever you say bounces off me and sticks on you!”

Whose Campaign Will Have the Best Slogan?

Regrettably, we have entered into the 2020 Presidential campaign season, with all the Democratic hopefuls coming out as candidates.  Of course, the most important thing a successful candidate must have is a great reminder, positions can come and go, but a slogan is with us forever.  For example, who remembers anything about the 1840 Presidential election, or the unremarkable tenure of William Henry Harrison, but who doesn’t know the campaign slogan “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too!”

Some campaigns choose wisely and some don’t.  We need only look at the last election to see the stark contrast.  We had “Make America Great Again” and “I’m with Her.”  For the average blue collar worker, it was no contest.

I think we heard President Trump's 2020 slogan last night in the 2019 State of the Union address.  My bet is “Choose Greatness” will be the lead for his campaign.  What are we seeing from the Democrats to counter this?  So far, not much.

Kamala Harris: For the People          Sorry but this sounds like a slogan for a law firm specializing in personal damage claims.  In fact, it is.  Morgan and Morgan:  For the people is a big firm here in Florida and I am surprised they haven’t already talked with the Kamala people, but then again, maybe they have.

Cory “I am Spartacus” Booker: Together America, We Will Rise   Perhaps if we were in the middle of a depression, like 2008, this would be a good choice, but as we see the current policies bring a booming economy the question then becomes who will rise from what?  I imagine the hope is to rise from the Trump Derangement Syndrome so many seem to focus on.

Julián Castro: For the Future             The former mayor of San Antonio and an Obama appointee he has announced his intention to be the next President, but I think his chances of success are slim since he is the wrong gender for the Democrats.

Tulsi Gabbard: Run Tulsi Run (?)                 Ms. Gabbard is a Congressional Representative from Hawaii and has announced she is running for President, but I’ve not found her official campaign site, only a place that claims to be a grassroots movement to “draft” her as a candidate.  Her most recent claim to fame is to call President Trump “Saudi Arabia’s bitch.”

John K. Delaney:              John Delaney’s bio indicates he was a businessman and CEO of two successful companies before becoming a Congressional Representative from Maryland.  His campaign site does not have a slogan.  Again, I rate his chances of a successful campaign as slim to none.  He is just filler to make it look like the real candidate hasn’t already been chosen.

Kirsten Gillibrand:  Compassion and Courage (?)         She announced her candidacy in mid-January but I haven’t seen a real slogan yet.  Perhaps the marketing department is still doing research on what would be a good choice.  For me, I’ll go with her announcement that said as a young mother she has the compassion and courage to lead us to a better America, at least until she makes a real slogan official.

Still waiting to announce:

Elizabeth “Fauxcahontas” Warren:  TBD              It is reported she will announce on/about 9 February so expect that to be part of her roll out.  My guess is it will be somewhere along the lines of “Make the rich pay their share.”

Peter Buttigieg: Middle-class life separates me from other contenders  Who is Peter Buttigieg and why does he think he has a chance?  This is probably not his real slogan but he is so far down the list I don’t feel like spending a lot of time on him.  From what I can tell his claim to fame is he is a millennial who has moved out of his parent’s basement.

And then there is.

Howard “Starbucks” Schultz:             Still deciding to run or not as an independent he is the Democrats worse nightmare.

Random Thoughts

A Simple Question

When do the rights of an infant equal the rights of a woman?
This was a question our founding fathers never had to consider, but now thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court we must answer if we are ever to craft laws that are just and morally defensible.
Feminist argue men should have no voice in this decision, and if they weren't so adamant. we men craft the laws as they want them then perhaps I wouldn't care what a woman chooses to do.  But as it stands today, feminists believe they can exclude men from the moral and ethical debate that affects an entire species within society.
Where else is this argument valid?  Are only women allowed to decide what is best for whales?  How about physics or math?  Maybe in city planning?

A Winter's Tale

            It had been cold, but not freezing cold, when Randy had gone to bed.  The weather forecast had called for light snow during the night, which meant a good chance school would be canceled.  Randy lived for these winter mini-vacations, but today would not be one of them.  He grabbed his phone to check to see the notification of the school closing and was disappointed to find only a brief announcement there would be a one-hour delay in opening. 

            With a sigh, he rolled over to bury his head in the covers, but his Mom was yelling from the kitchen that it was time to get up and get moving.  With the slippery roads, she needed to hit the road early because there would be a traffic jam on Rt. 98.  Randy’s dad was already gone by the time he forced himself out of bed and headed to the kitchen for breakfast.

            As soon as he arrived his mom gave him a peck on the cheek and headed for the door to the garage.  As she went, she called over her shoulder and said, “Since school is delayed you need to shovel the drive before you go, okay?”  Randy shrugged, the okay really wasn’t a question seeking his opinion, he knew by now the decision was already made and he now had the snow-shovel duty. 

            He grabbed his phone to check for any messages as he sat down to the oatmeal his mom had made.  Of course, there were about 22 messages from his friends, all asking about his plans on this “snow day” that now wasn’t.  But there in the middle of all the notes of dreams that would go unfulfilled was a message from a number he didn’t recognize.

            Opening it, he read, “Today is an opportunity of a lifetime.  You can, of course, choose to ignore it or you can see what the future holds.  Meet me in Mrs. Gavin’s room at 12:30 sharp.  If you aren’t there, I’ll understand.”  That was it, no signature, nothing to clue Randy into which one of his friends was pranking him.

            Finishing his breakfast, he threw on some warm clothing and headed to the garage to start the snow blower and knock off the driveway before showering for school.  He figured it would take about 15 minutes and he would still have some time for a quick game on the PlayStation^® before the bus arrived.

Chapter 2

            As he climbed aboard the bus Randy headed to his usual seat.  He noticed about half the gang that was usually there had either decided to sleep in or had cajoled their parents into giving them a ride on this snowy morning.  If the latter were true, he would know soon enough when they arrived at school and faced the gauntlet of cars and their drivers unfamiliar with the process of dropping off kids.

            Sure enough, as they pulled in there was the parking lot full of cars, all trying to be next in line to deposit their cargo at the front door.  As the bus hit its spot the few kids who were aboard slid out and walked on the salt-covered sidewalk to the side entrance.  Randy’s locker was just down the hall about 100-feet and he headed straight for it to dump his backpack.  He checked the schedule for today, just to confirm lunch started at 12:15, but figured that might all change with the late start.  If it did they’d have an announcement during homeroom.

            Slipping into his seat, which was next to Todd, a friend from his elementary school days, and just behind Annie – a recent transfer he hadn’t bothered to get to know, he slipped on his Beats^® to kill some time before the morning announcements.  Randy wasn’t much as socializing and today didn’t seem like a good time to start.  The music seemed to do the trick and he closed his eyes to imagine he was somewhere warm and scenic, filled with semi or even completely naked women.  Just as he was getting into it, the bell rang and the homeroom teacher Mr. Livingston yelled for everyone to kill the phones, and the morning routine began.

            Mr. Livingston, now there was an imposing teacher.  He looked like he could play linebacker for the Patriots.  At 6’6” he stood well above almost everyone, except maybe the basketball team.  His hair was short and he was clean shaven, in contrast to the look most of the male teachers seemed to be going for.  You know, the slightly unkempt look with a three-day growth, or real beard.  He taught in the social sciences department and Randy had heard he was pretty good explaining why people acted like they did.  Someone, Randy couldn’t remember who exactly, said they had heard people talking about how good a cook he was and his classes would benefit from some of his experiments.

            Attendance was light today, so Randy figured it would be an easy day in class.  No great struggle to learn since everyone, including the teachers, would be wishing they were at home sluffing off.  After the attendance was taken the morning announcements came over the television.  The two A/V club geeks who were practicing there best evening news routines when going through the normal list of stuff that no one ever pays attention to.  Then it came to the lunch schedule, the only part Randy was interested in.  To his amazement, the lunch schedule was unchanged, minus the 1st-period classes that were canceled due to the late start.

            With that tidbit tucked away Randy went back into the autopilot mode that carried him along each day, at least until Annie turned around and asked him if he had gotten a strange text message about showing up in Ms. Gavin’s room at 12:30?  When Todd overheard her, he jumped in and said he had gotten the same message.  What did Annie think it meant?  Randy said he had, but didn’t have a clue.  Secretly he was glad to hear that others had gotten the message.  It was a lot less scary to head somewhere if you knew it wasn’t just you heading into the unknown.

            The three agreed to meet outside Gavin’s room before they pulled the door open.  That way if there was something to run from they figured having three to catch would be harder than just one.  With that, homeroom was over and they headed their separate ways.  Randy to Calculus I, Todd to Biology II, and Annie to Social Studies.

Chapter 3

            Time seemed to stand still as Randy listened to the teacher drone on about the formulas she had covered earlier in the week, and assigned about 30 minutes of work in the class and another hour for home.  All Randy could really think about was what was going to happen when they got to Ms. Gavin’s room.  It was on the third floor in the southeast wing of the building.  About as far away from the central hub as you could get.  Randy figured it was about the perfect place for an ax murderer to hang out, but Ms. Gavin was as far from an ax murderer as you could get, at least Randy thought so.  Not that he had a lot of experience with ax murderers, except what he’d seen in the movies. 

            Ms. Gavin barely reached Randy’s chin, and he was only 5’9”.  He thought maybe she probably topped the scales at about 100 pounds.  But she was one heck of a Physics teacher and as the science club sponsor.  Randy had gotten to know her when he needed help building his fighting robot for the annual science club robot wars.  He’d lost, but as a freshman, he had learned a lot about how to balance the demands of space, weight, and strength against the limits of his battery life.  Now, as a sophomore, he was sure he knew how to make the winning “bot.”

            With the bell ending class, the entire school seemed to rise as one and fill the halls with the noise and life of a heard of Wildebeests headed to the nearest watering hole.  Randy made his way through the crowds, sticking close to the lockers, so as not to be swept by the current into some vast whirlpool of humanity that would take him somewhere he didn’t want to go.  His freshman year he had seen this happen to a friend, who had had to swim upstream, like a salmon, to get to his second-period class before the door closed.

            The next two classes were pretty much a repeat of the first.  Taught by teachers who had hoped to be at home with their soap operas and coffee (or maybe wine) and not having to face a crowd of kids who also wanted to be somewhere else.  Again, Randy spent most of the time discreetly checking his phone for any new messages from that unknown phone number and watching time slowly pass.  In his fourth class was a study hall and he had almost drifted off to sleep when the bell shattered his reverie.  It was now 12:15 and time to head to lunch.  Normally, lunch was something Randy considered the highlight of the academic day.  A time when he could sit with friends and talk about the great inequities of life, or maybe sports, or even who had summoned up the courage to ask a girl out and how the date had worked out, but today was different.  A quick jog to his locker to dump off his books, and then a beeline to Ms. Gavin’s room – 318S.

            He arrived just as Todd came huffing up the stairs.  His last class was German and the teacher had kept them an extra 10-minutes to complete some sort of review of tense.  It was about as far away from 318S as you could get and still be on campus.  Waiting impatiently was Annie, who was tapping her foot with a stern look.  Randy suppressed a smile as he could imagine Annie as a future librarian -- schussing people.

            With a minute to spare the three pulled open the door to what seemed to be an empty room.  They slowly entered.  Todd hit the light switch and as the lights came on their initial impressions were confirmed.  The room was indeed empty.  The only thing that seemed out of place was on the whiteboard in the front of the room.  It said, “Welcome you three, please take a seat and we will be with you momentarily.”

Chapter 4

            They looked at each other, debating whether to sit or go, while the going was good.  “My Mom always says, ‘In for a penny, in for a pound’” Annie said.  “What the hell does that mean,” Todd asked.  “I’m pretty sure it means either go all in or don’t play at all” Annie answered.  So, the three would-be adventurers headed towards the whiteboard and chose their seats.

            As they sat down there was a faint, almost imperceptible, whirring sound coming from the hallway.  The lights flickered briefly and the next thing they knew, they heard the door opening.  As they turned they saw first Ms. Gavin and then Mr. Livingston enter, and quietly close the door behind themselves.  They were about as stark a contrast in a couple as anyone could imagine.  In her heels Ms. Elaine Gavin maybe reached 5’3” and in his bare feet Mr. Samuel Livingston was an easy 6’6”.

            They walked directly to the front of the room and looked at the three young people and without a hesitation together made the rather obvious observation.  “I bet you’re wondering what this is all about, aren’t you?”

            Randy, conditioned by years of public school raised his hand.  Ms. Gavin chuckled and said, “Yes?  By the way, hand raising is not required in this group.”

            Sheepishly putting his hand down, Randy looked at his classmates and then the teachers and speaking for the three of them, said: “yes, we were, but I hope this isn’t about the assignment I owed you after the last science club, is it?”  Ms. Gavin smiled and shook her head no, but did say “although that has some relativity to what we are about to say.  The assignment Randy was talking about dealt with how to deal with Newton’s third “law, which simply stated is “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

With that, Mr. Livingston went to the whiteboard, passed his hand in front and the writing disappeared.  He then said to the three curious adventurers, “We’ve been waiting some time for you three to arrive here.”  Todd jumped in and said, “we only got an invitation this morning?”  Sam Livingston smiled as he said, “yes, but that isn’t really what I was talking about.  You see Elaine and I are kind of a team of explorers ourselves and we’ve been looking for just the right combination of young minds who can help us complete our own quest.”  Annie, then spoke up, “Quest?  Like in Dungeons and Dragons or King Arthur’s search for the holy grail?”

Chapter 5

“No, not like that!  Well maybe a little like that, but it is really not too dangerous,” said Ms. Gavin.  “Now; why not let Mr. Livingston finish.”

“Gentle people” he began.  “Today the three of you were invited to look into one of the great mysteries of life.  Is it possible for us to actually progress beyond what we see and hear to understand what is truth or what is fiction?”

“We, Elaine and I, are actually from another place, and maybe from another time.  A time when people listen, a time when we consider, and when we debate the issues and reach a consensus on what we should do before we run off willy-nilly pointing fingers and claiming credit.  It is a time and a place where we respect the rights of all but realize we each have a right to an opinion, but just having an opinion doesn’t mean everyone has to listen to it.”

“We have a machine that will transport you through time and space to an event, your job will be to observe the event and report back what you saw.  You will be together as a team and will work to get the details as accurate as you can.  You will then return to us with your report, and we can compare that report to what you actually observed.”

“Wait a minute!  Are you saying you have a time machine and you want us to use it?” Annie asked.  Chuckling, Samuel Livingston shook his head and said, “No not an actual time machine, but a simulator that will take all we know about an event and condense it into a virtual reality.  You three will have VR headsets and full VR suits that will help you enter into that reality.  Each trip will take about an hour?  Your report will be due the next day.  The entire purpose is to open your minds to show you how history is actually shaped so you might be prepared to shape it yourselves one day.  Now, what do you say?”

Chapter 6

The three looked at each other, seeking some clue as to what the others were thinking.  It was Todd who spoke first, and it was a question, not an answer.  “Who gets to decide what reality we explore?  Are there an infinite number of choices?”  Ms. Gavin answered, “No there are not an infinite number of choices, but I’m guessing we have any journey you can imagine, or that you are familiar with, so why don’t we let you all decide where and when you want to back to, okay?”

With that the three huddled and came to an agreement that this seemed more interesting than their usual homework assignments so why not give it a shot?

Together they all said okay and then asked where the first trip was going.

Mr. Livingston held up his hand, “Before we get started on this, there are two ground rules.  The first is you are sworn to secrecy and the second is the trips will have to be during the last period or after school, can you guys live with that?”

As he said that the bell ending the period rang.

“Okay, before you all leave we can work out the schedule for the first experiment tomorrow.  Talk about where and when you want to explore and let me know in homeroom.  I’ll work some magic to get your schedules rearranged so you all can slip away for the last period.  See you tomorrow.

Chapter 7

That night, at home, the three spent almost four hours texting, talking, and video chatting back and forth over what they should do.  So many options, but how was this whole thing going to work?  Wasn’t history already fixed and what they showed in the history books? 

Finally, they had a plan.  They were agreed on where they would go and what they would seek to discover as they sought the facts of history.  Maybe we start with something were everyone agrees with what happened, and see if this program Mr. Livingston and Ms. Gavin has is accurate.  Their only remaining question was how were the two teachers going to get them all into last period study hall without missing their normal classes?

That settled, the three closed it down for the night and agreed to get together at homeroom to pass their request to Mr. Livingston.

When the alarm went off, Randy rolled out of bed much quicker and more alert than he normal.  Maybe it was the anticipation of the unknown before him but his interest in the day was much greater than usual.  He chalked it up to the same emotions he felt when his folks told him they were going to Disney World and Universal in Orlando.

Todd, on the other hand, buried his head just a bit deeper in the covers as he debated whether or not he really wanted to go through with this whole thing.  Annie was somewhere between the two boys.  She was filled with anticipation of some cool new video game but worried about being the only girl.  What would it be like to go somewhere strange with two guys she hardly knew?  What happens if something goes wrong?  The doubts and excitement mixed to form a strange emotion she wasn’t quite sure how to handle.

She hurried through her morning routine as her Dad called her to get a move on so he could drop her off on his way to work.  Normally, the routine was automatic and required little thought.  Today was different, it was almost like the first day of school, or even a date.  What to wear?  How should she fix her hair?  What were the right shoes?  She had it much tougher than the boys.  They would never know the struggle.

Finally, the choices made, she bounded down the stairs, gulped a glass of juice, and grabbed a banana and made a beeline to the car, until her Mom yelled, “What no goodbye kiss?”  Sheepishly, Annie headed back, gave Mom a peck on the cheek and headed back to the car where her Dad was impatiently waiting.

Arriving at school the three huddled in a corner in the hallway making sure they were still all in agreement before they headed into homeroom.  Once inside Randy casually dropped a note on the desk as he headed to his seat.  Mr. Livingston gave a slight nod of acknowledgment before he casually took the note and tucked it into his pocket.  The morning bell rang and the daily routine began.  This time with one exception.  As the announcements were read by the A/V team, one tidbit caught the three would-be adventurers’ attention.  Last period was being changed into a General Assembly where someone from the State Department of Education was going to talk about the proposed changes to the curriculum.  

So that’s how we get out of the last period!  Randy could only smile at the thought.  He glanced at Todd, who was looking at Annie.  They now had a plan.  Ditching an assembly was a piece of cake.

Chapter 8

Randy, Annie, and Todd met outside the school’s auditorium after their last class and headed upstairs to the third floor.  From the stairwell, they made a beeline to 318 arriving just as the bell to start the third period sounded. 

Once inside the room, Ms. Gavin asked if they had reached an agreement on what they would go back in time to see?  They nodded in the affirmative and gave her the event.  She headed into what looked like a broom closet.  As she entered Samuel Livingston emerged with three boxes, each box had a name on it.  As he approached they could see one box was for each of them. 

“Okay guys, these are your AI suits.  I’ll help you get them on while Elaine programs the computer.  First, remove all your jewelry, rings, necklaces, and watches.  You can put them in the little lock box in the bottom of each box.  Next, remove your shoes and put on the pair that you find in the box, then the gloves, next to the bodysuit and finally the helmet.  You will find the sounds are muffled once the helmet goes on so I will be talking with you through this small laser transmitter.  We will have 2-way communication at all time. 

Once you’re all rigged up we will clip you into a chair that will serve as your transport vehicle.  Now let’s get moving.”

With some trepidation, the three began the process of taking off and putting on.  It took them about 5-minutes to get ready.  As they were doing that, Samuel rolled out the chairs they would ride.  As he was strapping them in he offered the following directions.

“As you journey, it will be as if you are in a balloon, over the area you have chosen.  You will be able to see, smell and hear what is going on.  You will be able to talk to each other, but no one on the ground will know you are there.  If you want to listen to a specific conversation all you need to say is ‘listen to X’ where X is the individual.  Also, time will be greatly accelerated.  While you will be gone for 50 or so minutes in our time, it will seem like you are wherever you are for up to three days”

As he finished, Elaine came back into the room and indicated she was ready.  Samuel hooked up the final connections and suddenly the three adventurers were standing in a balloon.  A voice without form asked “Are you ready?  If so just give me a thumbs up.  Oh, by the way, if you are scared or feel threatened just say the word HOME and the adventure will end.”  With three thumbs up they trio set off.

Chapter 9

In a blink of the eye, they were slowly floating over a scarred land.  Trees were torn up, branches piled high, and a dreary, thin-fog covered the land.  A land scarred by holes, almost as if it had the worst case of acne ever. 

Randy checked the clock on the control panel of the balloon.  Sure enough, it read 8 am November 19, 1863.  They had plenty of time to explore the area before the ceremony they had come to watch was really going to start.

The remarkable thing they learned about their balloon was they could actually steer it, it wasn’t just something that hung in the sky, but a means to go from place to place with pretty straightforward controls.  It was almost as if they were playing a video game, although the images before them seemed completely real.

Todd was the first to speak.  “Let’s head south of town, that is where most of the action took place.”  Todd was the real history buff and it was really his recommendation that the group settled on for this first trip.  “I’ll point out the significant landmarks, we just need to be back to the town by noon.  I think that is probably when the ceremony will start.”

As they drifted south they could see an old railroad train coming into town from the southeast.  “I wonder if that is the President’s train?” Annie asked.  “It might be.” Said Todd.

Once past the outskirts of the small village or town, Todd began a running narrative.  “See those stone walls?  That’s Seminary Ridge, it was a strong point established by General Buford of the US Calvary when he figured out where the Confederates were headed.  It was the high ground, and in those days holding the high ground was a most important fact since it forced the other side to fight uphill.  See how the Confederate cannons tore up the walls and helped give them hope they could overwhelm the Union like they had done so many times before.”

“Look further south and you can where the Union had established it left most positions and where on the second day of the battle General Lee sent most of his troops to try and get around the union so they could force them out of their positions.  Little Round Top must be that hill, right there.”  Todd extended his arm, pointing to a small set of hills, hardly remarkable except for their cluster by open fields.  “That is where Col Chamberlin and the 20^th Maine fought and defeated the Confederate’s attempt to get around the Union line,” he concluded.

As they slowly traveled towards Little Round Top they saw what must have been a couple of thousand mounds of dirt scattered all over the landscape.  “What are those?” Annie asked.  “Hmmm, I’m not sure,” said Todd “but if I had to guess I would think they may be the graves of dead Confederates.  As General Lee’s army retreated they did not have time to recover the thousands of soldiers who died in this battle.  The Union Army just kind buried them where they lay without too much concern for identification or letting the families know what happened to their men.  I think there were over 7,000 people killed in the battle, more than half of them were from the Confederate Army.”

The trees that had covered the Little Round Top were now without their leaves, which lay the ground below, but you could still make out the scars of all the shot and shells that had been lobbed into that hill as the Confederates attempted to rout the Union.

Checking the time, Randy suggested they head back to where the new cemetery was and get ready to watch the dedication.  He took control and started guiding the balloon back along what must be the Taneytown Road.

Annie pulled out her maps and confirmed it was a good choice.  They could see the town in the distance and saw the crowds gathering at what must be the dedication ceremony.

They arrived over the ceremony just as the music started.

Chapter 10

As the music faded, a lone figure rose and climbed to the stage.  He was introduced as Reverend Stockton and offered the invocation.  After that another band played some solemn music while the stage was set for what the three assumed would be Abraham Lincoln, but they were surprised that it was not Lincoln, but a rather large white-haired man, introduced as the Honorable Edward Everett, the former Secretary of State a former President of Harvard, former Governor of Massachusetts, former Senator, and now famous orator.

Randy looked at his friends, “I thought Lincoln gave the famous Gettysburg address?”  Annie nodded, “so did I.”  Todd looked a little confused but checked the notes he had made last night.  “From what I read inviting President Lincoln was an afterthought for the people who organized this.  My notes tell me he will follow this guy, so it shouldn’t be too long now.

As the speaker began they could hardly hear what he was saying, and it was then Randy remembered Mr. Livingston’s direction.  “Listen to, what’s his name?”  Nothing happened until Todd, checking his notes again said: “Listen to Edward Everett.”  Suddenly his voice boomed out of nowhere as he said: “It was appointed by law in Athens…”   Annie and Randy both reached for what they saw as a volume knob and quickly turned it down to a better level.  They could also hear his speaking through the megaphones in front of him as he went on, and on, and on.

They listened as he recounted all the events of the three-day battle, from the views of the winning side.  They heard as he condemned the rebels of the “cotton growing states” and how just was the cause of those who fought to maintain the union and how great most of the northern generals were in winning this great victory.  Randy looked at Todd and asked, “Is he ever going to stop?”

Two-hours later he had his answer.  After listening for those two hours the three doubted they could remember anything of earth-shattering importance this man had said.  In fact, Todd admitted to dozing off once or twice.

As the crowd stood and applauded the speaker soaked in their adoration before being given some kind of keepsake and being escorted off the stage.  At that point, some of the audience began moving away, as if the ceremony was concluding.

It was then Lincoln, in his famous tall hat, climbed up the stairs and the man who seemed to be in charge called for the audience to pay attention to what the speaker had to say.

Randy said, “Listen to Abraham Lincoln” and a rather scratchy voice came through the speaker.  They needed to turn the volume up to hear him clearly.

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met here on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate we cannot consecrate we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but can never forget what they did here.

It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they have, thus far, so nobly carried on. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Two minutes after he started he was done.  There was polite applause and he walked off the stage, where the trio heard him tell his assistant, John Hay, “John, we have a train to catch, show the way.”  With that, the audio stopped and the three saw Lincoln moving among well-wishers towards a carriage that would take him and his party to the train station a few blocks away.

“Well what should we do now, Randy asked.”  Todd and Annie answered in unison, “Let’s go home” and suddenly they found themselves back in room 318.

“So, what did you think of your first journey?” Ms. Gavin asked.  The three looked first at each other and then at both Livingston and Gavin… “it seemed so real, but surely it was just an illusion.”  “No, it’s as real as it can be.  We have a rather unique database to draw from.  You now have twenty-four hours to work together and draft a report on your trip, tell us what you learned and what seemed the most important thing that shaped how the record of history remembers the event and why?”