In my first post on this topic, I focused on stepping out to make difficult changes in ones personal life for the better, but sometimes one cannot alter where they are situation. One such individual was Squanto.
The similarities of the story of Squanto and of St. Patrick’s being kidnapped as teen boys taken away to a foreign land to become slaves for another reminds me also of the ancient Hebrew story of Joseph in Genesis chapters 37, 39-50. Sometimes really bad things happen in this life. There certainly has been a lot of capture of human beings who have been forced into slavery of another. It’s actually been common practice since the beginning of war.
In regards to Squanto whose name was also Tisquantum, he was born in the Patuxant Tribe in the area that became Plymouth, Massachusetts somewhere around 1580. History recounts that the Patuxant had friendly trading relations with explorers until one possibly, Captain Thomas Hunt, seduced a group of these young natives onto a ship only to set sail and sell them into slavery in Europe.
While miserable that this deceit now turned into capture was, providence had Squanto purchased by Spanish monks who treated him kindly and taught him in the way of Christian faith. They also knew that he greatly longed to return to his people so in time they coordinated for his freedom to go to England to make contacts there to sail back to his homeland. There he learned English and worked his way to eventually make the voyage back across the Atlantic.
However, it had to be absolutely crushing for Squanto to go through all of this only to find none of his family alive and the area completely abandoned when he returned. To make matters even worse, the Wampanoag attacked the group he sailed with and took him captive once again. Consider what is going on inside of Squanto through all of this as I fast forward to the arrival of the Pilgrims.
The Mayflower crew found the abandoned village once home to the people of Squanto, but they were not equipped for the climate and unknowledgeable about how to cultivate the land for food. Enough horror stories had transpired from ramifications of those explorers who ruined good relations with the natives from their exploits to create immense fear of retaliation for both groups.
Squanto served as the needed interpreter for Massasoit and the Pilgrim to establish an amicable treaty between them. He also taught these sojourners how to survive. He was no stranger to the Christian religion as was first taught to him by the Spanish friars. But he also struggled with the power that came from his ability to translate between the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims.
Massasoit never fully trusted Squanto for he accused him of using this ability as leverage to manipulate both his people and the Pilgrims. This worsened to the point of the Pilgrims having to take him in and give refuge from Massasoit. This is vastly different from how St. Patrick and Joseph’s life stories ended.
We too have our own struggles, choices, and decisions to make. Let us find inspiration and warning as to how to proceed when bad events happen in our lives. May we work through the trauma of injustice, find good through providence, and end well like Joseph who resolved NOT to take the place of God, but rather trusted Him, forgave and cared for his brothers who sold him into slavery prior to.
What is Rosh Hashanah besides the first of the fall Jewish holidays that shows up on some calendars and calls for a day off of public school in certain communities? Why should it be observed by all Jews and possibly believing Gentiles who are grafted in through Christ’s perfect sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the dead?
First, to clarify, the purpose of this blog is restore and respect the spiritual rich history behind this holiday, not to get bogged down in the various unique cultural traditional details that one may be familiar with. By all means share in the comment section if you have something to add and correct any misnomers of which I am blissfully unaware.
Here’s one to start with. Last week I was enjoying the company of lovely friends when two who are Jewish looked at me strangely when I referred to High Holy Days as feasts or festivals. Little did they know I was thinking of this book that has taught me much about what I will discuss in this blog. One did agree that if I were to be a good practicing Christian I should first understand the Jewish faith and history.
Rosh Hashanah is referred to “The Head of the Year”, but it’s actually the 7th month of the Biblical Jewish calendar not the first. “ADONAI said to Moshe, “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘In the seventh month, the first of the month is to be for you a day of complete rest for remembering, a holy convocation announced with blast on the shofar.” Leviticus 23:23-24 It is a day of rest with no specified name. So why is it now referred to “New Year?” Perhaps it evolved to this like other traditions.
The new year varies depending on its purpose. The primary and secondary school year starts somewhere in August or September for most in the United States, but the academic medical school year starts July 1st. Neither starts in January. Then we have fiscal calendars for accounting and taxing purposes. There are planting and harvesting seasons so don’t get hung up on this “New Year” reference for agrarian based cultures of which Ancient Israel was one.
At the time of Christ, Tishri or the 7th month was established as the beginning of the fiscal year where Passover in the month of Nissan signifies the beginning of the spiritual year, but even this varies based on the tradition followed.
Don’t get hung up on the name either. There’s no fancy name or title given in scripture. It’s just referred to “Yom T’ruah” meaning the day of blowing. This evolved to the feast of Trumpets for some. So why this instrument and for what purpose?
Various types of horns or trumpet like instruments have been used to rally the masses to signify some form of announcement whether they are war cries or to announce the entrance of the king. What is unique about shofar is that it is to be made by a ram’s horn to remind the people of the ram that the LORD provided in the thicket for Abraham to sacrifice instead of Isaac his only son as recorded in Genesis chapter 22. This ram pointed to Jesus laying down his life as further described in Isaiah 53 that would ultimately occur in Golgatha as described in Matthew 27.
As a musician, I find it fascinating that the person who was to blow the shofar was to be a trained musician since youth who played beautifully on a virtuoso level. One who could play to evoke the deepest emotion within. His music was to awaken the deepest parts of the soul to reflect and remember.
This was to review all that God had done to rescue Israel from the slavery of Egypt which points to the ultimate freedom from sin, through Christ, that the apostle Paul writes about in Romans chapter 6. This freedom would finally equip genuine repentance of sins that kept weighing Israel down of which is another major theme of Rosh Hashanah especially moving into Yom Kippur.
Another theme of the holiday is judgement. That certainly isn’t a popular topic today. People are deluded into thinking that everything is ok as long as you are ok with just about any behavior, lifestyle, or belief, but this isn’t the case. What people do in private spills over into the public and affects others. So let’s look closer at look.
The view that the LORD judges Israel and the Gentiles obviously isn’t very popular, but is based on Deuteronomy 11:13-18. There are three books that get opened on Rosh Hashanah that group people into three general categories: the righteous, the wicked, and the in between.
According to second century Rabbi Meir, the righteous have their name inscribed in the book of life, the wicked in the book of death and the in between are given 10 days until Yom Kippur to repent based on Psalm 69:28 which states, “Erase them from the book of life, let them not be written with the righteous.” and Exodus 32:30-32 “You have committed terrible sin. Now I will go up to ADONAI; maybe I will be able to atone for your sin…Now, if you will just forgive their sin! But if you won’t, then I be you bot me out of your book which you have written.” -The Complete Jewish Study Bible. There are lots of theological disagreements and implications in this which I will not pursue further here with the exception of one.
Humans are easily seduced by power, corrupt it, and love to lord it over their subjects in the name of God and religion. This is why all ancient cultures governments were entwined with gods of various cultures. Ancient Israel was to be different and set apart because this God of One who created all and is sovereign over all was an anathema to all other religions at that time.
The other differentiation is unlike the sacrificial systems of the numerous gods of all nations, YWHY prescribed Himself as One, Omnipotent Sovereign through Moshe or Moses to be only deity that could be satisfied. The promise of redemption and restoration was real. Not only this but the people could have fellowship with God experience His love and one another rather than living in constant fear and bickering. Free will to chose to love and obey was offered instead of demanded through force, conquest, and constant fear of the unknown. All other religions operate on the later.
This transitions into another major theme of Rosh Hashanah: repentance. Repentance is the voluntary means by which to submit to YWHY’s rule, authority, and law. It is how to become a righteous subject of such king.
So in closing, take time to reflect upon the spiritual depths discussed. Do not mistaken YHWY’s patience in judgement as indifference or inability to intervene. He is sovereign over all the earth, it’s rulers, and nations whether they honor him or not. Do not excuse your lack of submission to His rule based on the abuses or neglect of others. Choose this day and choose well.
Back in February I wrote about getting Americans to return to constitutional principals by learning the original to start from. This led to my search for a copy of the Florida Constitution.
Little did I realize that six proposed Amendments would be sponsored and placed on the November 5, 2024 ballot to change the Florida Constitution.
The founding fathers designed a unique form of government that would be limited by a Constitution. Each state has their own in addition to the Constitution of the United States of America. These words are compiled to generate a meaning that was supposed to create a representative form of governance or republic that had restrictions to prevent tyrannical rule.
However, words can be misinterpreted, misconstrued, and maligned. Some would argue that the profession of law has been corrupted by those most talented in doing just this. While it may seem to be more prevalent at this time especially in certain areas, it really isn’t a new tactic.
Consider one of the very first stories of human beings, chapter 3 of Genesis: “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You[a] shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” The first tactic is to question what was said.
The second is to twist the intent behind commands, directives, and laws. 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
The third is to misapply it by taking it out of context as a separate entity. Look at the temptation of Jesus in Matthew chapter 4: “Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and
“‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus aptly replies, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Expanding to other strategies used in the war of words is to change the meaning of words and phrases. How often does one hear, “That’s not what it means!” or “What does that mean?”
Well that’s exactly what is going on with the majority of the Amendments listed on the Florida November 5, 2024 ballot.
Amendment 1: https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/Initiatives/fulltext/pdf/10-104.pdf in summary is proposing to change school board elections from non-partisan to partisan vote as if divisions weren’t big enough already. But perhaps it will review one’s affiliation’s that explain why furies are provided liter pans, sexually confused students are allowed to impose their personal identity crisis onto others in bathrooms and locker rooms, and sexually graphic materials are included in health curriculums. Voting YES will mean school board candidates must divulge their political party affiliation. It also means that independent voters will not be able to vote on school board in the August primary.
Amendment 3: https://initiativepetitions.elections.myflorida.com/InitiativeForms/Fulltext/Fulltext_2205_EN.pdf is laced with seductive wording to make it seem like voting in favor for it will further supply the state government with funds to provide great services with taxation on the approval of marijuana for recreational use. Meanwhile, it gives one corporation sole privilege to be the source of the substance while putting all competition out of business. It also opens to door to a myriad of additional social problems of which enough present. Vote “No” is probably in the best interest of everyone but the sponsors of the amendment.
Amendment 4: https://initiativepetitions.elections.myflorida.com/InitiativeForms/Fulltext/Fulltext_2307_EN.pdf deceives, lies, and mispromises. It’s quite the example of ambiguity to allow for interpretation as anyone sees fit. The advertising behind the amendment is very misleading. For example Unlike other Amendments, Amendment 4 does not define any of its key terms. For example, it does not define “viability,” “health care provider,” “patient’s health,” or how serious a health concern would need to be to allow exceptions for late-term abortions. These uncertainties create loopholes resulting in more abortions later in pregnancy than voters intend.
Amendment 4 goes TOO FAR by allowing late-term abortions, far beyond when science says the baby is capable of feeling pain.
Amendment 4 would overturn current laws requiring a parent’s consent BEFORE a minor can have an abortion, thereby making abortion the only medical procedure that can be performed on a minor without a parent’s permission.
Amendment 4 pretends to “just bring things back to how they were with Roe vs. Wade” – but it actually goes much further – creating a constitutional right to abortion throughout all nine months with no protections for the unborn baby.
In Michigan, where voters recently approved a similar amendment, the same lawyers who wrote Amendment 4 are currently suing the state to force taxpayers to fund abortions. The same thing will happen in Florida if Amendment 4 passes. Be sure to visit the Votenoon4FL.com web page for more information. The link is listed below.
Amendment 5: https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/initiatives/fulltext/pdf/10-106.pdf Here’s an interesting amendment that proposes an amendment to the State Constitution to require an annual adjustment for inflation to the value of current or future homestead exemptions that apply solely to levies other than school district levies and for which every person who has legal or equitable title to real estate and maintains thereon the permanent residence of the owner, or another person legally or naturally dependent upon the owner is eligible. This amendment takes effect January 1, 2025. A YES vote would allow the homestead exemptions to be adjusted for inflation, a NO vote would keep the homestead exemptions the same as current. But let’s look closely at the language of the proposal:
(1) An exemption not exceeding fifty thousand dollars to a 82 person who has the legal or equitable title to real estate and 83 maintains thereon the permanent residence of the owner, who has 84 attained age sixty-five, and whose household income, as defined 85 by general law,does not exceed twenty thousand dollars; or 86 (2) An exemption equal to the assessed value of the 87 property to a person who has the legal or equitable title to 88 real estate with a just value less than two hundred and fifty 89 thousand dollars, as determined in the first tax year that the 90 owner applies and is eligible for the exemption, and who has 91 maintained thereon the permanent residence of the owner for not 92 less than twenty-five years, who has attained age sixty-five, 93 and whose household income does not exceed the income limitation 94 prescribed in paragraph (1).
Who has an income less than 20,000 and owns property?
Could it be that this Amendment is just smoke and mirrors to the Tax racket described here?
Amendment 6: https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/initiatives/fulltext/pdf/10-107.pdf Proposes the repeal of the provision in the State Constitution which requires public financing for campaigns of candidates for elective statewide office who agree to campaign spending limits. A YES vote would repeal the requirement for public financing for campaigns of statewide office candidates who agree to campaign spending limits, a NO vote would keep the law the same.
August 20, 2024 Primary Election Palm Beach County, Florida School Board District 5
In February I wrote about a debate I attended between the two Republican candidates for Sheriff in Part I. This post I will be focusing on a debate that was held between three of the candidates for the District 5 position for the Palm Beach County School District School Board.
First, to clarify, the Palm Beach County, School District 5 position will be voted on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 in the Primary Election. School Board is a non-partisan local government position. Since this is a primary election, people will receive a different ballot according to either the Democratic, Republican, or Nonpartisan voter’s registration preference. But the five people running for PBCSD Board District 5 will appear on all three of these ballots, unlike sheriff regardless of their particular party status.
A winner for District 5 could also emerge from this Primary Election on August 20, 2024, but it is unlikely since the winner must secure more than 51% of the votes which will be difficult with five people running. Most likely whoever the two individuals who secure the highest percentage of votes will then run off on November 5, 2024.
The Palm Beach County School Board is comprised of 7 districts that do NOT geographically coordinate with the the 7 districts for the Palm Beach County County Commissioners Board. Why this is is a whole additional subject. In short, I view it as a convenient complication to keep the normal citizen ignorant and unaware of their local governance. Stay with me though so that you can change this and hold these leaders accountable. After all, the school district taxes your property without homestead relief, determines its own millage rate, and is the largest business in Palm Beach County with an astronomical budget funded by your public tax dollars.
PBCSB like most boards rotate terms so approximately half of the board is up for election at the same time. This also allows for incumbents to have time to merge into the board and learn the system should they be new, which many of the American Founding Fathers envisioned. People would leave their farms and businesses for a time to serve their community. They would then return to their farms or businesses. Each would take their turn leading. This professional politician game where they move from different position to position isn’t what was intended.
School Board members serve for a four year term. This year, 2024 the seats that are up are Districts 1,2, and 5. Women Impacting the Nation, founded by Trombino hosted a Candidate Forum at the August monthly Charter Meeting Tuesday evening in School Board District 5 in Boca Raton. The leadership of WIN asked three of the school board candidates who were present several questions followed by the audience. The three candidates present were Gloria Branch, Mike Letsky, and Suzanne Page.
Each were given an opportunity to answer, but Branch rudely interrupted Letsky early on because she didn’t like that he was differentiating himself from her. Meanwhile Ms. Branch was the one who went first and arrogantly claimed to be the ONLY one… blah ,blah, blah. Heated exchanged calmed down and civil dialogue ensued.
Branch began to sound like a broken record resaying the same things over and over again. My teen daughter who I took with me for her summer homeschool civics field trip found it amusing that a grown woman would claim experience because her father was a principal and superintendent in the past. We are also puzzled why a “successful banker” would give that career up in order to be a substitute teacher. If she cares so much why didn’t she share specific plans that she has to implement if elected?
She just kept harping on getting back to the basics of “reading, writing, and arithmetic.” Thankfully she didn’t refer to them as the “Three R’s.” It might be a catchy phrase, but it’s a terrible way to teach reading, spelling, and writing. It’s already confusing enough for students to differentiate between write, rite, and right! Then its just sloppy speaking to claim that R in arithmetic. But this was the slogan to start public schools in the beginning of the 19th century. See my blog on Private, Public, or Homeschool The Answer Part II in the references below for that bunny trail.
Back to the school board debate, Mr. Letsky specified that student scores and learning were not improving with the laptop curriculums. He shared data on this and proposed ditching these costly programs in order to replace it with returning to empowering teachers to lead daily instruction and require students to read physical books.
Letzky also impressively articulated specific ideas of where to cut wastefully spending in the budget to increase teacher salaries and benefits in order to retain talent. Details like “15.5 million dollars were spent on Multi-Cultural a.k.a. DEI curriculum and 5.5 million dollars were spent on Social Emotional Learning, SEC.” He understands what I blogged about curriculum this time last year. See that story in the references below.
Mike is also aware of the busing and transportation problems and has solutions to address them. Good talent needs to be retained through good leadership, respect, and decent pay.
Suzanne Page kept calling herself Pitbull Page. She promised to address the DEI problem in the schools. Dr. Page also promised to deal with the bloated budget. She pointed out that PBCSD has 24 different lawyers whose incomes are consuming some of the wasteful expenses. She didn’t seem too excited about increasing teacher pay like Letsky.
Obviously, I’m endorsing Letsky. But look up the candidates web pages, read, and determine for yourself. I included the link for Letsky’s below. Branch has her page designed to take over mine when I tried to insert it, so I ditched it. Her page should be easy to find because she raised a lot of money from donors outside of the county unlike Letsky. 71 of Mike’s donors are grassroots locals who care to change the board. If Suzanne Page has a web site, I couldn’t find it. I’m sure she’s a great person with good values, but it’s hard to envision her being successful in what she claims she will do.
Two other candidates are on the ballot who were not present at this debate. Mindy Koch who is boasting that she is endorsed by former Chair of the Board, Frank Barbiari, Jr. I’m curious if this man still has any supporters. The disrespectful way he treated the public at board meetings revealed him as a tyrant. The other candidate is Charman Postel. Both of these women are democrats with progressive views. I’m guessing that’s why they weren’t at WIN’s debate.
One closing thought, understand the reason for public school, how it is funded, and operated before you cast your vote. It’s one of the most important government businesses that affects you and your community whether you have children in the system or not.
Early March 2020 major news broke out across the world about a possible worldwide pandemic. Since one of my projects years ago when I worked in the pharmaceutical industry was to work with infectious disease medical thought leaders about a new drug to treat influenza called zanamivir I had been scouring through the CDC’s web site for information about this new strain of coronavirus. I recalled what these thought leaders taught about how quickly a pandemic could spread throughout the world given our modern travel habits. I knew it was a matter of time before it would be a local issue.
But, I also remembered that doctors, even the thought leading ones at the prestigious medical school are humans vulnerable to pride to fill their curriculum vitae’s with publications, speaking engagements, referrals, and political advancement within the medical and local communities of which they partake. They are subject to the quality and quantity their subordinate researchers support them with. The accuracy and speed of their testing equipment limits and sometimes fails them. And most of all the statisticians can “cook the books” or power their studies to say just about whatever the writer of the hypothesis really wanted to prove. A professor of medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center taught me to be careful of the latter. He repeated frequently, “Figures lie and lairs figure.”
So I began to tune in to dissident voices that argued against what the mainstream media was saying to see what they had to say and why. Fragmented parts of my life finally came together to form a clear picture much like lost pieces from 1000 piece puzzle.
Fast forward to January 2024, another bizarre time of events. Rumors of what happened on January 6 still haunt many. I’ve always felt that there are two sides to any story with the truth often falling somewhere in the middle.
I don’t really remember where or how I came across an article featuring one of the J6 prisoners and the treatment they have endured. I felt compelled to share it through one of my social media accounts on December 2, 2023. I forgot about it and moved on. But then early in January 2024, at an informal dinner out, I met the fiancé and mom of one of one of those men!
What has ensued since is a friendship with these two women who encouraged me to write to Barry.
First I had to re-write my first letter to him in order to comply with the standards of what the federal prison system would allow for me to send. No stickers, tape, cards, or flyers are permitted. Only a hand written note on white paper. Then I started receiving letters back from him along with updates from his fiancé and mom on how happy he was that I started to write.
It’s been a long time since I had a pen pal and wrote letters. It’s also been a while since I studied at public school and university. Most of us weren’t taught much about the Constitution of the United States. Most public school curriculum offers Civics: American Government for only one or maybe two years. However, I’ve worked to ensure that my homeschool daughter has it every year since middle school.
One organization that has helped me to do this is Constituting America. They host weekly live podcasts on Tuesdays at 2 PM EST. Each week they host a different guest who is well experienced in the Constitutional topic they plan to discuss. This guest gives a brief monologue on the subject which is followed by the most thought provoking Q & A by regular members of the show.
They have also introduced me to a few other great resources like the Ashbrook Center which is an independent organization at Ashland University that is committed to restore and strengthen the capacity of the American people for governing themselves. Below are links to these organizations and their resources.
Lastly all of these organization offer their resources freely because people who can support them financially do. So if you can, please consider donating to them, thank you and let’s make American Constitutional again.
Perhaps the push began in the early 2000’s. At least that’s when my manager at the time informed my colleagues that we would be given a day off to do some volunteer work project as a team. We chose d.c. Central Kitchen as some of us had already volunteered there with various other church and civic groups. It has an amazing reputation for turning excess food from restaurants and catered events in delicious meals for the local shelters.
It was a fantastic change of scenery and experience for us. The cook in charge, a former hopeless unemployed homeless man, made demands in his commands that gave us an appreciation for the essence of time when working with food. He also enlightened on how to cut vegetables properly quickly without endangering the tips of one’s fingers. While this experience turned delightful for the most part, sidebar conversation broke out and discussed that pharmaceutical companies have public image problems so this must be the higher ups way to combat it, market a new “We’re Do Gooders” campaign. Meanwhile it also turned out like a holiday week that put pressure on us to get the job done in less time.
Back to volunteering, I was raised that this is what Christians are supposed to do. They are to care for the poor and needy any chance they can. I had also learned over the years that it was a great way to accrue a new skill that would prove useful in my personal life. For example, to this day, I think of that cook every time I slice carrots. So, I took advantage of this dual reality raising my daughter.
First, we worked with Tiffany, a Miami Dade County Biologist, in removing invasive plants species. Next we raised mangrove seedlings that we secured from Frost Science Museum and then mucked around in the swamps near Virginia Key with MUVE to plant them. Another time we met up an army of people that packed up meals at the Fairgrounds for Feed My Starving Children.
In Alabama my daughter learned how to care for goats with a local farmer. What a delight this turned out to be. She would have never been permitted to volunteer with animals at any 501 3-C organization because she was too young. Rather she experienced what happened in old school America, children had to help on the farm.
Another amazing experience my daughter had volunteering in Alabama was at Ft. Toulouse/Ft. Jackson State Park. We stumbled across this opportunity when we stayed there in our RV when we had evacuated from Hurricane Irma when we had lived in Miami. Deborah Jenkins noticed how interested my daughter was in the history she taught, took her under her tutelage, and supported one of the new favorite child re-enactors.
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Our last volunteer opportunity in Alabama was one I wrote an extensive blog on. It is linked below for convenient viewing. Elise wound up as one of the leads in a unique cross-cultural theater production with A-KEEP, Alabama Korean Education Economic Partnership.
All these experiences add up to more than 200 hours of volunteer experience that we found out counted for nothing in the State of Florida for High School Graduation or the Bright Futures Scholarship because they happened before she was in high school, but they certainly have exponentially accumulated to enable my daughter to be one of the most amazing people one can interact with.
Since, thankfully, my daughter has been able to volunteer helping children safely on and off horses at Delmar Farm in Loxahatchee.
She enjoyed a semester singing with Young Singers of Palm Beaches
A 3:30 AM wake up call at the Kravis Center to make the 6 AM News
She’s helped at Vacation Bible School at our local church Crossbridge and now actively serves with the Dirty Mechanics so she should be able to claim the over 100 hours of volunteer work in high school.
Every single one of these experiences have been worthy and a good use of time, but one cannot keep giving their time away especially with the price tag college and post graduate school comes with. My daughter needs to work for money in addition to study to learn and perform well. So why are colleges now sending flyers bragging about how many hours of volunteer service their students have clocked in?
Granted that University of Tennessee Knoxville’s sports teams take their name, the Volunteers, from the state’s nickname I’ve seen service hours quoted by other college recruitment flyers my daughter has received. Why is this the new bragging and selling point from universities?
When I went to college back in the late 80’s I struggled to study and work as a Resident Assistant so that I could get in and out in four years without summer school. I needed to save on housing costs and go home to work in the summer to keep my college loans low. There was barely time to go to church on Sundays, much less enjoy a day of rest. There is no way I had time to “serve” the community in addition to.
Think this through, those who brag about their volunteer hours must have enough income to hire housekeeping, lawn service, and a myriad of other help. They also do not need to juggle two or three jobs to pay the bills. So, this push for serving for free is really a way to bully the poor and make their lives harder.
It’s also a convenient means to move towards the social credit score economic system that many are supporting. While this may seem oh so caring and kind, think about the realities of life and human nature first.
I’ve examined the income and benefits of the people who work for 501 3-C’s verses those who are in small business. It makes the executives of 501 3-C look like cushy jobs. They don’t personally have to manage the hassles much less bear the financial risks that owners do. Yet, they get to brag that they work for a 501 3-C. Meanwhile they convince people to work for them for free via volunteering.
Don’t get me wrong, many of these community groups do provide helpful services to their neighborhoods and not all of them pay well. It’s also good to volunteer, but at what cost and how efficient is it really? Plus if business owners aren’t allowed to make any money after all the licensing fees, taxes, and insurance they have to pay much less healthcare for themselves and their employees who’s going to donate the dough to keep the 501 3-Cs running?
Questions like this are why some governors are requiring students to take and pass Economics before they graduate from high school. But whose curriculum and philosophy of economics is being taught?
Do yourself a favor and brush up on your own understanding of economics. Consider taking the free online classes from Hillsdale College. Sign up for the Mises Institute publications and newsletters from Steve Moore, Committee to Unleash Prosperity. They are posted below for your convenience. Just beware that your email account may mark them as spam or junk because they want to keep you as a “useful idiot.” But don’t let them, press on.
Also, your personal life may benefit quite a bit from a better understanding of just where your money is going. It may also depress you to see that much of it is stolen from you a.k.a. taxes and redistributed. But take heart, only the ignorant continue to live with their heads buried in the sand.
Lastly, contemplate: “The law has been perverted through the influence of two very different causes–naked greed and misconceived philanthropy.” -Frederic Bastiat first published in 1850 “The Law.” I highly recommend securing a copy of this classic essay. Read and consider the whole 55 pages.
A friend invited me to Kings Point Republican Club in Delray’s Meeting last night where they hosted the Republican Candidates for Sheriff Q &A Debate.
It started off with a friendly gesture by Gauger to allow Diaz to go first.
Republican Candidate for Sheriff, Lauro Diaz addresses the King’s Point Republican Club
Diaz started off stating his motto, “Citizens Before Politics.” He went on to say that the Sheriff’s budget should be out in the open. He wants to order an audit of what has been spent to date. He believes money has been mismanaged under the current sheriff of Palm Beach County. Next He wants to advocate for victim’s of domestic abuse. The former Captain has witness too many repeat calls where mostly, but not all women are trapped in their situations. They don’t know their rights, how to seek refuge, and become independent of their abusers financial provisions.
Mr. Diaz Proceeded to his next area of concern, how the homeless are treated. He cares to find out WHY are they homeless before jumping to judgments and putting them behind bars. Again in his experience he found that too many of them are military veterans, sufferers of PTSD and other mental illnesses. The fourth commitment he made is to get a better partnership with PBSO and PBCSD police. He wants the corresponding neighborhood officer very familiar with the school layout. Lastly, Lauro Diaz shared that he would assess all these special units that Sheriff Bradshaw set up. If the units are not producing results then the individuals working there will be placed back out to patrol the streets.
Next the other Republican candidate for PBSO Sheriff, Michael Gauger, took to walking the aisle. He boasted of all his previous awards and accomplishments during his 50 years of law enforcement and community involvement. Michael flaunted that he had his masters in social work. He set up citizen’s patrol and other volunteer agencies that once numbered 4,000 but is now down to ~700. Gauger then tagged onto some of what Diaz said. He exposed that Sheriff Bradshaw set up an opulent office on PGA Blvd that houses 11 people and is costing tax payers $46,000 a month. That Bradshaw has increased salaries in some instances $30,000 more. He has purchased GMC Denali’s. Overall Sheriff Bradshaw has run debt in excess of 1,000,000. The last point that Gauger made was that Bradshaw did away with evaluations. Supervisors are too busy trying to be the buddy of deputies. He promised to bring back accountability, but he didn’t say how.
Next Peter Cavanagh, President of King’s Point Republican Club, walked a microphone around the room for attendees to ask questions.
Laura Diaz on left and Michael Gauger on right take turns answering questions from the audience.
I had a tough time keeping up taking notes on who said what, but I did notice that it seemed that I began to hear similar responses from each of the candidate that would assuage the inquisitor’s concern. So it caught me off guard towards the end when they were asked if they would support one another during the election against Bradshaw. Diaz seemed more open to the proposition, but emphasized that differences would have to be worked out. Gauger said the same. He also was burned in a deal years ago by someone who convinced him of similar deal so I sensed great hesitation which will hurt the Republican ticket when the time comes to defeat Bradshaw.
Albeit many of the responses sounded similar, I was endeared to hear that Diaz has suffered himself a few life threatening situations where his backup froze and couldn’t respond to prevent him from getting beat any further. This is service to appreciate. Thank you former Captain Diaz for putting your life on the line. I also appreciate that you don’t sugar coat situations and are upfront about the current weaknesses that exist in the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. I hope that this doesn’t come back to hurt your efforts as unfortunately some would rather burry their heads in the sand and want to just hear that everything is going fine.
Here is the web sites for both candidates in the debate in alphabetical order. Thank you to Peter Cavanagh and the Kings Point Republican Club for hosting this last night. I hope this helps you to make an informed vote in the Palm Beach County Primary on Tuesday, March 19, 20204.
A common question to get people to interact is to ask, “Who is your role model?” Many raise or teach their children in the hopes that their kids will bring themselves up when the question is answered. Then others of us want to point the students to a myriad of individuals who overcame life’s hurdles to make significant impact in life. In this blog I will be focusing on Vivien Thomas.
I knew nothing about Thomas nor the physician, Dr. Alfred Blalock who he helped make famous before I was directed to invite a prominent black academic physician to attend the premier PBS Home Video showing of Partners of the Heart with the Black Caucus at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. GlaxoSmithKline, GSK, partnered with The Alfred Sloan Foundation, Liberty Mutual, Scotts, National Endowment for the Humanities, cpb, and PBS to fund the production of this documentary. I’m so glad they did.
Following this event, I was given a few copies of the video tape to share with the doctor who attended and keep one myself. I’m grateful as I needed to watch the video several times to catch all the history I was never taught. I also needed to re-watch it to inspire myself when feeling professionally inferior because I never paid for more initials like, RN, RpH, NP, PA, or MD that would enable me to get clinical job instead of just sales and marketing.
This became even more important to me when I fell back on what my undergraduate degree had trained me to do. I could no longer deliver the messages that I was mandated to do for big pharma, but I could return to the classroom to encourage and raise up a better generation who would restore the ethical environment I so longed to promote in health care and in other sectors.
Each February I found time to share this video in celebration of Black History month with my students. I wrote up questions to correspond and ensure students were engaged and personally reflecting on the story. It turned out to be a great lesson to pass onto a substitute teacher as my health declined.
My physical condition digressed to the point of making teaching an impractical option for me especially with a little one at home. So, I left the public classroom and switched to homeschooling my daughter.
Time wore on. VCRs and videos became obsolete. But I continued to keep a VCR player so that when my young one reached the age of reason she too could be blessed by watching this.
In 2004 HBO films decided to produce Something the Lord Made featuring Alan Rickman as Blalock and Mos Def as Vivien Thomas. As usual a different spin on the relationship and history between the two men filled out the story more.
The character traits that I found so inspiring in Viven Thomas were several. First, he taught how to not take disrespectful behavior from a superior in the most well mannered way. He calmly and respectfully told Dr. Blalock that he wouldn’t be treated that way after Blalock lost his temper and blamed Thomas. He was resigning. However Vivien was so winsome in his manner, that Blalock begged him not to quit, promised to never treat him that way again, and didn’t.
Secondly, Thomas never wallowed in self-pity even though he had many justified reasons to do so. He couldn’t go to medical school even though it was his plan. The stock market crashed. The money his dad saved to pay for him to go was gone. He made the best of what job options were available to him. He and his wife figured out how to live on menial job income.
Third, he never stooped to the level of the arrogant medical elite. Thomas dressed impeccably, walked confidently, and stayed humble in relation to The Lord God Creator. When he was treated poorly by the staff at Johns Hopkins Hospital during the Jim Crow era, he held his head high, didn’t fuss, and maintained his own good manners. He did what he could with the social circumstances of the day, but never reduced himself to yelling, ugly protests, or violence.
Lastly, and certainly not least, Vivien proved that education has nothing to do with the school attended or degree attained. Instead it has everything to do with personal attitude, ability to think, and desire to learn.
The story between the two also taught me how different Nashville and Baltimore were in the 1950-60’s. The cities today reap what they sowed then.
There are many lessons in economics to be learned from this time as well. Here today and gone tomorrow. Borrower beware.
Learn history, black, white, yellow, and brown. There are good and bad role models in each with applicable lessons for improvement for all. #BlackhistoryMonth
Many people flocked to Florida after 2020 to enjoy the freedom from muzzles and mandatory jabs. Some sold their homes of 25+ years that they raised their families in. Others moved to Florida prior to for health reasons. It’s the only continental state that offers a subtropical year round climate in the south. Now they are shocked as the read property tax notices that have double and tripled in some cases in less than two years.
The 2021, 2022, and 2023 Notice of Proposed Property Taxes and Proposed or Adopted Non-Ad Valorem Assessments all state in the upper right hand white box
The taxing authorities which levy taxes against your property, will soon hold PUBLIC HEARINGS to adopt budgets and tax rates for the next year. The purpose of these PUBLIC HEARINGS is to receive opinions from the general public and to answer questions on proposed tax change and budget PRIOR TO TAKING FINAL ACTION. Each taxing authority may AMEND or ALTER its proposals at the hearing.
In the far right hand column there is a white box listing several meeting dates. Last year I was very sick and unable to attend. This year, I attended two of these listed meetings.
The first one that I attended was a Palm Beach County School Board Meeting. I was terribly confused as to why a public hearing of proposed taxes would be held at the school board meeting so I asked for clarification with the police who interrogate your bag and wand your body down as if you’re a criminal. Not a single one of the 4 Palm Beach County School District, PBCSD, police knew. One was terribly defensive. Thankfully one was cool and placed a call for clarification. Time was passing while the officer was placed on hold, and the meeting started. So we heard through the loud speaker outside the meeting Chairman Barbieri announce that anyone who wanted to make a public comment about the budget should go to the microphone. My teenage daughter and I rushed in. She encouraged me to immediately go file in line.
The first person spoke. He went on about teacher pay and how they deserved better, blah, blah, blah right up to the 3 minute limit. The next woman who had her tax notice in hand was not permitted to speak. The chairmen berated her for being out of line for she didn’t submit a blue speaking card. Oh dear, I never got one to complete either because no one knew what was going on when I asked. So of course he did the same to me. But I got extra special treatment, a PBCSD police man came over to escort me away from the microphone.
I followed up with an email, photo of that below, to all the member of the school board. No one replied back.
The next meeting I was able to attend was at 2300 High Ridge Road, Boyton Beach on 9/11/23 at 5:01 PM. This meeting was the Children’s Services Council Pam Beach County, again strange that it certainly wasn’t advertised as such on the 2023 Notice of Proposed Property Taxes. At least, thankfully, this meeting was much more hospitable to the residents who were coming like I in response to their notices. Shana, The Public Information Officer, gave me her card, offered to make sure my comment card was given to the chairman of this meeting, and welcomed us in. What a relief not to have to get passed intimidating PBCSD police to get in and to have a comment card furnished first upon entrance.
The other consolation was that the board members at this meeting were seated at tables placed in a square of which we the people were invited to speak seated at a microphone with them. These board members were listening and not staring at their phones at posh desks 6 feet above and 10 feet away from the people at the microphone like we’ve witnessed others at the PBC Commissioners and School Board meetings. But this Children’s Services Council really isn’t the main problem with the increasing taxes. In fact, they have decreased their millage (tax) rate from 0.6497 in 2021 to 0.5508 in 2022 and proposing either 0.4908 or 0.5073 for 2023 (See columns 2 yellow & 3 green) line 5 under Taxing Authority Independent Special Districts.
Now they are one of those agencies that fosters more dependence on government that isn’t warranted by the constitution. We heard the pity comment on the salaries of the social workers just like the well intended speak up for teachers to make better incomes. But, then we heard a concerned citizen point out that the Children’s Services Council logo matches with the double pink heart pedophilia symbol according to the 2007 FBI documents. I looked at the card handed to me when I came in. She was spot on. Oh how absolutely creepy.
More upsetting was hearing one of the new Republican Palm Beach County Commissioners, Sarah Baxter, who obviously sits on this board too, who promised to lead differently than the same old same old proceeded to express concern that quality licensed social workers be paid better. Oh dear. Turn to the nanny state to solve your problems. Is she turning out to be just like any corrupted politician who thinks it is ok to threaten you of your property if you don’t hand over thousands upon thousands of dollars for them to dole out to be used the way they think it should be?
Folks, economics are the problem because taxes are too high. Rent is high because property tax is high. They keep talking you into allowing this because they put up some poor social worker, teacher, or police officer to play on your emotions. But the problem is public officers are funded by taxes which is money stolen from the people the way it is set up. Even worse is the administrators in all of these government places often make comfortable salaries at the cost of the people at the bottom who really are doing to hard work serving the public. It’s a cyclical problem that will only be solved by defunding public social services and jobs. No one wants to lose a job, but it’s life. It’s the best thing that happened to many. Go create a job instead of taking a job that is funded by taking taxes against people’s will to pay your salary. Government employees have becomes some of the most entitled workers in the nation.
Circling back to this particular meeting. Most who spoke were elderly retired folks or recent home buyers that have been completely caught of guard with the appraised values being determined by recent purchased prices that have gone sky high. Those running the meeting kept side stepping their comments and saying it wasn’t their role or responsibility to assess property value which is the real driver in the skyrocketing property taxes. Then why did the county post the meeting for them??? They clearly know it is wrong. That’s why the Public Information Officer handed me this slip of paper on my way out.
Funny that this wasn’t clarified in what was mailed out to all property owners. The county tax collector is clearly evading facing the public. Why wasn’t there a public hearing with her property assessment department?
It should be “We the People” consent to pay taxes, but it’s evolved into covert emotional manipulation of misinformation of meetings and policies, bully people into not coming to meetings or speaking up, and coercing the public to pay out of fear of having their property taken by the government from them.
Another point of grievance I want to make is misuse and means to intimidate the people with the law. When I immediately called the PBC Tax Collector upon receipt of the notice to questioned why my property taxes are triple to what the previous owner was billed in one years time, the agent arrogantly said that it is the law concerning property value that dictates the taxes. Then I heard a woman on the Children’s Service Council taut exactly the same thing. For a culture that is obsessed with justice isn’t it strange that one homeowner pays half or one third of what his/her neighbor next door pays? One isn’t allowed to express any injustice over it because the law gives them to right to rob us of our money?
And why is it that property values have gone up as they have? Could it be so they can hold this law over our heads? The real estate agents continue to advertise low property taxes that new owners are then saddled with double to triple costs. I received this flyer just a month ago.
The listed tax amount of $2,093 is very close to what the previous owner of the house I purchased around the corner paid in 2021. The only differences between these homes is one year younger construction, one lot faces a small canal, and the other has a pool which probably evens out value. But, I paid more than triple in 2022.
Oh but it’s the law. Thomas Jefferson said, “When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty.” It’s clearly taxation without representation. The founding fathers did allow for taxation, but it was always to be with the consent of the people. This is why Dorothy Jacks, Palm Beach County Property Appraiser, and Joseph Abruzzo, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Controller, are elected officials in Palm Beach County. But, the general public is never taught this in public school. Probably less than 1% of the general public understand this. Why weren’t any public hearings scheduled with these two people?
Back to the Children’s services Council. I can just image how the licensed social workers are going to be told to push the political agenda and ideologies behind transgender, non-binary, pedophile grooming, and pharmaceutical anti-anxiety and anti-depressants drugs for life when they provide their counseling services through this agency. As one knowledgeable home owner said,
“They’re running a business and using our taxes as money to run their business. This was supposed to be a sunset meaning that they’re supposed to end this organization a long time ago, but it just kept appearing on the tax bill, so they just kept it on. They need to take it off and so with the other one as well with the healthcare. This is absurd and they are stealing from us. I want my money to give to the organizations that I want.”
Local government, just like the state, and federal governments act like they the experts know better than you. I wrote about this in my last blog, “Don’t be Fooled by the Experts.”
You owe them your money for them to allocate as they see fit. Leaders with attitudes like this are most probably taking their beliefs, cues, and directives from the World Economic Forum, an organization that plans by 2030 to make every common person own nothing because they are so far in debt, but oh so happy. Could it be the plan is to tax everyone out of owning their own property? It sure looks that way.
By Hope Mucklow, Author, Blogger, Songwriter, Teacher, and Coach
Last week I received notice of a public meeting of the Boyton Beach Art Advisory Board regarding approval of a proposed contentious sculpture to be installed in front of The Cornelia T. Bailey Cultural Arts Center positioned next to the South Florida PBS studios. Tracey Caruso from the Florida Jolt wrote a good professional summary on the meeting. (Link below) Now, I’d like to chime in.
Running late, I walked into the meeting already underway. A board of individuals sat in luxurious swivel office chairs behind a monstrous u-shaped table positioned higher up with a 3 foot physical barrier to the seating part of the room. Next placed ten feet back were two neatly lined groups of chairs with a center aisle. There sat a few clusters of people in between many empty chairs. On the side aisles two microphones hosted a steady stream of people who voiced their plea to the board to vote for or vote against the strange statue.
One of those women broke the name of the proposed statue of “Harmony ” into “harm on me.” She proceeded to site many attributes of this sculpture that suggest repulsive sexual positioning. Another concerned citizen pointed out that much of the artists’ work is inappropriately sexually explicit. This was then mocked later by one of the PBS defendants by his saying that people see what is inside themselves when they interpret art.
Then one of the directors of PBS Education proceeded to shared her test results showing this awkwardly shaped figure with children 8-10 years of age who she reported responded wonderfully with curiosity. So how many children in this age group did she test? Where did she find these children? Who’s children were they? Did they sign waivers? Do you see the bias in her research? But she holds the job title at PBS and therefore is the expert, right? Well, I think that the boy who had the courage to say the emperor had no clothes on was missing from her test group.
Also, let’s further discuss children ages 8-10, especially in group settings. For the most part, they are still fairly respectful, innocent, trust, and want to please their teachers compared to tweens, teens, and adults. This is what they learn in Kindergarten and now Pre-school. Then consider developmental psychology. Concrete literal processing is how these children are thinking. They are not going to think in abstract figurative manner even though others from PBS who spoke claim that they do.
Several opposing citizens respectfully pointed out that art like this exists, but should be in the museum where people are choosing to visit, not be forced to see when they pass by on the street. I reflected on that and gave thanks for the lovely horse sculptures that I passed in a neighborhood in Parkland, FL . They lifted my spirits and cheered me on my way to locate my next client’s home as I circle around them driving by.
Returning back to the proponents of the image and its name, Harmony. Do you see the irony and play on words? Its creator Warashina is known for creations that are her statements on politically divisive topics. Funny she’s supposed to be from Washington, D.C. The last I checked that city’s nickname is the Swamp, not Vienna. Aren’t there plenty of fantastic artist right here in South Florida?
For me, I see several realities playing out. First, this is all evidence that The Communist Goals of 1958 for the United States of America is complete. Consider specifically goals #22 and #23:
22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. (The) American Communist cell was told to “eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings; substitute shape-less, awkward, and meaningless forms.”
23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. “Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaning-less art.”
Number 23 was clearly displayed after public comments were closed. Members of the board proceeded to discuss with the city lawyer and advisors what criteria they were to follow before voting. It was an incredible bore to hear them site line items in paragraphs amidst volumes of pages getting clarification on what was considered a rule to be followed. Clearly some on the board lacked courage to vote outside the lines of minutia.
Meanwhile, allow me to tell you what I’ve witnessed as a public school teacher. I saw students produce amazing pieces of art at just 12, 13, and 14 years of age. I’d argue that their work surpasses the artist who is charging five hundred thousand dollars for her work. Now of course they don’t have the years of experience or the material to make a 15 foot outdoor idol that will weather the beating sun and fierce winds of tropical storms that this woman has. My point is, there is a plethora of good artists and work to choose from. Hers isn’t that special, but it is political and coming out of the capital of woke.
The citizens who found this proposed sculpture offensive, inappropriate, and upsetting out numbered the supporters 3 to 1, but the board instead listened to the “experts” and voted for it to be approved.
So what are good moral citizens to do? The showed up, they voiced their concerns and were ignored by three of the board members who voted in favor. Perhaps they helped the other two vote no. I say, job well done and press onto approach the members of the city commission who will vote next on whether this bizarre image is going to sore 15 feet high above all heads in a major public thorough way if installed.
If however it is approved and constructed, I suggest that the opponents ignore it like all other hideous modern art that has already been shoved down our throats. Focus on the birds who will inevitably poop on it, the beautiful blue sky, sunshine, and puffy clouds. Don’t visit much less pay to go to this new art center in your precious free time. If this is what is going to be outside what on earth is going to be on exhibit inside?
Relax, don’t let them upset you. This is their goal. Think about it, who is going to take the time to look up this artist and her work? Most are way too busy to do so. And the majority could care less to tune in much less listen to PBS.
Cherish, enjoy, and pass on to your children the love of good classic and worthy art. Not all modern art is trash. Teach your children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. Stop relying on the schools to do it for you. Read my blog for ideas on how to lead your loved young ones better. Heal your own emotional wounds so that you can improve on these relationships.
Instill the good, beautiful, and worthy. Model it by how you dress, decorate your home, and what you applaud out in public and especially on social media.
Support local and live artists who are producing beautiful art that uplifts and inspires. For visual art, Mira Lehr is of local interest to me in South Florida. But my top pick shifts toward performing artist Talon Smith of Fresno, California. Check out how amazingly this young man plays the piano! I’m so glad we got to not just hear him, but meet him and his mom when he performed for the Chopin Foundation in 2021 in Coral Gables.
While there is a time and place for the dark and ugly make sure your dollars are supporting people what you value. Notice that I did not feature any of Warahina’s work in this blog including the piece being considered. Why draw more attention to this artist?
Laugh back when mocked. Hold those who project accountable on the spot. Don’t allow them to bully you with these psychological tactics. They are the lowest of low. Don’t stoop to their levels.
Lastly and most importantly, for the Christian and Jewish people, stop being it in name only. Nurture your faith in the one true living God who created all things by speaking it into existence. Live righteous lives by the natural law spelled out in the 10 Commandments. Repent from your sins. Study this law in the Torah. Pray. It is the prayers of the righteous that YWHY hears not those of the self-serving worry wort.
For more information on the story visit https://floridajolt.com/boynton-beach-art-advisory-bd-approves-controversial-sculpture/.
