by Ernie McCray
I showed up
at the San Diego County Democratic Party’s
46th Annual Roosevelt Dinner
with a mind jumbled with questions
concerning the theme:
“A New Hope for Democracy,”
wondering what could be said
as, seemingly,
the country
is sinking like a ship
in an extremely agitated sea,
even if the keynote speaker
is someone
whom I consider to be
one of the most extraordinary
speechmakers there could possibly be,
my cherished friend,
Shirley Weber,
California’s Secretary of State,
a renowned problem solver
and defender of human rights
and civil rights
and voting rights,
an educator
of great renown
and I couldn’t wait to hear
her take
on these troubled times…
And she began
by saying
“What can I say?”
and it was so refreshing
and reassuring
to hear words
that reflected
what was
reverberating in my mind that day
as we seek answers,
hearing her honesty
as she in her brief remarks
went on to say
that she could,
as I slightly paraphrase,
tell us nothing
that we hadn’t seen
each and every day:
the evilness,
the madness,
the imperiling
of our democracy
in so many ways.”
Then she simply asked all present
at the dinner
to do the least that we could do,
join her in the battle against
a president’s
abominable behavior,
his ridiculously impulsive
intimidating “strongman” tactics
that endanger us as a society.
Specifically
she asked
us to simply vote in June
in the California Primary
and then take it all in November.
And that struck a chord in me
as I am definitely up for such an assignment
as a new hope for democracy.
We must end the lunacy.
And sometimes it’s the simple actions
that lead us to victory.
No thanks, I’ll remain an unregistered Dem.
What are their plans for doing things differently this election season that they didn’t do in 2016 or 2024 that got us the orange jellyfish, or in 2020 or 2024 that got us, Todd? The ‘Blue Wave’ hasn’t worked too well.
It appears that the Dems – despite themselves – on the national level will swamp the US House and retake it in November. And maybe the Senate. This will be devastating to any future Trump plans. This doesn’t mean he can’t create more havoc.
On the city level, it’s a different story. Many are fed up with the clique that has been running San Diego for a while now. Trouble is Gloria was just re-elected in Nov24 and we’re stuck with him. The only change will be on the city council and it will be incremental and very slow.
Of course, she has nothing to say! As they say, do the math. We have an ecomy that rewards us for doing things that promote war, global warming, poverty, racism, homelessness and injustice, along with crime and untreated seeage. This situation, though it is endemic, has developed locally, so yes, Gloria and the DP has produced it and the people who put the comedians in the WH are exploiting this at the expense of most of the world and our common future. So of course, she had nothing to say. But she, like Gloria, Newsome, etc. is doing fine, no?
But there is a solution, and we should probably consider it in view of our climate problems and the forecast $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget that cripples the US economy at every level and makes it hard to develop ecologically sistainably, among other things like healthcare, education, etc.
Michael Winn, Foundet
Own Your Government
https://ownyourgov.com
I think she was saying she has nothing more to say than what others are already saying. For that I can’t condemn her. What does ruin my view of Shirley Weber is the fact that while she was on the SD school board, she was a key vote in favor of keeping JROTC, even though she also commented that she wouldn’t want her daughter in it. According to the DoD, about 40% of students who are placed in that program eventually wind up in the military. So, her daughter was heading for college, but it didn’t seem to matter that many others in the community would be sent to our wars.
I loved Air Force ROTC when I went to University of AZ (the same time as author and friend Ernie Mac above starred in Basketball at U of A.) Unfortunately I was told I would never fly because I wore glasses…. I laugh now but then it was a game changer then so when i got my Draft Greetings I quick joined the Navy and was on a Greyhound bound for San Diego after one semester… Best decision I ever made….
The Navy taught me discipline…. (lacking in me and so many young folks today) And most importantly sent me to Navy Electronic schools where you had to “sink or swim.”
True… There were no wars going on in the late fifties when i was growing up… so we never fired our guns in anger the three years after training I was at sea… still a lot of excitement and travel to far off places like Honk Kong, Manila and Japan…
Lucky for me and countless others, the Navy launched me into a lifelong career in IT which paid the bills for forty years and got me my Degree at San Diego State College along the way.
So… My friends…. Lets not knock the JROTC… It provides valuable lessons to people that need that extra boost to get on the right track for a successful life….
BTW… I never wanted to fly anyway… i leave that to braver souls.. : )
Dave Beekman
Spring Valley