"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."-- Attributed to Abraham Lincoln. In reality, Lincoln never uttered or wrote those words or words to that effect. Instead, they were said about him.
The original version of the quotation came on Jan. 16, 1883, during a speech in Washington, D.C., by the prominent writer and orator Robert Ingersoll.
"If you" want to know the difference between an orator and a speaker, read the oration of Lincoln at Gettysburg and then read the speech of Everett at the same place. One came from the heart. The other was born only of the voice. Lincoln's speech will be remembered forever. Everett's no man will read. It was like plucked flowers."
From the Democratic National Convention came speeches we haven't heard the likes of in a while. No sound bites, full on speeches, given with conviction, truth, honesty, promises to lower taxes for the middle class, build more houses so the middle class can afford to buy one, preserve Medicare, and Social Security, feed the children, give teachers a living wage, maintain funding for schools, give our children an opportunity to be free of pollution and bullets, overturn Roe vs Wade to provide a reproductive freedom to women, give Americans hope again.
The American Dream raised its beautiful head again when two people from State Schools worked their way up the ranks; one was bussed to school, and the other who grew up on a farm could run for President and Vice President of the United States.
Remember when the strength of America lie in its strong middle class?
Yes, we had problems in the 60's, but we had the guts to protest wars, and march for civil rights, to change the dress code in schools--and champion men to grow facial hair.
Professor Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor, now on Substack, helped me understand how Americans could vote for a tyrant.
Trump exploited their anger.
Americans, especially the working class, have been bullied. They have been bullied by corporate executives, Wall Street, and upper-class urban professionals.
They're angry.
In Trump, they saw someone who they thought was different.
Except that Trump is a bully.
Trump used his wealth to gain
power. He used his power to target people of color, harass and abuse women,
lie, violate the law, and attempt to topple our Constitution. Instead of being
a leader for the people, he became an advocate for himself. He was and still is
vindictive against anyone who opposes him. And then he rages at anyone who
calls him a bully. And he admires Hannibal Lector! What?! (Lector is fictitious character from the movie Silence of the Lambs, who eats people.)
Trump is a "me, me, me, person.
Kamala Harris said every day in court, she would say 5 words, "Kamala Harris for the People."
"Because," she says, "what happens to one of us happens to all."
"Kamala Harris is a You, you, you person." (Thanks, Bill Clinton.)
From Reich:
"We have learned that Trump cannot be beaten at his own game. He cannot be out-threatened. He cannot be shouted down. He is beyond shame or guilt. He emits lies at such volume and repetition they cannot be corrected.
"The only way to beat him is by playing an entirely different game that draws on qualities that are the opposite of his, that appeals to those aspects of the American character diametrically opposed to his.
"Lincoln spoke of the better angels of our nature. Those better angels are still there but have lain dormant since 2016. Biden tried reviving them, but he didn't have the energy or stamina to pull it off. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz do."
And why don't our adversaries trust women?
Women, we need to roar now to convince Americans to vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
Listen to Lady Gaga go against Trump. She put it out there. (Trump lied with an ad stating that Gaga supported him.)
https://www.nbcnews.com/video/lady-gaga-slams-trump-at-biden-rally-in-pittsburgh-95211077945
"Vote to keep Trump out of the White House like your life depends on it, no, like your children's lives depend on it, because it does."—Lady Gaga.
And then listen to that Lady sing our National Anthem. Wow, those pipes of hers rang out over the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Memorial with the clarity of an angel.
And now for those following Your Story Matters, here are Chapters 39 and 40
First, Fun at the Grocery Store, then a War Story told to me by the man who lived it.
39
Funny
May 21, 2023
The Pink blossoms of the dogwood tree have beaten me. (I'm up to 28,630 words, aiming for 50,000.)
There are a few scraggly blossoms on the tree, but the ground beneath has pink all over it. The leaves have taken up residence where the flowers once were. The tree is moving on.
BUT WAIT. I could have an extension. Does it count if I switch trees? Mom's Tree in the front yard is still blooming. I planted a twig that came to my shoulders in tribute to Mom, who loved flowers, and I love dogwoods, so I planted one in the front yard on March 9, Mom's Birthday, in honor of her. Now, it is blooming. Okay, Mom, let's go for it.
A few days ago, I pulled Robert Fulgrum's book, What in the World Have I Done, from my cupboard bookshelf and read the best story I have heard all week.
Fulgrum offered two college boys on his street a ride to work one morning. He asked what they were doing besides school and work.
"We're eating a chair."
"What?!"
A chair! They were eating a chair. The college professor had assigned them to do something unusual, something they had never done before, and write about it. "This is going to fry the professor," one of the kids said.
They bought an unfinished chair and ate the back and one of the rungs. They shave off a fine dusting of wood daily and add it to their morning granola. At night, they sprinkle some on their salad. They asked a doctor if it was dangerous, and he said no, not in small doses. They may not get it all eaten by the theme due date, so they have asked if others would help them and found a willing bunch.
To further carry on the conversation, Fulghum asked what else they were doing. They have been running around the lake each morning to keep in shape.
However, they tired of running in circles and decided to see how far they would run in a straight line. They got a map of Washington (they live in Seattle) and were mapping out a route; when they were almost to Portland, Oregon, they decided it was boring and chose a European map. Now, they are finding interesting things to do along their trail. And they are finding that large tasks done in small doses can get the job done.
Fulgrum stopped worrying about the younger generation.
Inspired by Fulghum's wanderings, speaking with people, and finding funny tales, I decided to find something amusing as I set off for the grocery store last night.
I asked the solemn-faced kid who checked out my groceries if anything funny had happened that day. Nope. Nothing funny.
So, I walked down to the live-wire lady with white hair and a limp, who is nearly always laughing. I asked if anything funny had happened that day. "Not today," she said, thinking, "but something happened yesterday."
"What?" I asked.
"A lady came into the store with no pants on."
We both laughed. "Really? Was she completely naked, or did she have underwear on?"
"I don't know. We scanned the store but couldn't find her. Does that story suffice?"
"Great. Thanks. You saved my day.” Thumbs up, I exited the store.
40
Hi Jack
Jack was our friend.
He might still be our friend, but he left to investigate something beyond those skies he so loved.
Jack was a pilot in the Second World War.
As he walked past the kitchen window of our house in San Diego on the way to the front door, I would call out, "Hi, Jack."
"Never say that to a pilot," he retorted.
Jack had a story, a war story. It should be written into a book, but I only have the short version.
He was a navigator during the Second World War.
The navigator sits behind the pilot, and according to Jack, that is the safest place on the plane.
That proved true for Jack, for he was shot down three times and twice the sole survivor.
The third time, he was captured by a German soldier.
There was a racket around the downed plane, shells were going off, shots were fired, and the German soldier was leading Jack away from the turmoil. Jack felt he was going to be shot.
As they walked through the forest, Jack tripped, and as he did, he pulled the gun from his boot, slid it up his body, laid it on his shoulder, and fired. He didn't know if his bullet connected with the man behind him, but he ran and thus escaped.
He hid during the day and traveled at night. While lying under a bush, he watched an aerial dogfight—planes in combat. Charles Shultz's Snoopy imagines himself to be a fighter pilot yelling, "Curse you, Red Baron."
Jack developed pneumonia during his sojourn and ended up at a French woman's farm. (I know this sounds like a movie. However, she was not a young, gorgeous French lady, but an older French woman with a heart of gold.) She was alone and living off her land, which didn’t provide much. About the only thing that grew well was potatoes. He said she wore a dress that was woven together out of cellophane. She hid Jack from the Germans and shared her meager fare with him.
One day, the US Military front advanced to her door.
Jack came out of hiding, gave his credentials, and told the group of GIs how this woman had saved him.
The following morning, a glorious event occurred. The GIs returned with their jeep laden with goods for the lady, food and clothing, and a trip for Jack back to his troop