Election 2016: Dark Days in America

Posted on November 10, 2016November 10, 2016 by alexb2448

This vintage typwriter is our featured image.

“America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”– Alexis de Tocqueville

Official disclaimer: Those of you who read this blog regularly know how I feel about discussing politics in this forum. You also know that while writing about the law, I have taken shots at both President-Elect Donald J. Trump and his vanquished opponent, Hillary Clinton.

So you can take what I am about to say with a grain of salt or you can ignore it completely. You can agree or disagree. You can make your opinion known in the comments section below, or you can keep quiet. That’s your choice.

And ultimately that’s what this post is about. Choice. Or more specifically, the choice Americans had to make when we went to the polls on Tuesday.

In America these are dark days, indeed

To put all of this in its proper context, I’ll start by saying that I am a first-generation American. I am first-generation American whose father was forced to flee from his own country — a former Communist regime — as a political refugee.

Founder/owner of In Brief Legal Writing Services, Alexandra Bogdanovic. Photo by N. Bogdanovic

So I am a patriot. I love this country. Under normal circumstances, my faith in America is unshakable. But I must admit, my faith has taken a beating lately. And on Wednesday morning, it almost crumbled. Almost. But not quite.

I woke up on Wednesday morning feeling ashamed, embarrassed, disgusted, angry, and sad. All at once.

But please don’t misunderstand. I was not upset about the outcome. I was still upset about the choice I was forced to make when I cast my ballot. I say “still,” because I was angry about the election before I went to the polls.

Those who don’t learn from (American) history….

In the days, weeks and months leading up to the presidential election eight years ago, many Americans were screaming for change. They wanted anyone in the Oval Office — as long it wasn’t anyone remotely resembling George W. Bush.

Then they voted accordingly.

And look what that got us. A deeply divided country. Heightened racial tensions. A stagnant economy. A pitiful attempt at universal healthcare. A diminished presence on the world stage. And for the most part, an angry, uninformed, uneducated, hyper-partisan electorate forced this year to choose between two of the worst presidential candidates in the history of the United States.

And look what that got us.

The lowest common denominator and the height of tyranny…

To quote from the label on the back of one of my favorite micro-brews, “We believe that pandering to the lowest common denominator represents the height of tyranny — a virtual form of keeping the consumer barefoot and stupid.”

From the moment he announced his candidacy, Donald J. Trump did just that. And the “lowest common denominator” — that angry, uneducated, uninformed, hyper-partisan electorate — responded accordingly. Congratulations, America. You did great!

That Vladimir Putin was one of the first, if not the first foreign leader to congratulate President-Elect Donald J. Trump, speaks volumes.

That a terrorist organization and a sworn enemy of this country has allegedly told the president-elect that everything will be peachy — as long as we pull everyone out of Afghanistan — also speaks volumes.

Clearly our country is in great hands.

And don’t you dare tell me, “at least he’s better than Hillary Clinton.” I really, really, really do not want to hear it. That argument didn’t hold water before the election, and it certainly doesn’t have any merit now.

To quote Alexis de Tocqueville…

Don’t worry, I’m not going to start prattling on about “getting the government we deserve,” a post-election sentiment often attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville. But I will end with this: if you honestly believe that President Donald J. Trump will make good on his promise to “Make America Great Again,” you are sadly, sadly mistaken. And that’s putting it nicely.

You see it is not up to him — or any elected leader, for that matter — to restore this country’s greatness. That is up to each and every one of us.

As de Tocqueville said, “America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”

Here’s what happens when law enforcement and politics mix

Posted on November 7, 2016November 7, 2016 by alexb2448

Yesterday, the FBI announced that its review of additional material in the so-called Hillary Clinton email server “investigation” did nothing to change its prior decision. So Hillary Clinton and her cronies will go unpunished. Again.

According to various news accounts, here’s what happened. Following the decision not to pursue legal action against Clinton, FBI Director James B. Comey and his agency faced considerable criticism. Rumors about the level of discontent within the agency has also surfaced in recent weeks. Apparently bowing to the pressure from within, the FBI recently decided to review the additional material, which it said “‘appeared to be pertinent’ to the FBI’s original Clinton email investigation.”

The media has since reported that the new “case” is allegedly “related to ex-New York Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner using a laptop he shared with estranged wife and top Clinton aide Huma Abedin for ‘sexting’ an apparently underage female.”

Now fast-forward to Sunday, when Comey issued a missive to Congress saying the agency conducted a comprehensive review of “all of the communications that were to or from Hillary Clinton as secretary of state.” As a result, Comey said, “we have not changed our conclusion.”

Honestly, with the Liberals screaming about Comey trying to influence the election, did this really come as a surprise?

It didn’t come as a great big shock to me, that much is for sure. To me it’s just another example — albeit an extreme example — of what happens when law enforcement and politics mix.

Yes, I know. It should never happen — but it does. It happens all of the time. And it’s a recipe for disaster. Obviously.

Back in July, I shared my opinion about FBI Director (er… lackey) James B. Comey’s decision not to prosecute Hillary Clinton in connection with the email scandal.

Just to refresh your memory, here’s what he said at the time:

“Although we did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information, there is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information.”

He also said:

“I know there were many opinions expressed by people who were not part of the investigation—including people in government—but none of that mattered to us. Opinions are irrelevant, and they were all uninformed by insight into our investigation, because we did the investigation the right way. Only facts matter, and the FBI found them here in an entirely apolitical and professional way.”

And here’s what I said at the time:

“Well, with all due respect, Mr. Comey, here’s what I think. I think you are full of fecal excrement. I think one day, when your ambition is no longer a factor and your career is no longer at stake, you may actually find the intestinal fortitude necessary in order to share the truth about this whole situation.”

But based what’s happened in the last few days, I won’t hold my breath.

Defending the indefensible: the demise of American decency

Posted on October 26, 2016October 27, 2016 by alexb2448

So I was really looking forward to writing about something fun today. I was planning on writing about the use of feral cats to curb the rat population in New York City. Frankly I think it’s genius.

Unfortunately I’ve got more serious things on my mind. Or more accurately, with the U.S. election looming, there’s something important I’ve got to get off my chest. So the post about feral cats being put to work in the Big Apple will just have to wait.

Eli, the In Brief Legal Writing Services mascot. — In Brief Legal Writing Services mascot Eli catching up on the latest news. Photo by Alexandra Bogdanovic

Today I am completely fed up — not only with presidential politics — but with hyper-partisan behavior in general. Americans on both sides of the aisle are happily defending the indefensible and justifying their behavior by saying “well at least he’s not as bad as she is,” or vice-versa.

Frankly it is deeply disturbing on many levels — for many reasons. But the partisan defense of the indefensible is especially troubling when it comes to Donald J. Trump’s (actual and alleged) behavior, Bill Clinton’s (actual and alleged) behavior and Hillary Clinton’s (actual and alleged) behavior.

Let’s begin with Donald J. Trump and Former President Bill Clinton. Both men have been accused of committing serious crimes against women. Trump is currently facing numerous sexual assault allegations. Yet Trump’s supporter loudly proclaim, “at least he’s not as bad as Bill Clinton.” Or something to that effect.” For his part, Former President Clinton has also been accused of sexual assault — and rape.

If nothing else, both men have demonstrated a proclivity for objectifying women. As everyone knows by now, Trump’s tendency to do so recently surfaced when his comments caught on that “hot mic” 11 years ago became public. As for Bill Clinton — well, there was that affair with a White House intern while he was president — among other things. Allegedly.

So what is the objectification of women? Objectification is commonly defined as “viewing and/or treating a person as an object, devoid of thought or feeling.” The definition of sexual objectification is ” the reduction of people to physical objects of sexual desire.”

So what’s the big deal? According to The Huffington Post, a recent study that included nearly 300 participants found that “over one-third of the participants had experienced sexual victimization as defined by the study.” The study also found that participants who experienced unwanted sexual advances — and worse — also reported experiencing objectification at one time or another.

In that sense, the study didn’t break new ground. It merely confirmed prior findings. It also confirmed what I witnessed as a crime reporter. As soon as someone stops seeing a person or group of people as human beings, it is easy to engage in criminal activity targeting that person or group of people.

In other words, it’s all “locker room talk” and “boy talk” until people get hurt. And then it’s not so funny anymore.

Listen Up, Ladies…

If there’s one thing worse than a man who mistreats women, it’s a woman who defends him. Hillary Clinton — who may very well be the leader of the free world come January — is accused of not only enabling her husband’s behavior, but verbally attacking his accusers.

And then there’s Melania Trump, who recently blamed everyone except Donald J. Trump for the comments that he made back in 2005. To her, Donald’s comments were just “boy talk.”

Really? Unbelievable.

Listen up, ladies. It is not okay. It is not acceptable. It is not a joke, and it is not funny.

It is inexcusable. And indefensible.

Period.

An open letter to American politicians after the Dallas shooting

Posted on July 13, 2016July 12, 2016 by alexb2448

Dear President Obama et al:

It’s been less than a week since alleged Dallas gunman Micah Johnson killed five police officers and injured seven in a hate-fueled rampage.

I’ve heard some people are angry because they don’t think some of you’ve said enough about the tragedy. Personally I think you’ve all said too much. And every time you open your mouths, things get even worse.

Wreath. Shot at Memorial Day Service in Warrenton, Virginia in 2011. Photo by Alexandra Bogdanovic — Memorial Day Wreath. Warrenton, Va., 2011. Photo by Alexandra Bogdanovic

So please do me a huge favor. Just be quiet.

The immediate aftermath of a national tragedy is not the time to promote your personal and political agendas. Please show some respect. Give the victims’ families the time and space they need to grieve before you start pontificating about racism, gun control or any other relevant issue. There will be plenty of time to talk about that later.

Please remember that it’s not always about you — and that most of us couldn’t really care less about what you think.

I seldom agree with New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, but as he said when Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton reportedly approached him in the wake of the Dallas shootings:

“Our interest is staying out of the politics of the moment, and not to provide photo ops,” Bratton said. “If Mr. Trump wants to speak to me, I would be happy to brief him on what we’re doing. If Sen. Clinton wants to speak to me, I would very happy to brief her on what we’re doing. But we are not in the business of providing photo ops for our candidates.”

Perhaps you should all take the hint.

But if or when another tragedy befalls us and you feel compelled to say something about it, please consider the following suggestion:

My fellow Americans,

In the wake of the tragedy that has befallen our nation, it is understandable that you should seek comfort and reassurance from your elected leaders. Please know that we are monitoring the situation and will do everything within our power to ensure the safety and security of all of our citizens.

Because this is an ongoing investigation, we are refraining from any comments about the incident itself at this time. We respectfully request that the media directs questions to the appropriate authorities. We also request that the media respects the victims’ families need for privacy….

Thank you for your time and consideration with regards to this matter.

Sincerely,

A Concerned Citizen

FBI decision about Hillary Clinton email scandal is a crime

Posted on July 6, 2016July 6, 2016 by alexb2448

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, when I was gainfully employed as a reporter at a weekly newspaper in the New York City suburbs, some rumors surfaced about Bill and Hillary Clinton.

The newsroom scuttlebutt was that the former president and his wife were thinking about buying a house somewhere in Westchester County so Hillary could pursue her own political ambitions. And because the publisher’s husband was an ex-big wig in state politics, I had to drop everything else I was doing and chase the Clinton “story.”

Things went from bad to worse when the Rye Brook police got involved. From what I understand, there was some kind of hoax involving Bill and Hillary’s house hunt. And because I just happened to cover the Rye Brook police, I had to write about that, too.

Eventually, Bill and Hillary Clinton bought a house in Chappaqua. That’s when the rumors (about the house hunt) finally stopped and the jokes started. “Oh yes,” people said with a wink. “Isn’t that interesting… Chappaqua… Chappaquiddick!”

I am sure some of you are too young to understand the joke. And I am sure there are some of you who have learned revisionist history at one of our country’s wonderful academic institutions that don’t get it, either. Well, I will try to make it a little easier for you. The people who made the joke were drawing parallels between the Clintons and another powerful political family — the Kennedys.

You can read more about the incident that has convinced critics and conspiracy theorists the late Senator Ted Kennedy got away with murder here.

Yes, rumors, innuendo and scandal have dogged members of the Kennedy clan over the years. The authorities have even had the audacity to charge two of its members who were accused of criminal wrongdoing in the past. First there was William Kennedy Smith who was charged with rape but acquitted in the early 1990s. More recently, there was Michael Skakel, another Kennedy cousin. He was actually convicted of murdering Martha Moxley in Greenwich, Connecticut back in the 1970s and spent some time in prison. But a judge has since ruled that he didn’t get a fair trial and he has been free on bail ever since.

Hmmm…. Are you beginning to see a pattern here? If you’re from a rich and powerful political family in the United States of America, you can get away with — well — just about anything.

Which brings me back to the Clintons. The rumors and allegations about Bill Clinton’s sexual “indiscretions” are legendary. And then there was the little matter of the “inappropriate relationship” he once had with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

Don’t even get me started about the Clinton Foundation. You can read everything you need to know about that online, but I won’t make you do all of the heavy lifting. You can click here for an article about some of the allegations leveled against that “fine” organization.

And then there’s Hillary. Oh, Hillary. Where do I begin? Should I start with Benghazi and the U.S. ambassador killed on her watch? Or should I begin with her conduct and testimony before the Select Committee on Benghazi? Perhaps I should just forget about all of that and rehash the whole email server debacle?

Never mind. For brevity’s sake I won’t go there. After all, her constituents think it’s all just a political witch hunt, anyway. And apparently FBI lackey… er… Director James B. Comey doesn’t think her conduct with regards to her email server warrants much attention.

In a statement issued yesterday, Comey said in pertinent part:

He also said:

Well, with all due respect, Mr. Comey, here’s what I think. I think you are full of fecal excrement. I think one day, when your ambition is no longer a factor and your career is no longer at stake, you may actually find the intestinal fortitude necessary in order to share the truth about this whole situation.

And perhaps someday, someone with more courage and integrity than you could ever dream of having will hold Hillary Clinton accountable for her actions. But somehow I doubt it…

The restoration of American greatness has nothing to do with Donald Trump

Posted on July 1, 2016 by alexb2448

My Fellow Americans —

As I write this, most of you are no doubt counting the hours until the long holiday weekend. I am sure you are preoccupied with travel plans and dreading the drive to the beach or the lake or the mountains. I am sure you are looking forward to hanging out with family and friends. I have no doubt you are also looking forward to pool parties, parades, barbecues, and fireworks.

Old Glory. American Flag. Photo taken at Memorial Day Ceremony by Alexandra Bogdanovic — American Flag. As seen at Memorial Day ceremony in Warrenton, Virginia. May 2011. Photo by Alexandra Boganovic

As I write this, I am pondering the wisdom of writing a “political” blog on my business site, especially given the political climate in the United States these days. To do so would be professional suicide.

So it’s a good thing this has absolutely nothing to do with politics. It has to do with us.

You see the true measure of American greatness has nothing to do with Donald Trump — or Hillary Clinton, for that matter. It has nothing to do with Bernie Sanders or anyone else who wants to be president. It has nothing to do with who is in the White House or who is in Congress or who is in charge of each state.

It has nothing to do with Republicans or Democrats, or liberals or conservatives. It doesn’t matter if our leaders are progressives or populists. It has nothing to do any political label or political philosophy.

The true measure of American greatness lies in its people. It lies in each and every one of us. Whether we like it or not. Whether we care to admit it or not.

We The People Of The United States…

The undeniable link between American greatness and its people can be traced through history. In fact, it can be traced to a time before the United States as we know it even existed.

It can be traced back to the time when a bunch of colonists, fed up with British tyranny and oppression, decided to do something about it. They decided to fight back.

In the Declaration of Independence, dated July 4, 1776, they said:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed (emphasis added), — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People (emphasis added) to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

Red, White and Blue Umbrella. Pictured on Memorial Day, 2011. Photo by Alexandra Bogdanovic — Patriotic Colors. Memorial Day Ceremony in Warrenton, Va., May 2011. Photo by Alexandra Bogdanovic

A similar sentiment is conveyed in the Preamble to our Constitution, which reads:

“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.”

Note how these documents are written. They do not begin with “We, the leaders of the United States of America.” Nor do they say anything about “we, the politicians of the United States of America.”

Gee, I wonder why?

Together, We Can Make America Great Again

But seriously, putting all sarcasm and snarfiness aside, what does this really mean?

In the simplest terms, it means that as Americans we are in charge of our own destiny. It also means that our future will be shaped not by the decisions our leaders make, but the key decisions we all make every day. They are:

How to react to hateful political rhetoric
Whether to embrace politicians that engage in hateful rhetoric
How to handle our political differences
Whether to let those differences tear us apart
How to regard compromise (as a sign of strength or weakness)
How to react to the things we don’t understand
How to react to the things that scare us
How to handle disagreements
How to express ourselves
Whether to exercise our right to vote
Whether to do our due diligence so we are fully informed when we cast our ballots
Whether to let the mainstream media, educators and pop culture dictate what we think
Whether to let others dictate how we behave

When all is said and done, what we choose to do determines not only how others view us, but how we see ourselves. After all, it is easy to blame our leaders for everything that is wrong with our country. It is much harder to look in the mirror.