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Post Scripts #2

[Since our first Post Scripts on July 13, 2019, readers have continued to respond to Other Aspects posts with interesting comments. Thank you to all who have written. I’ll periodically gather and share items of general interest in these posts called “Post Scripts”. The headings give the name and date of the most recent post being addressed (some posts build upon previous ones). The readers’ comments are in italics, to distinguish from what I write in reply. I edit only in the interest of space and context. Enjoy, and please keep sending your thoughts to KenBossong@gmail.com. Again, if anyone does not wish to be quoted, even anonymously as I’ll be doing it, please just say so when you email me.]

Missing The Trane (7/18/19)

Really, really enjoyed the Coltrane piece. Well-written and an excellent overview of his career, recordings and influences, as well as those he affected.  One of the best short summaries I’ve read about an artist.

Thanks for saying it was “short”, since I can get carried away – especially with a topic like John Coltrane, who deserves a treatise.

Wow, Ken. I just read your Coltrane piece and was blown away. I saw the email linking it earlier in the week, but wasn’t able to read it because I had one helluva busy week. I’m glad I waited until Saturday morning to read it. I could then savor the flowing prose and insights… Even though I knew most of what you wrote of Trane, I liked the way you methodically went through his recordings and evolution. Great perspective.

Thanks for the kind words, and for subscribing. I finally realized how to make that easily available by placing the button up to the right just below the blog’s header. That way, you get new posts without having to do anything.

I’m still hoping to do an in-person presentation of A Love Supreme before the year of its 55th anniversary is over.

The Flores v. Barr Cringe Fest (8/21/19)

I watched the news snippets of the DOJ’s attorney in front of the judges and listened to the judges chastise her for the Trump Administration’s version of what constitutes “safe and sanitary conditions” for minor immigrants. I also read articles following the case. Your legal knowledge and drill down of the case really helped confirm unfortunately what this administration is doing at the border.

I would like to see money spent on better temporary hospitals, housing and vetting stations at the border instead of a wall. Taking care of those people risking their lives to get here while taking time to decide who gets to stay seems logical and humanitarian. We are better than this and what’s happening now. History is not going to be good to this administration especially on the immigration issues, but we shouldn’t be waiting for history to decide the moral responsibility we have as a democratic nation.

How often do we find ourselves saying, “We are better than this”? If there’s one theme to Other Aspects, it’s this: We better be better; it’s up to us. From the same reader a few days later:

Can Trump get rid of the Flores agreement?

Here’s an edited version of how I responded on August 27:

“There is no easy answer to this. It could play out any number of ways. If the Agreement were simply the settlement of a case, that would be one thing. But it’s incorporated into a court order. The executive branch can’t simply ignore or override a court order. Yet, I don’t think res judicata (the thing’s been adjudicated; can’t reopen) applies in the usual way to a case involving ongoing interactions.
A few scenarios:
1) Congress passes legislation comprehensively addressing the issue and obviating Flores. Not happening, which is the subject of my ire going back to the post of 5/10/19.
2) Appropriate agency in executive branch does formal rule-making and issues regulations, which are litigated. This would also involve a lot of time and work.
3) Trump announces he’s defying the court order. Plaintiffs move to hold him in contempt. Mess ensues.
4) The administration does something akin to a hybrid of 2) and 3) not simply defying, but not issuing formal regs either. Perhaps an executive order or something. Litigation ensues.
Looks like 4) has already begun, as one might expect. Trump has announced a plan to abandon Flores, whatever that means, and 19 states have joined in a suit.”

Here’s an update: Shortly after this post, the Trump Administration announced new policies called the “Final Rules”, tossing out the Flores principles (by providing for indefinite detention, diminished safety standards, etc.). Plaintiffs sought continued enforcement of Flores. On 9/27/19 Judge Gee ordered just that, with an injunction against enforcement of the Final Rules. Appeal by the Trump Administration remains pending with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

…Your Flores blog is the perfect pitch [for a non-technical book about famous legal cases]. In just a few words, you took a complex matter and made it both clear and interesting to read.

Talent and Success in Sports (Part 1, 9/18/19 and Part 2, 10/2/19)

The following is from a reader from inside the Washington D.C. beltway:

Very well done! I enjoyed your analysis despite its “inside Philly BBall” skewing and skewering. We have a process here in Skins Country, too. It consists of:

  • knowing to a certainty every year that the season is a lost cause before any games are played;
  • understanding that Snyder’s strategy is to lose now and lose later;
  • being too ignorant to understand the grammatical subtleties of terms such as “transitive verb;” and
  • being mindful that there is little to choose between “tanking” and monumental incompetence.
    At least we have Max, Steven, Anthony and Juan.

You do have them, and what a remarkably unprecedented World Series they won with the Nationals! I wasn’t kidding about being grateful as an Eagles fan that Dan Snyder owns the Redskins, by the way. Now, if only the Dallas Cowboys could have retained their head coach even longer…The only real difference between tanking and monumental incompetence is intent.

Consider the Kurds and Weigh (10/31/19)

Well said…[Trump] is a deep insult to every veteran who stood up and served our country. I have spoken to my fellow veteran friends about his betrayal of the Kurds and they are livid.
I have run out of adjectives to describe his behavior and am stunned that his “base” cannot see or understand the harm he is doing, much of it irreparable.

Another reader cited a specific line in the post before commenting:

Abandonment of the Kurds to the Turks in Syria is the single most despicable act of a president in my lifetime.

What about the Abandonment of the Iraqis to isis by the prince of darkness? Or how about the thousands of Coptic Christians left to be slaughtered by isis? No help offered … Wouldn’t even allow asylum to the US for them… ask yourself why… Or how about our own soldiers and ambassador left to be slaughtered in Libya to cover up the running of weapons to Syria. Obama let isis run unopposed throughout North Africa while they offered almost daily videos of their beheadings, burning people alive etc… Or maybe we can remember the abandonment of the South Vietnamese in 75 with untold slaughtered by the North Vietnamese after the dems leveled Nixon, then defunded the south’s ability to hold the truce.
[A]t least the Kurds have hundreds of millions in guns and weapons that you and I paid for.   After 19 years of this Middle East crap, The American People are fed up with it.

Prince of Darkness? I don’t recall Miles Davis or Ozzy Osbourne being President.

I believe Obama’s withdrawal of troops from Iraq in 2011 to have been one of his mistakes, premature at best. Perhaps he felt the American people were fed up with this Middle East crap. It was in accord with a status of forces agreement (SOFA) signed by George W. Bush on December 14, 2008 that all US troops would be out of Iraq by December 31, 2011. (Remember the press conference where W had to dodge a couple of shoes flung at him by an Iraqi journalist? That was the one.) The withdrawal followed painstaking analysis in consultation with experts, and months of unsuccessful negotiations with the Iraqi government to keep 3-5000 there. I wish we had. While it would not have prevented the rise of ISIS, 2014 may not have played out so badly had we maintained a presence.

That includes what happened to the Coptic Christians, who have been the victims of persecution for centuries. While 2014 was the worst recent year, the persecution continues to the present. This is one of the outrages in the world that must be addressed by all as simply unacceptable. Of course, we still have wackos who deny the Holocaust.

Obama has called the Libya debacle his “worst mistake”. Gadhafi deserved to be ousted by the US-led NATO intervention (approved by UN resolution), but a lack of planning for what was to happen next left the violent mess it remains. Unfortunately, we failed to learn from W’s declaration of victory in Iraq after toppling Saddam Hussein. We seem astonished when the locals don’t  celebrate by rushing into the streets and setting up an American-style democracy the next day.

Then there was Benghazi, where inadequate security despite warnings left the embassy vulnerable to a deadly attack. The ambassador and three others were murdered; Obama and Hillary Clinton foolishly denied the attack was a terrorist act when they must have known better. Conspiracy theorists had a field day, especially after American arms found their way into the hands of terrorists in Syria. Altogether, Obama may be right that Libya was his worst mistake. Had I been writing a blog back then, my displeasure with Obama’s handling of Libya, Iraq, and other items would have been clear. That doesn’t change my assessment of Trump’s actions.

The misadventures of Vietnam are a whole other ballgame, well beyond the scope of the post. Mistakes go back at least to the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, yet another lesson that if you must misrepresent the truth, there is something wrong with your position. The democrats did not level Nixon, however; Nixon’s behavior leveled Nixon. Back then, reprehensible behavior had consequences. It was over for Nixon when Barry Goldwater, a conservative’s conservative, and Hugh Scott told him his Watergate position was indefensible, which it was, though nothing much compared to current presidential behavior. Now, Senate republicans are led by the likes of Mitch McConnell. [Sigh]

The point remains: Any president makes mistakes, but not Trump; just ask him. He don’t need no stinking experts. Issues are easy when all you care about is what’s best for you. (In an unsettling way, actually, this was no mistake. The president deliberately sought to create a diversion from the Mueller report and Ukraine.) Trump’s unique blend of ignorance, arrogance, dishonesty, corruption, and narcissism make him as spectacularly ill-suited for the presidency as a person can be. It’s interesting that his grave flaws are finally dawning on some of his fans due to his atrocious handling of COVID-19, the only crisis of his presidency not of his own making.

As we see how much worse the pandemic gets than it had to be, the withering criticism is richly deserved. I’m still concerned, meanwhile, about what an increasingly desperate candidate for re-election will do as he realizes he was correct in wanting to run against Bernie rather than Joe. Will there be any inspector generals left? Will any act of telling the truth in the executive branch go unpunished? Will the Trump campaign simply merge into the Department of Justice? After the Memorial Day we just had, one shudders to consider the distress and harm this one man can cause leading up to November.

I, Citizen (12/15/19)

I found it very interesting. I especially thought the part where you spoke about Hamilton was amusing since the majority of its viewers/fans are actually kids or young adults…I think I’ll share this with my government teacher from last year…

It should be safe to share my post with a former teacher, since he is no longer grading you. Meanwhile, I should probably ask you to explain some parts of Hamilton to me.

Thoughts on Choosing a College (1/25/20)

Thanks for posting this, Ken, as we are in the college application process for my youngest daughter. At this time the things that hit home for me were in your summary: do not believe there is only one perfect place for your child, the option to transfer later if things don’t work out, and the chemistry or subjective feel according to the student (something I believe applies more to the girls than the boys).

We don’t want 17 or 18-year-olds thinking their lives are ruined if they didn’t get in to good ol’ Alma Mater. Or somewhere a couple friends want to attend (for no particular reason). Or…

As to the chemistry or subjective-feel thing, my two favorite stories on this point involve one girl and one boy. Since writing this post, I’ve been feeling badly for high school seniors who were relying on college visits this spring to make their final decisions. Hopefully, the post’s checklist helps.

Ken, two comments:
1. Community colleges merit mention. Some of the most dynamic programs geared to actually achieving rewarding employment upon graduation are centered here, and the cost is very reasonable. Moreover, it is a good maturation ground for those who need some maturity before moving on to a four-year school.
2. Changing majors is not so easy at places like Cornell and Penn. This is key info that students and parents need to know before they hand over the check.

These are two good thoughts. The second point is generally true at some schools, and may depend on which majors are involved at others. If a school is particularly renowned in one field, securing admission to the college may not automatically mean that major is available to all. Some places just seem to make things more bureaucratic than others, though my overall sense is that these issues have improved over the years. When frustrated, we used to call red tape the “RU screw” at Rutgers in the 70s, but it is much better there now.

McCoy Tyner, Philly’s Pianist Supreme (3/9/20)

I read your excellent ode to McCoy Tyner, then listened to some of his work. I’m afraid my tin ear doesn’t get it, but then it took me until maturity (some would argue that’s still in the future) to appreciate Mozart, Beethoven, Patsy Cline, Husker Du and Meatloaf. Keep the good stuff coming.

Give McCoy another listen sometime. He really is all that. By the way, what did Husker Du? 

Tony Allen, Fela’s legendary drummer, died [on 4/30]. He wasn’t as iconic, but he was every bit as important [as Fela Kuti].

Indeed, what is Afrobeat without the beat? The list of greats we’ve lost recently is getting way too long. In addition to McCoy and Tony, RIP: Jimmy Heath, Lyle Mays, Henry Grimes, Jymie Merritt, Bill Withers, Bucky Pizzarelli, Wallace Roney, Ellis Marsallis, Lee Konitz, Little Richard, Lucky Peterson, Jimmy Cobb.

Dynamic Duos (5/10/20)

One reader already had a suggestion for a duo:

Dolphy and Mingus

They are on the list and a compelling pair. Also under consideration was Charles Mingus and his long-time drummer, Dannie Richmond. Given the volcanic temperament that accompanied Mingus’s genius, it’s astonishing how long and how consistently Danny played with him – and how well.

Multi-reed virtuoso Eric Dolphy, like his friend Bobby Hutcherson, was one-half of a dynamic duo with a number of colleagues, including the two of them together (Out To Lunch and Iron Man, among other truly great albums).

Again, thank you for reading – and writing.

Ken Bossong

© 2020 Kenneth J. Bossong

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I, Citizen

This pause in Other Aspects’ railing against those atop the executive and legislative branches of our government, however deserved the railing might be, focuses on an uncomfortable place: the mirror.

In allowing our supposed leaders to let us down to this extent for this long, we’ve been letting ourselves – and each other – down.

Do we have some excuses? Sure. In a fast-paced, high intensity time, it sometimes seems all we can do to work the job(s), raise the kids, put food on the table, pay the bills, do the errands and chores, and (perhaps) relax occasionally. It feels like a full-time job just to be a consumer in this society, fending off scams, bad deals, cyber-attacks, and other threats to our wellbeing and hard-earned money.

Participating in, or even paying attention to, public affairs may feel like a luxury, but it is not. Whether owing to exhaustion, inattention, ignorance, laziness, cynicism, resignation, or apathy, we citizens cannot afford to be asleep at the switch.

Say What?

We’ve all seen numerous polls in recent years that indicate the public’s mind-boggling ignorance of how we govern ourselves and order our affairs. These depressing reports cover different topics, but generally go something like this:

X per cent [typically well under half] of [citizens, high school graduates, college graduates, etc.] can: 
(a) say how many branches of government there are, name them, or explain what they do; 
(b) name any member of the Senate, the House, or the Supreme Court; 
(c) distinguish between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution; 
(d) identify any of the amendments that make up the Bill of Rights; 
(e) name any of the protections provided in the First Amendment;  or
(f) explain the concept of checks and balances; balance of power; and so forth.

The Polling Stat that Matters Most: Turnout

Voter participation always is lower than one would hope or expect, especially given the struggle that people who don’t have the vote often must endure to get it. That goes for our ancestors, starting with that Declaration of Independence, through struggles for women’s suffrage and civil rights.

I wish I could say that’s all in the past, but battles over voter suppression are underway across the nation, as a quick Internet search will confirm.

When We Do Vote

Even as we grouse about our elected representatives, we must face the fact that incumbents are reelected so often that an incumbent loss is big news.

If our elected representatives are crooked, stupid, lazy, ignorant, unethical, or lacking in other important ways, whose fault can that be, ultimately, but ours? Who is sending them back to Washington (or the state capitol, or city hall) year after year, rather than home, where they belong?

It’s not just that we should vote them out; it’s our duty. It’s our job as citizens. 

When a political party puts forth an unworthy candidate for office, it’s an insult to all citizens. If the response is a shrug rather than a rebuke at the polls, our democracy suffers.

What’s To Be Done?

Start with education.

Every school district, private school, and library in the US must bolster its program on public affairs immediately, for kids and (especially) adults. Political science, philosophy, and business departments at colleges and universities should make speakers available to address timely, compelling topics for the communities they serve.

Hopefully, we have found better names for the field than “civics”, and more effective ways of presenting the information than whatever turned off poll respondents. Although every minute detail may not be exciting, the array of our interwoven liberties, rights and responsibilities is inherently interesting, at least because it affects all aspects of everyday life. It’s how things work, or don’t work.

The Constitution is one of the most magnificent documents in history. Everyone should understand why and what it means to live under it.

Other Educators

There’s hope if a musical about a “founding father”, Hamilton, is on its way to becoming the most phenomenally grossing play in history. Perhaps those infamous polls would come out slightly better now that so many have seen Hamilton. We’ll see.

Meanwhile, other creative approaches exist to inspire replication or new ideas. One example, (mentioned by a reader of Other Aspects): Recently about 1,500 third-fifth graders in Delaware got to see a live performance of the courtroom scene from Miracle on 34th Street acted out by judges, lawyers and court employees in county courthouses. Sean O’Sullivan, chief of community relations for Delaware’s courts, says in the December 6 edition of Coastal Point newspaper, “We hope to spread a little holiday joy and maybe give them a small bit of insight into the court system as they take in a holiday play.” Bravo! Plant those seeds.

Every bar association (local, state, and national) must redouble its efforts to educate the bar and the public in a non-partisan way. As a national example, the American Bar Association has worked for years to foster the rule of law all over the world. If the average American does not grasp what the rule of law entails, like the importance of checks and balances or an independent judiciary, we need that effort right here, right now.

Between Now and November

One of the most important things any adult will do in the next 12 months is vote. If we’ve learned nothing else from the election of 2016 (see this blog’s post of 4/18/19), the primaries are at least as important as the election.

The election, of course, is on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Know when your state’s primary is held. Is there any chance you will not be available to vote in person on either date? If so, what must be done to ensure you can vote in advance or by mail ballot?

Know also the rules: Are you registered to vote? Must you be registered as a member of a specific party to vote in the primary? In New Jersey, one must declare as Republican or Democrat to vote in that party’s primary. I disagree; we should be able to register as Independents and vote in whichever party’s primary we find more important. But I understand the argument. In a year when one party’s nominee is unopposed, that party’s members could vote en masse for the other party’s weaker candidate. As you’ll see below, I’m more incensed about the timing of the New Jersey primary.

Juniors and seniors in high school: How does your 18th birthday fit with the primary, the election, and deadlines for registering to vote? Voting should be a rite of passage at least equal to attaining a driver’s license. In some states, including New Jersey, I understand (thanks to another reader) registering to vote can be streamlined into the driver’s license process.

A Subtler Point

Even better than voting is voting knowledgeably.

We need to examine our sources for news and information critically. Who or what is vetting the reports we’re hearing and reading? Are these sources known for striving to convey factual information, or are they more concerned with pushing an agenda? If we’re getting slanted info, are we verifying or relying blindly?

There are such things as truth and falsehood, the distinction matters, and we deserve the former. Bias and spin are no substitute for the facts, even if they support our pre-conceived notions. Especially if they support our pre-conceived notions. That getting to the truth takes discernment and real effort makes it all the more important that we make that effort.

Reporters, tell us what is actually happening in the world – since we cannot observe it all first hand – not what to think, or how to feel, about it. Not so long ago, clear lines separated fact reporting, op/ed, and entertainment. Each has its place; blurring them has proven a slippery slope. This is another distinction worth restoring to prominence.

In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the noble, hard-working and self-sacrificing horse, Boxer, accepted all the lies and foolishness of the pigs running the farm. His reward was a trip to the glue factory.

A Pet Peeve

By going first, Iowa’s caucuses on February 3 and New Hampshire’s primary on February 11 exert influence on the winnowing out of presidential candidates disproportionate to these states’ respective size. That is not my pet peeve, though; if we think it cute to have a couple of smallish states flex some muscle every four years, so be it. I suppose.

Super Tuesday, March 3, is where the action is. Fourteen states, including California, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, and Massachusetts hold their primaries on this one day. Michigan, Washington and Missouri are March 10; March 17 features Florida, Illinois, and Ohio; and the last biggie is New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland on April 28.  

New Jersey’s primary is on June 2. Yes, June. I guess we should be grateful they get it in before the conventions. For context, a front-page story in the December 8 Philadelphia Inquirer was headlined “Pa. primary just might be pivotal”. Below that: “It’s been years since the state had a real say. Next Year may be different…By the time the Pennsylvania primary rolls around in the spring, the nominating process can seem like a foregone conclusion.” This for a primary 35 days before New Jersey’s.

To put it succinctly: Never in my life have I cast a vote that mattered in a presidential primary . Everyone in New Jersey is effectively disenfranchised. Apparently, the timing of primary elections is set by state statute – NJSA 19:2-1. Why? Good question. In addition to following my own advice in this post for being a better citizen, I’m going to see if I can find out why anyone thinks this is a good idea.

The Citizens’ Job: Keeping It

Among the many roles we take on in life – spouse, parent, friend, colleague, mentor, adversary, volunteer, etc. – few are more important than citizen.

When asked what sort of government the Constitutional Convention delegates had created, Benjamin Franklin famously replied “A republic, if you can keep it.”

If we can’t keep it, or choose not to, I’ll see you at the glue factory.

Ken Bossong

© 2019 Kenneth J. Bossong