Christmas Comes Early for the Citifield Faithful

As a Mets fan, you can be sure that I am excited that the New York Mets made the effort and were successful to sign Yoenis Cespedes for four years. This is as big a signing for the Mets as the signings of Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter were in the mid-80s and the signing of Mike Piazza in the late 90s.

It is once a generation that a team can get an impact player, as the Mets did in the summer of 2015, re-sign him as they did last year, and then keep him, as they have finally done today.

He was smart in the things he said today by expressing his gratitude to the ownership and management, to his teammates and especially to the fans. He knows the fans love him and he loves us back. He is a bit of a character, to be sure, and that also is part of his charm.

He was asked his opinion about the death of Fidel Castro and he deftly pushed away the question by indicating that today was not the day. That was smart on his part.  Today was about baseball, not politics.

To my friends throughout the country who thought the Mets were a splash in the pan for the last two seasons, I suggest you take back all things you said about the boys in Orange and Blue. They are here to stay, at least for the next four years. We have great pitching and, now great hitting, too. And watch out if your guys want to challenge his arm. "OUT" will be the call heard most.

As for me, I always look at February 15 as the day affectionately known as "Pitchers and Catchers". And as of today, there are 77 days to that day.

Hot Stove? Not this year. Let the season begin. It will be, for Mets fans, an exciting one. No doubt in my mind.

And then, let's see who is playing baseball NEXT October. Play Ball!

Is There NO End to Clinton Deception?

Jill Stein had a difficult time, to say the least, to raise funds for her last place finish/1% of the vote, campaign. Now, in less than a week, she raised over $5,000,000 (FIVE MILLION DOLLARS) to challenge for a recount in Wisconsin.

Let that sink in for a moment...

How is it that this person who barely made a showing in the most contentious election in over 100 years, and who had no money, or financial supporters, was able to accomplish so much in so little time? Before last week, most people didn't know who she was.

Now, she seems to be the most powerful woman in the United States, even more powerful than Madame Hillary. At least, that is what the LAME STREAM MEDIA @$$wipes would have you believe, the way they are gushing all over her.

Hillary, who conceded fairly graciously on November 9, said last week when this whole recount debacle started, said she would not pursue that course. In fact, she had said in October that we should all accept the election results as soon as possible, as a statement response to Donald Trump's position at the time.

But, one of her spokespeople has now responded, on her behalf I am sure, that while Hillary isn't pursuing the recount movement herself, she supports Ms Stein's action, in order that all votes have been counted. Yeah, right. Nice double-speak, Hillary.

Back to the money. I wonder how Ms Stein raised so much money so quickly. Does Clinton Foundation sound familiar?

This is the most unethical "charity" I have ever seen in my life, where no money is used for people in need, unless, somehow, they are connected to the Clintons. I guess before they have to give refunds to the foreign countries who "donated" to buy her influence, Hillary has to make one last-ditch effort to make herself queen. So, back-door contributions through other connected people to try the 2016 version of the "Al Gore pouting tantrum".

To those people who think I am out of line with this theory, just look at her record. She isn't the most honest, trustworthy or even honorable person in this country. If she were, then even a bit of impropriety would not be possible.

Just look at the record.

I had a lot more respect for Ms Stein in September and October, as she made some very valid points during her campaign. Now, she has proven herself to be nothing more than a Clinton Stooge.

Seriously, folks, I hope she fails and it is proven she did this on Hillary's behalf and on her orders. Then, they BOTH can be cellmates in Leavenworth's Cell Block Six, and can both contend for Trustee.

How do YOU like orange, Jill? 

The Church Takes Another Step

On Monday, November 21, it was reported in the New York Times that Pope Francis is expanding the conditions by which priests, as well as bishops, may forgive persons who either had an abortion or who were involved in performing them.

This makes permanent a temporary move he established at the beginning of the Church's yearlong "Jubilee of Mercy". The announcement was a signal of the pope’s vision of a more welcoming, merciful and inclusive church.

It is about time the Church dips its toe in the cold waters of the 21st Century. For too long, the Church has been viewed by many who have fallen away as an institution bent on repression, judgement and rigidity, where there was no room for forgiveness.

In his announcement, Francis said, that while he viewed abortion "as a grave sin, since it puts an end to an innocent life,” he affirmed that “there is no sin that God’s mercy cannot reach and wipe away when it finds a repentant heart seeking to be reconciled with the Father.”

And finally, Francis has removed automatic excommunication as punishment for committing an abortion. That is the best part of this statement by him, in my view.

I know many good people who have found themselves in a "no-win" situation when they realized they were unexpectedly pregnant and because the guy suddenly disappeared, or they could not afford another child, or for a host of other reasons which were reasonable to the participants, they felt they had no other recourse but to make that extremely difficult decision.

In my view, that choice is also partially to blame on the Church itself  because its rigid position on birth control also makes THAT practice "a sin", as well. Tough punishment, when gentle love is needed.

Maybe Francis needs to override "Humanae Vitae" (Of Human Life) written by Paul VI and issued in July, 1968 with an updated encyclical. This repressive document has put Catholics, for decades, in direct contradiction with the teachings of their Church. Perhaps, the better teaching by the Church would be to weigh the difference between birth control and abortion, and preach option one. This would also be a better choice for the poor living in destitute conditions throughout the third world, so that the cycle of poverty and famine could then be arrested, since the faithful here follow the Church blindly.

Folks, I believe there is a huge difference between "Dogma", which comes from God and "Doctrine", which is man-made to control the masses.

It is about time that the Church worries about SAVING souls, than trying to CONTROL souls. Francis has made several moves in this direction by changing the Church's positions on divorce, homosexuality and now, this first step on abortion. It needs to get out of our bedrooms, and our politics, too.

For disclosure, I am a falIen-away Catholic, as I have my own views on what the doctrine is for me, and a choice person on abortion up to the 15th or 16th week. After that, with today's pre-natal technology, a fetus can be viable outside the body, and can then develop to maturity until it longer needs to be in an incubator. Then, I think that if the baby is unwanted by the mother, give the child up for adoption. There are many people who would be grateful to take that child, and love it always.

Nevertheless, the Pope, by this action, proves again that he believes what he said two years ago, "who am I to judge?" As many of my friends know, I am a severe critic of Francis. But, I am moved to relent again as he continues to move away from repressive policies.

And I am happy to admit that, too.

A Reflective Thanksgiving

I have written almost 600 commentaries since February, 2013, when my younger, handsomer brother, Tim was able to motivate me into writing my views on the issues of the day, much like my mentor and friend, Mayor Ed Koch did at least once a week until he passed. Tim and I don't agree on too many things politically, and out of respect for each other, we rarely, if ever, talk politics, or religion for that matter.

But his point to me was that there was an audience out there who would agree with me on most things, would find my viewpoints inspiring, or at least interesting, and would eventually look forward to my commentaries. As the older brother, I have to admit that after almost four years, he is right. I have over 3,000 followers on Twitter, almost 900 friends on Facebook and several hundred connections on LinkedIn.

Over the years, I have, I admit, written mostly about politics, history and social issues, always with an eye to the Constitution. But I have also written about sports (my Mets, usually), several movie reviews, Christmas music on Veterans Day (what's up with that?), our military and veterans (and our need to support them, even as we may oppose the wars), and other issues of interest, at least to me.

I have also written about my family, my siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, and my parents.

And that is who I want to write about today. As you know, my Dad passed in March, and while he was very ill over the last six months (ironic how that always is), he was still trying to be a party guy. He loved his Sinatra; put on a CD, and he would sing his heart out, as weak as he was.

Or, put on a favorite movie or TV show, like Downtown Abbey, and you could hear his boisterous laugh roaring through the house. And, God knows, he LOVED Moonstruck, as he could recite the lines of the movie, as he secretly admired Cher (ok, it wasn't a secret, but Mom knew she had his heart)

Until he was unable anymore to stand for long stretches, he would look across the room, or the porch, for the love of his life, Nancy, my Mom, and stroll her across the dance floor to a Lindy, or Fox Trot, or even a really slow dance, holding her tightly and never letting her go.

That was my Dad and Mom always, from the time I was a kid.

Today is the first Thanksgiving he isn't with us, and I can assure you, he is truly missed. His laugh, his voice, his sage advice to his children, and especially to his grandchildren, won't be heard around the table this year. No "Stump the Kids", a game where he spent DAYS preparing a couple of hundred questions across all age and grade levels, just so each grandchild who was there could answer five questions and "win" five dollars.

But, he is in our thoughts and our prayers, and I can assure you, wonderful memories of him will be discussed by everyone. For us, it will be a reflective, but not somber or maudlin, Thanksgiving this year; he would not want it that way.

So, Happy Thanksgiving, Dad from all of us who have had the grace to know you, to love you and to have been guided by you. As one who is spiritual, though not religious, I believe you are in a better place, with friends and family who have passed before you, sharing stories and looking out for those of us you had to leave behind, much like Billy Bigelow, one of your favorite characters from Carousel, did.

Just like you always did when you were here. 

Choices and Friendships

I am amazed how many liberal "friends" I had on Facebook, and I my personal life, that have unfriended me or are not talking to me because I proudly voted for President-elect Donald Trump. I thought this was a country where we could agree to disagree and still be friends.

When did America become Amerika?

I didn't know we were required to march in lockstep. Or is it goosestep?

I could see if I lived in, say, the People's Republic of China, where I didn't vote for the one-candidate Premier. But not to vote for YOUR candidate? I am extremely disappointed in all those who are not speaking to me.

It was your choice that you voted for Hillary. And it was my choice to vote for The Donald. Isn't that what all you liberals keep insisting on? You know, CHOICE?

People went to war for all of us to enjoy the freedom to choose. But I didn't know that for some, it is only a choice when they choose that choice, and damn the rest of us who don't follow along like sheeple.

While you may not believe this, I am very capable to choose between several options on my own, without the help of others, as if I need help because I am unable to think for myself. I think I am a fairly educated person, discerning on many points of view, especially as it involves politics and history.

I have been following presidential campaigns since 1960, when I was nine years old. I sat, mesmerized, in September, 1960, as I listened to Kennedy and Nixon debate the issues involving Formosa, Laos and Cuba. And since that time, I have sat on Election Night, for all hours of the night, until a winner was declared.

I have also written about polls, and that the only poll that matters is the one on Election Day. I have written about this a few times. I am including my commentary, The Poll That Matters - First Tuesday in November, which includes my commentary, The Poll on Polls, for your review.  

   

All the polling in the world isn't going to be entirely predictable because, sometimes, people don't want to reveal the things they are thinking. And, sometimes, the polls are skewed and flawed for a host of reasons, including how the question is framed or by the demographics of people being questioned.

So, to be upset with ME because YOUR candidate didn't win is just ridiculous. Instead, you should blame YOUR candidate for being a human being, with flaws and warts, just like the rest of us. I viewed MY candidate that way, but I felt he was a better CHOICE for me.

As Piglet said to Pooh, "let's go and get really drunk" because they didn't allow their CHOICES to interfere in their FRIENDSHIP. And it should not interfere with ours.

Or, maybe you weren't my friend at all, and for that I truly am sorry.

Another Guest Commentary Regarding the Election

My niece, Mary, wrote the following post to Facebook this past weekend. For disclosure, I voted for President-elect Donald Trump and she voted for Secretary Hillary Clinton. 

I have not edited this commentary, other than for grammar, as I never do with a guest commentator. I like to, instead, share a reasonable, alternative viewpoint so that we can all understand what others are saying. You know I do not believe in political-correctness because I believe that is a form of censorship. And I don't believe in censorship. As always, your comments are welcomed.

Mary:

First and foremost, I just want to say that I have done my best to keep an open mind throughout this year’s Presidential campaign. This time last year, I was laughing at the idea of Donald Trump actually receiving the Republican nomination. But I was wrong, he did. In the name of democracy and as I have with EVERY other election, I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. So over the course of the last ten months, I listened to and honestly considered his agenda and attempted to see past the egotistical, reality show stigma through which I viewed him.

On Election Day, I made a very thoughtful decision to cast my vote for Hillary because at the end of the day my heart/morals reside with the Liberals. I didn’t vote for Hillary. I voted Democratic. I voted to STOP TRUMP.

In all honesty however, character aside, I don’t agree with Trump’s agenda, but I don’t completely disagree with it either. His overarching campaign promise of “Make America Great Again” highlights real and undeniable issues our country and government is facing. I think if Hillary had attempted to acknowledge and address these issues more directly she may have had a chance at winning. But she didn’t, she ignored them, played it safe, held her Democratic course, and hung her hat exclusively on her vast amounts of political experience. 

This combined with the fact that people were also questioning her albeit less overt but equally offensive character is what lost her the election. The people felt ignored, they disliked the alternative, so for them it came down to “change” or “status quo”, and on Election Day, the people rebelled and chose change. For them, either scenario was equally “scary” but at least with Trump, they felt we as a people have a chance to start fixing the corporate corruption of our government.

It makes me sad that we as a nation are so desperate for change that we are willing to take the risk of electing someone like Donald Trump when there is SO much at stake. I think in some ways we think we are invincible and that nothing extremely bad can happen to us. Extremely bad $#!+ happens to people every day in all kinds of places all around the world. We are not immune to another Great Depression, World War, Civil War, or Holocaust. 

BUT, the fact that we are so desperate should be a major wake-up call that there is something seriously wrong. Our country is in a great amount of pain and regardless of if we are the ones feeling that pain, as a fellow American we should recognize and acknowledge that others are. So yes, I am scared for what our future holds and from a moral standpoint am devastated Hillary didn’t win, but a small part of me is glad Trump won. Part of me is glad there were people out there brave enough to reject the status quo because I, too, crave much needed change.

As we move forward, I hope that we can put our differences aside, come together to see this as an opportunity for WE THE PEOPLE to take back our government and start healing the pain of our fellow Americans. Don’t get me wrong, it sucks that it had to happen this way but I also understand it needed to happen this way or it never would have happened.

To my fellow Hillary voters…

I feel your pain, but protesting is pointless. Hillary lost, he won. Accept it. The Electoral College is in place for a very important reason: it gives each state a proportional weight regardless of its actual population. Without it, we would end up in a Hunger Games-like society where the cities have all the power. It’s not fair. The people have spoken and has painful as it may be we have no choice but to accept it. We’ve had Republican presidents before and survived. Luckily, our government was brilliantly designed to have crucial checks and balances that limit Trump’s power and even though Republicans are in charge of the House and the Senate, no one is going to let Trump do anything truly insane..... I hope!! 

And stop making this all about race and minorities because they voted for Trump, too. If that’s all you’re talking about, YOU ARE COMPLETELY MISSING THE POINT! Moving forward, we have to shift our attention to fighting the fighting on the ground with each individual piece of legislation that he proposes. Volunteer and donate to the organizations to which we hold so dear. Be the change we want to see in the world. Then, in 2020, we’ll get another chance to resume our course.

To Trump supporters…

Although I empathize with your cause, I sincerely hope that we have ALL evolved slightly left in our thinking over the course of the last several decades. You can still lean right on certain issues (we are all entitled to our opinions) but I would hope that your views on equality in particular aren’t nearly as extreme as they once were. At the end of the day, we cannot and should not lose sight of the fact that diversity and equality IS what makes America great.

To the media…

PLEASE stop feeding the frenzy and go back to objective reporting of what is happening and let the people form their own opinions. YOU ARE MAKING A BAD SITUATION WORSE!

Possible Cabinet Choices

Picking a Cabinet: It is the most important visible action a new President can do. It lays out for all to see where the new President is going to take this country.

Several names for these key positions have been floated, which were reported in today's New York Times. I hope that Chris Christie's is only for a "pat on the back" and not really being considered.

If I were choosing and advising President -Elect Trump, I would offer the following people for the posts indicated:

State                                   John Bolton, former UN Ambassador 
Defense                             Allen West, former Congressman and retired Lt Colonel, Army 
Treasury                            Tim Pawlenty, former Minnesota Governor
Justice                               Rudolph Giuliani, former Mayor, NYC and former US Attorney, NY or
                                             Jeanine Pirro, former Westchester DA and former District Court Judge
Interior                                Jan Brewer, former Arizona Governor
Agriculture                        Sam Brownback, Kansas Governor
Commerce                        Kelly Ayotte, outgoing NH Senator
HHS                                    Ben Carson, Neurosurgeon
Labor                                  Victoria Lipnic, EEO Commissioner
Energy                               Joe Manchin, Senator, West Virginia
Education                          Williamson Evers, Hoover institution Education Expert
HUD                                    Shaun Donovan, former HUD Secretary
VA                                       Michael T Flynn, retired Lt General 
DHS                                    Michael McCaul, Chairman, House Homeland Security Committee
UN Ambassador              Richard Grennell, former US UN spokesman for several Ambassadors 
CIA                                      Stanley McChrystal, former Senior Military Commander, Afghanistan
EPA                                     Jeffrey Holmstead, former Deputy EPA Administrator
Natl Security Advisor     Kathleen Troia (KT) McFarland, former Assistant Secretary of Defense,                                                former National Security Council Staff Member

Some will see this as just Donald Trump surrendering to the Establishment. I see it as this: The smartest man in the room is only the smartest because he surrounds himself with people smarter than himself.

That is what JFK did and that's what Reagan did, too. I hope Donald Trump learns THAT from history. The Muse will always show the way. Only the brightest see that light.

For today, Clio’s light is shining very bright.

A Guest Commentary from Someone with a Differing Viewpoint than Mine

My friend, Lynn Woods Bettinger, who I have known since our days growing up in Floral Park, NY, is my guest commentator. She and I have had several discussions over the last year, which have never been heated, even though we wanted different candidates for President. When I asked her on Saturday who she voted for, Lynn said, "After much mental torment, I voted for Hillary."

My response was, "You voted. To those who didn't and now don't like the result, they should sit down and shut up." On this, we agreed.

As you know, I voted for and supported Donald Trump. Please enjoy this unedited commentary from a reasonable and alternate view, my friend, Lynn Woods Bettinger. As always, your comments are welcomed.

Lynn:

I have kept my usually highly-opinionated-self quiet through most of the Presidential campaign, and I will explain why for what little it's worth or for those who care. I was a Bernie girl. When he was no longer an option, it was time to listen, watch, and learn. I learned from many of you: THANK YOU!

Frankly, Hillary and Donald both left me with doubts. What I felt and still feel this country needs is a return to energy and passion. My generation, by openly demonstrating and protesting and with the help of a lot of unafraid musicians, forced an incumbent president not to run, forced the resignation of another, brought about a Constitutional amendment giving 18-year-olds the right to vote, and ended a war. Not bad, friends. We were heard.

I didn't feel that passion in Hillary. I thought she  was the saner of the two and I don't think she felt as much "entitled" as she did qualified, but she would be very much politically correct and, well, boring, though it would have been great for a woman to finally shatter that last glass ceiling.

Do I care about her email server? No, but I do care deeply about the judgment that ignored pleas of help from Benghazi. Trump has passion, but he's been so isolated that his mouth spewed the language of a 5th grader on the playground. He said horrible things about people, but said them from behind the protection of a Twitter screen. Obama put it best, saying that if he can't be trusted with a Twitter account, do we really want him having the nuclear weapons code? 

Do I care that he didn't pay taxes? If he Iegally exploited a loophole in tax law, then no, I don't. I say FIX THE LAW. I don't think Trump's as much a bully as he portrays himself. You can see that he's already being tempered. So I am not pro-either of them.

The election is over but it's not "It is what it is." IT IS WHAT WE MAKE IT.

Obamacare doesn't need to be tossed; it needs to be fixed. People need to know that they don't HAVE to buy their insurance through the exchange; there are still lots of companies out there to buy insurance from as you usually would.

I don't know that we need immigration control (I don't want families torn apart) as urgently as we need terrorism control. During Viet Nam, the leading story on the nightly news depicted the horrid realities of war. We don't have that any more unless or until there's a particularly devastating attack or we see a heartbreaking picture. We've been at war for fifteen damn years, folks, and there's no sign of it ending. We don't even know what's happening.

This is where my passion is: actively and speedily righting the wrongs, and spending the rest of our time trying to enjoy and improve upon the many privileges of being Americans.

It's only by the grace of God we weren't born in Aleppo. I genuinely thank you for hearing me out.

Veterans' Day 2016

Today is Veteran’s Day, the 98^th such celebration in various names on this day since the end of World War I, the war known as The Great War. It was supposed to be the “the war to end all wars.” But as we all know, it sadly was not.

There is not much more I can say, except that my Dad, several uncles, a couple of cousins and many friends are and were proud veterans of so many conflicts in which this country was involved. They did so because they felt at a time in their lives, it was important to take a stand, or were drafted or were mobilized. It doesn’t matter why or how; they did what they had to do.

I have written about our veterans in several commentaries, but today I want to share two that I wrote about for this day. I honor our veterans, and our deceased military every day, by giving thanks to them, and to God, that we are fortunate to live in a country where we don’t need to fear our neighbor for the things we say and do. We have Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Assembly, Freedom OF Religion (not FROM), Freedom of the Press and Freedom to Petition the Government for Redress of Grievances.

We can thank our veterans that in almost 230 years since the Constitution and the Bill of Rights were established, these freedoms have never been withdrawn or lost.

 

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Why Veterans Day

Today is Veterans Day. In England and elsewhere, it is known as Remembrance Day. In 2014, with all the corruption surrounding the Department of Veterans Affairs, we need to remember why our most important citizens are our veterans.

We must shore up the VA to take better care that those men and women who fought to preserve our liberties are properly cared for, not treated as third-class health care recipients. I am amazed that this President cares more about those who are here illegally, making certain they get quality health care, while those who put it all on the line do not.

 

There is an old expression, "actions speak louder than words." He can blabber all he wants about how he cares for our military; his actions say he cares not a lick.

Last year, I wrote a commentary called "Veterans Day 2013" where I reviewed the history of this solemn day.  I have republished it here today, to remind us all why this day must be cherished.

Once you have read this, please take the time today and always, to thank a veteran for his or her service, and for preserving your and my freedoms and liberties. Pray that the men and women now in harm's way will come back safely.

And pray that the next President, whoever she or he may be, will have more respect and genuine feelings for those who suffer physically and psychologically from the damage incurred on our behalf, than the current one does.

Please enjoy

Veterans Day 2013

November 11, 2013

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. In proclaiming the holiday, he said:

"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations."

The United States Congress passed a concurrent resolution seven years later on June 4, 1926, requesting that President Calvin Coolidge issue another proclamation to observe November 11 with appropriate ceremonies. A Congressional Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U.S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday: "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day'."

 

The name changed officially from Armistice Day to Veterans Day in 1954, due to the efforts of Raymond Weeks, who was honored by President Reagan in 1982 for his efforts. For a time, from 1971 to 1978, Veterans Day was celebrated on the last Monday of October, in accordance with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. In 1978, it was moved back to its original celebration on November 11. While the legal holiday remains on November 11, if that date happens to be on a Saturday or Sunday, then organizations that formally observe the holiday will normally be closed on the adjacent Friday or Monday, respectively.

Today, we need to pay homage and thanks to our veterans, both living and deceased. Without their sacrifice, we would not enjoy the liberties and freedoms we so much take for granted.  

 

Remember that this is not another reason for retailers to hold another sale. Instead it is about  commemorating, even for a moment or two of silence the memory of those  who either have come back wounded, which they all do in some way, or gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Thank a Veteran for your liberties, and freedoms. You really will be glad you did.