Wise Women Won't Wait Any More

Wise Women Won't Wait Any More

Friday, May 26, 2017

I Love Congressman Al Green

By Faith Chatham - May 26, 2017

During the past few years, I've had numerous occasions to "cross paths" with Congressional incumbents from Texas.  One stands out. Congressman Al Green won me over several years ago by being exceptionally gracious. I appreciated how easy it seems for him to extend himself  for other people. I've seen him encourage other candidates who are running for Congress. I've seen him step forward to put in a word to help others get podium time, even if their war chests were light and their name recognition a "work in progress." Once a challenger becomes our party's nominee, you'd think that incumbents would do what they could to help them defeat obnoxious GOP incumbents. However, I find that is not the norm. Most incumbent ignore challengers, even after they win their primaries. I've never seen Congressman Al Green snub a challenger. I appreciate that enormously.

I have always found Congressman Al Green to be exceptionally gracious, very intelligent, and solid through and through.  When I look at how members of Congress vote, I'm never surprised by Al Green's voting record. He is consistent. He's for Civil Rights, Human Rights, good affordable education, people having good health care, children and old people not going hungry, and good jobs for everyone and everyone getting paid good living wages in safe workplaces.

He doesn't seem to be a man who waste a lot of time with pretense. It is not necessary for him to spend a lot of time "forging a message." He is driven by a sincere desire to see people being treated fairly in business, in the courts, in the voting booth, in the community, in our schools. When it comes to gender discrimination and racial discrimination, whether in the workplace, education, pay, housing, or governmental contracts, I know how he'll vote. He always votes against it!

Al Green is truly passionate about policies which help people get and achieve what they need and deserve. He doesn't  have to think a lot about how what he says will sound. Instead he concentrates on how to get the job done. Instead of "forging a message", he practices doing everything he can consistently to further what is beneficial for the human beings in his district and across the Lone Star State and United States of America.

He's not a person who blows off his mouth to capture the news cycle. This past week, however, he emerged onto the national stage when he stepped forward and officially called for Impeachment Proceedings to begin in the House of Representative in examining the actions of President Donald Trump.  Others have discussed it. Others have tweeted about it. Others have posted videos about it. Congressman Green officially moved to get the Impeachment Process started.

When Congressman Green had seen enough. when he'd heard enough, when he knew enough,  he did not wait for others to discuss it for many more months. Instead, he stepped forward and called for the Impeachment against Donald Trump to begin, and he called for it to begin right now.

I am convinced that he isn't doing this to tear this nation down. He isn't doing this for partisan purposes. He has taken this action because he knows enough to realize that there is ample evidence to suggest keeping Donald Trump in the Oval Office is places our nation and her people in danger, and there are ample grounds for removing him for office. He knows that intelligence is being shared with governments which are adversaries, rather than close allies sharing our interests. Al Green understands the Constitution of the United States and he sees ample constitutional grounds for impeachment.

Some of the more violent supporters of Donald Trump have stepped forward showing the dark underbelly of racial rhetoric. His action has made him a target for hatred. His life is being threatened. The ugliness Donald Trump encouraged during the primary and general election validated some of the baser instincts in a segment of the American population. Congressman Green is receiving the full force of their wrath.

As for me, I am reminded that long before he stepped forward and called for the impeachment of a man I never thought should occupy the Oval Office, I already knew that "I love Al Green!"

In my estimation, of the people who occupy seats in the US Congress, Congressman Al Green is definitely among the creme of the crop. He is consistent. He never falters when it comes to the rights of people, the priorities which address needs of the people rather than feathering the nest of the large donors and members of Congress. He values the Constitution of the United States. He fights for justice for every person. He doesn't back down when he knows something is right. He doesn't pay lip service and lend support to those who harm vulnerable people or foster hatred, facism, or racism. He does not shy away from standing up and speaking up for what is right, and just and true and necessary, even when others remain silent. He respects people. When you respect people rather than power and money, your motivation differs from those who are motivated by their own ambition or for their own self advancement or profit.

I am thankful that Congressman Al Green, a man who doesn't normally seek the spotlight, emerges as a voice coming from the Lone Star State. I habitually monitor how the members of Congress from the Texas vote. I monitor what they say. Much of the time, most of the members, disappoint rather than inspire me, with their votes and their positions.  I suspect that until this past week, many people in the USA had never heard of him. Many from Texas, unless they are from the Houston area,  probably never heard of him. We have 22 media markets in Texas and do not hear a lot about most members of Congress from other parts of the state. It is good that people all over this nation heard from Al Green this week. It's much better to hear from Al Green than from Ted Cruz or Louie Gohmert!

My wish is that someday more people will associatae Al Green and his code of integrity with the Lone Star State instead of the antics of blowhards like Ted Cruz, Louie Gohmert, Rick Perry  and Joe Barton.

Al Green reflects the values of the state I grew up in much more than the selfish, stingy immoral, so called "moral majority" Freedom Caucus.

The Texas that I grew up in is where neighbors lend a hand up to neighbors and strangers when we know they need it. Seeing that value trashed is heartbreaking.

Instead of the "we can do it together" attitude, there is a cancer of faux religiousity which calls for more to be hungry, less to have health care, separating parents from children in the name of national security even when the parents have not broken any laws except for coming here, fewer to afford good education and job training, and for women to work for less pay than men who do the same jobs. A culture of discrimination and intimidation instead of justice and keeping the peace erodes our communities. Many in the Texas Legislature and US Congress favor policies which validate the worst instincts of some of our citizens. Al Green fights against such policies. He is a consistent voice speaking up for equality, fairness, justice, opportunity. My dad would say that what Congressman Green says and proposes is just plain old "common sense" or good old Texas style "horse sense." It makes such sense that it is amazing that so many people fail to comprehend the wisdom and necessity for creating a nation where our policies enable more people to succeed economically instead of making it harder for them!

If thinking about what is going on in Washington depresses you, then I recommend that you start following Congressman Al Green. It will show you that we still have some "good eggs" who aren't spoiled and worthless in the House of Representative. If you need to regain a little faith that Texas can send good people to Congress, then start watching Al Green. You'll see that  some of them still persist in doing what they were sent to Washington to do -- fight for policies which preserve the Constitution, are just to everyone, and which uses the treasury and powers of this nation for all of the people!  If you are tired of those who hog the  limelight and who knock others out of the way to get to onto the front row for photo ops, watch Al Green.  You'll probaby have to google a bit to find mention of him because he is  a man who focuses on getting the job  done for the people instead of posing for photo ops and pulling stunts to grab the news cycle.  I find that exceptionally refreshing. This old Texas gal is comforted to know that Texans have Rep. Al Green in the U.S. House of Representatives. I think the more you get to know him, you'll grow comforted knowing that he's in Congress. He's a man who instead of thumping the Bible and posturing as a "Christian", puts into practices some of the teachings we learned in Sunday School: "care for the orphans and windows," "extend hospitality to strangers", "heal the sick", "do not oppress the poor", "feed the hungry."


Manners + Intelligence = Necessities for Diplomacy

By Faith Chatham - May 26, 2017

Watching footage of President Trump's trip to the Middle East is painful. The reactions of world leaders who encountered him as he pushes himself forward, rudely pushing the President of another nation out of the way to be on the front row during a photo op says a lot about his vast lack of personal skills. One cannot forge important alliances with rudeness. A lifetime of exerting himself to the detriment of all others around him, works against him when he is thrust on the international stage. Instead of concentrating on the art of closing "the deal", he'd be better served to have manner instilled in him so that they are second nature. Habitually refusing to be respectful to those he encounters in the daily course of his business and personal life is magnified when he is in the presence of heads of state who are accustomed to diplomacy and protocol.

It is unlikely that gains are made in important alliances when those who are the decision makers for those nations watch and cringe at the arrogance and ignorance of another world leader. No nation is so great that other nations have to embrace leaders who insult their leaders.

Lack of knowledge of world affairs, history, geography, and yes, basic manners, creats a chasm which defeats most attempted diplomatic endeavors.  In international affairs, most "deals" which need closing are accomplished through good will, trust and diplomacy.

Violating confidential intelligence sources, insult nations from podiums, and being rude to the heads of state of soverign nations defeats the purpose of any international "diplomatic" mission.  Getting your photo taken with a leader is not sufficient to bridge the gap when one's attitudes, actions, world view, and basic manners fall far short from the minimum acceptable standards for those who represent other nations.

The best favor any supporter of Donald Trump could give him would be an etiquitte book. It is obvious that this president of the United States missed many of the lessons most children learn in kindergarten.

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

My Chocolate Fix

By Faith Chatham - May 16, 2017

This year, I've NEEDED Chocolate more than every before in my life.
I cannot keep anything chocolate here on hand. It gets consumed rapidly.

Last year I stumbled some packets of chocolate drink which were  "add milk" chocolate drinks. I found them very handy, then was unable to find them in stock in my local grocery stores. I discovered that they were nice when added to hot tea. I missed adding a third of  a packet to a cup of tea and to have a hearty drink. 

Now I've found another way to make a really good dark chocolate hot drink without milk.

Per Cup:
1 teaspoon of dark Hersheys powdered cocoa
1 cup of mild hot tea (spice or herbal is great)
Sweeten to taste

Brew the tea and add the dark cocoa and stir. Sweeten to taste.

Pot
1 to 2 tablespoons Hershey's drk chocolate cocoa
Pot of Hot Tea, brewed
Sweeten to taste

The beauty is that a box of Dark Chocolate usually lasts longer than brownies, chocolate cake or ice cream around my house. I have sensitivity to milk and can use it in moderation. By turning my tea into a rich hot chocolate drink, I get the comfort of hot chocolate without the calories of the addition of milk or other side effects.  Ofcourse, there is also the absence of the protein and calcium from the milk also. There are pros and cons to substituting tea for milk, but for some of us, it is a smart move.

At the very least, it gives us another chocolate option for that needed "fix" when everything else chocolate which was in the pantry or freezer is gone!




Dwelling in Caves Does Not Make a Family Terrorists!

By Faith Chatham - May 16, 2017
I've been researching the 1980s for background for a fiction work. It has taken me into the cave dwellers of Afghanisthan. I had an acquaintance in Grad School who was a refugee from a village where they lived in caves. Some of the men of the village had joined the resistance when the Soviets invaded. They were not terrorists, but people who were fighting for the lives of their families. They got caught up in the East/West Cold War dance for power between outside forces.

From what I've been reading lately, forty years later, displaced familes continue moving into  caves. These are not necessarily ISIS or terrorists as much as displaced folks needing housing following decades of warfare in their land. The idea that we'd drop a megabomb on caves assuming that those who dwelled there were ISIS is problematic for me. Yes, we know that terrorists have fleed to the remote areas to hide. But that does not mean that everyone there is a terrorist. That would be like saying that because people who commit crimes live in Arlington and sometimes avoid arrest by living in neighborhoods where they go undetected that everyone in those neighborhoods are criminals. It is absurd to justify bombing an entire apartment building because one person inside is a criminal. I would hate to have a bomb dropped on my apartment building to eliminate one or two shady people, whom many of us have never met or associated with even though he or they may live in close proximity to us.

Governments who do not weigh the cost of "collateral damage" are rogue. Refusal to acknowledge that people from other cultures are as important as we are is arrogance which leads to discounting the importance of respecting each and every life and doing everything we can to preserve the lives of those who are innocent, regardless of how cruel and despicable some may be who live near them.

One of the key differences in our culture is that individuals are judged based on each person's actions, not on family or tribal actions. We don't murder people because their father or sibliing or spouse is a murderer. We don't eliminate entire families because one member is dangerous. To do so is to become more dangerous than those we see as terrorists.