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Don a.k.a. MRDMK's avatar

Hello Friends. Hope all is well with everyone.

Ole' Genocide Joe is once again throwing around nickels like he throws around manhole covers. Especially, when it comes to matters of the common folk. What a guy! We can take a stroll down memory lane to the pre-2020 election which Ole' Genocide Joe said, "I am going to give every working man, woman, and anyone else $2000 as soon as I am elected." What Ole' Genocide Joe did was stick his thumb up his arse for six months, then out of the goodness of his iron heart, gave the common folk $1400. The reason according to Ole' Genocide Joe was because President Trump already gave you $600. The reason for the time it took was never fully explained. When it comes to greasey, brain addled politicians, watch what they do, not what they say. It is also nice to see Ole' Genocide Joe has not changed a bit.

Ray McGovern had this doozy of joke about the Brits. When McGovern was visiting his great uncle back in Ireland and his uncle said, "Do you know why the sun never sets on the English Empire?" McGovern said, "No!" The uncle shot back, "Because, God doesn't trust them in the dark!!!" IMHO, that joke sums up the Brits. You can attend a public hearing. Yet, good luck in seeing and/or hearing the hearing.

While on the subject of reflections, let take you back to the wonderful year of 1974. This is a reflection of the local government and the education system. While in high school band practice, the instructor announced the School District Board of Supervisors were planning to cut funding to all Arts Programs which included the 3rd grade through 12th grade music program. This fact needs to be mentioned, this was the beginning of the era, "We need to focus our education system on the 3 R's to keep up with the Japanese!" Well, about 200 of us students showed up to this school board meeting. This was only the start.

So the City Board Room was full and the Supervisors were perplexed. Well okay, these Supervisors first wanted to know what was the reason for the crowd of people, so they were politely informed. Second, the Supervisors said they are decorum rules to the meeting and they will be enforced. Here, here there was perfect quiet in the room as these people spoke, let me explain further. These students were from award winning orchestra, concert band, stage (jazz) band and marching band. We knew from our training, when an event started, it was not the time to have a casual discussion. These Supervisors had no idea who they were dealing with. So after the Supervisors express their lack of interest in our concerns (kid you not) the meeting actually started. The first rule of order, because of the size of the crowd, comments from the gallery will be five minutes long and only six of will be able to speak. The motion was seconded, and a vote of 6 to 1 in favor. Then the gallery was told that is how democracy works. Six students did express their experience and opinion. Then all of us were told that we were in fact, to young to have an opinion on such important matters. At that point, the Supervisors were asking each other if there were any other matters of the agenda. One Supervisor expressed discomfort having so many people in the gallery. So the meeting was called early, because none of the students were leaving. But, there is more.

The next week, the board room was once again full. This time not only were the students there, so were many of their parents. It was the parents turn to speak and they were told the five minute rule imposed by last weeks vote was in effect. Four out of six parents were very upset. Paraphrased, 'Who do you think you are speaking to my child that way?' Two of the parents attempted to be more diplomatic, but only found frustration with those efforts. Once again the meeting was called early because nobody was leaving when a new topic was called for.

Week Three should be no surprise to anybody. All of the doors to the board room were locked. There was no gallery present when the vote for cuts to the Arts Program were enacted. It was brutal lesson for this 14 year old to learn. It was also hard for my fellow classmates, some were in tears.

Years later, I did see the results from the actions described above. The once proud marching band which stretched from goal line to goal line on the gird iron, performed in front of a crowd of over 10 thousand at Angel Stadium, in front of untold thousands at Disneyland, in neighboring states of California, and back to a position in the Rose Parade, well, the band was less than one quarter in size. Maybe an eighth in size, it was puny and pathetic. Which means, the kids who came after us will never have those experiences me and my classmates had.

I think Ole' Genocide Joe would be proud.

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The Revolution Continues's avatar

I'm all for supplying DIY instruction booklets for home-built guillotines, with or without frogs. Nice wrap up of the week.

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