Which Side Are You On

Tin soldiers and Nixon's comin'
We're finally on our own
This summer I hear the drummin'
Four dead in Ohio

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

A couple of weeks ago a friend and I traveled to Lexington to be at the planned protest for the visit from the Vice-President. VP Pence had come to speak to a invited, select group of businessmen to hear of their misfortunes doing business with the Affordable Care Act. We wanted to remind the Veep and his guests that there were quite a few people who were expected to have trouble doing business without it. Likely far more than those who have been inconvenienced. We got there kind of early and there were only about 50 to 75 people there but as the afternoon wore on the crowd swelled to around 250 to 300 people who were passionate about health care for everyone which, of course, is in direct contradiction to what the Veep wanted to hear. While he listened to people tell him of how they were struggling to cover the increased costs of complying with the law we were loudly reminding them that there were people dying because of lack of access to affordable health care and, if the ACA is repealed then another 22 million will face the same future. In our crowd we had people who had suffered in secret until the ACA and expanded Medicaid made it possible for them to see a doctor.

This brings up one of the issues which is that insurance companies are having trouble assessing risk in covering a population with pent up health care needs. There was a provision in the original ACA to deal with this but the GOP objected and the provision was excluded. Now, in a twist of fate the GOP wants to do the same thing the original ACA did but now it's a new idea. Go figure. There was also a mechanism that would have prevented the imposition of duress on businesses but, you guessed it, the GOP got that thrown out too. Now they are going about as if they've never heard of it. The fact is that our own Senator Mitch McConnell tried every obstructionist trick in the book to cause the ACA to founder but, even now, with all its problems it is a very popular program and people don't want to let it go until they have something better. Well, that is what was promised you know but, as the President said, this stuff is hard. It was hard when President Obama proposed it and it was hard when Congress negotiated it and debated it. Something that Senator McConnell is loathe to do.

In May of 1970 National Guard units at Kent State University in Ohio opened live fire on students who had gathered to protest the war in Vietnam. Four students were murdered. That lit a fire that burned nation wide within 24 hours and campuses across the nation went out in protest. About both the murders and the war in Vietnam. It was the catalyst that began the long downhill slide to withdrawal from that war. I was at that protest in 1970 at the University of Kentucky and nothing in the intervening 47 years has motivated me to once again take up a sign and join with fellow citizens in this act of democracy. Peaceful, civil protest.

One of the things that has caused me pain is that the younger generations have not felt the pressure to take up this cause or any of the other causes that were sufficient reason to take to the streets. The fact of the matter is that change will not come until the people speak loudly enough to be heard. Loudly enough to cause someone sitting in a safe seat in Congress to become worried that he or she may have to get a real job. One where production is considered important. There were a few people there from the current collegiate generation and I asked a few of them why they hadn't become a force. Most often what I heard was that those generations have grown up with the notion that the individual is powerless and that all politics is crooked. Those of us who are older have to ask ourselves how did we let that happen? How did we become fat and lazy enough to allow the will of the people to become something that can be ignored. How did we fail to pass our passion on to our children? How did we allow our government to become so devoted to the rich and powerful and neglectful of the great people of the republic? I have always been informed politically but it is not enough to just know what is happening and go vote. I have to speak up and not be silent. There is someone who needs to hear my voice and that is what motivated me to leave my comfort zone and go to Lexington to carry a sign and chant slogans in unity with those who feel as I do. I'll tell you, it was over 90 degrees and no cloud cover and I thought wistfully of my air conditioned home but I emphatically believe that our creature comforts are in danger of loss and I believe that the time is near when medical access may be considered unnecessary for people like me.

47 years ago I was a much younger and more passionate man. It was easy to see what was right and what was wrong. Now I'm an old man though I hate to consider it. Regardless of age one must speak out for right when wrong is on the attack. I have to ask you. When will you pick up your sign and leave your comfort zone? Wait and it could be too late.

Four citizens were killed at Kent State. Vietnam took some 58,209 of our best. If the ACA is lost it has the potential to kill millions. My Take is “which side are you on.”

MMF 2017 Opening night

I have to say that the award for the first day of the festival goes to Roanoke. This band brought great musicianship, lead vocals and harmony. Their songs fit squarely into the Americana category evoked visions of their storytelling. Well, except for their cover of Chains by Fleetwood Mac which they performed very well. I don't think the song lost anything in the translation.

I was floored to hear the first band, Frontier, do an amazing job. Usually the first act is one that is perhaps not yet ready for prime time but Frontier, doing their own songs, definitely are ready for prime time.

They were followed by The Wooks who sounded somewhat like The Seldom Scene or Yonder Mountain String Band except not as good. Some may disagree with me on this one but, to me, the vocals sounded a bit flat. Colter Wall came next and I felt about like I did after The Avett Brothers were here. I thought “who is this guy and why does everyone know about him except me?” He drew a big crowd of avid listeners plus he had a cute fiddle player who put on quite a show.

Leaving the Old 97's and, while they were competent, sounded like their name. A bunch of Old 97s. What I mean by that is that the music seemed dated. Maybe it's because most of the people there wouldn't have been old enough to listen to music in '97 and missed it first time around.

But, all in all a satisfyingly successful opening to the festival. I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

I Have Known a Few

Some folks are born silver spoon in hand
Lord, don't they help themselves, oh
But when the taxman comes to the door
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's son, no
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no

Credence Clearwater Revival

One time I did some business with a local contractor who was known for being a bit reluctant to pay bills upon presentation. Being paid promptly is critical for a small business since cash flow is often dependent on, well, cash flowing. Being aware of his proclivity I wrote a clause in my contract that specified payment in full within 10 days of completion. I even went so far as to define “completion.” Predictably there was some reticence to make payment and I have to admit that in my earlier days I

could get a little excited over things like that. I had to deal with an underling so I got him cornered in the hallway and excitedly pointed out the clause in the contract. Well, he had to talk to his boss but returned with a check and told me I'd never work for them again. I told him that would be no problem and not to do me any favors. Now, he could have just stubbed up and told me to sue him which would have caused havoc in my cash flow but he didn't. He was marginally more honest than our President who has reportedly allowed himself to be sued numerous times and finally settled for pennies on the dollar or just forced smaller contractors into bankruptcy.

One runs into people like this from time to time. They consider themselves entitled because they are quite aware of the power they wield. As a matter of fact, it is the power that is the ultimate goal and it is power gained by humiliating opponents and exists for no other purpose than to humiliate. There is no inclination to use that power for good or altruistic purposes. They have none of these attributes and even acts of charity are performed for self-aggrandizement.

I don't know if it's nature or nurture that causes the development of such a narcissistic and self serving view of the world but, whatever it is, the motivation for such a person is the humiliation and debasing of the opponent. We've all known someone like that. Maybe it was the kid on your block or at your school who always had a nice baseball glove or the newest toys and liked to show them off. When you displeased him in some way he would not let you play with then and would allow someone else to play with them in front of you. As is obvious, I have known a few. If you didn't display proper reverence or provoked him he could call you names to debase your standing in relation to his. If you're unfortunate enough you've had a boss like this.

Our President is this kind of person. He has aspired to the highest office of the land, not to share his discernment and largess with others but for self-aggrandizement. He has accumulated the biggest toy box in the neighborhood and now gets to say who can play and who hasn't shown the proper respect to deserve his favoritism. He went to the Kingdom of the House of Saud who showered him with gifts and adulation which he reciprocated by reaching into his toy box and allowing them to play with his military hardware. One despot to another but showing proper respect. Then, on to Europe where, forcing his way to the front, he proclaimed that the other nations of the most significant alliance on Earth were robbing his rich country blind and he was going to take his toys and go home if they didn't begin acting as though they knew a good thing when they saw it. But, these were all democrats who presumed to be on an equal footing with him. What presumptuousness! He called them some names and came home. Now we find that our democratic allies that have participated in the greatest alliance ever are losing respect for him and,consequently, for the nation he represents. More troubling is they're beginning to form alliances that cut his country out of the mix but that's OK. America First, we don't need them anyway. Now the despots in China haven't done his bidding and tied North Korea down so he'll show them. He just shares his toys with Taiwan which is like blood in the water to a shark and threatens them with import tariffs.

You recall what I told that accountant? Well, that is what any self respecting national leader would also do and they are doing that resulting in American isolation because no one can trust our beloved country to always act with the well being of its allies at heart. How long can a great nation remain great in the light of such arrogance and ignorance.

Now, in a show of egalitarianism, the President has engaged with some talk show hosts that may have been critical over twitter, a messaging service previously suitable for only teens and pre-teens who have not yet formed the ability to maintain a thought for more than 140 characters.

I don't know how long a great country can stay great doing these things but one of the things that I

find dismaying is that some 35% of the American voters say he is doing a good job. That's about the size of his base who delight in the thumb in the eye rhetoric and who say he could be really great if people would just leave him alone.

My Take is that most of you would have punched that kid in the nose or at least decided you didn't need friends like that. That's where I am.