On Monday, January 20, we will pay tribute to three prominent
Americans.
Two of them devoted their lives and long service for the
betterment of the American people.
The third did not.
Before I go into more detail on any of them, it’s important to
go back in history for a while, and dig a little deeper into a couple of
things.
First of all, the date of the inauguration was not always
January 20. Until 1937, it was always March 4, largely because travel and
communication took much longer in the early days of the country. Using the
March 4 date allowed the incoming president time to travel to Washington D.C.,
and also to make adjustments to his private life.
Although it will be especially cold tis year, the weather was
not necessarily better on March 4.
When William Henry Harrison was sworn in on March 4, 1798, it
was a cold and wet day. He braved the chilly weather and chose not to wear an
overcoat or a hat, rode on horseback to the grand ceremony, and then delivered
the longest inaugural address in American history, at 8,445 words. It took him
nearly two hours to read, although his friend and fellow Whig Daniel Webster had edited it
for length. Speeches like this were actually common at the time, and that
its irony was rich, as Harrison, "a lifelong office seeker, elected by
deeply partisan politics, harshly criticized both practices
Following
the speech, he rode through the streets in the inaugural parade, stood in
a three-hour receiving line at the White House, and attended three inaugural
balls that evening including one at Carusi's Saloon entitled the
"Tippecanoe" ball with 1,000 guests who had paid $10 per person
(equal to $312 in 2021).
Harrison
had been physically worn down by many persistent office seekers and a demanding
social schedule. On Wednesday, March 24, 1841, Harrison took his daily
morning walk to local markets, without a coat or hat. Despite being caught in a
sudden rainstorm, he did not change his wet clothes upon return to the White
House. On Friday, March 26, Harrison became ill with cold-like symptoms
and sent for his doctor, Thomas Miller, though he told the doctor he felt
better after having taken medication for "fatigue and mental
anxiety". The next day,
Saturday, the doctor was called again, and arrived to find Harrison in bed with
a "severe chill", after taking another early morning walk. Miller
applied mustard plaster to his stomach and gave him a mild laxative, and he felt better
that afternoon. At 4:00 a.m. Sunday, March 28, Harrison developed
severe pain in the side and the doctor initiated bloodletting; the procedure was
terminated when there was a drop in his pulse rate. Miller also applied heated
cups to the president's skin to enhance blood flow. The doctor then gave
him castor oil and medicines to induce vomiting, and diagnosed him with pneumonia
in the right lung. A team of doctors was called in Monday, March 29, and
they confirmed right lower lobe pneumonia. Harrison was
then administered laudanum, opium, and camphor, along with wine
and brandy.
Harrison died on March 4.
The
prevailing theory at the time was that his illness had been caused by the bad
weather at his inauguration three weeks earlier. Jane McHugh and Philip A.
Mackowiak did an analysis in Clinical Infectious Diseases (2014),
examining Miller's notes and records showing that the White House water supply
was downstream of public sewage, and they concluded that he likely died
of septic
shock due
to "enteric fever" (typhoid or paratyphoid fever).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Henry_Harrison
A 30-day period of mourning commenced following the president's death.
The White House hosted various public ceremonies, modeled after European royal
funeral practices. An invitation-only funeral service was also held on April 7
in the East Room of the White House, after which Harrison's coffin was brought
to Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C., where it was placed in
the Public
Vault. Solomon Northup gave an account of the procession in Twelve Years a Slave:
The next day there was a great pageant in Washington. The roar of cannon and the tolling of bells filled the air, while many houses were shrouded with crape, and the streets were black with people. As the day advanced, the procession made its appearance, coming slowly through the Avenue, carriage after carriage, in long succession, while thousands upon thousands followed on foot—all moving to the sound of melancholy music. They were bearing the dead body of Harrison to the grave…. I remember distinctly how the window glass would break and rattle to the ground, after each report of the cannon they were firing in the burial ground.
The US flag code was
established to offer a uniform set of practices for the handling and display of
the American flag, ensuring it is treated with the utmost respect. This code,
formalized by Congress in 1942, serves as a guideline for how citizens, governmental
bodies, and organizations should display the American flag. Its purpose is
multifaceted, aiming to instill a sense of patriotism, to provide a way to
honor the nation's ideals, and to unify the public under a common symbol of
national identity. The flag code addresses various scenarios, including how and
when the flag should be flown, the proper way to fold it, and the significance
of flying it at half-staff. By adhering to these guidelines, Americans
demonstrate their reverence for the flag and what it represents — freedom,
sacrifice, and the country's enduring values.
After Jimmy Carter died on December 29, president Biden
ordered that all flags should be flown at half-mast, in accordance with the
rules set down in 1942. Although the majority of the flags in the country will
be flown at half mast until January 29, it won’t happen everywhere.
Since Texas is still a foreign country, Greg Abbott has said
that lowering the flags will not happen in Texas.
The other place if may not happen is at the U.S. Capitol,
which leads to the next topic.
Most people are not familiar with narcissism, to I have listed
the symptoms below:
1.
Grandiose sense of
self-importance. This is the belief that your contribution and presence
are essential to the happiness,
success, or equilibrium of other people and any enterprises or
relationships. “The project would have tanked if I hadn’t been on the
team.” “If it weren’t for me, who knows where my spouse would have ended up!”
2.
Preoccupation with fantasies of
unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love. This
describes the belief that you are capable of exceptionally high levels of
achievement even when your skills or abilities provide no evidence of this
being possible. “If I get this job, I’ll soon be writing my own
paycheck and running the company.” “I’ll ace the LSAT and get a free ride to
Yale law school. Wait and see!”
3.
Belief that he or she is
special and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with,
other special or high-status people or institutions. This resembles the “I
want to talk to the manager” mindset in that narcissists firmly believe that
they should only have to deal with the top-level person in any institution.
They try to insert themselves in high-status cliques, meetings, or social
groups even if they’re unwanted. “Yes, the director and I go way back;
we’re good friends and I know she’ll be eager to hear my perspectives."
“I’ll be speaking with the CEO to set up a meeting to talk about these new
directives and let them know what my thoughts are on the matter.”
4.
Need for excessive
admiration. The narcissist isn’t satisfied with a compliment or pat on the
back when others offer them as a part of natural conversation. They demand that
others admire their appearance, accomplishments, skills, or existence. The admiration
of others is what feeds the narcissist. “Isn’t it amazing how the color
of this shirt sets off my eyes?” Boasting is second nature to
narcissists, and compliments are typically recounted innumerable times to
others as proof of their superiority.
5.
Sense of
entitlement. Narcissists may believe that success takes hard work – but
only for others, not for them. They totally believe that they deserve the best
tickets, the top score, the nicest room, or the best seat in the house. They
don’t even have to verbalize this belief as their behavior and actions clearly
communicate their sense of entitlement.
6.
Interpersonally
exploitive behavior. Narcissists see other people as tools. Their lack of
self-awareness is paralleled by a lack of awareness that others exist as
individuals with feelings, needs, and desires. “Get out of my way.” “Do
me a favor and give up your place in line for me.” Whatever they ask
for, it’s in their own selfish interest and they suffer no guilt for
expecting others to sacrifice for them.
7.
Lack of
empathy. This is the cold inability to accurately recognize how other
people feel. This speaks to the narcissist's lack of emotional awareness or
depth. It is not always that narcissists don’t “care” about another’s feelings,
it is just that they are unaware that others might even have those feelings.
8.
Envy of others or belief
that others are envious of
him or her. This describes the narcissist’s constant comparison of
themselves to others, wishing for themselves the success others experience, and
the false belief that everyone else is envious of them. That’s how they keep
their egos intact. Being perceived as “normal” or “subpar” would represent an
ego wound they could not handle. A narcissist might say, “Everyone
notices me when I enter the room. They know that they’ll never be as successful
as me.”
9.
Demonstration of
arrogant and haughty behaviors or attitudes. Arrogance and conceit are
traits that are often noticed first in narcissists. This is evidenced by
disrespect for the positions or rights of others and the narcissist’s
willingness to demand and expect that others will bend to their will. Like
exploitative behavior, this behavior can be easily noticed without the
narcissist having to say a word. They’ll break in lines, use patronizing tones,
and act as if they have every right to take away what is rightfully someone
else’s.
In addition to the currently referenced nine symptoms,
an alternative model of diagnosing personality disorders, such as NPD, was proposed in the
DSM-V. This model is characterized by four specific areas of functioning in
which personal disorders are most likely to be located. Among these four, an
individual who has moderate or greater impairment in these areas would be
considered to be evidencing a personality disorder:
·
Identity. For
narcissists, this is excessive focus on others to support their own
self-definition and excessive reference on others as means to maintain their
own self-esteem,
as well as overly estimated self-appraisal and a tendency to be overly pleased
or inordinately displeased with oneself. For narcissists, it’s not what’s
inside that matters, it’s what outsiders perceive when they gaze on the
narcissist that shapes their identity.
·
Self-direction. Narcissists
tend to keep their eyes on the prize that they feel others would prize. They
are driven by a desire to prove they are superior to others. This drive is
often coupled with a sense of entitlement that leaves them feeling that they
should be above having to work for any goal.
·
Empathy. This area
of functioning is what allows humans to connect with and understand the plights
of others. Unfortunately, narcissists only reference the reactions or actions
of others as they relate to the narcissist’s own behavior. Even these “readings”
of others are out of focus, as narcissists aren’t able to accurately assess
their effects on others. They may attend to someone’s expressed feelings in
order to leverage the person to the narcissist’s own benefit, but there’s no
awareness that goes beyond the practical.
·
Intimacy. This
is where the narcissist’s true nature and shortcomings often hurt others the
most. Narcissists are unable to forge or maintain more than superficial
relationships. They don’t have the emotional capacity to relate in authentic,
intimate ways. Every relationship is seen as a tool to feed the narcissist’s
ego.
There is little doubt that Donald John Trump is a narcissist.
For that reason, he is pressuring Mike Johnson to keep the flags at their full
height at the capitol so that they don’t detract from his inauguration.
The only response that I can think of in response to that
attitude is a phrase that I cannot publish in a newspaper. It ends with “ …and
the horse that you rode in on”.
Although Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992, he is
best remembered for his humanitarian efforts after he left office. In addition
to his work with Habitat for Humanity, the Carter Center has worked to solve a
variety of problems around the world, primarily in Africa.
Martin Luther King also won the Nobel Peace prize (in 1964) for his work in advancing the rights of minorities.
King was awarded at least fifty honorary degrees from colleges and
universities. On October 14, 1964, King became the youngest winner of
the Nobel Peace Prize,
which was awarded to him for leading nonviolent resistance to racial prejudice
in the U.S. In 1965, he was awarded the American Liberties Medallion by
the American Jewish
Committee for his "exceptional advancement of the
principles of human liberty."[449][452] In his acceptance remarks, King
said, "Freedom is one thing. You have it all or you are not free.
In 1957, he was awarded the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP. Two
years later, he won the Anisfield-Wolf Book
Award for Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story. In
1966, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America awarded King the Margaret Sanger Award for
"his courageous resistance to bigotry and his lifelong dedication to the
advancement of social justice and human dignity."Also in 1966, King was
elected as a fellow of the American
Academy of Arts and Sciences. In November 1967, he made a
24-hour trip to the UK to receive an honorary Doctorate in Civil Law from Newcastle University,
becoming the first African American the institution had recognized in this
way. In an impromptu acceptance speech, he said:
There are three urgent and indeed great problems that we face not only in the United States of America but all over the world today. That is the problem of racism, the problem of poverty and the problem of war.
(King after receiving his honorary doctorate from Newcastle
University)
In addition to his
nominations for three Grammy Awards, King posthumously won for Best
Spoken Word Recording in 1971 for "Why I Oppose The War In
Vietnam
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin
Luther King Jr. and often referred to shorthand as MLK Day)
is a federal holiday in the United States observed on
the third Monday of January each year. King was the chief spokesperson
for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which protested
racial discrimination in federal and state law and civil society. The movement
led to several groundbreaking legislative reforms in the United States.
The
campaign for a federal holiday in King's honor began soon after his assassination in 1968.
President Ronald Reagan signed the
holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later on
January 20, 1986. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such,
giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. Official
observance in each state's law as well as federal law occurred in 2000.
Speaking from the Oval Office as he
prepares to hand over power Monday to President-elect
Donald Trump, Biden seized what is likely to be his final
opportunity to address the country before he departs the White House to
spotlight the accumulation of power and wealth in the U.S. among just a small
few.
“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape
in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our
entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone
to get ahead,” Biden said, drawing attention to “a dangerous concentration of
power in the hands of a few ultra-wealthy people and the dangerous consequences
if their abuse of power is left unchecked.”
Exhibit #1, naturally, is Elon Musk, who spent $45 million on
mis-leading ads, in addition to direct contributions to Trump and other
Republican candidates. For him, it was a very good investment.
Without Musk's help, it is likely that Trump would not have won the election.
How he accomplished that can be found at the link below:
https://tohell-andback.blogspot.com/2024/11/how-americas-worst-president-got-re.html
How musk got to be the richest man in the word:
https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-net-worth-wealth-tesla-stock-trump-election-ev-2024-11
As Eugene Robinson (Washington Post) has said, we are about to
enter a second Gilded Age.
Historians, however, might view Trump’s swearing-in through a wider lens: Jan. 20, 2025, could well be remembered as the apotheosis of a Second Gilded Age.
The times we live in echo the original Gilded Age, roughly from 1870 to
1900. Now, as then, wealth is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a very
few. According to the St. Louis Federal Reserve, the richest 1 percent of Americans hold about 31
percent of the nation’s total wealth — up from 23 percent in 1990. The bottom 50 percent hold just 2.4 percent of
total wealth.
The
Tesla and SpaceX CEO's net worth skyrocketed to $439.2 billion on Wednesday —
an increase of about $50 billion in just one day, according to Bloomberg figures.
The
jump comes after an insider share sale at SpaceX boosted the space
exploration company to a $350
billion valuation,
making it the most valuable private startup in the world. Musk is believed to
own about 42% of the firm, NBC News reported.
Musk's
soaring wealth also piggybacks on the post-election rally for Tesla stock. Tesla's stock
has soared nearly 71% so far this year. Its market cap is $1.369 trillion.
https://companiesmarketcap.com/
The stock has surged since Donald Trump's
victory in the US presidential election, as investors wagered the electric
vehicle maker would benefit from Musk's close ties to the president-elect.
Mark
Malek, Siebert's chief investment officer, previously told BI that "some sort of
premium has been placed on the stock as a result of Musk's very public
involvement in Trump's campaign."
The nest four years are
going to be trying times for our country, but there are ways we can fight back.
When former President Donald Trump was
first elected, shocked liberals organized historic nationwide protests the day
after his inauguration in 2017, which drew an estimated 2.3 million attendees. The groups that
organized the protest marches became a major organizing avenue for the creation
of local level resistance groups that pressured congressional
lawmakers to block Trump’s agenda.
With President-elect Donald Trump scheduled to be inaugurated
again on Monday, tens of thousands of people will be headed to protest his
election at events scheduled not just in the nation's capital but
also across the country.
It’s unclear whether the protests
planned Saturday and Monday will match the 2017 outpouring of people and lasting impact. Still,
advocacy groups say they have spent months working together hoping to seize the
moment and bring more people into their movement.
Conservatives will also be holding an event in Washington. A Trump “victory rally” is planned
for 3 p.m. Sunday at Capital One Arena. Although not tied to the inauguration,
the annual anti-abortion
rights "March for Life" will occur on Friday January 24 in
Washington.
Several other smaller protests are
planned in Washington and across the country by groups like the Democratic
Socialists of America.
People's March
The largest protest, the People's
March, is an outgrowth of the 2017 Women's March, which drew millions of
protesters upset over Hillary Clinton's loss and Trump's record of misogynistic
comments and accusations of sexual abuse.
It will start in three different
locations at 10 a.m. Saturday in Washington, D.C. Each location has a different
interest focus like immigration, the right to an abortion and birth control, or
climate change, so attendees can connect with a topic they care about, Tamika
Middleton, managing director of the Women's March, told USA TODAY. The three marches will convene at the Lincoln
Memorial for a rally and a resource fair to help people to immediately get
involved in grassroots activism.
Middleton said the organizers are not trying to replicate the
2017 Women's March, but they want to provide an entry point for people who feel
inspired to do something after Trump won a second term.
"We're thinking about this as a starting point, but really
a starting point to move people into organizations so that we can be ready to
respond consistently to the different threats that we see coming, and also to
be building the kinds of networks and communities that we'll need to build
power and contend for power in the next four years," she said.
The Women's March is among the more
than a dozen organizations sponsoring the Washington event and more than 350
similar marches in cities across the country and internationally, including in Columbus, Ohio,
Atlanta, Telluride, Coloroado, and Amarillo, Texas.
Felicia Gambino, a civic fellow with
DoSomething who is attending the New York People’s March, said she wants
the march and rally to be a sign of unity with people who are afraid about what
the Trump administration's policies might mean for them.
Due to the fact that the weather in
D.C. will be cold, the inauguration ceremony will be held inside, making it
impossible to have a large crowd, much to the chagrin of Trump. However, since
it was also cold during Obama’s first inauguration, the real reason for moving
inside is to avoid the prospect to facing large crowds of protestors.
We are not watching the inauguration,
and neither are many of our friends and relatives.
Nor will Michelle Obama.
“Former First Lady Michelle Obama will not attend the
upcoming inauguration,” read a statement from the Obamas' office. No
explanation was given nor was one needed. Obama is in her “no longer willing to
go along to get along” era.
Barack Obama, George W. and Laura Bush, and Bill and
Hillary Clinton will be present for Trump’s swearing-in ceremony. But the
former presidents and their wives have announced that they will not
attend the traditional inaugural lunch. (And people say there’s
no bipartisanship.)
In 2021, Trump, marinating in lies about his loss to Joe
Biden, became the first outgoing president to skip his successor’s
inauguration.
As for Obama, this is the second high-profile presidential
event in recent weeks that she’ll forgo. She was not with her husband at the
funeral of former president Jimmy Carter on Jan. 9 in Washington. Her absence
seemed odd until one noticed the seating arrangement in the National Cathedral
— Michelle Obama would have been sitting next to Trump.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/19/opinion/michelle-obama-trump-inauguration/
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/17/us/politics/trump-inauguration-photo.html
The image, which will be printed inside the programs his supporters will clutch come Monday morning, does not exactly scream celebration. Mr. Trump is shown sternly squinting, bathed in eerie, David Lynchian lighting from below, high-powered strobes reflected in his eyes. One entertainment photographer said the lighting and technique is reminiscent of the photographer Jill Greenberg’s controversial “End Times” series of crying children.
Whereas other men on the cusp of the presidency have offered anodyne, smiling inaugural images, the photo revealed on Thursday was — as with all things Trump — dramatic and startling. It is certainly reminiscent of the purposeful pose he struck for his 2024 mug shot, taken by the Fulton County, Georgia, sheriff’s office in that state’s election interference case.
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