By SJWNY, a Trail Mix Contributor
The following was written by Sherman Edwards for the musical 1776. I offer it in honor of all soldiers & for the timelessness of loss & pain for those left behind.
Mama, hey mama
Come lookin’ for me
I’m here in the meadow
By the red maple tree
Mama, hey mama,
Look sharp here I be
Hey, Hey
Mama, look sharp.
Them soldiers, they fired
Oh, ma, did we run
But then we turned round
And the battle begun
Then I went under
Oh ma, am I done
Hey, hey
Mama, look sharp.
My eyes are wide open
My face to the sky
Is that you I’m hearing
In the tall grass nearby
Mama, come find me before I do die
Hey, hey
Mama, look sharp.
I’ll close your eyes, my Billy
Those eyes that cannot see
And I’ll bury you, my Billy
Beneath the maple tree
And never again
Will you whisper to me
Hey, hey
Oh mama ….. look sharp.
More Posts by SJWNY
the guardian:
Stacey Abrams becomes first black female nominee for governor
Victory in Georgia’s Democratic primary is among most consequential in series of triumphs by female candidates ahead of midterm elections
For the first time in the US, voters have chosen a black woman as nominee for state governor after Stacey Abrams declared victory in Georgia’s Democratic primary.
Abrams – a former state House minority leader and progressive who earned support from both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders – beat Stacey Evans, also a former state representative. The result was among the most consequential in a series of primaries that brought successes for female candidates across the country ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.
Abrams will attempt to make history as both America’s first black female governor and the first woman to hold the position in Georgia. The Republican primary, which was largely contested among a group of white men, looked headed for a run-off as neither of the candidates secured a majority of the vote.
Abrams’s victory came hours after Amy McGrath, a retired Marine fighter pilot, defeated the Democratic party’s establishment candidate in the primary race for a House seat in Kentucky.
McGrath, who fashioned herself as part of a younger generation seeking to challenge the old guard in Washington, beat the Lexington mayor, Jim Gray, a millionaire who had been backed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
[….continues….]
I read those lyrics and thought of parents sending their kiddos off to school.
While we yammer on about politics & the good points of Idiot #1 vs the bad points of Idiot #2 good to remember the human fodder on the front lines placed there by Idiot #1 and or #2. Throughout history soldiers have paid the ultimate price & their families suffered with loss of loved ones & economic status. This weekend will end up once again being not a break to remember & pay homage to those who served but being nothing more than Sales! Sales! Sales!, yipping about the price of gas as we ‘get away’, a long weekend from work & school, a car race at the brickyard. My attempt is to remind us about the lonely heartbreak of dying far from home & the eternal pain of those left behind.
Take a break from derision & division by honoring those who made & defended the right for us to disagree. Every soldier who died deserves that respect. Thank You.
This will never be but …. reading Pension Request Files from the Revolutionary War & Civil War should be mandatory as part of school curriculum. Have you ever read any? They can be accessed through the National Archives. Donald Lines Jacobus compiled a book of Revolutionary War Vets’ Pension files from the Fairfield, Connecticut area. It will break your heart, especially the recountings of young men captured & placed on British Prison War ships. Unbelievably bad conditions. This was real. People suffered, people died.
and as covered by Bloomberg:
Women Get Milestone Wins in Georgia, Texas Democratic Primaries
Women recorded milestone firsts in Democratic primaries for governor in Georgia and Texas on Tuesday, as other female candidates were victorious in multiple contests to run for the U.S. House in November.
In Georgia, Democrat Stacey Abrams became the first black woman to win a major party nomination for governor, running on a platform that focused on economic fairness and mobility, overhauling the criminal justice system, and LGBTQ rights.
Texas Democrats nominated former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez as their candidate for governor, making her the first Latina and the first openly gay candidate selected for the office by a major party in the state.
Both women face difficult general election races in November in states where Republicans dominate top offices. Abrams will face either Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle or Secretary of State Brian Kemp who advanced to a July runoff for the Republican nomination. Valdez will be running against incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott.
[….continues…]
it’s about time
drip drip drip
excerpt from wapo’s : A big shoe drops in the Mueller probe, as the Taxi King flips
“Do you understand the nature of the benefit your attorneys have accomplished on your behalf?” Judge Peter Lynch asked Freidman on Tuesday, according to the Times. That question that should frighten both Cohen and President Trump’s legal team.
From the Turnbow collection Springfield Missouri/Green county public library
The dead are dead, it is the survivors who have to cope. Versions of this scene happen everyday in conflicts across the globe, I’m sure there are women in Syria who understand this Arkansas women’s pain all too well,
Jack
So yeah, discussing various “idiots” and their behavior is important. It took a lot of idiots to start the civil war too.
Jack
Congratulations to Ms. Abrams on what is quite an achievement, but I have to say she probably stands at the threshold of a bridge too far. GA has a roughly 60/30 white/black racial split, and believing that 40% of GA whites will vote for a black female for governor is pretty much a pipe dream. That said the demos in the 2016 election were about 51-46, so depending on turnout it might be an achievable pipe dream although there were no racial politics mucking things up in 2016. The last time GA voted for a dem for pres was Bill’s 1st term – he lost in GA in his re-election bid. I’d love to see the GA crackers put a progressive black female in office . It would drive the kluckers there crazy.
sjwny, thank you for reminding us, but should we only mourn the dead?
Where are the legs with which you run, Hurroo Hurroo Where are the legs with which you run, Hurroo Hurroo Where are the legs with which you run, When first you went to carry a gun Indeed your dancing days are done Johnny I hardly knew ya [Chorus:] You haven’t an arm, you haven’t a leg, Hurroo Hurroo You haven’t an arm, you haven’t a leg, Hurroo Hurroo You hadn’t an arm, you hadn’t a leg You’re a armless, boneless, chickenless egg You’ll have to be put with the bowl to beg Johnny I hardly knew ya
whskyjack,
I never said not to discuss idiots. Just asking to please remember those who died, how they died. And show them respect, give them thanks. They died, we didn’t. We owe them & the families left behind.
We can bitch, moan, groan & complain because of those who came before us. Sit on our fat heinies & do nothing.
Not much to ask for a little gratitude to those who made our ‘freedoms’ possible.
JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN,
by Dalton Trumbo
Book of the month.
Old World values.
I don’t think there are many if any at all who do not honor the soldiers.
sj… yup… once again you’ve chided this blog with your holier than art thou scolding attitude and Jack didn’t take kindly to it… go figure.
ps… Memorial Day is 5 days away. If I comment about my gratitude for those that made the ultimate sacrifice now… what will I have left to say next week.
RebelliousRenee,
I never said not to discuss anything.
As for Memorial Day, shouldn’t that sentiment be sacred everyday? Why limit it to just one day? Isn’t it timeless, universal?
Why not contribute Posts about your interests – you too, whskyjack, Bink, everyone. Mix it up. We all have different likes, dislikes. Part of the human experience.
Whskyjack, tell us more about the border wars of Missouri/Kansas, the John Brown raids, the horrible butchery of neighbor against neighbor.
There is a handful of us who make the effort to contribute – Patd does overload overtime 😉 Pogo does a good job too; looks for interesting tidbits then stands back & lets us chirp & chatter about it. Do I need to contribute? No. Neither do Patd or Pogo – or Jace. Of course if Mr Crawford didn’t … it be a blank space. Don’t like what you read? Then write something you do. I’m interested to read it.
Just chatted a bit on twitter with the daughter of Lenny Bruce……this modern technology thing is really cool.
lennybruce.org Foundation geared to fighting addiction in young people.
sj – Thanks for the words – I go through periods when blog more and periods when I blog less. I work, and for my wife – she might not take kindly to me spending my day yapping on the blog instead of doing what we do as lawyers.
OK, as to interesting (to me anyway) tidbits, consider this – SFB has characterized Manafort as someone who was with his campaign for a very short time (he was the longest serving campaign manager he had), Papadopolis as a coffee boy and Cohen as someone who did a little lawyer stuff for him – a very small percentage of his legal work. These were all people who were critical folks in his campaign and business worlds – and he now crows that the FBI planted a spy – Halper- in his campaign – a guy who talked with about 3 folks in his campaign. So if you were part of his campaign you weren’t really and if you weren’t part of his campaign you were. Got it? God are we phucked or what?
Pogo,
I appreciate everything you do 🙂 Thank You.
Your unique law insight cuts through FAKE NEWS!
I think I was too young when I read Johnny got his gun.. the only thing I remember from itis..”here is your rifle here is your gun…one is for shooting the other for fun.”
I spend my time on the money bail issue. I don’t sit on my fat heinie https://www.vox.com/2015/8/14/9153125/us-bail-system
There are a couple of people who post here who are very judgemental and do express their opinions freely. If it becomes the order of the day — this place will be a lot less fun.
Do we need to add noise-canceling headphones to our preparedness kits? Sonic attack on US official in China, like those on our folks in Cuba.
So the real issue here is conflict resolution.
People should have supported skinny Dennis when he wanted a department of peace
He is running for governor of Ohio. I hope he gets elected. Dennis Kucinich turned out to be an excellent politician because he could change. He was open to new information and he did change. I think he is one of the pols most ill treated by the media.
sj… plenty of people have contributed to this blog for 13 years… some are no longer here and some are. I’ve had periods when I contribute heavily… like the discussion last week (or was it the week before) on art and artists. And sometimes I take breaks… usually the weekend (except for Sunday morning to talk to Jace). I rarely blog past 5pm EST. as that’s my choice. I will choose to come and go here as I please as I always have.
I just got word that a family member is being given his last rights at a hospital this afternoon. So don’t expect me to keep chit chatting with you.
What kids want you to know — just in case they die in a school shooting https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/23/us/school-shooting-tweets-trnd/index.html
Bid
Thanks for posting that. I can’t imagine what that is like. When I was in high school
I graduated in 1964, the biggest worry was a date for the weekend.
Judgemental is in the eye of the beholder; nobody thinks it’s judge-y when you agree with them. I’ve scrolled by as many as those who’ve scrolled by me.
I’m talking about when people have suggested rules/standards of behavior on the blog not opinions of the day
crackers – I fear from for my niece and young cousins these days. The school campuses are huge.
The parents of last week’s shooter in TX want to blame bullying. A) Most of us had/knew of a bully in school, but this crap didn’t happen. B) One of the girls he murdered rejected his attention, according to her mother; she said he was harassing her.
Do they need to teach a social skills module in schools so they can learn how to interact with others and manage their emotions? Clearly, the NRA has pumped too much blood money into politics to get anything resolved through that avenue.
Oh, I misunderstood.
I don’t understand the school violence at all. The murderers, for the most part, are lonely damaged white teenage boys.
If I were a gooper I would suggest that no white teenage boys be allowed to have guns
I got sent to a military school where I became a total social misfit……I just toughed it out knowing they couldn’t keep me there forever…..it’s where I learned a great patience. But then, I had friends and music outside of school, so it was different from what some had, but that last of 4 years I’d had enough and flunked every subject but Spanish and got out……#basta
Don’t recall ever wanting to shoot anyone, though.
Hell, I didn’t even want to shoot animals, but there were plenty of guns around had I wanted to.
Decreasing violence through conflict resolution
https://www.mediate.com/articles/asherman.cfm
I seem to recall a virtual swear jar that was set up to remind us to mind our Ps and Qs.
sjwny, thanks I think… and apologies to all suffering scroll pain due to my over posting over lengthy articles. hate to leave people dangling with just the headlines or tantalizing hints without link or substance enough to give fair warnings about the crisis de jour.
apologies too for too many more-than-you-want-know stuff from wiki et al….. guess i’m a female cliffie (Cheers) type boring all without meaning to
In terms of Memorial Day having a lesser meaning today – I blame the law creating the standard 3 day weekend holidays. Memorial Day was May 30th and it really was Memorial Day. Now it’s about the three day weekend and the beginning of summer.
I have no problem with three day weekends for employee contracts but it has had the unintended consequence of making a holiday which had meaning into just another vacay day.
Pogo
Those comments I refer to – may include swearing but are much broader in range and include styles of humor and things like that
yours truly in drag
To paraphrase David Hogg of Parkland – …the arguments should be about the content of the post not the character of the author..
the guardian: Donald Trump cannot block anyone on Twitter, court rules A New York judge rules @realDonaldTrump is a presidential, not personal, account and blocking violates the first amendment [….] In ruling against Trump, the court pointed to past White House assurances that the president’s Twitter account is an official political channel. In her 75-page opinion, United States district judge, Naomi Reice Buchwald wrote: “The president presents the @realDonaldTrump account as being a presidential account as opposed to a personal account and, more importantly, uses the account to take actions that can be taken only by the president as president”. Earlier this week Trump attempted to order a DOJ investigation into election surveillance with a tweet that began “I hereby demand”. Judge Buchwald suggested that Trump could have simply ignored the replies that upset him, rather than blocking the users involved. […] The judge issued what is known as declaratory relief, which states the point of law, as opposed to an injunction that would seek to bar the president from blocking his critics. That dodged a potential showdown between branches of government. “Because no government official is above the law and because all government officials are presumed to follow the law once the judiciary has said what the law is, we must assume that the president and [digital director Dan] Scavino will remedy the blocking we have held to be unconstitutional,” the judge wrote. Knight First Amendment Institute director Jameel Jaffer suggested that further legal… Read more »
Blog drama Wednesday, woot woot!
It’s funny how people are trying to find solutions beyond the actual problem: irresponsible adults providing access to lethal firearms to at-risk youth. That’s the problem, borne out in every one of these episodes that i can remember off-hand. Every one.
Notice these shootings never happen at private schools (am i wrong about that? Any private school shootings in the last 10 years? Correct me, if so.)
While the facists in power float ideas on how to turn our schools into maximum security prisons, why not take the cheapest and easiest step and introduce public school uniforms? That should have been done 20 years ago.
An additional reason for the great collapse of a Memorial Day, besides advertising, three day weekends and slightly lower religious followings, fewer people have an immediate or direct link to a soldier, sailor, airman, coastie or Marine killed. With only seven percent serving or served in the military, many families no longer have a connection to the military. I am the last in my family to have served, I was at the tail end of Vietnam. Although my sons wanted to serve, they were rejected by the Marines. None of the rest of the family wanted to enlist.
Decoration Day means a lot to me. But, I am learning that fewer people care. As new generations are further from the military, death of a soldier means less. We have a professional military now, it is not a shared commitment. Death is now shared tightly within the profession. It is hard to explain why Taps affects me to someone who has not served. I never teared up on funeral detail, but I do easily now.
KGC, I bemoan the cheapening of important holidays in the name of three day weekends.
There are two special days that belong to American families with a military heritage–Memorial Day and Veterans Day. They are so important that they deserve their traditional places on our Calendar.
The first is a day of remembrance for those military members who have died in service to our country from the Revolution until now. It has been traditionally celebrated on May 30th of each year and was called Decoration Day because much of the day was spent sprucing-up veterans’ graves and adding new plantings of annual flowers to comfort the deceased. People in the former Confederate States of America often honor veterans of the Civil War in a separate Confederate Memorial Day celebration. It is my great hope that over the years people will recognize that the soldiers on both sides of that war are probably sharing beers with a toast to their lost brethren.
The other special date is November 11th, the day the War to End All Wars, World War I, terminated with the Allies winning, but everybody losing. It has been re-purposed to recognize those American military members standing guard to prevent war and, when that fails, to fight those wars with honor and conviction. It is called Veterans Day. Wear a poppy on November 11 in remembrance of the millions who perished in Europe.
How about dayglow pink uniforms for boys ? Or, pink for everyone ?
The shooting problem might be solved by forbidding anyone to give firearms or ammo to any mentally ill person, on penalty of lifelong exile to Attu Island, Alaska.
…hard to pack an assault rifle in a polo and khakis, xrep. Plus, not having uniforms just indoctrinates classism at a young age.
I put flags on graves for Memorial Day, and attended the cemetery services. Some 30 years ago, the Legion invited me to give the Memorial Day address one year at the largest Catholic cemetery in this very Catholic town. Not being a Catholic, it was one of the greatest honors of my life to do so.
Lately Memorial Day has brought back memories that are too painful to bear. I would rather honor than grieve, and the day only triggers grief now.
Mr Flatus reminds me of Veterans Day. The poppy is still in my jacket lapel, where Uncle Don, a WWII Zoomie) put it last fall. It will be there until he puts in the new one next fall.
There is no such thing as a permanent security clearance.
patD – personally, I like the extra stuff you post.
Does this mean Jamie can tweet the twit when she gets back?
It is definitely not a private account. With all of the veiled threats and edicts he’s made on Twitter, could he be violating the office in some, new way? Official oppression?
Maybe everyone can just tweet him to stop creating fake news. That might overload the entire system, though.
Paranoid because he’s mentally ill, guilty, or both?
Jared got security clearance? Let’s hope it’s just a way to give him enough rope…
So I’m breaking my rule of not blogging after 5pm… I was away all afternoon. My relative got his last rites at 4pm and quietly passed away at 4:15.
Bid… I haven’t wanted to say anything as I don’t know exactly what happened… but Jamie has left some Facebook posts that indicate she had some kind of medical trouble while on vacation and some sort of procedure yesterday. She hasn’t responded yet to my or anyone else’s inquires as to what the problem was… I’ll let you all know if she does.
Mr Bink, we had ranks up to major. I graduated as a staff sgt & leader of the 3d platoon. A mere junior was my lieuie. Spit & polish conformist, he was, and welcome to wear those godawful expensive pinks.
If it was discovered during one of the periodic locker inspections that one didn’t have a rifle, mostly mannlincher carcanos or Krag Jorgensons, then one was in deep trouble. None of us ever shot each other, mostly because only a few weapons (locked away) had firing pins, and we weren’t given ammunition except at the rifle range.
Carcano was a crappy gun. The Mauser bolt is the worst part of it. The Krag was a great target rifle, a lightweight precision piece with a smooth and fast action. Unfortunately, it was also a low power rifle.
Renee, my condolences at the loss of your relative…
Flatus
BIRTH DE-CONTROL
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/studies-shuttering-coal-and-oil-power-plants-boosts-fertility-babies-health/ar-AAxI4du?ocid=spartanntp&ffid=gz
What are you talking about, xrep? Military school? If you’re dove-tailing that in to my uniform recommendation, i’ll be damned if i can make me those pieces fit.
Interesting reading. Had to work to put a tourniquet on a number of things before taking 2 days off before a 3 day holiday. I’ll pay for it Tuesday.
Flatus, I’ve got a different perspective on 3 day weekends associated with holidays. My dad was a WWII vet, and I think about that every year on Memorial Day. I sometimes remember Veterans’ Day. Of course Dad didn’t die overseas in the service of the country, but to me Memorial Day is elevated by being a Monday Holiday. I wish Mother’s Day and Father’s Day were Mondays- we all have one of each of those. But I’m not a vet so I’ll defer to your take- you’ve earned it.
rr – I’m so sorry for your loss.
Hope Jamie is OK.
On Decoration Day, the flags & the GAR markers were on the graves. We took flowers to everyone, family and neighbors with no family left to remember them. It’s a day of reflection.
There is a Carry The Load rally in DFW this weekend, which is the end of a cross-country march they do every year for military and first responders. It’s not all Indy 500 & cookouts, but nice when folks can get together…gathering rosebuds while you can…
Hey folks have you been out to a cemetery, This holiday is not just about those who died in wars.
Decoration day is as old as the first colonial cemetery. It was a communal event. One where the community gathered, cleaned up the cemetery and remembered their dead.
For most Americans it is still a time to honor their loved ones who have passed on and if you go out to any cemetery you will see many doing just that.
From what I’ve read this communal gathering was first politicized by Southern ladies looking for a way to continue the resistance under reconstruction, of course the Union veteran groups followed along, So that by the mega wars of the 20 century it had become a federal holiday with all the pomp and flag waving that entails.
Even so the majority of people still celebrate(if they celebrate at all) the simpler version with flowers, thoughts, memories and a prayer or two for those that made us who we are. That is what Mrs Jack and I plan to do this week for her folks, I did it for mine last weekend. We had a high school graduation and I took the opportunity to drop by and visit with my parents and grand parents, I put flowers on their grave and while my folks didn’t much care, I’m sure grandma was happy she always worried nobody would do that.
Jack
Wrapping up a day and evening of 91st birthday festivities for my dad. Too tired to post plus house Internet and phone line down.
A quote from a neighbors bumper sticker.
“if you like your freedom thank a vet”
It is common and something SJ said earlier reminded me of it. (and my posts today haven’t been intended as a pick on SJ day. She just triggered some simmering thoughts.)
The problem with the quote is that it is false.
The military protects the state, if the state protects your freedom then the military will but if it doesn’t then it doesn’t.
An example from a discussion recently with fellow neighborhood leader. Mrs Jack’s father and Ron’s father both served in WWII in the pacific. The difference between the two was that Ron’s father was African American, he could not serve in combat units therefor he was just a “truck driver”. A truck driver that , as Ron found out after his dad passed away, was awarded a bronze star.
When his dad came home in 1945, he could not live where he chose, dine where he chose, or work at any job he might choose. The military didn’t protect his freedoms, in the end it was many others working through the political system and the courts who did.
Jack
Well said, Jack.
craig, a post for tomorrow is waiting for review if you want to use it
Yes, Mr Bink, I attended the last non-ROTC (non-socialist) military school in the nation.
Mr Jack, I concur with your post of 11:44PM. Your explanation illuminates and clarifies a troubling something that has been fermenting in the back of my brain since Colin Kaepernick took the knee.
bink. XR did an excellent job of dove tailing your remarks about uniforms, access to guns, and private schools by his recall of attending a military school.
jack, completely agree with your lamentation re neighbor ron
x-r, taking a knee is far more respectful of the flag & anthem than wearing American symbol on one’s shorts or squirrely hat.
Pompeii denied the existence of a criminal deep state in State and in CIA when he ran it. I’m waiting for the SFB denunciation.
NEW THREAD, by Whskyjack
Bishop Curry is leading a multi-denomination (rally/protest?) in DC with liberals and conservatives. Using last week’s 15 minutes of fame at the beautiful wedding to do some good & remind elected officials WWJD. Paul Ryan, are you listening? Anyone?
Meanwhile, Canada has told Yahoo that their new privacy policy ain’t gonna fly there.
By agreeing to the new policy, which you must do to keep using it, you are giving permission for them to scan emails…which means you are agreeing FOR YOUR CONTACTS to have their privacy violated.
You are agreeing for your contacts. That doesn’t seem right, especially in light of FB & Cambridge Analytica.
Although, don’t most of us just text now anyway? I have 2 or 3 folks that still email.
A belated Happy Birthday to Sr Crawford!
Oh, Hillary. She endorsed Cuomo. No!
VA health care bill named after John McCain https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/23/politics/veterans-health-bill-john-mccain/index.html
Kudos to Adam Schiff for labeling what the president is doing these days as Liegate.