Don't fault me. Look in a mirror, instead.

I often find it interesting how people react when I speak openly about being treated badly, especially when I post about it on Facebook. What strikes me most is that the anger I receive rarely seems to come from the actions themselves, but from the fact that I have dared to point them out. Yet, in my mind, the truth is simple: if the poor treatment had not happened, I would have had nothing to write about. My words are not an attack, but a reflection of what I have experienced.

This leads me to wonder—why is the messenger so often blamed, while the behavior that caused the message is ignored? If we believe in honesty, accountability, and integrity, shouldn’t people take responsibility for how they treat others? Why is it easier to get angry at the one who speaks than to look inward and consider the actions that gave rise to those words?

For me, the act of writing is not about revenge or humiliation. It is about truth, about giving voice to my feelings rather than suppressing them. To remain silent would be to deny my own experience, and that is something I cannot do. I believe that if someone wishes not to be spoken of for having caused hurt, the answer lies not in silencing me, but in treating others with kindness and respect from the start.

In the end, I return to a simple principle: we are each responsible for our own actions. If we treat others well, there will be nothing negative to say. But if we treat others poorly, then perhaps the discomfort we feel when the truth is spoken is not with the words themselves, but with the mirror they hold up to us.

IT IS IN THEIR ZEAL THAT THE MIDDLE EAST SUFFERS, a guest commentary from Michael John Young

IT IS IN THEIR ZEAL THAT THE MIDDLE EAST SUFFERS

Religious Zealots in Israel and Iran are the problem. We are witness, once again, to the crippling stupidity of radical religious governance. 

First of all, yes. Netanyahu is blowing this. He’s ruining the reputation of Israel in the minds of many, especially those predisposed to hate Israel. 

He’s making Antisemitism easy. He’s a gift to them. 

Now… that being said… Hamas has it in their charter the destruction of Israel and death to all Jews. As does their sponsors in Iran. And what’s left of Hezbollah. And the Houthis. So… let’s be clear… if Israel was somehow disarmed… it would immediately be set upon by the Arab World AND Iran (which is not Arab) and destroyed. That’s NOT speculation. That’s a FACT by the most modest analysis of the history of this region, especially since the height of the Ottoman Empire was reached in the early 1900’s. Resentment of Jews has been around it seems forever. But the Ottomans pushed this hate as a policy right up to the gates of Vienna in 1683… when the Muslims were humiliated. 

The Muslims, as a religion, are also a political movement which has within its own “charter,” the Q’ran, a mission to be the only religion. It retains this stance as is evident in how Muslim nations govern, especially those on the borders of Israel. 

Tell me. How is Israel to respond to 14,000 rockets fired into it since 2005? 

Do you know the real meaning of “From the River to the Sea.”? 

(That’s a test. Because if you don’t know what that means, I’m not sure I’m doing much more here than wasting my time.)

The Jewish religion has no similar mandate. No similar mission. There’s no doctrinal equivalent in the Jewish religion to Muslim doctrines of “Jihad” or “Caliphate.” 

So let’s be crystal clear.

If you live in Toledo Ohio, imagine that all of Michigan, and every county west of Archbold, or south of Napoleon, or east of Sandusky, was filled with leadership and followers determined to destroy Toledo and kill every resident, and they have proven that by trying to invade Toledo numerous times since 1948. Let’s imagine some of these State Sponsored haters invaded Maumee Bay State Park in October 7, 2023, killed 1,700 residents in the city of Oregon and those attending a music festival on the bay, and carried off 250 more as hostages. 

Yeah.

Think about it. 

Now… that being said… though Israel has a right to defend itself, and emasculate the leadership of the governments and groups arrayed against it… the carpet bombing and mass indiscriminate destruction Netanyahu is doing is wrong. 

His own intelligence service is doing it right. Clever pager bombs, precision strikes, the killing of leaders of the Iranian funded terrorist infrastructure AND Iranian leaders and military strategists AND nuclear scientists. 

What we are witnessing is THE PROBLEM with “WE NEED A THIRD PARTY” bullshit. 

Right now Israel is a textbook example of why third parties are a DIRECT AND PROVEN THREAT TO DEMOCRACY and MAJORITY RULE because Netanyahu’s party could not win a majority of the vote, BUT he was able to attain a governing majority by teaming up with a radical right wing fringe Party that held a few seats that put him over the top. And he could only do that by agreeing to conduct his campaign against Hamas in accord with their most radical Orthodox Jewish hate of anyone not an Orthodox Jew. 

What you’re seeing is Netanyahu NOT reflecting the will of the citizens of Israel. He has hijacked the government by means of an unholy coalition to save his own pathetic skin from prison due to his documented corruption. 

Iran, by the way, is ALSO run by a radical

UNREPRESENTATIVE theocratic dictatorship that only retains power by terrorizing its citizens as it carries out its campaign to destroy Israel, and the Jewish religion.

We have an Iran hijacked by religious zealots fighting an Israel hijacked by religious zealots. 

The only true “bad guys” here are theocratic dictators. The only true “victims” here are those citizens they have ignored. 

Finally, only Israel is a democracy. Flawed as it is at the moment. Iran, now damaged by the actions of Israel and the United States has an emerging opportunity to save itself… but only if Netanyahu can be changed or deposed in order to end his counterproductive air strikes and artillery. 

If the Orthodox Muslim Iranian regime falls, it will also require the end of the Orthodox Jewish Netanyahu coalition to fall, for any hope of lasting peace.

Treat Others More Gently With More Love, Patience, Tolerance, Care, And Kindness

All you folks who are bashing other people, either as individuals or as groups, on Facebook on a regular and consistent basis should take this meme to heart. The outright, mean-spirited, denigrating, malicious comments and insults based on personal perspectives, religious intolerance, political leanings, economic status (read that as welfare) and so on and so forth are indicative of the type of person you truly are!
Then, there are the times that one person may jump to conclusions and make erroneous assumptions about another person or even a group of persons based on incorrect and/or incomplete information, rumors and gossip, or not knowing that the other person or persons is undergoing personal, emotionally challenging turmoil.
The negative sterotypes that are perpetuated by posting and sharing of memes containing mistruths, prejudicial opinions, discriminatory remarks, etc. directed at groups of people do not serve any constructive purpose.
An honest dialogue, conversation, or exchange based on facts and/or respectful disagreements is one thing but the vicious, malicious, mean-spirited, name-calling and labeling of others is absolutely unnecessary.
Each and every one of us (yes, me included) need to be kinder and gentler.

 

An open letter wishing a happy birthday to the greatest man I know, my son, Adam Roland Hansen.

 Dear Adam,

Today is your 52nd birthday—and with it comes another moment for me to tell you just how much you mean to me.

You are a man of great intellect and uncommon decency. From the day you were born on July 31, 1973, you have brought honor and pride to our family name. You have grown into someone I not only love with all my heart, but also admire deeply for your integrity, compassion, and steadfast moral compass.

You embody the very best qualities that any father could ever hope for in a son: honesty, strength of character, empathy, and wisdom. You are truly a Renaissance man—curious, thoughtful, and dedicated to always learning and growing. You have consistently strived to become the grandest version of the greatest vision of your highest self, and in doing so, you’ve helped others around you to rise as well.

There is a quiet nobility in the way you live your life, in your sense of justice, your kindness toward others, and your unwavering commitment to doing what is right. You are not only a fine human being—you are one of the finest I have ever known.

I am beyond proud to call you my son. It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to watch you become the man you are today. I respect you. I admire you. And I love you—deeply, truly, always.

Happy Birthday, Adam. May this year bring you the same measure of joy and peace that you so often bring to others.

With all my love,

Dad

Concerning Tyrant Trump

I am placing below a copy and paste of a Facebook posting that I find very interesting. 

I will not be drawn into debate over this post. I am aware of the arguments of people who disagree with the statements below. I am posting this for all those who may be living in fear in this moment so you know you are not alone. I want to share this piece in solidarity.

This is where I stand. The 45/47th President, his power hungry cronies taking positions of authority in his Cabinet and administration, and the majority of Republicans in Congress are a real and active threat to me, my way of life, and all or most of the people I love.

Some people are saying that we should give Trump a chance, that we should "work together" with him because he won the election and he is "everyone's president." This is my response: 

- I will never respect or support a leader who says he hates Democrats—roughly half the country. It's the job of the POTUS to work for the entire country, not just his cult. 

•I will not forget how badly he and so many others treated former President Barack Obama for 8 years and Biden cleaning up his mess...Lies about his legitimacy and hatred for his principles and his attempts to work within the system.

•I will not "work together" to privatize Medicare, cut Social Security and Medicaid.

•I will not "work together" to subvert the Constitution by illegitimately pushing unfit Cabinet nominees through on recess appointments without the advice and consent of the Senate.

•I will not "work together" to build a wall.

•I will not "work together" to persecute Muslims.

. I will not “work together” to persecute transgender people. 

 I will not "work together" to shut out refugees from other countries who seek asylum.

•I will not "work together" to lower taxes on the 1% and increase taxes on the middle class and poor.

•I will not "work together" to help Trump use the Presidency to line his pockets and those of his family and cronies.

•I will not "work together" to weaken and demolish environmental protection.

•I will not "work together" to sell American lands, especially National Parks, to companies which then despoil those lands.

•I will not "work together" to enable the killing of whole species of animals just because they are predators, or inconvenient for a few, or because some people want to get their thrills killing them.

•I will not "work together" to remove civil rights from anyone.

•I will not "work together" to alienate countries that have been our allies for as long as I have been alive.

•I will not "work together" to slash funding for education.

•I will not "work together" to take basic assistance from people who are at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder.

•I will not "work together" to get rid of common sense regulations on guns.

•I will not "work together" to eliminate the minimum wage.

•I will not "work together" to support so-called "Right To Work" laws, or undermine, weaken or destroy Unions in any way.

•I will not "work together" to suppress scientific research, be it on climate change, fracking, or any other issue where a majority of scientists agree that Trump and his supporters are wrong on the facts.  

•I will not "work together" to criminalize abortion or restrict health care for women.

•I will not "work together" to increase the number of nations that have nuclear weapons.

•I will not "work together" to put even more "big money" into politics.

•I will not "work together" to violate the Geneva Convention.

•I will not "work together" to give the Ku Klux Klan, the Nazi Party and white supremacists a seat at the table, or to normalize their hatred.

•I will not "work together" to deny health care to people who need it.

•I will not "work together" to deny medical coverage to people on the basis of a "pre-existing condition."

•I will not "work together" to increase voter suppression.

•I will not "work together" to normalize tyranny.

. I will not “work together” with anyone who stormed the Capitol on January 6th, trying to overturn the 2020 election

•I will not “work together” to eliminate or reduce ethical oversight at any level of government.

•I will not "work together" with anyone who is, or admires, tyrants and dictators.

•I will not support anyone that thinks it's OK to put a pipeline to transport oil on Sacred Ground for Native Americans. And, it would run under the Missouri River, which provides drinking water for millions of people. An accident waiting to happen.

•I will not "work together" to legitimize racism, sexism, and authoritarianism.

This is my line, and I am drawing it.

•I WILL stand for honesty, love, respect for all living beings, and for the beating heart that is the center of Life itself.

•I WILL use my voice and my hands, to reach out to the uninformed, and to anyone who will LISTEN: that "winning", "being great again", "rich" or even "beautiful" is nothing... when others are sacrificed to glorify its existence.

Now it is your turn. Copy, paste, and add your name to the top. This needs to be heard loud and clear.

Signed

Terri Joseph 

Political Parties in the United States of America

 Political parties in the United States of America have been, are, and always will be the subject of much criticism. None-the-less, back in early American history in 1787, James Madison wrote The Federalist No. 10 in which he put forth that factions are inherent in society.

The beliefs held by political parties are not cast in stone, nor are political parties stable and permanent. Political parties in the United States have come and gone, risen and fallen, restructured, dealigned, realigned, changed, and evolved.

If you are curious about the history and transformation of U.S. political parties, you might find Copernicus Election Watch, The Parties from EdGate.com to be quite interesting.

U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin Speaks Out on "Wannabe Dictator" Donald Trump

The following is a statement that Senator Elissa Slotkin (D - Michigan) posted on Facebook on Sunday, June 8, 2025 in response to Donald Trump deploying the National Guard in Los Angeles to quell protesting Americans. 

Yesterday, President Trump called up 2,000 National Guard troops to LA over the objections of the governor, mayor, and the LAPD. It's the first time in 60 years that a president has sent troops into a U.S. state without the Governor’s consent. 

I worked at the Pentagon and the CIA for Democratic and Republican presidents. This kind of action should send a chill down the spine of anyone concerned about protecting the apolitical military, and minimizing an escalation of violence in our streets.

First -- Our troops are intended by law to protect America from foreign adversaries, never to advance one party's political agenda. This is what separates American democracy from places like Chinese communism. 

It's hard to make the case that this deployment is about public safety instead of politics, when law enforcement leaders did not request the military to intervene.

Second -- the U.S. military is one of the most trusted institutions in America. Using them at home in law enforcement roles is the fastest way to kill that trust. We know this from experience in Michigan. In 1967, the National Guard was deployed to Detroit in response to protests at our then-Governor’s request. It made the violence worse, and the scars are still there 60 years later.

Third -- and connected to the above point, our troops are not trained in law enforcement tactics. The Secretary of the Army reaffirmed this fact to me during his nomination hearing in January.

The military is trained to carry out high-intensity foreign combat, like house-to-house counterterrorism operations. And they do that exceptionally well. But this does not always translate to things like crowd control and urban policing, which can escalate quickly if not properly trained. 

I have been focused on this issue since day one because President Trump sought to use the military against American citizens in his first term. I've asked Secretary Hegseth, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and other Pentagon officials about this point explicitly during their nomination hearings, because officials from Trump’s first cabinet, such as former Secretary Mark Esper, wrote first-hand accounts of convincing the president against such actions.  

So this is not hypothetical. During President Trump's first term, he asked the Pentagon to deploy active duty 82nd Airborne troops to DC to put down peaceful protests and the National Guard flew helicopters extremely low over protestors.

This deployment of the National Guard is a dangerous step towards misuse of the U.S. military in our streets. This Administration has been looking for excuses to invoke the Insurrection Act, to use the U.S. military against Americans. That’s their playbook, and we should be clear-eyed about that. 

P.S. — President Trump's order yesterday is not limited to CA. It authorizes the deployment of the National Guard nationwide. 

No President has the right to use the uniformed military in a way that violates the U.S. Constitution and taints the military as an apolitical institution. Whether you’re a supporter of the president or not, every American should be concerned that major lines on the use of force in America are now being crossed.

You still have time - OR DO YOU?

 “You still have time…”

That’s what we keep telling ourselves.

And maybe we do. But maybe we don’t.

The truth is—we never really know.

Time isn’t generous.

It doesn’t pause. It doesn’t warn.

It slips through our fingers quietly, like sand—soft, silent, and unstoppable.

We measure our lives in years, in birthdays, in milestones.

But life isn’t made of years.

It’s made of moments.

And the hardest part is… we don’t know how many moments we have left.

You might have a hundred more sunsets to watch,

or only three.

You might hear your mother’s voice on the phone a thousand more times,

or maybe you’ve already heard it for the last time—and you didn’t even know.

You might get one more chance to say, “I forgive you.”

Or none.

You might still have time to hold your child while they’re small,

while their arms still fit perfectly around your neck,

while they still say “I love you” without needing a reason.

But those moments pass. Quietly.

And once they’re gone, they don’t come back.

We live like we are invincible.

We make plans as if time is endless.

We say, “I’ll do it later.”

“I’ll call them next week.”

“I’ll chase that dream when things settle down.”

But what if they never do?

What if tomorrow never comes?

What if the life you’re waiting to live is passing you by right now, this very second?

What if this moment—this exact one—

is the last chance you have to say what matters most?

To hold someone you love without distraction.

To cry without shame.

To laugh without holding back.

To be fully alive?

This isn’t meant to make you afraid.

It’s meant to make you aware.

Because there is nothing more tragic than realizing too late

that you were sleepwalking through the days that could have changed everything.

So please—wake up.

Look up from the screen.

Call someone you miss.

Apologize if you need to.

Say the words you’ve been swallowing.

Do the thing that terrifies you but lights a fire in your soul.

Stop waiting for the “right” time.

That time is now.

Right now. This breath. This heartbeat.

You don’t need more time.

You just need to stop wasting the time you already have.

Because in the end, it’s not the years you’ll remember.

It’s the conversations, the embraces, the risks, the tears, the laughter, the love.

The moments.

So live for them.

Cherish them.

Protect them.

Because life isn’t measured by how long you live—

It’s measured by how deeply you feel, how boldly you love, and how fully you show up while you're still here.

And you’re here.

So make it count.

Donald Trump Meltdown

The following is a copy and paste of a May 19, 2025 Facebook posting from the organization known as Occupy Democrats.

BREAKING: Donald Trump has a lunatic meltdown over beloved mega-celebrities Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé, and Oprah refusing to support him and calls for a "major investigation into this matter."

And it gets even more deranged...

"HOW MUCH DID KAMALA HARRIS PAY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FOR HIS POOR PERFORMANCE DURING HER CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT?" Trump wrote on Truth Social. 

"WHY DID HE ACCEPT THAT MONEY IF HE IS SUCH A FAN OF HERS? ISN’T THAT A MAJOR AND ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION? WHAT ABOUT BEYONCÉ? …AND HOW MUCH WENT TO OPRAH, AND BONO???" Trump raged.

"I am going to call for a major investigation into this matter," he continued. "Candidates aren’t allowed to pay for ENDORSEMENTS, which is what Kamala did, under the guise of paying for entertainment." 

"In addition, this was a very expensive and desperate effort to artificially build up her sparse crowds," Trump went on. "IT’S NOT LEGAL! For these unpatriotic 'entertainers,' this was just a CORRUPT & UNLAWFUL way to capitalize on a broken system. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!"

The unhinged outburst follows Trump's attacks on Springsteen last week that were prompted by the singer criticizing him at a concert. As is always the case with Trump, there is no evidence for his outlandish claims.

Tina Knowles, Beyoncé's mother Tina Knowles stated that her daughter "did not receive a penny" for speaking at a Kamala Harris rally last year. 

Similarly, Adrienne Elrod, who was a senior adviser and senior spokesperson for the Harris Campaign, stated that "have never paid any artist and performer. We have never paid a fee to that person."

Oprah Winfrey's production company was paid for helping put on a town hall, but she has stated that she was not paid a "personal fee" and instead Harris' campaign simply paid for production costs.

These alleged "paid endorsements" are just one more right-wing conspiracy theory that Trump has embraced to pander to his gullible base. The simple truth is that these celebrities despise him and his fascism and genuinely (and correctly) believed that Kamala Harris would have made a better president.

The first post clearly wasn't enough to get the rage out of Trump's system because he followed it up eight hours with another Truth Social rant—

"According to news reports, Beyoncé was paid $11,000,000 to walk onto a stage, quickly ENDORSE KAMALA, and walk off to loud booing for never having performed, NOT EVEN ONE SONG!" wrote Trump, failing to provide these so-called "news reports."

"Remember, the Democrats and Kamala illegally paid her millions of Dollars for doing nothing other than giving Kamala a full throated ENDORSEMENT," he continued. 

"THIS IS AN ILLEGAL ELECTION SCAM AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL! IT IS AN ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION! BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, OPRAH, BONO AND, PERHAPS, MANY OTHERS, HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO!!!" Trump concluded.

It should go without saying, but the President of the United States should not be wasting his time online screeching about celebrity conspiracy theories. He is obsessed with the fact that this nation's most popular figures have rejected him and he's lashing out. It's pathetic.

Parental Abandonment

I ask you: 

Is it acceptable for adult children to disassociate themselves from their parent(s) in the real world of everyday life based on disapproval of the parent's use of social media and/or dislike of a parent's personality? 

Why do adult children push away a parent who had not been abusive and who had done everything possible for them to have a good life? 

"However they arrive at estrangement, parents and adult children seem to be looking at the past and present through very different eyes. Estranged parents often tell me that their adult child is rewriting the history of their childhood, accusing them of things they didn’t do, and/or failing to acknowledge the ways in which the parent demonstrated their love and commitment. Adult children frequently say the parent is gaslighting them by not acknowledging the harm they caused or are still causing, failing to respect their boundaries, and/or being unwilling to accept the adult child’s requirements for a healthy relationship. Both sides often fail to recognize how profoundly the rules of family life have changed over the past half century. 'Never before have family relationships been seen as so interwoven with the search for personal growth, the pursuit of happiness, and the need to confront and overcome psychological obstacles,' the historian Stephanie Coontz, the director of education and research for the Council on Contemporary Families, told me in an e- mail." 

ref: A Shift in American Family Values Is Fueling Estrangement 

I find it very disheartening and disappointing that people seem to not be willing to speak out on this topic. The lack of caring, of concern, and of chutzpah saddens and depresses me. If we cannot have peaceful co-existence, understanding, and love in our families, how can we ever have peaceful co-existence, understanding, and love in the world?