Political Dynasty: Good or Bad?

Not long ago, I encountered a gentleman (?) who had some strong feelings against political dynasties in the United States. I have no real knowledge of this individual other than the fact that he is an educator who was attending the annual conference of the Assocition of Educational Service Agencies this past December. I was sitting at a large round table at a conference general session that was preceded by a luncheon with my group from Lucas County Ohio. During lunch and prior to the general session itself, I was having a conversation with them about the possibility Caroline Kennedy becoming a United States Senator when this fellow who was also at the same large table interjected with his thoughts. He voiced his very strong feelings and I responded that the only "qualifications" to be a United States Senator involved age, citizenship, and residency; and, the fact that someone may be related to others in elective office has no relevency. He didn't like my response and refused to look at me for the rest of the time we were in that luncheon session. Oh, well!

Around that same time, I had a similar conversation with a friend of mine who voiced the same concerns as the fellow at the AESA conference. With two different yet similar conversations taking place at nearly the same time, I started to be a bit more astute and realized many people share the same concern. Hmmmmm, says I to myself.

I do not understand why people are so opposed to what they call political dynasties, i.e. members in the same extended family who are acitive in American politics or government. No one seems to have a problem with family dynasties in the medical profession, or the legal profession, or in factory work, or in teaching, or in denistry, or in construction trades, or in skilled trades, etc., etc., etc. Elective office and government positions are jobs in the public service. What's wrong with that? Why are family members who share a common interest and common careers in public service any different than family members who do likewise in the private sector? Why do people treat this topic the way that they do? I can't figure it out. Elective positions are elected; if the person isn't doing the job, that person may be removed by recall or simply not be re-elected. Problem solved. After all, the voting majority does indeed have the final say. Then there is the situation of family members who work for the government. If someone employed in the government sector is not performing satisfactorily, that person is subject to corrective action, including dismissal if warranted. Again, problem solved.

Recently, I read the Washingington Post piece Dynasties in Decline by Op-Ed columnist David S. Broder and it seems quite poignant.

I also read Political Dynasties: An American Tradition from Brookings which I also fond to be very interesting.

Oh, by the way, there's a piece over at Wikipedia entitled List of United States political families that you might wish to explore.

We have in the United States of America a system of checks and balances and we have a voting box that is a regular occurence. Quite frankly, I think political dynasties are A-OK.

I imagine many folks disagree with me. I sure would like to know the logical reasoning of their disagreement.

Help Wanted: City of Toledo Mayor; Toledo City Council

Preface:
Some time ago, I made a futile attempt to stir up the interest of Toledoans in seeking good candidates for Mayor of Toledo. I did so on an interactive web site that is billed as a "site dedicated to breaking news and political discussion of Toledo and Northwest Ohio." Apparently the majority of folks using that site are, for the most part, just moaners and groaners who get their jollies by making moronic comments rather than substantive contributions to political dilogue. Hey, don't take my word for it, click and read the message thread Toledo Mayor in 2009.
That SwampBubbles web site along with another site called Toledo Talk, both of which I had been a frequent participant, became pretty well useless as far as I am concerned in that many people possting there were trolling flamers who just made stupid and snide or belittling comments while remaining behind a cloak of anonymity. Consequently, I stopped visiting those two sites and ceased being a participant. Unfortunately, pretty much the same type of thing has transpired with a very popular Toledo political blog in which I had also been an active participant. Now-a-days, I pretty much just stay away from making comments on that site, as well.
All this is just a lead-in to the entry I am making below.

Roland Hansen Commentary is now seeking applications from candidates for the position of Mayor of Toledo and for the position of at-large representative to Toledo City Council.

Persons who are interested in being candidates for these positions may apply online within this help wanted posting simply by responding in the comments section below.

If you are interested in any of these positions and if you have a website that you would like to have featured on Roland Hansen Commentary with a link to that website, just let me know. As a previous candidate for elective office, I know all too well how difficult it is to receive media exposure.

For purposes of full disclosure, you should be aware that I reserve the right to comment on any candidate and may indeed endorse and promote candidates whom I favor.

Now then, are there any takers?

Blame the Messenger: Israel, Gaza, Palestine, Me?

Those who know me know that I do not care much for forwarded e-mails, but every now and again something peeks my interest.

Recently, I received a political cartoon about the Israel, Gaza, Palestine conflict which I in return played messenger by forwarding it to several people who I thought would also find it interesting. Of course, I sent it with my e-mail account that uses my name. Why not? After all, I am not one to hide behind anonymity and I accept responsibilty for my actions and my words.

Apparently, several people did find that political cartoon to be interesting, as well as controversial. I have received a several e-mails in return regarding that cartoon with a variety of responses running pro, con, and in-between.

Heck, my messenger status even made it over into Liberal Common Sense with the entry I don't think this defines "honesty" by a long shot...

If you go over to that entry by Lisa Renee, you will be able to see the cartoon itself along with some interesting commentary. And so the saga continues........

Another Holocaust? Another Silent Pope?

It is with awe and wonder that I hear and read so many comments from people about the current situation with Israel and Gaza.

A recent comment I have read seems quite poignant. It is the Rowsey Blog entry entitled The Mess in the Middle East.

Some people are claiming that Israel is perpetuating a holocaust on Arab Islamists. Others are just as adament in professing that Israel has a right to defend itself in preventing another Holocaust.

It was The Holocaust that has resulted with the phrase Never Again being more than just a phrase.

The silence of the Pope back then has never truly been explained, at least not to my satisfaction. With that in mind, I cannot help but wonder why the current Pope seems to be following the established past practice of the Roman Catholic Church with his silence and seemingly indifference to the current situation.

Israel: Right or Wrong?

I received an e-mail forward/forward/forward from someone who wanted to share thoughts about responding to critics of Israel. I am interested in reading the comments of the readers of Roland Hansen Commentary in response to it. Therefore, I am copying and pasting that forwarded e-mail piece in its entirety below. What say you?

Answering Israel's critics
Six cliches you are likely to hear constantly in the coming days, and why they're false - Yigal Walt

1) "Israel's response in Gaza is disproportionate"

Since when is war a mathematical equation? The basic objective of any warring party is to inflict maximal damage on the enemy while minimizing its own casualties. Was there anything proportional about the US war in Iraq? Or about Iraq's invasion of Kuwait for that matter? Or about Russia's recent war against Georgia? Israel is doing exactly what any other country has done in the past. This is how war works.

Would a British citizen complain that "too few" British soldiers are being killed in Iraq? Probably not.

And on a more elementary note: Palestinian military inferiority is not an indication of moral superiority. Palestinian insistence on resorting to violence despite this military weakness is an indication of poor judgment perhaps - yet it is by no means an indication of moral virtue. Being militarily weak does not make the Palestinians right.

2) "But Qassams don't kill"

Actually, Qassams do kill. Not too often, perhaps, but dozens of Israelis were killed and wounded by rocket fire in recent years. Moreover, at this time the Palestinians are firing long-range Grad rockets with even greater explosive power. Such rockets killed 2 Israelis Monday.

Yet beyond the casualty figures, the psychological damage caused as result of living under an ongoing rocket threat is immeasurable. Would anyone in the West agree to have their family live under constant rocket attacks and be regularly woken up by sirens in the middle of the night? Would anyone living under such conditions appreciate being told that "these rockets don't kill?" Probably not.

3) "It's all because of Israel's siege. Israel should allow aid into Gaza."

Israel has allowed goods into Gaza regularly throughout the "siege". Palestinians have been able to complement these deliveries with supplies smuggled through hundreds of tunnels (of course, they would likely be able to bring in even more food had they not used the tunnels to smuggle in missiles.).

The day before operation "Cast Lead" got underway, Israel allowed dozens of trucks carrying aid to enter the Strip. On Tuesday, another 100 trucks - double the normal number -are expected to enter Gaza after Defense Minister Barak approved the move.

In short, Israel is allowing aid into the Strip (but guess who has kept Gaza crossings mostly closed thus far? That's right, Egypt.)

4) "Why didn't Israel just agree to renew the Gaza truce?"

First, what truce? Terror groups continued to fire rockets throughout the lull, even if somewhat infrequently, and even if the world didn't seem to care too much. Nonetheless, Israel clearly declared that it is interested in extending the truce. Our top officials made it clear time and again.

Yet Hamas leaders clearly declared that the truce has ended on December 19th, and proceeded to bombard southern Israeli communities with dozens of rockets daily. In short, it is no wonder that even the Egyptians are blaming Hamas this time.

5) "But Hamas was elected democratically - why can't Israel accept it?"

Although Hamas won the Palestinian elections, it took Gaza by force, in the process hurling rival Fatah members down to their death from high-rises and shooting others in the knees with the declared aim of maiming them. Some democracy.

In any case, Israel in fact "recognizes," de facto, Hamas' rule in Gaza, which is precisely why it is justified in attacking the Hamas-ruled Strip, recognizing that it is indeed being governed by a terror entity. Israel did not launch the operation because Hamas is in power there - rather, it did so because Hamas is a terrorist organization that has deliberately targeted civilians with thousands of rockets over the past 8 years.

6) "Israel is targeting civilians"

You mean to say that "one of the most powerful armies in the world" has been bombing Gaza for days, deploying massive air power, dropping hundreds of bombs, and ultimately killing a grand total of 50 civilians or so in the "most crowded place on earth?"

There are two options here: A) The Israeli army is not targeting civilians, or B) Israeli pilots suck. We tend to go with option A.

Indeed, Israel goes to great lengths to avoid civilian casualties, by deploying precise ammunition and specialized techniques. In fact, nobody in the world does this better than the Jewish State.

Roland Burris: Guilty By Association

The scandals continue and the American people have spoken! Enough is enough. The American citizenry will have no more of the shenanigans from any elected official, any governmental official, any politician, or any nominee for governmental position. Keep those bums from holding any and all positions of public trust!

The wise political leaders of the Democratic majority in the United States Senate led by Harry Reid are right there with the apparent prevailing sentiment of the American public. No more corrupt people are to be allowed to hold public office. Harry Reid has made it clear that it is his and the Democrat majority’s belief that Roland Burris should not be seated in the U.S. Senate. Why? Because he is guilty of having received the appointment from that crook – Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. That makes Roland Burris, a former Attorney General of the State of Illinois, tainted and makes him guilty by association with Blagojevich.

You’ve heard about Governor Blagojevich; he is the guy who has been accused of offering to sell the appointment to the Senate seat vacated by the election of U.S. Senator Barack Obama to President of the United States. President-elect Obama has called upon Blagojevich to resign as Governor of Illinois. Blagojevich has refused to resign and the Illinois state legislature is considering impeachment of the Governor. Meanwhile, Blagojevich, who is still legally the Governor and who has the legal authority and responsibility of performing the duties of Governor, has named Roland Burris as the person to replace Obama in the United States Senate. However, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White has refused to certify the appointment of Burris. Apparently, Jesse White believes he has the authority to negate the legal actions of the Governor.

Oh! Don’t tell me that you haven’t heard. Governor Rod Blagojevich has not been indicted for any illegal activity, let alone be tried and convicted of a crime. Nor has there been any allegations of illegal activities or improprieties of any kind made against Roland Burris.

Barack Obama, Harry Reid, Senate Democrats, the Illinois legislature, and Jesse White have all fallen in line with what appears to be a popular belief held by many Americans. Of course, if these elected officials wish to stay in power and have the support of the public, they need to reflect the views of the public.

It appears to me that the popular belief, i.e. the prevailing sentiment held by the general American public, is that persons accused of crimes are guilty until they prove themselves innocent. Ancillary to that premise is the tangential spin-off effect that anyone associated with the accused is also guilty by association. Therefore, the accused and those associated with the accused are to be punished until they have proven their innocence beyond the shadow of a doubt. Ergo, Blagojevich should resign and the appointment of Burris should not be allowed.

Apparently, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has demonstrated that he has learned that prevailing sentiment very well. Richardson is under investigation in regards to a New Mexico state contract being awarded to donors to his political campaign organization. Consequently, even though Richardson has not been indicted, tried, or convicted of any wrongdoing, he has withdrawn himself for consideration of United States Senate confirmation of appointment by Barack Obama for United States Secretary of Commerce.

Yes, indeed. The American people and political leaders are very wise. Guilty until proven innocent, guilt by association, it’s the American Way! --- NOT!!!

I wonder what the Founding Fathers would think of all this.

Israel and Gaza: A No Win Situation

And the saga continues.

From Liberal Common Sense, you may read "Israel kills and wounds more civilians, nothing will happen."

From Writes Likes She Talks, you may read "Gaza and Israel."

Each blog also has additional entries on the same subject as well as links to other blogs and web sites on the subject.

I suggest you explore and read them. Then, judge for yourself as to whom is the winner and whom is loser.

It seems to me as if it is a no win situation, as it has been for 60+ years.
Or maybe, I should make that a couple or three or four thousand years.


p.s. Who or Whom?

Inspiring Teachers: Hugh Hinton, Ph.D.

I only recently learned of the death of a friend of mine, Hugh Hinton. Hugh was a guy I met about thirty years ago through my political activities.

Shortly after meeting Hugh Hinton, he recommended me to sit on a couple volunteer community organizations and committees, e.g. the Issues of the 80s update committee.

Later, Hugh became a professor of mine after he had convinced me to enroll in the Master of Public Administration program at the University of Toledo. He also arranged for me to be a graduate assistant during my graduate studies and nominted me for one of only two UT Presidential summer scholarships which I was awarded. Dr. Hugh Hinton also nominated me for membership in two national honor societies; Pi Sigma Alpha (for Political Science) and Pi Alpha Alpha (for Public Administration), both in which I was inducted. Professor Hinton also recruited me into the American Society for Public Administration in which I was later elected President of the Northwest Ohio Chapter.

Not long after I was awarded the Master of Public Administration, Hugh and I became colleagues when I was hired on Hugh's recommendation as adjunct faculty at the University of Toledo.

Today, I pay tribute to
Hugh Frank Hinton
The following is his obituary as was published:
HINTON Hugh Frank
Hugh Frank Hinton, 68, of Toledo, passed away on Wednesday, December 17, 2008. Hugh was born in Littlefield, TX, on February 15, 1940, to Hugh Dawson Hinton and Thelma Cope Hinton. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a PhD in Political Science, and worked for over 30 years as a professor at the University of Toledo. He is survived by wife, Nadiya; son, Clayton (Kathryn) Hinton; sisters, Janice and Susan; brother, Dwight Hinton and 3 grandchildren, Rachel, Andrew, and Olivia. A memorial service, celebrating Hugh's life, will be held Saturday, December 20th, at 2 p.m., in the Ansberg-West Funeral Home, 3000 West Sylvania Avenue, Toledo. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.

I will never forget Hugh Hinton; he made such an important impact on my life.

I remember having received an electronic card from a former student of mine when I was teaching at the college level. I saved it in my e-mail inbox; but, I see the link to it is no longer working. That's okay, though, because I found the contents of it elsewhere on the internet. I wish to place a link to it here, as a tribute to Hugh Hinton.

Please go over to read:
A Message Of Thanks To All The Great Teachers In This World.

Frost/Nixon and Bush

'Tis the season for another appropriate-time-of-the-year Roland Hansen Commentary.

It is wintertime in the northern hemisphere. It is also the time of year right now to hear the popular song Frosty the Snowman. It is also the season in which it is not uncommon to see a whole lot of frost in the colder regions. To top it all off, there is now a popular movie being shown in a theater near you about Frost - David Frost, that is.

You’ve most likely heard of the Broadway play based on a real-life political event that has been made into a Hollywood movie. It’s about a reporter by the name of David Frost and the events surrounding his famous interviews with a lying, deceiving, disgraceful President. No, the President in this story is not George W. Bush. The President portrayed in this theatrical production is none other than Richard Milhous Nixon.

There are a couple unique factors that set Nixon apart from other Presidents of the United States of America. One is the fact that Nixon is the only President who had served as a vice president and then later became president, but did not succeed the president under whom he had served. The second is the fact that Richard Nixon, a.k.a. Dick Nixon, a.k.a. Tricky Dick, was the only president of the United States ever to resign from the highest elective office of the land. He did the country this favor when he left office on August 9, 1974 rather than face impeachment after a committee of the United States House of Representatives had voted to issue several articles of impeachment for consideration by the full legislative chamber. If you don’t know the story behind this historic event, I’ll give you the two-cent version. Congress began to consider impeachment when it was discovered that Nixon had lied to the country when he said he knew nothing of the Watergate scandal. That was a scandal that involved a break-in at the National Democratic Party headquarters in the Watergate Hotel along with other illegal activities by employees of Nixon's 1972 re-election committee and by staff members of his Presidential Executive Office.

Incidentally, it was during Richard Nixon’s presidency that the elected Vice President, Spiro Agnew, resigned from office due to corruption charges. His replacement by Presidential appointment and congressional confirmation was Gerald Rudolph Ford, a.k.a. Jerry Ford, who ascended to the Presidency upon Nixon’s resignation. Jerry Ford has the distinction of having served as President without ever being elected nationwide.

Let me see, now. Nixon was going to be impeached in his second term basically for lying. Approximately some 25 years later, another President of the United States of America by the name of William Jefferson Clinton, a.k.a. Bill Clinton, was impeached during his second term basically for lying about an extramarital sexual situation.

Flash forward, I wish to bring to your attention a couple interesting facts about the current out-going President of the United States, George Walker Bush. One fact is that the Electoral College elected George W. Bush after he lost the popular election vote in 2000. He is the fourth person ever to have been elected President without having received a majority vote of the American people. The other three were John Quincy Adams in 1824, Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876, and Benjamin Harrison in 1888. The election of George W. Bush was also only the second time in the history of the United States that the son of a former president was elected president. George Herbert Walker Bush, father of George W. Bush, also served as president. It had been approximately 200 years since the only other father and son Presidents, those two being John Adams and John Quincy Adams.

It is George W. Bush who lied to the American people and to Congress drawing the United States into an undeclared war in Iraq costing billions of dollars and thousands of lives. Under George W. Bush, there is another Dick of whom there have been many allegations of corruption. That Dick is none other than a guy by the name of Richard Bruce Cheney, who has been serving as Vice President to George W. Bush. If that isn’t the frosting on the cake!!! It is my opinion that the Bush-Cheney administration will go down as the worst performing and most corrupt Presidency in United States history.

I find it absolutely amazing that two Presidents in recent history, Dick Nixon and Bill Clinton, have faced removal from the Office of President by the United States Congress while another lying, deceiving, disgraceful President by the name of George W. Bush gets away scott-free. That just frosts me!!!

Can Salvation Be Found Through An Army?

Those who know me, know that I am Jewish, following the religion of my Ukrainian Russian mother and of my maternal ancestors. They also know that my Danish father was Lutheran and that my paternal relatives adhered to Christianity.

I have lived in both the Jewish world and the Christian world. I have fond memories of personal experiences related to both worlds. My childhood included happy visits to Jewish and to Christian grandparents.

I have great respect for true believers and practitioners both of Judaism and of Christianity, as I do for true believers and practitioners of all non-Satanic religions.

I have experienced and continue to practice the Jewish observance, traditions, and celebration of Chanukah. I have also experienced the Christian observance, traditions, and celebration of Christmas.

This Roland Hansen Commentary revolves around fond memories of my father, Robert Christian Hansen, and his recollections of the Salvation Army that he relayed to me.

Having suffered a major heart attack, my father retired in 1965 from Doehler-Jarvis National Lead Company. Beginning back in the spring of 1971 and through early 1984 when my dad died, I visited my father every Saturday morning, with very rare exceptions, in his North Toledo home. During most of those years, I joined my dad in a routine he had initiated shortly after his early disability retirement. That routine consisted of weekly Saturday morning walks from his home in the 800 block of Superior Street through near downtown Toledo, stopping at Woolworth’s, Lamson’s, and Tiedtke’s lunch counters for a cup or two of coffee at each location before the return walk to his home.

As the downtown Toledo stores died out and as my father weakened with poor health, our Saturday morning routine changed to pretty much just having cup after cup of coffee around his kitchen table accompanied by hours of conversation.

Throughout all those years, however, we always made numerous shopping trips together throughout the Christmas season. My dad loved giving Christmas gifts to everyone in the extended Hansen family at the annual Hansen Family gathering on Christmas Eve.

In addition to the Saturday routine, my dad had another routine to which he adhered during the Christmas season. My father always, always tossed coins, and sometimes currency, into every Salvation Army kettle along the path in which our walks took us through downtown Toledo. He did the same thing with every Salvation Army kettle that we came across in our annual Christmas shopping trips in the malls and elsewhere.

You see, my dad had a strong respect for the good works performed by the Salvation Army. The respect my dad had for the Salvation Army was not just something he gave or felt because of some religious or altruistic reason. No, indeed. The respect was earned by the actions and deeds of which my father had first-hand knowledge. During World War II, my father served in the United States Army. He told me of some of the personal, family, and emergency experiences he and his fellow troops went through during World War II. He also told me that the Salvation Army always provided assistance without ever asking for money or for anything in return. My father said that meant so very much to all those who were the recipients of the good deeds of the Salvation Army.

When speaking of the Salvation Army, my father frequently contrasted it with another very well known organization that shall remain nameless in this writing. Dad said the other organization also assisted our troops with personal and family emergencies and with other matters but generally requested a financial payment. That memory of the other organization always made Dad see Red. Please don’t be Cross with me for not naming that other organization. I think you should be able to figure it out for yourself.

‘Tis the season. Please give generously to the Salvation Army kettles during this season. More than that, please be supportive of the Salvation Army deeds throughout the entire year.


The following is an article from World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia, 2004 Edition, Version 8.2.1:

Salvation Army is an international Christian religious and charitable organization. It is set up and operated on a military pattern, and its leaders have the ranks of military officers. The Salvation Army works to foster a love of God and to provide for the needy. It offers its services to people of any race, creed, sex, or age.

Services and activities. The basic unit of the Salvation Army is the corps community center. Each center is directed by a commanding officer who administers both religious and social service activities. These centers conduct a varied program, providing religious services, counseling, moral education, and other social services. In addition, the Salvation Army operates a variety of institutions, including hospitals, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, camps, boys and girls clubs, senior citizen residences and clubs, and day-care centers. It also provides education programs for unwed mothers, family assistance, and aid to prisoners and their families. The Salvation Army includes many musicians who use music as a way to preach the gospel.

Much of the worldwide service of the Salvation Army is given to people in less developed countries. These services include education, basic needs, vocational instruction, and disaster relief.

History. William Booth, a Methodist minister, founded the Salvation Army in London in 1865. That year, he began conducting meetings to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of London's East End. His work was well received, and he organized a group known as the Christian Mission. In 1878, the group changed its name to the Salvation Army. The organization soon spread outside Britain. It was established in the United States in 1880.

Today, the Salvation Army works in over 85 countries. It has about 25,000 men and women serving as officers. Each officer is an ordained minister. The Salvation Army has more than 14,000 corps community centers worldwide. There are about 420,000 U.S. members. International headquarters are at 101 Queen Victoria Street, London. U.S. headquarters are at 799 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona, NJ 07044.