250th Anniversary Of The Declaration Of Independence

The Proposed Independence Arch In DC A Major Controversy!

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Donald Trump has created massive controversy with his White House Ballroom, which would dwarf the White House, and has already led to the destruction of the East Wing of the White House and the White House Rose Garden.

His proposed Independence Arch to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence present many problems.

Trump wants a 250 foot Arch, which would represent a 16-20 story building, would dwarf the White House itself, and is meant to be an American version of the Paris, France L’Arc de Triomphe, which stands at 164 feet. Other equivalent monuments are in Mexico City at 220 feet, and in the capital of North Korea at 197 feet, so the purpose is to create the greatest height monument in the world to satisfy Trump’s massive ego and insecurity.

It would be situated across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial, but would pose a hazard to air travel at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in the District of Columbia.

The structure of the proposed Arch would be 165 feet tall and 165 feet wide, with a 25 foot pedestal and a massive 60 foot gilt bronze Lady Liberty sculpture on top.

The arch would be about half the size of the Washington Monument, which is 555 feet tall and more than double the 99 foot tall Lincoln Memorial. The White House is 60 feet tall, so would be far less impressive by comparison. Iconic views of Arlington National Cemetery would be lost.

Environmental and historic preservation factors, along with Arlington National Cemetery and the Federal Aviation Administration, are part of the review process, although Trump has appointed members of key commissions that have to consider and decide on the project moving forward.

One Year Of Donald Trump, Second Term: Chaos, Anarchy, Cruelty, Instability, Authoritarian Actions!

Ronald 95 Comments

Tomorrow marks the end of Year One of the Second Term of Donald Trump in the Presidency.

Already, it is quite clear that America is in crisis, as Trump 47 is far more disastrous and dangerous than Trump 45 was.

Trump 45 had people who were able to control his impulses, and prevent what could have been worse than was.

Trump 47 has no such individuals, as his entire Cabinet and other advisers are no check on his whims and desires, and he has been running rampant in a highly dangerous way.

He has promoted chaos, anarchy, cruelty, instability, and persistent authoritarian actions in a multitude of areas of domestic and foreign policy.

If the Republicans in Congress continue to bow to his whims;

If the Supreme Court continues to ignore his abuses of power;

If the corporations, law firms, universities, news media continue to bow to his demands;

And if the Democratic Party cannot win back control of at least the House of Representatives, but hopefully the US Senate in the upcoming midterm elections of 2026,

Then there will be despair that American democracy and the rule of law will disintegrate completely as America reaches the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, a landmark year.

5th Anniversary Of January 6, 2021 Insurrection:The Truth Cannot Be Eliminated!

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Today is the 5th Anniversary of the January 6, 2021 US Capitol Insurrection, perpetrated by Donald Trump, and his evil minions, who are attempting to wipe out history for future generations!

But the struggle to retain the truth of the horrors of that day, which should be regarded as equivalent of December 7, November 22, and September 11 goes on.

Despite Donald Trump being able to evade punishment at this point for his authoritarian actions then and since, it is essential that the truth be told.

Otherwise, the battle for the rule of law and American democracy and the Constitution, will lead to myths and lies that will undermine the history of the American Republic, as the 250th Anniversary awaits us six months from yesterday.

The sacrifices of the US Capitol Police that day, with 170 injured, and five dying, cannot be eliminated as facts, and the danger that the members of Congress faced that day, cannot be allowed to disappear into history as a myth.

American history long term will NOT hide the truth that Donald Trump was engaged in criminal activity, and will be seen in history as a traitor, and will face ultimate punishment no matter how much MAGA Republicans work to deny reality!

Eight Democratic Senators Caving In To End Government Shutdown, But Will Health Care Be Sacrificed By That Action?

Ronald 6 Comments

The Democratic Party is at a crossroads, now that 8 Democratic Senators caved in, and agreed to open up the government, due to the deleterious effects of the 42 day Government Shutdown over the issue of the Affordable Care Act subsidies.

With government workers not being paid, and SNAP (Food Stamp) benefits not being available, and the aviation system in chaos, and so much else, these eight Senators, including two who are retiring in 2026, and the other six not coming up for election again until 2028 and 2030, chose to gamble on a promised vote on continuing the Affordable Care Act, but without a certainty that it will be restored for 2026.

This author and blogger realizes how difficult this situation is, and disagrees vehemently with this group of Senators, but it is a reality that the Democrats, being the party of the minority, has little control over what the federal government does.

So sadly, we may see the demise of health care for 24 million Americans, insuring more deaths and human suffering, with the issue one that should insure a Democratic takeover in the midterm elections of 2026, particularly after the amazing triumph of Democrats in the recent elections in several states and cities.

It is clear, that these 8 Senators will be condemned in history, and that will be their legacy long term. And Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has lost the ability to control his caucus, a tragic circumstance.

But beyond that reality, if Donald Trump is able to rig the elections through his promotion of gerrymandering seats in the House of Representatives, or utilizes ICE and the National Guard and other law enforcement agencies to police election sites, nothing may save the American Republic, just as we celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the United States next July!

The nation is in a major crisis with no optimism left that it will work out in a positive manner!

Further Reflection On Trump’s Destruction Of “The People’s House”! :(

Ronald 11 Comments

With another 24 hours having passed, and the destruction of the East Wing of the White House, “The People’s House”, in full swing, without any hearings or approval by a Washington Landmarks Commission, this author and blogger is feeling more outraged and disgusted by the hour, and blood pressure is rising.

Who gives any President the right to abuse his position, and destroy a landmark historic building without any intervention to delay it and consider it carefully, instead of just charging ahead as if he is the Emperor, who makes decisions unilaterally?

Imagine if such destruction was to take place suddenly at the Vatican in Rome, or the Parthenon in Athens, or Buckingham Palace in London, or the Louvre in Paris, or a multitude of other historic and significant sites of history!

To create a 90,000 square feet (more than two football fields) Ballroom that will be larger than the rest of the White House structure, is a monstrosity that will harm the reputation and significance of the residence where the American President lives while in office!

What would Theodore Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and Jacqueline Kennedy, all involved in throughtful renovations over the past century and more, say if they were here?

What would John Adams, the first President to occupy the White House, or James Madison, who fled during the War of 1812, when the White House was heavily damaged by the British, but began the needed renovation on the building, say?

What would Abraham Lincoln, who was always concerned that the Confederate States of America might attack the White House, think about his distant successor who had no regard for History and Architecture, and just wanted to glorify himself?

This is a travesty of injustice, and will condemn Donald Trump for all time, as the absolute worst American President, no matter what else occurs!

It is a disgrace that as we are about to commemorate, not celebrate sadly, the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, that we are seeing the complete reshaping of an historic building which should have been left as it was for the long haul of history!

52 Years: From Nixon And Agnew To Trump And Vance!

Ronald 122 Comments

Fifty two years ago, Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned under scandal, and ten months later, President Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace, abandoned by his own Republican Party in Congress.

Who would think that a half century later, we would have an outspoken, obnoxious, obsequious sycophant, JD Vance, with few qualifications to be President, being a heartbeat away from the White House, which has in Donald Trump a President far worse and more corrupt than Richard Nixon ever was!

And to top it off, the Republican Party in Congress is a lapdog, unwilling to challenge the President and Vice President, unlike how many of their party did so in the 1970s.

American democracy and the rule of law was under threat back then, and was saved by Gerald Ford and by opposition Democrats who worked together to overcome the worst elements of the Watergate Scandal.

Can we expect a similar situation in the present tense? At this moment, it seems as if we are witnessing the most dire threat to American democracy, since World War II and the Civil War, and it is hard to imagine we will come out of it as a nation based on the US Constitution, and just as we are to “celebrate” the 250th Anniversary of the American Republic and the Declaration Of Independence!

Constitution Day: The Crisis America Faces Under Donald Trump!

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Today, September 17, is Constitution Day, celebrated every year in honor of the US Constitution, which was signed by the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in PHiladelphia on this day in 1787.

The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia and the National Archives in Washington, DC are commemorating the history of the Constitution as America is moving toward the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026.

It is ironic and sad that as we celebrate these documents, including also the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence, that we are faced by the greatest threat in American history, due to a criminally convicted and twice impeached President, who with his Cabinet and other allies, is in process of destroying the American Republic and American Democracy.

But there is a major reaction by all freedom loving people to resist what is happening, as all of us owe our allegiance to freedom and tolerance of political differences.

We have survived polarized times before, including the combative Presidential Election of 1800, when we had the first transition of power from one group to another, and without bloodshed.

We have survived the tumultuous Civil War; the struggle for racial justice; the Great Depression; the threat of Fascism in World War II; the Cold War with the Soviet Union; and the hotly contested Presidential Election of 2000.

It is hard to see it now, but America will survive Donald Trump, as long as we continue to believe in the Founding Documents of our nation, and insure that we continue to promote resistance to any threat to our historical traditions!

Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift, And Other Artists Challenge Trump Destructiveness, Inspiring Millions!

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Leading entertainers, including most notably, Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift, recently, are speaking out about the cruelty and horrors of the policies of Donald Trump in the past four months.

It is causing Trump to act irrationally in his utterances on Truth Social and in public statements.

Trump is trying to silence these and other cultural critics, but they are refusing to back down, inspiring millions of Americans!

Insults and looney statements are only empowering such entertainers to ramp up their attacks on a President, who is acting in a dictatorial manner in a multitude of ways.

All Americans should honor and praise these entertainers for refusing to bend the knee, as giving in to a bully, which is what Trump is, only emboldens him to go further in abuses of power.

The same support is needed for news media, universities, law firms, and courageous politicians who are promoting resistance, as well as principled judges who are taking action to stop the abuses of power being promoted by the most dangerous President in American history.

It is such groups and individuals who will, in the long run of history, be seen as the true champions of the Constitution, rule of law, the Bill of Rights, and the promotion of freedom and democracy.

With the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence only 13 months away, these various champions of tolerance are the true heroes setting an example for all Americans!

250th Anniversary Of American Revolution, And America Faces Existential Crisis Worse Than Civil War, Great Depression, And World War II! :(

Ronald 30 Comments

Tomorrow, April 19, 1775, saw the first shots of the American Revolution!

This is the beginning of celebrations, which in less than 15 months, will be the celebration of the Declaration of Independence.

There is much to celebrate about the accomplishment of independence and the establishment of a democracy with a Constitution and Bill of Rights that made American a beacon for the world of what is possible when good intentions prevail!

But sadly, America faces an existential crisis, the greatest since the Civil War, the Great Depression, and World War II!

However, as tragic as those events were, America was fortunate to have two great Presidents, Abraham Lincoln and Frenklin D. Roosevelt, to follow the masterful statesmanship of George Washington to resolve these major moments of challenge to the rule of law.

But now, we have an existential crisis with the return to the Presidency of the most dangerous, unethical, and corrupt Chief Executive the nation has ever faced, and presenting massive challenge to the economic stability, the civil liberties, and the international role of America, which is being upended daily by Donald Trump, and his minions, his sycophants, who have no concern other than their own aggrandizement!

As a scholar and professor, who has just retired from the classroom, but will continue to give lectures to senior citizens and other adults, and also continue to express his views on this blog, the present and future are extremely alarming.

There is a sense of foreboding as to whether the American Republic and democracy will survive the onslaught against the basic principles enunciated 250 years ago, and reasserted 85-90 years later in the Civil War Era, and then again 70-80 years later in the Great Depression and World War II Era!

All good, decent people must be willing to speak out and challenge any attempt to stifle freedom and advocate support of totalitarian ideologies, as the present Administration is in the process of working to accomplish!

Trump “Purge” Of FBI And Other Intelligence Agencies Will Make America Less Safe And In Much Greater Danger Long Term!

Ronald 30 Comments

The “purge” going on in the FBI and other intelligence agencies, at th order of Donald Trump, is a danger sign of the authoritarian dictatorship that is being created, more so on a daily basis!

Trump only wants sycophants to work in these agencies, and that creates a massive threat to American democracy and American national security.

It will embolden domestic and foreign terrorist groups, and only helps our true adversaries, including Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran.

The nation and its citizens will be under constant threat of the loss of our basic civil liberties, as exist in the Bill of Rights and other constitutional amendments and Supreme Court decisions over the milleniums.

The fact that the Republican Party majority in Congress, and the Supreme Court majority, have contributed to this threat to all Americans, and are remaining silent as the basic structures of our government are being dismantled, is a fire bell in the night.

We are creating hostile neighbors on our borders by our economic warfare on Canada and Mexico, a very dangerous situation that will cause a major economic collapse over the coming months.

It is clear that Donald Trump is setting out to destroy America, by promoting anarchy and chaos, and is a threat to the survival of our Constitution, just as we arrive in 2026 with the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence!