Mandrake (aka Dave Israel)  The Magician “Now  You See and Now You Don’t”

Stew Richland

I have decided that this will be the last article about why Phyllis Richland decided to withdraw from the UCO election.  I am an ethical person with a conscience. If you choose to believe my version of this issue so be it. This is a story of a grave injustice and I am compelled to set the record straight.  As the scriptures tell us, ”The truth will set you free.”

Every great magician develops the skill of slight of hand. or in Dave Israel’s case is slight of  mouth depending on which side of his face he talks out of.  That is, he distracts the audience with one statement and distracts  with another comment.and viola the trick is finished and the crowd applauds his trickery.

Dave Israel is the Mandrake of UCO. 

Phyllis has worked under 5 administrations. Each administration had their own way of conducting business and her main concern  was to make the Village a great place to live.  The tradition here in the Village was that a UCO President would serve two terms and then step down, until Dave Israel became UCO President.  In fact, Dave wrote a very powerful argument for term limits in the UCO Reporter, sadly he did not take his own advice.

When Phyllis decided to run for the UCO Presidency she knew that it would be difficult campaign.  It was.  Many of the “old residents”  should remember the “meet and greet” candidates events that were held at the various pools around the Village.  Candidates expressed their views in an environment that was based on comradery and the goal was to make Century Village a better place to retire to.  Under the Israel Presidency this all ended.  When candidates resorted to posting signs advertising their candidacy, our President contacted Palm Beach County Code Enforcement to have them removed.  The Democratic electoral process at its worst.  In addition,  If a village resident wanted to challenge a posting on Dave’s blog they were denied access.  This allowed Dave to write what he wanted without  allowing any challenges.  Tell a lie or distort the truth often enough and people will begin to believe it.  Quite similar to the propagandists of the 1930s.

I never thought that I would be a victim of “CATFISHING.”  This a phrase that is common to anyone who uses social media.  Catfishing is a type of deceptive activity where a person creates a post on their blog using a  false identity or in this case Dave did not feel it was necessary to assume a false identity  for nefarious purposes.His real intent was to impugn the character of Phyllis Richland.

The blog item was posted on Wednesday, the day before the meet the candidates forum.  What he categorically stated was that Phyllis was the author of the statement that bringing food in to the Village for our residents for the purposes of sharing lunch and conversation would turn this Village into a “SOUP KITCHEN.”  This was an out right lie. Dave was at that meeting when this issue was discussed and rejected and knows who the real author of the statement and,  it was certainly not Phyllis Richland.

One of the issues in this election that Dave and later Lanny Howe eluded to was the fact that there was a possibility of a husband and wife both with the title of UCO VP.  UCO legal counsel said that there was no legal prohibition on this.  However, one member of the Advisory Committee voiced her concerns.  She felt that it was unethical.  However, two other members of the same committee stated that they had no qualms about husband and wife serving UCO.  Both supported the view that when a highly qualified candidate wants to serve they should not be rejected for any reason.  And thus the issue was put to rest.  We thought!  Dave Israel picked up this thread and began to post comments about Phyllis’ candidacy with the objective to encourage delegates to vote against her since this was basically an ethical issue.

Wickedness is Wickedness  and never something else.  One cannot play with devious  unethical behavior with impunity.  And so when Dave Israel’s ambition becomes his weakness which controls his mind and that he loses true perspective it becomes a destructive situation in which Phyllis did not want to be associated with.  Ambition makes Israel arrogant  and this arrogance will be his undoing.  "A haughty spirit goeth before a fall," says the old proverb.  It’s just a matter of time and our Caesar will be gone.

After a great deal of soul searching, Phyllis decided that the best course of action was to withdraw from the race.  This decision was hers.  She felt that working in an environment so caustic, where the leader has no conscience could not be overlooked by her and so she pulled out of the race. Honor is avirtues. Is Dave an honorable man?  You make the call.

When Olga asked Dave what did you write on your blog that finally pushed Phyllis to quit the election, he replied be “more specific!”  “Can you identify the writing you are talking about?”  He further said, “What article are you writing about?” If this man who claims to have such a great memory cannot remember what he posted on his blog just the previous day, we are in big trouble.  Now we have the “piece de resistance“  Dave said that everything he wrote on the blog was fact and that it is in the record.”   THIS WAS THE LIE THAT I ALLUDED TO AT THE MEET AND GREET.

When I got home I opened Dave’s blog, and low and behold  the post in question had been removed. How convenient.  Is Dave a moral man? The fault, dear Dave, is not in our stars, But in YOU.

Phyllis has had a few day to reflect on her decision.  She has had no feeling of remorse or second thoughts

 Pride is among the virtues that may serve mankind. When it consists of a proper sense of personal dignity and worth  it clearly shows that Phyllis conducted  herself honorably towards evil ambition.

My own take on this isthe world is empty, when man no longer has a terror of the consequences of evil. If he can do wrong, and yet believe that he is exempt from the penalty, his inner life is dead.

Macbeth used his dagger to make his point. Dave uses his blog. Dave I hope you remember  how Macbeth ended up?

I know that my commentary is harsh and could leave my readers angry, so I would like to change the mood with the following story:

Four old guys are walking down a street just outside Century Village. They turn a corner and see  a signthat says, "Old Timers Bar - ALL drinks 10 cents."

            They look at each other and then go in, thinking this is too
            good to be true.

The old bartender says in a voice that carries across the room,  "Come on in  and let me pour one for you! What'll it be, gentlemen?"

            There's a fully stocked bar, so each of the men orders a martini.

           In no time the bartender serves up four iced martinis shaken,   not stirred and says, "That's 10 cents each, please."

           The four guys stare at the bartender for a moment, then at each  other. They can't believe their good luck. They pay the 40 cents, finish  their martinis, and order another round. Again, four excellent martinis are produced, with the bartender again saying, "That's 40 cents, please."

          They pay 40 cents, but their curiosity gets the better of them. They've each had two martinis and haven't even spent a dollar yet.

           Finally one of them says, "How can you afford to serve martinis  as good as these for a dime apiece?"

           "I'm a retired tailor from Phoenix," the bartender says, "and I  always wanted to own a bar. Last year I hit the Lottery Jackpot for   $125 million and decided to open this place. Every drink costs a dime.

          Wine, Liquor, beer it's all the same."

           "Wow! That's some story!" one of the men says. As the four of  them sip their martinis, they can't help noticing seven other people at  the end of the bar who don't have any drinks in front of them and haven't ordered anything the whole time they've been there.

           Nodding at the seven at the end of the bar, one of the men asks   the Bartender, "What's with them?"

           The bartender says, "They're retired people from  Century Village
           They're waiting for Happy Hour when drinks are half-price.

 Commentary on the Candidates Forum

Stew Richland

Soap Opera ne Kabuki theater

Theater critic Dave Israel characterized the Candidates Forum as Kabuki theater. I would rather refer to it as a soap opera.

I would prefer to call this soap opera “Dave’s Tavern” where all the customers come to belly up at the bar to be entertained by the so called “Village Historian,”  pontificating about his great accomplishments over the past few years.

Well lets take a look at the script of this soap opera.

Announcer:  Ladies and Gentlemen the story you are about to read is true, the  names have been changed to protect their identity. Any connection with persons living or dead is just coincidental.

Announcer continues:

One member of the cast, Barbara, shares her fears that Phyllis Richland, a former Vice President of UCO for over 18 years of outstanding service to Century Village, has decided to toss her hat in the ring for an open seat as V.P.  She views this as unethical since her husband is already serving as a VP.  She fears that husband and wife will collude to upset the carefully created menu that Dave and his stage hands have crafted. She implies that husband and wife will participate in some sort of web of deceit and manipulation for the purpose of disrupting the smooth running of Dave’s Tavern. We all know that Barbara is the great moralizer and when carefully studied, stands out as the great moral teacher. In this soap opera she paints herself in colors so attractive as to make her a model of imitation. 

Ethical systems are made up of such things as character, thought, passion and emotion. Does Barbara bring a wealth of  evidence relative to her expansive ethical experience?  Her utterances, she thinks, form the framework of moral philosophy which she believes is without rival. 

One compelling principle that guides Phyllis Richland lies in her philosophy of life and that is  altruism, that strange intangible something that sets itself up in her nature in direct opposition to egoism. Her altruism, is based on a  calm regard for others. The evidence is there for all to see.  Obtaining food stamps for those that need help.Contacting FPL to have them lower their rates for those who were in financial difficulties. Just sitting and listening to some of our older residents, holding their hand and letting them vent their concerns and frustrations to a person with compassion and soul.

Now a word from our sponsor.

This program is brought to you by Dah Brothers soap company. Now introducing a new product called “Wipe Out” guaranteeing after one application to remove any Bull-Duty that you have left on your blog.  We guarantee that  this product works. No longer will you have to fear that your blog postings will be left for critical review.

And now back to our show, Dave’s Tavern, brought to you by Bull-Duty the product that is exclusively used at Dave’s Tavern.

Many of Phillis’ supporters were shocked when she made the decision to withdraw from her run for UCO Vice President.  I discussed her decision and emphasized that her experience and talents were needed at UCO,  Based on her moral and ethical standards she could not allow herself to be associated with Dave the UCO Historian after he posted a comment on his blog in which he stated that Phyllis was going to turn the Village into a “Soup Kitchen.”  

For those that are not privy to what this reference let me provide you with the background.  The JCC was providing lunch  for some of our residents. Unfortunately, the JCC decided to end this program. It was proposed at a UCO meeting along with an outside source, to provide the lunch, that once a week we could have those folks that went to the JCC, a lunch in the party room at the clubhouse. It would be a great way for someone to socialize with others and many looked forward to that luncheon.

A member of UCO at that meeting objected and criticized this program and alluded to Century Village becoming a “Soup Kitchen.”  Dave, the UCO Historian, knew that Phyllis did not make that comment.  Yet he decided to post it on his blog. Why you ask? This is how a Machiavellian trained politician without a conscience attempts to shmere “Bull-Duty” for the purpose of impugning her character.

When Phyllis read this post and coupled with the comments that Barbara had made on Dave’s blog and remembering how Dave used every unethical means at his disposal to sabotage her run for UCO president, she concluded, after pondering her decision to withdraw her candidacy for VP., that to be part of Dave’s team was counter to all her ethical, and moral training,and so  she decided to make her withdrawal announcement at the Meet the Candidates forum.  Phyllis regrets that her decision to withdraw from the contest disappointed many of her supporters, but her ethical standards outweighed any other considerations and so she withdrew from the election.

When Olga, during the open question period, asked Dave, “What did you write that caused Phyllis to withdraw from the race?” He feigned that he did not know what  she was referring to.  Of course Dave would not answer the question because,"lest any stain should mar the purity of his character. "

At that point in the question and answer session, I challenged what Dave wrote and declared that Dave’s remarks about Phyllis was a complete fabrication. At that point was asked to leave the room by the moderator. As  you know I am a gentlemen and so I left the forum.

Commercial announcement:

This concludes today’s episode  of Dave’s Tavern. Tune in at the same time tomorrow to learn more about what extent people will go to keep their power. Remember rush to your local supply store to purchase “Bull Duty” the best product to wipe your Blog clean of repulsive blog comments.

Stay tuned to listen to Nick Carter Master Detective when he tries to solve the case of the missing Blog.

running for office

HELLO, MY NAME IS PHYLLIS RICHLAND AND I AM A CANDIDATE FOR VICE PRESIDENT OF UCO.

I THINK MANY OF YOU KNOW WHO I AM AND WHAT I STAND FOR IN CENTURY VILLAGE. I AM A FIRM ADVOCATE FOR THE ELDERLY AND I WANT EVERY RESIDENT TO GET A FAIR SHAKE.

WE HAVE LIVED HERE FOR 21 YEARS. IN THAT TIME I HAVE SERVED UNDER 5 ADMINISTRATIONS. 4 AS VICE PRESIDENT. I HAVE BEEN ON MANY COMMITTEES AND NOW I SERVE ON 2.

.

WE HAVE AN ENIRELY NEW DEMOGRAPHIC HERE IN CENTURY VILLAGE AND I WOULD LIKE TO HELP THEM GET TO KNOW HOW OUR VILLAGE WORKS AND HOW TO GET INVOLVED IN IT’S WORKINGS. THERE IS A LOT OF BRAIN POWER OUT THERE AND UCO NEEDS TO TAP INTO IT TO MAKE THE VILLAGE AN EVEN BETTER PLACE.

AS VICE PRESIDENT I WILL TRY TO MAKE UCO A PLEASANT PLACE FOR YOU TO COME TO WITH WHATEVER ISSUES YOU MAY HAVE. I AM NOT A LAWYER BUT I KNOW A COUPLE OF GOOD ONES THAT MAY BE ABLE TO HELP WITH ANY LEGAL PROBLEMS . AFTER BEING HERE FOR 21 YEARS I THINK I HAVE A HANDLE ON SOME OF THE MAIN ISSUES FOLKS HAVE ALTHOUGH NEW ONES POP UP ALL THE TIME. I WILL DO MY BEST TO HELP SOLVE SOME OF YOUR PROBLEMS.

MY NAME IS PHYLLIS RICHLAND AND I AM RUNNING FOR VICE PRESIDENT OF UCO. IF YOU WANT SOMEONE IN OFFICE WITH YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, I’M YOUR GIRL.  VOTE ON MARCH 2,2018. IF YOU WANT ME , I WANT YOUR VOTE. THANK YOU

PHYLLIS RICHLAND AND JENNIFER CUNHA

                                   INVITE YOU TO A BRUNCH AND LEARN

CONDOMINIUM LAW LEGAL OVERVIEW

& BOARD CERTIFICATION FOR BOARD MEMBERS

May 24, 2017 @ 9:30-11:30am

Century Village Craft Room

Breakfast will be provided!

Seating is Limited - RSVPs required!

Please call 561.231.0640

Jennifer may also be reached at:

Jennifer M. Cunha, Esq.

601 Heritage Dr., Ste 424 · Jupiter, FL · 33458

Jennifer@jennifercunhalawoffice.com

Our Changing Times  Or What A Fence Used to Be

Stew Richland

Most of us are old enough to remember the song sung by Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters

Don't Fence Me In (1934)

Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above

Don't fence me in

Let me ride through the wide open country that I love

Don't fence me in

Let me be by myself in the evenin' breeze

And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees

Send me off forever but I ask you please

Don't fence me in

Just turn me loose, let me straddle my old saddle

Underneath the western skies

On my Cayuse, let me wander over yonder

Till I see the mountains rise

Well that’s how Americans viewed our nation at that time.  Many of the movies being produced were Western themed.  We had heroes like Tom Mix, Gene Autry and Bill Cody ( many of these six-gun toting  icons had handles such as “The Durango Kid,”  “Bronco Billy,” or the “Cisco Kid.”) riding the open range and catching the rustlers and preventing wars between the sod-buster and the cattle barons.  

American immigration history was based on the ideas expressed in lyrics of the song.  The government of the United States had millions of acres of land that they wanted settled.  The largest flow of  migrants to the U.S. occurred in 1849 when gold was discovered in California.  Thousands rushed to the west coast to seek the riches that were waiting for them to scoop up from the flowing streams.  Sadly most of those that wanted to get rich quick were quickly disappointed.  However, most of these dreamers remained in America and added their energies to make America a rich powerful nation. In the 1870’s Horace Greeley made popular the phrase  “Go West Young Man.”  Greeley was a great supporter of Westward expansion and shared the national conviction that it was the manifest destiny of America to conquer and civilize the land between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. By 1900 the government declared that there was no free land available for homesteading and our national immigration policies were under review.  In addition, the American industrial economy was exploding and the demand for cheap labor was on the rise.  The government saw vast trade potential in the Asian markets and their foreign policies reflected this view. 

These events were eventually going to impact our views on immigration. My purpose is to review American immigration policy and to provide a logical and rational reason why our government has rejected the “Don’t Fence Me In” policy to “Fences Make Good Neighbors.”

Time: Circa 1900’s. Place: New York harbor. Event: Ship carrying hundreds of immigrants from Eastern European ports of departure.  Place of embarkation: Ellis Island.  Process:  Immigrants embark ship and are sent to the Great Hall and eventually are required to line up to be processed.  American immigration personnel examine immigrant papers.  All those in line have legal documents, obtained from American government allowing the immigrants to enter the United States. During the vetting process, immigrants are asked if they have a sponsor.  Why?  Fear on  the part of the government that the new immigrants would become wards of the state.  When proof is shown or sponsor is present, immigrants move on to the medical exam line.  Any immigrant that is sick, or found to have communicable diseases are denied entry to the United States. Those rejected are sent back to nation of origin.  When healthy they can apply for re-admittance.  This was the process that those who desired to enter the United States followed.  Unfortunately for these Eastern European the government of the United States, changed the immigration laws. 

The Immigration Act of 1924 limited the number of immigrants allowed entry into the United States through a national origins quota. The quota provided immigration visas to two percent of the total number of people of each nationality in the United States as of the 1890 national census. It completely excluded immigrants from Asia.  The 1917 Immigration Act implemented a literacy test that required immigrants over 16 years old to demonstrate basic reading comprehension in any language. It also increased the tax paid by new immigrants upon arrival and allowed immigration officials to exercise more discretion in making decisions over whom to exclude.  The 1924 Immigration Act also included a provision excluding from entry any alien who by virtue of race or nationality was ineligible for citizenship. This meant that Asians, especially Japanese immigrants would not be allowed into the United States. 

End of Part One (please feel free to comment on my observations on this blog or on phyllisrichland.blogspot.com)

Our Changing Times – Why We Need a Fence

Stew Richland

One of the major concerns to the government of the United States is the issue of immigration.  There are laws in place that provide for a process that allows citizens from other nations to enter the U.S. legally.  We are all familiar with the “Green Card” issue. Those immigrants that receive a green card are allowed to enter the U.S. for a limited time and then must leave by the expiration date of their visa.  However, many of the “Green Card” holders did  not leave.  These people disappeared into the underbelly  of American society. Most of these “Green Carders” have a solid grasp of the language it become very easy for them to blend into society and disappear.  There is very little evidence available to support the idea that “Green Card” holders have become criminals. However, they are breaking the rules by which they were allowed into the country and thus must be held accountable for their actions. 

Based on the current immigration laws of the United States, citizens of other nations are allowed to enter our country legally with the proviso that after a period of time, taking courses on government and history, providing proof that they will obey our laws can apply for U.S. citizenship.  Many of our T.V. stations often filmed the citizenship swearing in ceremonies and interviewed these new citizens.  That is the way you become an American citizen.

Historians that study immigration and movement of peoples tell us that there two basic concepts that motivate people to leave their birth homeland.  This concept is known as the “Push – Pull” theory. Migration can be defined as a form of relocation diffusion (the spread of ideas, innovations, behaviors, from one place to another) involving permanent move to a new location. The reasons that people migrate would be due to push and pull factors. Push and Pull factors are forces that can either induce people to move to a new location or oblige them to leave old residences; they can be economic, political, cultural, and environmentally based. Push factors are conditions that can drive people to leave their homes, they are forceful, and relate to the country from which a person migrates. A few example of push factors are: not enough jobs in your country; few opportunities; "Primitive" conditions; desertification ; famine/drought ; political fear/persecution ; poor medical care; loss of wealth; and natural Disasters. Pull factors are exactly the opposite of push factors; they are factors that attract people to a certain location. Examples of these push factors are job opportunities; better living conditions; political and/or religious freedom; enjoyment; education; better medical care; and security. To migrate, people to a new land they must feel it is  so attractive that they feel pulled toward it.

Forced migration is another factor to be considered when evaluating the issues of migration.  Forced international migration has historically occurred for two main cultural reasons: Slavery and political instability. Some reasons for this are:

1.   Forced international migration increased because of political instability resulting from cultural diversity.

2.  Wars also forced large-scale migration of ethnic groups in the 20th century especially in Europe, the middle east, and some regions of Africa.

3.  There are people who have been forced to migrate from their home and cannot return for fear of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, and possibly their membership in a social group and political organization, these are known as refugees. Cultural push factors include political instability from cultural diversity.

4.  Boundaries of newly independent states often have been drawn to segregate two ethnic groups.

One other category to consider are refugees.  Historically the U.S. has opened their doors to refugees fleeing Nazi persecution.  However, it is interesting to note that only refugees that were considered high priority were given exit visas by American state department officials.  Famous writers, poets, actors, scientists were on the top of the priority list.  Sadly for the Jews fleeing extermination, Roosevelt and his top advisors had little interest in issuing entrance visas for this group. 

After World War II, with the discovery of the death camps, the U.S. opened their doors to a limited number of holocaust survivors. 

When the Vietnam War ended many of those Vietnamese citizens that had helped Americans in the war were left to their fate under the North Vietnam communist regime.  Eventually American policy recognized what was happening to those who helped us in the war and opened our doors to a limited number of refugees.  This group was commonly known as the “Boat People.”

Under President Kennedy’s administration there was an attempt to overthrow the Castro regime in Cuba.  This effort failed and many Cuban nationals along with Cuban Americans were captured and thrown in jail.  As things began to get worse for all those Cubans who supported the invasion, American immigration officials adopted the “Wet Foot” policy that allowed Cuban refugees to enter the U.S. legally, if they placed a foot on American soil.

The issues I have covered deal with events that led to migrations of people to the United States.  Some groups came in fairly large numbers, others, due to the dangers and distance came to the U.S. in a small steady stream. The key concept here is that all these immigrants came to the United States legally.  There were no protests, marches, anti-government demonstrations for or against these tragic souls from entering our country.  The one specific they all had in common was that they had legal status.

My next installment will deal with specific immigration laws and why they were passed.

I value any comments on my articles and please feel free to post them on the blog you are reading it on or on phyllisrichland.blogspot.com 

When You Know So Much That Isn’t So!

Stew Richland

We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid!

Ben Franklin

I sometimes have accused people of being ignorant.  This is not intended to be an insult.  I am ignorant about a lot of things but this could be remedied by education.  Over the past few years I have heard many so called celebrities use the “bully pulpit”  during awards programs or when they are being interviewed on the “red carpet.”  Instead of sticking to observations about their craft, many of these celebs voice their opinion on subjects that they know little or nothing about.   What they offer is opinion without fact. These people are addicted to publicity.  They will say and do anything to keep their persona in the public eye.

Two examples of what I am alluding to happened this past week. The American music Awards or as I prefer to call it, The Un-American Music awards shown on ABC received their lowest viewer ratings in years.  Here are some of the dumbest comments made.

 WORST: BAD POLITICAL JOKES, PART 1

Following co-host Jay Pharoah's announcement that AMA winners are based on fans' votes, Gigi Hadid added, "Don't worry, guys. Tonight, we do not have to deal with the electoral college." (Womp womp.)

WORST: BAD POLITICAL JOKES, PART 2

Then came Hadid's really uncomfortable Melania Trump impression. (It was a good effort, but save the heavy lifting for Laura Benanti, kiddo.)

Mark Cuban acknowledging that he probably won't be invited to T–p's inauguration, or Idina Menzel sending her love to the cast of Hamilton following Pence-gate.

Gigi Hadid has the right to express her opinion on any topic she wants to.  However, this was a music awards ceremony not a political forum. 

Gigi Hadid was born in Beverly Hills, California.  Her mother was a model and Gigi had her first experience as a model at age two.  Her father is a very successful real estate developer.  This is a girl that grew up in the most liberal environment in America.  After graduating from high school, she went East and attended the New School in New York studying design and modeling.  By the way, the New School is one of the most liberal colleges in the U.S. 

Hadid should stick to modeling. Wise King Solomon once observed, "Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful face on an empty head." An empty head is really not empty; it is stuffed with rubbish. I suggest Mz. Hadid stick to what she knows best, wearing designer clothes and marching down a runway.

The second disgraceful incident that happened last week was the response by the cast of Hamilton when Vice President elect Pence attended the show.

The show’s creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and others discussed the appropriateness of making a statement from the stage and decided to do it only after the show was over. Remarks were written and refined, and after curtain call, Brandon Victor Dixon, who plays Vice President Aaron Burr, took a microphone and pointed toward Mr. Pence.
and stated: ‘ We, sir, are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us…..”  There is no doubt in my mind that this was a staged “hit job” on the newly elected Trump team. 

They claimed this was a discussion, but the only one with the mike was Brandon Dixon, and the audience cheered and clapped as Dixon read his statement. This forum was not a level playing field by any stretch of imagination. Vice President-elect Mike Pence said the boos he faced at the Broadway production of "Hamilton" were "what freedom sounds like." He stated that this was not “offended by the boos and would leave it to others to whether this was an appropriate venue to say it.” This man is a class act.

The management of Hamilton along with their performers are typical liberal hypocrites.

The cast ran a fund raiser for Hillary Clinton’s campaign.  The management placed a notice for performers to audition for the  their road  show cast with the proviso that only performers of “COLOR” or minorities apply.  The unbiased liberal left in action.

The musical is based on the life and times of Alexander Hamilton.  It’s too bad that the cast did not learn anything from their experiences singing the lyrics of the musical.  Hamilton was a product of a dysfunctional family. Hamilton was born out of wedlock in Charlestown, British West Indies, to a mother of French Huguenot and British ancestry, and a Scots father, James A. Hamilton, the fourth son of Scottish laird Alexander Hamilton of Grange,

If there was a walk of fame like they have in Hollywood, Hamilton would have been awarded not one star but many for his contributions to the founding of America.  He was a supporter and adviser to Washington during the Revolutionary War. Hamilton strongly believed in the Federal System of government.  The Federal System is one in which the power of government is divided between the national government and the states. He was the co-author of the Federalist Papers in which he supplied the reasons why we needed a representative government and explained how power would be divided between the national government and the individual states.  He proposed the famous compromise between the Northern and Southern states that gained the support of the South to ratify the new Constitution if the nation’s capital would be located in the South.

He was appointed to be the first Treasurer of the United States, with Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of  State.  Washington considered these two brilliant men his closest advisers.  The conflicts between Hamilton and Jefferson began when Washington had to deal with the debts incurred by the new nation as a result of the Revolutionary War. Hamilton wanted the new government to pay off all foreign debts and also pay off the debts of the states.  He argued that the United States cannot be known as a “dead beat” nation. Jefferson was against this proposal.  Washington supported Hamilton. Hamilton proposed a national bank in which to deposit tax revenues and private loans to the U.S government.  and Washington agreed. Jefferson and Madison argued against the policies of favoring northern business interests rather than Southern agrarian interests. Jefferson feared that the Federal government would have to much power.

 Hamilton was pro-British, Jefferson was pro-French. Jefferson wanted the new nation to join with France against their war with Great Britain.  Hamilton opposed this idea fearing that if France lost the war, and as France’s ally, the U.S. would loose their independence.  Washington supported Hamilton’s view.

While expecting conflicts of opinion within his cabinet,  Washington hoped to avoid the development of political parties, which the Constitution did not mention.  In 1790 Hamilton formed the Federalist Party and Jefferson formed the anti-Federalist Party later referred to as the Democratic-Republican Party. The Federalist Party argued for a Loose Construction of the Constitution: government had many powers implied by the elastic clause. (The Federal government had the power to pass all laws necessary to carry out their responsibilities).  This interpretation was important since it allowed government to deal with issues not specifically mentioned in the Constitution. 

One of the truisms of history is that “history does repeat itself.” In 1798 the Federalist Party had to deal with the issue of immigration.  The Federalists held the majority in Congress and passed the Alien and Sedition laws designed to intimidate the party of Jefferson, the Democratic-Republicans.  The Alien Act authorized the President to deport foreigners thought to endanger public safety.  The Sedition Act authorized the government to fine and imprison newspaper editors who printed “scandalous and malicious” writing about the government.  Virginia and Kentucky passed resolutions protesting these acts and claimed the right to nullify them as unconstitutional.  The Democratic-Republicans argued that these laws violated citizens basic rights.

250 years later we are still dealing with many of the same issues.  How to deal with illegal aliens.  Sanctuary cities defying laws of the Federal government.  States rights verses Federal power. 

Based on contemporary definitions, and what we have learned about  Alexander Hamilton, it is fair to conclude  that Hamilton would be a supporter of  the Republican Party.  Based on this conclusion, it seems that the cast of Hamilton is most hypocritical in their attack on Vice-President elect Pence.  In the breakdown of the various acts of the show Hamilton, there seems to be a great deal of emphasis on the more salacious side of Hamilton’s life, such as the various affairs he had and the attempts to destroy his reputation by any and all means.  It seems to me that the cast of Hamilton would have been closer to the reality of today’s political scene if they had admonished the Democrats, Clinton and Obama from the stage rather than the Trump presidency.

Note:  I know that I may have used a great deal more historical data to support my views on the issues described in my article.  Hamilton deserves more praise than the show seems to give him and I wanted to make sure my readers recognize this.

Please feel free to respond to my observations on the blog that you reading this article on or on phyllisrichland.blogsdpot.com

I wish you all a healthy and happy Thanksgiving.

Ignorance Masquerading as Cream!

Stew Richland

Since Donald Trump was announced the winner of the 2016 election, every T.V station, newspaper and most radio stations have attempted to provide reasons for this outcome.  I would suggest, that these anti-Trump pundits take a deep breath and step back and let the duly elected President proceed with putting together his cabinet and then  giving him time to put his campaign promises into action.

As a historian, yes that is what I am.  I have spent over 50 years of my life studying
American history and government and trying to impart to my students an  understanding of how our democratic Republic works.  What has shocked me the most is the comments being made by college students who are demonstrating against the legally elected president, Donald Trump.  When asked by reporters why they are demonstrating, their first response deals with the issue of immigration.  They really believe that Trump will kick out of the United States millions of illegal aliens.  These students demonstrate an intellectual laziness and display a mob mentality about this issue.  When asked for specifics about their views they just babble about open borders and are horrified that the illegal immigrants will be deported en masse and define closing our borders to illegal migration as racist is absurd. In addition many of these protesters did not vote in this election.

Lets examine the basics of the immigration problem.  A basic assumption is the fact that a nation is defined by its borders. The international community accepts this premise. Over the years they also have accepted the idea of the “ten-mile” limit which extends a nations physical border into surrounding oceans.  More recently, air space has been added to this mix of ownership.  Over the centuries borders have be re-drawn because of land purchases but mostly by treaties worked out when wars were  concluded. To the victors belong the spoils.  This was clearly evident after World Wars I and II.  In the post-WWII era the spirit of nationalism also contributed to the birth of new nations with clearly defined borders.

If you examine the history of immigration into the United States, it becomes clear that each wave of immigration was connected to events occurring outside of the United States.  We teach our students that the underlying factors for  much of the population shift from Europe to the United States was a desire for religious, social, and political freedom.  They rightly viewed America as the land of opportunity.

Horace Greely said in 1851, “Go West Young Man, Go West.”  The American West was wide open.  Free or inexpensive land was available to all. Land sales was a source of great income to the government.  These new farmers would provide the food necessary to feed the growing population and the pick and shovel jobs necessary for the expansion of our industrial cities.

The discovery of gold in California in 1849 opened the flood gates for massive immigration.  This was an opportunity to strike it rich and immigrants would not be denied.  The building of the intercontinental railroad system was in full throttle after the Civil War.  Railroad companies were given large tracts of land to build the system. To help finance the project, railroad companies divided the sections of land on either side of the railway system. The railroad companies divided this land in to sections and sold it off to those immigrants who purchased the land.   They even went as far as advertising the sale of cheap land in European newspapers and provide free steerage for those who wanted a fresh start.  Thousands of Germans fled their native country to escape wars  and the conscription laws that forced German youth into the military. The Germans were wealthy and headed for the upper mid –west.  The potato famine in Ireland along with English land enclosure laws, drove thousands of Irish to the shores of America.

Thousands of Chinese males crossed the Pacific to take advantage of the gold rush in California.  When the gold fields became unproductive, most of the Chinese workers along with the Irish were hired to build the trans-Pacific railroad. 

Japan was suffering from overpopulation and the government encouraged their citizens to emigrate to the United States.  Both the Japanese and Chinese suffered from racial discrimination.  They looked different, they did not speak English, their customs (food, religion, life style) were in stark contrast to the majority population.  In spite of all the prejudice this group had to endure, they prospered economically, sadly the racial discrimination issues lingered for many decades.

At the end of the 19^th century, the government declared that all free land had been occupied.  Coupled with the expansion of American industrial growth, American foreign policy makers were looking overseas, especially Asia, to expand the markets for American manufactured goods. 

Xenophobia and industrial racism began to raise its ugly head during this period of American growth.  Originating in  California, and then supported by many members of  Congress, an anti-Asian sentiment began to grow.  “Yellow Peril” legislation to limit or end Chinese immigration, and designed to restrict Chinese women into the U.S.  In addition, the U.S. adopted a policy with Japan, known as the “Gentlemen’s Agreement.” The United States wanted  zero Japanese  immigration into the U.S.  Thus, the Japanese government  encouraged their citizens to move to Hawaii as an alternative.   This explains why Hawaii has such a large Japanese population. The Japanese are a proud people and felt that the American immigration policy was an insult to their nation.  They have very long memories.  This explains one of the underlying reasons for Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. 

The goal of American labor unions was to force the corporate giants to pay decent wages for factory workers.   Strikes were basically illegal and if union workers walked off their jobs, there were hundreds of newly arrived immigrants willing to take their place.  With their ranks  growing, and with it political power, the unions began to push Congress to pass restrictive immigration laws to protect their jobs.

For an understanding of contemporary immigration concerns it must be noted that at the end of the 19^th Century, the United States did not have any restrictive immigration laws in place.   The first major action dealing with immigration restrictions was the Chinese Exclusion Act. This was a United States federal law signed by President Chester A. Arthur on May 6, 1882. It was one of the most significant restrictions on free immigration in US history, prohibiting all immigration of Chinese laborers. The Chinese Exclusion Act was the first law implemented to prevent a specific ethnic group from immigrating to the United States. It was repealed by the Magnuson Act on December 17, 1943.  The reason for the repeal was obvious. China was an American ally in WWII, How could the U.S. have a law on the books that denies the leaders of China from entering the country.

After WWI, the U.S. began to pass restrictive laws against European immigration.  These were known as the Quota Acts.  It was designed to shrink the number of applicants for immigration to the U.S. from Eastern European nations.  Legal immigration was based on a quota tied  to the number of people from different European nations already residing in the U.S.  It must be noted that those who applied to enter into the U.S. entered legally through Ellis Island and were vetted for diseases and  they had to have a sponsor that would see to their needs so that these new arrivals would not become a burden on the state. In addition to these changes, the government reflected on the fact that they had a growing European population and so they changed the rules to make it more difficult for Europeans to enter the U.S. and lowered the immigration quotas to allow more Mexican, Central and South American immigration into the U.S. 

All of these immigrants were admittedly legally.  They applied and were admitted according to the current law.  That is the way it has always been done.  People respected the sanctity of national laws and if you wanted to enter the nation you applied for admission.  During and after WWII, the United States lowered these resrictions to allow refugees from war zones to enter the U.S.. However, all of these immigrants were vetted.  The U.S. also made provision for Cuban political refugees to enter the U.S.

The Constitution states that if a person is born in the U.S. then they automatically have U.S. citizenship.  This provision was put into place to afford former slaves citizenship, since these former slaves did not have a homeland to be returned to.  In fact, former slaves wanted to remain in America.

I am not unsympathetic to the fact that many thousands of people live in nations south of the border where there is little or no economic opportunity.  Where the drug cartels are causing havoc on a daily basis.  I can understand what motivates these people to try their hardest  to enter the U.S.  However, we are a nation of laws and the laws cannot be cherry picked to allow exceptions to the rule.  There is no question that the Democrats encouraged this illegal immigration into the U.S.  They look at this pool of illegal’s as a potential voting bloc to keep their party in power.  I am sure that the parents of children that were born in the U.S. will not be expelled under the Trump administration. What Trump wants to do is to deport illegal aliens that are criminals.  What the Trump administration wants to do is have any person, regardless of national origin apply and enter this country legally. 

Illegal immigration is having and will have in the future an enormous impact on the health and welfare of Americans.  Diseases that had been eradicated are beginning to be found in areas in which illegal’s are concentrated.  The cost of providing schooling, medical care and welfare services  for these illegal’s is growing by leaps and bounds.  American tax payers are footing  the bill for these service. It just is not fair to our struggling middle-class to be burdened with this cost. 

We have not addressed the issue that there is a steady flow of potential terrorists that are also crossing our unguarded southern borders.  This is an issue that must be addressed by the Trump administration.

Historically American immigration policies have been the most generous and fair.  Our policies have, in the most part, lived up to the ideal  expressed on the Statue of Liberty.  Any student of this subject will admit that unjustified prejudice toward immigrants based on the fact that these immigrants  were culturally different than main stream Americans was unjustified.  Much of this resentment was focused on economic issues. 

During WWI and WWII many Americans expressed concern over the fact that German-Americans would not support the war effort and not fight against the Axis powers.  In fact, no Japanese-Americans ever fought in the Pacific theater of war.  Their divisions were sent to the European war zones.   Prior to WWII only the rich, famous or well connected had the opportunity to escape the Nazis and were allowed quick entry into the U.S.  In 1944, Henry Morgenthau sent a scathing message to President Roosevelt describing the plight of European Jews.  Sadly, no effort was made to evacuate those Jews from the Nazi death camps. 

The realty of this issue is the fact that the American economy cannot withstand the influx of so many undocumented illegal aliens.  This issue is exacerbated by a real fear that terrorists are using our porous southern borders for only one reason, to kill Americans.  How wonderful it is for many of those college protestors to demand open borders for all.  How warm inside they must feel that they are taking the moral high ground  on this issue.  They live in the make believe world of academia.  These kids are far removed from the world that Willie Nelson described in his song, “That Lucky Old Sun,”

Up in the morning out on the job

Work like the devil for my pay

And that lucky old sun

Ain't got nothing to do

But roll around heaven all day

Yes these demonstrators have nothing to do but protest and in some cases destroy the property of others.  I am not against freedom of expression in any form.  I am against the process of people immigrating to this nation ILLEGALLY