Happy 4th

It's the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. I would link to my book review, but the page is dead, along with the Symbol website. You can search archived pages. 

Happy Independence Day

 

The day they actually voted for independence. 7/2/1776.

Indiana and Tennessee Declare June as Nuclear Family Month

I discuss the various problems with this here. I toss in a link to an amusing "drag comedy" that is also a satire of teenage films. 

Memorial Day Weekend

A Military Times article had a headline: "13 US troops killed, more than 380 wounded in Operation Epic Fury." 

Congress in the 1990s passed a law "recommending" that presidents ask people to pray for potential peace. I think, along with remembering the dead, working for peace (not just praying) is the best way to celebrate the holiday.

Blondie Plays Cupid

A retro channel shows "Blondie" films (1940s; there was also a couple of television series based on the comic strip, plus a radio show) each Saturday morning. I talked about this over the years. 

The 28 films are of mixed quality. For whatever reason, one film is not shown in the rotation (about a "haunted" house). Blondie Plays Cupid is a good one.

The film is effectively a series of vignettes. It starts with the Fourth of July coming up. Blondie is not a fan of Dagwood and Baby Dumpling's fireworks. 

She wants to go somewhere quiet. How about her relatives in the country? Some home and office scenes (where a plan to trick Dagwood backfires; the coworker involved is played by someone else in later films) take place. 

Then, an amusing scene on the train, with a familiar face (the grumpy railroad executive on Petticoat Junction; the actor was in lots of character roles). Fans of old shows and films will see other familiar faces throughout the series. 

The busy film then shifts to the country, where a young Glenn Ford offers them a ride. That's where the title drop comes in -- he has fallen in love with the neighbor's daughter, but the father opposes the match. The justice of the peace gives an amusing performance. 

More hijinks and things end (as they always do) happily. The film is well-paced and well-written, with the interrelated scenes fitting together nicely. 

One amusing bit of the "I see what they did there" variety involves Baby Dumpling winding up in a haystack after a joyride. Something is poking him. Turns out to be a needle. In a haystack.

There is also a cute final joke. The last bit involves something that would be rather serious (painful burns) if we took it seriously. The Wikipedia page at the moment somewhat misleadingly notes how things wound up. They don't simply enjoy the end of their vacation peacefully in the country.  

The films have various expected components, including the postman getting hit by Dagwood (the film has a twist, including him having a chance to get Dagwood back) during an early scene involving the family having breakfast. The smart aleck neighborhood kid usually gets involved somehow.  

Dagwood bumbles a lot, which at some point is a bit tedious. There is also some stereotypical Blondie stuff, including a bit too many scenes of her being jealous or upset (often arising from some misunderstanding) for some reason. She is not as sexy looking as in the comic strip.

Blondie started as a flapper-type character, while Dagwood was a rich man's son who gave up his money out of love. The films skip that backstory.

The strips, at least when I read them much later, also had them being close friends with their neighbors. This film has Blondie talking to the wife on the phone. Most of the films, however, skip them, and one late film has the neighbors annoyed at Dagwood.

The family grows over the decade or so of the films. "Baby Dumpling" becomes Alexander. And, they have a daughter named Cookie. The boss is "J.C" Dithers, though he is replaced later in the series except for the last film. That is, Julius Caesar Dithers.

Today is the Ides of March. It's all connected.

SCOTUS Watch: Past and Future

Scalia/Court Expansion 

The tenth anniversary of Justice Scalia's death recently passed. Volokh Conspiracy had multiple positive accounts. A Fix the Court email update I received was more negative. 

My position is also largely negative. See here. I linked a VC post, and "Joe" says more over there. 

Scalia's death led to a de facto "packing" of the Court when Republicans refused to even have a hearing for Merrick Garland. They then rushed (one month) the confirmation of Barrett. 

Raw political hardball mixed with hypocrisy.

A minority argues that the overall history here warrants court expansion. Only a small number of Democrats in Congress openly support this. Some observers are loudly supportive. 

The FDR court "packing" scheme is cited by both sides. Did it help change the law, or is it generally a sign the whole thing is a bad idea? 

FDR'S Gambit by Laura Kalman provides a detailed account while near the end drops an opinion that it was helpful for FDR's ends.

I found the book a tedious slog, without ignoring it is also an impressive work of scholarship. There is a lot of unnecessary detail without overall seeming to add much. I finally gave up reading the book straight through around 100 pages in. 

There are, as is usually the case, some interesting and informative details. Overall, however, I don't think I learned much new about the bottom line. 

The book ends up somewhat agnostic if dubious about a court expansion proposal today. The book was published in the middle of the Biden Administration. 

Ultimately, an expansion proposal should at least be pushed as a negotiation tactic. I have discussed this in the past and won't repeat myself here.

We now have evidence that Alito will retire soon, maybe in a few months. A 6-3 Court with four (and I think Thomas will resign before the end of Trump's term) younger conservatives nominated by Trump is just appalling.

Something major has to be done if the Democrats get a trifecta. A strong expansion faction might make it more likely that we will have serious reforms passed. 

SCOTUS News

SCOTUS dropped a schedule for the final oral arguments.

It also "may" (nearly always means they will) announce opinions on the 20th (when they officially come back from their break), 24th (they start hearing orals again the day before), and 25th (my sister's birthday). SCOTUSblog will have live blogging. 

For whatever reason, Oyez.com still doesn't have the opinion announcements from last term. There is a new AI-aided approach to provide video. Fix the Court has more, and its comments are basically on point. 

John Oliver's dog justice videos were good, too. 

Holiday

Okay. So, next Friday is when the justices officially come back with a conference (surely) and opinion announcements (probably). 

Tomorrow is a holiday. A historian is wary about the "monarchial" practice of celebrating presidential birthdays. Her piece is generally on point. 

The name of the holiday varies, including the use of punctuation. On the federal level, it is George Washington's Birthday, which was originally February 22 (using today's dating), so it is somewhat early to celebrate it on the 16th. 

Odds and Ends

SCOTUS is on its mid-winter break. 

It released its March argument schedule, which includes April 1 (birthright citizenship). See also, some of the anti-BC briefs.

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Today's Groundhog's Day and this is Black History Month. I briefly talk about that here with further links with more info.

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I watched Ted Lasso (first five episodes) on DVD around five years after most people. It does have charms, especially such a positive lead, which we need in these times. 

The two primary women (owner and girlfriend of a player) characters are well played. There are so many shows these days on so many platforms of which I see nearly none.  

Interesting book with four flawed individuals.

Someone responded to a post about an anniversary of the 18th Amendment with a "what a bunch of morons" sentiment. That's a somewhat cheap shot. 

Merry Christmas

 

Merry  Christmas. Here's a song about the 12 Symbols of Christmas. The "12 Days of Christmas" run from today until January 5. 

ETA: Trump went another way (Nigeria). 

Hanukkah and Journey to Bethelhem

 

Let's talk Hanukkah and a Christmas movie.

Bill of Rights Day

A slightly edited version of a previous entry in honor of Bill of Rights Day here, including a reference to today's mostly ho-hum Order List. 

World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day is a global movement to unite people in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Since 1988, communities have stood together on World AIDS Day to show strength and solidarity against HIV stigma and to remember lives lost.

The Trump Administration is not a big fan:

The State Department issued a terse statement last week saying, "an awareness day is not a strategy."

The result is that on December 1, the United States is not commemorating World AIDS Day. It's the first time the U.S. has not participated since the World Health Organization created this day in 1988 to remember the millions of people who have died of AIDS-related illnesses and recommit to fighting the epidemic that still claims the lives of more than half a million people each year.

The move is typical:

The decision not to mark World AIDS Day is in line with the administration's broader approach to WHO and the United Nations more broadly. Trump has been critical of multilateral organizations like the U.N. and of WHO's handling of COVID. One of his first moves, on inauguration day, was to start the process of removing the U.S. from the WHO. 

However, the Trump Administration has marked other days designated by the UN, such as World Autism Awareness Day. The White House issued a proclamation for that day.

It is not totally off limits:

Employees and grantees may still “tout the work” being done through various programs “to counter this dangerous disease and other infectious diseases around the world,” the email said. And they may attend events related to the commemoration.

But they should “refrain from publicly promoting World AIDS Day through any communication channels, including social media, media engagements, speeches or other public-facing messaging.”

Chris Geidner has more. 

Trump's Thanksgiving Messages

Two National Guard members, who shouldn't have been in harm's way,* were shot in D.C. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, has died. Or, as the NYT dubiously phrased it, "succumbed to her wounds."  

(Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, remained in critical condition on Thursday after undergoing surgery.)  

Of course, Trump and company exploited this. First, more troops will be sent, which is akin to filling a hole by digging deeper. Second, it was used for by now mundanely horrible attacks on ("Third World") immigrants. 

Trump's comments on Thanksgiving included calling Gov. Tim Walz (who has a disabled son) "seriously retarded.") and crude attacks on the cultural/religious garb of a member of Congress (no kewpie doll for correctly citing the person).

His attack on "anti-American" types is rather ironic. Trump's official Thanksgiving message had the not ideal mix of religious and partisan messaging. 

His secondary message is much worse, including the usual unhinged references to the "Autopen approval process." Where's the 25th Amendment when you need it? 

The suspect is "an Afghan man who once served in an anti-Taliban force supported by the C.I.A." (to quote a NYT article). See also this report on how veterans are disproportionately on death row. 

Trump blamed Biden for the suspect obtaining refugee status, though he came here this year during the Trump Administration. The fact that President Biden provided refuge for "anti-Taliban forces supported by the C.I.A.," generally speaking, is "duh" territory. 

(Surely, any refugee program should have some safeguards. But now that we have Trump in power, surely, that will be covered too, correct?)

Trump's conveniently on-brand anti-certain-immigrants response to a special type of refugee/immigrant is a problem even without all the other baggage involved in the message. The ability to obtain the support of other nations when we need it will meanwhile be made that much harder. 

Anyway, I look forward to his Christmas Message, which will surely make King Herod (whose physical and mental state near the end was iffy) proud.

(Portrayed by Antonio Banderas in Journey to Jerusalem, a musical version of the Nativity Story.)

Some will continue to say "I voted for this." Others who did will be concerned while their Republican representatives do little or nothing in response. 

I understand those who see a possible light at the end of the tunnel, including the 2026 elections. But, at risk of violating Godwin's Law (which is not violated when the reference is correctly applied), the Germans continued to cause damage until May 1945.

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Note: Chris Geidner, the author of that discussion, resides in D.C. He did not use the term "jackbooted thugs," which some might recall from back in the day.

His concern about not needlessly placing civil or military personnel in harm's way, however, does have a broad application. The same applies to the use of force overall, which sometimes will result in needless tragedy. Conservatives and libertarians, somewhat selectively, are concerned with such things.  

Happy Thanksgiving

Friends had some very good Thanksgiving episodes, including one with Christiana Applegate. The friends were a family. The first season episode emphasized that -- they came together because they could not have dinner with their own families (Phoebe's grandmother celebrated another day).

Here is a history of Thanksgiving I wrote for another website. Harvest celebrations have ancient roots. The French and Spanish celebrated "thanksgiving" with Native Americans. Our modern Thanksgiving holiday was established in the 19th Century. 

Presidential Thanksgiving proclamations also began early. Like Trump's, they had a religious flavor, giving thanks to God. This led President Jefferson to reject the practice, particularly a congressional instruction to provide one. He thought that was a violation of the First and Tenth Amendments.

Presidential proclamations are also cited to justify other governmental endorsements of religion. Jefferson's principled stance is appropriate. At least, in today's world, any proclamation should be comprehensive. 

Justice Blackmun noted some Thanksgiving proclamations were blatantly sectarian. People can complain that some go too far regarding "Merry Christmas," which is a fake issue anyway. But recognizing the nation's diversity is appropriate. 

Personal statements by governmental officials are also not the same thing as showy endorsement. A large cross or Ten Commandments monument is not akin to some words nearly no one reads. 

Thanksgiving, as a basic concept, is fine. It has some baggage, including regarding Native Americans. Food can also be an issue, especially for vegans and vegetarians. There are plenty are options for an animal-friendly meal. Not all involve Tofurky.

Our troubling times also might lead people to be grumpy about giving thanks. For some people, holidays are especially stressful times. We can respect that. We should try to help those who need help. That includes those without much of a family.

At the end of the day, most of us have something to be thankful for. Giving thanks doesn't handwave all the problems. So, pessimists can be satisfied too.

Happy Veterans Day

Some thoughts.  Also: Mary Magdalene. 

The Halloween Cycle of Holidays

Religion Clause Blog flagged an entry from a pagan-related website entitled "Christian Activists Disrupt Salem Witches Market Amid Renewed Calls to Oppose Halloween." 

Some people see Halloween (and various other things, including fantasy books) as a threat to Christianity and/or as overall a bad thing. This is somewhat ironic.

The very name comes from it being the eve of All Hallows' Day, better known as All Saints' Day (11/1). That holiday is a holy day of obligation in the Roman Catholic Church, which could include going to mass on a day other than Sunday. 

November 2nd is All Souls' Day, which includes remembering the souls in purgatory. Relatedly, around this time (including 10/31-11/2), are Days of the Dead, an often colorfully and a tad morbidly celebrated holiday to honor deceased loved ones.  

These holidays suggest various Halloween traditions, along with it being around harvest time. That can explain all the pumpkins. Trick or treat might be connected to the traditional requests for alms, which could have a certain threatening side.

Saints and souls can involve costumes, scary stories, and all the rest. Imagination can help us examine, sometimes on a subconscious level, our fears and other scary things. Children use play for such things too, including overall to prepare for adulthood.

We can understand how some people might think witches and goblins would glorify bad things. I think they tend to have a limited view. Partially, this is because, like a vaccine (yeah, I know), a little bit of "evil" can help keep the true evil away. 

Halloween and other fall-related events also honor our connection to the earth, seasons, and all that. Pagans are often particularly concerned about such things. They are "nature religions" and all that.  

And then Election Day comes around, and we start to think about other things, though hopefully, some of the candidates care about the earth and all that.  

Yes, Thanksgiving comes later, but from the stuff at the discount store, it seems Christmas is here.  

When Sparks Fly

 

Meghan Markle was in two Hallmark Channel movies. I talk about them here. I rewatched (if a bit late) this one. It was pleasant, and my general sentiments are the same. 

Happy 4th of July

 

Some thoughts for the holiday. 

No Kings Day, Flag Day, and NYC Votes

Busy day. I cover it all here. (More here.) 

An Official Memorial Day Prayer for Peace

First off, a good NYT article about how Vietnamese are being pressured to support a Trump golf course. Not an Emoluments Clause problem though! Plus, that's a funny word, like "penumbra." Must be TDS!

Legislatures traditionally had days of prayer, fasting, humiliation, and thanksgiving. They were generally expressed in religious terms, appealing in some fashion to God. 

From the beginning of this country, as seen by Thomas Jefferson's dissent and concern about the sectarian nature of President Adams's day of prayer with political implications, there were dissents. Some people did not like the mixture of church and state.

I saw a reference to Trump's Memorial Day Proclamation, which contained this statement:

In honor of all of our fallen heroes, the Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 11, 1950, as amended (36 U.S.C. 116), has requested the President issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe each Memorial Day as a day of prayer for permanent peace and designating a period on that day when the people might unite in prayer.  The Congress, by Public Law 106-579, has also designated 3:00 p.m. local time on that day as a time for all Americans to observe, in their own way, the National Moment of Remembrance

And, yes, the link takes you to the amended congressional "request" (Jefferson was not convinced by such gentle language) in 1998. Not that long ago. 

I do not think Congress should "request" the president to pray, even if it is done in their own way. "Religious faith" reasonably does not apply to everyone. And, people do not just "pray." They exercise their faith in a variety of ways.  

I am pleased with the request to pray for permanent peace. That reaffirms my belief that the best way to honor the dead from wars is to promote a means to stop them from dying. 

(The official title of Trump's proclamation is "PRAYER FOR PEACE, MEMORIAL DAY, 2025.")

Nonetheless, Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion. Arranging prayer rituals is one such type of law. If the president or anyone else wants to "call" people to pray, it is their right. 

We can apply the terms broadly. The word "pray," again, has many meanings. For instance, it is sometimes used in legal documents. We should try to narrow problematic things. 

Trump's choice to ask people to pray to "Almighty God" as part of his official act is troublesome. It is a type of Christian nationalism, if read with his other acts and words. I put aside his hypocrisy about Gold Star Families, given his past words and actions. 

Other presidents (or whatever Trump is) can be trusted to be at least somewhat less hypocritical and blasphemous. Overall, however, Congress should not "request" or whatever the president to tell us how to pray. We can handle that on our own.

The promotion of peace can be done without that garnish. Request them to spread that message, and they can choose the path they wish to take.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day originated as "Decoration Day," which involved decorating the graves of Civil War dead. This helps explain the timing. Flowers would be in bloom. 

John Alexander Logan, who fought in the Civil War, is the father of the holiday. His story is particularly notable when we remember his journey from racist (his father was once a slaveowner) to supporter of black suffrage.  

The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet church-yard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.

President Lincoln, in his Gettysburg Address, uses the ancient method of mixing honoring the dead and teaching the living. It is for us to ensure that they did not die in vain. 

My sentiment has long been that the best way to honor those who died for our country is to promote peace. Let us work toward reducing the number of future dead people. 

Lincoln reminded us that we also should honor what they fought for. That is, when they fought for good things. We can remember German soldiers during WWII without honoring what they fought for. The same applies to Confederates. A total erasure of lines here is not quite ideal.  

The people who died were individuals with families and descendants. They are not just symbols to be honored or exploited. We should also remember them personally.  

I will also connect this a bit to Trump. His abuse of antiracism ("DEI") for his own ends cheapens those who fought and died to promote liberty and equality.  

Trump is overall a dishonor to their memory. Put aside his views that people who died for this country were suckers. He is now the commander-in-chief of the military. WTAF?

We celebrate holidays to honor things in today's world. So, even if we want to, we can not totally ignore Trump.

Overall, Memorial Day is not just the symbolic start of summer or a time for sales or days off. It honors the memory of people who gave their "last full measure" in defense of this country and its values. It is up to us the living to determine they did not die in vain.