WHAT HAS CHANGED?

George Caleb Bingham (1811–1879), The County Election, 1852. 

Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis, MO

No people of color nor women are in line to vote in 1852. I see possibly one black man in the picture, but he's pouring more drink.  More than one man appears drunk.  (What happens today when a person arrives at the polls under the influence?  Googled a little; didn't find much.)  So now people of color and women who are citizens of the US, get to vote, except in states where less-than-honest-and-upright Republicans run the show and make it difficult for people of color to vote, because - Hey! - "those people" usually vote for Democrats.  I'm not aware that Republicans try to suppress women's votes, because, believe it or not, there are women who vote Republican.

Anyway, here in the greatest democracy in the entire world, we do not elect the president and vice-president by popular vote.  The voters in individual states elect members of the Electoral College, who then elect the president and vice-president.  All states but Nebraska and Maine have winner-take-all laws, whereby the candidates who win the majority of votes are allotted all of the states' electoral votes.  Therefore, in very close elections, it is possible that candidates who receive a majority of the popular vote could lose the electoral vote.

Each state has its own rules for elections and voting processes.  The voting systems used by the various states are a decidedly mixed bag, and, with each election, there are problems and controversy, some of which nearly always end up in in court.  If you recall the hanging chads controversy in Florida in the Bush/Gore election in 2000, you know that the US Supreme Court elected George W Bush.  It seems to me that uniform rules and processes at least for national offices, such as president, vice-president, and the members of Congress, might be a better idea, with the entire country using the same processes, voting machines or ballots, rules for early voting, etc., but that is not likely to happen any time soon, surely not in my lifetime.

So here we are in this year 2012 better off than in 1852, but with a long way to go before we the people are confident of free and fair elections.

 Painting from Picturing America.

Besides commenting on American electioneering in general, The County Election records a particular political event. As many of Bingham’s contemporaries would have known, the painting depicts Election Day 1850 in Saline County, Missouri, when the artist himself was running for a place in the State Legislature.

Note: I corrected the date of the election depicted in the painting and changed the link to a source with more accurate and detailed information. 

MY SOUTH TAURID SHOOTING STAR

This first weekend of November, 2012, offers a meteor shower, although moonlight will interfere. The South Taurid meteors are expected to be at their best late night on Sunday, November 4 and after midnight on Monday, November 5. But we’ve already been hearing from people who say they’ve seen meteors, or shooting stars, streaking along in dark skies. Watch for them if you’re outside.

Last night, I saw a large shooting star, gold mixed with other colors as it burned out, one of the nicest I can remember.  The meteor had a definite ball on the end, and though it was there and gone in the blink of an eye, I didn't blink, and it was lovely to see.  I looked around for pictures, but I found none to match my shooting star, which moved in an arc as it petered out. Here we have so much light pollution that we see only a very few stars, so the meteor really stood out against the dark sky.   So swept away was I by the magical moment that I forgot to make a wish.

When I was a child, we spread a blanket in the back yard and lay down to watch the meteor showers when we knew they were coming, but there was less light then, even in the city, and, here and now, we don't see nearly the number of stars and meteors we saw those many years ago.

UPDATE: Good thing I saw my shooting star last night, because not a star of any kind was to be seen tonight, because clouds covered the sky.

IN CASE YOU HADN'T NOTICED...

...we have an election coming up.  I can't think of better commentary than the poem below, once again by Marthe G. Walsh.  I guess I should name Marthe poet laureate of Wounded Bird...or something. 

                                                 Imitations of Morality

The scratch of gust blown leaves, stubborn yellows, brown

the last of reds rusted on their way to mud

            just beyond the pavement’s crown

               of civility, the thud

of campaign weary feet tracking voters down

in last gasp desperation of fanatic

            assertions of perfection

               possible in election,

    ignore the gush of faulty candidates erratic.

The patch of virtue tended, meant for harvest

by the flame of ultra-conservative torch

            is but withered interest

               in protecting those who scorch

the very fabric of the soul to invest

with new authority a male government

            not just hostile to women,

               dismissive of each human

   without a suit of cash to cover raw resentment

of all “those people” living their own way,

without permission, without the “guidance”,

            rule of oppressive patriarchs sway,

               smug and proud of their own ignorance

that in secret makes them nervous of prey

turning to stare down the profit stalker,

            challenge the right of a small elite

               to take, to hoard, to gorge on red meat

   while masses starve at the table of the slick talker.

The long, slow fall of a losing argument

turns to an early, ancient, mean, strategy

            of claiming to know God’s intent,

               noblesse oblige theology

that strips away a woman’s right to consent,

to control her own body, the intimate

            used to intimidate, shame, unhinge,

               the tactic of unholy fringe

   threshing force from rape to see sacred seed proximate.

The thatch of suspect false ideology leaks

and rots in the rain of words worth remembering:

            Truth from clouds of glory peeks,

             trails the liar dissembling,

clings like the stench of death while greed prevails and speaks

as if justice were the exclusive property

            of any self-proclaimed elect.

               Truth shines, the timid to protect,

   through fog of moneyed might to reveal equality,

       not some fleeting, fashionable stance or politic,

       just neighbor loving neighbor without fright dogmatic.

EARLY MORNING POLICE STOP

 

An elderly man is stopped by the police around 2 a.m. and is asked where he is going at this time of night. 

The man replies, "I am on my way to a lecture about alcohol abuse and the effects it has on the human body, as well as smoking and staying out late."

The officer then asks, "Really? Who is giving that lecture at this time of night?" 

The man replies, "That would be my wife."

Ha ha ha ha.,...the gift that keeps on giving.  Each time I think about the joke, I laugh out loud.   Thanks, Doug.

KATE RUSBY - THE LARK

 

Out in the field where the lark it flies,
Over the earth where my heart it lies,
Oh how it sings when the west wind blows,
Out in the field where no-one goes.

Lovely woman with a beautiful voice.

VOTE REPUBLICAN, OR BE JUDGED FOR ETERNITY

Letter to the members of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria from Bishop Daniel R. Jenky:

Election AD 2012

By virtue of your vow of obedience to me as your Bishop, I require that this letter be personally read by each celebrating priest at each Weekend Mass, November 3/4.

Dear Catholic Believers,

Since the foundation of the American Republic and the adoption of the Bill of Rights, I do not think there has ever been a time more threatening to our religious liberty than the present. Neither the president of the United States nor the current majority of the Federal Senate have been willing to even consider the Catholic community's grave objections to those HHS mandates that would require all Catholic institutions, exempting only our church buildings, to fund abortion, sterilization, and artificial contraception. This assault upon our religious freedom is simply without precedent in the American political and legal system. Contrary to the guarantees embedded in the First Amendment, the HHS mandates attempt to now narrowly define and thereby drastically limit our traditional religious works. They grossly and intentionally intrude upon the deeply held moral convictions that have always guided our Catholic schools, hospitals, and other apostolic ministries.
....

For those who hope for salvation, no political loyalty can ever take precedence over loyalty to the Lord Jesus Christ and to his Gospel of Life. God is not mocked, and as the Bible clearly teaches, after this passing instant of life on earth, God's great mercy in time will give way to God's perfect judgment in eternity.

The headline of the post at the National Catholic Reporter is "Peoria bishop orders Catholics to the polls".   Since I've long admired the reporting at NCR, I hope the headline is irony.  What the bishop orders is that Roman Catholics go to the polls and vote for Mitt Romney and Republican candidates for the US Senate.

 In 1954, Congress saw the need to separate charities and churches from politics. An amendment was offered on the floor of the Senate by then-Senator Lyndon Johnson.

The Johnson amendment is found within the well-known section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. In its present form, the law states that charities, including churches, are not allowed to “participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements) any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.”

Freedom of speech and religious liberty are essential elements of our democracy. But the Supreme Court has in essence held that tax exemption is a privilege, not a right, stating, “Congress has not violated [an organization’s] First Amendment rights by declining to subsidize its First Amendment activities.”

The rule against intervention by charities and churches in political campaigns has been entrenched in the law for over a half-century. Congress enacted the law. The Courts upheld it. Our job at the IRS is to educate the public and charities about the law and to enforce it in a fair and evenhanded manner.

Perhaps the powers-that-be at the IRS might be moved to investigate the Diocese of Peoria's tax-exempt eligibility. The bishop stepped outside the boundary of advocating issues to advocating candidates. I know the IRS is not likely to do as I suggest, but it should.

The bishop's heavy-handed order to the priests in the diocese demonstrates desperation and a lack of confidence in his own authority.  He speaks of the "Catholic community" as though all Catholics think alike and speak with one voice, which is (excuse my language) bullshit, as is Jenky's claim of "assault upon our religious freedom", on which basis he orders the faithful to vote Republican, or risk their very salvation.  Will Roman Catholics pay attention to the gospel according to Jenky when they vote? I hope not.

In an earlier post I quoted another letter from Bishop Jenky in which he compared President Obama to Hitler and Stalin. 

Note: I was going to take a pass on posting on the the bishop's odious letter, but Rmj at Adventus inspired me otherwise.  Keep in mind that the thoughts and words here are my own, and Rmj bears no responsibility.

CLASSIC CASE OF PROJECTION

One for the textbooks.  Rush Limbaugh on governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, after the governor characterized President Obama's response to Hurricane Sandy as "outstanding":

 "He’s fat and a fool. Don’t listen to Governor Christie. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He makes fun of me all the time.”

.

ALL SAINTS DAY

All Saints Day came and is nearly gone.  I intended to write a post in honor of the day, but time constraints prevented me, so I offer you beloved Satchmo with his signature piece.

WHAT WOMAN IN HER RIGHT MIND...?

An acquaintance just called for my husband who is not home right now, and I gave him the number where Grandpère can be reached.

 Caller: "Are you ready for the election?"

Me: "I voted already."

Caller: "You voted for Romney, of course."

Me: "You're joking.  What woman in her right mind would vote for Romney or for any Republican?"

Caller: "I know a lot of women who are voting for Romney."

Me: "Romney and the Republicans are so anti-women that I don't understand how any woman can vote for any of them."

Caller: "Well, I'd better try to get in touch with Tom (Grandpère) now."

I expect Grandpère will get an earful about my conversation with the man.  I must say that I'm at the point where I try to avoid conversations about politics, because they often end in acrimony, but when I'm asked a direct question, I have to answer.  Thank goodness this person did not appear to want to prolong the discussion, because I was not in the mood.  Anyone who doesn't know by now that Romney as president would be a disaster is almost certainly not a person who is open to being convinced otherwise. 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

 

Adorablest puppy.  Too cute to resist.

hist whist

by e.e. cummings (1894-1962)

hist whist
little ghostthings
tip-toe
twinkle-toe

little twitchy
witches and tingling
goblins
hob-a-nob hob-a-nob 

The poem is still under copyright sooo read the rest here.

Photo lifted from The Daily Office.