It is 4:15 AM and I am having trouble sleeping. I have reached the point where I am asking myself is this all there is, is there nothing more I can do to seek a change in the current course of this nation. I have been volunteering for the candidates I support, I have been calling my friends and neighbors to make sure they know why I support those candidates and how they can help. Then I started thinking about the First Amendment:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances”.

In other words; the First Amendment guarantees freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly, and the right to petition. It forbids Congress from both promoting one religion over others and also restricting an individual’s religious practices. It guarantees freedom of expression by prohibiting Congress from restricting the press or the rights of individuals to speak freely. It also guarantees the right of citizens to assemble peaceably and to petition their government.

As of today we are about 100 days away from the 2020 election and you can verify the actual date here: https://howmanydaystill.com/its/presidential-election-2021 This is a time when all American citizens having reached 18 years of age who come from all walks of life have to opportunity to cast a ballot to choose courses of action for our nation and the state in which each person resides. Are you registered to vote? If you act today there is still time to get registered to vote, if you don’t exercise your right to vote then the rest of us who do vote will simply decide for you. I do hope you will pick up a pen and fill out a form and mail it or simply log in to your state’s election system and register today. It is not hard. Here is the link for Alaska:

https://voterregistration.alaska.gov/

Not an Alaskan? Below is the list for every other state which offers online voter registration:

https://www.rockthevote.org/online/

If you are registered you can also help your fellow citizens by voting absentee this cycle to protect our poll workers and reduce risk of spreading Covid 19 in our community. Many poll workers are senior citizens, and many are unable to work polling places this year. Alaska law permits any registered Alaskan voter to cast an absentee ballot for any reason, here is where to do this: https://absenteeballotapplication.alaska.gov/

If you are young and healthy, please consider being a poll worker this year. Poll workers are trained and paid $ for their time. It is times like these that Alaskans pull together and help their neighbors. Remember that democracy is not a spectator sport and participation is the key to success. Many members of my family served in the US military to fight for and protect our right to vote, many veterans have died protecting that right, please honor those people by doing your part to guide this nation, your state, and your local government into a better future. Whether you think this US President is a misunderstood genius or a complete idiot, whether you think America is headed in the right direction, or U S democracy is swirling the drain of failure, you have a duty to share your view at the ballot box by completing and submitting your ballot.

This is an excerpt taken from a speech given by the recently former U.S. Secretary of State:

"As I reflect upon the state of American democracy, I observe a growing crisis of ethics and integrity,”

He did cite John 8:32 twice: “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

“When we as people, a free people, go wobbly on the truth, even on what may seem the most trivial of matters, we go wobbly on America. If we do not as Americans confront the crisis of ethics and integrity in our society, and among our leaders in both the public and private sector, and regrettably at times even the nonprofit sector, then American democracy as we know it is entering its twilight years.”

“If our leaders seek to conceal the truth or we as people become accepting of alternative realities that are no longer grounded in facts, then we as American citizens are on a pathway to relinquishing our freedom,” said Tillerson. “This is the life of nondemocratic societies, comprised of people who are not free to seek the truth. … A responsibility of every American citizen to each other is to preserve and protect our freedom by recognizing what the truth is and is not, what a fact is and is not, and begin by holding ourselves accountable to truthfulness, and demand our pursuit of America’s future be fact-based, not based on wishful thinking; not hopeful outcomes made in shallow promises; but with a clear-eyed view of the facts as they are and guided by the truth that will set us free to seek solutions to our most daunting challenges.”

~Rex Tilerson, Fmr US Secretary of State

Excerpt from 2018 Commencement Speech at the Virgina Military Institute

At this point in time as I write this on October 10, 2016, I find it very hard to believe that there is truly an undecided voter out there. I have come to feel like those that claim they are undecided are merely attention seekers. Because the media focus on people who claim to be in that camp at this point in any election. But after all the nonsense that has gone on in the last few weeks, and months, I can't fathom or understand how anyone could think that “He who must not be Named” could possibly lead this nation anywhere but into the a deep chasm of despair, and every passenger on the train with their hair on fire.

Never has a candidate be unable to at least discuss their political positions and talking points in the most basic terms at a debate. There just has never been a cycle like this. Accusing your opponent of having hate in their heart. It is simply outlandish can only make for good reality TV but not for civic duty, or public discourse. The GOP has positions sure, and I feel pretty strongly that their candidate does not even know what they are, or if he does, he does not care, nor will he choose to stick to them anyway. All the parties have positions, but the premise is we talk about the ideas, respectfully debate the merits openly and then we work towards finding common ground and make decision to do things that are best we can, you know liberty and justice for all.

Yes it is hard and yes we wont always agree, and mostly won't but the level of hate and vitriol that is commonly exchanged when someone has a different political view than your own is unacceptable. I want a president who looks forward and not backward. I want a president who will listen to facts and positions and make decisions with wisdom and grace, not hostility and ignorance. I want a president who understand that this has always been a nation of immigrants and that diversity of our people make us strong not weak.

As I awoke to the chirping birds this morning I realized they likely had little or no idea of the human atrocities that occur elsewhere around the world.  They just chirp and sing with glee it seems.  The pleasant warble of these little creatures is magical.  Hopefully they are scarcely aware of the horrible things we humans are doing to each other, our planet and its ocean.  They just go about their business each day as the last guaranteed to greet each new morn with the beautiful song and delightful melody.  Humans also have the opportunity to greet each morning with the same positivity and attitude of a song bird,  if we will only just pick up the courage and honest approach to life.  A great start is to just be kind to one another, it is really that simple.

Hello All,

I have had a hard time processing the events in Kentucky this first week of September 2015.  I am in favor of people to have the freedom of their religion, but that freedom does not give one the right to oppress another with their religious view points.  Certainly, I was elated to learn that the courts would enforce the law, hold her in contempt and allow marriages certificates be issued in Rowan, Kentucky, but at the same time I was ashamed that we are still at a place and time in this country where a person had to be jailed because of her religious views.  I agree with the judges decision of how to handle this circumstance, he did not have a lot of options.  Clearly Kim could not be reasoned with, she was just bat-shit crazy.  Further the pain and emotional anguish that she imposed on citizens of the community in which she was supposed to serve was shameful.

Kim's circumstance is not all that different than the religious bigotry that is occurring all over this world.  How is her refusing to issue a marriage license to a gay couple any different than another faith that prevent women from accessing education, or that hangs a teenager because he is gay, or beats a trans gender person for not conforming to clothing norms?

I was particularly outraged by the video where Kim was asked under who's authority she is denning the issuance of a marriage license, and she simply answered in a very self-righteous tone, “under God's Authority”  as if she had been somehow empowered to exercise the authority of a higher power, to dictate a specific viewpoint, to enforce a  narrow belief system on everyone else for our own good.  When I think of this I struggle to see how this is any different that the extreme views of religious extremists anywhere else on this planet.  It simply is not. 

Bigotry, hate, discrimination, in all its forms are the things that tear at the very fabric of our society.  I certainly believe in religious freedom and liberty, but I believe that Freedom of Religion, also means Freedom from Religion.  In other words, one is free to believe what one deems appropriate for oneself, but one cannot dictate or enforce a specific belief system upon another.

As a society our concepts of thought and conscience must evolve to continue a successful co-existence, and the concept of equality is an important one for continued human survival.  Our societies are doomed and will not advance if we cannot find a way to eliminate our fears and shed the prejudice for those that are different.

Sadly, I can already see where this is headed.  Even now Kim Davis supporters are chanting thank you slogans in support of her bigotry.  I predict at some date in the not too distant future she will be released from jail, and she may even agree to quit her job, but will go on to work the conservative speaking circuit in this nation, write a book or some ghost writer will do it for her, and she will make huge profits and be financially rewarded for her shameful expression of bigotry.  She will faithfully tithe that money to her church which will continue to preach this painful hatred from the pulpit.

And life will go on much the same way it goes on this very day and the scum and villainy of  human beings will continue to be expressed in vulgar and despicable ways. 

Still I cling firmly to the hope that Love will eventually win out,  and that ultimately people can and do change, and equality will one day be realized for all human on this planet and until then the struggle will continue.


Here is another person's well written viewpoint:

http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/2912731-155/pitts-religious-liberty-looks-a-lot

Today the Supreme court made marriage equality for all a reality in all 50 states.  Love it or hate it it is what they have done.  Canada has had marriage equality for 10 years, and Ireland voted it in by majority vote earlier this year. Uruguay joins the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland, Argentina, Denmark and France in recognizing marriage equality nationwide. Marriage equality has gone into effect in New Zealand, Wales, and UK.   Same-sex marriage is also recognized in parts of Mexico and in 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

I never thought I would see this in my lifetime.  I recall the day that it first started to happen in San Francisco for the period of a few days in 1994 before it was stopped by the courts.  Then I thought it was over when it happened in 2008 in California only to have my hopes dashed by a popular vote of the people, when the decisive campaign was launched by the conservative right, and religious extremists turning it back.  This struggle has been long and hard, but then anything worth having normally is.

Justice Kennedy said "no union is more profound than marriage" and that the due process clause of the 14th Amendment extends to "certain personal choices central to individual dignity and autonomy, including intimate choices that define personal identity and beliefs."

"The nature of injustice is that we may not always see it in our own times," Kennedy wrote in the 34-page opinion. "The generations that wrote and ratified the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment did not presume to know the extent of freedom in all of its dimensions, and so they entrusted to future generations a charter protecting the right of all persons to enjoy liberty as we learn its meaning."

He also said the same amendment's equal protection clause "prohibits this unjustified infringement of the fundamental right to marry," noting the court's 1967 ruling in Loving v. Virginia – which invalidated prohibitions on interracial marriage – contained a similar finding.

There will be backlash as I have already seen in the gay pride flag that was vandalized yesterday in Anchorage , or the hate filled posts on Twitter, and You tube and on most any major GLBT newspaper article.  I can only hope there will come a time when we all can stop hating each other because of our difference, and instead embrace the concept that diversity is really our strength.

Wishing you peace, with Liberty and Justice for All!

Hello Friends,

We have a prime opportunity to elect someone new to Congress for Alaska this year!

Congressman Don Young's time has come and gone.  Alaska is no longer "Don Young Country" as he likes to claim, this guy has had his turn and been in office since 1972.  That is over 4 Decades!  OMG is he planning to stay in this office until death do us part?   It is time for a fresh face!

I am really excited about a new choice we have this year and I simply just want to introduce you to this guy if for no other reason than he is actually Alaskan, he is also young, energetic, smart, and frankly way more in touch than Alaska's current  Representative to Congress who honestly has not even really "lived" in Alaska for over 42 years!  The energy of this years' campaign is heating up and Alaska voters can really step up and change the outcome this year, but you must participate!

When you start thinking about the election, and your vote this year, when you go to the polls, I want you to at least consider looking at my friend Forrest Dunbar.  Here is a link to a great article where you can get a sense of where he came from and who he is and what he is all about:

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/20140309/paperboy-alaska-congressional-candidate

If that article peaked your interest as it did mine here is his website:
http://www.forrestforalaska.com/

If you are like me you get asked for contributions nearly every day over the phone, in the mail or online and at the end of the day I am not a big donor to political campaigns, but for this one in particular,  I really think your $25 or $50 or even $100 check could make so much difference your have no idea!!

We need a choice, and my friend Forrest Dunbar represents an excellent one!  Please join me and support this candidate!

Your Friend Bronze

Marty and I have been working on "Lifestyle Changes" regarding calorie intake and as part of that we have been trying to follow a better eating plan. We suggest that you look for a common sense approach to eating that exhibits the most nutrition balance and success. Move away from prepared foods, use "tracking" recording your daily intake of food as a way to raise awareness of how much you are actually consumming. You can use calories counting, or in Weight Watchers they use points assigned to different foods. I am using Weight Watchers Points Plus plan right now, and Marty is using a tool on his smart phone for Android called "My Fitness Pal". We find that recording what you put in your mouth makes your more aware, and gives motivation to make better eating and exercise choices.

Can't make it to your polling place on Election Day, Vote Absentee, it is simply the right thing to do!

If you are away from your home state or city, but you are registered to vote, then you can still vote. The key is to vote by the absentee voting method. There are many misconceptions about this, and sometimes people get confused by the details.

Kaya has never been fond of cigarettes, and now it is clear why she feels that way. So many dogs die of cancer because theiry owners insist on continuing to smoke eve thought they know it is bad for them.

Are you tired of getting credit card offer after credit card offer in your mail every week?  Are you constantly harassed by telemarketers that want you to accept their credit card offers?  Did you know that you have the power to do something about it?  

You have the right to prohibit information contained your consumer report from being used in connection with any credit transaction that is not initiated by you.   You may assert this right by calling or writing the following companies.

• Equifax: 1-888-567-8688, Equifax Options, PO Box 740123 Atlanta, GA 30374-0123

• Trans Union: 1-800-680-7293, Trans Union Corporation, PO Box 8070 North Olmsted, OH 44070-8070

• Experian: 1-800-353-0809, Experian Credit Marketing, PO Box 919 Allen, TX 75013

Your words have power!

• "You should not use, "should."
• Never use "never."
• We wish you wouldn't use "wish."
• Hopefully you give up "hope."
• Maybe you'd be better off without "maybe."
• You must not use "must."

Things are seldom black or white. We live in a world of "often", "sometimes" and "seldom." Using those words gives those around you more freedom, more freedom to be themselves, to be human, and simply to be.

And be sure to give the same freedom to yourself.