Anything for Thanksgiving?

 

                                            

 

To say I was born and raised in New York City would be a little misleading because in my memories of New York in the 40s and 50s, the city was a collection of small towns or villages. I was born in Woodside, a section of the borough of Queens, and the skyscrapers and streets of Manhattan were as remote for me as China would be to my grandchildren today.

Because of our insularity I can’t be sure if a Thanksgiving custom we had back then was unique to Woodside or whether it could have been found elsewhere throughout the great metropolis. Anyone else I’ve mentioned it to had never heard of it including my wife who was born a little bit north of the City in White Plains, the hub of Westchester county.

Anyway, on Thanksgiving morning the children in our neighborhood would dress up as bums or hobos. It didn’t take much since back then we would usually wear our clothes until they literally fell apart. We would take our most worn and tattered clothing and rip and tear them a little more. Then, we would blacken a cork over a candle and smear it over our faces to simulate dirt. I remember my grandmother giving me a little pouch with a drawstring, or was it a pillowcase, that we hobos could sling over our shoulders.

Then, we were ready to make the rounds of our neighbors to ask, “anything for thanksgiving.” Inevitably, they would answer our plea with some of the bounty from the meal they were preparing. Usually it would be apples, or walnuts, or sometimes a few pennies. Don’t laugh. Twenty pennies were enough to buy a Spalding (Spaldeen), the elite of bouncing rubber balls used by us in so many street games.

I don’t know where the “anything for thanksgiving” custom came from. We lived in a small neighborhood that seemed to have been mainly Irish with a mixture of Italians. In my nearby Catholic school the majority of the kids seemed to have Irish names. There were Ryans, Regans, Dunphys, Moylans, and Healys. However, A few blocks down busy 69^thStreet were the Napolitanos who ran the grocery store. In the other direction lived the dreaded Gallos whose kids were the toughest in the school. 

But I’m not sure that “anything for thanksgiving”  was an ethnic custom. We were a predominately Catholic neighborhood and the idea of thanksgiving was part of our religious heritage even though none of us knew that the word “Eucharist” meant “Thanksgiving.” On the other hand, it could have been a peculiarly American response to the end of the Great Depression and the Second World War. Nothing had marked the depression so much as homeless men on bread lines or riding the rails. These were the hobos that we children imitated. Even though most of us could be considered poor, at least we and our neighbors would be able to sit down that afternoon in our homes to the best meal of the year. We did have a lot to be thankful for. The Depression was over, the men had returned from the terrible war, and the NY Yankees were on the verge of recovering their past glory.

Over 70 years have passed since those childhood years but I can truly say that my wife and I have much to be thankful for. Our grandparents came to this country from Italy with nothing but their own traditions, customs, and religion. Like most children of immigrants our parent came to love America and worked hard to provide for their children and give them a standard of living that is still the envy of the world. 

Even today, after one of the most divisive political campaigns in U.S. history, there is more reason to hope than to fear. I would just like to end this post with George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789. Thanksgiving did not become a National holiday until after the terrible Civil War, but Washington’s words are as meaningful today as they were in 1789.  

Thanksgiving Proclamation
Issued by President George Washington, at the request of Congress, on October 3, 1789

 


Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and—Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”



Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favor, able interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.



And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally, to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.



Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.


 

Go. Washington 

Election 2020: The Women's Vote

 

                                               

Shortly after election day a female columnist in my local newspaper wondered how even one woman could have voted for President Trump despite the fact that millions did. She admitted that she did not personally know any such women.  However, she did ask female Trump supporters to respond.

To her credit, in her next column she printed some very good replies ranging from outright support and admiration of the President to grudging support of his policies despite his behavior. Others expressed disdain of his opponent, and dislike of the progressive policies that he supported.  

Still it seems true that a majority of women voted against the President. If he could have made the same inroads among women voters that he did among Black and Hispanic voters, the election would have been no contest. He would have won in a landslide.

What explains the animosity, often bordering on hatred, of millions of women to President Trump? Commentators routinely claim that it was a character issues that led these women to vote for the 78 year-old Joe Biden who is obviously showing the effects of old age. Trump has been repeatedly called  a liar, a racist, and, worst of all, a misogynist or woman-hater.

I don’t think that is the whole answer. After all, Biden has been called out as a liar throughout his long career, most recently when he claimed that he knew nothing about his family’s business dealings in Ukraine and China.

During the Democratic debates, Kamala Harris, castigated him for supporting and voting with Southern racists while serving in the Senate. Later, she joyfully dropped the charges when he asked her to be his running mate. 

As far as misogyny is concerned Biden was advised early in his campaign to change his normal behavior and pursue a “hands off” policy. Even when one woman dared to come forward and claim that Biden had sexually abused her, Democratic women and commentators departed from their “always believe the woman” mantra, and brushed her off into media oblivion.

I know a number of women who I am sure voted for Biden. Actually, in talking with them, it seemed clear that they did not really like Biden or his stated policies, but they were voting against President Trump. These were intelligent, reasonable women but it was clear that their animosity toward the President was not based on his policies or political positions.

Their animosity toward the President was almost visceral. One called him a “bad” man who could do nothing good. When I asked her if she could think of one accomplishment of his administration, she could not think of any. She and others angrily blamed him for the deaths of over 200000 during the coronavirus pandemic, but they usually had nothing but praise for the Governors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut whose states had the highest death rates in the country. 

Actually, it is fair to say that male Democratic politicians made the same charges. Joe Biden said as much in the debates, Governor Cuomo of New York made the same charge. Jim Himes, my congressional representative, recently called the President “incompetent and corrupt.” 

Some people claim that the President would have been better liked if he had just turned his tone down, and come across as less combative and belligerent. I don’t think so. The President was disliked from day one and nothing he did or did not do would have changed people’s minds. Before the pandemic hit, we had the greatest economy in history including virtually full employment and rising incomes. But his detractors still despised him. I have never seen such anger directed at anyone.

I suspect that many women disliked Trump because he personified all the bad men they have known either personally or in fiction. He is a filthy rich white businessman who lived in a gilded apartment in the Trump Tower on Fifth avenue or at his multi-million-dollar resort at Mar a Lago. Trump divorced his first two wives and the beautiful and talented Melania is the epitome of a trophy wife.

Practically every day you can read in the advice column about a boyfriend, husband, or lover who degraded, abused, or deserted the woman who loved him.  I had clients who told me they had slaved to put their husbands through college and make them successful, only to be left stranded when they ran off with the secretary.

For years in the movies or on TV, rich white males have been the number one villain. Just look at the many versions of Law and Order for confirmation. Although our jails are full of young black and Hispanic men, most of the murderers on that show are wealthy white businessmen.

I guess the final straw came when a rich white male defeated Hillary Clinton, the first female to run for President in 2016. Millions of women to this day cannot even acknowledge that Trump is a legitimate President and will not even call him President Trump. It’s the same old story and the President would never be forgiven no matter what he said or did.

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Election 2020: Post-Mortem

 

The Democrats were caught napping in 2016 when they went down to a stunning defeat at the hands of the upstart outsider, Donald Trump. They apparently relied on their own polls that were way off the mark in predicting an easy win for Hillary Clinton.  

They did not make the same mistake in 2020 even though the polls were again predicting a Democratic landslide. They pulled out all the stops in the campaign. After complaining for years about the influence of money in elections, they threw record amounts of cash into battleground states where they far outspent the Trump campaign.

In addition, they could count on the continuation of the media assault on the President that began four years ago. By 2020 a large portion of the population has been turned into rabid Trump haters by the media, a phenomenon witnessed in the recent urban riots and protests. 

Finally, it would not surprise me if the President’s claims of ballot fraud in Blue state cities turn out to be true. You would have to be incredibly politically naïve not to at least suspect that urban Democratic political machines are capable of fraud. 

I cast my first Presidential ballot at the age of 21 when I voted for John F. Kennedy in 1960. I was a young college student in New York City, and Kennedy seemed like a breath of fresh air, especially compared to Richard Nixon. Now, most historians agree that the Democrats “stole” the election by winning Illinois through the ballot stuffing tactics of Chicago’s corrupt Mayor Richard Daley of “Vote Early and Often” fame.

Since then, years of experience have shown that if an election is close, urban Democrat politicians will find ways to produce enough ballots to turn the tide. Nearby Bridgeport, Connecticut has been a one party city for years. Nevertheless, although the state of Connecticut is heavily Democratic, recent tight races for Governor have been decided by a Bridgeport Democratic machine noted for its corruption. The mayor is an ex-felon and the Police Chief, the mayor’s former driver, was recently forced to quit for irregularities in his appointment process.

Although newspapers are giving the election to Joe Biden, there will be recounts in key battleground states. Georgia has been given to Biden but he only has a 10000 vote lead out of 5 Million votes cast. In Wisconsin Biden leads by 20000 votes with over 3 Million votes cast. It is the same story in Arizona where Biden only leads by 20000 votes with over 3 Million votes cast. Finally, there is Pennsylvania where Biden holds a 40000 lead with over 6 Million votes cast.

As I said before, you would have to be incredibly politically naïve to believe that the Democratic machines in Atlanta, Milwaukee, Tucson, and Philadelphia would not be capable of voter suppression, and intimidation? Is it a coincidence that riots broke out in the streets of Philadelphia only days before the election?

Pennsylvania went even further and stacked the deck before election day when a state law prohibiting the counting of ballots received after election day, was overthrown by a judge who ruled that even ballots without postmarks should be counted. What an opportunity for fraud. 

If recounts tip the balance for President Trump in Georgia, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, he will be re-elected.  In that event Democratic politicians, commentators, and fanatical Progressive who are now calling for calm and unity will tear the nation apart. Let me repeat for emphasis. If recounts discover fraud and give the election to President Trump, there will be rioting in the streets spurred on by those who are now calling for peace, calm, and unity.

However, if the recounts confirm the election of Joe Biden, I believe that President Trump will emerge as the real winner in this election. Although he trailed in the popular vote, he received more than 70 Million votes, a tremendous outpouring of popular favor. It is hard to imagine that all of those voters were right-wing extremists. 

In Florida, rated a toss-up in the pre-election polls, the President won by half a million votes despite massive spending by his opponents. Billionaire Michael Bloomberg reportedly spent $100 Million of his own money to gain the state for Biden. It was the same in Texas where the polls indicated that the traditional red state was in play. The President won by over 600,000 votes. 

Actually, the President, despite four years of unrelenting attacks that included bogus Russian collusion claims, a partisan impeachment with no high crimes or misdemeanors, rioting and looting in major cities, and the coronavirus, markedly increased his vote count in the battleground states. Ohio, for example, was a squeaker in 2016 but this year, Trump won easily. The Trump phenomenon worked just as well in Florida.

Almost half of his votes came from women, something liberal female columnists cannot understand. The President also dramatically increased his vote count among blacks and Hispanics. 

In the final weeks of the campaign the President emerged as a true charismatic leader. He foundered in the first debate and then was stricken with the coronavirus himself. Incredibly for a 74-year-old man, he bounced back with a vengeance like the Energizer Bunny. He demolished Biden in the second debate, and then proceeded to take his message to the people in huge rallies all over the country. It was amazing to see him on stage dancing to YMCA while the crowds cheered. Despite the polls he did not quit like Republicans Romney and McCain in prior elections.

Nevertheless, as noted above, the Democrats were ready and threw everything they had at him. I almost hope that President Trump does not prevail in the recounts. He has started a movement and might be able to lead it better outside the White House. He is 74 and he and his family deserve a rest. 

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Election Issues 2020: Who Can You Trust?

 

                                                 

A neighbor recently told me that he could not trust President Trump. He raised a legitimate issue. Trustworthiness is important in a President. It is part of the “character” issue that Joe Biden has raised in the current campaign. Let’s examine the trustworthiness of the two candidates.

I can certainly understand why people could believe that Donald Trump could not be trusted back in 2016 when he pulled off his stunning upset of front-runner Hillary Clinton. Trump had never held political office before, and his words and deeds as a private citizen were often out of line. Nevertheless, if the President is judged on his actual performance in office, something the media has purposely refused to do, you can see that he has largely been true to his word, even if you disagree with his policies.

He claimed from the start that he was for peace and against the interminable wars that the country has been involved in during the last two administrations. Under his leadership our military defeated ISIS and then the President proceeded to bring back troops from the Middle East. Moreover, he brokered unprecedented deals between Israel and its Arab neighbors, something that was not even discussed in the recent debates. He followed up on his pledge to recognize Jerusalem as the capitol of Israel, and the world did not come to an end.

From the beginning the President argued that previous trade deals were bad and not in the Nation’s best interests. Despite much opposition, he scrapped NAFTA, a trade deal that everyone agreed was flawed and his administration negotiated a new one that seems much better. He imposed tariffs and sanctions on foreign countries like China that were not playing by the rules. 

He claimed that other foreign deals were flawed and followed through by withdrawing from the Paris climate accord, and the Iranian nuclear deal. There would be no more planeloads of cash shipped to supporters of terrorism. He also claimed that NATO allies and South Korea were not paying their fair share for their own defense, and got them to pony up billions.

From the first, he argued that the tax code was unfair and overly complicated. He followed through with the tax reform act of 2017. By 2019 Federal tax revenue increased 4% over the pre-reform level and figures indicate that the average taxpayer paid less.

Before his election Donald Trump produced a list of 20 names from which he would fill any Supreme Court vacancies. He followed through on his pledge and so far has chosen three extremely qualified justices, none of whom were party hacks or personal friends.

On the other hand, I have to admit that I find it hard to trust Democratic candidate and former Vice-President Joe Biden. Even before the recent documents appeared I wondered how a man who could work 47 years as a “public servant” could amass a huge fortune, well in excess of most of the people he was supposed to serve. 

I also wondered how his son Hunter, with no qualifications whatsoever, could be on the board of directors of a Ukrainian energy company at a salary in excess of $600,000 per year. Moreover, I wondered how Vice-President Biden, who was in charge of overseeing billions in aid to Ukraine and bragged that he forced the government of Ukraine to fire a Ukrainian prosecutor investigating that company, could not be aware of his son's position. Subsequently, Biden claimed that not only was he  unaware of his son’s activities in the Ukraine, he also knew nothing of his dealings with China even after flying there together on Air Force II.

In the last two weeks my suspicions were confirmed when the NY Post broke the story about the emails on a computer that Hunter Biden dropped off at a repair store but never bothered to retrieve. The emails indicated that the former Vice President not only knew of his son’s activities but that they were part of a whole Biden family enterprise designed to capitalize on the Biden name.

 Incredibly, the story was spiked or censored on most news outlets. Even when a former business partner of Hunter Biden went public with corroborating testimony and evidence, his story was only reported on Fox News. Even the Wall Street Journal, which featured editorials on the subject, did not mention it on its news pages. 

Nevertheless, the story stinks and the silence of the Biden campaign has been deafening.

I also find it difficult to trust Joe Biden because I suspect that he and his campaign are hiding something else. At age 78 Biden is obviously suffering the effects of old age. I won’t speculate on his medical or psychological history but his garbled and confused statements are troubling. Even his handlers keep him away from stressful situations or interviews. 

He won’t, for example, say whether he is for or against his party’s idea of packing the Supreme Court with more judges in order to get favorable outcomes. He claimed that he is the Democratic party but he will not say. Unlike the President, he will not publish names of potential Supreme Court nominees. On other questions, he just says he has plans or will appoint blue-ribbon commissions to investigate and come up with solutions, a typical evasive tactic. 

It seems clear to me that rather than being the Democratic Party, he is just a front man, an old war horse brought out of retirement as the party’s only hope to regain power. The other Democratic candidates looked dangerous or lackluster. There is no enthusiasm for Biden even among Democrats. 

The President was correct in the last debate when he branded Biden as just “a politician.”

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