Contact us at: whispernthunder1@gmail.comWisdom from Granddad
~ Fox Northstar
Greetings from the Great White North
(the land of my birth)! These are supposed
to be the “Golden Years,” and for the most
part, they have been. While I always took
my vacation up here, since I retired, I can
spend the whole summer. Over the past
decade (COVID aside), I have managed to
visit each of the ten provinces, and two of
three territories. Several, actually most, of my friends cannot say that. Granted, the USA has many fun places to visit (And I have hit a good number of them, while I was in the Navy), until now, I did not comprehend the expanse and diversity of Canada.
But there always comes a time when nature balances things out. Apparently, it has been this summer for me. To celebrate my birth this year, much of my family helped set up a schedule so I could visit as many as possible. On paper, it worked….in life…not so much.
It all started with sharing a 70th birthday with a childhood friend, but the day I ran my final errands in town it was “Juneteenth” (A good idea, but stupid name), and the post office was closed (I had forgotten the “new“ federal holiday). Not good as all my meds for the summer were there. The birthday came off without a hitch, but now I am delayed for my next visit, which I had to cancel. Fortunately, my sister is a postmaster (and where I stayed), and after a few days, they were forwarded to her office. But I made good use of the time, got to spend an afternoon with my brother, tossing back a few cold ones. It has literally been years since we could do that with no interruptions…priceless! That saved the next visit at my foster brothers (long story). Spent a wonderful two weeks and we got the tinwork done on the van. I had asked him for help because he is stronger in that kind of thing than I. Done and all hunky dory.
The next planned stop was in Shediac to help my cousin and her hubby to extend their deck. This is when the pooh-pooh hit the platter. First day there, a half-century old injury reared its ugly head after causing no problems for decades. I wish it had caused minor issues along the way rather than save it up for a grand wazoo…but what can you do? Well, my first weekend home, I spent in hospital. Then I was invalided pretty much the next two weeks. Fat lot of help I was!
Then off through the Pine Tree State again, but a couple commitments I made had to scrapped. Everyone was really gracious about it, and we may try again next year…
Finally, got to cousins camp in Ontario, but it was after two weeks here (a month total from knee problems) where I could finally walk in relative comfort. Not quite good enough to go to the gathering at Pik, but I did not feel bad about missing it, as it rained all weekend. Yeah, I have gotten too old for that crap. But the next weekend, at the lake, I managed to dance the staff in and out. Saturday, I did not make it through Grand Entry, but Sunday, I managed, but had to take a break while the speeches were being made. What I appreciated most, was no one said a word…but I am guessing my hobbling around was clue enough when they have known me for decades…and could see for themselves!
As I had decided to stop my beadwork after COVID, and was frankly tired of doing it, when the pieces I had went, I was done. Sure, they helped with my travel expenses, but the “fun” had gone out of doing it. My first event of the season was in the Catskills, and I managed to trade most of the few pieces I had left (the last had been promised to people). But in lousy weather at camp, we read (or craft) during the day, and its crib or acey-duecy in the evenings. Well, I ran through all the books I had brought, and a few from the exchange, and had nothing left. Fortunately, a cousin beads as well, and let me tap her supply. YES, I have to replace them, but I have managed to crank out three (finished) and am working on a fourth. What I did not see coming, was my “luck” seemed to improve once I started again. There is a teaching about crafting and creating makes a positive energy around those who do it. Apparently, there is quite a bit of merit to that teaching.
So much for that complaining…now off to my usual rant!
I know I have said this before, but it seems keep getting worse in the USA. While I am glad to have missed the full summer of election ads, I still will have the last six weeks to suffer through. This time around, we stand to lose what passes for democracy altogether! One side wants to negate the Constitution and establish a theocracy. That has not ever worked in the past, the Spanish Inquisition being the most blatant example…but there are MANY others.
Let run a condensed version of the growth and rights of the current American system. The Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, written by Ben Franklin in 1776 or 1777as the alliance between the Colonies. Franklin based it loosely on the agreement made between the Nations of the Haudeneshaunee (Iroquois), but as their was too much autonomy in each “independent” state, the power mongers wished for more central control.
By 1787, they had created the US Constitution, and it consolidated more power in a federal system than locally. While it was adopted in 1789, it still took another year for the holdout states to adopt it. Tragically, it contains the Electoral College, which never accurately reflects the true popular vote. It has evolved to where a handful of states have more influence than collections of others. Ideally, it should be removed and popular vote be the law of the land…as in any TRUE democracy, but it takes a Constitutional amendment, and the “battleground” states hate to relinquish their control. There is, however, a much simpler solution. All Congress need do is pass a law that mandates a pro-rata count of the votes in each state along tally results. Two states already do: Maine and Nebraska! All need be done is make it mandatory, not left up to each state.
But what about the promise in the Preamble “for the greater good of all?” That one still has yet to be fulfilled, but it has gotten closer over the centuries. THIS IS WHAT IS AT RISK in the upcoming election. And how much of a struggle it has been to get THIS far, but I will stick to a condensed version.
When adopted, only free, white, landed gentry could vote. Those who could read were preferred, but the rich could “guide” them in their voting. It took nearly ninety years for the next group to obtain their right to vote: The former black MALE slaves received franchise, and suddenly land ownership and education went out the window as voting requirement. But it also created the poll tax, a fee that had to be paid just to register (and that took another ninety years to be declared unconstitutional!).
Spin on to 1920, when the women got their spot in the voting booth. Spin on four years and the American Indian Act finally gave us citizenship on our OWN land, but NOT the right to vote! That took another world war, (and our willingness to serve) and thirty years. (My grandparents got to cast their FIRST federal votes when I was a toddler).
Women won another one in Roe v Wade, taking control of their own personal health decisions. That is how it should be for all, but the corrupt Supreme Court passed Dobbs and rescinded that right. How would you feel letting someone else control YOUR life and death? And do think it will stop here in a theocracy? Nope, history has proven time and again they last for only short periods before they foment an armed uprising. Is this what we want here? Or is it what is needed?
The best I can offer is get out and vote! Choose wisely, look at the big picture, and DO IT! Your future literally hangs in the balance, as does all of ours!
And, speaking of balance…as always…do your best to walk in balance. It is not always easy, but I have found it effort quite positively rewarding.