WHAT TO DO? Save the USA? Here's an idea...

October 3, 2018

The memes and rancor on Facebook are not helping. A few folks ask 'what can we do?' and, of course, the answer is to encourage anyone you know who cares about our country, to find representatives in all levels of government, from the local neighborhood association to the national forum.. to find representatives...  who have the best interests of our country at heart.

"At heart" is the key.. at least to me.  We, in the West, tend to be competitive and argumentative and to stiffen our backs at a challenge.  We fight. The 'heart' of the matter turns on the 45th president who seems to be at best inconsistent and at worst emotionally wonky. He condemns all criticism and FIGHTS back... gathering his 'base' in areas of the country where that 'fighting attitude' is still alive and not necessarily 'for' something, but against others. His 'base' seems to have been taught to hate: liberals, ethnic folks who are not 'white' and non Christians.  

When I read the epithets on Facebook, I realize that the polarization of our United States has been encouraged. By whom?  We can guess it's the rancor that comes with Civil Rights, Women's Equality and the fear of "the world will be as one," with thanks to John Lennon.   Walls and 'national pride' and such are based on Fear. Fear that has been stirred up over years and years of making folks think that they will be left out. 

I have compared our current situation to a game of Monopoly.   When someone gets all the 'hot' real estate and is collecting rent like anything from the other players; ego kicks in and sometimes derision either subtle in a friendly game or even mean sometimes: The goal is Winning!  The purpose of the game, of course, is to drive the other players into bankruptcy.  To literally ruin the others and come out 'on top!' That's what some competition is all about, to some folks, anyway. Certainly, in national politics today.

We may forget that Our One Planet survives with cooperation, not with blockades.

It seems to me that the way that the White House is behaving is not in the best interests of our nation or the world.  That said, it's time for U.S. citizens of good will to reach out to others who truly have everyone's best interests at heart and we may begin to wade out of the muck and mire and back onto solid ground.  That means deliberately seeking out folks who may not share our own views: speak our same 'language.'

I have an idea that actual conversations... not FB memes or other truncated electronic communication... in person or even on the phone where there is a semblance of actual personal communication.. and some common ground to begin with.. real communication.. "Nice day, ain't it!".. or "How about them Dodgers?"  And, then, to gently probe the tone and attitude of folks we may not fully agree with.. but. we probably might agree with about the weather or the Dodgers..  

Then.. the 'adult' in the discussion makes an effort to make peace.  Not in a superior way.. though we probably do tend to feel superior sometimes.. but in some other non-confrontational way. Good counselors do this with feuding couples. And, this is what we now have.. on a grand scale: two basic sides who are at odds: big time. Folks are upset, frustrated and some are just plain mad!

  Brokering a way to harmony is not impossible. Name calling and nasty epithets, though they may let off steam, only make other folks upset, frustrated and .... mad!

When Reason starts to bubble up and our frustrations are mitigated by a voice that makes sense to everyone.. (Walter Cronkite where are you when we need you?)   And, honest efforts are made to work together for the betterment of our society and even our selves.. then.. we might find the 'heart' of the United States again and 'peace will guide the planet ... and love with steer the stars..' with thanks to Ragny and Rado... fifty years ago.

Sheehan 

 October 3, 2018

The Bullet

July 24, 2018 

On July 21st when Gene Atkins shot his grandmother seven times; kidnapped his girlfriend, who was also injured and took off from South Los Angeles, evidently, a "Lo Jack" on his grandmother's car alerted the LAPD to his location. No one at Trader Joe's in Silverlake knew what was going on as the police picked up Atkins' car and a chase through the streets of Los Angeles evolved.  Somehow,  Atkins found his way to Silverlake, a hip and friendly neighborhood ten miles north of where the mayhem began.

Whether Melyda Corado, the manager of the Silverlake Trader Joe's, was outside before Atkins crashed in front of her store or came out to investigate what had happened is unclear. Sadly, she  was  killed by 'friendly fire'.. the military term for being shot by someone who is supposed to be on your side. A policeman's bullet ended her life.

For years I have railed about police pursuits and the dangers that the public is placed in when a fleeing suspect is on the run.  That the police were initially in close pursuit and were shot at by the suspect may or may not warrant return of fire.  Of course, every round fired puts not only the cops in danger, but may excite and even enrage them. The public is in the line of fire!  

We seem to have returned to the Wild West in mentality and though the shots coming from the suspect put the police and the public in danger, every shot returned by them  created an equally untenable situation. 

Movies for years have presented exciting 'shoot outs' and gun fights.. The OK Corral is a prime example.  I, myself,  participated in gun fights in Disneyland as a gun fighter and, later, in San Jose at Frontier Village where I learned a great lesson about the power of a .45 single action revolver.  Good guys versus bad guys make for exciting  shows with stunt fighting and "High Noon" such as may still take place at Knott's Berry Farm. It's all very romantic and honestly, the weight of a shootin' iron in the palm of your hand is very seductive.

This is not to call for the end of death and destruction and guns and bullets flying creatively in the movies. This is to examine the Silverlake tragedy. To learn from it.

Police officers are human beings.  Their sworn duty is "To Protect and To Serve" our communities.  Specifically, what we see in this situation in televised reports and dash cam and body cam images, is a frantic chase and the attempt to kill the suspect while he rushed to take refuge in the Silverlake Trader Joe's.  The irony is that Silverlake is an easy going community.  TJ's is also a favorite shopping place because the employees are helpful and friendly and the groceries for sale are fairly priced and are of high quality. There's an artsy feel to shopping and their Fearless Flyer announcing specials is creative.  

How this suspect made his way from South Los Angeles to Silverlake has not been revealed. Was he on the freeway? Did he stay on surface streets?  When confronted by the police, he shot out the back window of his car and may have even struck the LAPD in pursuit. This kicks the chase into a very dangerous situation. How cops can keep their heads and not want to massacre the SOB should be part of their training.  From what I understand an airship was conducting the pursuit. 

The most terrible fact about this case is that a young woman is dead by a bullet shot from a police officer's gun.  She was in the wrong place at the wrong time.  In my perfect world, she would have stayed in the store. Why she was outside may be learned later, but we really don't know. Had she been inside, the chances of her death would have been reduced considerably.  

In the heat of the moment, perhaps cops are trained to take the suspect who has fired on them down at all costs.  Did anyone count the number of times he fired? Did he still have ammunition? Did anyone see the type of weapon that he was shooting?  Did he fire at the police as he exited the crashed car and ran into the store?  Will the step by step recollection of these moments be revealed? How far outside the store was Ms Corado when she was shot and killed?

From the TV reports that are still very sketchy, it looked like no fewer than fifteen police vehicles were on the scene with a helicopter over head.. or more than one? A new and fully equipped police car costs about $60,000.00.  That math puts almost a million dollars worth of rolling stock and airships in harm's way, not to mention the cost of the officer's salaries and factoring in the airship(s?)... a lot of effort to bring one man to justice. 

Seeing the military type action outside the Trader Joe's was chilling.  Of course, the goal is to bring the suspect down. However, with the shooting death of Ms Corado, had these officers had a slightly cooler approach, maybe the outcome could have been different.  20/20 hindsight is unfair, but still.  Here I sit,  these few miles away and simply wonder. If I can ever get the attention of law enforcement brass to respond, there may be alternatives to be explored when dire circumstances occur that may mitigate another tragedy. 

We know that we'll forget this incident as others pop up almost daily. It's too soon to figure this horrible situation  out, but by debriefing the officers and witnesses and comparing their statements, we may know more of the whole story.  PTSD will be an issue for not only the cops, but for the shoppers who were cornered in the store as well as neighbors who were peripheral to the incident and the ripple effect to friends and relatives. 

All this is just to say that our romance with guns  will never die. The idea of shooting to stop a fleeing suspect will never go away, especially if you are being fired upon.  What we need to do is examine alternative ways to stop someone on the run that will keep the public and the police safe and find a way to quickly and efficiently put the suspect away.  

We must find new ways to solve this burgeoning issue.  Mental health in 2018 is under fire and it's not difficult to imagine that more stress may lead to more bizarre events. 

 
I have some ideas and hope that the powers that be will respond. It's a very slow process.  But.. with proper training and effort, I hope that it may  make a difference.

Michael Sheehan

Glendale, California

 

FINDING A MEDIATOR?

How I came to the politics I feel comfortable with these days is a mystery.  Growing up in a very conservative town and idolizing an older high school athlete whose family was staunchly Republican, somehow I've come round to 'all we are saying, is give peace a chance.' His logic still astounds me and his analogies, which may make perfect sense to him turn on what I see as 'false premises.'  Any time you debate on a premise that is only partially true or just plain false, you may think you've proved your point, but you really have not.

The recent debacle of the president seeming to side with the president of Russia, then, trying to explain and further muddying the waters, and, now, a recent Time Magazine cover that morphs the Russian and the president is chilling. 

I'd really like to find a way to communicate with 'them'.. the folks who still, in the face of all this 'stuff' going on and see if there might be some middle ground where name calling and limbic reactions might back off and we might find some accord.

For instance: I think that the president's son, Barron, must be a nice kid.  He's out of the public eye mostly, but there we are.  A nice boy, who, like it or not, is in the middle of some of this. We don't ridicule him.  The FLOTUS seems to be making an effort to be a good first lady with her public appearances.  There must be something we may create where the Right and the Left can agree that there is something that's basically okay? 
That I can't think of something is on me.

Paula Foster Chambers is a highly intelligent friend whom I know from the Renaissance Faire days.  A successful business woman and a really nice lady, she has thoughtfully written this essay that we should all take to heart.  

//

"I think we are nearing a point, as a nation, when we have to decide what kind of a nation we want to be. Those who elected Trump have one vision for how they want things to be, and people like me have a completely different vision. I don’t know how on earth we are going to choose, because the country is divided and a sizeable number of Americans will be massively unhappy no matter which is chosen. However, a couple things give me hope.

1) We aren’t as divided as one might think. Russia has meddled with our social media to widen our divisions and, importantly, sow the *perception* that we are hopelessly divided, but we were headed in the right direction before all this went down. Sure there were racists, authoritarians and others who actually wanted the USA to be more like it is now, but they were in the minority, and demographically speaking, they were going the way of the dodo. I STILL think they are going the way of the dodo.

2) It is possible for a country to make a collective commitment to being a certain way, even when not 100% of the population agrees. My travels have convinced me of this. The social protections in place in France, for example, are working and are clearly possible when a high majority wants them. Most recently, I visited the Czech Republic and learned how communism took hold there and then was shaken off by the people in 1989 in what is now called the Velvet Revolution.
We HAVE the power to choose, as a country, what kind of country we want to be."

I agree with Paula and hope that intelligent and thoughtful folks from all sides of the aisle and across our  divided nation will remember that what Lincoln said is even more true today. "A House divided against itself cannot stand." 

There must be a middle of the road mediator who may create an atmosphere of cooperation that we can build on. Suggestions? Whom could the Powers That Be respect enough to allow him/her to mediate a truce? Is there a person out of politics directly who would be respected by everyone? Seriously..  All the folks I can think of lean to the Left.  

I'm reading a book by Michael Pollan called "How to Change Your Mind." There may be answers there.  It would be a radical move! VERY!
michaelsheehan


 

Let Freedom Ring July 4, 2018

July 4, 2018

My main source of connection these days is via social media: email and Facebook.  The tenor of the times on FB is lapsing into rants and sadness that permeates not only the liberal community, but probably the whole world.  

Complaints about the issues of the day.. DACA, border issues to the south, insults to our neighbors to the north and weigh ins by intelligent observers around the world are raising red flags. There's a call for reason, but there's a lot of angst and anger out there.

The reason that I wanted to write something on this day, the anniversary of our celebration of declaring independence has been spurred by the negativity that is rampant in the state of the world today.  I've just sent a note to a long lost relative with the phrase, "Let there be Peace on Earth and let it begin with me." It was written in 1955 by Jill Jackson-Miller and her husband, Sy Miller. (Thanks, Google) It's a hymn.   Church music has always been a source of inspiration and though my crossing the threshold to a church is not an activity that I've done much of in my life, the music has been memorable.   

That said.. If 'peace' is to begin with me.. I hope to encourage all of us to find a way to resist the negativity that is rampant in society now: to stop angry epithets and personal attacks on folks who seem to relish a fight.   Gandhi and MLK taught us something that is difficult for most folks to consider. We in the west, especially, are reactionary at the drop of an insult. Name calling seems to be a national past time!

I don't have specific answers, but I do know that if we allow others to goad us into an argument, that there will be arguing.   By exposing situations we know are wrong and discussing them with reason and working as individuals to create Peace, there may be hope.  We are on a slippery slope, however.. and having felt myself goaded recently by people who seem to have little regard for values that I hold dear, it's a challenge! 

A quote from a comic strip from days gone by just came to me.  "Pogo" by Walt Kelly says, "We have met the enemy and he is us..." We must not be our own enemy.  I just hope we can turn it around.

Be kind to someone today.. Pass it on. 

SEA CHANGE FOR GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA

JUNE 13, 2018

Vocabulary word for today: hegemony.  I'd heard it and maybe even used it in the past, but just remembered what it means.  Hegemony is afoot in Glendale, California. 

A 'Sea Change' is when something that may be what Malcolm Gladwell calls "a tipping point" happens.  It's a time when the burgeoning tide of an idea moves the scales to something new: be it physical, mental, political or as has been happening.. in Glendale, cultural. 

Glendale's culture is tipping.

For many years these well organized Armenian immigrants to Glendale, instead of heading for Little Armenia in Los Angeles, have gravitated to  changing our city. Ignoring assimilation, their goal seems to be and has been... more obviously now..  to install their foreign culture here: To overwhelm Glendale with Armenian customs, Armenian architecture, Armenian language:  virtually overwhelming the City of Glendale, California.

At last night's City Council meeting (June 12, 2018).. a group called United Young Armenians, who had proposed a name change for a section of Maryland Avenue in Glendale to "Artsakh" (an evidently disputed region of Armenia that is not recognized by the world community), showed up in force with what appeared to be a bevy of older Armenians who arrived, were coached and 'assisted' by City volunteers: Young Armenians who filled out special teal blue cards supporting the idea of this name change.  The older people disappeared after their ballots were collected by the volunteers. There was no organized order to the way the ballots were handed out and no "first come, first served" for the list of speakers who wanted to address the City Council. It was a debacle. Challenging the Young Armenians who facilitated the distribution of the Speaker cards and the "Yea or Nay" ballots was ignored. The opportunity to "stuff" this odd ballot box was open. It appeared that at least one young Armenian woman was filling out multiple teal blue forms.

After the Glendale City Planning Commission sent a REJECTION of this name change idea to City Council for good cause, the United Young Armenians, wearing black T shirts imprinted with "I Am Artkeh" filled the Council Chambers.  Because I arrived after the chambers had been filled to capacity, I sat in the lobby of City Hall and watched first hand as the room became crowded with many Armenians of all ages  being 'assisted' by the volunteers. Cultural profiling? Well, it's pretty clear when you hear a familiar foreign language for starters. 

 The minute that there was any issue of the process being skewed, the matter of this name change should have been tabled.  That our city will now literally 'celebrate diversity' by funding this project to the tune of $131,000.00.. 

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY ONE THOUSAND TAX DOLLARS 

For a special Armenian interests project to be promoted by City Council that does not serve a majority of our population is unconscionable. 

It seems as though the Armenian community is less interested in 'diversity' and more interested in making Glendale the center of their culture. How does this serve the majority of Glendale residents?  With the Glendale City Council consisting of four men with Armenian names, this business of manipulating spending and this 'cultural sea change'  feels a little like that movie where foreign invaders hold sway in an insidious way: pressing their agenda on all who are unfortunate to encounter them.  Those who resist are eliminated. Our situation is more overt than insidious.

EDIT..  
I quoted an email  from one of our Council Members without asking  permission before hand. This was not polite.  I am embarrassed and have apologized. 
Our situation in Glendale is becoming more serious. Hegemony?   In the public record now is the information that the Young Armenians will possibly get their name change for Maryland to become Artsakh.  Again.. I apologize that I neglected the courtesy of asking the Council Member if I might quote what was sent to me in a private message.

END OF EDIT..

As an addendum.. I want to mention that many other sites for an Armenian museum, scheduled to be part of an Eighty Million Dollar "renovation" that will obliterate Central Park have been suggested. However, it has been my understanding that Mayor Zareh Sinanyan, after the rejection by residents in north Glendale to build the Armenian museum on a space next to the Glendale Auditorium, simply 'suggested' Central Park as the site with NO FORMAL PUBLIC DEBATE (as was held with the Planning Commission regarding the Maryland name change).  The City Council then simply vetted the idea of choosing Central Park, held expensive promotional meetings to further instill the Armenian museum idea and changes as a 'done deal.' This is not democracy. This feels like government by caveat.

Of course, we are in dark times politically in the United States. There are people who actually believe ideas that are destructive to the democratic way of life that we have enjoyed and now.. sadly.. we echo these dark times here in our small city. 

This architecture reflects, I understand, the mountains of Ararat. It will block the sun and the view of our Verdugos will fall victim to kitch and chrome at the will of these immigrant invaders. 

This is not to 'hate' anyone. I support the Armenian museum, just not at this location. Not to lose forever the green space: Central Park.

I simply want to expose changes that are being manipulated at the expense of the majority of the residents of Glendale. The sad fact seems to be that accepting that 'it's a done deal' and  rising to the call to duty and discussion regarding these changes is not of interest to the long time residents of Glendale who, like the Democrats, have been complacent and may allow this 'sea change' to become the end of traditional culture enjoyed in Glendale for almost a hundred years. 

This, to me, is just a shame. 

ADDENDUM:
According to the Glendale City Clerk's office, at the City Council meeting last night, there were three venues for observing the meeting in addition to the closed circuit TV broadcast. The community room at the Glendale Police Department was in use as was the lobby of City Hall and the actual Council chambers.  345 blue "position slips" to 'vote' for or against the name change for Maryland Avenue were returned. Of those, a reported 309 were in favor of the name change to "Artsakh", 21 were opposed and 15 neglected to check a box. 
The speaker list was in excess of seventy with 67 speaking in favor of the change to the Armenian name with only SIX not in favor.  I was exhausted after two hours of waiting and did not stay for the end of the meeting which adjourned at 12:30. For anyone with curiosity, the meeting was recorded in full.   
http://glendale.granicus.com /MediaPlayer.php?view_id=12&clip_id=7650

If 'hegemony' is in play here in Glendale, with enthusiastic United Young Armenians, rallying to build support for overwhelming Glendale's traditional culture with their own, turning our community from a diverse and open town to a center for a growing Armenian influence, we, at least, need to be aware.  Our City Council has vetted this name change in the face of informed  Planning Commission's rejection of the idea.  This says something and this is important.   Not only will $130,000.00 be in play, but this tide of cultural  of change is only the beginning. 
End of Addendum.  

IS THE GLENDALE ARMENIAN MUSEUM PART OF A CULTURAL TAKE OVER?

We have a "Nextdoor" website where folks from my neighborhood 'discuss' current issues.  I've been taken to task  by a man with an Armenian name for my being in strong opposition to the destruction of Central Park here in Glendale, California.  The back and forth includes some mild criticisms and being summarily dismissed by this person who thinks that this idea to spend Eighty Million Dollars to revamp Central Park and the entire area around our recent twenty million dollar revamp of the Central Library with a large edifice, "The American Armenian Museum," is a good idea.  I'm very much in favor of a museum, but  strongly disagree regarding the location. To that point I've posted the following on Nextdoor: 

I am so happy to see a response that is not 'rude'.. of course, my confrontational 'style' may seem outre but it's for a purpose. It's time for folks to speak up.. and I am so very grateful for Phil James's thoughtful and respectful response.  Of course, the benefits return to our Armenian immigrants.  There will never be a positive return, except to them. Peripherally, long time residents of Glendale, tolerant of this impending take over may shrug and just take it. Financially? Parking for the Americana? More taxes from sales of expensive goods there?  Wow. I wonder.  Keeping the park out of the hands of Rick Caruso? Double Wow.. It's like a big Monopoly game with the rich folks just doing what they please. 

The dog and pony show that the City presented promoting this debacle is a sham.  The fact is that this huge museum is a monument to Armenia, not to Glendale.  I should point out that the museum is not, by itself, an Eighty Million Dollar project.  The entire destruction of Central Park and environs may cost that huge price tag. 

Many of us feel helpless in the face of elected officials ruling by 'caveat.'  "These are the times that try men's souls?"

The current plan does, I think, include an Environmental Impact Study/Report. So!  If Health and Happiness for Human Beings is important, it seems to me that destroying open space is not the way to achieve that.  By re-purposing any of the suggested alternative sites, we save Central Park and enliven now moldering real estate with the Mountains of Ararat.  Actually, in another space  like the available restaurant at Brand and Glenoaks?.. we achieve the goal of a monument to Armenia and fill a long languishing corner.  That the museum design is not to my particular more conservative tastes is personal. 

I draw attention to the Museum of Tolerance on Pico in Los Angeles.  It is modestly designed and located and serves a respectful community. The Armenian Museum could easily appear at Glenoaks and Brand, serving their community as the Museum of Tolerance does and not destroy Central Park.

http://www.museumoftolerance.com/site/c.tmL6KfNVLtH/b.9052747/k.BEE4/Home.htm

Let's not be hasty to forever remove a space that reminds us that we are Human Beings.  Ara Oshagan's huge installation on Central Park to remind us of the humanity of his ancestors is a good example of how important an open and lively space is. Chrome and glass and underground parking is not a good idea, to me, at the expense of open sky and.. when it rains.. a welcoming lawn where one can breathe and even lie down to enjoy the day. 

I won't apologize to anyone for strong feelings.  It's my prayer that government by caveat will not overwhelm common sense and that Glendale may share its values with our new immigrant neighbors without succumbing to what feels like a cultural takeover. 

Please.. Let's find a proper site for this museum and build it with private funds and, as with The Museum of Tolerance, support it with admission fees and donors who share the Armenian vision.  Please.. This is a sincere request. Please.

Russians Indicted! Scofflaws charged!

What a day! 
Thirteen "Russian nationals" and three Russian 'entities' have been charged with meddling with the 2016 elections.  ABC News is careful to say that no collusion is being charged.  Working to destroy confidence in our most sacred system of democratic elections and the way the election went seems, to me.. to speak for itself! 

///// 

Locally, the property owners who illegally demolished a classic Craftsman home at 1420 Valley View in Glendale, CA have been ordered to appear in court to face 'misdemeanor' charges associated with neglect and the demolition of this historic home.  
This from Tom Lorenz: Press Representative for the City of Glendale.

"Glendale, CA – 

Glendale City Attorney Michael Garcia announced that his office has filed a criminal complaint in the Superior Court for Los Angeles County charging the owners of a property with the failure to obtain permit for complete demolition of a potentially historic home in violation of both city and state codes.

The five-count misdemeanor complaint against the owners of 1420 Valley View, Glendale, CA includes the failure to obtain required permits for previous interior alterations and failure to provide adequate weather protection, as well as for the recent unpermitted demolition of the structure. 

The complaint filed by the Glendale City Attorneys names the defendants as Aroutin Behzad and Arpi Azarian Namagerdi with a court appearance scheduled for March 6, 2018 at 8:30 a.m. in the Glendale Courthouse located at 600 East Broadway, Glendale, CA.

Attachment:

Complaint

#####

The property is also listed as ABITARE LLC which may distance the individuals from this prosecution?  

 

201706910003    ABITARE LLC

Registration Date:

02/28/2017

Jurisdiction:

CALIFORNIA

Entity Type:

DOMESTIC

Status:

ACTIVE

Agent for Service of Process:

AROUTIN PANOSIAN 
1717 N VERDUGO RD, APT 223
GLENDALE CA 91208

Entity Address:

1420 VALLEY VIEW RD
GLENDALE CA 91202

Entity Mailing Address:

1420 VALLEY VIEW RD
GLENDALE CA 91202

LLC Management

Member Managed

 

I found an "Aroutin Panosian" on Facebook and am waiting to see if he will respond and confirm that he is the same person managing this property. 

 

I hope that the Glendale Historical Society and all concerned residents will show up on Tuesday, March 6, 2018 at 8:30 AM to support the most severe penalties for these scofflaws who are responsible for the destruction of this now vanished residence. Let's see if we can find the demolition company and ask to see the  permit that authorized the demolition.  Will the Historical Society be able to assess the money damages not only to our history but in terms of rebuilding the home to the specifics of the original plan?  Of course, this loss is priceless: gone.  Perhaps setting an example with heavy fines or even jail time may be an idea? 

 

///////

 

 

Bullets Seventeen dead. Coral Springs, Florida

Realizing that, as individuals, we have  this immediate power to speak out, what can we do.  It used to be a tree stump or a soap box in the town square where anyone could 'take stage' and have a say.  Thomas Paine used his broadsides and pamphlets to 'spread the word.' 

The saddest thing regarding this issue: guns, bullets, the second amendment, etc. etc. ... is that my short note that calls for the ATFE to move to track large sales of ammuntion, especially the ammo .. the bullets... may be read by a few sympathetic Facebook pals or others who stumble into this post..  and even though the ripple effect of the seventeen dead in Florida today will stay in the news for a little while, the issue of how all of us become inured to this type of thing will fade. 

I mentioned the date 10/1/17 to someone a while back and asked if they remembered that date.  The first day of October.  If you read this and do remember, you may be one of the few who may find a way to help promote changes in the way that large amounts of bullets, especially for automatic weapons, are sold.  Those members of 'well regulated militias' ..of course, are military and registered with their local and federal governments, so they would have no problem with providing information.  

Individuals rolling out of gun shows or local gun shops with thousands of rounds of ammunition simply have to make sure that their personal information is on file.  

Requiring manufacturers of bullets to mark each bullet with identification marks will allow investigators to track the movement of these bullets when they show up at another mass shooting.  Naive? Of course.  Nay sayers will make what seems to them about 'rights' and how this type of tracking is impossible. However, just making an effort to control the manufacture and sale of bullets (and, all guns, of course.. they are marked with serial numbers .. as they should be..) may be a step in the right direction.

A voice in the wilderness?  

October 1, 2017?  

December 14, 2012? 

Valentine's Day, 2018? 

Do we care?  Of course. What can we do? Tell a friend?  and mourn these needless deaths?  and with the way things are going.. stand by for the next one. 

Watching the president read a statement devoid of feeling: just words.  I am so ashamed of my country right now.  

Let's not use the shooter's name. Ever. 

February 15, 2018

 

Seven Million Dollars for Art in Glendale

The meeting last night (February 1, 2018) at the Glendale Central Library to 'discuss' the proposed administration of  seven million dollars dedicated to Public Art in Glendale, California was attended by about eighty folks including 'dignitaries' representing City Council, the state senate and the library/ arts and culture commission.  

The City of Glendale has commissioned an arts development organization:  CARS (Community Art Resources) to develop a plan that will include all aspects of public art for the city. Their $100,000.00 fee covers the research and a few 'gatherings' were held last year. Primarily ON LINE comments have been collected from locals and others who have ideas regarding how the millions coming to the city will be administered and allocated to actually pay for arts programs and installations in Glendale.  

The bureaucracy of how to figure this out is typical, beginning with the 'rules' that govern city meetings.  Though CARS did have a few exclusive small discussions with interested artists and others last year that were conducted more as open forums and one 'meeting' that allowed interested residents to contribute ideas, last night's gathering, catered by CARS via Porto's..our local bakery.. was an 'official' City Meeting that does not allow for colloquy or an open forum with attendees and the officials conducting the meeting. 

Question cards were made available and after a somewhat lackluster presentation by CARS' representative Barbara Goldstein, the question cards were read by her and whatever the cards asked and her responses were very difficult to discern.  I thought it might have just been my hearing at the back of the auditorium, but in asking others if they had a difficult time understanding, I was told that they agreed that Ms Goldstein's speaking talents were marginal at best and she seemed to be mumbling a bit especially during the reading of the question cards. 

In a brief chat with Ms Goldstein prior to the Power Point presentation, which appeared to be essentially the same as what had been shown before, she strongly disagreed with my assertion that more open forums or town hall type meetings would be a way to have lively discussions to guide the next steps for Public Art in Glendale.  Ms. Goldstein's credentials are highly praised and we tend to bend to 'authority.'  What was never discussed in this meeting is how a panel of arts advocates who would be involved in the actual vetting of arts proposals would be chosen, nor what the qualifications for those individuals might be.  Cynically, the answer is "it's all politics." As the members of the Arts and Culture Commission are all political appointees, they supposedly represent the agendas of the City Council person who appointed them.  In meetings of the A and C Commission, the same 'rules' apply that there 'may' be a brief dialogue, but only at the behest of the official on the dias. Ditto for City Council.

On the up side.. with the recent unveiling of Scott Froschauer's twenty public art signs (His fee: $18,500.. a bargain!)..

we are on the way to seeing the collected fees from new construction being allocated in ways that supposedly may enhance the community.  As Ms Goldstein pointed out in one part of her presentation that I did understand, it's important that the work presented in public be important enough to make residents and visitors stop and have an opinion.  I could not agree more.  That is why I want to have open forums or even town hall gatherings to discuss this further before the final decisions are made by political representatives: the final judges.  

As effective as comments on a web page might be, there is nothing that can substitute for the voices of human beings being heard. Nothing like seeing the person who is willing to stand up for an idea.   Our new age "communications" of tweets and texts; even emails! are so impersonal that it's hard to take even the president's short messages seriously.  (Seeing him speak shows the real person, thank goodness.)

When the rights of the citizens are compromised by 'rules' ... in this case.. no open forum in a 'public' meeting.. this denies an exchange.. it limits communication and the general population, for whom this art is supposed to be beneficial, simply becomes the loser.  

My comments will have little effect.  We have major issues going on here in Glendale that are curtailed by what I've call 'government by caveat!'  What can we do if the 'rules' curtail fair discussion on the time honored floor of a Town Meeting.. or an Open Forum?  

The tail is wagging the dog and it just makes me sad that with all the rules that forbid forum and the formality that dampens debate and essentially no one willing to stand up and have a real discussion, then we are doomed to the caveats of those in 'Power.'  

My patience with the way things are going is coming to an end.  My ability to play politics to garner support is pretty much nil.  I've been advised to 'make nice.'  Asking difficult and contrary questions is hard to cloak in ceremonial handshakes and small talk.

Seven million dollars to be administered by politicians and probably not by artists.  A hundred thousand dollars paid to an organization, CARS, to figure out what a panel of actual Glendale artists could have done, probably as volunteers... and here we are with so much more red tape to cloud the real issue:  How to get a variety of traditional art, performance, installations, temporary works, THE GAS STATION..  to benefit the public..  programmed in a way that puts cash into the pockets of the least of ours.. the artists.. is a challenge that politicians will decide and as with our current national administration in the United States, the tastes and foibles of local politicos may eventually reign by caveat after the rest of us have run out of gas! 

Unless, of course, there may be one other person who may agree?