Commander in Chief

President Harry Truman was well known for a sign, the buck stops here, on his desk.

He didn't mince words. In his 1953 farewell speech he stated, "The President--whoever he is--has to decide. He can't pass the buck to anybody. No one else can do the deciding for him. That's his job."

Compare that with President Trump. Today (2/28/17) a Fox News interview was released, one of the topics was the Yemen raid for which Senior Chief Petty Officer William “Ryan” Owens lost his life. During the interview Mr. Trump stated: 

“This was something that was, you know, just — they wanted to do,” Trump said. “ And they came to see me and they explained what they wanted to do, the generals, who are very respected.”

“And they lost Ryan,”

The generals did it. These are not the words of a president taking responsibility. No matter what planning, what actions that were performed by the Obama administration, Mr. Trump he gave the OK. His word released our military to execute a dangerous mission. His command led to the death a one of our finest.

A weak statement by a man claiming to be the best and strongest about everything else. It appears that being the best Commander in Chief isn't one of his self-proclaimed accolades.

salvaging my voice

Over the years my motivation to update this blog has ebbed and flowed. Many events have simply screamed out to share, my voice was easy to share. Countless other opportunities have
passed due to my laziness, avoidance, hesitancy, fear, whatever. I enjoy writing, it is a satisfying release, a straightforward way to share things that make me go hmmm, laugh, or a just chance to blast something out.

The kids are growing up, their trials and tribulations provide many story opportunities. My love for them is boundless, my pride in their accomplishments is immense, and my joy at their laughter is precious. The flip side is that they are old enough to find this blog, read it, and exact retribution. Such is one dilemma.

Work offers up copious amounts of material. But there too, discretion. I work at a local elementary school. Before, as just a a parent, I could write just about anything without concern.Yes, it had to be true. Yes, I needed to edit out some personal information. But, since I now work there I must follow some privacy laws and school policies. What was once a vast river of material is now just a trickle of shareable stories. Sanitized for someone's protection.

And there is politics. I do throw out a bone from time to time. Enough said.

So, I want, I need to get back my voice. I will stumble through topics, events that get my attention. silly shit my kids do, share expressions of my civil discourse.

Philip Roth once said that "The road to hell is paved with works-in-progress." OK, well maybe not a good quote for me to use, not believing in hell and all, but I do appreciate the sentiment. So, I'm not really gonna tell you when or what I'm writing, it will just pop out from time to time. Hopefully a bit more often.

Time will tell...